Homeschoolers: If money weren't an issue....

[burbuja0512]

I'm looking for a set of middle school homeschool CD's or online curriculum that allows the student to do most of the work. Kind of like ALEKS, how the student will mostly work independently under adult supervision and ask questions from time to time as needed.

Background: I no longer homeschool any of my own kids, but since both DH and I work from home, we've been given the task of homeschooling his DD. She's 13 and in 8th grade, but due to autism spectrum (formerly referred to as Asperger's) her social skills have made B&M school extremely difficult. So far, we have made excellent progress. She was stuck in 3rd grade math for several years, but since September has flown through ALEKS and is about to finish 5th grade level. I had also used several other CD+book combos but so far her best subjects are Spanish and Math.

I'm looking for a relatively independent program for science and history that is interesting and doesn't require a ton of direct parent teaching. She seems to do A LOT better when it's primarily a computer-based program. And since DH and I both are working full time, her learning style greatly compliments our preferences for teaching! Her very wealthy grandmother (my DH's ex mother-in-law) is willing to foot the bill, so I'm not concerned about price, just something that's high quality and primarily independent and computer-based.

Suggestions?

Thanks!!!!

[mrs.b]

You can give Time4Learning a chance. They now have up through high school, and it's entirely online. You might need to supplement with additional resources (we definitely have), but it sounds like it might be up her alley. It's only $20/mo. to give it a shot and see how it works, and they offer all the classes, a full curriculum (again, we had to supplement).

A few notes:
My son is also Autism/formerly Aspergers and now homeschooled for the same reasons as well. He has some sound sensitivities, and some of the Time4Learning lessons have animation where the sound can be sharp and sudden. He does NOT like this. That might just be for the younger grades/lessons, though, so you might not run into that.

While my kiddo is also very good with computer-based systems and we thought that was ideal - and he does do fine with them - he does so much better with teacher(parent)-driven courses. We've fallen in LOVE with the curriculum options from Pandia Press. Coincidentally, they only offer Science and History! It's experiment-based (learn by doing) for science, and we did not use them for history last year but are for next year (I already have the books) and it looks just as direct, to the point, and clearly drafted. There are not a lot of flashy images or distractions in the published format. The history options go up through high school, but they have not yet published all the science books. If you are open to text-based options, I've also developed a fondness for the Saxon Homeschool products (published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). We've using their Grammar & Writing program next year, and I already have the texts and know he's going to do so well with it.

I've heard good things about K-12 which is entirely online, but it's not available in my state so I did not research it too far. If you're open to religion-based curriculums, I've also heard very good things about Abeka's online academy, but cannot say how either of them would coordinate with your step-DD's special needs. For that reason, we've steered away from anything like those. Maybe when he's older and a bit more independent.

[HorseManiac]

Not sure if these would work for you, but my sister and I both used Apologia for science. You can either buy the textbook or do the computer version. I did the computer version, she did the textbook. Anyway, it's all pretty independent. They give directions for the experiments and there's reading involved, but not much teacher involvement is needed as far as teaching the material. I think the only time I went to my mom was when I didn't understand something. They are based on a Christian world-view and that is stated throughout the whole curriculum. Here's the website: http://www.apologia.com

For history or science you could look into Switched on Schoolhouse. We haven't personally used it for history, but my best friend and her family have and they seem to enjoy it. Again, SOS is on the computer and from what I remember pretty independent. This is also Christian based curriculum, so I don't know if that's something you'd be interested in or not. Here's the website: https://www.aophomeschooling.com/switche...e_overview

So, not sure if that's what you're looking for, but just thought I'd throw those out there. Hope you find something that can work for you!

[burbuja0512]

Thanks for the ideas.. I will check them out.

@Mrs.B - my stepdaughter did the K-12 program for the past two years and I didn't love it. So, yes you could say that she's been homeschooled for several years now, though I don't consider K-12 a true homeschool... it's more like a school that's online. I do recommend it for children who have no problems following a pre-determined pace and like a very structured environment and lots of social interaction. Not to mention that at least in my state, it's totally free - paid for by the state. So, it's great for someone who's unsure about homeschool and doesn't need a lot of parental involvement in middle and high school, but not ideal for special needs. They do provide a lot of support in the form of special ed teachers, but basically since they're paid for by the state, they must push the kiddos to meet deadlines or risk losing this, so not good for a very slow or very fast learner.

[cookderosa]

Scarlet, this is the total opposite of what you asked, but if money were no object, indy online homeschool would be my last choice. Let me explain- those programs are abundantly available, in fact, many public schools are launching (have launched) relationships with online learning schools and provide that as an option TOTALLY FREE to the homeschool community....as long as you are enrolled in public school. I have 2 friends who think this is the best thing since sliced bread, and we agree to disagree. HSLDA came out pretty vocally against this kind of home-learning, so much so, that they won't cover legal expenses of member families who use it. They argue that it's public school extended, which is true. Many people also call these entities "virtual charter schools." So, that's one option, though it isn't exactly what you asked. Here's the leader in that space: K12 | Online Public School, Online High School, Online Private School, Homeschooling, and Online Courses options
HSLDA's position on why they don't support this choice: HSLDA | Federal Education Policy--Charter Schools

Second thing to consider, in the age category of CHILDREN, online learning / indy screen learning doesn't have good numbers. Online learning is a better match with adults, and test scores of kids taught this way are below their public school counterparts. Contrast this against homeschooled kids who test above their counterparts. In MY opinion, it's the 1 on 1 interaction and parental investment in their child's understanding that equal success in the homeschool, not the curriculum. Mode of delivery, in my opinion, is probably central to this. Here is a an interesting read: http://www.maine.nea.org/assets/document...Report.pdf

So, if money were no object....
I would create a blend of 1-2 textbook based subjects with me, 1-2 subjects utilizing multimedia experiences alone on the computer/self-teaching, and 1-2 subjects with qualified tutors that come into my home (music, art, or core).

Depending on her skill set, if she's a better indy reader than math-learner (which it sounds like) then I'd use text books with me for hard stuff- Saxon Math is excellent, etc.
Computer based curriculum already exists in everything under the sun, from simple video watching types (Annenberg) to interactives (Khan) and full curriculum (Saylor) mostly free. Of course there are others in this thread that you can buy too.
Tutors- we have always had music teachers come to the house, I've had an art teacher too. I love science, but if I had the cash, I'd have a science teacher in here 3x week- especially labs. If I REALLY had the cash, I'd have all my electives sourced, but I'm getting old and tired.

Good luck, one thing that you're not short on is OPTIONS! Homeschooling this generation is amazing. Twenty years ago? You were a revolutionary hoping for the best. Today you have everything at your fingertips.

[taylor]

I'm all for homeschooling as long as the kids don't spell "definately" and don't use the word "conversate".

[mrs.b]

Just got home and double-checked hubby's science notes (he's our science teacher). His second choice for science after Pandia Press (and 1st choice starting in 6th grade on up) is Science Fusion, one of the Saxon Homeschool products. Per their website, it's a hybrid text/interactive-computer program.

Saxon Home School

While we're not loaded, we'll spend whatever we have to for kiddo to have the resources he needs to learn...but this is still very reasonably priced for a full science curriculum.

It is going to be a secular option, so if religion-based is preferred, he's also got both HorseManiac's suggestions of Apologia and Switched On Schoolhouse on the list as additional considerations.

[Westerner]

We used (and some of ours are still using) DIVE Science for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. It teaches through video lectures and questions and/or labs to answer.

[taylor]

HOLY COW! There's a renowned author on this thread sharing her expertise on homeschooling. Hint: She has 4,905 posts. That's all I have to say. I have nothing relevant to add to this thread.

[lprstn]

We are using Uzinggo.com, Education-Portal.com (videos) and Abeka DVD (cost about $300 with book and teaching DVDs).