Switched-On Schoolhouse is a comprehensive curriculum that offers computer-based learning for grades 3-12. With 3-D animation, video clips, and other fascinating multimedia, Switched-On Schoolhouse is the perfect supervised self-study curriculum for today’s generation. With this flexible, best-selling curriculum, Horizon Academy can customize our student s’ learning to fit individual educational needs.

  Unlike traditional textbook curriculums with dry, one-dimensional lessons, Switched-On Schoolhouse (SOS) has a diverse, vibrant mix of entertaining lessons, assignments quizzes, and more. Fun-filled lessons are created to captivate students’ attention and engage them in learning. Switched-On Schoolhouse offers five core subjects and a wide variety of electives. With features that enhance content and functionality, this award-winning curriculum offers ease, accuracy, and quality academics.

Language Arts

  Switched-On Schoolhouse Language Arts, for grades 3-12, targets the sequential development of communication skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Because SOS Language Arts is an integrated program, the elementary grades weave skill topics (Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking) together within units. In the middle and high school grades, skills are developed unit by unit. The major strands are detailed as follows: Reading (Vocabulary, Comprehension Skills, and Literature Studies), Writing (Spelling, Penmanship, Grammar, and Composition), Speaking and Listening, and Special Topics (Visual Media, History of the English Language, Book Reports, Study and Research Skills).

Mathematics

  Students develop and build math skills through the use of various question formats, multiple exercise techniques, and fun learning games. This motivating math curriculum prepares students for using math successfully in real-life situations. Concepts are developed through grade levels to endure mastery. The curriculum targets this goal by focusing on six major themes: Number Skills, Geometry, Algebra, Data Analysis, and Pre-calculus.

History & Geography

  Switched-On Schoolhouse History & Geography is a complete curriculum for grades 3-12. The goal of these courses is to develop students’ understanding of and appreciation of history and geography. The curriculum targets this goal by focusing on six major themes: Geography (World and American), History (World, American, and Religious), Government and Citizenship, Economics, and Social Studies.

  Switched-On Schoolhouse Science is an exciting curriculum for grades 3-12. Students focus on the development of observational skills as they study the physical universe. The program involves a combination of on- and off-computer assignments including experiments. Grades 3-9 observe each area of science on an individual survey basis, usually unit by unit. Grades 10-12 focus on specific areas of science— Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The four major strands are as follows: Life Science (Plants and Animals, Human Anatomy and Personal Care, Biology), Space and Earth Science (Geology, Weather, and Space), Physical Science (Chemistry, Physics), Nature of Science (Scientific Method, Experimentation, and Technology). For students not familiar with the SOS curriculum, Physical Science is customarily offered to provide preparatory and/or remedial science content.

Electives

  Switched-On Schoolhouse offers a variety of elective courses to diversify our student’s study. Mostly designed for middle and high school grades, these courses are made to enrich Switched-On Schoolhouse’s core subjects. Here is a list of electives offered in the curriculum at Horizon Academy: Art (7-12), College Planner (10-12), Consumer Math (7-12), Health (8-12), Spanish I and II (7-12), The Story of the Constitution (7-12), and State History (7-12), including the required Nevada State History and also California State History.

Other Instructional Methods

  Horizon Academy, in addition to the core curriculum of Switched-On-Schoolhouse, also provides a limited number of teacher-taught, elective classroom-based courses. These include Business and Finance, Videography, Kinesiology, and the SAT/ACT Preparation Course. All students participate in P.E. classes for their entire stay at Horizon Academy, and often receive credit for Peer Leadership should they successfully advance through the Character and Leadership Development component of the program. We are currently applying for AP certification for a teacher-taught Art Portfolio class.

Additional Information

  All Horizon Academy students are required to pass each unit of work with an 80% or better, and are allowed unlimited attempts until they achieve an 80% level of material mastery. This allows our students to take as much time as necessary to become adept at the skills necessary for academic competence in the subject.

  Although Horizon Academy enrolls students ages 13 to 17, which usually indicates grades 7-12, a majority of our students enter the school with some level of academic deficiency. As such, our Academic Coordinator can modify a student’s classes appropriately, to provide content that is geared to the student’s reading, processing, or computational skill level. Horizon Academy has on hand the entire Switched-On-Schoolhouse academic curriculum for grades 3 -12.

Upon enrollment, every student is administered the STAR Reading Assessment, provided by Renaissance Learning. This externally audited, educationally legitimate assessment tool assists our Academic Coordinator in not only placing students in the appropriate classes, but also allows Horizon Academy to monitor each student’s growth in learning at an individual level.

  Horizon Academy has a licensing agreement with Alpha-Omega Publishing/Switched-On-Schoolhouse which provides for unlimited access to curriculum and annual upgrades. As such, our students have access to the most recent developments in educational content and technology, and are not hindered by outdated textbooks or deteriorating materials.

  Finally, Horizon Academy is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools, the National Association of Private Schools, is fully licensed by the State of Nevada’s Department of Education as a Private School, and is a testing center for the SAT, ACT and ASVAB.