nutella08
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Posts posted by nutella08
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It really depends on the student's rate/progress. You have the option to pay per class or monthly with unlimited classes depending on teacher availability. I believe 30 classes 2x a week is typically considered 1 semester, so 60 classes/30 weeks is roughly 1 school year. However, a student can finish a level (i.e. Spanish 1) in less than one year if they are motivated and move on to the next level whenever they are ready.
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DD did EPGY math when she was around 8. She is also a language arts gal but advanced in math, not "mathy" and definitely doesn't enjoy math. It was a good program that she could complete independently for 50 minutes a day, several times a week. On alternate days, I would follow with Singapore Math to solidify concepts and fill in any gaps. I found EPGY did a decent job introducing the concept but she still needed a bit of additional review in some areas. In general, it freed me up to work with younger DS. DD did EPGY grade levels 2-7 work within a year and seemed well-prepared for AoPS pre-algebra after that. EPGY was rather boring compared to other options out there, but it was her 1st online course and hadn't played much video games before that so she didn't know better.
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For DD's portfolio -
1. handwritten & illustrated novella from age 6 - I read somewhere they prefer handwritten, unedited samples
2. self-published, typed & illustrated 100+ page novel from age 9
3. algebra exam from age 10
4. Galapagos handwritten & illustrated research project from age 6
5. Egypt typed research project from age 7
6. animated youtube videos narrated in foreign languages from age 9
Nothing was created specifically for the application. It was stuff we had kept for our own amusement. DD is creative and enjoys projects. Projects from younger years were indeed easier to identify as being above grade level. During the "welcome" interview (after she was accepted), the consultant mentioned her novel so I guess that made an impression.
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We've connected with many local families through the program and received some invaluable advice from those with older kids. so that's been great. The parent discussions on their mailing lists and FB groups have been helpful too. The staff have always seemed very willing to help. We did a portfolio with samples I already had on hand (math tests, writing samples, and a video) and it was pretty easy.
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Yes, we're still using Uzinggo and enjoying it very much … definitely preferring it over Plato. Since we had already completed Plato for middle school, we are using the high school level of Uzinggo. I don't have experience with the middle school level of Uzinggo. There were a couple concepts that were a bit advanced for DD, who refuses to take notes, so I needed to sit with her to discuss and explain. But in general, we have found the exercises and interaction to be well designed and executed. It's a really nice way for students to learn and explore science on their own in a somewhat guided way. Did you have specific questions?
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http://www.lynda.com/Photoshop-tutorials/279-0.html
There are some free tutorials. Rest of classes available for subscription $20-$35/month
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We haven't done Athena's but the teacher in G3 doesn't really seem to "follow" or use the questions in the book that closely. I feel the webinar discussions have more depth than the textbook and most of the supplemental activities & videos have been enriching. However, many of the written responses posted in the forum aren't particularly deep. A few kids put in more effort than others. Don't know if it matters to you; the teacher started G3 for her PG daughter and it seems to be popular within that community. I had always presumed G3 is a natural progression after Athena. DD just seemed to be beyond the level of Athena's courses when we found the programs, but of course, I could be mistaken.
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I wasn't impressed with the curriculum but DD loved all the G3 classes (LL7, LL8, LLOTR) and enjoyed the discussions. She read several of the books before class started. The workload and writing for the course was fairly light. I did hear the teacher having to keep chat discussions on tasks as well. I don't think it happened weekly in DD's class. DD has connected with a couple students outside of class through the forums and NaNoWriMo. She's very social, so that could be a big factor for her.
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We're not quite at that level yet but really like Homeschool Spanish Academy so far. It's been wonderful for gaining fluency through immersion. We have found it definitely by far much better than Rosetta Stone but the quality of instruction does vary from teacher to teacher. You can do a free trial to see if someone would fit your style.
http://homeschoolspanishacademy.com/
http://homeschoolspanishacademy.com/curriculum
High School Curriculum Course Descriptions/Scope & Sequence
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We use uzinggo as a fun supplement that DD works on independently, but I suppose it might work as a full course. We've only started it a little over a week ago and DD loves it. The lessons are all videos or interactive animations. The graphics are well-done and exercises so far seem creative and engaging. There are series of "zingpaths" that students follow to learn topics sequentially. As the student completes activities & exercises, they earn points and shop for rewards. I don't have a good sense of how "rigorous" they are compared to other programs. They offer a 14-day free trial, so it's worth trying before committing. It's nice that all the science courses are priced together, i.e. you don't need to buy chemistry, physics, biology separately.
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We completed the entire series of Plato middle school. DD enjoyed it & learned a lot. But she really LOVES Uzinggo now and keeps saying "This is WAYYY better than Plato". Both are currently on sale through Homeschool Buyers Co-op and are video-based not text heavy. We've only been "playing" with Uzinggo for only about a week but it's much more engaging and up-to-date (i.e. Pluto is still a planet according to Plato), better graphics & interactive activities. Plato also has a narrow time window when you can log in. Uzinggo has a framework of incentives for students to earn points and rewards for completing various activities. You might want to do Uzinggo's free 14-day trial first to get a better sense yourself.
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We just finished all 3 PLATO middle school science this past year. DD enjoyed it and learned a quite a bit. I've read reviews elsewhere and we agree that Earth/Space science was the easiest, followed by Life Science then Physical Science. However, we just tried out uzinggo (also on sale through HSBC right now) and found it to be much more engaging & up-to-date. For example, PLATO still had Pluto listed as a planet. Maybe it's worth a look into.
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Thanks for this recommendation. Have you used these? I wonder how they compare to Classical Kids?
Yes, we used these and my kids enjoyed them. The Classical Kids CDs were more engaging & higher production quality (we borrowed it from the library) but only covered a couple of the major composers. The Story of ____ in Words and Music offered a much wider selection of composers. DC & I learned a lot from them. DH found it annoying to listen to narration over classical music. YMMV
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There's a whole series of inexpensive CDs with composers' biography set to their music.
and more...
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I took the PSAT overseas through DODDS (Dept of Defense Dependent School). So if you're near a military base, that might be an option.
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Might be too young for your kids, but Secret Millionaires Club with Warren Buffet is pretty fun:
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Just some quick thoughts...
These are all volcanic islands, so volcanoes would be a good science unit studies. I would try to research common wildlife you might expect to see.
For books/authors/artists:
Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl documents a scientific adventure on a raft to explore one way people may have arrived in Polynesia
Charles Darwin spent time in those regions and wrote about them in the Voyage of the Beagle. There's some good children's book about him & the Beagle out there.
Paul Gauguin's artwork was greatly inspired by his stay in Tahiti
James Cook charts the Pacific Ocean, Williams, Jean Kinney.
Folktales/mythology of the region should be fun.
Sounds like an incredibly adventure. Good luck!
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DS had some similar discrepancies on his assessments. They found a combination of issues related to ADD inattentive type and CAPD. His hearing is normal but the audiologist specializing in CAPD found processing to be impaired.
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We did a month of WriteGuide and 2 middle school workshops (Descriptive & Expository) through WriteAtHome this year.
For WriteAtHome, there are no live classes, just weekly lesson & assignment handouts in PDF to read. Assignments are due weekly, every Wednesday. Teachers are available to answer questions but we didn't really make much contact in between. They seemed to focus on certain themes in DD's writing, particularly minimizing passive verbs and unclear pronoun antecedents. I don't know whether this is typical, but DD got away with less than an hour of work a week (even less towards the end of the term when revising work) and earned top scores. Frankly, that makes me a little uncomfortable about long term "rigor" but for us, it was good for exposure.
Progress through WriteGuide was noticeably more obvious. Although writing every day was rather intense but it's not absolutely required. You could turn in assignments less frequently, just not getting your full $$ worth. Or perhaps sign up for a shorter duration or alternate months?
Of course, DD prefers WriteAtHome because the "workload is more manageable". ;)
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You might want to take a look at the Suzuki method for piano. They're very effective for young children starting at 3 or 4. The process begins with developing the listening ability and playing CDs with songs they will be learning then reading comes later. The kids progress fairly quickly because they are already familiar with the songs. But they really encourage strong foundation from a good teacher, with a lot of early emphasis on proper tone, posture, and other technique.
http://suzukiassociation.org/piano/
http://suzukiassociation.org/teachers/twinkler/
You can get the CD and book 1 information here
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My kids are enrolled in a public charter school. They attend hands-on history & science classes 2 days a week at the learning center then are homeschooled/independent study the remaining 3 days to cover language arts, math, and PE. We are given funds to purchase our choice of non-secular curriculum. The kids enjoy being with the same group of friends regularly but still have sufficient free time. Normally, no additional homework is assigned but there is a science and history project about twice a year. Parents have built a nice sense of community as they plan festivals, field trips and other activities. The academics are not particularly challenging but with history & science, the varying levels of ability between the kids aren't as noticeable. We must turn in some work samples to our assigned a credentialed teacher who oversee our progress. This hasn't been much of a burden and our teacher has been incredibly supportive and serves as a wonderful resource as well. Overall, the balance has worked extremely well for us.
Good luck with your decision!
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Sounds like me growing up. My parents actually quite worried quite a bit, especially in high school. I had a couple friends but no one really close. Fortunately, I never experienced bullying either, or perhaps I was simply oblivious. Finally in college, I found people I could relate too. However, I would consider myself fairly well-adjusted now. Although I'm still no social butterfly, I have all the non-conformist friends I need.
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I think it's akin to the difference between "It is here" and "Here it is". Both are acceptable answers.
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We did FFW at home over the course 8 months last year based on the suggestions of our audiologist & SLP. We have also been undergoing individual & group SLT during the last year. We saw significant improvement with attention and listening comprehension, but it's hard to pinpoint what contributed most to his gains. FFW expensive but overall, I'm glad with did it.
What kind of kid is epgy math good for?
in Accelerated Learner Board
Posted
If you go through their open enrollment program, I believe you can get a refund within the first 30 days. I would double-check with them beforehand though.