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hereinantwerp
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| Posted: Oct 10 2008 at 1:24pm | IP Logged
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WELL, after a lot of agony about having our 13 year old continue with school, he is talking about coming home. So we are considering that, though we want to be careful that he does not "switch back and forth by whim", but can stick things through---we'll see---his behaivor has gone totally downhill since school began. This summer he was actually quite nice to have around! Feel like we've been on a yo-yo swinging for a long time but, trusting God's process as he leads us, and works in this teen's heart!!!
anyway my heart is certainly to have him at home! 
but his comment is that he likes work that he can "check off", not just a reading list. He likes real assignments and checklists and grades and etc. He even likes textbooks-- ! I'm afraid that is just not how I've done school, just not me at all, but I told him I would research some new options!! He is a very systematic thinker so I can see how this might work for him. Anyone have any recommendations? He is in 8th grade now but could probably handle 9th/high school level materials fine. A friend told me about a free internet program here in Washington State but I cannot remember the name, and it is high school only. He does love any excuse to be on the computer. I'm so "tied" to the Living Books idea, I would at least want him to be reading real literature and maybe some history or biography . . .
The other factor is that we are totally broke! Our income is diving with the economy  . As far as staying in our home and food I think we'll make it, but there certainly isn't money for the expensive kind of program that is 1000+/year and you have to register and etc. . . . . It seems like a lot of structured curriculum is like this.
Any help is appreciated! I hope he does come home (and not just because he wants to sleep in, LOL!)
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Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
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ALmom
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| Posted: Oct 10 2008 at 1:47pm | IP Logged
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Angela:
I cannot tell you what to turn to as all the standard ones have been discussed here pretty thouroughly. One thing that you can do is decide which things you can provide appropriate structure for easily on your own and which subjects need more support. Most of the providers allow for single course enrollment up to a certain number. If you only need help with 1 - 3 subjects, you may be able to talk to them about single course enrollments. Personally, I think it rather redundant for me to have math or grammar from a provider - most of these are pretty straight forward do the next page anyways and come with teacher's manuals and ideas for presenting the concept and answer keys, and often tests anyways. Other subjects I don't want from a particular provider because I know I won't like the way they do it (ie Seton's history or any providers grammar - these just do not work with us). Other people just cannot stomach the thought of trying to grade Geometry and sign up for a single course in Geometry with Seton. Some providers come out fairly inexpensive if you do not need grading support - others you pay for it regardless but also have someone to call who has homeschooled for many, many years. A lot depends on what you both really need and where you need support. If it is just a matter of having check-off things, then you could write your own if you were so inclined.
Do you live close enough for you, your dh and your son to be able to look at someone else's plans from a provider in 8th or 9th grade. I would certainly plan on getting his input. Samples don't always show the assignments and support in the full plans. On line doesn't show all the options or ways to make things work. Seton and Kolbe both allow single course enrollment but it isn't heavily advertised and you have to call and talk to them about cost and restrictions (they may restrict to only a certain number of courses, etc. and at some point it becomes cheaper to sign up for the whole thing). I have begun to realize that what I think would be dull, is just what a child likes or what I think stimulating and exciting is utterly frustrating to the child. It has to work with both of you. It sounds like your child has a pretty good idea in his mind about what he thinks would work, it seems to make sense to elicit a description of that - gather some things that sound like his description and that you like and take a look at them as you think about schooling and living with it for a year. As you look at plans, you will notice some courses simply repeat what is already available to you and others provide meaty paper topics and helpful breakdown of day to day with extensive explanations and background in the notes. You'll have a better idea whether or not you can get by with only a few courses if you are able to look at full plans in person.
Janet
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Willa
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| Posted: Oct 10 2008 at 2:59pm | IP Logged
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Would it work to shop for used textbooks -- perhaps, even the ones he was using at school? I know it's not perfect, but it would be simple -- maybe the school would even have discards that you could use.
I found this Washington Virtual Academy -- it looks similar to our California virtual academy. Children enrolled in the Virtual Academy are public school students, so everything is free. Several people in our area use the CAVA program -- if their kids like the structure and outside accountability. It's supposed to be quite rigorous. It is based on William Bennett's K12 program, so it tries to include some good literature and "cultural heritage" history stuff along with the structured work. I think there is an online component plus some paper and pen type work.
Another option is to check out your local charter or independent study programs -- again, with these the child is enrolled as a public school student, which means that the program gets funded by the government and thus the tuition and curriculum is free.
ETA: These are all secular options, obviously -- you'd have to work in your own religious education program, but I suppose you are already doing that since your ds has been at public school.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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Martha
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| Posted: Oct 10 2008 at 3:10pm | IP Logged
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well if it's just the checking and grading that he needs - you could use any curriculum and make your own checklist/grading for him with Homeschool Tracker software. The basic version is free. You would enter in the lessons yourself, complete with directions and notes if neccessary. He can check it completed and you can enter grades and so forth.
I think there's some really good free or low-cost options for highschool subjects. The biggest draw back is usually that they will require a LOT more time and effort on your part to pull them together. Also, in my research, I'm finding that I have to be really careful about "free" b/c sometimes it really is cheaper to just buy something else than expend ink and paper with downloads.
Does that sound like something you could or would be willing to do? If so, I have lots of links to various materials. We are currently trying not to worry to much about next year's curriculum needs. But I'm preparing for the worst because money is already really tight. (Not that we've ever been rolling in money to begin with!) I know what I'd prefer if I have the funds, but I'm also keeping a list of options that I can choose from either for free or low cost.
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Martha
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hereinantwerp
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| Posted: Oct 10 2008 at 3:56pm | IP Logged
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oh my gosh--
I was just looking up the washington state internet high schools (especially the "Insight" school) and they look unbelievably perfect!!
I saw that there are AP/honors courses (would hopefully provide the challenge he is totally NOT getting at school), and there is also--web design, programming, 3D game design, flash animation--I wondered how long I could keep this from my son, but he just walked in and saw the course list I printed sitting on my desk (he's home sick today). And he gets a free laptop. I think we'd have to tie him up and gag him to NOT have him do this. Hopefully dh is going to like the idea-----
and we still have the rest of 8th grade----
but I would love to hear from anyone who has actually USED these through-the-government internet academies . . . it is good to hear that they are purportedly challenging. Are there any "independant forums" or etc. where I could interract with others about this?
as far as using textbooks and keeping my own records, let's just say that is one of my biggest personal weaknesses---recordkeeping and etc.---I think it is one of the reasons he was really frustrated with me with a "loose reading list". I just kind of expected him to keep track of it and go along, and he wanted more of an outside check-in person and detailed assignments. I try to adapt to my kids' needs, and not just expect them to adapt to me, but this really is an area of weakness for me. Anyway, "IF THE KIDS LIKE STRUCTURE AND OUTSIDE ACCOUNTABILITY" sounds really good for him--and for me !
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Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: inexpensive structured curric. for teen?
