Year End Review of Great Online Courses

[Tsutsie]

Since it's so hard to find great online courses for the Logic Stage set, I thought I'd post about our recent experience with online class providers.

 

First, CLRC (Classical Learning Resource Centre)

 

My son just finished Intermediate Latin A with them and it has been a wonderful experience. The teacher is knowledgeable and the workload perfect. Oxford Latin (the textbook they use) is clear and not overwhelming, like some other Latin texts. I really liked that he got to SPEAK as well - the class did little plays, etc.  (They offer Latin at all levels - elementary to high school.) The online social interaction in the class was enjoyable to my son and always positive.

 

We are so impressed by this company, that I have enrolled my DS into 2 other classes offered by CLRC -  Literature and Composition as well as Critical Thinking/Philosophy. The last course is listed as a high school course, but after emailing back and forth with the teacher, it seems like it would be fairly accessible to a strong middle school student. 

 

Their teachers are highly qualified - and it shows.

 

Another big plus is that they offer very reasonable payment plans with no extra or hidden costs.  :laugh:  (Early registration discounted fees end May 31!)

 

Next - Barbarian Diagrammarian and Witty Wordsmith with Lukeion.

 

Another great experience. The teacher is very knowledgeable and strict - this was good for my son. (I was going to enroll DS in their Latin program but did not want to spend so much time per week on it - DS just does not have time.) The course material was provided and excellent. I would highly recommend these courses. 

 

And now we never have to do grammar again!!

 

And then there is Clover Creek Physics. My son actually cried when this course finished. It's a high school course, so I will not go into to much detail over here - but it has made our year. I would go as far as to say that it has been the BEST homeschool course we have ever done. If your child is not ready for it now, get on the waitlist, it fills up VERY quickly.

 

For online classes next year we are doing 3 courses with CLRC  and one with Wilson Hill (Chemistry.) 

 

Looking forward to hearing about your online experiences.....

 

(I'm in no way affiliated to any of these companies.)

 

 

[Melissa B]

I was very happy with Well Trained Mind Academy Pre-algebra. We will be doing Algebra I through them with the same teacher next year. My dd has had a few issues keeping up with the homework, as I did not get involved at all. But, she has learned a lot. I am pleased with her current math skills.

 

We also took WWS 2 through WTMA. It was fine. My dd has learned to write papers on her own without me standing over her the entire time. I really needed her to learn better time management and taking ownership of her schoolwork. And she did. However, next year we will be using Blue Tent for Composition and Literature.

 

I almost forgot, my dd also took WTMA Socratic Discussion last fall. Another good class. Dd learned to analysis stories and discuss literature in an online setting. I plan to have my ds take that class in fall 2018.

 

This upcoming fall dd will also be taking Physics and Modern History through WTMA. If they go well, we will continue those subjects with WTMA into high school.

 

My dd also took Latin through CLRC. We only did the first semester. It was very good; my dd has just decided she would rather learn Spanish. If they taught Spanish I would take it through them. :) We have also used them for high school level Japanese and Chinese and middle school level French. Those three were quite intense. We have been very happy with all of our foreign language classes at CLRC.

[fourisenough]

I was very happy with Well Trained Mind Academy Pre-algebra. We will be doing Algebra I through them with the same teacher next year. My dd has had a few issues keeping up with the homework, as I did not get involved at all. But, she has learned a lot. I am pleased with her current math skills.

 

We also took WWS 2 through WTMA. It was fine. My dd has learned to write papers on her own without me standing over her the entire time. I really needed her to learn better time management and taking ownership of her schoolwork. And she did. However, next year we will be using Blue Tent for Composition and Literature.

 

I almost forgot, my dd also took WTMA Socratic Discussion last fall. Another good class. Dd learned to analysis stories and discuss literature in an online setting. I plan to have my ds take that class in fall 2018.

 

This upcoming fall dd will also be taking Physics and Modern History through WTMA. If they go well, we will continue those subjects with WTMA into high school.

 

My dd also took Latin through CLRC. We only did the first semester. It was very good; my dd has just decided she would rather learn Spanish. If they taught Spanish I would take it through them. :) We have also used them for high school level Japanese and Chinese and middle school level French. Those three were quite intense. We have been very happy with all of our foreign language classes at CLRC.

Can I ask which Blue Tent course your DD will take after completing WWS2? Intro to Lit & Comp or Honors Eng 1?

[Melissa B]

Can I ask which Blue Tent course your DD will take after completing WWS2? Intro to Lit & Comp or Honors Eng 1?

 

Yes, Intro to Lit and Comp. They have strict age/grade requirements for the classes at Blue Tent. She's not old enough for English 1. I think the Intro class will be the best fit anyway. She is more of a math and science girl.

[Dawn E]

 

 

And then there is Clover Creek Physics. My son actually cried when this course finished. It's a high school course, so I will not go into to much detail over here - but it has made our year. I would go as far as to say that it has been the BEST homeschool course we have ever done. If your child is not ready for it now, get on the waitlist, it fills up VERY quickly.

 

 

I cannot speak highly enough of Clover Creek Physics and Jetta. My daughter made drastic improvements in her study habits thanks to this class and Jetta's advice. Up until this class, she was able to skate through classes with minimal effort and still do really well. Physics is not something you can skate through, even as a bright child. I am so proud of her for working so hard and finishing with an A even though that did not seem likely at the beginning. Jetta is a fabulous teacher and she really gets to know the kids and cares for them. She also encourages them to get to know each other. My daughter made more friendships in this online class than any other. I highly recommend it, but, as Tsutsie said, the classes fill up fast so you need to get on the waitlist well before classes start.

[poetic license]

I was very happy with Well Trained Mind Academy Pre-algebra. We will be doing Algebra I through them with the same teacher next year. My dd has had a few issues keeping up with the homework, as I did not get involved at all. But, she has learned a lot. I am pleased with her current math skills.

 

 

Was this the Saxon class or AoPS? My son is enrolled in the AoPS one this fall.

 

Edited to Add: duh, just saw your signature that it was AoPS. Any tips for us as we start this class?

Edited June 3, 2017 by poetic license

[Melissa B]

My son is enrolled in the AoPS one this fall. Any tips for us as we start this class?

 

1. Read the chapter ahead of time. My dd will make more of an effort to do this in the fall. She is a procrastinator.

 

2. Do Alcumus. Mrs. Quintero gives extra credit for it. I don't know how much or if it really affects the final grade, but it is very good for cementing topics.

[marlowefamily]

Great experiences this year:

- Wyzant, 1-on-1 tutoring, Creative Writing - youngest son learned to write scripts for movies, learned how to constantly revise his writing.

- Wilson Hill Academy - Honors Physics, Great book, lessons, and teacher - best general physical sciences class for an 8th grader, cons: the school itself is still in growing pains, hand grading of lab reports/exams can take forever, horrible communication/general website - wish they just used schoology rather than own infrastructure.

- Kolbe 8th Grade English, first time ever that my oldest son has full confidence in his language arts skills and enjoys writing projects. And, he had to work hard to earn his 'A' grade.

[CrunchyGirl]

I was very happy with Well Trained Mind Academy Pre-algebra. We will be doing Algebra I through them with the same teacher next year. My dd has had a few issues keeping up with the homework, as I did not get involved at all. But, she has learned a lot. I am pleased with her current math skills.

 

 

Which teacher?

 

**Never mind. Just saw it was Mrs. Quintero.**

Edited June 5, 2017 by CrunchyGirl