"Planning" Ahead...

[LisaKinVA]

It's a year or so away -- but we're at the point we are going to have to begin looking at high school courses.

 

At first, I thought "we'll just use K12" -- but the costs on that plan of action are beginning to concern me.

 

I'm not concerned about what to do for grammar or composition.

I'm not concerned about what to do for history, government or economics.

I'm not concerned about what to do for foreign language.

 

I am concerned about a really good, well-rounded literature program. I really like what we've been doing in K12 -- and he has really responded to that program.

I am concerned about math, once he's through Algebra II (which he may hit as early as 8th grade... but most likely around 9th)

I'm also concerned about advanced sciences.

 

So any suggestions...

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

I have no advice for you whatsoever. Just wanted to say- right there with ya!

 

I'm starting to purposely delve into learning about transcripts, SAT IIs, CLEPS, and AP courses. Usually I just read a little bit and then walk away from the computer in horror. :scared:

[Storm Bay]

I am concerned about a really good, well-rounded literature program. I really like what we've been doing in K12 -- and he has really responded to that program.

I am concerned about math, once he's through Algebra II (which he may hit as early as 8th grade... but most likely around 9th)

I'm also concerned about advanced sciences.

 

So any suggestions...

 

You may wish to try the high school forum. You don't have to mention the age of your child, just the grade, if necessary. Also, you can search the math & lit threads there; there have been quite a number of them, some of them have been particularly good.

 

Same with sciences.

 

What we're doing for literature is a Stobaugh book for gr. 8, then following The Well Educated Mind for lit in high school. I have some saved threads in my subscriptions with some lit suggestions, etc. We're going to do a mix of Canadian, American, British & World lit, but the bare minimum for my eldest who is heading to be a science major in university/college.

 

For science, we don't have the whole thing mapped out, but some of it is.

 

For Gr 8 we're going to include Chemistry II from Real Science 4 Kids as a precursor to Gr. 9 when we're going to do Conceptual Chemistry by Sudocki (sp) along with the Chemistry Alive! CD-Roms and the Thinkwell Chem CD-Roms, plus the lab (only experiments not extremely dangerous--more for her to learn safe lab procedures than to do every single experiment.)

 

for Gr. 10 (sophomore) we'll be doing Conceptual Physics by Hewitt (in part because I got it free from one of my brothers along with the practical book), ideally with the Feynman lectures & lab work.

 

Biology will be Gr 11 (jr) year, and I'm not 100 percent sure which text we'll use, but I'm considering combining Apologia with Campbell. Dd will need to do at least 2 AP science courses, IMO, which have yet to be decided. She may need to do a mathy Physics course later, but only if she switches her interest to Physics. Right now it's biochemistry, so I'm thinking she'll either do AP courses in subjects she'd rather skip in university or in her areas of interest (I'm guessing it will be the latter as that will look better on her application.)

 

As for math, dd likes Dolciani & Gelfand's, so that's what she'll do for all her Alg. Not sure yet about Geometry, but I think I bought her something Charon recommended for people like me who somehow missed it in high school from some Math society in RI. I know I bought something that's on the shelf right now. I got a bit carried away with math & science, & she's covered for a few years with those. I can get the name & author of that math book (must be Geometry--I'm 99 percent sure it is) if you're intested. Probably Linear Alg with Gelfand's, but I have no idea what we'll do for Calculus at this point.

[Anne/Ankara]

I'm starting to purposely delve into learning about transcripts, SAT IIs, CLEPS, and AP courses. Usually I just read a little bit and then walk away from the computer in horror. :scared:

 

I hear you!!! It is rather daunting, isn't it! Best to take is slowly, digesting a bit at a time!

[suzf242]

For literature, have you looked at the booklist for Ambleside Online/House of Education Online?

[Kareni]

For Literature, you may wish to look into the Lightning Literature programs put out by Hewitt Homeschooling. (They are frequently discussed on the High School board.)

 

For details and samples, see: Hewitt's Lightning Literature and Composition

 

Regards,

Kareni

[kpupg]

I am concerned about math, once he's through Algebra II (which he may hit as early as 8th grade... but most likely around 9th)

I'm also concerned about advanced sciences.

 

So any suggestions...

 

For math:

We are in a similar boat with our son. He is beginning "8th grade" now (age 13). He just completed Geometry in 7th grade, having done Algebra I for 6th grade. Right now, he is reading the Life of Fred Calculus book just for grins <gotta love it>. Here is what I am currently doing/planning:

 

8th grade: Probability & Statistics, Special Topics -- why not Alg. II? Because I looked ahead and realized he'll be ready for calculus courses way too young if we don't slow him down. I want him to take calculus at hte local college, but (for non-academic reasons) not before he's 16. So that means I have to fill in a year. So it's this year, and he wants to learn Statistics anyway. At the end of the year and over next summer, he'll review the last half of Alg. I to prepare for ...

 

9th grade: Algebra II

10th grade: Trig, Analytic Geometry, Pre-Calc

11th and 12th grades: Calculus (3 sem.) and something else (1 sem.) at local college

 

For science:

 

8th grade: This year, he'll be doing Physical Science using a college book I was given. I'm adding simple experiments, and he'll work a couple of Scout badges in with it. Learning to write up lab reports will be a big goal for this year -- he hates the physical act of writing, and it will be a challenge for him to keep a legible, complete lab book.

9th grade: Biology, again using a college text I was given. We'll get a microscope and do lots of that and dissections for labs. I will have him take practice AP exams to gauge whether to have him do that exam for real. If not, maybe CLEP.

10th grade: Physics, materials TBD.

11th and 12th grades: Chemistry and something else at local college. I really want him to do chem labs with a real fully-equipped lab, not just kitchen counter labs, so that's why I'm delaying Chemistry to 11th grade when it's usually given right after Biology -- so he can take it at the college with full labs.

 

That's the plan for now, anyhow :)

Karen

[Kimber]

I haven't planned out science, but I plan to figure that out next year.

 

For writing, we're doing TWTM logic stage writing and outlining.

Next year, her 6th and 7th grade years, we'll be doing CW Diogenes. After that I'm not sure, but some sort of course on rhetoric.

 

For math, 5th grade year = LOF Decimals followed by 1960 pre-algebra course for 1 year or so.

6th grade 1960's Dolciani Algebra

7th grade LOF Geometry or another course from the 60's. I have to compare them

8th 1960's Dolciani Algebra II

9th Modern Introductory Analysis (Dolciani as well)

10th Life of Fred Calculus

11th We'll probably redo the calculus at the Junior College

 

The Dolciani pre-aglebra will be a review of the LOF Fractions and Decimals books. So, I suspect to be able to the 7th and 8th grade books in 1 year. None of it will be new. My dd10 has some really bad habits of not working her hardest when doing math. She often can't read her own handwriting causing her to have to repeat stuff. So, hopefully, we'll be able to correct that this year or next.

 

Kimberly