24-Hour Message Board Plus E-mail: PA Homeschoolers

[This review of PA Homeschoolers Internet courses appeared on pages 53-55 of Practical Homeschooling Issue #41, May/June 2001]

A lifesaver when we found them, Pennsylvania Homeschoolers (www.pahomeschoolers.com) was the first on-line academy we know of that offered Advanced Placcement courses to homeschoolers. Today, they offer a wider selection than ever. Our children have taken many courses from a variety of teachers through PA Homeschoolers.

Sarah says, "PA Homeschoolers Advanced Placement courses, of which I have taken five over four years, are always of top quality. These courses are 'asynchronous,' meaning you don't attend at a specific time of the day. Rather you get posted or emailed assignments due by a specific date. Expect lot of written assignments, because they are the best way to prepare for AP exams. Each course also requires lots of time-consuming discussion, either through their website or email.

The AP Economics course [taught by PHS columnist Howard Richman--Ed.], did an especially good job of preparing us by going over and over and over the exact topics which we needed to be prepared to write about. Each course had a detailed syllabus also, which let parents know what was due when."

Joseph says, "There always seems to be a spirited discussion going on at PA Homeschoolers courses. One major component of these courses is commenting on your fellow student's essays and comments. These courses are especially good for the non-science and math AP subjects, the ones that require a lot of discussion between teacher and students."