need some help with 10 yo at high school level

[paulcindy]

I have a 10 yo who is working on a high school level for reading and writing.

 

We have not done anything formally, and I would like to see what she can actually "handle" at a 9th grade level for a structured curriculum.

 

Grammar, writing, literature(with interpretations), and Vocabulary.

 

But, I do not want to get but anything then find the work may be to difficult. I think she can handle it, but I do not know for sure.

 

So, I am looking for suggestions as to how to "try her out" at a high school level, and see how she does.

 

How can I do this without buying curriculum and wasting money?

 

Or, something inexpensive, or maybe even something that has different levels to choose from so if say 9th is to hard, we could drop back to 7th. Etc..........

 

Am I making sense??

 

She will be taking a high school English/Writing/Comp class in a homeschool co-op this year. So I know that should give me some idea as well. But it is only a 6 week class, one day a week.

 

Any help?

 

Thanks:)

[HollyinNNV]

If you posted a writing sample, it might help us give you the best recommendations.

[paulcindy]

This is just chapter one of a book she is working on. Rough draft, unedited. We need to work on getting rid of so many "I's". Title of the Book is called "Image in the Mirror"

She has 6 chapters done so far. Thank you:)

 

PROLOGUE

Okay, well this is it.

The first day of school. I walked slowly up the steps of the newly built high school. Even though I'm a junior, I felt like a freshman who was a small fish in a big pond. I felt like everyone was staring at me even though they weren't. I'm sure you want to hear the story. But, first the truth is, everyone IS staring at me from what happened last year. Here it goes......

CHAPTER ONE

I stepped into a grassy feild with purple,pink, and red wildflowers surrounding me. I knew I was dreaming because I felt different. Actually happy. I'm NEVER happy.

For some reason I woke up screaming and thought I saw a figure in the corner of my dim room. When I blinked, the figure dissapeared. That's strange! I thought. The figure looked exactly like Josh, a kid in my Health class. I am a sophomore at Baltimore High. It was around 7AM so it was time for me to get up anyways.

"Marcy! Rise and shine!" I heard my Mom call. My father died when I was six. He had a heart attack, but I never knew how and why. I trudged toward my bathroom next to my closet and stared at my plain face in the mirror. I sighed. I hoped that some overnight miracle had happened and made me a beautiful, perfect princess. But those are just fairytales, and I had to snap back into reality. There were no princesses stuck in a tall tower and knights in shining armor riding on a mysterious black horse to save her. No castles. No magical kisses turning a zero into a hero. No poisonous apples to put me unconcsious and have a hot prince kiss me to wake me up. No nothing. Done, done,done, and done! I quickly showered and threw my clothes on. I decided to wear my favorite stone washed jeans and a black tank top with a purple scarf. I jogged down the stairs to the kitchen where my mom has set three plates with double chocolate pancakes on them. My annoying ten year old brother named Scott greeted me with:

"Hey pie face!" He burst into laughter while I stuck my tongue out at him. Scott and I were 6 years apart. I was 16 going on 17 in October, while poor, lonely Scott was ten and still eats his boogers when he sneezes (Talk about digusting! Ewww!). I sat down and pulled apart my pancake, as I pretended to look at my watch.

"Whoops! Going to be late for school!" I said with a fake smile. "Gotta run! Love you!" I raced out to my bike in the steamy humid air. It was suprising it was so sticky and humid at 7 in the morning. It was only May. I hopped on with my back-pack on my shoulder and rode down my usual path to the school. Feeling like someone was following me, I stopped and looked behind me but nothing was there. I continued to ride on and pull into the school. I leaned my bike against the dull, old brick on the school wall. It started to mist and the cool damp water spritzed against my warm forehead and made my hair stick to my damp face. I sighed, for some apparent reason I love days like this, even though they usually turn out to be horrible. I walked up the school steps slowly like I did this morning on my way to the bathroom. I walked into the buzzing, muddy, hallway and slumped toward my locker. All of a suuden, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I shrieked and turned around. But it was only Josh.

"Can I borrow your notes for Health?" He asked with bright eyes. "Err, yeah, sure hold on." I stared at him for a moment questioning my self. After a second I turned back to my locker and gave him my Health note book. "Here, you can give it back to me before third period." He seemed to be happier when I gave him my notes. His eyes looked adorable in a sparkling sense of the deep blueness. I seemed to be lost for a moment, but then snapped back to reality. He smiled "Thanks Marcy!" It seemed like he ran but I know he walked. It just seemed so fast! Slamming my locker shut, I walked to first period, not even thinking about my scene with Josh. Not to mention his weird sparkling eyes.

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

My two cents, YMMV....

 

My ten year old writes with a similar level of skill. His style is different, of course, but he makes the same mistakes. He also churns out notebooks full of cohesive and interesting writing.

 

I haven't had him tested. I just carry on with his course of study in English, believing in the process of education. I think he needs time with age-appropriate materials to master the mechanical skills. I think he shows the promise of being a good writer, but he still is firmly in the learning stage.

 

I think your daughter still needs tools, just as my son still needs tools.

 

I use this theory for all my children. For example, my oldest son is profoundly gifted musically. He can play almost any instrument by ear as soon as he first picks it up. He is proficient in four instruments and in singing.

 

I could say, "Wow, he is already a musician! What an amazing and talented kid!" (And I do think that...LOL) But beyond recognizing his current achievement, I know that he will be hampered in his success if I don't properly educate him without skipping steps.

 

So I let him perform in public. I let him do all he wants on all his instruments. He plays in festivals and clubs...all fine. He also sits with me at the piano, studying the Bastien series so he can learn all he needs to know about theory and reading music, etc. He needs the tools to take his talent wherever HE will want to take it in the future.

 

For your daughter, I would ignore the high school label and choose a course of study to work through systematically. I think it will be better in the end.

[paulcindy]

I know we need to continue to work with grade appropriate writing and grammar, but we would really like to expand her vocabulary. We have already gone up to grade 6. And she reads high school literature, or should I say she reads it, but wants to UNDERSTAND it. So vocab/lit guides would be helpful.

 

She is a very determined child:D

 

I think the more she reads, the better her writing becomes. At least I "think" so...........:lol:

[mamaof2andtwins]

I know we need to continue to work with grade appropriate writing and grammar, but we would really like to expand her vocabulary. We have already gone up to grade 6. And she reads high school literature, or should I say she reads it, but wants to UNDERSTAND it. So vocab/lit guides would be helpful.

 

She is a very determined child:D

 

I think the more she reads, the better her writing becomes. At least I "think" so...........:lol:

 

 

Cindy,

 

I don't see a problem with continuing to move forward with a specific vocabulary program if she has finished through 6th grade. I think it would be logical to move her to a 7th grade book, and so on as she finishes each book.

 

Jennie

[PeterPan]

I'm with DulcimerAmy on the value of a solid progression. You might look at this http://www.amazon.com/Essential-High-School-Dictionary-Study/dp/0375765433 to use for a combo spelling/vocab for next year. It highlights aaprox. 10 words on each 2-page spread. You could have her study them and select 2 to record in her notebook using the 9th gr recommendations in WTM for how to keep a vocab notebook. That's my tentative plan for my same age dd for this fall. WTM has them keep a personal notebook, starting in high school, of vocab they don't know as they read. They're supposed to note the word, the def, and the context sentence. I don't think a 10 yo (at least not mine) is mature enough or self-disciplined enough necessarily to record every single word she comes across in reading, so a more finite, prescribed source seems better to me.

 

Are you having her do any non-fiction writing? Outlining? Paragraphs? Although she clearly has found her voice in her personal story writing, that doesn't mean it will carry over into good non-fiction writing, which is obviously the more important skill. Focus on the basics and skill acquisition. The WTM progression of skills, the order SWB lays out in her convention talks, still applies. She just might be a bit ahead of her grade in the progression. You still go through the steps. That's where I agree with DulcimerAmy.

[paulcindy]

Got it. Thank you!! You know, I have to get the new WTM Book. I have been putting it off. I think it is time:001_smile:

 

Thanks ladies for knocking me on the head a few times:):)

[PeterPan]

Yup, get the new WTM and do what it says, even the stuff she might not want to like outlining. You're not looking for what she knows, but what she DOESN'T know, hehe...

[Lolly]

I have a 10 yo who is working on a high school level for reading and writing.

 

We have not done anything formally, and I would like to see what she can actually "handle" at a 9th grade level for a structured curriculum.

 

Grammar, writing, literature(with interpretations), and Vocabulary.

 

But, I do not want to get but anything then find the work may be to difficult. I think she can handle it, but I do not know for sure.

 

So, I am looking for suggestions as to how to "try her out" at a high school level, and see how she does.

 

How can I do this without buying curriculum and wasting money?

 

Or, something inexpensive, or maybe even something that has different levels to choose from so if say 9th is to hard, we could drop back to 7th. Etc..........

 

Am I making sense??

 

She will be taking a high school English/Writing/Comp class in a homeschool co-op this year. So I know that should give me some idea as well. But it is only a 6 week class, one day a week.

 

Any help?

 

Thanks:)

 

Grammar. Try Rod and Staff. Most people start with the 5th grade book. If you feel she is extremely good with grammar, go with 6th. For literature, vocabulary, and writing: I have friends who have used Sonlight for high school level with their advanced kids in middle school. (I am assuming you have covered all the different aspects of writing already and that she is as capable with them as with stories.)

 

The problem with using high school level literature is the subject matter it covers. Not all of it is appropriate for a 10 yo. Right now, one of my dd's is reading The Red Badge of Courage, and another is in To Kill a Mockingbird. I don't think either of these books are appropriate for a child the age of your dd. Also, many of the books (not the two mentioned above) for high school are just. plain. boring. There, I said it! It takes a certain amount of discipline to trek through them. I wouldn't ask a 10 yo to do it. Personally, I think you would be better off following whatever plan you have used thus far. It certainly seems to be working well for her.:001_smile:

[Pamela H in Texas]

I don't think you need to hold her back any. I wouldn't worry about "age-appropriate" for example. But I do think a systematic study is important. I wouldn't necessarily move a 4th grader to 10th grade materials. A level or two skip is different. Going faster through materials to end up further is different also. Those would be perfectly acceptable to me. But the main thing I'd do is pick strong materials that would allow for a solid progression.

 

Just to give you a more common example (as my kids didn't write half decently til they were teens...partially due to dysgraphia): My kids are gifted in math. I don't worry about age appropriate materials but systematic is important to me. My daughter started algebra as an elementary student, but she had completed a run through of each grade level before that.

 

The other thing with just changing the pace, moving up just a level or two at a time (rather than 4-6) is that you can more easily adjust if the child's learning spurt wains (and kids do have spurts and lulls as they go along). My own children had that issue also. My dd started back with the high school sequence a few years after her initial start. My ds had 2 full years of pre-algebra. He just wasn't ready to move on that 2nd year.

Edited May 17, 2009 by 2J5M9K