Personalize Your Child's SOS Report Card

Want to know how to personalize your child's Switched-On Schoolhouse Report Card?

Instructions here show how to put in your school name and address, or whatever you like in place of "Switched-On Schoolhouse" at the top of the printable report card.

Switched on Schoolhouse On-Demand Presentations

A friend found this!  Go to this link, click on a grade, click on a subject, then click View On-Demand Presentations.  This will show you a lot!
►The "Student Lesson Presentation" which happens to be a 6th grade course, shows 4 additional vocabulary games! (you can disable one or more games if you need to)  I don't know which grades have which games; maybe there are some new ones with the 2010 application disc.  I know that there used to be 3 games besides the regular ones, but we've only ever had the regular spelling and vocabulary games, and 2 others so far (Farmer Frank and All Right) since Quiz Bowl was only for the younger grades.
►Now if you have curriculum that was made 2008 or before, and you use a 2009 or later application disc, you will still get this new look on the home page, but the vocabulary and spelling games will not work.
►►In order to have the vocabulary and spelling games for a curriculum made in 2008 or before, you would need to use a 2008 or earlier application disc.  However, the 2008 app disc is when they started the user-friendly answers (more answers that are considered correct), so I would not recommend earlier than that!
►No matter what application disc you use (unless it is a very old one?), the actual lessons have pretty much the same look.  Depending on which app disc you use, this changes the look of the home page, and some additional features (for instance, highlighting was added in, I think 2007? and user-friendly answers in 2008). 
Clear as mud?  =D

Changing History =)

For history, we've really enjoyed Alpha-Omega's Switched on Schoolhouse. But this next year Rebekah will be taking US History (we skipped 9th's World geography, and did 10th's World History), AND since she loves US History and the Civil War, I THINK I've decided to try some stuff on our own. (I'm pretty sure this will not work for the other kids, and we'll prob. do SOS w/ them)

So far, this is what I've got:
---US History---
►some "real" books Travis has collected (She will use these for research, but I haven't picked out which ones.  Travis will recommend which ones are best.)
►A used BJU History Book.  Just for reading, and to make sure we don't skip anything.
►12 or more hours of The American Heritage videos with David Barton of WallBuilders, taped from TV (Travis recorded them.  They're not the whole The American Heritage series, but David Barton shows some and then discusses it, sometimes w/ a guest)
►ETA: We ordered the WallBuilders' The American Heritage series!  After becoming a member of Homeschool Buyers Co-op, I was able to get them for half-price!!! =D
►These websites:
United States History resources from BJU Press (links posted for each chapter of BJU US History)
Have Fun With History
History on the Internet
►borrow the historical fiction The House of Winslow series by Gilbert Morris from the library.
There are 40 books in this series, from 1620 up to 1942.  Not sure if we'll read them all, or if the library even has all of them.  But I'm sure not buying 40 books!
These are fiction,and as always, with history there will be disagreements with dates, numbers, etc., and what you've read/been taught may differ slightly than what is in The House of Winslow series.  I suggest choosing a trusted source, and sticking with that.  (we have an old set of encyclopedias) 
(see my comment below under Civil War.) 

I expect they mostly will be just for fun, but hopefully will give an interesting idea to how life was back then.

I have read over 20 of the books several years ago, and am now re-reading them and making note of page numbers, recognizable names, etc. of things she may want to look up.  (I made too many notes!) 
I also am thinking ahead.  Bethany loves to read and may want to do this, too.  Writing my notes in a notebook may get lost, but if I post them, I'll always have them.
Aaaannnnd I am a list-maker.  I have become my mother!  =D
I'm not a history buff by any stretch of the imagination!  But I am getting a little more interested as I read these books a second time, and paying more attention to the historical references.  If I have any questions, I ask Travis.  He knows a lot about everything!  =D
So this is for my own benefit, but if anyone else wants to use my pitiful, sketchy notes, feel free!  =)
(This ↑ is a key sentence, so please re-read it! haha!)


---Civil War---
►historical fiction series Battles of Destiny by Al Lacy (we have these)
There are 8 books in this series, and the author, a Civil War buff since highschool, strives to name correct dates and places.  =)  We'll also be studying the main geography, battles, etc. that are highlighted in each book.
►A set of 6 videos, Civil War Journal II, that was on TV on A&E.  We haven't had a chance to view these to see if it's what we want.  We found them used for $10, so not much money lost if it turns out this is not what we want.
ETA: Found Civil War Journal, the first set on Amazon.  Total $8.36 incl. S&H.  Woo-hoo!
**I also need more "real" books/resources for the Civil War.**
I like what Civil War buff Al Lacy writes in the preface of his historical fiction series, Battles of Destiny:  
"Not all historians agree on every detail of the war... In almost every issue [of the Civil War Times Illustrated magazine] there are letters to the editor that take exception to a story or article... Some readers are unhappy that a writer has made a 'mistake'... In checking out some of these complaints, I have found that both the writer and the person sending the letter have solid basis for their arguments."  He goes on to say he does his best to be accurate, "...but if you find a discrepancy, save yourself the price of a postage stamp and understand that these things happen.  I remind you that the books in this series are novels based on history, not historical textbooks." 

She will be writing, taking notes of what she learns, and we will be doing reports as well.  I'll have her make a note (and p. #) as she comes across something she wants to look up, so she won't interrupt the flow of reading.  I love to read, so I'll be reading and making my own notes of things to study.  We'll also study the geography that pertains to what she's reading.  I will have her make up her own tests, which in actuality, will have her studying and learning as she does this!  =)
This method worked well for health this past year.  She and her cousin made up 10 questions each, with answers and p. #'s (for my benefit and theirs), and I typed up the questions and added a few.
SOS has a Civil War elective, which is for 1 semester, so we will take more than 1 year to do all of this.
I will be printing Alpha Omega's scope and sequence  for each course. These have the entire year's titles to each lesson, which I will use to give me ideas, and to make sure I don't leave out something.  This will also give me ideas for reports, etc.

Scope and Sequence for: 
American History
Civil War (an elective)
We plan on doing Government & Economics, a 12th grade course for 11th or 12th grade.  Rebekah is interested in politics, and knows quite a bit already!
For Home Economics, I don't see it listed on their site anymore, but it is listed here, on the right of p. 128.  (type in the p. # at the top)  I had to copy/paste it into a word document, then print.
For any other subject, go to AOPhomeschooling.com, on the left click on Switched on Schoolhouse, grades, the correct grade, then correct course.  At the bottom of the page, click on the Resources tab, then Scope & Sequence.  Click on the Switched-On Schoolhouse Scope and Sequence link.
And here is an overview by unit for all subjects.

Science Experiment - Flower Structure

Well, I didn't think I'd be posting any science experiments today!  JohnDavid and Bethany had one in Switched on Schoolhouse about the parts of the flower.  We don't do a lot of the ones in SOS, since some of them I don't get the purpose (there probably is one!), or I don't have the supplies.  Usually on those we just watch the video. 
They had to look at the flower and answer questions about the different parts of the flower.  I had some African Violets that my Mom gave me over a year ago.

We located the different parts of the flower and noted that on an African Violet, the anthers (and filament) were NOT taller than the stigma, →         which meant this flower is not self- pollinating. (Transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma of the same flower.)  

Then they were supposed to slice open the ovary to see the ovules.  The flower was too small to determine anything, so I found a pic online to show them. →


Then they labeled a blank flower.  Well, the flower wasn't blank!  Just the labels. ha.
←On this flower, the anthers ARE taller than the stigma.

We're learning about Gregor Mendel's Punnet Squares next.

Alpha Omega's Switched on Schoolhouse Review

Note - This review was last updated in 2011.  I'm sure many things have been updated since then!  　

We've used  Alpha Omega's Switched on Schoolhouse (SOS) for 4 years now, 6th-9th.
It is similar to their LifePacs, but on the computer.
(update: This is our 5th year.  Rebekah (10th) is using only the English for SOS this year.  Since she LOVES history, I allowed her to do some research on her own this year.  JohnDavid and Bethany (8th) are using it for history and science.)

We did all 5 of the main subjects the first year, then decided it was a bit much to do on the computer, so we dropped Bible and Math. 

This past year (March, 2010), we dropped SOS science for Rebekah (9th), and switched to Apologia. The upper sciences get hard in SOS with no teacher manual, and I didn't know much about Biology. (And Apologia has audio CDs that read the books, so that will work out great for my dyslexic ds!)
We are still using SOS science for JohnDavid and Bethany, but this fall will be changing the science.  JohnDavid really wants to use SOS Bible, though.  They had used the 6th grade one I got for Rebekah.

**I would recommend NOT putting all your kids into SOS at once, or at least doing only a couple of subjects to begin with.**  Start early in getting it set up, (like a few weeks, or if you're like me, the day you buy it, lol), so you'll have time to learn how to do everything.  Esp. if you network your computers.  Whew!  But it was so worth it.  I can access everything, all kids' work, from my computer, even while they are working.  =)
SOS has a 1-800 number for tech support, and they will patiently help you with any question.  I recommend calling early in the morning, before the phone lines get busy.  =)  Be prepared to just put your phone on speaker while you get a few things done, and just let the kids play.  =)

What I like:
Subjects are taught with a Creation- and Bible-based viewpoint throughout the lessons.
No internet connection needed. But nice if you want your computers networked so you can see their work from your computer. =)  Very handy if you have more than one child.
From the teacher's application (password protected), you can choose for quizzes and tests to be open book or not.  You can have the child rework any problem, or an entire lesson or quiz.  You can change the grade the computer gives if you think the answer is acceptable.
For one child, I duplicated an extra spelling quiz on Thursdays and retitled it Practice Quiz.  (hehe, I can't remember now how I did that, lol)  I also deleted a chapter last year from science, and this year was able to drag and drop it into the current year's grade.  I also created a separate subject for Spelling, and was able to drag and drop the spelling lessons and quizzes from Language into the Spelling folder.  This way, it was easier to control which days the spelling lesson and test landed on.
(Sorry, I can't remember how I did all that!  I'm sure a tech person from SOS will be able to help.)

The student can send messages or questions to the teacher from individual problems by clicking on a yellow sticky note.  Teach your children early to send you a note if they feel an answer was graded incorrectly.  Even if you're standing right there!  ("that way I won't forget which problem to check." ;)  Act matter-of-fact, and they will learn it's nothing to be stressed about if the computer says they're wrong.  They'll feel better as soon as the note is sent.  =) (My kids had no problem with this.  I've just heard some have.)

Also, if it says the answer is wrong, teach them to first check the score of the problem.  (each problem has it's own grade)  If it's just a spelling error, depending on what your student settings are, it should say 95% or 98%, etc.  Then they can change spelling instead of changing their answer.
Of course, this is not the case in the actual subject of Spelling.  If it's wrong, it will be counted as a zero.

I've included some screen shots of student pages. 
Click to enlarge.  

Left image:  The top of the screen shows Bethany's current day's lessons, which she will click on to access.  At the bottom shows all subjects, and completed lessons are clickable for review.

7th grade science

10th grade English

Right image:  JohnDavid's science lesson for today, showing a clickable slide show, and student questions at the bottom.  There are match-up questions as shown, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, True/False, and essay.  He can drag the page divider-bar up or down to see more of the question or more of the student text.

Left: One of Rebekah's English lessons.

They usually take a few notes (I had to teach this), or draw maps, graph, diagrams, and label their pictures or write a short paragraph.  {notebooking}  This really helps reinforce what they've just studied.



--All student work should be backed up on a flashdrive daily.
If your computer crashes, SOS tech support can help you get your child's work back without having them do it over. (horrors!)
--Curriculum is reusable, and each subject/grade can accommodate up to 5 children at a time.
We have piano on Wednesdays, so I'm able to change the due dates of the lessons so we don't have as much to do that day.  For that day, I leave off whatever subject has fewer lessons that year.  I love that!  (Yes, I actually counted the lessons, lol)
Next year I plan to use the main lessons from 6th and 7th SOS Language (drag and drop method) to fill in gaps my dyslexic child has not learned and create a one-year curriculum, and hopefully do grade-level the following year.
AS OF 2011.  The price is $85 per full-year subject, except for April (20% off) and May (15% off).  Even full price with tax, that's only about $30 per subject per year when I divide by 3 kids, and less when I get the discount.  =)

The first year using SOS will seem harder, but believe me, it gets easier, especially as the kids start learning to take notes and study on their own.  I think history is the subject I help the least on now.  Virtually none. I started with only one child using SOS the first two years, and JohnDavid and Bethany started when they got to that grade.

I'd advise installing it way early and get used to figuring out the way it works. That's the hardest part. When we networked our computers 2 years ago, I thought I'd go crazy getting it all figured out.
SOS said to contact our Internet Service Provider. ISP said to contact the router company. Router company said to contact Microsoft. Microsoft said...  You get the idea. But finally it was DONE!!!  And I love it.  The kids send me notes on SOS, or IM me with GoogleTalk (if I'm working on my computer).  I can check work, reset problems, give them hints as to where an answer is located, which paragraph, etc. especially for my dyslexic child.  (I still have Internet Explorer 7, not 8, on my computer so I can still use Ctrl-F to 'find' key words in the text and tell him generally where to look.)  =)

Things that I don't like:
►When we first started using SOS, I noticed the way of writing was less "conversational" than I would have liked.  But they did fine, and have no problem with it.  Even my dyslexic ds. 
►I only used math one year. Sometimes (not all the time!) if an answer was two-fifths, and Rebekah wrote two fifths, or 2/5,  it would count it wrong.  She did ok with it, and didn't ask for much help.  She'd send me a note if she felt the grading was incorrect.  
But two years ago (2008) SOS started having more user-friendly answers - where more than one answer was acceptable, but I'd already gone back to BJU for math. We tried the SOS 6th math again for a bit w/ JohnDavid, but since there is no Teacher's Manual, I still needed to make up my own "teaching" lessons (with him having dyscalculia, he needed extra explanation, and going slower). =( And I've saved all my books and Teacher's Manuals for BJU, so I don't want to buy more SOS math.
BUT it was better with the user-friendly answers.  So I would like it if JohnDavid didn't need so much help w/ me sitting at his side.  Hmmmm...  But again, there is no TM, just the built-in answer key.  =\
Note:  If you have an older application (installation) disc, you won't get the user-friendly answers. You'd need at least 2008 or later.  (unless things have changed since then - always check w/ SOS)
We installed the 6th math and other subjects (from 2006 as well as 2007 this year) w/ the 2008 installation disc and got the user-friendly answers, even tho SOS said we wouldn't. (?)  So that I do like!
►There is no teacher guide w/ SOS, and when we got to physical science, it began to get difficult for me to understand (lot of scientific math w/ not much explanation), so how could I explain to Rebekah while not knowing a lot about science myself!  I would need to go back several lessons to catch up, and some most times I did not get around to helping her in a timely manner. =(
We stuck it out, and then (since I had no clue what else to buy) we bought SOS Biology. 
Then a month later!! I found Apologia science.  Now if you understand upper science, SOS would be great!  I just needed help, ha!

I still like SOS for History, Bible, Science if I knew what I was doing, and even  for English (parent really needs to keep up and make sure they're actually learning), but we've only used SOS from 6th up, so I don't know how their younger grades are for these subjects.  
Note:  My daughters had good background with ABeka Language, so they have done fine with SOS Language/English, which has literature and spelling included.  It does have grammar, punctuation, etc, but not a lot.  They may have done fine even with the younger grades of SOS, BUT I do NOT know how much the younger grades cover grammar, punctuation, etc.  It would be good to call and ask them.

Also, I have learned it is never a good idea to allow them to "learn" English or math on their own.  Maybe in highschool.  You will learn your child, whether they are self-starters, self-disciplined, etc.
Children need daily supervision  in these subjects because if they get off on the wrong track, it's a lot of un-doing and catching up.
Not fun.
That said, if I'm going to need to teach these anyway, I don't know if I would use SOS for youngers.  I need to have the book laid out so I can flip back and forth while I study and prepare lessons, and so I could look at it while teaching.
Also, there is no teacher's manual with SOS.  Nothing to teach except what they read in the lesson.  Not enough example problems.  My brain doesn't work well enough to make up my own.  ;)
However, if we both had laptops, and if my child was a fast learner and didn't need much instruction... maybe.  =)  Except for essay questions, reports, etc, it does grade the work so that the computer gets to tell them if they're wrong instead of mommy.  ;)


►Here's an Alpha-Omega Switched on Schoolhouse review that I did earlier this school year:
http://www.homeschool-curriculum-savings.com/sos-curriculum-for-dyslexic-talkative-active-kids.html 
Note: I no longer read the questions to JohnDavid.  He's reading much better now, and if he can't read it, he highlights the question and uses NaturalReader Software (free download at the time of posting).
►Here is an extensive review that tells the pros and cons.  Very good article.
►Another blogger's review.
Also her updated reviews along w/ a review of a subject:
Update #1/English II; Update #2/Geometry; Update #3/Biology (has tips); Update #4/World History

ALL Curriculum I Use

Microsoft Office Word - type correction/suggestion notes on the side

I learned about this in the Alpha Omega December newsletter.
Sometimes your child may have typed an essay or report and isn't nearby for your suggestions.  Or maybe you do explain a few things, but they never remember everything you said.  =)  This is a great tool to put a note to your child on the side of the document.  Of course you can't write on the screen!  (you could try...) 

First re-save as a new name so that the original document isn't changed.  (ex. "Report Title - with notes")
Simply highlight the phrase or word you want to make a comment about, and press Ctrl-Alt-M.
A box connected to your highlighted phrase will pop up on the side for you to type in. 

If the font is too small, simply enlarge your screen.  I go to the bottom corner on the right, and slide the percentage view to a greater number.  Your child can do the same when they read your note. 
They can even write a note back to you!  =)  Don't forget to Save.

When fully edited/corrected, right-click on any pink note to delete.
Re-save as yet another new name in case you need to go back to your notes.  (Report Title - corrected)

This is great for any time your child uses Microsoft Office Word for writing assignments, but it is especially handy if you are using Alpha Omega's Switched-on Schoolhouse.  You can give specific notes for what needs to be corrected, Save, and then "rework" the assignment.
Here's an example of what it looks like.
I have Microsoft Office Word 2007.

Here's the link to Alpha Omega's full article with additional instructions.
This is so neat!

Colonial Life in North Carolina, est. 1653

Rebekah's assignment was to imagine she lived in the 1750's and was employed to write a brochure for a colony...

One of the four southern states, North Carolina is one of the beautiful original 13 colonies.

Geography
Beautiful waterfalls are located in southern North Carolina. Along with many rivers, the Roanoke River in North Eastern Carolina, the Albemarle Sound, The Neuse, and Tar Rivers drain in central North Carolina. In the Mountains the Appalachians are blanketed with snow in the winter. The climate is never too cold or hot. (World Book N-O)

Economy
The economy was similar to that of the Chesapeake Colonies. (World Book N-O) The production of tobacco and slave labor was on what the economy’s growth and prosperity was based. (Wikipedia) Also North Carolinians farmed on small, individual farms. They grew tobacco as well as cotton and wheat. (World Book N-O)

Politics
North Carolina was under the direct Royal Rule from 1729-1776. (SOS) They had a Bicameral Legislature, a legislature with two chambers. The French and Indian War was one of the wars to which North Carolina contributed money to help the troops in 1754-1763. (World Book N-O)

Society
In 1775, the population of this colony grew from 36,000 in the early 1700s, to 350,000. Settlements had spread from the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the Piedmont and the Mountain Regions. (World Book N-O) The Cherokee Indians were part of the people living in North Carolina in the 1700s. Of the 300,000 Cherokees at that time, there were over 12,000 in North Carolina. (Wikipedia) Farming was one of the main sources of income of people in North Carolina. (World Book N-O)

“Colonization in America.” World Book. 2001 ed.

“North Carolina.” World Book. 2001 ed.

Alexander, Dianne K. ”Middle and Southern Colonies.” Switched-On Schoolhouse. Chandler, AZ: Alpha Omega Publications, 2001.

Alexander, Dianne K. ”Colonial Governments.” Switched-On Schoolhouse. Chandler, AZ: Alpha Omega Publications, 2001.

“North Carolina History.” Wikipedia. 26 Dec. 2002. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 10 Oct. 2008. 

by Rebekah, age 13 

celery experiment, written by JohnDavid, age 11

We filled a glass ¼ full of water, and put in 10 drops of blue food coloring. Then we stuck in a stalk of celery. After 15 minutes, we looked at the bottom of the stem and saw blue dots on the bottom. After 30 minutes, it was still the same.
The next day, the leaves were bluish. When we broke the celery in half, it was blue on the strings. The xylem was transporting the water that had the food coloring up to the leaves. And when the leaves made food, it would transport it down the phloem where it be stored in the cortex so when the plant needs it, it would have food. The leaves were stained around all the edges.
This proves that xylem, phloem, and the leaves play a very important part in helping the plant grow.

by: JohnDavid, typed by Mom

Africa by Bethany, age 11

Root Observation by JohnDavid, age 11

In this experiment, the kids put a paper towel in a baggie, and put water up to the bottom line. We put several staples along the second line and the corn seeds on the staples so they would not actually be in the water. The paper towel wicked the water up to the seeds. We taped the baggie in the kitchen window where there's lots of sun. This picture is actually after 2 weeks. But after several days, when the roots grew to about 4 cm, we were to observe them with a microscope. We did the best we could with a sort-of microscope thingy. Then the kids were to report on what they saw. Well, we could see the root hairs only a little. With a microscope, they would have seen that the root hairs are hollow. They drew and wrote about what they had learned about roots. Here's JohnDavid's page.Ha, ha! Some red shows thru from the other side of the page. :o)They had to learn all the parts of the root and what they did.
Click on the picture to make it big enough to read.

South America by JohnDavid, age 11

Seed Experiment by Bethany, age 11

In four clear, small jars, I put a wet and a dry seed in the dark, and a wet and a dry seed in the sunlight for two weeks. The seed that was wet in the dark tried to split open, but failed and got all gooey. Both of the dry seeds just dried out, but the wet one in the light grew a bean plant. The wet one started to split the second day, and grew roots the 5th.

I did not pay attention to the plant for a while, but by the 11th day it was 4 or 5 inches tall. The leaf on the bean plant was darker on the top than the bottom because chlorophyll is at the top and the sunlight made it turn more green. The top layer contains the chloroplasts, which has the chlorophyll.

God's leaf factory is created this way so plants can grow and live. Here is our plant.

Written by Bethany

Parts of a Leaf, by JohnDavid, age 11