<p>Just starting to explore this option for my oldest (will be in 6th grade next year). Just wondering if anyone can help me out with any info they may have. I'm looking for an accredited online home school program. Seems like there are a lot of them out there and having a hard time figuring out who is better and why one would have an advantage over another.</p>
<p>What state are you in? Some states have online schools that are completely free and state accredited. I know of several people who are doing this and are very happy.</p>
<p>People I know have used Clonlara, or Keystone. There are other structured programs that work with schools on a formal basis, that would be okay for homeschoolng as well. Try googling Educere.net, an umbrella for several programs.</p>
<p>Check the list at www . hoagiesgifted . com.</p>
<p>If you are in CO, i reccomend vilas online. I did my last three years of high school with them. They supply everything but paper and ink. Teachers have no problems answering questions and whatnot. They also hold thier own graduation ceremony.</p>
<p>I saw an ad for this company, but I don’t have any firsthand experience -
[K12</a> | Online Public School, Online High School, Online Private School, Homeschooling, and Online Courses options](<a href=“http://www.k12.com/]K12”>http://www.k12.com/)</p>
<p>Hi, I did this for my junior year of high school (K12 Online High School) and found it very frustrating and the curriculum unchallenging. Further, the students that I interacted with on the site were not at all enthusiastic and there was only one teacher that I believed had any real value or talent in her subject (American Literature). I would strongly advise looking for another program.</p>
<p>I hope I don’t come across as sounding ungracious - I have the highest respect for educators and recognize the difficulties attached to the profession, but most of the teachers from K12 with whom I interacted had an astoundingly limited knowledge of their subject and were relatively uninterested in my progress or the class experience. It was a bit of a joke and I found the pubic school in my area to beyond superior - really a different realm of educational quality. </p>
<p>That being said, it really might differ from state to state. My friend did one in Chicago and she agreed with me to an extent, but her “virtual classroom” experience was less infuriating than mine was… </p>
<p>I don’t know if that helped at all… But I really didn’t learn anything that year except for what I read and pursued on my own.</p>
<p>IME homeschooling works better when you do it on your own. Once you reach high school, PA Homeschoolers (NOT limited to PA) is decent, but they are expensive. Many find them worthwhile for their AP classes, but not necessarily all of education.</p>
<p>Search for the Well Trained Mind forum and do a little bit of reading to find oodles of parents successfully homeschooling. Posting a question there might also provide you with more options for what you are looking for.</p>
<p>Our experience with Keystone (with my public high school son - not my homeschoolers) left a lot to be desired to put it mildly. I would not use them again and our school has since quit using them.</p>
<p>I just read a book about homeschooling, not a “how to” manuel though, and she said to remain flexable, what works for one, might not for another. I’ve never done it myself, but had friends/aquaintances that did and they all seemed to find a way to meet state requirements (that vary widely) and cover the material needed. The author also found online to be frustrating but as stated in another post, it depends sometimes where you live.
[Amazon.com:</a> The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling (9780399537608): Quinn Cummings: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Learning-Dangerously-Homeschooling/dp/0399537600/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345377675&sr=8-3&keywords=the+year+of+living+dangerously#reader_0399537600]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Learning-Dangerously-Homeschooling/dp/0399537600/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345377675&sr=8-3&keywords=the+year+of+living+dangerously#reader_0399537600)</p>
<p>Our state is now providing home schoolers with Calvert for K-8. My friend used Calvert years ago for her son, and she loved it.</p>