High School Life Skills Course

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with Thrive Academics and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own.

Like most parents, I like to think that I'm doing everything I can to prepare my kids for adulthood. That's my intention anyway. But with my oldest starting her senior year and my middle kid going into 10th grade, I feel a certain amount of panic and wonder if I'm covering everything. I had a chance to view a demo of Voyage and it is everything I could want in an online course teaching really important life skills.

Quick Overview

Program: Thrive Academics
Class: Voyage
Religious Perspective: Secular
Format: Online
Grades: 9th - 12th
Price: $60

Teaching Teens Life Skills

Over and over, I have written about how important it is for us to take time to teach those life skills that are usually overlooked in schools. In fact, you may remember me sharing a free download last year that is a check list of life skills. I felt being stuck at home was a great time to work on them! 

Seriously, so many teens are graduating and heading into the world without knowing really important skills such as: 

• how to create and manage a budget, 
• how to plan for a career,
• how to compare insurance companies, 
• how to book appointments, 
• how to file taxes,
• how to read a map (without technology!)
• how to establish good credit,
• what to look for in health insurance,
• how to apply for a job, 
• what to do if their car breaks down,
• how to manage their time,
• how to TRAVEL through an airport, train station, etc.,
• and SO MUCH MORE!
  
  

A Focus on Life Prep

I love that Voyage is a course that carefully focuses on guiding young adults through important skills. The program has forced my 15yo son to stop and think carefully about what HE enjoys doing and how he might translate that into a career. 

Here's how it works...

There are five modules in total: 

1. Who Am I
2. Career Planning
3. College Planning
4. Financial Responsibility
5. Everyday Living

Each module has a series of lessons covering different concepts. Some of the modules have a lot more lessons than others. For example, Financial Responsibility is pretty large, but totally appropriate in length and topics.

Students log in and begin the course by setting up their own profile in the Who Am I module. They are first shown a "map" of their area. It includes their "house" and several other buildings that they enter to learn more about certain skills or to complete specific activities.

Next, they are asked to put together their virtual "room" (which looks like a teen bedroom) with items that represent the things they enjoy most. For example, if they like playing music, they can add a guitar; or if they are budding photographers, they can add a camera. If they love reading, they can add books. Or if they love sports, maybe they have a pair of running shoes on the floor or trophies on display. You get the idea.

Teens have to think carefully about who they are and what make them them by identifying their strengths, skills, and interests. 

In Career Planning, the students are directed to an interest profiler. After taking a short quiz, it makes recommendations of possible careers based on their responses. Students can click on each one to learn more about it.

College Planning teaches students how to think about and prepare for college. They'll learn how to research colleges, apply to schools, learn about financial aid, what to do after they're accepted and what to expect from campus life. This is an especially valuable module for homeschooled students, in my opinion!

Financial Responsibility is a big module. I love it. Kids learn about the different types of bank accounts and how to open one. They also learn how to balance their account, why it's important to have a savings account and how much to save, and learn about interest and retirement. They'll learn about credit cards and credit scores and how to maintain good credit. They'll learn about taxes, paying bills, and finally about student loans. 

These are SUCH IMPORTANT skills to teach and pass on to our children! It baffles me that all high school students aren't taught these in school. They are so important for success in adulthood.

The final module is Everyday Living and it touches on big things such as personal health, housing, drivers license, and good communication skills. 

Even if I had sat down and made a checklist myself of all the life skills I thought my kids needed to learn, I would have forgotten a good chunk of this. 

When I asked my son if and what he liked about it, he said he liked the idea and concept of how it was presented. He also enjoyed that the program gives him lots of resources that he can print out and keep. 

A High School Elective

My son in only through Module 3, but I'm planning to have him finish it when we start back to school in a couple of weeks. I'll then add it to his high school transcript as an elective, which is what I think all teens should do! Personally, I think colleges would really appreciate seeing this on their transcripts.

Your Free Download

Remember my comment about a checklist? Well, Thrive Academy is offering a free Adulting Checklist that helps high school students prepare for life after they graduate. This is available in an eBook format and I HIGHLY recommend downloading it. It's a valuable resource for parents (like me!!) who are trying to get it all done, but need something in front of them with everything laid out.

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5 Things We Love About CTC Math

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with CTCMath and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own.

Advanced math is not my strong suit. And teaching high school math can leave both me and my kid frustrated. We've tried a variety of math curricula over the years. We're both really, really happy with this one for high school math. I wish I had used CTCMath for Algebra I, which was really hard for my son. But I'm delighted that we have it now for the next few years!

PSST! Don't miss the GIVEAWAY at the end of this post!

Quick Overview

Program: CTCMath
Class: Homeschool Family membership
Religious Perspective: Secular
Format: Recorded
Grades: K - 12th
Price: There are different membership levels ranging from $29.97/month up to $297/year*
*BUT pricing is half price for homeschoolers! Just use any of the links in this post, to get 50% off!

Self-Paced Geometry

Over and over, I have shared self-paced programs here on MommyMaestra. That's because as a homeschooler, we have really fluid schedules. While some classes have a regular schedule, most subjects are tackled at different times of the day. PLUS, it's important to me that my kid actually learns the content. So if he finishes in 15 minutes or an hour and a half, I don't care as long as he understands the work and it's a bonus if he's mastered it by the time he's done. Some things come quite easily, while others take a little more concentration and study. 

Which leads me to the other part of a self-paced class: the ability to go back as often as necessary to listen to/read the lesson. I love recorded classes. Because it's easy to simply rewind and listen again if my kid didn't understand it the first time. Or because my 3yo came screaming into the room at a critical moment of explanation. The rewind option is a blessing and recorded classes like these don't have a teacher that gets frustrated at having to repeat everything they just said.

The Brevity of the Lessons

Each lesson is short. It focuses on one concept for my kid to learn. He loves that it doesn't take ages to complete one lesson and that makes the self-paced aspect SO much more attractive. He's motivated to complete more than one lesson, unlike his experience with other math programs, where he tried to do as little as possible. 

And when you are able to get through several lessons in a day, you feel much more accomplished. "Wow! I did so much today! I feel great about that."

Easy to Understand

This! This is probably the one thing that makes this entire program work for us. Mr. Murray, whose voice is the one we hear explaining each lesson, teaches each concept in simple, direct, easy-to-understand language. His explanations don't require an explanation. 

I think that the best way is to just show you. Take a look at this sample lesson from Geometry. (But note that if you are looking for math for a different grade, there are sample lessons for each grade on CTCMath's YouTube channel - no discount with this link.)

The Accent!

Y'all, this is just a fun thing, but it absolutely makes the list because it makes the whole experience more enjoyable for my son. He has been intrigued with accents for years, probably because his Grandpa was born in England and raised in Australia. And many of his favorite characters in his favorite shows - Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Doctor Who - are British or Australian.

Anyway, Pat Murray who is the teacher behind CTCMath and who narrates each lesson, is a native Australian living in Sydney with his family. In fact, CTCMath originally started in Australia and has now branched out around the world. We use the United States version of their math program. 

All this to say that Murray's accent has really changed things up for my son who is much more alert and responsive to this slight change in what he hears on a daily basis.

Self-Grading

Yes! Self-grading is awesome. 

First, let me explain how the lessons work. 

Students login and go to their dashboard. From there, they select the class and the section that they're working on. It's easy to see where they left off.

They click on the next lesson. Then they begin by watching the video lesson. Next, they click on the tab to answer the self-grading questions. 

Students also have the option of printing worksheets with additional questions/equations to solve, but they must grade their work themselves (or have a parent do so) using the answer keys that are included, and then they can enter their grade manually.

One really cool thing about the dashboard is that kids can actually rate their understanding of a lesson/concept by highlighting stars next to the lesson title. So if they feel like they've mastered it - five stars! If they feel fairly confident in their understanding, maybe just four stars. 

There's a lot of emphasis on independent work in this course. Kids complete the work on their own and giving them the option to self-grade really encourages them to take on their role and responsibility in their own education. I love this about the program.

CTCMath Free Trial

If you are already convinced this is the program you need for your family, head over and check out CTCMath today. Don't forget that you can sign up for a FREE TRIAL!

If you're ready to buy, be sure to use this link to access the homeschool pricing with 50% off!

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5 Things We Love About Virtual Biology Lab

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with College Prep Science and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own.

One of the biggest challenges to homeschoolers can be providing science labs for their kids. From the expense of buying materials, to safety equipment and space, science labs can be difficult for homeschoolers to complete outside of a co-op or museum course.

This is why I love College Prep Science's VIRTUAL Biology Lab class! Read on to learn our five reasons for loving this program.

Before going further, I want to note here that MommyMaestra shares homeschool resources for families of all faiths. This particular program has a Christian perspective.

Quick Overview

Program: College Prep Science
Class: Interactive Virtual Science Lab   
Religious Perspective: Christian
Format: Live & Recorded
Grades: 7th - 12th
Price: Tuition is $280 for recorded and $390 for live, 2-week intensive

Why do a science lab?

Some homeschoolers may be tempted to just ignore the labs, but the reality is that labs are an integral part of science. They teach some of the very basic skills and one of the tenets of science: The Scientific Method. Kids NEED to learn the process of following a step-by-step procedure and then recording it from start to finish in a lab report.

I can't express how important this whole experience is for high schoolers. And if you are dithering about virtual labs, read on to learn the five things we love most about the Virtual Biology Lab from College Prep Science!

This Virtual Biology Lab counts as a supplement to any biology class and it has 11 lab experiments, including cell mitosis, blood type, and FROG DISSECTION! 

1) It's saves money

Flasks. Petri dishes. Microscopes. Slides. Droppers. Pipets. Test tubes. Bunsen burner. Safety goggles. Forceps...

I think you get the idea. Once you start adding up all the materials needed, it gets a little crazy. And very expensive! I'm pretty sure I spent close to $300 or more for materials when I was teaching General Science to 7th and 8th grade at our local co-op a few years ago.

This virtual lab saves us money. 

2) It saves space

You don't have to find MORE storage space for all of the science gear - OR for the experiments themselves, which are then sometimes forgotten only to be discovered in horror when you mistakenly stumble upon petri dishes that have been sitting for a few days or weeks in a cupboard. 

3) It's safe!

I don't have to worry about my kid blowing stuff up. Or slicing himself with a scalpel. Or my 3yo wandering up and sticking his fingers in acid. Or having to set up an eye wash station (just in case). Why? BECAUSE IT'S ALL ONLINE!!

My boy can still wear eye goggles if he wants to, but at least it's not because he HAS to. 

4) It's easy to navigate

For a kid who is a Minecraft fanatic, navigating any online portal is under scrutiny. But this one is very easy and intuitive. My 15 yo had no problems finding and manipulating the items in the online lab. But just to be on the safe side, the teacher, Greg Landry, does an introductory video explaining how to navigate the lab.

We chose to do the self-paced, recorded lab. Professor Landry also offers a 2-week intensive live program in the summer (it starts THIS MONDAY, July 12th!!). But with sporadic summer schedules, the self-paced program works better for us. You can still be assured that if you or your child have ANY questions during the recorded lessons, it's not a problem because you can just use your College Prep Science portal to send Professor Landry an email.

5) There's NO MESS

Okay. This one is my favorite. I don't have to set up or clean up. There are no stains on my ceiling or floor or dining room table (not from science experiments anyway). I like that I don't have to put down a drop cloth across my furniture or mop every time a lab is done. 

Maybe this doesn't teach my male teen not to make a mess or to clean up after himself, but he has plenty of other opportunities to practice that!

If you're convinced or just want to learn more about the Virtual Labs (Biology/Anatomy& Physiology, Chemistry, & Physics), visit the College Prep Science website.

All of this again on video...

Homeschool Student Success Skills Class

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with College Prep Science and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own.

I've been saying for a while that academic classes are great for high school, but there are several desperately needed courses that are not often on a high school curriculum. They are the classes that teach practical skills to teens to prepare them for life in college and life after graduation. 

I have a homeschooled 9th grader and private college prep schooled 11th grader. The two are like night and day in their approaches to school. But I have watched my oldest carefully and seen her develop skills that I know my freshman desperately needs to learn for success not just in high school classes that are getting harder and harder, but also the college courses that are hopefully to come. At the same time, I've been stressing wondering where to start and how to teach him.

So I was VERY pleased to learn that College Prep Science offers a class on Student Success Skills. Read more about it below!

Before going further, I want to note here that MommyMaestra shares homeschool resources for families of all faiths. This particular program has a Christian perspective.

Quick Overview

Program: College Prep Science
Class: Student Success Skills
Religious Perspective: Christian
Format: Live & Recorded
Grades: 7th - 12th
Price: Tuition is $120 (recorded) or $155 (live)

Self-Paced Online Student Skills Class

In January, I wrote a review about one of the science classes College Prep Science offers. But Greg Landry (the owner) offers more than just science classes through his site. And this Student Success Skills class is one example.

First, let me give you the nuts and bolts. This is not a year-long class. It actually earns your child half a semester credit.

Self-paced (recorded) classes have seven lessons total. The live classes are 4 weeks long. The class includes a .pdf file of excellent printables to supplement the videos. The topics include:

• Taking Notes, Note-Sketching, & Studying
• Test Taking
• Measurement & the Metric (SI) System
• Temperature & Graphing
• The Scientific Method & Lab Reports
• Scientific Notation & Magnitude Perspective
• Statistics, Probability, Accuracy, and Precision

This class is designed to help students learn skills needed for academic success, but also has practical applications for life.

Take a quick look at my IG video about this class:

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A post shared by Monica: Author & Homeschooler (@mommymaestra)

Benefits for Students & Parents

I don't like to make any comparisons to public or private schools when discussing homeschooling. Instead, I prefer to focus on end goals. And if your family's plan is for your child to attend a college or university, then making sure they are equipped with the tools and skills to be successful is really important. Some students learn these in a college preparatory school. And some homeschoolers develop these skills when they take dual-enrollment courses.

But many homeschoolers don't even think about teaching skills for college success. Or they aren't quite sure how to teach them. We're talking skills like note-taking (SO many different and effective ways!), how to write up lab reports, how to study, and how to take tests. For some of us parents, college was a long time ago, if that was the path we chose! I know that I've forgotten a lot of the skills I used for academic achievement. (That's okay. They were important for me in that season of life, and now I have had to learn new skills for a different season!)

So this class totally takes the burden off of me and helps reassure me that my kid is still learning some of these vital tools he's going to need in just a few years. Plus they will really help him as he moves through high school.

Also, the fact that this is worth half a semester, means that this is an excellent choice for summer learning if you choose to school year round, or just want your kids to take a class or two to keep up their learning habits.

The self-paced aspect is just so fantastic as it lets my son learn as quickly or as slowly as he likes. this makes it easier to motivate my son to actually get the work done. Knowing he has control over his own education in that sense is empowering for him.

If you are a parent looking to offer your child a skills class like this one, head over to College Prep Science to register!

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Bardsy Creative Writing Program

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with Bardsy Homeschool and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own.

Creative writing. It's one of those subjects that homeschool parents either love to teach...or don't. The latter is because many parents aren't comfortable teaching the subject or just don't know where to begin. Fortunately, Bardsy Homeschool is here to help!

Some wonder why creative writing is even necessary. But there are numerous benefits to developing your skill for creative writing! It's not just about literacy. Creative writing improves your child's grades in other subjects, too, such as math and science. Sounds crazy? Read more about it and the other benefits on Bardsy's website.

Quick Overview

Program: Bardsy Homeschool
Religious Perspective: Secular
Format: Online - (Self-Paced) Recorded
Grades: 5 and higher
Price: $8.99/month

Homeschool Writing Curriculum

Flexibility. That's the word that I would use to describe this awesome creative writing program for students. Really, I think it is a young writer's dream program because there are so many tools and more than one way to use the program in a homeschool creative writing course.

Once you've signed up for Bardsy, you just login on their home page and are then taken to your dashboard (see above). Here, you'll find everything laid out for you in a nicely organized manner. There are three main sections to the dashboard:

1. Writing
2. Courses
3. Inspiration

Each section has three tools for your child to use. 

If you have a prolific writer in your home, they can jump right in and begin their next great story by going to "New Story" in the "Writing" section. There they'll find a simple writing editor that allows them focus completely on their new story. There's no fluff here. Just a basic writing program similar to Word. 

If they need to take a break and come back the next day, they can then click on "Latest Story" in order to pick up where they left off. Or maybe your kid writes several stories at a time because their head is so full of ideas! 

But really, the best tool in the "Writing" section is the "PROSPERO Story Wizard" that guides your child through the steps of creating a new story. Your student can click on the elements he wants to work on and then develop them before sending all of the information to the story editor. 

If you are looking for lessons, instead, then the section on "Courses" is what you'll need. These classes are set up more like a class and involve your child watching a short video about a specific topic related to writing, and then has them complete specific activities to create their own story. For example, as you can see from the image above, the "Writing Warmup" course has a story map that guides your child through the process from start to finish.

The final section - "Inspiration" - is a collection of tools, such as printable graphic organizers and videos, to help your student in the creation process. 

But perhaps my favorite part of this section is the "Story Spinner" which provides your child with a set of writing prompts by listing a character, a world, and a theme about which your child must then write a story. My oldest child, who is 16 and the story writer in our family, actually thinks this is absolutely brilliant.

Extras

The dashboard also has a Google Books search engine that allows your child to search for a particular title. Then they can purchase it or read excerpts, if they are available. Many books are actually available for free on Google Books. And then - this is the really awesome part - they can write down notes about the book AND/OR write a review of the book. They can also add titles to their wish list.

Also, if your child is serious about writing, the "Hot Tray" link at the top will take them to their personal "desk" where they can find places to write down Notes, a To Do list, write a Journal entry, or quickly pull up a calendar. 

Students can also personalize their account by clicking the "My Stuff" link at the top of the page.

Can you believe that you get access to all of this for only 8.99 a month!?!

If this sounds like the program you've been looking for to help your young writers develop their skills, visit their site today to sign up!

Free Downloadable Character Development Toolkit

Bardsy has SO MANY tools for your family to use as they plunge into creative writing... and one of those is FREE! The downloadable Character Development Toolkit is a mini course that guides your child through the process of creating super characters for their stories. Their multimedia approach and graphic style make the experience super fun. 

I do think that my favorite part of it is the list of printable character archetypes, which come with descriptions. But my 14 yo loves the video. Lots of goodness here for you to access!

I love how overall, the program breaks down all of the parts of writing an amazing story into manageable step-by-step activities. The online format is engaging for kids and makes the process more enjoyable. And the self-paced format is great for taking the stress out of writing - especially with reluctant writers.

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Online Flamenco Dance Classes for Kids

The following post is in collaboration with Mr. D Math. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm pretty excited to share today's new resource! 

After I graduated from college, I spent time traveling abroad. One of my stops was in Spain where I spent months with my family in Sevilla. While I was there, I took flamenco lessons and it was fabulous. But they were over before I could learn as much as I wanted. 

Still, the experience was just wonderful and flamenco remains close to my heart. In fact, I have a post dedicated to flamenco lesson plans, crafts, videos, books, and more here. 

So when I discovered that there is a self-paced flamenco class available online for students, I was crazy delighted to test it out and see if it was a good fit for MommyMaestra readers. It TOTALLY is!

It's a little confusing because the lessons are housed on the Mr. D Math website. But this site isn't just about math classes (although there are a LOT of great ones!) - it also has dance, music, sports, sign language, and more. The company is based in Spain, so it's no surprise that flamenco dance and guitar classes are included!

Quick Overview

Program: Mr. D Math Flamenco Dance
Religious Perspective: Secular
Format: (Self-Paced) Recorded
Grades: 5 and higher
Price: $97

Self-Paced Flamenco Lessons

I love that these classes are recorded and that students can follow along at their own pace. When you register for a class, you'll gain access to your own student dashboard. From there, you can click on your class and begin lesson 1. 

The flamenco dance lessons are taught by the remarkable Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer, Marta Fernández. She's a fantastic teacher. Super personable, she shares her own story with the student and then launches into the lessons.

Each lesson has several short videos that focus on a different aspect of the dance. And then there is assigned homework. For example in lesson 1, students are asked to investigate the different palos of flamenco. (Palos are the traditional musical forms of the dance.) And then they are assigned to practice the foot and hand movements they were shown in the video for a specific amount of time.

There are 10 lessons in total. The first also discusses what equipment you need (flamenco shoes) and includes links on where to purchase them in the U. S. (Alternatives are mentioned.)

Then you will be taught beginning footwork, hand movements, and body posturing. You'll also learn specific terminology such as zapateados, marcaje, and more. Marta gives instructions for both male and female students as they sometimes have different movements, hand positions, etc.

Marta demonstrates all of the dance moves herself in the videos. And she does them slowly for you to see and replicate. You can then practice them over and over to get comfortable and faster. 

By the end, you will have learned all the elements necessary to perform the choreography for basic tangos. And they encourage you to film yourself and submit your performance directly to Marta - but it's not required. 

These lessons are in English

Although Marta teaches the lessons in Spanish, these classes are designed for English-speaking students and the lessons have subtitles or are dubbed over in some sections.

I realize that there are many of you who are looking for a Spanish-immersive experience. So if this sounds like something your child would enjoy doing, I encourage you to reach out to the company and ask them if they have any plans to offer Marta's classes without dubbing or subtitles.

The BEST part!

As a homeschooling family with one income in the middle of COVID, I'm not able to send my kid(s) to Spain to study flamenco. I'm guessing that the majority of you can relate. So the fact that I can have my kids do these self-paced lessons online for only $97 (that's less than $10 per lesson!) from an actual professional flamenco dancer and choreographer who has lived and breathed it her whole life - that's UNBELIEVABLE! What an incredible opportunity this is. It's like having private lessons in your own home from an actual artist and expert in the field.

Homeschoolers, this should also count as a P.E. credit! Seriously, it's win-win all around.

If this sounds like something that would be perfect for your family, go and sign up for a class today.

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Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Self-Paced Economics Class for High School
  
  
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• Exploring Spain: A Printable Coloring Page for Hispanic Heritage Month
  
  
• 5 Resources for Studying Spain in your Homeschool

Self-Paced Online Science Classes

The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with College Prep Science and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own.

Whether you're homeschooling for the first time or are a veteran homeschooler, there's a good chance that there's one class or subject that you are nervous about teaching. The two subjects that I hear parents say over and over again that they often feel unprepared to teach are math and science. 

And many other parents who are working from home are simply looking to free up some of their time by having their children do a few subjects online.

So I think many of you will love learning about College Prep Science, a program for parents who are looking to "outsource" their child's homeschool science lessons.

Before going further, I want to note here that MommyMaestra shares homeschool resources for families of all faiths. This particular science program has a Christian perspective.

Quick Overview

Program: College Prep Science
Religious Perspective: Christian
Format: Live & Recorded
Grades: 4th - 12th
Price: Tuition varies from $120 to $880

Online Homeschool

I've talked before about the difference between homeschooling and distance learning. And if you pulled your child out of school because they switched to distance learning and it just wasn't working for your family, don't worry. This online program is nothing like doing school remotely. 

Lots of homeschool families incorporate online learning into their school year. But you are still in charge of your child's overall education when you homeschool. And College Prep Science both acknowledges and encourages parental control. 

When you first sign up for a class, you are encouraged to watch the Class Intro video in which the owner, Greg Landry, shares instructions for parents (and students). This video introduces parents to the class, then shares what they can expect out of it. He makes it 100% clear that parents are to use the classes as a tool in their homeschool programs to teach their children science - but that they are still in charge. College Prep Science provides all the information for each class through video lessons and pdf printables, but parents decide what their child will be required to complete in terms of labs, homework, and tests.

The courses are taught by Greg Landry, who is a veteran science teacher and homeschool dad, as well as a former college professor. 

Self-Paced Science Classes

The best part (in my opinion) is that College Prep Science offers both live classes and RECORDED videos posted online. Live classes often don't fit into a homeschool family's flexible and dynamic schedule. And some students do better with recorded videos. Others may not have internet that's reliable enough for live classes. So when there is an opportunity for kids to watch videos on their own time and at their own pace, it's gold!

In my opinion, self-paced courses nurture confidence and mastery. 

Recorded classes let children pause and replay important information, which is so much better for mastery of concepts and subjects. The whole point of an education is to teach the child in a way that they can understand, learn, and master knowledge and skills. I've often found the expectation for a child to keep up with the teacher to be counter-productive. As homeschoolers, we really want our kids to understand what they are learning and stay engaged. For some students, this requires a lot of repetition, while for others, they want to move on as soon as they feel they understand. So if your child wants to watch a portion of the video two or three times (or more!), let them! And if they feel confident they understand after one time, let them move on.

And if you are worried that your child will have questions that you can't understand, no worries! The portal that College Prep Science uses has a user-friendly dashboard that includes an inbox in the sidebar through which you can email your instructor directly with any questions or comments you may have about your class/lessons. (It really is a brilliant setup.)

How it works

Once you register for a class, you'll receive access to the site's Learning Management System. From your dashboard, you can select the class you want. That will take you to the class's "homeroom" page where you will find a list of the links to each video lesson, as well as any PDF downloads (with printable worksheets and more) your student will need, and instructions.

I had a chance to look at the Young Scientist Anatomy & Physiology class for students in 4th - 7th. Here's what I liked about it. 

First, Mr. Landry is just a great teacher. He's knowledgeable and affable. It's easy to listen to him and - more importantly - to learn from him. He presents the information to children in words that kids can understand and pulls examples using items and concepts with which students are already familiar. And Mr. Landry frequently looks right at the camera making you feel like he's talking directly to you. 

Next, the videos are set up very well. On one side you see Mr. Landry giving the lecture. And on the other side you see the visuals (like a powerpoint). It's like you are sitting with him and he has a printable on the table between you. And you can see all the notes he makes. He points things out, circles other things, etc.

Most of the visuals that I saw were also found in the PDF files for the class, allowing students to follow along and complete them at the same time. 

But the best part, in my opinion, was the first class in which he teaches note taking. It's so great that I even had my 9th grader watch it! Because the ability to take good notes is one of the most valuable skills a child can learn. Taking good notes can make a world of difference in a student's academic success. And while there are many methods of taking notes, this was one of the best, I think, for engaging a student's memory skills.

If you are a parent looking to outsource your child's science class and this sounds like the type of program you need, head over to College Prep Science to look through the list of courses that they offer!

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