We’ve used K12 for five years, since right after my DS turned 5 y.o. We LOVE it! We use it as independent homeschoolers, not as part of a virtual school/academy. Some people think K12 is a school – it is *not* – it’s a curriculum used by independent HS’ers, public schools, and virtual charter schools/academies.

It is *very* hands on, especially in the Kdg-2nd grades. It also has activities for all types of learners. It’s like a buffet – you take what you want/need, and leave the rest. It has wonderful depth and breadth, and great progress & planning tools for the parent-teacher.

http://www.k12.com

Well, I am not home school mom but I have been home schooled for all of elementary school through high school. For elementary age kids The Prairie Primer is great. It has lots of hands on things and it takes you through the Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This curriculum was fun as a kid and now my sister is doing it and I am enjoying helping her learn from it. The curriculum has each lesson planned out for you and at the beginning of the week there is a list of things that you will need. It also includes optional field trip suggestions and extra books to read. The only thing not included is math so you will need a separate curriculum for that. I recommend Mequon. This is the best math curriculum I have ever used it teaches math simply and is great for hands on learners. I hope this helps you out!

I am not sure what grade levels you need informations on, so I will throw out a suggestion for elementary.

When the older kids were young we used Konos and LOVED it. The currculum is basicalla whole slew of active, hands on ideas that you can run with. This curriculum will require some footwork on your part as homeschool mom because it relies on library books, objects from around the house, and special materials bought from craft/fabic stores such as leather to make mocassins. If you are on a budget, you select activities that will fit it. If you can splurge a bit, go all out and make full costumes for each topic in history you study. My kids have fun memories of handmaking their own mocassins while I read Daniel Boone to them. We searched for animal tracks at a nearby stream. We went to the zoo and applied what we learned about animals to identify their unique means to camoflauge or stand out (for finding mates). They made paper moths specifically designed to be camofluged in the house and hid them in plain sight where I was supposed to find them. It is a tremednously fun curriculum for elementary age. It doesn’t cover phonics or math though, so you will need those extra.

I love using Sonlight http://www.sonlight.com/ with my 1st & 2nd graders. It’s so much fun, my 1st grader didn’t realize we were doing school this year. He thought I was just reading to them.

We use the World History 1, Bible 1, Science 3, separate readers, individual phonics and Singapore math. I’ve been fortunate to have a friend with the core books and a great library so it’s not been more that $100. I’m very happy with what we’re doing and how our school year is going.

Other options for us would be Charlotte Mason http://simplycharlottemason.com/home/ or Ambleside http://amblesideonline.org/

There are a lot of great programs out there. We loved Five in a Row for that age. www.fiveinarow.com It uses literature as a base for a lot of language art, social, science and art. It’s simple and easy to use. 🙂

For math there are two programs I love

www.mathusee.com and

http://www.livelylessons.com/Nobleknights.html

Math U See uses manipulatives and a DVD to teach – it’s what we use and all three kids love it!

I’ve seen Noble Knights work wonders with boys who “hate” math because it uses stories and knights to teach.

It all depends what state you live in, I think.

We use the Pa Cyber Charter School.

But then again we live in Pa.

I like it very much.

They keep the parents very informed.

Good luck 😉

Bob Jones University in Pensacola Florida… see their Web Site…!

Thanks, RR

If you think you’re pampering your children by homeschooling them, you are wrong. How detrimental it is to not send your children to school to be around other children.