Ok, so my first big question is...do you prefer your children to do their school online/computer work or do they use textbooks/workbooks/lapbooking or a mixture both???
I have met several people, including my cousins who have done the K12 program online. I found this pretty extensive list of online curriculum possiblities...
http://www.homeschool.com/OnlineCourses/
I've also been flipping through some textbooks that have been used by friends and have been thinking about using those.
It all looks so wonderful! So, what do YOU prefer??? Do your kids do all their work online, use textbooks, or use a bit of both?
5 comments:
Can I answer neither...
You know I tried K12. It would have been lovely with one kid, but with 3 it was a disaster!
I don't use textbooks either as they tend to be really boring. I prefer just getting good kid's books from the library for history and science. I wouldn't consider Story of the World a textbook. The books What Your ___ Grader Needs to Know have great ideas for what to get books about. I just pick topics and have all of my kids learn about the same thing.
I do use workbooks for Math and Grammar. I like Singapore Math and Growing with Grammar. They are both simple and to the point and my kids can use them independently.
Good luck with your decision. homeschooling is a constantly evolving process.
Michelle
I'd say neither as well. Our history is Story of the World and for science we use Apologia's Elementary Series of "Exploring Creation through..." Astronomy, Botany...several science subjects. That's the most textbooky we get. It's sort of a textbook, but so much more readable and engaging than your typical textbook. We use Saxon Math (so I guess that is a textbook, for real - but an AWESOME program). And we use First Language Lessons for the Well-trained mind as well as the Learning Language Arts through Literature.
Virtual is nice. But for me, and I'd suspect you, not the greatest option. You get everything laid out for you. But each kid will be doing different things for every subject. And typically you're given a whole program - every subject underneath it. With more than one kid schooling, it's been ESSENTIAL to do our history and science together. I add to assignments for higher grades. And higher grades can read things that are harder, but on the same topic.
you know we did the k12 thing but with 5 in school...and now 6 it got to be too much! though it was all laid out for me it still meant i was running 25 + lessons each day and no mamma can do that! abby hit all the good ones that we've used and loved and i do recommend teaching the kids all the same history and science lessons...every 4 years or so they come back around so the younger ones will get it in depth then...but it helps that they're familiar with it all the way through...and as she said just have the assignments be more complex and age appropriate! we did online and it just seemed that they just spent their time reading from the screen...i just don't think it soaks in quite as well as when they hear it being told or read to them, or are doing a hands on thing...it just makes it so much more real! definitely have some things that they can do online which helps if i have to spend some time extra with one of the other children...that way they're still engaged but i'd steer it so you have the majority of it in person!
I only use text books for math, science and handwriting. Other than that I really enjoy living books. We use Sonlight and with the age of your children you could pick a core and teach all of them. For LA I'm using a program called CQLA and so far it is working for my 9 year old.
Good luck deciding what to use. Know that in your first year you will most likely find things that you like and things you don't like. At least you are doing something!
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