I need to find an accredited Geometry course for my daughter and have found these two options for live classes. However, I can’t find much info on either, especially the VPSA. I’d love feedback on ANY classes you’ve taken from either provider, how easy is the administration to work with, what is the teaching format like, how are the classes structured, how easy is the technology to use, how accessible are the teachers, etc? If you have experience with a specific Geometry teacher, that would be great too.

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Has anyone used the Veritas Press Online prealgebra course? or even the algebra course? I'm looking for feedback on what you liked or didn't like about the course, the pacing, amount of homework, specific teacher recommendations, etc. Thanks!

Thanks! I agree, the programs that I really wish he could take and feel he'd get something out of, aren't accredited.

Anyone else have experience with an accredited program that they would recommend?

Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't realize OnlineG3 offered accredited classes.

Calming Tea~ Thanks for the recommendation. Is it best to start with the first book and work your way through them all? Or can you pick and choose based on interest? ETA: I also saw these horse science books on the 4H site: http://www.4-hmall.org/Product/horse/horse-science-set-of-2/CO203.aspx Have you used either of these?

My oldest is no longer homeschooled, but because of the unique curriculum path he took prior to high school and the willingness and flexibility of his current private school, we are in the position of searching for an online English course for him to take. The only catch is that the course must be accredited. Does anyone have a recommendation? He is open to lit or composition. It just needs to fulfill an English credit and be accredited. He typically does well in his English courses and likes a challenge, but he is going to be taking 3 AP courses and a college course this year, so an easy class that doesn't push him too hard would be ok too;).

Thank you everyone for the great information. It sounds like WP deserves a second look. The Coursera course also looks really good. Lori D~ what a terrific list of resources. Thanks for sharing!

Does anyone have a recommendation for an Equine Science program for an upcoming 6th grader who spends her every spare moment at the horse barn where she takes riding lessons? She is learning a lot through hands on experience at the barn, but she has a desire to learn everything she can on the topic. I'd love to take advantage of that passion and try to center her science curriculum this year around her interests. She is a strong reader and has read a lot of the books on the market geared toward elementary and middle school aged kids, so she might be ready to move up to something more meaty and more science focused. Also, I'm going to be completely transparent here and say that I'm not good at pulling things together on my own. So something with a schedule or a suggestion for a text with chapter questions and quizzes would be ideal. Finally, I know that Winter Promise has a program, but I can't get a great feel for the quality of the content from their website. She's read most of the books that go with the program, so I'm wondering if buying the package would add much value to what she has picked up on her own reading of the books? I'd love to hear about your experience if you used this program.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an accredited, online pre algebra program? Or even an algebra program as I look to next year? My ds is going to be attending a local private school next year, and they aren't going to give him credit for the Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 he has completed because they were homeschooled classes and not from an accredited source. As I look ahead to the possibility of my daughter doing the same in a few years, I'm thinking switching her to an accredited, online class might make the transition easier. Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks!

Thanks Merry. How would you compare their coverage of the research paper? Also, help with including sentence variety, verb choice, etc?

Can anyone compare these two levels? How big of a jump between the two? Is the content pretty similar? Does he break down the writing process as much in 9 as he does in 8? Thanks!

Thanks! I did see your post in the other thread as well and really appreciate the information. Still trying to narrow things down, but your post was very helpful. Can you expand a little on why it was such a good fit for your daughter who dislikes brainstorming and prewriting? Thanks!

Thanks again Pat for the feedback.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I didn't originally mention my son's grade level (and the signature is old) because it is one of those things that is hard to pinpoint. He is 12 1/2, officially going to be in 7th grade, but is typically working a few grades ahead in most subjects. It is really hard for me to gauge his writing level though; I just know it isn't where his brother was at the same age and I don't feel like I'm seeing much improvement with WWS, which is why I'm looking to change.

Thanks Pat, that is very helpful! I know you said you haven't used PiYH yet, but since you are planning to and have experience with EiW, would you be able to give me an idea of which level PiYH would seem to fit in compared to EiW? Also, does one program or another break down the writing process more incrementally? Thanks!

I'm considering using either Jump In or Power in Your Hands with my ds who is currently halfway through WWS2. He is not a motivated writer, and has a hard time expressing his thoughts (both verbally and written). His take on life is: why use an entire paragraph to express your thoughts when a simple "fine" works just as well:). He also needs something that is very incremental, otherwise he gets frustrated with writing since it isn't something that comes naturally to him. He may only be at home another year or two before he goes to a private high school, and I want to make sure he has a strong writing foundation (because I don't think he'll get it in the high school). The Jump In book looks a little "cutesy", and that is a big turn off to him, but I'm worried a program that is geared for high schoolers could be too much for a reluctant middle schooler. Since he doesn't like writing, I'm looking for something that will give a solid background in academic writing without adding in other types of writing that might be enjoyable and fun for some, but would be torture for this kid. He knows he needs to improve his writing skills because they are a necessary component of being successful in his future goals, but that is his only purpose for writing. PiYH seems like it would fit the bill of being a strong, yet straight forward, incremental program that would get the job done.....if it isn't so hard that it is frustrating. Any thoughts on doing it with a younger, reluctant writer? The other thought is to go with one of the EiW programs. But again, I need something that isn't cutesy and has a focus on academic writing. Any comparison of the EiW programs, and the Jump In/PiYH books? Any suggestions for which level to start him in? Thanks!

I'm considering using either Jump In or Power in Your Hands with my ds who is currently halfway through WWS2. He is not a motivated writer, and has a hard time expressing his thoughts (both verbally and written). His take on life is: why use an entire paragraph to express your thoughts when a simple "fine" works just as well:). He also needs something that is very incremental, otherwise he gets frustrated with writing since it isn't something that comes naturally to him. He may only be at home another year or two before he goes to a private high school, and I want to make sure he has a strong writing foundation (because I don't think he'll get it in the high school). The Jump In book looks a little "cutesy", and that is a big turn off to him, but I'm worried a program that is geared for high schoolers could be too much for a reluctant middle schooler. Since he doesn't like writing, I'm looking for something that will give a solid background in academic writing without adding in other types of writing that might be enjoyable and fun for some, but would be torture for this kid. He knows he needs to improve his writing skills because they are a necessary component of being successful in his future goals, but that is his only purpose for writing. PiYH seems like it would fit the bill of being a strong, yet straight forward, incremental program that would get the job done.....if it isn't so hard that it is frustrating. Any thoughts on doing it with a younger, reluctant writer? The other thought is to go with one of the EiW programs. But again, I need something that isn't cutesy and has a focus on academic writing. Any comparison of the EiW programs, and the Jump In/PiYH books? Any suggestions for which level to start him in? Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. I'm liking the looks of the Power in Your Hands books, but not sure if he'd be ready. I'll start a separate thread to ask about that specifically.

I'm curious to know more about this program as well.

Do you think either of these could work for a middle grade student?

I used WWS 1 and and half of WWS 2 with ds1, and though he didn't love the program, I saw a huge improvement in his writing and he is thanking me now that he is in high school at a private school. Since *I* love the WWS series so much because of the results we saw, I've been using it with ds2 as well. Unfortunately, I'm thinking I may need to rethink that plan. With both boys, we worked through the books much slower than the recommended pacing (which is why ds1 didn't finish WWS2....he went to private school before we finished). DS2 has finished WWS1 and is about half way through WWS2, but I'm not seeing the same progress that I saw with DS1. There has definitely been some improvement, but he doesn't seem to be internalizing the lessons that WWS is trying to teach. He is a boy of very few words, and it comes across in his writing as well. He is trying to give me what I want and improve, but it just doesn't seem to be happening. He knows the program is good (because his brother has been singing it's praises) and doesn't want to give up on it, but I'm thinking it might be time to move on. He has a very analytical mind but is also very creative (loves to build and tweak all sorts of mechanical contraptions and solve design problems). So does anyone have a suggestion of a writing program that might be a good fit for him and still prepare him as well for for high school/college writing as WWS (especially research papers, position papers etc.). We aren't interested in a creative writing program. Thanks!

Just wondering if anyone has used this program and what you thought of it? How much time did it take? Did it hold your student's interest? What can you tell me about the labs? Thanks

A few years ago, my oldest ds did Derek Owens Physical science combined with the Quality Science Labs Physical science kit. They didn't mesh perfectly, but overall I was pleased with the combo of the two.