Programs that require little parent involvement.....

[Prairie~Phlox]

I've been working the past two weeks full time and dh has been home, school has been on the back burner and I'm trying to research other programs that we may be able to use in the future. There's a chance for potential employment certain times of the year (bookrush & buyback at a local college) If we didn't need the money, I wouldn't be doing this, but I feel that I need to look at my options.

 

Thanks,

Phlox

[King Alfred Academy]

Growing With Grammar is pretty straightforward and can be done independently.

[Stacia]

I was going to say Growing with Grammar too, lol.

 

Also, depending on how independently your dc work, programs w/ lessons on dvd can be great. Imo kids can't do them totally independently, but they can get a great amount of their work done on their own (esp. if they have a checklist of what to watch & what written work to do in conjunction). Some programs that come to mind:

Math U See

La Clase Divertida (Spanish)

IEW Student Writing Intensive

IEW Poetry Memorization program

[jenn&charles]

Teaching Textbooks can be used totally parent free (except to check the grade book and make sure your child is doing the work).

[Mallory]

If you know there are going to be a couple months a year you aren't going to be around much, then just schedule those as down time. It can be your summer break.

Edited January 19, 2009 by Mallory

[iamrachelle]

:iagree:

[Mandy in TN]

CLE Language Arts!

It covers all aspects of LA and beginning with the second semester of first grade the directions are in the workbook and meant to be read and followed independently by the student.

Mandy

[KarenNC]

Things my daughter has done or is doing independently:

Growing with Grammar (books 3 and 4 anyway, we started with level 3)

Handwriting without Tears (we're working on the second cursive book)

Explode the Code (once she got to about book 3/was able to read the directions, did through book 8, which is the end of the series)

Vocabulary Vine (Latin and Greek roots)

Edited January 19, 2009 by KarenNC

[inashoe]

Teaching Textbook Math is very independent, you could very likely put your kids in the next grade higher.

 

For history - perhaps just get some really good history books to read, and since you are already doing IEW, perhaps ask them to write something that ties in IEW and history ?

 

Spelling, my kids use Phonetic Zoo from IEW and are very independent with this.

 

When you are not available, give them books to read on science topics, possibly asking them to write a paragraph - if that is possible without your help, but at least ask them to discuss with you what they read. For example they could read the Apologia elementary books, skip the experiments, or do them on the weekends when you are available, and then have family discussion time talking about what they read or learnt.

[Carol in Cal.]

At least that is how it worked out in my family.

 

So I would caution you that you can get something that is supposed to be hands on, and find that it's not functioning that way with your children.

 

I find this with Writing Strands and Rod and Staff grammar and even Vocabulary Vine--all of which are touted as 'independent' by many others.

 

So I'm not sure whether my DD is more resistent or what, but I find that spending some time going over the assignments, and even the material (in the case of Rod and Staff) is crucial for her.

 

OTOH, for the last year or two I have been able to use DIVE almost exclusively for math teaching. I get involved at the testing level, and the reivew of corrected work, and the Math Investigations. So that has freed me up a lot.

 

But really, your kids are young and need to be taught. I know it's hard when you're working, but they do need that. (I work fulltime myself. I really do know that it's hard.)

 

One of the things that I do is school year round, 6-7 days per week. That way when I can't help or when there is a field trip or summer camp or big deadline for Lego robotics or something, we make up for it later. I try to keep the math, grammar, and writing going all the time, so we don't have to do as many review lessons as we would after a long break, and can move more quickly through some of the semi-review lessons. And I assign a lot of science and history reading as well as literature, so that when I can't do the grammar lesson with DD there is plenty of other progress to be made. This makes it all even out. DD loves a day when she has extra history and science but no grammar!

 

I also encourage her to research and write 'extra' about things that she is particularly interested in, subject to my approval. And I limit screen time.

[KarenNC]

I find this with Writing Strands and Rod and Staff grammar and even Vocabulary Vine--all of which are touted as 'independent' by many others.

 

I would suggest that, yes, indeed, things can be different for different children, but that doesn't mean that those who say their child is doing something independently are misrepresenting the situation. It is certainly possible that something may or may not work exactly the same in the OP's family, but that is something she will need to evaluate based on her own children's style and skill level in the individual subject. Some kids could probably do Singapore math independently, for instance, but my daughter isn't going to be one of them because math is not as intuitive for her as language.

 

Now by independent, I don't mean that she never asks a question, but, yes, my 8 yo does indeed do or has done the things I listed independently. That means these are the things I ask her to go get and do while I go start laundry or take a shower. She is an advanced reader, which is a factor. I do go back and check her work and go over any problems with her. This does not mean I do not teach her in these subjects, just that I encourage her to do independently the things that she can do, which is what I hear the OP requesting.

[Heather in Neverland]

History: SOTW cd's, Famous Men of Series with audio from librovox

 

Math: lots of choices but we use MUS

 

Writing: IEW DVDs

 

Latin: Latina Christina with DVDs

 

Science: Education Exploration

[Carol in Cal.]

I would suggest that, yes, indeed, things can be different for different children, but that doesn't mean that those who say their child is doing something independently are misrepresenting the situation. It is certainly possible that something may or may not work exactly the same in the OP's family, but that is something she will need to evaluate based on her own children's style and skill level in the individual subject. Some kids could probably do Singapore math independently, for instance, but my daughter isn't going to be one of them because math is not as intuitive for her as language.

 

Now by independent, I don't mean that she never asks a question, but, yes, my 8 yo does indeed do or has done the things I listed independently. That means these are the things I ask her to go get and do while I go start laundry or take a shower. She is an advanced reader, which is a factor. I do go back and check her work and go over any problems with her. This does not mean I do not teach her in these subjects, just that I encourage her to do independently the things that she can do, which is what I hear the OP requesting.

 

 

It's just that it's really important when you're pressed for time not to count on something that doesn't turn out the way you expected.

 

I had heard that Rod and Staff, for instance, was a fast, easy way to learn grammar. I heard that people just hand it to their children. When DD had trouble with it, I had to adjust and teach it to her, oral review and all. We have persevered, and it has been good for her, but when I was working 60 hour weeks it just plain did not get done. (DH said he would do it, and didn't. Long story.) For that time, DD was 8 and a very good writer. So I was not horribly worried about whether she was exactly on track with grammar. But if that hadn't been the case, I would have had to hire a tutor, which would not have been easy to get off the ground, and it would have been a problem.

 

So I just wanted the OP to realize, from my direct experience, that some things that seem less teacher intensive turn out not to be so, so that she won't count too much on that being the case since her time is really tight.

 

Funny thing is, some things that I thought would be quite teacher intensive were not. One is Story of the World. DD worked through 3 and 4 pretty much on her own. She would read the chapters and summarize them in writing, and read extra books on those same subjects, without a whole lot of involvement from me. She also worked on some art instruction that I thought would be too difficult for her without any help from me. And she learned a great deal of Earth Science, electronics, and robotics on her own.

[coffeefreak]

Have you thought about doing something that has DVD instruction? A Beka and Bob Jones both have DVD's where you don't do any of the teaching. Also, I've heard good things about Switched on Schoolhouse (Alpha Omega's computer program).

Blessings!

[LizzyBee]

IME, it depends on the child. My oldest can do any curriculum independently even if it's not billed as self-teaching. For my middle child there is no such thing as a self-teaching curriculum. She needs my direct involvement in all of her classes. My youngest is dyslexic and not yet reading, so she doesn't do any schoolwork independently yet, either.

 

I work ft during tax season and pt the rest of the year. When my older two were younger, I bought workbooks for them to do during tax season. I mostly got the multi-subject workbooks and they'd do a few pages every day. We did school throughout the summer to make up the time.

Edited January 20, 2009 by LizzyBee

[apheartsong]

What about School of Tomorrow (ACE)

[Lovedtodeath]

Phonics Road... I just posted about this in a recent thread.

 

curriculumservices.com has work texts for every subject. I think that you can call them to order things without enrolling or going for a whole package.

[HSmom25andRN]

my husband has been a real estate appraiser for 15 years so I worked full time for 8 months of last year. I am an overachiever when it comes to school stuff so here is my advice.

 

Do the lessons when you are able to. This may mean working in the evening or on Saturday.

Explain lessons (math, grammar, etc,) the evening before and let them do their work the next day.

You may want to pick things for science and history that are either one resource or have all resources scheduled and have them in the home. Things like Winter Promise, Sonlight, SOTW (if you don't mind not getting additional reading), Apologia Elementary, Living Learning Books Science and History etc will all work well.

Some of my children are very independent and others aren't. I have 5 children from 12- almost 2. Hope that helps. Angela

[kzdaisy]

How about Time4learning.com

[LNC]

Christian Light Math, Reading, and LA. They are taught to check their own work, but I go over the missed answers every day. Christian Light is an excellent curriculum. Several of us on the WTM boards are using it and loving it!

 

For science and history you could choose a spine - like SOTW and Apologia Elementary. Then, take the time to set up a reader checklist and spine reading schedule. If you didn't have time to set up a notebook for them they could work on relevant History Pockets or a lapbook kit to go with the science.

 

HTH!