K5 Learning - Review

We like to change up our homeschooling methods from time to time. A lot of our curriculum is workbook style but we like to sometimes add in computer programs or online learning. We recently had the chance to try out the online program from K5 Learning.

K5 Learning is a supplemental online learning program for kindergarten through 5th grade. They cover reading, math, and spelling. This program isn't just geared for homeschoolers but any child in any type of school setting. It is meant to just be a supplemental learning system to already support what the child is learning. It is a subscription based program that can be purchased monthly or annually. You can have up to 4 students using the program on one subscription.
This program offers a 2 week free trial to see if it is a good fit for you and your children. It is very easy to get started. There is a parents login access where they can set up assessments, view student reports, set up assignments and even print out worksheets.The students have their own username and password access. 

To get started, I set up my 5 year old's account and assigned her the grade of kindergarten. I was then able to set up assessment placement tests. Both the reading and the math portion said they would each take about 30 minutes to complete. My daughter was able to complete this on her own with little help from me. They gave audio instructions and there was also an audio icon she could click on if she needed something more read to her. The videos and interaction were engaging and kept her attention.  Once she was done "testing", I received an email listing  what level she tested at in each of the areas. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well she did!
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Overall Math Score: Within K Range

The Overall Math Score is based on student performance in the following areas: Number and Operations, Measurement, and Geometry. 

Placement

We have now placed Olivia at the following levels in our math lessons:

Number and Operations		Early 1st Grade
Measurement		Early K
Geometry		Early 1st Grade

Overall Reading Score: Within K Range

The Overall Reading score is based on student performance in phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, vocabulary and reading comprehension. 

Placement

We have now placed Olivia at the following levels in our reading lessons:

Phonemic Awareness		Early 1st Grade
Phonics		Early K
Sight Words		Early 1st Grade
Vocabulary		High K
Reading Comprehension		Early 1st Grade

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From there, all she had to do was log in and start doing the lessons that they gave her. They were presented in short, game like lessons. One thing that was a little confusing was trying to figure out what constituted a lesson. There was no obvious start and stop to lessons and I wasn't able to select or see as a student where I could begin or stop. Not a huge deal. Overall, the program took care of all the work and I didn't have to worry about grading or teaching anything.

Once my daughter completed a section, she had access to printable worksheets to complete off line if I wanted her to have extra practice.

Overall, I really liked how this program was able to tailor itself to the level my daughter was currently at. This really gave a nice fill in for times when I wanted her to work on school work but couldn't sit down with her at the moment. She felt like she was playing a "computer game" when in reality she was doing school work and learning.
She averaged using the program 3-4 times a week and it really only took her 15 or so minutes to work on both reading and math lessons. We plan to continue using this program over the summer months to help fill in the gaps while we take a bit of a break for formal schooling.
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