Our ongoing adventure of schooling at home this past year has taught me some valuable things:
- Yes, it was just pre-K so I could relax a bit from the original routine I had in mind.
- After my initial despair when daily school time went out the window I saw that Jeremiah truly was learning through daily life (reading, helping in the kitchen, spending time outside, practicing writing things that he wanted to write, memorizing scripture, painting & coloring, looking at maps, playing some computer games).
- I need structure and accountability as we get up into the higher grades. I think it is ok for me to admit that I am not one of those homeschooling moms who will be able to pull pieces from everywhere and create my own curriculum. It is too overwhelming for me and I fear that I will leave out something important.
With that knowledge in mind I knew that we were going to have to research and choose an actual curriculum package. There are a lot of curriculum packages out there that we like, but let me be honest here, they are terribly expensive. So what were we to do?
- Yes, it was just pre-K so I could relax a bit from the original routine I had in mind.
- After my initial despair when daily school time went out the window I saw that Jeremiah truly was learning through daily life (reading, helping in the kitchen, spending time outside, practicing writing things that he wanted to write, memorizing scripture, painting & coloring, looking at maps, playing some computer games).
- I need structure and accountability as we get up into the higher grades. I think it is ok for me to admit that I am not one of those homeschooling moms who will be able to pull pieces from everywhere and create my own curriculum. It is too overwhelming for me and I fear that I will leave out something important.
With that knowledge in mind I knew that we were going to have to research and choose an actual curriculum package. There are a lot of curriculum packages out there that we like, but let me be honest here, they are terribly expensive. So what were we to do?
A friend (who is a former middle school teacher) told me that residents of the State of Georgia were eligible to enroll in the Georgia Virtual Academy which uses the K12 curriculum for free.
Let me be clear here. This is not home schooling in the way that many home schoolers see it. Enrolling in the GVA is actually enrolling in a Georgia public school, it just happens that you as the parent do the schooling at home. Here are the pro's and con's as we see it:
Con's:
- It is a real school. There is required attendance (parent must check attendance on line) according to a set school schedule. (This will probably be fine for us since Aaron is a school teacher and I need the accountability.)
- Less flexibility than most home schoolers like. The student has to complete lessons from the curriculum in order and submit them to the supervising teacher. (I was told though that students can work at an accelerated pace in their areas of giftedness and that if you as a parent maintain a close working relationship with the teacher you can avoid busy work.)
- The curriculum is not faith-based. (This is not such a big deal to us, but in discussing it with other home schooling moms I have found it to be a deal breaker for some of them.)
Pro's
- Award winning complete curriculum. As I have done the research I have started to hear good things about the K12 curriculum in general. I like knowing that I will have everything at my fingertips with daily lesson plans as well as all the supplies needed.
- Support from a certified teacher. I like knowing that there is a teacher who will be evaluating Jeremiah's work and helping should any trouble spots arise.
- Cost. For us the curriculum is free.
We have started the enrollment process for kindergarten in the fall. If Jeremiah is accepted then we receive the curriculum in late July and get started sometime in August. I am excited to see how it will go and if this will be a good fit for our family.
Let me be clear here. This is not home schooling in the way that many home schoolers see it. Enrolling in the GVA is actually enrolling in a Georgia public school, it just happens that you as the parent do the schooling at home. Here are the pro's and con's as we see it:
Con's:
- It is a real school. There is required attendance (parent must check attendance on line) according to a set school schedule. (This will probably be fine for us since Aaron is a school teacher and I need the accountability.)
- Less flexibility than most home schoolers like. The student has to complete lessons from the curriculum in order and submit them to the supervising teacher. (I was told though that students can work at an accelerated pace in their areas of giftedness and that if you as a parent maintain a close working relationship with the teacher you can avoid busy work.)
- The curriculum is not faith-based. (This is not such a big deal to us, but in discussing it with other home schooling moms I have found it to be a deal breaker for some of them.)
Pro's
- Award winning complete curriculum. As I have done the research I have started to hear good things about the K12 curriculum in general. I like knowing that I will have everything at my fingertips with daily lesson plans as well as all the supplies needed.
- Support from a certified teacher. I like knowing that there is a teacher who will be evaluating Jeremiah's work and helping should any trouble spots arise.
- Cost. For us the curriculum is free.
We have started the enrollment process for kindergarten in the fall. If Jeremiah is accepted then we receive the curriculum in late July and get started sometime in August. I am excited to see how it will go and if this will be a good fit for our family.
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