Published: November 18, 2007 12:33 am      

East Carroll Twp. siblings thriving online

CARROLLTOWN — It’s 7 a.m., and like most kids, 7-year-old Charlotte Farabaugh and her brother, Avery, 5, are getting ready for the start of another school day.

Unlike most kids, they don’t need to catch the bus to go to school; they just boot up their home computers and log in to class.

The East Carroll Township youngsters, both enrolled in the Philadelphia County-based Agora Cyber Charter School, are part of the growing enrollment of cyber schools.

“I have to believe my kids are getting more out of this than being in a classroom with 23 or so kids,” said Renate Farabaugh, Charlotte and Avery’s mom.

“The curriculum is just great, and I don’t think they would be getting the education they are receiving here at our local public school.”

Farabaugh said the family’s interest in cyber schools started when Charlotte was in preschool and was reading and writing at a kindergarten level.

“I began looking into seeing if she would be able to skip kindergarten and go straight to the first grade,” she said.

But the local school district has strict rules on age requirements and wouldn’t agree to let Charlotte skip a grade.

“I decided to look into homeschooling, but found cyber school was the better route,” Farabaugh said.

For Charlotte, now in second grade, cyber education has been working.

“I like that they are learning languages, because I believe you have to start early with that,” Farabaugh said.

“Everything is mastery-based, and then you move on.”

Farabaugh said she was apprehensive about enrolling Avery, who is in kindergarten, because of his short attention span.

“It’s nice for him because if he needs to stay on a certain subject longer, he can,” she said. “It helps that we are able to take breaks.”

Farabaugh said she is strict with the kids to make sure they stick to their daily schedule.

“We go Monday through Friday and start around 8 a.m. and finish at 2 p.m.,” she said. “It’s a busy day, but that is how it works for us.”

Farabaugh said she isn’t worried her kids are missing out on the socializing aspect of traditional schooling, because she makes it a point to keep them active with other kids.

“They do co-ops with other cyber students, and they have monthly outings through Agora,” she said.

Both children seem enthusiastic about learning online.

“It’s really good and I love history,” Charlotte said. “I’m having fun.”

Avery said he likes his art class because he likes to paint.

“He recently did a science project where he had to plant seeds and see how each would grow in certain environments,” his mother said.

Farabaugh believes cyber school is the best way she can prepare her children for the future.

“If this is what we need to do for that to happen, then I’m happy to do it.”