I thought I would try something new this time, and check out one of the great umbrella school programs for our general academics. I found quite a few that I felt would be a good fit and provide a lot of support. I see why many homeschool parents choose this route. The curriculum has been laid out, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and for many parents time is still limited especially when homeschooling multiple ages. Planning and implementing a well rounded program takes time, and some investment whether you do it yourself or use an umbrella program. I can’t say that either is better, it really depends on your family’s circumstances. After looking at our budget, and our needs with an Infant, Preschooler, Kindergartner, Second Grader, and Tenth Grader, I decided to stick with a low budget Do-It-Yourself curriculum for my elementary children, while I’m studying to implement a Montessori learning environment (more on that in another post).
I have to admit, its not completely DIY, but I am not paying for someone else to guide us. This is the curriculum I used for Jahril, and for teaching at the homeschool co-op. It’s called Learn At Home and its published by American Education and a version by School Specialty Publishing. You can find it on Amazon.com or from the publisher at http://www.carsondellosa.com The great thing about the curriculum is that it covers the basics; Language Arts, Math, Reading, Spelling, Science and Social Studies with lessons planned out Monday -Friday, for a full school year. It costs between $12-$20.00 usd compared to the hundreds of dollars for some of the guided /umbrella programs. There is a curriculum book for each grade K-6th. All we have to do is buy classroom materials and supplement the curriculum with our Cultural and Spiritual studies, and any other subjects we choose to learn. Even though I don’t teach everything exactly the way its written, especially when it comes to the meaning of Holidays, and History, I think it is important for my children to know these things so when they do attend College, and sit for exams they know what their peers have been taught.
My tenth grader is currently taking classes at the Community College on an academic scholarship, and independent study at home. We are going to try out one of the online high school/ homeschool programs as well. I like the idea of investing in a program that can give him AP classes, and credits that are accepted by Colleges and Universities. Many of the programs are accredited, and provide AP classes and NCAA approval. Online high school is great for the independent student, and is a good third party validation when applying for college. If your child is active in sports he can also apply for sports scholarships when taking classes through a NCAA approved homeschool high school program. You can choose one class or an entire grade-level program. We’re currently looking at Bridgeway Academy (http://www.homeschoolacademy.com) Keystone ( http://www.keystonehighschool.com) and National High School (http://www.nationalhighschool.com). I’ll keep you posted. Happy Homeschooling!
