Thanks for the links!

Thanks for the links!

Welcome to the site alexger!

Thanks for the site.  I have been meaning to look for a site, and this one is good (I tried it).  I'm going to have my children try it and hope that it works for them.

I have to admit that I find myself using it sometimes.

[Dance Mat Typing]

Here is a free fun site to teach your older children how to type.

Dance Mat Typing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/flash/stage1.shtml

[misconstrue]

I don't see anything wrong with the K12 program. I think it is great that parents have more than one option to school their children at home.

However, some parents are new to homeschooling and may misconstrue that the"free public school" option is the same as "homeschooling". Yes, the "free public school" option is school at home, but it is not legally "homeschooling." This is why HSLDA does not accept virtual "public school" parents as members. They do not need legal help to teach their children at home with a virtual "public school" program.

This is for informational purposes only, and is in no way a crack against K12. However, if new homeschoolers are thinking about the "free public school" option, they should be well informed that it does not fall under homeschooling. This way they are not surprised when they are required to follow the state's rules and requirements.

This is considered a virtual public school. Since it is not legally homeschooling (if you choose the free program) you will not have the same freedom as a homeschool family. Meaning...you do what they say.

I was so excited when I heard about this, as well.  However, since then I have heard from various homeschoolers, as well as from the Homeschool Defense League, that there is some concern about virtual public schooling... while you certainly have much more control with regards to your child's learning environment and quality of instruction, you are under the public school systems oversight and are expected to follow their curriculum. 

Since I am a public school teacher - I do have a few thoughts on this I'd like to share.  Yes, I do have State Standards I must follow in my classroom and in addition I have the school district's curriculum to follow.  However, I do not feel limited to those standards. 

Let me explain:  for second grade math I am required to work on base-10 up to millions, addition, subtraction, time, money and measurement.  How I choose to cover those are my choice.  The District pays for a textbook - but if I wanted to do all hands-on manipulatives, it's up to me.  If I am able to whiz through those standards and I wanted to add something in - say multiplication, percents, etc. - I could.  Now, dealing with a class of 20 with varying levels and also motivation it sometimes is a struggle to cover it all and cover it well. 

If I were to homeschool, I would be glad for the state guidelines but I would also know that if my child were able to handle all those standards, I could either move on to the next grade's standards, or I could chose to cover a particular standard in more depth, or I could choose something all together different to work on.

I like the K-12 virtual homeschool from what I've seen of it and that's the one my state recommends.  I also think I read that it's based on the "What Your Child Should Know" series.  I think I'd like to know that I was covering the Grade Level Expectation (GLEs) and I would be thrilled if my child could work through it fast enough that I could add in extras or move through it faster. 

It seems that homeschoolers have an automatic knee-jerk reaction against anything the state puts out.  Honestly, yes the standards are low and you could absolutely surpass them.  But I think that they are at least a good sketch of what you should be sure to cover somewhere during your child's education.  I think it is very difficult to create your own curriculum from scratch without at least some sort of framework to compare to.  Yes, the State will probably require your child to take the standared-based assessment (SBA) - but know that your child will probably pass it in the 90th percentile.  And if they don't then oops - maybe you need to go back and review that particular point with your child.  I would highly doubt that a homeschooled child would bomb an SBA - and if they do then it would be worth checking whether you covered the material or if there is some other concern to check out. 

Thanks for the links!

Welcome to the site! We are glad to have you.

[Actually, it is not a virtual public school]

Actually, it is not a virtual public school. There are areas that use it that way, but if there is not one in your area, you have to pay to use the program. There are virtual private schools that use the program, and you have to pay. The program is accredited, and it is self-paced. Have you actually read the info on the site?

Quote:
This is considered a virtual public school. Since it is not legally homeschooling (if you choose the free program) you will not have the same freedom as a homeschool family. Meaning...you do what they say.

Sorry I wasn't clear. If you use it for free, it is a virtual public school in Texas.

[Kids Games]

Here are some neat sites for your older kids.

Kids Games

http://www.kidsgames.org/

Science With Mr. Enns

http://www.mrenns.com/

NASA Kid's Club

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html

Discovery Kids

http://kids.discovery.com/

Kids.gov

http://www.kids.gov/

PBS KIDS

http://pbskids.org/

FunBrain

http://www.funbrain.com/

My 3 year old uses Starfall. He clicks on everything by himself. He loves dragging the "A's" apples to the capital "A" basket and the "a's" apples to the lower case "a" basket.

http://www.starfall.com/

["]

Some parents assume if their child is very clean, they are not likely to get a ringworm. Wrong! If your baby comes in contact with an infected person or object, they are at risk. Being clean has nothing to do with it.


Quote:

"Ringworm — which has nothing at all to do with worms — is a contagious fungal infection of the skin. It can be itchy and unpleasant, but it's not painful or dangerous. When the fungus affects the scalp, the condition is called tinea capitis, and when it affects the body it's tinea corporis.

It's easy to confuse ringworm of the scalp with a much more common infant condition called cradle cap. So if you aren't sure what your baby has, ask your doctor to take a look.

Chances are your baby got ringworm probably from contact with an infected person or pet. The fungus can also be caught from infected towels, hairbrushes, combs, hats, and other clothing. If he's walking, he could also have picked it up on his feet from toddling around barefoot in an infected locker room or pool area.

Experts think there's some genetic tendency for catching ringworm. And excess sweating seems to increase the chances, too, as it the condition thrives best in humid climates."

Click on article http://www.babycenter.com/0_ringworm_10902.bc

Free ABC printables

http://www.fisher-price.com/us/ms7/alphabet-coloring-pages.asp

Welcome to the to the site! If you have any questions feel free to post away.

Thanks for the heads up nhockaday!