Trying to Decide Between K12 Schooling Vs. Homeschooling

They're going to feel pretty isolated from the move. I think letting them go to a good public school for at least a while would help them bond with other kids which would make the move much much easier. They're going to miss their friends. If they make a lot of new friends it will take their minds off missing their old ones. To me, getting them involved in school right off would make their experience in moving a lot easier.

With your kids being so young, I wouldn't worry about signing them up for a specific program at this time. Try "What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know" for some guidance. We use Spectrum for some of our curriculum because it's based on national standards and it's affordable.

Do check California's homeschooling laws, I do believe that they require 4 hours a day. We did Applied Scholastics Online and since they were based in California, we had to do 4 hours a day. Illinois has no such laws.

We liked our online program, but we found ourselves paying too much just for bookkeeping and we had better luck making our own programs (once we got the hang of it). I use Khan Academy for my daughter's math and we use Spectrum for phonics, vocabulary and writing. We used Spectrum for science for a while, but now we just use the library and do unit studies. We use Usborne for history.

Once you get into homeschooling you'll find what works for you! We are eclectic and use a little of everything.

You don't need to send your kids to public school to make friends! Whatever! California is big on homeschooling, I'm sure you can find a local homeschooling group and get lots of support, plus opportunities for your kids to make friends. My daughter has been homeschooled since 2nd grade and she has no shortage of friends! If only I could get her off the phone!!

Good luck!

You say you are not anti public school but I read your post as you are anti public school.

If you don't go public ( granted we are in in great public district and its crazy not to take advantage of it).... Are you capable of homeschooling to the degree that your children can and will excel? Have social interactions? Be eligible for scholarships, Etc?

Most schools, especially private, do not do mid year transfers if you have lived in the area for any amount of time.

If you move from small town to large town there are adjustments for everyone. Why not allow your children to make new friends, network, etc?

You can't keep those children in bubble wrap... There has to be some letting go so they gain independence and responsibility.

At such a young age, I don't think it matters. I HS my kids --they are young, though, 5 and 3. We do not use any curriculum at this point, and I don't plan on using K12 because I don't want my kids "schooled."

I have to say, having used a similar program with my 12th grader this year, some kids will thrive using an online school, and some won't. Mine DID and BIG TIME. He cannot learn sitting in a desk 8 hours a day listening to a teacher, he needs to be able to work at his own pace (faster than the other kids) and without distractions (our home is very quiet during the day when the others are at school and work). It took us years to realize this, I only wish we had started him in an online school sooner. It equaled success for him. I didn't have the time to construct a curriculum and implement it, so we chose the online school. He is graduating with honors (there is a lot more to online schooling than staring at a screen, that opinion is woefully misinformed) and will be entering the Air Force in the fall.

i think K12 gives you the worst of all homeschool options. it's highly structured, time-intensive, and you're accountable to someone who doesn't know you or your kids. and then you miss out on the best bits of homeschooling- the freedom, and community. if your kids are home slogging through K12, they're not at homeschool co-ops or field trips or adventures.
the only good reason to use K12 is for a new homeschooler who is boggling at too many choices (this was me) and wants the structure to help create a template for how it will look. it IS helpful to have a template. at first. but whatever you start doing, i promise you it will change. considerably. and for the better. you really do get a feel for it as you go along.
i know so many people who start off with a boxed curriculum, and end up tossing it once they figure out their own kids' learning styles and how to integrate that with family philosophy and individual scheduling preferences.
and sadly, i know too many people who felt they couldn't homeschool so opted for a school-at-home curriculum like K12 and ended up putting their kids back in school because everyone got overwhelmed with the demands and the lack of freedom to improvise and accommodate.
if you're moving mid-year and want a similar structure to public school while you transition, K12 could be useful.
just don't be afraid to pitch it when it starts to strangle you.
run free, young homeschoolers!
:) khairete
S.

If its just for a year, why not homeschool?

People claim the K12 classroom is successful, but it really only works well for a few kids. If my child could only learn from a screen, his academic career would fail and I wouldn't want that responsibility.

Get over yourself talkstotrees. I was talking about my own son's inability to learn from a screen henceforth "if MY child". I wasn't talking about anyone else's child. Didn't really think I had to spell that one out for some people but I guess I did.

Hi, V., I do not have personal experience with my children in either program, but I do have experience as a teacher (with older students). I believe that most K12 schools will not enroll students in the middle of a school year, so you would want to be prepared to check with California to see if that will be a possibility or plan on enrolling them at the beginning of the school year to begin with. Typically you need to live in that state to be able to enroll in the program.

K12 for the lower grades is going to require a lot of parental involvement. In other words, no one can expect a 1st grader to sit down at a computer by him/herself to learn, so the parents are a huge part of that guiding process. My experience with their curriculum is that it is top notch...I say this because most states are VERY strict when it comes to allowing an online school to become accredited (which K12 schools ARE accredited). Basically, most states don't want just anyone to be able to open up an online school, so they make it really tough to get accredited. All of your child's teachers will be licensed to teach in that state, and speaking from my own state, we have some of the top educators (because a lot of people want to have the opportunity to teach online...meaning that only the best are kept! ...and there is no teacher tenure with K12 schools).

As I mentioned, my experience is more with the older students, but we do have 'live' classes where all students log into a special program and we can all talk to each other, look at lessons on the white board, etc., all at the same time to get some good interaction. There are also lessons in a separate location where students complete items to show their understanding (this is usually something that is done at the student's own pace, with an end date for completion).

I'm sure that homeschooling (when done properly) is a lot of work...Regardless of whether you use K12 or some other program, you'll want to be prepared to spend lots of time working with your kiddos (and I'm sure you are!). :)

I started with k12. I am so grateful that k12 was there and gave me the confidence to teach my children at home. I still recommend k12 to many people who are hesitant to try to school their kids at home. I was with them through our first year, but some of the red tape involved was maddening. We just started our second year as traditional homeschoolers and love that we get to choose what we study and love that we now truly have flexibility and can make homeschooling work for our family as it should, not as someone else thinks it should. Your children are really young so I would encourage you to skip the k12 step. They are just starting on their educational journey and do not need bogged down by red tape. Good luck. It is truly the best decision I ever made.

We have Florida Virtual School here in Florida which I suspect is similar to K12. We've done alot of FLVS, and we've done quite a bit of eclectic homeschooling (picking different curriculums a la carte, or designing our own curriculum).

My sons did better with eclectic homeschooling. One of mine has a visual processing disorder so it's tougher for him to sit and read a computer screen constantly. My other son was very involved in performing arts. FLVS has lots of "busy" work, just like school, so we started working out more efficient ways for him to do the work and get credits.

I *do* think the option of FLVS and K12 is wonderful for parents who want that continued support of school. It is not easy to be responsible for the scope and sequencing of your child's education, especially as they get older. I had to create my son's high school transcript. I think it can be a great way to try "homeschooling" (though some would argue it's not actually homeschooling).

And FLVS is not easy by any stretch. I would guess K12 is not either.

Good luck with your decision.

I am all for home schooling. I am a public school teacher and I see the horror stories of 'nice' children being teased about being 'nice'.

Personally, due to my low level in math, I would not homeschool past grade 2. For those who are math savvy--go for it!

I use K12, and I have used Abeka curriculum for homeschool for 1 year. K12 is unique because you are still doing most of the teaching. Their on-line activities are mostly for reinforcement of what they have been taught. My twins just went through kindergarten, and K12's phonics program is the best I have ever seen. (I used to be a public school teacher before having kids)
K12 also aligns their standards to National and State standards, they still require the testing the state requires. They use Study Island as their "test preparedness" procedure, which is a quiz and game program. K12 makes sure you are getting your work done and has specific requirements to continue on. You also have a teacher who will either have online classes with your kids or have face-to-face classes with your kids. There are activities and field trips as well.
I personally like K12 because I get to do most of the teaching, and if there is something I don't think my child should learn yet, I have the freedom to skip it. I also like that there is accountability, so that we are doing school everyday for so many hours a day. I also like that their curriculum is advanced and so with my kids being advanced they can work at their own pace and move through the curriculum at their own pace in each subject. My oldest tested 91% higher in math than the other 3rd graders across the nation, but he also loves math and is cruising through it as well. I had to stop him once he hit 4th grade semester just so that he wasn't too far ahead. They also have programs in place and interventions in place for students who may need extra help, and I appreciate that as well!
Hope this is helpful.