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Curriculum to prep a middle-schooler for school? (k12?)


zenjenn
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So I have an 11 year old 5th grade daughter I've been homeschooling since 1st grade.

 

She's going to be homeschooled next year as well (6th grade), but she wants to apply to a magnet state school for the arts for grades 7-12. While the school is run a little 'outside the box', I still want to make sure she's ready for traditional school. It's actually a boarding school (just during the week - the school is a bit too far to commute but close enough to come home every weekend), so I won't be there in person to help her every day. 

 

Content-wise, I have no doubt she will be ready academically for what 7th grade classrooms will require, but I want to make sure she's ready in terms of study skills.and the kind of study that happens in a regular classroom. So far in our homeschool, we have evolved a semi-unschooling approach to our days. I say 'semi' because we still have daily expected work and some traditional expectations, but I haven't kept grades (I just make her re-do until it's right), given her exams, and we stopped formally doing anything but math and writing (and some little quick things, like daily spelling and penmanship work). Instead, I have let them do interest-driven studies, occasionally assigning reading or projects in areas where I notice gaps in knowledge.

 

 It has worked quite well for us, but as DD enters 6th grade with plans on attending a school in 7th, I think it's time to hone in on something more traditional.

 

I was looking at maybe K-12 middle school courses for history and literature. Pricey, so wondering if anyone has experience with their courses, or can recommend something similar. I think ideally, an online course with a traditional format and an outside teacher grading her work would serve us best. I think she could really benefit from someone besides mom checking on history and literature writing assignments - not every teacher she has is going to be like me.

 

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K12 as an Independent is excellent curriculum. I have heard nothing but bad stuff about the individual teacher courses, though. Teachers not doing anything, no guidence, etc.

 

Have you looked at Keystone Middle School, Laurel Springs School {online [learning curve to use the system!] and paper versions. They are really nice.}, or other options {Bob Jones Distance Learning [online and DVD]}?

 

As far as study skills, she needs to know how to take notes from a lecture and a book, how to use a textbook, how to deal with deadlines, how to study for a test, and how to type. Those would be top things. I assume she can write essays well. If not, that will be important, too.

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Thanks, I'll look into those things. Bumping for any other insights.

 

She can write simple essays. She's almost done with Writing With Skill 1 now and we've been happy with it and I'd like her to do WWS2 next year. She basically runs through it independently and I review her writing. What I'd like is something that involves writing that has an outside instructor's deadlines and assessments, so that she's just not thrown into the fire with no experience with that in 7th grade.

I'd like to see some verification on that experience with K12.. there's quite an upcharge for teacher courses so that's pretty appalling if teachers aren't earning their keep!

 

 

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BJU Science for middle school is excellent which is a video course you can either watch on DVD's or online. Besides for science instruction, I am using it to teach my kids how to take notes from a textbook, listen to a teacher's lecture in a classroom-type setting, and study for quizzes and tests. As mentioned above by another poster, these are some of the skills I want my kids to learn before high school.

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For us, one thing that's helped prepare for transition is that DD attends an enrichment program run by the public school one day a week.

 

Aside from that familiarity with the classroom environment, we've worked on little things like remembering to write her name and what the assignment is at the top of papers, how to number math problems, show work, and box answers, etc.

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