Online education has been growing in popularity over the past several years.

Whether utilizing an online public school, or a program like Miacademy, Khan Academy, or Time4Learning, parents are discovering the benefits of online education options and the freedom that it can bring for families wanting to educate their children at home. However, one important aspect of personal development that is missing with a lot of these programs is the need for social interaction.

There are a lot of reasons to like online learning. Children can learn from the comfort of home in an environment that is supervised by their parents. There is less ambiguity regarding the material being taught, and the course work can be completed in the child’s time. Many of these programs also offer online assessments and course tracking, so parents can easily see where their children stand before moving on to the next subject. They just need a place to experience positive, genuine social interactions, as well.

Social interaction is important.

As humans, we are made to be social beings, which means we are meant to live in community and interact with each other. Without the opportunity to develop social skills alongside academic skills, children who fail to learn strong social skills struggle to succeed in the workforce. In fact, a study by Harvard Business School found that emotional intelligence, the ability to perceive, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and relationships, directly and substantially influences career success; so much so, that 71% of business owners said they value emotional intelligence more than technical skills. For this reason, it is important to maintain an element of social interaction in online learning.

Online programs like The Homeschool Safari offer the best of both.

They offer online classes with a live teacher, as well as clubs for kids, so they can interact with others in their age group from around the country. This allows children the opportunity to learn from the safety and comfort of home, while also developing their communication and social skills with others in a live environment.

It also enables them to learn about, and interact with, other children from various places and backgrounds, and to become familiar with modern methodologies such as video calls and basic technology interfaces. As an added bonus, children are able to maintain friendships online even if they end up moving to another state. Social interaction in online learning provides a sense of stability, even when other major changes occur in the life of a child.

These live classes also enable children to give their teachers feedback in real time, so curriculum can be adjusted as needed according to the needs of the child. All of these aspects of social interaction in online learning help to facilitate confident learning, as well as the socialization, communication, and adaptation skills that are so crucial to success outside of the classroom.

Social interaction is crucial in online learning, because it helps to develop the emotional intelligence that will set students up for a lifetime of success.

In fact, emotional intelligence is considered a top essential skill for those in leadership positions, regardless of their field. In the quest for an ideal learning environment for home-educated students, it is important to consider the value of social interactions in online learning, as well.