Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments HELP ASAP: With choosing Online curriculum

Please help!

I need to choose a 100% internet based homeschool curriculum for two boys, one of which has Aspergers and is gifted in Math. Language Arts is by far NOT his strong point.

We need a curriculum that is 100% based online and does not require me to print out papers, use books, or require any handwriting to be involved. My goal is to be 100% mobile with their schooling at all times without having to drag around a bag full of books or supplies. Plus my son who has aspergers will not touch paper. If his schoolwork has to come from a book or require handwriting he simply wont or cant complete it.

For example, last year in public school his grades in reading were dropping dramatically because he could barely finish a chapter let alone a book. We bought him a Nook just off a whim and put the same book on the device and he had the book finished within 24hrs; something about putting the book on a device worked for him.

We were originally going to go with Odysseyware being that we have been told it is 100% based online, but i cannot find anyone who has tried it, i cannot find examples of the coursework, the reviews i've read are very 50/50, it is said to have a lot of technical errors, and its supposedly expensive but again i cannot get info on the pricing either. We have also been told the tests & assessments are timed which will not work for my son's special education requirements or him.

PLEASE HELP! I need to choose something asap.

Basically I just need names of programs and a pro/con list. And pricing would be awesome if you have it.

THANKS!

k12.com is another one. Maybe somebody can chime in who has used it.

How old are they? What grade level range? Does your state offer any free online charter schools?Many do.

Do you plan to deschool for a while? Are you willing to do Math in one system and LA in another as long as they are INTERNET based?

Why the rush? My homeschooling friends say that they have wasted a lot of money investing in packages before having much experience with homeschooling their particular children. It is entirely possible to do very deep learning just Unit Studying away with only Internet resources.

Also..is your family looking for Religious affiliated Only or Secular Only or are you comfortable with any program as long as it has high quality?

Best Wishes
Grinity

You could try CTY courses through Johns Hopkins. They have courses for younger kids. They're designed for gifted kids. Your kid(s) would have to take the SCAT test to qualify for them. They can be expensive, though (pricing is online).

Just wondering: will your one son practice his writing? Other people here might know about therapy for the kind of problem you've described. It will be very difficult for him if he tries to get through life without writing, reading from books, and touching paper. Just a suggestion (?).

Stanford EPGY has served us well for math, and my kids rarely need paper and pencil -- between the two of them, I've seen K-5 so far. All online. There is an English elementary curriculum as well, though we haven't used it.

There's a free sample of an all in one online curriculum here
http://www.momsownwords.com/reviews-and-shopping/service-reviews/fooz-kids-review/

grades K-5

It's possible that Connections could work for you.

We've been with them for over 7 years now; one of the problems that we've been having with them is their increasing reliance on ONLY on-line (not physical/offline) resources in their curriculum.

It's definitely possible at the middle school level and up to do Connections as a nearly 'paperless' method.

I'd probably give that a shot, especially if you're in a state with a Connections charter school. It would be free to try, and your DS probably would also have an IEP/504 plan in place to further accommodate his needs.

That Nook may well run most of the school's platform, by the way. My DH's NookColor does; it'll open up the textbooks, the lessons, everything.


One caveat-- for elementary, this may not work as well.

It will also be extremely difficult to work on any OT for writing issues, too. That may be a service that you'll need to tackle locally with the regular district (it varies state by state how virtual charter school are obliged to provide support services to students with particular disabilities).

If you have questions about Connections in particular, I'm happy to answer them. I also know a fair amount about K12.

DS & DD used Aleks this summer. It's $19.99 per month but there is a discount for 6-months and 12-months and multiple accounts. Aleks is only for math. It would be a good fit for your son since there is no writing involved. However, it is much better than other testing-geared programs like Study Island because it is not multiple choice. He can use the pad on the computer if he has to jot down intermediate calculations. It is based on an artificial intelligence concept so that you can quickly pass a topic (4 questions correct in a row?). You can also gain topics if the Progress Assessment indicates that you have mastery of a topic that you did not work on through Aleks. For example, the Pre-Algebra has 302 topics. You can get a free trial which will allow you to take one assessment.