Homeschool or Online Elementary School Advice

I have just finished my first year homeschooling. This next year we are using Georgia Virtual Academy which is through http://www.k12.com which someone already mentioned. So far I love this program. We haven't actually started it, but I have done a lot of looking around and talking to them. They are very good about having people to answer your questions. It is web based with a local teacher assigned to check in on you and answer your questions. One great thing for those of us that have had to buy homeschool materials is that your child is technically registered within the public school system so your tax dollars get you all of your supplies. At the beginning of August I will get a box with everything she will need, right down to the dirt for science experiments. It is web based, but it is pretty intensive. You have to be able to have your child log in and work 5 days a week. That doesn't have to be at home, but they must be able to login and do their work for attendance.

Feel free to contact me with questions
____@____.com

S.

You may have heard this a thousand times, but Saxon Math is awesome! When I homeschooled my son I used that & we both loved it. Word of warning, though, it is more advanced than public school math. He was way ahead when we did put him in public school (a very good district), so he has had some big issues in math since then. I would still recommend it with no reservations. I also used something called History of the World (I think) and really liked that, too. Beyond that, the internet is full of free stuff if you are willing to spend a couple of hours a week planning ahead. Those were the only two books I spent money on. Good luck & enjoy. We had a blast. :o)

Hi J.! I just finished homeschooling my kids for the second year (if preK counts along with KG). We used My Father's World this past year for my 4 and 5 year olds. We loved it! It integrates science into each week's writing and spelling. Their site is www.mfwbooks.com

I think it could work for travel as you could use your computer for online encyclopedias for each week's topic. You would just need your teacher's guide and the week's worksheets and calendar with you. They did have some sort of craft each week but you could plan ahead and have those supplies with you. I am not super crafty and found it very doable. It is a Christian curriculum.

Another one that I know less about but admire the founder (Bill Bennett, author of the Book of Virtues and Children's Book of Virtues) is K-12. It looks to be more online based:
http://www.k12.com/

Must go tend to my baby but let me know if I can help you anymore please. We have a support group for homeschoolers here in Smyrna. Let me know if you want info on that, but I am guessing there is one closer to you.

Dearly, G.

I know I'm supposed to respond and not ask questions, but why did you decide to homeschool if your schedule will require that you travel often? (I'm not being judgemental at all, I really want to know what dictates the decision to homeschool for parents, I've even thought of doing research on the topic.) I'm a public school teacher, but I like what I've seen of the Abeka program. I think SRA has a homeschool component, but I'm not sure. Good luck!

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You might consider a hybrid school (also known as University Model School). These schools incorporate a set number of homeschooling days each week with alternate days in a structured classroom. Normally, the school presents most new material and does most of the testing. Parents and school staff partner together in providing an education. Parents work with the child on homeschool days to reinforce newly learned material as the child works to implement the newly acquired principles into lessons and practice materials. The popularity of these schools is growing rapidly. You can check the website to see if there are any in sufficient proximity to your home. I know of two in West Cobb and one in Woodstock. I am not familiar with the schools in other parts of the metro Atlanta area but I know they do exist.