thanks Skippy for the information. I will have to do a search. I never thought of correspondence before. Do you know how that works? What do they do for the students?
They send you the books a couple of subjects at a time. They give you a list of assignments.If there is something that confuses her they have a 1800 # with an instructor at the other end. American school carries all the accredited courses and some electives. You can then teach bible or any other subjects you want her to have.They provide the self addressed stamped envelopes. I went on to get a degree in comercial acting/theatre from a trade school.I also have an associates degree in psychology that I got through the mail.I am sure that with computers there is also a virtual class room where you can look at the teacher via; web cam. Check it out and see what your options are.I am sure the library has a book on online classes.I still agree with Dorothy. There's No Place Like Home.
Hi, my name is Kim and I have a 9th grader that I am going to pull out of public school on Monday! I homeschooled her in the 8th grade but didnt feel like a did a very good job but she is sooo miserable in school and her grades are falling quickly, that Im going to try again.... I am about to start working so I am looking into an online school (she loves the computer)...my question is does anyone have any knowledge about the Alpha Omega Academy? I would love to hear from anyone Kim
I have also heard good things about them. My dd doesn't like to work from the computer. She much rather have the materials in her hands. That is why I would choose the book by Alpha Omega. I on the other hand would have loved to work from the computer.
She is still determined that she is going to be homeschooled next year. My dh and I are both still deciding. She keeps telling us that she will be home next year. I asked her if this was her wishes or Gods wishes? She still hasn't gotten back to me on that one yet. Dh has said that some days he can see good reason to keep her home, and other days he wants her to get involved. I know how hard highschool can be and I really don't want her going through that. I have talked with my dh about that. He asked me if I was planning on sheltering her all her life? Oh how I would love to, but I know I can't. I some days feel that the Lord is leading me to hs her, then there are days that I can't wait to put her back into school. More good than bad days. My dh says that I am way to easy on her. That I should be more like the teachers that are at school. Make her have deadlines, and stick to them. If she don't do the work give her a failing grade. Get her ready for life and a job. I find this very hard to do. I want her to understand why she is learning something, and learn it right not be rushed through something. She is having a hard time with Pre-Algebra right now. We are having to take it step by step so she can understand it. He says we spend way to long on one thing. I guess that is the teacher in him.:roll:
Vicky, I feel that homeschooling them through highschooll isn't sheltering them in the way your dh seems to be meaning it. It is supporting them, teaching them values, helping them have good moral sense and values, helping them be strong in their beliefs and their abilities, and yes, keeping them from some of the harsh realities of highschool that they just don't need to go through! WHY is it so important to have them go through hurtful situations before they may be ready to handle them well? When they are adults, they'll be able to handle life better with the homeschooling and love and support they received at home. I'm sure your daughter is aware of things that happen in the world and with kids her age, etc. She doesn't have to experience them to learn how to handle herself. Here's an example of what I mean: When people are taught to be tellers in banks, they learn about money and what they look and feel like by handling the real money itself. They get to know the real thing so well, that when a counterfeit comes through, they immediately know it's not right. That's the way I feel about homeschooling and learning our value systems and Christian principles. Throw the kids into highschool and they'll learn a lot---but a LOT of it will NOT be what you want her to learn! S-x, drugs, alcohol, disrespect for authority and religion is prevalent in highschool. Is that what you want your daughter to learn? By keeping them home and homeschooling them you are helping them know the "real thing" so well, that when they get out into "the real world" (as people say), they are so much better equipped to handle things that come their way than those who have gone to school and become peer dependent for choices! They believe in themselves more, and trust their judgement better, cuz they're more used to making decision based on what they know and believe, not what is the latest fad or what their friends say! Another thing in your situation is that she soooo wants to be homeschooled! I would be afraid that going over her head (I know you're the parents, but....) and MAKING her go to school when she doesn't want to could cause resentment and disrespect to arise, then she (and you) would have more problems! There are programs you can got through that they do the grading for you and they would be required to finish certain things by certain times. You could go through that type of program. You're still homeschooling, you just send her work in and it's graded and they keep a transcript for you. That would help in that area that your husband is concerned about! They grow up sooo fast, I just would hate her to feel she's being "kicked out" before she's ready! Not that it would be easy, but I think in years to come, you'd be happy you made the decision you did! I'm not trying to step on any toes, I just want to voice my thoughts some opinions you have addressed, in case you haven't thought of those points.
Deena you didn't step on any toes. I thank you for your opinion. That is why I posted this thread to get different points of view. I really thank you for saying exactly how you feel on the matter. I just want to do the right thing. I only want to do what the Lord is calling me to do. Lorna, I was very lucky a retired math teacher gave me my book. Its a teachers edition, so it has the answers in it. I have to write the problems out for her to do. This way I have to understand how to do them so that I can teach her how. But I love math. Its has more algebra in it than pre-algebra.
I'm using Merrill's Pre-Algebra book with Rachael. It's one that Carl had from when he taught math, but no TM. I got on-line and found one for about $12. It's working very well. He also brought home an Algebra book, and wanted to start her off in that. You needed a PhD to just read it!!! l've been told that Saxon is NOT the way to go with the higher math. I've several friends who have used it, and regretted it. One was told by an evaluator that she sees more kids having problems with Algebra using Saxon than anything else. I understand what you're saying about the "deadlines". I'm at that spot with Rachael. We did that this year with the "Total Language Plus"...I would give her a check sheet with everything she needs to accomplish for each unit, and put the "due date" at the top. The first one she kind of put off...when I asked her how it was going, she started scrambling over the weekend to get caught up. The second one went better, and by the time we were finished, she was doing fine. (Well, Christmas also interfered!) So the question still is What do you do when they DON'T make the deadline? She screwed up in math the other day. She had to quit working because I REALLY wanted to move on with both kids, and she forgot to finish it later. In a "real" school, she would be expected to finish it, PLUS still do the work for the next day. I am hoping to put her into a writing class next fall. I think making her accountable to someone other than me would be a good thing for her.
Danni has to do 6 speeches this semester, 3 demonstrative, and 3 persuasion. She has already done one on how to wash clothes. She has 4 topics in each type of speech. I gave her 3 and one she gets to choose. She has to write out the speech, and give it to me or her daddy along with a check list, of the things that we will be looking for. Each speech must be 3 minutes, and not to exceed 6 minutes. Her next speech is due on the 26 of this month. It is a persuasion speech of her own choosing. She told me of her topic of choice, Why I should be Homeschooled all through Highschool. She told me that this speech was going to be given to daddy. She has already begun working on it. She told me it was going to have everything she could think of to help her make her point. Pray for her, that she can make the type of impression on her daddy, that she is looking for.
When my kids were part of the homeschool group, we had two report days. We were pretty relaxed on what was done, especially with the younger kids. One boy with special needs brought his older sister in. She asked him questions about his topic, which he answered for us. Very well done, and appropriate for him! Since being in 4-H, my kids are "required" to give one presentation before the group. This will be Faythe's first year for that. Last year, Rachael also did a presentation at the County Fair. It was her choice. I'm hoping both she and Faythe will chose to do it again this fair.
She will be presenting her speech next Thursday, to her daddy. Hopefully it will persuade him into letting her be hs next year. She has put a lot of work into it.
Its going to be somewhat of a hard sell. She is very nervous. She has wrote down the pros and cons about homeschooling, and the pros won by a landslide. I have even thought about letting her do it on a power point. Just to show him that she knows how to use it. We have lots of pictures of her doing her school work. And it may make it go over better because he teaches computers. He has always been impressed when they do work on the computer, and can show him how they did it. She had a good chance to show him how we hs when he was off for the holiday, we didn't take it just so she could show him. She worked better that day than she has ever worked. I didn't have to tell her to stop and start a lesson. She had written everything she had to do for that day down and did it without being told to. He was very impressed, but then asked her if she was going to be that organized when she goes back to school next year. So she kinda won and lost that day. Later he told me that he wanted to see her response to that question. He also wanted to know if she worked that good everyday. I fudged the answer a little I said yes. She usually had to be told when to start and stop a lesson. I don't know she is a huge daddy's girl and she might just get her wish. She just has to know what to say and how to say it. He usually will give in to her. I don't know how firm he stands on her going back to school.
After he heard the speech on Thursday. He told her to give him some time to think about it, and to read over the information she gave him. Yesterday he told her that if she really wanted to homeschool than he would support her. He wants us to find another type of curriculum. We are doing the Lifepacs this year in English and we did the Abeka last year. He doesn't like either one. He is a high school/ middle school teacher so he talked with different teachers about this matter. He wants us to go with a non Bible based one. Because of what others have told him they are not worth what you pay for them. One teacher said that her child went to a private academy where all they taught was Abeka and when he went to college he almost flunked out. This after graduating in the top 5% of his class at the prep school. He told his mom that he was not ready for college level material, that he felt that Abeka failed at getting children ready for any other college except theirs. We are excited and yet nervous at the same time. He also told her that she was going to be the one to tell her grandparents. They are all set on her going back to ps next year. After knowing that he asked her how was she going to go about it? She answered that she would just tell them the truth and if she had to give them the speech. And they would have to get over it and live with it. That she is our daughter not theirs. Does anyone have any ideas on curriculum for high school except the two I mentioned?
I would think it would depend on the subject, what she was interested in going into, etc. For example, if she was going into science, she would have to have a very good understanding of evolution, whether she believed it or not. GOOD FOR HER!!! And good for him for listening! Seems she (and you!) have your work ahead of you, trying to find a curriculum. I know Apologia isn't secular, but it's suppose to be one of the best science curriculums around. I know my friend who is a National Certified Teacher and teaches chemistry in a public high school uses Apologia chemistry by choice for the homeschool class she teaches. She says she is able to cover more one day a week (I think two or three hours) with this group than she can five days a week in her Honors class in the public school.
