Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to purchase the workbooks separately?
Do I have to purchase the workbooks separately?
All workbooks are available for download in pdf format, and can be printed at home. However, printed workbooks are not required to be able to work in the program. Whenever a student is logged in, the workbook pages for the current lesson are available for viewing by simply clicking on the "View Workbook Pages" button. We have also made the workbooks available in the our bookstore simply as a courtesy to parents who wish to purchase printed workbooks.
How do I get started?
How do I get started?
The first step is to enroll, and in your parent dashboard you'll see a box for each of your students. When you click the "Let's get started" button, you'll be guided through a three step process to set up your child's learning schedule and assignments. Simply choose a grade level to get started. If you need help with placement, you have the option of using our assessment PDF. Once you have set up a learning schedule and assigned curriculum, you'll see a button to login your student. Our program is based on a Mastery Learning Model, so each concept is mastered before moving on to the next. Children can work independently and will progress through the program at their own pace. Each concept is first taught by an instructional video, which is followed by interactive lessons and practice exercises.
How does the program promote Character Development?
How does the program promote Character Development?
Character development is woven into the curriculum at every level. Children are guided through seven stages of character development: Investment of Energy, Value Development, Goal Setting Behavior, Self-Esteem, Responsibility, Independence, and Spiritual Growth. Weekly awards are earned at each Character Level to recognize and validate the student’s character growth, academic achievement and increased level of responsibility. Our primary objective is to enable students to grow spiritually, loving God and actively loving others as themselves, and to excel academically, developing the tools and work ethic of success.
What if I need help?
What if I need help?
Every subscription includes live telephone support during business hours, along with our online communication portal and email support. Kirkwood Education Online is backed by decades of research. We have been providing curriculum, educational support and expertise to Christian families for over forty years.
How is the program suited for children with special needs?
How is the program suited for children with special needs?
If a child is behind in grade level, that is not our focus. Our focus is to help the student master each concept so that he or she is empowered to move on to the next, and to give positive reinforcement and validation along the way. We believe learning should be a positive experience. Children have an abundance of energy, and every time a child puts forth some of that energy into working to learn, he or she receives work unit credit. Your student summary reports will reflect the number of work units earned along with the mastery percentage of each concept.
This model is especially well-suited to children with special needs, since they are able to experience their own success in a learning environment without being driven to frustration. Think about it, we all tend to gravitate toward doing things that we are good at, and avoid doing those things we are not good at. Personally, I grew up struggling with math. I failed to get a good grasp on multiplication before the class moved on to division, and therefore had no foundation when we moved on to algebra and statistics. Before long, I saw myself as "bad at math" and took great care to avoid anything to do with math. The psychological stigma associated with this can be long lasting. But the opposite is also true. If children are empowered by experiencing their own success in education, it becomes a positive affective experience that is incorporated into their self-image. Instead of feeling like "I'm bad at math", students feel like "Hey, I can do this!" or "I'm really good at math!"
What is a Mastery Learning Model?
What is a Mastery Learning Model?
Our program is build upon a Mastery Learning Model, and we steer away from grade levels to a great degree. Here's how it works: Placement is based upon individual assessment, and then the student progresses through the program from that point forward at their own pace, mastering each concept before moving on to the next. Some children may take a little longer to master certain material, and that's perfectly ok.
In a Standard Learning Model, an instructor will teach a concept for a set period of time, some children will grasp the concept right away (and get an A) and a few won't get it at all (and get an F). The great majority fall in between (and get a range of Bs, Cs, or Ds). In this model, time is the constant and mastery is the variable. Our program is the opposite. Time is the variable and mastery is the constant. Each student progresses at their own pace, and some students may take longer than others, but no child ever “falls through the cracks", so to speak. Our statistical studies show that Kirkwood students typically achieve 2-3 years above grade level and continue the pattern of success through high school and college.
What is a Lab?
What is a Lab?
A "lab" is what we call the time period in which a child signs in to work. When a parents first sets up their child’s account, they determine how many "lab" periods he or she will have in a day (3 labs a day, for five days a week are common) and how long the lab will be (younger kids may have 15 min or 30 min labs, older kids up to 90 minutes). How many lessons they do in a lab is entirely up to them.
How long will my child work in the program each day?
How long will my child work in the program each day?
We strive to give parents full control of their children's learning schedule and curriculum. You can schedule which days of the week you want each student to work in the program, and set the number of computer "labs" per day. You can also set the duration of each lab. For instance, you may want to set up 3 labs per day of 45 minutes each for one student, and 4 labs of 15 minutes each for another. Or perhaps you want to devote a certain day of the week, let's say Wednesday, to teaching outside the "classroom", such as cooking, gardening, or field trips. In your parent dashboard simply schedule your student's computer labs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. I should also mention that you can change or adjust the schedule at any time. Every child is different, and will thrive when the work sessions are specifically tailored to fit his or her individual attention span. We believe that parents are especially attuned to the needs and capabilities of their children.
What about accreditation?
What about accreditation?
The way accreditation works is that schools are accredited, not the curriculum they use. Kirkwood Christian Schools, our brick and mortar schools, are fully accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International as well as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Kirkwood Education Online is not a school, we simply provide families the curriculum and tools they need to homeschool. Kirkwood Educational Center supplies the learning program and curriculum for Kirkwood Christian Schools and Kirkwood Education Online.
What is a Lab?
What is a Lab?
A "lab" is what we call the time period in which a child signs in to work. When a parents first sets up their child’s account, they determine how many "lab" periods he or she will have in a day (3 labs a day, for five days a week are common) and how long the lab will be (younger kids may have 15 min or 30 min labs, older kids up to 90 minutes). How many lessons they do in a lab is entirely up to them.
