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1. momtoone
   Member Profile

   I'm contemplating home schooling, and wonder if any folks have experience with this.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

2. clark5080
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   We did it for 6 years two teens until graduating High School

   Posted 3 years ago #         

3. momtoone
   Member Profile

   Thank you! What were the good/bad aspects of this? If they went on to college, was it harder to apply/get in because of being home schooled? Also, are there any folks currently home schooling via the Washington Virtual Academy?

   Posted 3 years ago #         

4. MousePotato
   Member Profile

   

   We just switched our child to WAVA (http://www.k12.com/wava/). We were able to get in without much issue once we gathered all the required paperwork. We like the idea of WAVA a little better than just home schooling ourselves since they provide the curriculum. You can also do a mix and select some from them (like Math, English, etc.) and take care of some of the subjects yourself. They also have some teacher interaction as well as occasional student gatherings. Sorry, I don’t have much to say about how it’s going since we are just getting started but it seems like a great program so far--

   Posted 3 years ago #         

5. clark5080
   Member Profile

   

   We used Family Academy NW so they actually were involved in a class once a week and Family Academy helped us with curriculum also. The main Plus for us was that you can custom tailor how you teach your child. My son has ADD and learns more by Hands on and he was just getting lost in a system that pretty much teaches only one way and if you don't fit so what.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

6. WSB
   Member Profile

   

   Our son is a 7th grader this year and is studying via WAVA. We are both based from home, of course, so this works - and best of all, he is able to follow his natural body clock, which is more like mine: stay up very late, get up very late. Well, I can't do the get up late part because of work, but he can, and he goes to school whenever he gets up and gets going - TR

   Posted 3 years ago #         

7. Anonymous
   Member Profile

   Both my kids (teenagers at the time) took classes via Wava and it worked out really well, especially since we moved to WS in January after the school year had already started. The kids didn't know anyone and had been at the same rural school their entire lives, so it was a big change for them.

   The Wava curriculum is fully accredited so technically there is no difference in terms of how the program is recognized compared to going to a brick and mortar school. Heck, the kids even had to go up to Greenwood to take the WASL!

   The only pitfall I can remember was the social interaction, as it was pretty much non-existent. In retrospect, I probably should have pursued the face to face gatherings more aggressively.

   In short, if you're looking for something that will provide you flexibility with your schedule while satisfying education requirements this program can't be beat.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

8. WSMom
   Member Profile

   

   I homeschooled my daughter in the 7th grade and it was a wonderful year for both of us. Looking back, we both agree we should have continued in 8th grade as well. We bought a complete curriculum from Sonlight and found that very helpful to have a structure set up for us. I expecially appreciated the http://www.diveintomath.com cd algebra program which followed the Saxon math book series. I wasn't prepared to explain algebra to my daughter, and this cd provided a daily algebra lesson that was clear and easy to follow. DIVE gave her a real jump up in math skills that has helped her succeed through high school calculus. Word of warning, if you're offended by Southern Baptist style prosyleteizing, skip the introduction; he sticks to math only after the into.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

9. angelescrest
   Member Profile

   

   One of my five has spent the last three years (and is about to graduate from) Stanford U's Online High School. Classes meet at specific times/days of week, and they are interactive with help from webcams. The kids get together during the summer, and there are online clubs, events. Rigorous curriculum--like Stanford. A great fit for the right child.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

10. westwoodmom
    Member Profile

    We are in our second year of homeschooling and have to say one of the best things about it is the socialization. We cannot possibly attend half of the offerings of our Seattle Homeschool Group, and have regular, long park days with multiage kids, with lots of loving adults around to provide positive modeling and support. We did WAVA for awhile and it was helpful to start out, but have just switched to Colombia Virtual Academy (CVA) because we wanted more freedom in curriculum and schedule, which is more structured with WAVA. At 7, my son is doing second grade math, reading at 3rd or more, and we do not put in that many hours, just that he is able to follow his interests and easily swayed to do the other stuff, too, because of the freedom.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

11. TwoPassions
    Member Profile

    

    I was homeschooled K-12 and couldn't imagine doing anything different! We used a variety of curriculum and utilized the numerous homeschool co-ops/groups in the area for classes as well. I just graduated from college two years ago after going through Running Start. Being homeschooled had little to no impact on applying to colleges. If you keep good records, you should have no problems. Once your student is at highschool level, developing a trascript and tracking hours is definitely a plus. I would be more than happy to share additional information; feel free to PM me if you have other questions!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

12. amisella
    Member Profile

    Hi homeschoolers,

    I'm going to enroll my daughter in CVA for K because of the multiple challenges of full-day K (and pressure to not go half-day by the schools) and other reasons. CVA wants a district release form. Was this easy to get? Who do I go to to get that form or letter in the district?

    Many thanks in advance.

    Posted 1 year ago #         

13. Garden_nymph
    Member Profile

    

    It is easy to get. Go to the
    John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence
    2445 3rd Avenue South
    Seattle, WA 98134

    Go to desks on the left and ask for the district release form. They are very helpful.

    Good luck!

    Posted 1 year ago #         

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