Tuition-Free Online Elementary School in Missouri
Virtual Preparatory Academy of Missouri
Children deserve a learning environment that fosters creativity, works with their schedule, and provides a comfortable space to truly come into their own. Virtual Prep Academy of Missouri offers an alternative to the cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all model of traditional classrooms. Our tuition-free online elementary school in Missouri helps students thrive from the safety of home. The Missouri Virtual Preparatory Academy admissions process simplifies preparing your child for a bright future.
Enrolling your kindergartner or making the switch to an online elementary school is easy. Get started today!
How Online Elementary School Works
To attend an online elementary school in Missouri, your child must be 5 by July 1 of the current school year and reside in the state. In addition, you should be able to accommodate a dedicated learning area in your home. Here’s how Virtual Prep Missouri online learning works:
Students log onto their school-provided computers each day. With the help of their learning coach, they explore that day’s to-do list, which includes live class sessions, self-paced work, and other assignments. The learning coach (often a parent or guardian) helps them figure out where to start with that day’s assignments. This structured, yet flexible, environment teaches time management and helps build confidence.
Daily Structure with Flexibility Built In
The combination of live sessions and self-paced work helps your family manage your child’s education on your schedule, not the school’s.
Certified Teachers and Real-Time Instruction
Online learning doesn’t mean unlimited free time without guidance. Certified Missouri teachers lead students in live class sessions, facilitate small group learning, and have 1:1 check-ins with students to measure understanding.
Engaging and Age-Appropriate Digital Tools
Our online learning platform is easy to use and designed for young learners. Tools include interactive lessons with visuals, games, and audio narration for different learning styles.
Benefits of Online Elementary School
Attending a virtual elementary school in Missouri offers students and their families countless benefits, including a safe space to learn, a personalized approach, and educational excellence that can even outperform traditional classroom instruction.
Safe, Bully-Free Learning Environment
Your child will learn from home in an environment with fewer distractions and social stressors. Online learning in Missouri lets them focus on learning, not peer pressure.
Flexible Scheduling to Fit Family Life
Virtual school is perfect for families with working parents, caregivers, and non-traditional routines. The mixture of live sessions and self-paced work fosters accountability through flexibility and structured freedom.
Personalized Pace for Every Learner
Your child will receive personalized support no matter their current academic progress. When they need additional time or have mastered a current topic, the next challenging subject is waiting until they’re ready.
Online Elementary School Curriculum that Supports Growth
As a fully accredited online elementary school in Missouri, Virtual Prep Academy’s academic curriculum aligns with state standards and has been thoughtfully designed to grow young minds. As part of their studies, your child will experience the following:
- Core subjects like reading, math, science, and social studies
- Enrichment opportunities that include art, PE, and social emotional learning (SEL)
- Regular assessments to track growth and adjust their learning path
Curriculum, K-5
Kindergarten Language Arts
The Kindergarten course lays the groundwork for reading and writing. It aims to combine excellent decoding instruction with frequent reading aloud to ensure students can translate letters into words and make sense of the words they are decoding.
Skills lessons address decoding skills, focusing on sounds or phonemes as the primary organizing principle rather than letters. Phonics instruction begins with sounds and then attaches those sounds to spellings. Students build awareness of environmental noises, sounds within words, and words within sentences. As students gain phonological awareness, they progress to blending and segmenting sounds within words. Students are introduced to reading using engaging and fun decodable readers.
Students study the mechanics of writing. Starting with prewriting basics, they learn the correct grip and the writing strokes used to create letters. They also learn how to “spell the sounds” by writing letters representing the sounds they learned.
The course includes daily read-alouds that help students build the background knowledge and vocabulary critical to listening and reading comprehension. Students learn by listening to nursery rhymes, fables, classic tales, and nonfiction texts.
While teaching reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, the course also builds students’ knowledge and vocabulary in literature, history, geography, and science.
Kindergarten Math
In this problem-based curriculum, students will build on their math skills through exploration with interactives and virtual manipulatives.
Students will explore different ways to represent the compositions and decompositions of numbers within 10, including working with 10-frames. They will count and represent collections of objects and images within 20. Students will explore solid shapes while reinforcing their knowledge of counting, number writing and comparison, and flat shapes.
In the final unit of this course, students will prepare for 1st grade by revisiting major work and fluency goals, applying what they have learned from the year.
Kindergarten Science
The kindergarten science course builds students’ knowledge of core ideas in life, physical and earth sciences, and engineering design. Students will explore pushes and pulls, the needs of plants and animals, changing environments, and weather patterns.
Students will develop and use scientific practices that give them firsthand experience in scientific inquiry, engineering, and technology. Throughout the course, scientific learning is connected to concepts across various disciplines, such as mathematics and literacy.
Kindergarten Social Studies
Kindergarten social studies includes history, geography, economics, civics lessons, and additional resources for teachers and students.
This is a comprehensive course integrating topics in civics and the arts. It helps students gain knowledge of diverse civilizations, cultures, and concepts.
1st Grade Language Arts
This course continues building the foundation for reading and writing. It includes frequent read-alouds that give students the background knowledge and vocabulary critical to listening and reading comprehension. Students learn by listening to fables, stories, and nonfiction texts that include topics related to science and history.
Skills instruction starts with a review of sounds and spellings. Students are introduced to tricky spellings (spellings that look the same but are pronounced differently) and tricky words (words that cannot be sounded out using the letter-sound correspondences taught so far). Decodable readers are provided for students to practice their emerging reading skills. Students learn to read and write words with separated digraphs (such as a and e in cake). They begin to work with weekly spelling words.
Grammar lessons address parts of speech, including nouns (common and proper), past-tense verb forms, and adjectives. Students progress to working with nouns and verbs in phrases and using adjectives for descriptive writing. They begin formal instruction in a writing process focusing on narrative writing.
1st Grade Math
In this problem-based curriculum, students will build on their math skills through exploration with interactives and virtual manipulatives.
Students will count and group two-digit numbers and compare them using the symbols >, =, and < while using place value and properties of operations to add within 100. Students will begin a study of measurement, measuring length, and counting up to 120 length units. They solve addition and subtraction story problems with unknowns in all positions. They will continue to learn basic geometry skills as they reason with shapes and their attributes, partition shapes into equal pieces, and tell time to the hour and a half hour.
In the final unit of this course, students will prepare for 2nd grade by revisiting major work and fluency goals, applying what they have learned from the year.
1st Grade Science
1st grade science continues to build knowledge about core ideas in life, physical, earth sciences, and engineering design. Students will explore the sun, moon, stars, light and sound, plant and animal survival, and simple machines.
Students will develop and use scientific practices that give them firsthand experience in scientific inquiry, engineering, and technology. Throughout the course, scientific learning is connected to concepts across various disciplines, such as mathematics and literacy.
1st Grade Social Studies
1st grade social studies includes history, geography, economics, civics lessons, and additional resources for teachers and students.
This is a comprehensive course integrating topics in civics and the arts. It helps students gain knowledge of diverse civilizations, cultures, and concepts.
2nd Grade Language Arts
This course includes frequent read-alouds that help students build the background knowledge and vocabulary critical to listening and reading comprehension. Students learn by listening to fairy tales, tall tales, myths, and nonfiction texts that include topics related to science and history.
Skills instruction continues as students are introduced to spelling alternatives for vowel sounds and various tricky spellings (spellings that look the same but are pronounced differently, such as o in hop or open). Weekly spelling lessons are a regular part of student work.
Students practice using a writing process focusing on writing narratives and opinions. Grammar instruction focuses on capitalization, quotation marks, ending punctuation, and common and proper nouns. Students are also introduced to antonyms and synonyms.
Decodable readers for every skills unit include both fiction and nonfiction selections.
2nd Grade Math
In this problem-based curriculum, students will expand their math skills through exploration with interactives and virtual manipulatives.
Students will represent and solve story problems within 20 using picture and bar graphs. They will build toward fluency with addition and subtraction as they add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction. They will use what they know to solve story problems.
Students measure and estimate lengths in standard units and solve measurement story problems within 100. They will study the structure of a number line and use it to represent numbers within 100. They will also relate addition and subtraction to length and represent the operations on the number line.
2nd Grade Science
2nd grade science continues to build students’ knowledge about core ideas in life, physical, earth sciences, and engineering design. Students will explore the properties of matter, the needs of plants and animals, land and water features, and electricity and magnetism.
Students will develop and use scientific practices that give them firsthand experience in scientific inquiry, engineering, and technology. Throughout the course, scientific learning is connected to concepts across various disciplines, such as mathematics and literacy.
2nd Grade Social Studies
2nd grade social studies includes history, geography, economics, civics lessons, and additional resources for teachers and students.
This is a comprehensive course integrating topics in civics and the arts. It helps students gain knowledge of diverse civilizations, cultures, and concepts.
3rd Grade Language Arts
This course includes frequent read-alouds that help students build the background knowledge and vocabulary critical to listening and reading comprehension. Students learn by listening to nonfiction texts that include topics related to science and history. The first unit contains selections from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame to reinforce understanding of story elements.
Students practice and build reading skills as they read selections in their readers. Many reading selections are informational texts that address topics related to science and history. Students also read excerpts from some classic tales and various stories and myths from diverse groups.
During writing instruction, students use a writing process as they practice expository (cause and effect), narrative (story), and opinion writing.
Morphology lessons cover reading and understanding words with common prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots. Instruction also addresses the meaning of various prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
Grammar lessons address various speech and language usage conventions (such as capitalization and punctuation). These specific grammar skills are reinforced and applied in all writing exercises.
Spelling lessons include weekly word lists focusing on content words and words with morphological patterns taught in each unit. Spelling exercises will help students practice applying knowledge of letter-sound correspondences learned in earlier grades.
3rd Grade Math
In this problem-based curriculum, students will expand their math skills through exploration with interactives and virtual manipulatives.
Students will represent and solve multiplication problems using picture and bar graphs. They will learn about the relationship between multiplication and division, place value, and the properties of operations to multiply and divide whole numbers within 100. They will also represent and solve two-step word problems using all four operations.
Students will learn about area concepts, relate area to multiplication and addition, and use place value understanding to round whole numbers and add and subtract within 1,000. They represent and solve two-step word problems using addition, subtraction, and multiplication and assess the reasonableness of answers.
3rd Grade Science
3rd-grade science builds on students’ prior understanding of scientific topics to support increasingly sophisticated learning. Students will investigate forces, life cycles, traits, and variations; habitats and change; and weather and climate.
Students will develop and use scientific practices that give them firsthand experience in scientific inquiry, engineering, and technology. Throughout the course, scientific learning is connected to concepts across various disciplines, such as mathematics and literacy.
3rd Grade Social Studies
3rd grade social studies is a comprehensive program that prepares students to actively participate in a democratic society. Students will learn about history and geography as they study world rivers, ancient Rome, the Vikings, the earliest Americans, and the thirteen colonies.
Projects that accompany each unit expand upon the historical and geographical learning and allow students to build an understanding of local history and geography, civics, and economics.
4th Grade Language Arts
Students read from various texts, including excerpts from Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, legends of King Arthur and his knights, poetry, and informational texts about scientific and historical topics.
Students use a writing process to develop several writings, including a memoir, a persuasive paragraph, a short story, a variety of poems, and shorter writing projects.
Morphology lessons cover reading and understanding words with common prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots. Instruction also addresses the meaning of various prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
Grammar lessons address various speech and language usage conventions (such as capitalization and punctuation). These specific grammar skills are then reinforced and applied in all writing exercises.
Spelling lessons include weekly word lists focusing on content words and words with morphological patterns taught in each unit. The spelling exercises allow students to apply knowledge of letter-sound correspondences learned in earlier grades.
4th Grade Math
In this problem-based curriculum, students expand their math skills through exploration with interactives and virtual manipulatives.
Students apply their understanding of multiplication and area to work with factors and multiples. They will generate and reason about equivalent fractions, compare and order fractions, learn to add and subtract fractions with like denominators and add and subtract tenths and hundredths.
Finally, students will read, write, and compare numbers in decimal notation. They learn to extend place value for multi-digit whole numbers and add and subtract within 1,000,000.
4th Grade Science
4th grade science builds on a prior understanding of scientific topics to support increasingly sophisticated learning. Students will investigate energy transfer and transformation, waves, structures and functions of living things, processes that shape the earth, and use natural resources for energy.
Students will develop and use scientific practices that give them firsthand experience in scientific inquiry, engineering, and technology. They will use problem-based learning to develop and present solutions based on knowledge and, ideally, interact with their community. Throughout the course, lessons connect concepts across various disciplines, such as mathematics and literacy.
4th Grade Social Studies
4th grade social studies is a comprehensive program that prepares students to actively participate in a democratic society. Students continue to expand their knowledge of geography as they study world mountains. The age of exploration is covered and the historical focus shifts to American history topics such as the American Revolution, the Constitution, and early Presidents.
Projects accompanying each unit progress historical and geographical knowledge and allow students to develop an understanding of local history and geography, civics, and economics.
5th Grade Language Arts
Students study contemporary and classic fiction, as well as informational texts. Readings include an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a novel that students select, poetry, and various informational texts related to historical topics.
Writing instruction centers on a comprehensive writing process and focuses on writing increasingly complex sentences, composing coherent paragraphs, and writing for various purposes. Students develop a variety of writings, including a friendly letter, original poems, and a persuasive essay. Morphology lessons address reading and understanding words with common prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots. Instruction also addresses the meaning of various prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
Grammar lessons address various speech and language usage conventions (such as capitalization and punctuation). These specific grammar skills are then reinforced and applied in all writing exercises.
Spelling lessons include weekly word lists focusing on content words and words with morphological patterns taught in each unit. The spelling exercises allow students to apply knowledge of letter-sound correspondences learned in earlier grades.
5th Grade Math
In this problem-based curriculum, students will expand their math skills through exploration. Students will use interactives and virtual manipulatives to explore math concepts throughout this course.
Students will apply their understanding of place value to round, compare, order, add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals. They will solve multi-step problems involving measurement conversions, line plots, and fraction operations, including addition and subtraction of fractions with unlike denominators.
Students will learn to plot coordinate pairs on a coordinate grid and classify triangles and quadrilaterals based on properties of side length and angle measure. Given two rules, they generate, identify, and graph relationships between corresponding terms in two numeric patterns. They will learn to represent and interpret real-world and mathematical problems on a coordinate grid.
In the final unit of this course, students will prepare for middle school by revisiting major work and fluency goals, applying what they have learned from the year.
5th Grade Science
5th grade science builds on prior understanding of scientific topics to support increasingly sophisticated learning. Students will investigate matter; energy and matter in ecosystems; modeling Earth’s systems; protecting Earth’s resources; and astronomy.
Students will develop and use scientific practices that give them firsthand experience in scientific inquiry, engineering, and technology. Students will also use problem-based learning to develop and present solutions based on knowledge and, ideally, interact with their community. Throughout the course, scientific learning is connected to concepts across various disciplines, such as mathematics and literacy.
5th Grade Social Studies
Grade 5 social studies is a comprehensive program that prepares students to actively participate in a democratic society. Students continue to expand their knowledge of geography as they focus on the physical features and climate of the United States. They will learn about the ancient civilizations that paved the way for modern societies and systems. American history topics focus on westward expansion before and after the Civil War.
Projects accompanying each unit expand upon their historical and geographical knowledge and allow students to build an understanding of local history and geography, civics, and economics.
- Health
- Physical Education
- Art
- Keyboarding for Younger Students
- 2D Media Artwork
- 3D Graphics and Video
- Foundations in Reading
- Introduction to Computers
- Scratch Coding
Electives vary by grade and offering
Teacher and Peer Interaction
Students who attend online schools for elementary students in Missouri deserve the same social connections as their peers. Our school fosters those connections with a mixture of activities that include:
- Live sessions that include class discussions, group activities, and social learning
- Optional virtual clubs and events to build friendships over distances
- Regular teacher check-ins to ensure understanding and comfort in the virtual classroom
Parental Resources
Your involvement in your child’s education is important. By choosing a free online elementary school in Missouri, you have an active role as a learning coach. You don’t have to go it alone, however. Parent training during onboarding connects your family with important online learning resources like dedicated Success Coordinators and tech support. Throughout the school year, you’ll receive weekly progress updates and communication from your child’s teacher(s).
Ensuring Student Success
Missouri Virtual Prep’s approach to online education focuses on your child’s abilities and growth. We believe all students deserve and can achieve greatness through education, no matter their circumstances. Learn more about how our online elementary school in Missouri prepares your child for success.
From Struggling to Thriving
92% of families who choose Virtual Prep Academy report satisfaction with their child’s education. No matter the reasons for choosing an online elementary school, the results are real.
Support Systems That Make a Difference
Academic coaching and counseling help ensure your child receives the attention they need to thrive, both in and out of school. Your family has access to real human help when needed.
Providing Educational Pathways for All Learning Levels
Education continuity options ensure that children who start in Virtual Prep’s online, tuition-free elementary school can continue their online learning journey. Students can progress through online middle school and high school courses up to grade 11. In addition, VPREP offers online schools in other states; it’s possible to continue their online education even if your family moves out of state.
FAQs
Find answers to common questions that parents often have about online elementary school.
Is Missouri’s Virtual Prep online elementary school free?
Yes! Virtual Prep Academy of Missouri is a tuition-free online elementary school. Admission only requires residence in Missouri and that your child turns five years old during the current school year.
How does Missouri Virtual Prep’s online elementary school work?
Online elementary students learn in the safety of their own home via a school-provided computer. Each day includes a structured schedule of live sessions and self-paced work that provides much-needed flexibility.
What does a sample online elementary school curriculum look like?
Online elementary school curriculum aligns with all Missouri state standards. Courses include subjects like reading, math, science, and social studies. It also includes enrichment opportunities like PE and visual arts.
Enroll Today in Virtual Prep Academy of Missouri’s Online Elementary School
Learn more about how your child can benefit from an online elementary education’s flexibility and personalized approach. Enroll in online elementary school today.
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