Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Online K12 programs anyone?

Again - I love your posts! Maybe because I studied English too!! All great advice - and I'm shocked at what that teacher said too. We have to remember some people learn and read and enjoy kinesthetically and really need and want to go slowly to accomplish that. I doubt most teachers take that into account during their busy day!

BTW, there's a free e-resource about poetry up just for today (March 18) if anyone is interested.

http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/

It does have a short New Testament reference in it, so it isn't 100% secular. But it would be pretty easy to a) skip that part completely, b) substitute something else there, or c) treat the Biblical passage it suggests as strictly poetry and not as religion at all.

Because their stuff is often religious in nature, I don't usually post from this site here. But this one seemed mostly secular (or easy to secularize, at least), and is relevant to this conversation.

If you're interested, get it while it lasts!

Hi - to clarify Kriston's comment re: k12 - we haven't started yet, but I have ordered it. I wanted the help with scheduling, wanted to make sure we leave no gaps year by year, prefer to have lesson plans and hands-on activities (not too good on my own in this area), wanted to see the progress for myself, and needed the reassurance. We'll be independent, which means I can pick and choose the courses and grade levelj, and just move DS up when he's ready. I did a lot of research, and the consensus seemed to be that it is a rigorous, comprehensive curriculum, and many seem most happy with grades k-5. Personal choice - but that's why I made it. I'd suggest you call them and get an online demo account, and join their yahoo groups where you can get the input of other parents. As I recall, they are k12gifted, k12users and k12parent2parent on yahoo groups. Good luck!

Questions, please come back and let us know how it goes...

Thanks, Questions! Sorry to be mixed up--I thought you started it recently. I didn't realize it was on-base for next year. Oops!

I knew you loved the yahoo groups, and I think that's a great rec for anyone considering K12! It always pays to listen in on users before you buy what they're using, I think.

Thanks!

Actually, we're starting it as soon as it gets here - just to confuse things further. They have online placement tests (which take forever, b/c they start one level below chrono age). He placed above level for language arts and math (so I guess I'm not doing that bad a job HSing...) and I signed him up for grade level for music, history and art. What I like about history and art is that they are linked together - so when they do American history, they do American art, too. Science is his strength, and I thought I'd accelerate him quite a bit in science - but he wants to start at 3rd grade, because he liked it so much. I heard there's a lot of writing in science, so figured why not. I'm told that I can just call and swap them out for something else whenever I want to. Also, you can cancel in 30 days with no termination fee (but there is some sort of sign-up fee which I don't think is refundable). So, at the end of third grade, I'm starting six courses from the beginning. But I'll just skip through the things he knows, and I expect we'll go very quickly through science, history and art.

I found this page, which was very helpful: http://online.k12.com/misc/helpfiles/courseintros/Course_Introductions.htm

If I had the time, I'd be able to do a better job of independent HSing, but I'm working and having a bear of a time keeping to any sort of schedule. I also found that I was personally happiest with programs like Aleks where I could see the progress. My problem is that I made the first year HSer mistake - bought all sorts of absolutely wonderful stuff, but can't get to it all. So I'm letting K12 take care of the basics for me, and then will use my other stuff to supplement.

And when I panic, I remind myself of what Kriston has said - he's beyond the local third grade curriculum, so we're in good shape - except with writing (as opposed to dictating), which has improved, but hasn't yet caught up.

Okay, good! I'm not so far off then.

I was starting to worry that I was a lousy listener and not a very good friend!

And thanks for adding that info here. I really appreciate your expertise in this area.

HA!



Hunh? I have expertise in this area? If only it were so. I think I'm getting K12 just so I don't chase eery lead down that I read about so I have TIME to teach and work. I don't seem to be able to help myself, LOL! Just a natural born researcher. Hmmm, it occurs to me that I sound a bit like DS...

LOL! The apple doesn't bounce far, does it?

And as for your expertise: everything I know about K12 I learned from you. Perhaps that's more of a comment on how little I know than anything else, but to me, you seem very knowledgeable!

hkc75 - you can look here to see what books and materials K12 uses for its k-8 courses: http://help.k12.com/messages/1468/1473.html
(These are the consumer direct materials, but I think they're all the same - except that some virtual schools even send the computers...)