Neighbor's continuing Questions!

Well let's continue where we left off, I helping my neighbor to pick out a curriculum for her daughter. I had given her three suggestions for what I thought were great homeschool curriculum resources. First, Kolbe Academy, they are a Catholic based curriculum that allows you to register with them and they will keep your transcripts for any grade. They service all grades K-12 and will allow you also use their books or purchase the books of your choice for each subject title. If using their books then you will be receiving a daily course plan. The course plan is your map on how to homeschool, as well as the subjects name and what assignments need to be completed. In the course plan also called syllabus you will find what the requirements are for completing each quarter. A copy of the work is to be sent in for each subject for all four quarters. According to the grades that you place on your child’s report card, a proctor (counselor), will look over the work and make sure that the grade is appropriate and begin creating your child’s transcripts. With Kolbe’s registration fee you will receive your transcripts, counseling and your course plan but you will not receive any books. Remember you are able to purchase these where you like.

I am currently using this curriculum and have found it to be very cost effective and I like to ability to modify the course to fit the child in the event the child is not learning their particular course book. It has really helped us out with teaching subjects that my child is having trouble with. The modifications offer a great alternative.

The second curriculum was Seton Home Study, which is also a Catholic curriculum. They also have programs for grades K-12 and will keep transcripts for you. There is one difference and that is that you have to use the books that they supply to you for the registration fee. They also give you a course plan that you need to follow. There are also test and the end of each quarter that you must take and Seton will grade and average with the grades that the parent has given. You must follow their course plan and not use any other books. There enrollment fee includes all your books, the course plans, transcripts, and counseling for one price.

Seton also has a department that is strictly geared to children with special needs. This includes any and all types of learning disabilities that your child might have. I used this department for my autistic son and it has worked out wonderfully. The counselors even helped with getting books that accommodated his special needs of working with different grade levels that he was working on at the time.

Another thing that Seton did wonderfully was work with us being that we were international students at the time so they helped us with the grading and did all the counseling over the internet. Another plus for what we needed.

The last and final curriculum that I spoke to my neighbor about was ABEKA, a Christian based program that also has so many wonderful qualities. ABEKA is able to offer an on-line learning program where your child will do everything on line. No books required that I know of only a computer. They also have the traditional way of schooling that I have used in the past and are currently using to supplement my current program.

ABEKA will also provide you lesson plans, counseling and transcripts for your registration fee. They also cater to grades K-12 and you are able to purchase books from them or from other sources. They do have package deals for those children that are in the lower grades. Their books are wonderfully written from a totally Christian perspective. They are colorful, bright and interesting. They offer a wide range of material to cover. Each course has the main subject book, test book, quiz book, teacher key and all the answer keys. Each book is purchased separately for the upper grades; in the lower grades you have the ability to purchase the whole package for one set fee.

Each one of these homeschooling companies provides wonderful service as far as I am concerned and that is why I recommended them to my neighbor. Now she just needs to decide which one fits her lifestyle and that of her child.
I will keep you updated as more questions are asked and what will be the final outcome on her homeschooling journey.