Homeschool Programs

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Then today I read an article (WSB ATL News) about a study that all pre-K advantages "age out" by 2nd Grade

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I have even worse news - the overwhelming majority (like 90%+) of U.S. kindergarten students display genius level potential in at least 1 area (most in more than 1 area). The number is about 1/10th that by the time they graduate high school.

The only thing they all have in common during this decline is 12 years of formal education.

:letthatsinkin:

I'm very happy to help with any homeschooling questions. 16 years of experience, one student now engineering freshman.

By 'program' do you mean 'curriculum?' One of the beauties of hs is that you can pick and choose the pieces of your curriculum to fit your child's abilities and interests. The fact of the matter is that no child performs equally well in all subjects. So your student may be very talented in Math but have a harder time with English. You may have a Music prodigy who has a hard time with Spanish, etc, etc. By hs you can cater so much better to his/her level and passions.

I highly suggest reading 'The Well Trained Mind' by Susan Bauer. Any edition will do. I think it's particularly well suited to more gifted kids, but it's wonderful for all kids.

I also recommend having a look at the Well Trained Mind Academy, which is an extension of the book. They have a terrific offering of classes for all levels and across the curriculum. We have found them more rigorous than others.

For a 'mathy' kid I recommend Art of Problem Solving (AoPS). They have an elementary program and series of books called 'The Beast Academy' which is very well suited for kids who enjoy puzzles and logic.

The recommendations above are secular and used by a lot of homeschoolers. I'm happy to recommend Christian programs also if needed. I wish there was a way we could chat off-list. Hs is one of my favorite conversational topics. Ask away if I can help!

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My parents had me using Abeka Academy all the way from K3 to 12th grade and I turned out alright

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I'll need to review your post history to determine that

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Why? Why did you switch to public?

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It was a private daycare he'd been going to since age 2. They aren't a private "school" per se.

In my state there's a distinction between "public" and "private" pre-k, has to do with funding and curriculum.

If you are not opposed to a religious education the Classical Conversations is a great program. It is very challenging, especially as they get older. The kids meet with other kids once a week to learn together and do verbal presentations. Your kid will learn Latin and get a classical style education.

Yes, Abeka is excellent also. It's a Christian program, btw.

K-12 is used quite a bit but the feedback I've seen says it's a bit too much like public school and not really homeschool. A lot of sitting in front of the computer doing worksheets and such.

Should definitely work in some material from the Ron Paul homeschool curriculum. Tom Woods did a chunk of the material.

Oh yes, it goes without saying, checking your state's homeschooling regulations should be step one. They will not dictate which materials and curricula to use, but will tell you the reporting and oversight requirements, etc. The 50 states are all over the spectrum when it comes to how stringent their regulations are. PA is an absolute pain with stringent testing and reporting requirements, TX is very lax. And everything in between out there!

John Stossel runs a program that offers an excellent curriculum for free every year. Highly recommend! It covers civics, economics, some history, etc.