I've been considering SOS for quite some time, too! DD8 is technically in the 2nd grade this year and I know SOS starts @ 3rd. We might try 1 or 2 subjects via SOS to start.....maybe Language Arts. I have the trial CD I keep meaning to pop in the laptop to see what it's like. We'll probably stick w/ LIFEPACs for Bible and Math basics, but I've decided to go back to an eclectic approach for Science as I find LIFEPAC too limiting.
You are correct, and that is an avenue we'll definitely investigate. My husband is not really hip on the idea, he's a die hard Mac man. Graphic Designer, what do ya expect! LOL The fact that we even HAD a PC for a while is a miracle in itself, that he actually spent money on one! LOL. We had to buy it b/c I was a Pampered Chef rep and at the time buying aPC was cheaper than buying the emulating software. It may still be since you can get a fairly decent computer from Dell for around $350. We'll see - we're not making any serious decisions until we get to a convention which we can touch and feel.
I found SOS Science for $35 and Lang. Arts $40. It's hard to pay that after buying the whole cirriculum set for $75. What do you think? Should I buy it....I hate to miss a better deal though. And Math is the main thing I am really wanting to switch ASAP.....the others aren't so important. DId I just answer my own question? LOL * Not that Science and L. ARts are not important, I just mean we are dong ok right now with what we are doing.
doesn't sound like a bad deal Leslie, for next year. I would look for next year and forget about this year if you are happy with what you have. Oh by the way looking for Saxon Math books for 7th and 9th grader anyone have any? They would like to sell.
cool yeah and all that! Cool! let me knwo if you have any questions when you come to installing it, its pretty basic and has instructions though so you probably won't need to
Re SOS , I would do science on SOS .. After half a year of all sos for ds9 we discussed what classes he really wants on SOS, he said Bible, Science and HIstory. He doesnt like how much typing there is in Language ARts, but the content is great and spelling is super with the game they have each unit! He is getting B's and A's in all his classes and is only behind because of my surgery and wedding trip. We really like History and Geography because it has a click timeline, and the lectures of the tiny tutor are cool too! Same with Science, same reasons. Math lots of typing numbers and a few glitches here and there, once in a while it wont allow us to type in a spot so we leave a teacher note and when it comes to checking the work the note comes up and I can personally fix it on the Teacher end. I have also found if you rework a problem it sometimes clears the glitch, for anyone out there with SOS , It is really a lot of fun for ds9, and if it was not free I would not have had the chance to use it! My friend will take it back next year or I would pass it on!
So, I am looking for a great math program to switch to asap that has good instruction (since this is a VERY weak spot for me). Do you think SOS is not very good for math? Any info on that would be great. OR if anyone knows of anything like I described....plese fill me in! (tried saxon already). Thanks....
Dd likes it in math, ( she is doing 8th grade) ds9 is doing it for math, it is good for teaching, he just gets kind of lazy some days I think. If she does work out the problems on paper, that will be great! I forget what grade you are loking for... I am looking into maybe video text for next year for dd, for 9th grade Algerbra 1, but hubby has still not checked the sample we got in the mail out yet. I am going to suggest my church's High school purchases a copy because it will be great for tutoring if nothing else. I would even sit in the class with kids once or twice a week if they wanna pay me for it! or let me use it for dd as a side class. I like the sos for math myself, don't get me wrong, but the kids have typing in all thier classes now and are getting tired of that part of it. Hubby wants to see more worked out on paper, so I added paperwork by way of , they have to work it out on paper then enter the answer not just figure it in heads like they like to do, that helps a lot! One more edit hehe, Just to clarify, You can print the work out for days you dont want to have them type it, and then you personally can enter the answers for all the work, so if my printer was working I would just do that, I forgot this! haha! that would solve my problem eh?
OH....whew! I got a little nervouse about it for a minute. It sounds perfect for us...I hope it really is!!
Well, I got another good deal for ds. I got Science, History and Lang. Arts for $60. That is not bad at all. We are going to start using them as soon as we get them. I could find the math, but at least this will give me a good feel for whether this is the program that will work for us. I had extra money in the budget for school supplies, so I figured...why not?? I will let you all know how it goes once we get the hang of it (for those of you who are considering this program!) Thanks everyone for your input...it is so appreciated!
wow that is an awesome deal too! We got dd12s math online last year too Hubby is my dealer though so I justpass information on to him. I know your ds will love the program! I have been going through revamping this week because dh got tired of the kids taking advantage of my recoup time and put his foot down. While searching through files to find my lesson plans with time slots I realised I did not use them this year because SOS takes care of listing the subjects as well as you can print out a "how long spend on project' page. I was origonally doing that to keep track of time spent, and in the begning of the year before all the orders not to lift etc, I was keeping up really well, just some place in November when pain got worse movement lessened etc that things went haywire. My kids are normally good kids but have been bossy, and arguing with me about school... needless to say they are having lots of things removed from thier privelage list and I am going to get tougher about school times because they are not behaving well enough to be self paced at this time. I love the self pace of SOS though, and love that it grades for them, and One reason I like it is that I have more free time to get to the other kid or clean.... well cleaning is out for the most part since I was once again ordered NOT TO PICK UP ANYTHING withmy right hand or I will be sorry for it ... pain etc. I told her I have automatically picked up stuff and she scolded me ( PT) So with all that, I am blessed that the SOS is our school of choice this year as I could not have done the grading and everything myself! PRAISE GOD! The kids like thier school work, love doing it when they are actually doing it, but for algerbra hehe, dd says she thinks algerbra is useless hehe , "Like, Wheeeeen am I going to use THIS mom? " but they love the graphs, and such, one cool thing about the math graphs is you click to find the right graph.... now what I am planning is to take that wonderful Graph paper and have them label and copy the correct one to paper and keep it in a binder as graphs and other math helps. This way they will understand more of what they are looking at. When you print the tests or such sometimes you find the multiple choice has three choices and you click on it , so they dont show up on the test, thats only thing I have to make sure when I print them I have them view it on computer for multiple choice questions I learned that when I worked with the whole class of them I still am considering doing the whole down load for dd, of the next grade then she can do what she wants as she gets there, and all that..... My life seems to change from day to day sometimes, and choices for schooling ideas come and go but so far SOS is staying on my list! so I hope you all enjoy yours as much as I am mine!
Thanks for all the info. It is so helpful. I am printing it out and keeping it in a folder to refer to when I need help!! I like the idea of printing graph and things out and putting them in a folder. I will definitely have to remember that. Here is my problem right now....I am not a very structured person. And as we all know, that doesn't neccessarily mean we can't learn at home. It just is on a more relaxed timetable. Well, my dh is not realy happy with the schedule we have (or don't have). He said he thinks it mightbe best for the kids to go back to school. Sometimes I feel like that might be best, but I just know if we could find the right program, that will help. I am the one that is the problem here...and I feel like I may be failing my kids by not giving all they need to get their education and the skills they need for life on their own. So basically, this is may be my last effort to get things turned around before my dh says....back to school! I have prepared my kids for that possibility, and though they don't want that, they are being very good about the idea. Please just pray that this program will be a good thing and get us back on track. . The other issue is my ds and his lack of interest in anything that is physical or social. He does great when he is in a social situation, he can hold a conversation with anyone and has a great sense of humor....but I just can't get him motivated to exercise or do anything outside of the house. I am at a loss and know long term could hurt him. Ok...sorry, guess I just needed to get all of that out. Thanks for letting me ramble!
Leslie you sound so like me! The structure of SOS helped me keep up on the grading the most, and now with my stuck up on the wall ( basically) time table and schedule for classes we are following that to a T ( no pun intended) and it really helps a lot! My biggest failure was not grading the book work because I watched them do it and taught them it and knew they were getting it right ( ya sure right) but now wiht the computer grading it I just go in and grade the essays and questions that need a real mind to understand... like in Bible it asks his opinion of , or what he would do if.... this is awesome because my ds9 has shown us that he really thinks on these things! If I were you, and becasue you sound like me you probably should print up a class schedule and put itup too.. the kind they had on the wall when we were all in school as kids? IN the past I have had color coded classes too, which is always fun! And you can do the same schedule for all kids or each kid a seperate one if you are at ages that they may need math help at the same time, I did this before as teaching addition and subtraction to one, and binumerals to another while Algerbra to the third was tough on my brain! I am remembering the reasons I had my scheduals set up this way in the first place now and Will have to write up a seperate one for dd13 ( on saturday!) Her classes dont even match his with 9th grade work, and I have her in two history classes, becasue I figured she was supposed to be doing US HISTORY this year, and the Life Pak has her doing more of a governmental history... She has been reading the historical diaries and we are putting together curriculuim from that. All my searching and I could not really get for free what I want, my dd told me I should write up the 'stuff' myself so I will! This month I will write and complete it as my writing goal for the month! ( I just came back from a conference and that was a push at it to set goals that are do able.) I also have a Christian History for her to do on the side if we finish this one early. One thing My son totally loves is the History and Geography lessons on SOS, he loves checking out the timelines and the maps , my kids know geography better than my friends kids so I know I am doing something right there! hehe So...... That was my ramble of an encoruaging note Leslie, make a plan, a schedule of time increments and follow it, then your hubby, like mine, will see that yes you are too doing a great job with the kids!
Leslie, I am so in the same boat with you! (so quit splashing me already! ) I hope you can continue homeschooling! I'll be praying for you and the kids, and for dh to let you keep goin'! Find some stories you can about what goes on in ps or even Christian schools to show him. Tell him you're doing your best and feel the kids are still better off at home with someone who loves them dearly and is TRYING to do the very best for them, as opposed to them going to school and just being a name as opposed to a great kid! Also, you may want to talk to your kids and say that they need to put forth and effort also, and that if all three of you work together to do well, then you'll be able to keep homeschooling! **dd got her package from your dd and loves it! Thankyou so much! We were not feeling well and didn't get any out. Sorry! But tell your dd that my dd thought of her!**
Thanks, Tmom and Deena....I appreciate the encouragment! I am taking some ideas from Tmom's post and am trying to put together a schedule to hang up for all of us to see and follow. I have always written out what is to be done for the day. But I think if I put an actual time it needs to be done that would help....or least we will see if that helps. We are having a family "meeting" tonight and this will all be discussed together. If you think about us, you might pray for that tonight. We need some real communication between us. The kids are just getting to the age where they need the honest communication and can comprehend it. Dh is still in the "because I said so" stage. He is a GREAT hubby and dad he just needs to realize the kids need more communication with him. Ok sorry....starting to get going again! thanks gals!! OH and Deena, we were very happy to send a package to your dd. We certainly do not ever expect anything in return. I am glad she liked it!
It's interesting that dads almost always are impressed with schedules. They like to see a "paper trail," even when the same concepts can sometimes be covered more efficiently with games or a physical activity. If a dad believes scholarships or future jobs depend on grades, he will also probably want to see evidence of how the grades are assigned, even though we mothers, if we are the primary teacher, can just "tell" if our children understand something or not. So the schedules on the wall definitely look schoolish. The SOS curriculum is very professional. He'll no doubt approve. All that to say, Leslie, your husband is not alone in his "show me" attitude. We've have seen it take a "work of the Lord" to change some fathers from skeptics to being totally supportive of homeschooling and then to actually defending it. Part of the shift for my beloved, was the realization that our children are uniquely made and that God really does have a call on each of their lives which it is our responsibility to equip them for. If they are out of our home all day in the ps, every week day and some nights, then when can His "scope and sequence" kick in? (Not that there's any guarantee the children will totally embrace His call on their lives, but we believe it's still our responsibility to use that as the frame work for their learning.) Of course, that includes math, reading, history, science, etc--often in more depth than the ps. It also includes getting the Word in & making opportunities for personal development of talents and interests. I know you know all this. I just wanted to join in on the conversation and encourage you. I was surprised to read that your homeschool is "on the line," and I'll certainly be praying for clarity for your family on this issue! I have no doubt that the way will become more clear for you.
Thank you , Prairie....I greatly appreciate your support! Funny, today at church we had a special speaker from Campus Crusade for Christ. He has been doing a weekend seminar at our church for K - 5th graders. He is walking them through the old testament. On the way home from church I was thrilled when my ds11 said to dh and I that in his class today he knew ALL the answers to the question they asked about Genesis - Creation, the Fall, the Flood, the Nations! (that is all they covered in the service...they proceeded into the afternoon through the rest which we were not able to go to). But dh asked how he knew that? And ds says, "because I learned that from studying the bible with mom at home". !!!!!!! I was just so thrilled and felt so proud to know we had accomplished something so important!
