I plan on homeschooling my children. I am at a lose as to how to choose which curriculum to use. Any advice or suggestions is greatly appreciated.
2007-02-21 02:20:00 · 5 answers · asked by Jilly bean 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Home Schooling
OK, I like the Switched on Schoolhouse.
But I'm not finding anything for K, 1st, & 2nd grades. Any idea why not?
2007-02-21 14:32:04 · update #1
Hi there. I have been homeschooling for about 18 months now. I am homeschooling my 2 youngest girls who are both now in 6th grade. I also previously homeschooled my oldest for 1/2 of kindergarten and all of 1st grade. I used A.C.E. for the oldest. It was great, and she is still very self motivated because of the independence instilled. We have recently started using Switched on Schoolhouse from AOP. We love it! It takes a lot of the administration work off of me. Previously I used Abeka and found all the lesson planning to be too much. Switched On Schoolhouse (SOS) can be intimidating to get started because it is software but you just learn as you go and can call them with any questions. The kids love it because it is very engaging and colorful. There are many neat features like-- automatic grading and recording, you can print anything and take it with you, there is a note button if the kids need clarification from you (they can highlight text) it will leave you a message, you can set your start date and the date you wish to be done and it will distribute assignments and calculate your days of school. There is so much more. There is a live demo that you can sign up for on the AOP website if you would like to see more. I must say the cost is quite economical too. Each grade level is only $300 (cheaper on ebay) for the year and it can be reused later as your younger ones need it. Good luck! Jenny
2007-02-21 02:39:06 · answer #1 · answered by jenny n 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You've got to check them out for yourself in some way. Well, maybe not "got to", but it'd be ideal. See if there are homeschoolers in your area and you can get together and see what they use. Check to find out about homeschool conferences--there are often vendors so you can browse through their things. Get catalogues. Sonlight is my favourite. For curriculum that interests you even more, find a Yahoo group just for that curriculum and ask, ask, ask.
What it will boil down to is what you want as an approach to their education, what they will take to, how much you can afford, how much you want to be directed, etc. Know that you really don't need a full packaged curriculum to teach your kids. Also, you only really need to look for that first year. Whatever you choose does not have to be forever!
2007-02-21 11:51:43 · answer #2 · answered by glurpy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First you must understand that each state is different in their homeschooling laws. In some states, homeschooling is controlled by the schools and in some it is not.
The first thing to do would be to check www.hslda.org to research the laws for your particular state. They should also have a list of homeschool group organizations for your state. It's always a good idea to contact people in your area and talk to them about what works.
Another good site is homeschool.gomilpitas.com They have everything about homeschooling from a to z. You can research different styles, different curriculae, and get tons of advice and opinions.
Good luck.
2007-02-21 11:03:33 · answer #3 · answered by Terri 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
completely agree with glurpy. For what it's worth my 9 year old has been loving switched on schoolhouse.
2007-02-21 19:02:16 · answer #4 · answered by godchick 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your public school department is obliged to help you with curriculum information. You should be able to get the same guides they use.
2007-02-21 10:41:59 · answer #5 · answered by Ernie 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋