Has anyone used progress academy to homeschool and what is ur opinion it?

Question

Has anyone used progress academy to homeschool and what is ur opinion it?

I LIVE IN WEST VIRGINIA SO COULD I USE THIS PROGRAM TO TEACH MY HIGH SCHOOL DAUGHTER. ALSO WOULD YO RECOMMEND IT FOR FIRST TIME HOME SCHOOLERS AND WHAT DID OR DIDN'T YOU LIKE ABOUT IT

Answer 1

I homeschool my children, but I do not use a program called Progress Academy.  There is a homeschool section here at Yahoo! Answers, and you might get more informed answers if you ask about this program there.  It is under the Education and Reference section.

Most states now have a "homeschool" option to do virtual school at home.  It is not true homeschooling, but school-at-home.  The state provides everything you need, and it is usually free (or nearly so).  Check with your state's Department of Education to see if yours has this option.

You are considered a public school student by doing this sort of homeschooling.

If you are doing a traditional homeschooling program (even if it is a virtual program-just not the public school one), then you need to find out the laws in your state.  You can do so at http://www.HSLDA.org  You have to meet hte laws of your state, not just the requirements of these programs.  That is important to know.

I use A Beka.  We go the traditional route, where I purchase the materials and instruct my children and retain all of the records.  They have two other options, though-one being where you submit the records back to A Beka and they retain them for you, and another option is their DVD courses.  A Beka is a very well known, respected program.  It can be a bit expensive, but it is a good program.

If she is a Junior or Senior, she can enroll as a homechool student but also take classes at her local community college as a dual enrollment student.  The good thing about this is that the state often pays the costs!  She can complete her high school and accrue college credits at the same time, and save time in college later.  Once she completes high school, she could transfer directly into a four year college as a Sophomore or Junior (depending on how many classes she took at the community college).

I love homeschooling my children.  The only thing I do not like about it are people that are ignorant on the subject and perpetuate myths such as homeschoolers lacking socialization.  I figure, though, that if that is the biggest concern, it proves the excellence of homeschooling!  

My children, and every other homeschooler I know, have MORE opportunities to socialize because they are not stuck with 29 or so other children born the same year they were and from roughly the same neighborhood for 7 or so hours a day (where else does that kind of socialization occur in real life?) nor are they overloaded with homework.  I usually ask those people what they/their children do on evenings, weekends, holidays and vacations. I also usually point out the fact that my children are just as comfortable socializing with people younger and older than they are as they are with same age peers, which is necessary for real life.  And, of course, there is the argument that you would not expect a classmate that is learning the same math you are to teach you that math, so why would you expect a classmate learning to socialize to teach you to socialize, when they are still learning themselves?

I love the freedom that homeschooling gives us-we work at our own pace, rather than the cookie cutter method used in schools.  We can study topics that interest us more than others in depth.  We can learn by doing and seeing rather than just reading about it.  Family vacations can double as field trips (our trip to D.C. and NYC certainly did, and even Disney was an educational experience, especially Epcot...while down there we saw a Space Shuttle take off). And, speaking of family vacation, we can take them when they are less expensive, less crowded, and the weather is better (i.e. spring and fall rather than summer and winter).

I could go on and on, but I will stop.  I hope this helps some, and be sure to visit the homeschooling section to ask about that program!