Discovery K12

Discovery K12, also known as DK12, is an online homeschool curriculum for parents teaching children from Pre-K through 12th grade. Its About page describes it as "a direct-to-consumer education company" that "provides a free online homeschool platform and curriculum for Pre-K through 12th grade, and also offers an upgraded Parent/Teacher Account for student reporting and tracking." The model is simple: a family creates a free student account for each child, and that account opens the whole curriculum. The paid part is for the parent, who can upgrade to a Parent/Teacher Account for record keeping. According to the FAQ, Discovery K12 "has been available to others since September 2013," and the company is funded through premium services such as that upgrade. The copyright line reads DK12 INC.

What a student account includes

The About page is specific about the scope. There are 7 standard courses: language arts, reading and literature, math, science, history and social studies, visual and performing arts, and physical education. Across grades this adds up to 100+ courses and 180 days of online curriculum for Pre-K through twelfth grade, with over 20,000 lessons and 1000+ quizzes and tests aligned with the curriculum. "Student Accounts are free and include all of our curriculum," the page says.

Several programs sit alongside the core subjects. A weekly spelling program comes with digital worksheets, cursive practice and a weekly quiz. A library of 100+ academic and classic literature ebooks gives students reading material inside the platform, which matters because, as the FAQ puts it, "All of the curriculum is online. We do not ship textbooks or any other materials or equipment." There is also Extra Curriculum: Spanish I, HTML, Healthy Living, Personal Finance and more, which the FAQ says is free and available for grades second through twelfth inside student accounts. For hands-on work, the About page lists 36 weeks of STEM and Maker activities.

How a school day works

Discovery K12 is built around a Daily Assignments page. A student opens it and works through each day's curriculum, and the FAQ confirms that families can go by their own schedule and at their own pace: "simply access the Daily Assignments page and you can go through each day's curriculum at your own pace." The site also publishes a calendar and a curriculum-by-grade overview for parents.

Grade levels can be set per subject. The FAQ answers the common case of a child who needs a lower level in math while staying at grade level in everything else: "Simply change the grade level as needed inside the Student Account to access curriculum at different levels." A student can do this through the Help menu, and a parent with a Parent/Teacher Account can do it through the Edit Student link under My Students.

Families decide how much of it to use. "You may use our curriculum part time, full time, or as a supplement. You will still see everything, but you can use what you'd like," the FAQ says. That makes Discovery K12 usable both as a complete homeschool program and as extra practice next to another curriculum or a school.

The role of the parent is clear from the start. Asked whether there are teachers, the FAQ answers: "Using Discovery K12, the parent is considered the teacher. All instruction, teaching style, and guidance is provided by the parent or tutor/teacher the parent designates." The platform supplies lessons, quizzes and reading; the adult at home supplies the teaching.

The Parent/Teacher Account

The paid upgrade turns the free curriculum into something a parent can document. The About page lists what it includes: a scope and sequence of the curriculum, test answer keys, attendance, a reading log and a PE log, a grade book with quiz and test results, assessment tests, and tools to produce transcripts, issue certificates of completion and issue diplomas. It also comes with 24/7 email support. On cost, the FAQ says only that "Parent/Teacher Accounts are a nominal, annual fee" and points to a separate pricing page for the amount.

Records, diplomas and homeschool law

Discovery K12 is open about what it is and is not. It is not Common Core: "No. Discovery K12 is non-Common Core. The curriculum does cover the academic topics required by most states according to grade level." It is not accredited either: "We are a platform and curriculum for independent homeschoolers, and homeschooling is not accredited. Only schools are accredited."

Because the family is the school, the parent graduates the student. The FAQ explains that the parent "would be the one to graduate them and issue diplomas," notes that some students take the GED in their state, and argues that "a homeschool diploma is superior to a GED, since a GED can imply the student dropped out and did not complete all K12 years." Discovery K12 does not take records from a child's previous school; it suggests asking that school to send transcripts to the family instead.

For families starting out, the FAQ advises checking with the state's Department of Education about homeschool laws and un-enrolling procedures, and the site keeps a State Homeschool Laws page and a Parent/Teacher Guide. It also offers student ID cards. The program is not limited to the United States: "We have homeschoolers in every state and in over 75 countries," the FAQ says, with the reminder that families must follow the rules of their own state or province.

Who it suits

Discovery K12 suits families who want a full, structured homeschool curriculum without paying for it. A parent can sign up each child for free, follow the Daily Assignments, and see straight away whether the program fits. The per-subject grade levels help children who are ahead in one area and behind in another, and the option to use it part time makes it a practical supplement for families who already have a main curriculum. Families who need formal records, such as a grade book, transcripts or a diploma for a graduating senior, can add the Parent/Teacher Account.

It is a weaker fit for parents who want someone else to do the teaching. There are no teachers on the platform, and the FAQ is explicit that instruction is the parent's job. Families who want printed books will also need to look elsewhere, since everything is online. For a parent who is ready to guide the day and wants a low-cost, organized base to teach from, it covers a great deal for nothing.