6 key criteria to select the best online learning website for your children.

Every child is special with specific strengths and weaknesses that affect learning. Physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally, each kid is a unique individual with specific learning needs. To be effective, the learning approach should be adapted to address those specific needs.

There are plenty of online learning websites out there, I have identified 10 outstanding free websites in a previous post, but still parents need to make the ultimate decision and select the best fit among all those choices. It could be overwhelming to make a selection when you have so many choices, in particular for single parents who have many other responsibilities to take care of. The risk of not selecting the best fit is to end up with a learning tool that will not improve your kid’s learning path.

Here are 5 key criteria that will ease your life and help you select the best online learning website for your children:

1. Scope: The scope in this context is the extent of the target audience to which the website is relevant. Think of the scope as the limits or boundaries of the website in terms of targeted audience. If the website is targeting only teens and you have Pre-K at home, it may not be the best fit.
   • How to: to assess the scope find the answers to the following questions:
     • Who is the target audience of the website?
     • What is the purpose of the website?
   • Where to find information: You can learn about the scope of a website by reading its About page. Mission and goals should be clear enough to give you the information you need.
2. Content: The content should be relevant to what you are looking for in order to address the needs of your children. Are you looking to improve reading skills or to acquire some knowledge in science? It is important to clarify what you want. What learning needs do you want to address. Your objectives should be clearly defined as the assessment of the content will be based on your expected outcomes
   • How to: to assess the content find the answers to the following questions:
     • Is the content relevant to the learning needs of my kid?
     • Are the lessons presented in a way that address different learning styles? (Videos , graphics, pictures, text)
     • Is a clear objective defined for each lesson or activity?
     • Is the navigation within the website intuitive and simple?
   • Where to find information: You can learn more about the content by looking at the different categories/pages of the website. Check your areas of interest or disciplines and explore one or two lessons to see how they are presented and if the end-objective is clearly defined so you know exactly what skill or knowledge you will get at the end of the lesson.
3. Practice:  Practice is a critical element in children education. Children are learning new skills and they need repetition to allow them to strengthen the connections in the brain that help them learn. When selecting a website it is important to look at the activities provided to practice and also the ability to monitor the progress. Monitor the progress is important to identify areas of priorities to focus on.
   • How to: to assess the practice find the answers to the following questions:
     • Is the practice approach include a combination of different activities (quizzes, games, tests, questions)?
     • Are the practice activities effective to master the skill /knowledge targeted by the lesson?
     • Is it possible to monitor the progress over the time?
   • Where to find information: You can learn more about the practice activities by trying some activities after one or two lessons to check if they are effective to reach the objectives of the lessons. To know if you can monitor the progress, check if the website gives the opportunity to sign-up for an account and provides dashboard or regular insights to parents.   
4. Visual: The website should look good and be aesthetically pleasing to engage kids in learning. It should enhance interaction through animation and sound, stimulates the senses using bright colors or nice graphics or pictures for examples.  
   • How to: to assess the visual find the answers to the following questions:
     • Is the design of the website engaging for kids?
     • Are there animations, sounds, graphics that improve interaction and stimulates the senses?
   • Where to find information: Browse the different pages of the website to check the aesthetic and the design of the website.
5. Safety: It is important to ensure that the website is safe to navigate for your kid. Online navigation comes with risks, like inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators. Parents should be aware of what their kids see and hear who they meet, and what they share about themselves.
   • How to: to assess the safety of the website find the answers to the following questions:
     • Is there a children’s privacy policy on the website?
     • Is the website designed to keep anyone from getting child’s personal information without approval of parents?
   • Where to find information: Check the privacy policy on the website.
6. Cost: It is important to look at the pricing, especially for single parents who should manage their budget carefully. Ensure that you really need the functionalities you are subscribing for and always try free options before upgrading to ensure the website is the best fit to address your needs.

Online learning websites are good tools to support parents. However, it is important to highlight that each kid has specific learning needs and for parents it is essential to find the best fit, otherwise, the tool will not be helpful at all. We know how important education is, (see article here on What every single parents need to know about education) and how it could be challenging to make the best decisions for our kids, especially for single parents who have so many responsibilities.

Hope this set of criteria will make your life easier and help you select the best online learning website for your children. Any criteria you will add to the list? Let us know and give us your feedback in the comment section.

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