AngieC Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I toured our virtual school last month (in St Louis, the VS has a 1 day on campus component which technically makes it a hybrid) and am interested in possibly enrolling my daughter next year. She will officially be in kindergarten, though she will likely assess into first grade in all subjects (she has an August birthday and just missed our cut off). One of the biggest drawbacks to the virtual school is that the administrators told me to expect to spend 4 hours a day on school work. 4 hours?! Seriously? If I sent my daughter to the local school, she would be there for less than 3 hours and if we hs independently, I suspect it will be under 2. How long can I realistically expect to spend for a first grade work load? Will I really need to do school work for 4 hours? That would never work for me, my daughter or my 3 year old son. My daughter is a very fast learner so I would love to know if there is a lot of busy work that we could skip? Thank you for any advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I have used several K12 courses over the past few years and we've rarely taken as long as K12 claims we should. K12 includes *lots* of worksheets and activities and if your child is able to master the material without doing them, then even K12 says that it's ok to move on to the next lesson without doing them. Of course, I've only used K12 independently. A VA might have other expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 It sounds like the VA won't be the right fit for you . Why were you wanting to use it and could those needs be met another way? So does this mean that you think it will take 4 hours per day to complete? Otherwise, I'm not sure why you think it wouldn't be a fit right off the bat. I am considering it because it sounds like a fabulous curriculum that I couldn't otherwise afford. I feel like I will not lose much by trying it and finding out if we enjoy the curriculum. However, I would hate to waste everyone's time by signing up knowing that it just wouldn't work for us due to the length of time needed to complete it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Could you do 1 year by yourself and then fold into the VA? Seems like that might be a possibility... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I have this issue also. One of my kids likes the K12 curriculum itself (and it is too expensive), so I have considered doing the virtual school. However, I was reading our VAs website and they require a 30 hour a week log-in committment. :confused: Not for an 8 year-old. That would be like her going out and getting a full-time job. We cover an incredible amount of academic material and we're usually finished by noon. There's no reason a 7 or 8 or even 9 year-old would need to work on school material at home for 30 hours a week. Maybe high school or late middle school... :glare: Because of this, I am wary... I will probably buy a couple of courses independently and just fork over my own money for a while... I would like to hear more from people who are actually in these VA's! :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 What I meant was that Kindergarten doesn't take 4 hours, you realize that it doesn't take 4 hours and yet they will be requiring you to teach a 6 yo for 4 hours a day. The curriculum might be wonderful but it sounds like your VA will be requiring more than is reasonable for a child, or for you. I don't know if you can buy the K12 stuff used but if you like it and can get it used that might save you from having to go with the VA option. The K programs recommended in WTM are also excellent if you choose to be independent. Thanks for the clarification. Yes, the idea that they think kindergarten is supposed to take that much time is quite mindboggling! Of course, on campus that school district is 7 hours a day, so 4 hours might seem short to them. My daughter also qualified and is in the lottery for our local gifted classical charter school. I can't fathom actually sending her if she gets in, because that's 7 hours + a 35 minute commute each way. I'm kind of in quandry, because though he wouldn't try to force me to use the public school system, I know my husband would be far more comfortable using the charter or virtual school rather than traditional homeschooling. That is basically why I'm trying to find out if the virtual school would work for us. (Plus, I have seen the curriculum and it seems great!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 There's a lot of people who homeschool gifted kids! :D We have a kid who qualifies for the gifted thing...she scores in the 99th percentile on standardized testing (she's 8). We never really concentrate on the gifted issue and I don't do anything special for her, but I know she's exposed to all kinds of stuff that they wouldn't have had time to cover in school (like I was saying in another post- our Leonardo da Vinci week - she's in the dining room right now designing "inventions" inspired by da Vinci's sketches). I've seen books out there on the subject, but don't have any to recommend to you now... Maybe someone else has some recommendations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 There's a lot of people who homeschool gifted kids! :D Oh, I know that! The only reason it comes into play is it is a big part of the reason why PS kindergarten would be such a bad fit for her as a 6 year old. I only found out about the classical charter a week before the application deadline so I went ahead and applied with no knowledge of the school figuring I had nothing to lose. I went ahead with the testing in order to continue to keep my options open and to help me understand where my daughter is coming from...so now we know a little more and we're in the lottery for the school. It does not mean we will take the spot if we get one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle O. in MO Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I guess I would get more clarification on this 4-hour time set. Missouri homeschool laws state that a school log/time log is not required until child is 7yo. So, would they be keeping track in some way of the exact amount of time you're spending on it? I also suppose it makes a big difference what type of work she'd be doing. It's one thing to spend an hour or two hiking the trails at the Nature Center or playing at the Discovery Center vs. 4 hours worth of seat work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 (edited) My ds attends a K12 virtual public school. We are required to log in each school day which takes all of 1 minute. The school does require the state minimums for school time which is 5 hours a day for full day kindergarten from what I recall or 900 hours/year. However, the Kindergarten curricula takes about 2 to 3 hours from what I remember. Also, if a child has already mastered the material, then you are not required to do every activity in a lesson. In this case, the child would just do the assessment for the lesson. The other thing to keep in mind is that many everyday activities can count toward school time such as educational videos, sports, cooking (math), library time, educational computer games, etc. I logged whatever the daily schedule alloted for each subject that day even if it took less time since as I said many non-school activities are educational in nature:) The school has to tell you the state requirements, but our school also made it clear that other activities can be counted toward school. Our school does require reasonable progress in lesson completion which about 10% lessons completed for each subject each month of the 10 month school year. As far as , first grade in K12, it took about 3-4 hours a day which I do not think is unreasonable. You are also able to spread it out 24/7 even though schooling technically occurs on school days if you get what I mean:) Our school even acknowledges this. The school just wants you to give credit for educational hours that occur on non-school days on school days. As far as second grade, it is taking us about 4-5 hours day. However, my son is working on 3rd grade math so it may take a little longer due to that. We still have a lot of flexibility. I also do not see 5 hours a day as unreasonable since kids at this age are trying to master a lot of fundamentals:) Also, my son still gets more free time than public school kids;) I do break it up with lots of breaks and also spread some of the work to evenings and weekends. I would check with any cyber school as to exactly what their expectations and rules are. Ask detailed questions. I would find it hard to believe that they actually want you logged on to the computer for 5 hours a day during a certain time frame, but ask:) One last thing, most of school work is not computer work, but this may vary from school to school. 90% of our school work is book work:) Edited January 12, 2010 by priscilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 :lurk5: OK, now if you are able to log in out-of-school activities (like, say cooking or music lessons...), how do you record those hours...in other words...is your computer system required to be logged in 30 hours a week for your kid to get credit for attendance?? The last thing I want to invite into our house is trouble... I understand that they have to have visible hour standards - or the crowd with torches and pitchforks will storm the castle doors...however, I'm generally a big rule-follower and the 30 hour committment would deter me from using this program. I would also like to hear some more specifics from parents using the TXVA system, specifically. Anyone? :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I don't know if I mentioned this, but 2nd grader literally F L I E S through her schoolwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 (edited) When we did virtual public school (not K12) we were only required to log-in for each course once per weekday and turn in required assignments or assessments. We didn't have to log how long it took to do the assignments--the kids did those at their own pace. As long as we stayed on their schedule for turning in the assignments we received the credits for the courses at the end of the semester. The kids usually aren't required to be on the computer for that amount of time (at least in this program, they weren't!). They did spend some time on the computer listening to the lesson or attending illuminate sessions with their teachers but most of the work was done from a workbook or textbook. They told me how long it would take most kids to get through the work which was 4 hours for 1st grade and 5-6 for 4th grade. My kids usually finished in half that time! Edited January 12, 2010 by jannylynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 :lurk5: OK, now if you are able to log in out-of-school activities (like, say cooking or music lessons...), how do you record those hours...in other words...is your computer system required to be logged in 30 hours a week for your kid to get credit for attendance?? The last thing I want to invite into our house is trouble... I understand that they have to have visible hour standards - or the crowd with torches and pitchforks will storm the castle doors...however, I'm generally a big rule-follower and the 30 hour committment would deter me from using this program. I would also like to hear some more specifics from parents using the TXVA system, specifically. Anyone? :lurk5: We only have to log in to check attendance at the beginning of each school which takes 1 minute, mark assessments/lessons as complete when they are done, and log hours for lessons at end of day. So no we are not physically logged on for 5 hours a day. Now I do check the lessons on the computer each day since the lesson plans, answer sheets , instructions are there. However, the lesson planning can be done ahead of time and the lessons can be printed out. I also have ds do any online learning components with me which is not the bulk of the lessons. I have enough flexibility that I even participate in non-school home school all day, weekly co-op with the school's blessing. I just try to keep ahead so that I have a very light load for co-op day, but I still log attedance and hours. As far as giving credit for non-school educational activities, it depends on the activity;) For example, cooking involves math and can also be doubled as a health instruction;) Educational shows and games can be given credit for the areas they focus on. For example, if the show is on science, then give them credit for science. If you are playing the Oregon Trail computer game, then give credit for history. Library time can be used as credit for English. In all honesty, I did not worry about it since there are plenty of non-school educational activities to more than make up for any short hours. Therefore, most times I just log the default times that are plugged in into the online school without a second thought;) As far as your second grader flying through the lessons, every child is different. K12 does offer a rigorous, classical like education. However, you may find it will take less time. There are many optional activities and like I said if a child has mastered the objectives, then you could have them do the assessment. I have my son do all of the optional activities since this a critical period for the fundamentals IMO. However, we still have enough flexibility to play with Singapore Math, WWE, FLL, McGuffey's readers, Webster's Speller, etc. Overall, I love the K12 curriculum since it is very thorough:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Thanks for the specific answers!! I do think it's a great curriculum - which is why so many people are attracted to it. It's funny to think of the HUGE explosion in educational avenues that didn't exist ten or fifteen years ago. None of this was around when we were kids and I had never heard of a co-op or homeschool group or Potter's School or virtual school and there was definitely no internet. :tongue_smilie: I wonder what homeschooling options will be out there in 20 years... :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 I think I worded my question very poorly and made everyone confused! What I really wanted to know was if it was truly going to take as long for my kid to get through the required work as they told me it would. (Or really, I wanted to know if it took other people's children as long to get through the work as K12 suggested.) I guess the reality is though, no one is really going to be able to answer that for me! They told me how long it would take most kids to get through the work which was 4 hours for 1st grade and 5-6 for 4th grade. My kids usually finished in half that time! Well, it's only a sample of 1, but I'm glad to know that's it's only taking you half the time they suggested. I have no idea if I would have to keep any sort of log for hours as no one mentioned that to me when I met with them. I wouldn't think I would since technically it is public school and not homeschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 The answer is no to your original question. We did independent and we still had to log hrs. but there was no specific reqs. I dont think it will take a Ker four hr. prob. more like 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I think I worded my question very poorly and made everyone confused! What I really wanted to know was if it was truly going to take as long for my kid to get through the required work as they told me it would. (Or really, I wanted to know if it took other people's children as long to get through the work as K12 suggested.) I guess the reality is though, no one is really going to be able to answer that for me! Well, it's only a sample of 1, but I'm glad to know that's it's only taking you half the time they suggested. I have no idea if I would have to keep any sort of log for hours as no one mentioned that to me when I met with them. I wouldn't think I would since technically it is public school and not homeschooling. Logging the hours is really very simple. It takes about 30 seconds to check off the default times already listed on the online school for each subject each day:) I just use the default times 98% of the time. I do not worry about being exact since like I said before there are plenty of non-school and school educational opportunities:) In regards to how long it will take, I think it will vary student to student and on the grade of the student. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferB Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Angie, We use Washington Virtual Academy, which uses K12. Our weekly requirement for Kindergarten K12 work is 15.25 hrs. which is a little over 3 hrs. per day, but the actual state requirement for hours to log is 10 hrs. per week or 2 hrs. per day. What this means is that the K12 curriculum gives you the maximum amount of time that a lesson will take, and if all the lessons are done in the manner given in the OLS schedule, that would be 15.25 hrs. maximum per week for a kindergarten student. The lessons don't take that long however, so if you just meet the 10 hrs. per week "attendance" than you have met the state requirement for kindergarten for Washington. Each state is different, so you will have to find out the specifics for your state to find out if there is a "lesson time" vs. a "state attendance" time. All the lesson times aside, I highly recommend the K12 curriculum. It is very easy to make the lessons "homeschoolish" and laid back. It doesn't have to be a stressful, get-everything-done kind of relationship between you and the curriculum and the VA. I have experience with independent homeschooling and virtual schooling, and for me virtual schooling is preferable because of the accountability of the school requirements, the progress goals, and the teacher help when needed. I need frequent help for my 5th grader in writing, because she has great difficulty writing, and her teacher does a great job with positive reinforcement and on-line personalized help. I'm happy to share any more information that you want or need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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