Homeschooling The New Year

Today finished our first full week of home school.  And holy wow!  I really am glad I stuck with this!  This year k12 launched a whole new  way of doing things.  Before it was mainly me reading off lessons, interpreting and relaying, teaching and checking, blah blah blah.   With 3 kids it was overwhelming!  But fun.  I must say that.  Fun.  Well, this year it's more interactive.  The computer is doing all the teaching, well most of it at least.  Reading and Math. 

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After they complete their lesson I go on with my password and check their scores.  Plus, it all goes right to the teacher.  Between voice recordings, emails and data input, most all is out of my hands and postbox!  Eliminating wasteful paper correspondence. 

I'm loving it!  All except for the whole tying up the computer thing.  We are desperately in need of another couple computers.  That will be taken care of next payday.  Of course there are so many great refurbished computers out there!  And since we only need them to run online school stuff, that's the route we intend to go.  Why spend a grand on a new computer when you can keep one from going to clutter up a landfill right?!

Another change we had this year was every week they have mandatory assemblies.  Their teacher goes over the weeks goals, any upcoming events and afterwards they take a mini assessment.  To let the teacher know if there's any problems!  Yay! 

But as usually everything is still centered around us and our schedule.  We still get to have late mornings and evening sessions.  M-Su whenever works for us.  I love that!

This year my son started at only 33wpm in reading and is already up to 59wpm.  So I know this new way is really having a positive effect on him.  (He should be at 80wpm )  To have that kind of boost so quickly, I know it has to do with the fun graphics and interactiveness of it all.  What a relief because if you've followed me since the beginning, you know reading and phonics is his problem area.  A huge reason I'm so disappointed with this district here.  Just push them along to become next years teachers problem.  That needs to change everywhere.  But he and I along with K12 have worked really hard to get him up to date.