Homeschooling, k-12.com

Hi, What an exciting time in your life with your son. I'm curious about your reasons for wanting to bring him home to school. I think it is a great idea, but I always like to hear the story behind it (we all have different reasons). Kind of like birth stories. LOL
Anyway, the studies that they have done for students on their various methods of educating them shows that the K12 program children score the lowest of all groups (public, homeschool, private school). Isn't that weird? I'm not sure why, but that is how they have come out. It definitely wouldn't be my first choice. There are literally 100s of options available for you. You might want to contact http://www.afhe.org/ which is your state homeschooling organization. They will be able to help you with all of your questions about homeschooling, including legal issues, support groups, etc. If you go on their resources page, they have lots of good articles for you to read if you are interested. Are you wanting a Christian worldview for your son? If so, please feel free to send me a personal message, and I can give you more information about curriculum and other things (if you want). I remember when we brought our son home from public school. I was so overwhelmed by the choices! I didn't know what to do. So, I can understand your position. But, I have to say that my recommendations for curriculum would be suitable for a Christian homeschooler moreso than a non. You will love this option! It took some time to get used to it, but we just cannot imagine doing anything else now (13 years later!). My oldest is now graduated, and my youngest hasn't even started yet. :)

I have three girls, the middle child is in 1st grade this year. For every family and child, there is a different reason to homeschool! I don't feel you necessarily need a formal program. That being said, many families starting out like the security of a program/curriculum to guide them. I don't have any experience with k-12.com, but I do know families who have used a service advertised here called time4learning.com. There are so many free resources out there! Look into lessonpathways.com, the free Charlotte Mason programs and many, many more. Good luck and HAVE FUN! Don't get caught up in doing school at home, but in learning and enjoying the process of learning. That will serve your son best for decades to come!

I homeschool my children with

www.connectionsacademy.com

they are a free virtual homeschooling.
They are great. We love everything about them.

Your child gets a homeroom teacher, an art teacher, a P.E. teacher. The children can do electives like music, Spanish, sign lang. and so on.

The children do a Live Lesson class with their teacher once a week. Their teacher calls them
once a month.

This is our second year with Connections Academy and we love the flexibility of the school. The have a great curriculum. The videos in each lesson are wonderful.
Let's say your little one is having a hard time in math, no problem the child can go back and review the math video's for each lesson until they understand it. Or call the teacher for help.

Well, you can see that we really like this school.

I wish you and your family the best.

If you have any more questions for me, please feel free to send me a private message.

= )

It really depends on your reason for homeschooling. I have known a few people that have used the k-12 program but mostly they are Jr. High or High School and they seemed ok wth it.
I took my kids out of the public school because they are ADD. ADD kids have a different learning style than the public school offers so they often struggle within the public system even though they are highly intelligent. Plus they need more one-on-one to stay on task. Since the k-12 follow the same program as the public school, I would think the same problems would arise but since I haven't used it, I can't say for sure.
There are tons of other options depending on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a program that does all the planning and grading for you, Alpha & Omega has a program called Switched on Schoolhouse which is all done on the computer - www.aop.com
I have found that the first year of homeschooling is a trial and error year. You learn what works and what doesn't with your particular child. I have three children (two are twins) and each of them learns a little different. You learn to adapt.
If you do decide to homeschool, I suggest joining a support group. There are tons of groups out there. The groups usually provide socialization for your child through various activities like field trips, park days, and co-ops (where we work together to teach our kids a certain subject like PE, Art, Science, etc). The best part when you are first starting out is that you get to talk with other homeschooling families about what they've learned on their homeschooling journey. Our group has quadrupled in size this year which tells me that more and more families are choosing to homeschool.
AFHE (Arizona Families for Homeschool Education) might be a great sight to check out as well ( www.afhe.org) . I'm, sure they have tons of info.

Good luck with your decision. Remeber, you are the best person to decide what is right and what works best for your child. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
I don't want to overwhelm you too much but feel free to contact me personally if you have any other questions.

K-12 and Connections are the best 2 nationwide. They have the greatest coverage areas and the programs are top notch. You will not miss sending your kids to school.

Hi!
I started homeschooling my daughter with AZVA in 2nd grade. It has been wonderful! She is in 6th now, and this will probably be our last year of homeschooling, but I have seen her grow and learn and share with me in ways she wouldn't have otherwise. Good luck!