Has anyone used Switched on Schoolhouse? As I was looking up LifePacs, I saw it and wondered if anyone had any opinions on it.
I have looked into it too, since we use Lifepacs. I have a friend who uses it for a couple subjects...and she likes that it's not hard work. It's assigned, keeps track of what they do, I think it even grades it for them? I had started lifepacs with the intention of switching over to SOS when my daughter hit 3rd grade, but she didn't want to do it! She likes her workbooks! I have to say, I like the portability of the workbooks too. She has to take school with her a couple days a week b/c of things we do outside the house. Having her stuff on the computer and only being able to access it from one place just seemed to limiting to me, ya know? And to her too. This way if she wants to work in the living room, she can; her bedroom, she can; anywhere...she can! Just my thoughts on it...having only seen the demo disk. (BTW...content is supposedly the same between lifepacs and SOS, just the delivery system is different - computer vs. paper).
Well, if content is the same I think I will stick with LIfePacs for now. My kids use the computer enough for educational games and research. I really like that you can buy LifePacs by the unit within the subject. That is so cool for taylor making your kid's education. I just spent time putting together a 3rd/4th grade program for my son. I think I will stick with all 5th grade for my dd though. And since I never bought a Bible program before I can pick out a few books from previous years just to reinforce it with my kids. I think both will enjoy the Old Testament Geography.
I'm glad you asked this question! i've been thinking about SOS for my ds for next year- not all subjects, but some. I want him to be more independent since I'll, have 3 others to work with.
We used SOS last year and really like them. It is alot of computer work, but my kids enjoyed it much better. Now...dd sturggled with some math lastyear, so we did workbooks along with SOS so she could work the problem out on paper, too. What grade are you looking for....I think I might some left.... Ok...incase anyone read that...I had to change it because I just looked and realized I have more than I thought..... 4th grade Lang. Arts, math, history, and science. If anyone is interested....pm me.
So all the work is done on computer??? There are no workbook? I am in need of 5th grade and some 3rd, some 4th but still not sure if I will do SOS or not.
I was looking for 7th grade, but I will have one in 4th next year. I'll have to think about it for her.
We just started SOS Science for my girls right before Christmas. We're using 3rd grade & 5th grade. One of my daughters really likes it (the fact that its on the computer...she hates workbooks). My oldest really wanted LifePacs instead but agreed to try SOS to help Mom out since it grades it, etc. I like SOS because it has the video clips, learning games for each lesson for Vocab, etc. This appeals to DD7.5 who wanted to do science more often than we could do as a family. My oldest would rather have the LifePacs (should have just gotten them for her and let her grade them ). She doesn't like science either way though...whether it be SOS, workbooks, etc.....she's my history girl. Since the girls are actually 2nd and 4th grade, we're going to stretch out the SOS and use it for the rest of this school year and next by adding in some other topics/videos, etc as a family....so my K son gets some exposure too......so far this has mostly been field trips and Planet Earth DVDs (which he loves). No complaints about SOS. Any problems I had getting it loaded (which were minimal) were easily answered by the website. I will say that I personally would not want all my kids subjects to be thru SOS. I think the novelty of the computer work would wear off for my daughter who loves it. So for now, we'll just stick with SOS science and see how it goes. She just finished her first unit and did very well on the lessons, quizzes, and unit test.....yippee!! Next unit is on plants which she's not super excited about so hopefully I can "jazz" it up and make her excited....maybe we'll grow some plants inside as part of some extra experiments....hmmm....need to ponder and see what her assigned experiments are going to be first. Rhonda C.
YEP! We love SOS! My kids love especially Science and Language ARts this way as they can type in the information. They like the fun games that go with it as well. Ds10 had the full set in 4th grade cause we could use it for free and we decided its not so much fun for the full set, math is hard as you have to click and type each number in a lot of the problems ... dd liked the math in 8th grade level though so it could be an age thing We went with work books this year to change things up a bit for ds, and dd is trying the Apoligia science, on the computer, but for over all SOS is good because you can do retests by deleting the answers to the test and starting it over. So if they get it wrong you go back to redo it, and you can remove only the ones they had wrong if you want too! you also have the option of printing the lessons and tests and such! PLUS the little mini videos are greaT!
I recommend SOS. I've used it for three different kids, 4th, 5th and 6th grades, and have two using it now. It's particular on the answers -- they are in a database, of course, so you have to supply it with the exact answers or it will mark them wrong -- BUT the parent has enormous flexibility in that you can view the answer, see if they had it right, see if they understood the requirements of the question, and still give them credit if it's due. You can also set the guizzes and tests so they're open book, if you have achild like one of mine who needs accomodations...(i.e. ADD) I looked this up and it's an acceptable accomodations in my state for kids like mine. AND you can set it to go easy on the spelling if your child has a difficulty in the spelling area. OVERALL, I totally recommend SOS. Each family will have a different expereince with it becuase it is attractive to different tyopes of people. For myself, it's my favorite as to ease of teaching and learning. I love the virtual lab projects, which they can view instead of do if you don't have the time or materials, and the fact that it grades, averages, takes attendance, and you can customizer the school calendar to suit your own family schedule. We are miving toward a more Charlotte-mason-y style, with time around the dining room table for learning, but we'll keep the Math and Science curriculums going next year. I think it's been a worthwhile investment to time and money. The fact that the program is not consumable should appeal to families with more than one child. I already have 5th grade ready to go next year, and I don't have to buy it again.
And here I thought I'd decided. With so much of next year's teaching falling to DH, and starting a second child, I think a subject or two that is totally on the computer might appeal to him. How does this play out for 1st grade with a child who is not really reading yet?
hmm ya I think maybe Abeca, but ALpha Omega has other books that do the same thing they are called Life Paks, for first grade that will be easy enough for anyone's Dh! It seems that it goes lower every so often but so far Sos is at 3rd grade I think so too... Life Paks have the same lessons just not the fun games sorry.
I think I'm going to use the Lifepacs, but I was looking for something that DH could set our oldest to work on something by himself while he worked with our middle son.
Lifepacs can be VERY independent. As a matter of fact, my eldest does her work on her own and comes to me only when she has questions. I do other stuff with her to enhance, update, challenge. i make vocab quizzes using edhelper.com and stuff like that. And we do her book club book together with her and such.
I don't anticipate him reading well enough to be able to do that by next year. That's why I was thinking maybe some software would be good, if it read the instructions aloud. That's ok. We'll get it all worked out. I was just trying to make life easier for DH, but if I can do it, he can do it.
we have switched back and forth over the years depending on what the kids wanted to do.. Some years we did SOS which is good and I can recommend. We have also done lifepac some years. It is also very good. This year it is some subjects of lifepac and saxon math and a few others.
Okay I see, the Sos would have worked super then, I have an idea though if you have a mic on your computer record yourself reading the reading part for a few lessons and then you can have your older child listen to that while following the words? One thing the Life paks are not really difficult to read.. my ds that did not want to read read his school work fine it was outside of that where he refused to read because he did not want to learn anything hehe. Silly boy! The life paks at the younger level is very simple reading level so it could turn out great, they also had little learn to read books incorperated inside the books that the child got to cut out and read as one book if I recall? What ager are we talkign again?
A/D....don't be surprised if he surprises you and reads by next year! LOL My son started to read about 5 1/2 all on his own (thank you starfall!). Shocked me. But when I was planning his curriculum, I was intending to read it for him, by the time we started he read it himself! I wouldn't have guessed it when I ordered it for him. Lifepacs (esp first grade) are REALLY easy reading. Short sentences, short words. Very simple language. They are written with the intention that they'd be read by the child. I LOVE the idea about reading along the Lifepacs for him!
