I will be homeschooling my DD age 12 and her male cousin age 13. She will be beginning 7th grade and he 8th grade. Both are gifted children with so much more potential than the public school system allows them to release. I have ordered the Switched On Schoolhouse science(gr 7) and language arts programs(gr 8) for DD. I am waiting on more conversation with the cousin's parents to see which curriculum they are comfortable with. I have read bad reviews about the SOS math, but thought I would get more opinions here. I chose this program (to try first) because I am an Ultrasound Tech (and supervisor of my dept) working full-time. This program will make the transition into home schooling easier for me with the record tracking, automatic grading, etc. Once I get used to it and get the kids settled, I may or may not like the program. Guess we have to start somewhere, Right? Have you used SOS? What about math?
I can only suggest either Teaching Textbooks or Christian Light Education math. I have used one other, but it only goes to 6th grade. TT is computer based and does the grading and such like SOS. But they kids will definitely need to take the placement test for it... my 3rd son grade tested into 4th. CLE math is a great program. It is in workbook format but is a very thorough curriculum. I used SOS LA for 3rd grade this year, and ended up switching back to CLE. DS would do great on the lessons but not so great on the tests, and he had no retention whatsoever. It just didn't have near enough review for him, so we had to drop it. However, your kids may not need the extra review. Now that you've ordered it I would certainly try it. Hope this helps!
I will check into the TT. Sounds like it may be a better source. Thanks for the info on it, Stephanie. BTW, what state are you in...I see you are in the southeast. I am in NC.
We used SOS 8th grade science, history and LA. We liked the science because it had videos of all the labs and extra clips to watch. We found the history to be extremely dry. D.R.Y. My ds loves history and it was torture for him. The LA was way ahead of where he was with his writing (he had come out of a terrible ps for 2 years). I also feel like their LA doesn't give enough instruction on writing, it seemed to just say "write an essay" and expected them to know all the mechanics, editing, style, etc. Ok for a child who is already well versed in the entire writing process, but not good for my ds. We ended up doing the 9th grade SOS science this year. We won't be doing it next year, though. Ds doesn't like how you have to click back through lessons when you want to review. He'd much prefer a book to thumb through instead. If you are inclined to prefer clicking, then SOS does offer a lot of study aides like highliting in many colors for ease of studying. We have also found that SOS wants exact answers and isn't always clear in the way it asks questions. The teacher can go back through and give credit for questions that were answered correctly, though. All-in-all, for a program that is designed to not have a parent have to do anything at all, it isn't so bad. No computer program is going to be without glitches.
I agree...all computer programs are going to have problems, so I will expect to have to work through some. The biggest thing for me is to see if my daughter will take the responsibility of learning independently. In anything in life, I believe she should attempt on her own and then I will come behind and help her with things she doesn't understand. She is old enough to study on her own and do assignments without my help. But I want to be the one who explains the difficult things...not a public school teacher with only 15 seconds to spare. The SOS I think will let me know how devoted she will be and give her some independence with her schooling, though. I hope I like at least one of the subjects through SOS. The more I learn, the more I don't want to use SOS for math. As far as history, I will definitely keep your comments in mind before ordering it. Thank you so much for the info.
TT only does the grading for you in the lower grades, not once you get into Alg. and Geom. etc. The higher levels aren't done on the computer either, they just show you how to work the problems on a DVD, but the work is done on paper. Right?
Not read all the responses, but.... I got SOS science for Faythe this year, and SOS French for Rachael. I HATE IT!!! We gave up on the science. It's basically textbook on computer. It's not the way she learns best. We quit fairly quickly because it WASN'T working. Rachael is making due with the French. She's doing OK with it, but she's let me know in no uncertain terms (more than once...MUCH more than once, lol!) that she really doesn't care for it. Add to that that you can't legally resell it, so I can't recoup any of the money I spent on it. There's NO WAY I'd ever buy SOS again!!!
If you buy SOS from AOP, you can send it back within 30 days (I think) and get your money back. I know, I sent our math back.
You still have the lectures on the computer, if you chose to listen to them. Rachael prefered to just read the book, and only used the DVDs for problems she missed to understand why. But occasionally she would finish a chapter and say she wasn't ready for the test yet. Then she would go back over the chapter a second time, this time listenng to the lectures rather than just reading the book. So I like that it can cater to either type of learning style.
Yes, it is illegal to resell them. Grrrrrr..... I have a perfect set of SOS 8th grade science, social studies and LA sitting here doin' nothing but collecting dust. Wish I wasn't a stick-it-out-a-little-longer kinda mom or I would have sent back the LA and SS.
Jackie, sorry to hear about your experience (or your daughter's experience) with SOS. That's terrible to go through, I'm sure. I bought two curriculums (Science and LA). Hope we can use them! And thanks for the return policy info, mom24boys!...I'll keep that in mind as well~
I had bought mine in the spring when it was on sale, and didn't try using it until the fall. It angers me to know end that it is illegal to resell it. I don't understand how they can tell you what you can or cannot resell. I'd gladly delete it from my machine when I sell it; I'd rather it not take up the space!
Actually, although you can't legally "sell" it, it is actually transferable to one person. So, if there is anyone you know who may could use them, and actually likes the program, they can take the program from you and use it. I think there is a notification I read about when I ordered ours a couple nights ago that has to be completed or something. I can't remember the details. I will try ours as soon as I get it so I can send it back within the 30 day return period!
Btw, report writing is covered in the 6th grade SOS LA. Way to early in my opinion. I know because my that's what my son is doing this year.
I don't think it's ever too early to write reports. Even a first-grader can write a three or four sentence paragraph about something.
Yep. My 3rd grader is covering some basic reports in SOS and I think they're great. He has to write on science experiments and on LA and History stuff. Never too early, imo, either.
Because what you bought was not the CD or the software.. it was the right to use it. You can't sell it because you don't own it. Same reason you can't legally give it away. You can't give someone else your right and remain within the copyright.
Then what DID I buy? I just finished going over some French for Rachael, and it is DIFFICULT. I am told the two-part question is worth five points, 2.5 for each. But the highest it will allow you to record is 1. Same with another question they say should be worth 6 points. I REALLY hate it!!!
