The beauty of online high school is that it offers distinct advantages for every type of student. By studying online instead of in a traditional brick-and-mortar setting, unusually talented young people can spend all the time they want on their passion without neglecting required courses.

A child prodigy, whatever their “field,” can often zoom through the curriculum at the speed of light, graduate high school and move on to college. They could even accomplish some of that simultaneously. Gifted students who aren’t necessarily prodigies can also move forward at a faster pace than they could in a typical classroom setting.

But what if your child isn’t a prodigy? Most kids aren’t.

Few of us excel at everything. It’s perfectly normal for students (even prodigies) to find some subjects more challenging than others. Any student can struggle if they’re victims of bullying, distracted by worries they won’t fit in with the “right” clique or other issues that have nothing to do with learning but can dramatically impact a student’s ability to focus on learning.

No matter what the reason, if your child is having a tough time with one or more classes, online study enables them to tackle each course separately, rather than following the same “study clock” for every subject. They can spend as much time as they need to master each topic or concept, progressing through the curriculum at a different pace for each class

The school calendar and daily schedule are theirs, not anyone else’s. If they need to take a break from one subject, they can do that and come back to it. Conversely, if they’re “on a roll” with one course, they can stick with it.

The traditional classroom isn’t for everyone.

You don’t have to be a prodigy to feel bored or disenfranchised in class. It’s easy to understand how a student struggling to keep up with the rest of the class may literally start to feel left out, or how a student who is able to complete work faster than average can grow bored. Some students simply do not see a personal connection between classroom study and “real life.”

When students believe that school isn’t for them, they become disenchanted and often stop trying. Sometimes they drop out of high school.

A student who is underperforming in school may be a whiz at sports trivia or be quite knowledgeable about certain recording stars, cooking or cars, because that information resonates with them. They’re interested to know more, so they make an effort to learn and retain the information. A student may be doing poorly in class yet be a master of their video game realm, proving their ability to concentrate and stay with something tenaciously to improve.

Individuals have different learning styles, too. Highly kinetic students don’t sit well, so they can become fidgety and distracted under the constraints of a traditional brick-and-mortar school class schedule.

For all of these types of students, online high school can offer a far more comfortable and supportive environment in which to grow and perfect their individual skills. Online school offers a tremendous selection of interesting, relevant electives. Students can choose classes that speak to them, capturing their imagination. That kind of connectivity can make a big difference in a student’s attitude toward school and desire to learn.

Whether your child is a prodigy or not, if they currently feel shut out for any reason at their traditional school or you want them to have broader educational opportunities, switching to online high school can open doors for them and change their life.