Is this all a huge mistake??

[taffnus]

I'm on an emotional roller coaster right now. My dd came home from BMS for 9th. I homeschooled her K-5 and her little sister has always homeschooled so I'm not new to this but high school is a totally different animal. We started strong and with such high hopes but I'm afraid we're both about to crash and burn. Here was my original plan and the current status: 

 

History - TOG Yr 1 Rhetoric  /  DD is complaining that the reading is too much and doesn't like the "read all week and then have a lengthy discussion" format. 

Literature - TOG Dialectic then Rhetoric - First book down and she couldn't tell me anything about it. 

Writing - LTOW - Just started and going very well. This may be a good fit. 

Health - Mom-created course supposed to be completed this summer. She did about HALF. We've put it on the back burner.

PE - Ongoing. No issues.

Latin 2 - We continued the same curriculum from BMS. Got 2 weeks into it and had to find a tutor. This has been her favorite subject for 3 years and now she's not enjoying it or wanting to do it. Breaks my heart. 

Geometry - Wilson Hill - I was so excited to let someone else teach math and science. Now, I'm finding myself having to sit next to her for every class and then hold her hand for the homework and studying. I was about in tears tonight trying to figure out how to explain proofs to her. She's clueless and I don't know what to do. 

Physics (Honors) - Wilson Hill - ditto the above. I never took physics. I don't want to teach it but she's nowhere near independent or mature enough to do the class on her own. 

 

Background on DD - diabetic, immature for age (just turned 14), not independent worker, perfectionist and quick to give up, very bright (performed well at high-achieving private school), has lofty goals but little lasting motivation, has some focus and reading comp issues but psychologist says there's no diagnosable problem

 

I'm frustrated and scared. I can't imagine all of the other kids in her online class can do this work on their own but we're still faced with having to do it. I'm low on time and energy and am stressed in thinking I may have made a mistake taking her out of school or, at least, putting her in online classes. Do you have any advice??

 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

First, why is she homeschooling 9th grade?  The reasons behind choosing to go back to homeschooling might or might not be relevant here, but I thought I would ask, in case this has bearing.  Also, you say she is immature for her age.  Are you saying that because she is a perfectionist and not an independent worker?  Could it be that your expectations are a bit high?  Lots of 14 year olds suffer from perfectionism and are not yet ready to be an independent worker.  In a school setting she would have had a lot of scaffolding built in simply from being in class all day with a teacher and other students.  

 

I don't think your situation is completely unsalvageable.  It just may need some tweaking.

 

First, it sounds like perhaps she was placed into some courses she was not yet ready for or that are a poor fit for how she learns/what keeps her engaged.  Honors Physics for a 9th grader with struggles being independent and following through and who gets easily frustrated, for instance, may be a poor fit right now, especially since there appears to be no one at home that can really assist her.  Is there a way to change that class?  Is there a science topic that really interests her that she could switch to?  

It also sounds like History is a poor fit.  There are zillions of different History options but if you want to stay with what you are using already maybe you could tweak it, adjust how you approach it, while still using the same material.

 

She loved Latin for 3 years.  What did she love about it before?  Why does she not like it now?  Did she have a very interactive teacher at school?  Was there a lot of lively discussion with other students?  If it is the same material, what changed and how might you recreate those things at home?  Maybe a Latin club?  

 

As for math, Geometry is very different from Algebra.  Did she do well in Algebra?  She may need a lot of extra help and time to get through Geometry.  Some kids "get" geometry and find it a breath of fresh air after Algebra.  Others find it MUCH harder than Algebra.  And FWIW, I have found that with on-line classes I still had to provide support at that age.  Unless Wilson Hill meets daily, and the teacher provides help and feedback daily, she may very well be needing your assistance.  Meeting once a week, like a lot of on-line classes do, just isn't enough interaction and feedback for many students, especially if they are used to brick and mortar classes.  Perhaps an on-line supplement (CTC or Khan Academy?) or a private tutor would help.  There are also you tube videos.  Has she had any Geometry before?  Some math programs include Geometry at earlier levels.  Some don't.  If she hasn't had Geometry before this may be a dramatic mathematical shift for her.  She may do fine once she gets the hang of it.  Until then, a private tutor might work.

 

Hugs.  Hang in there.  Take a deep breath, sleep on it tonight, then maybe brainstorm with your daughter tomorrow to decide how to tweak things.

 

ETA:  And I agree with Jean, that is a pretty intense load for a 9th grader.  

Edited September 21, 2017 by OneStepAtATime

[Jean in Newcastle]

Those are not all typical 9th grade classes. I can see why she's overwhelmed.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[taffnus]

Thanks for your responses. 

 

The physics class is a 9th grade algebra-based physics. She had algebra in 8th grade and did very well. She tends to be strong in math so I didn't have any real concerns about it previously. The two online classes meet 2x/week for 1.5 hours each class. 

 

 

Reasons for homeschooling.....she wanted to and needed to go to school in 6th. It was a good experience and she learned much. She started to ask to come back home in 7th but we made her stay through 8th. I wasn't ready for her to come home. By 8th though, I had researched high school and thought it would be doable. She did not want to continue at the school. She tended to miss quite a bit of school (morning classes) due to diabetes, putting a lot of stress on her and me. Financially, we were not able to keep one at home and one in private school. These reasons are still at play so I'm certainly not ready to sign her up for school. I just want this to be successful.

 

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

First, why is she homeschooling 9th grade?  The reasons behind choosing to go back to homeschooling might or might not be relevant here, but I thought I would ask, in case this has bearing.  Also, you say she is immature for her age.  Are you saying that because she is a perfectionist and not an independent worker?  Could it be that your expectations are a bit high?  Lots of 14 year olds suffer from perfectionism and are not yet ready to be an independent worker.  In a school setting she would have had a lot of scaffolding built in simply from being in class all day with a teacher and other students.  

 

 

She has always seemed less mature than most girls her age. School was a challenge because most of the girls in her grade were a year older, making the maturity difference even more stark. I had considered not starting high school for another year but she didn't want that and she had already completed two credit classes in 8th grade. I didn't really know what to do with that.  

 

 

 

I don't think your situation is completely unsalvageable.  It just may need some tweaking.

 

First, it sounds like perhaps she was placed into some courses she was not yet ready for or that are a poor fit for how she learns/what keeps her engaged.  Honors Physics for a 9th grader with struggles being independent and following through and who gets easily frustrated, for instance, may be a poor fit right now, especially since there appears to be no one at home that can really assist her.  Is there a way to change that class?  Is there a science topic that really interests her that she could switch to?  

 

There is a regular Physics class but it looks like it's full. I will give it another week and see how it goes. 

 

 

It also sounds like History is a poor fit.  There are zillions of different History options but if you want to stay with what you are using already maybe you could tweak it, adjust how you approach it, while still using the same material.

 

She loved Latin for 3 years.  What did she love about it before?  Why does she not like it now?  Did she have a very interactive teacher at school?  Was there a lot of lively discussion with other students?  If it is the same material, what changed and how might you recreate those things at home?  Maybe a Latin club?  

 

I'm sure it's the lack of structure and my inability to teach it. I think the tutor will help so we'll give it a little time to see. 

 

 

As for math, Geometry is very different from Algebra.  Did she do well in Algebra?  She may need a lot of extra help and time to get through Geometry.  Some kids "get" geometry and find it a breath of fresh air after Algebra.  Others find it MUCH harder than Algebra.  And FWIW, I have found that with on-line classes I still had to provide support at that age.  Unless Wilson Hill meets daily, and the teacher provides help and feedback daily, she may very well be needing your assistance.  Meeting once a week, like a lot of on-line classes do, just isn't enough interaction and feedback for many students, especially if they are used to brick and mortar classes.  Perhaps an on-line supplement (CTC or Khan Academy?) or a private tutor would help.  There are also you tube videos.  Has she had any Geometry before?  Some math programs include Geometry at earlier levels.  Some don't.  If she hasn't had Geometry before this may be a dramatic mathematical shift for her.  She may do fine once she gets the hang of it.  Until then, a private tutor might work.

 

She's done well with geometry previously and algebra wasn't very difficult for her. Again, we may just be in an adjustment period but I can't seem to stop going into panic mode. I like to control things and this is out of my control. I want us to enjoy this year but I must say, I'm afraid of failure at this point. I'm afraid she's going to do badly in these online classes and that will show on her transcripts. I have set a pretty high bar for her I suppose. My biggest fear is that my decisions stand in the way of her success.  

 

 

 

 

Hugs.  Hang in there.  Take a deep breath, sleep on it tonight, then maybe brainstorm with your daughter tomorrow to decide how to tweak things.

 

ETA:  And I agree with Jean, that is a pretty intense load for a 9th grader.  

 

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

 

The general science plan is, for a reason, 9th biology, 10th chemistry, 11th physics, in order of math and conceptual thinking needed to do well and understand.  Biology would be a much better fit for a 9th grader.  I would see if you can cancel the online physics or change it to biology.  Biology is easy to teach yourself, and you can buy used Biology books for cheap.  The only physics I have seen an average freshman do is conceptual physics, and even that takes a good analytical brain.  My son could handle it this year as a 7th grader but it would have been a stretch for my daughter last year as a 9th grade, and this is conceptual physics, not standard physics.  Her brain would have exploded with a standard physics text last year.

 

Also, you might want to start with 6 classes with at least one elective for a freshman year.  We did 6 for 9th grade last year and it was almost too much but are doing 8 this year and that is going fine (but 3 are electives that she loves, last year she had 4 core and 2 elective courses, this year 5 core, 3 electives.)  

 

Your first year of Language arts for a freshman can be less writing that you have scheduled and more grammar and basic sentence structure if that is what fits, and you can start with easier reading and ramp up later in the year and next year.  I would also make the first book be something she really wants to read, get a list of classics you think will be good and let her choose.

 

I would pick a different history, there are many choices, look at samples online and see what clicks.  By figuring out early what is working and what isn't and adjusting accordingly, you should be fine!!  

[ElizabethB]

On another note, while you're figuring out what to change up, do a bit of reading assessment.I would stop whatever isn't working that you control, contacting online classes and cancelling or switching, and work on assessing her reading.

 

Do all of my reading tests, the MWIA II, the NRRF reading grade level test, the 40L Quick Screen Reading Grade Level test, the nonsense word diagnostic test, and an oral reading speed test of nonsense words.

 

All but the last test are here:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/readinggradeleve.html

 

For nonsense word fluency and accuracy, she should be reading 80+ WPM with 100% accuracy, links in teacher section, use 25 words from extra words document, link 6 and tracking instructions and chart, link 7.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

 

If she scores well on all those tests then I have ideas for improving reading comprehension but I find it best to rule out reading difficulty first, you have to fix that first if there are any problems before you can address reading comprehension.

Edited September 21, 2017 by ElizabethB

[taffnus]

It looks like more than it is, I think. We are no longer working on health and PE is scattered as we do something active. She earned a lot of "time" this summer. Lit and Writing are considered one English credit. Writing and Reading Comp are her weakest points so I want to work on those areas carefully. So, really, she only has 5 active credits going. The physics uses the same text her BMS uses for 9th so, she has the same preparation as all the other rising 9th graders in that school. I didn't think that would be an issue. She would probably enjoy biology more but I wanted to stay on the same science sequence as the BMS in case she had to return for 10th. 

 

I think you're right that history is a relatively easy change/fix. I just need to figure out how and what. 

[taffnus]

Thank you!! I'll look at this more closely tomorrow but, just glancing, I don't think these tests will indicate a problem. She's an excellent speller (avid spelling bee contestant). She was an early reader and always scored very high on standardized tests. ????  Yet, I can read her a paragraph and she has trouble understanding the full meaning or answering simple questions about it. Her 11yo sister can answer rings around her. Any type of question requiring a thoughtful response (Why do you think he did that?) goes unanswered.

 

She read some difficult books in school and I could see why she had trouble. But our first book of the fall was Golden Goblet. I meant it to be a quick, fun, easy read. She waited till the last minute and then read it quickly and couldn't answer simple questions. I was quite frustrated. I'm reading the Book of James to the girls in the morning and asking simple questions. She is very inconsistent in being able to answer questions or even show she has followed the short reading. 

 

One insight....if she does not want to do something or isn't interested in something, she has great difficulty doing it. She understands more if she's interested and willing. That may be the case, to some degree, for us all but for her it's a particular challenge. I don't know how much of her incomprehension is inability and how much is lack of motivation. 

 

 

 

On another note, while you're figuring out what to change up, do a bit of reading assessment.I would stop whatever isn't working that you control, contacting online classes and cancelling or switching, and work on assessing her reading.  

 

Do all of my reading tests, the MWIA II, the NRRF reading grade level test, the 40L Quick Screen Reading Grade Level test, the nonsense word diagnostic test, and a silent reading speed test of nonsense words.  

 

All but the last test are here:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/readinggradeleve.html

 

For nonsense word fluency and accuracy, she should be reading 80+ WPM with 100% accuracy, links in teacher section, use 25 words from extra words document, link 6 and tracking instructions and chart, link 7.

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

 

If she scores well on all those tests then I have ideas for improving reading comprehension but I find it best to rule out reading difficulty first, you have to fix that first if there are any problems before you can address reading comprehension.

 

[ElizabethB]

There are some conceptual aspects of physics that may be challenging her. I would look over her physics book and try to explain the general concepts to her in easy to understand terms, and see if there are some good videos to supplement the concepts. Or, if the problems are a problem, work on helping her understand and solve them. If you know what is tripping her up you may be more able to help. It might also help to get a conceptual physics book used, The conceptual Physics books explain things easily and clearly. I bought one to supplement our Physics next year for my daughter, she is likely to need additional simpler explanations at times when we get to Physics. I was going to use it this year with my son but decided to do chemistry with him instead, keeping them both in chemistry and doing some labs together.

[ElizabethB]

Here is the conceptual physics book I have, you can get a used one for under $20.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131663011/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[GoodGrief]

Oh man, this is giving me memories of the year my then-10th grader came back home after her fairly successful 9th grade year at public school. Chemistry and Alg 2 were our meltdown subjects.

 

My thoughts on history: if reading is not her thing, I'd probably switch to online videos on a similar topic (maybe Khan has something) or some sort of straightforward online course. The Thinkwell American Govt course is self grading and online. It's labeled AP, but you would not have to treat it as such. For any curriculum, feel free to omit exercises/assignments that seem to be "too much". The goal is to educate HER, and as the teacher you should feel free to tweak your curric to customize it.

 

Language Arts: I'd do writing one semester and literature the next. Since writing is going well, maybe drop lit for now.

 

Health: Eh, keep it on the back burner, or declare it done. I lean toward declaring it done.

 

PE: keep it up, physical activity is good.

 

Geometry: I don't know Wilson Hill, but sitting through the classes may be a major drag. I'd probably go Teaching Textbooks and a tutor, weekly at first, then spacing it out as she calms down.

 

Science: Physics first is fine, but it just doesn't sound like the current setup is working for her. It would be nice if there was a local homeschool class where she could go weekly for low pressure labs, with a little reading in between, but I'm guessing it's too late for that. Check out Plato High School science through the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op. We used the middle school science years ago, and it was straightforward, with interesting online modules: https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/plato-high-school-science/.

 

Latin: I'm all about doing foreign language in the ninth grade, but I'd be tempted to drop it for now. However, if you continue, keep using the tutor. Another possibility is to switch to a modern language, and have her meet with a live tutor for lessons with some assignments to complete between sessions.

 

Does she have something outside of academics that inspires/engages her? For my oldest daughter it was theatre. Make sure she continues that activity, even if you are frustrated with the schoolwork situation.

 

Keep in mind that she is learning how to learn. Think carefully about evaluation methods. If tests are overwhelming and anxiety producing right now, minimize those, but provide opportunities where she can be successful and eventually become comfortable with the method.

 

Fourteen year old girls can be difficult under the best circumstances. Hang in there! Some days it is about survival.

[FriedClams]

I just want to throw out there that in many states, one you start high school at home, you are committed through graduation. This isn't everywhere, and private schools are often more flexible, but you can read all the threads about local public schools refusing credit for any homeschool work. If she's immature, doing 9th twice might be a good thing, but, there's no guarantee she'd get credit for geometry, etc. I don't share this to scare you but to help you look at how decisions today might affect your future options.

[chiguirre]

OP, before you drop the Wilson Hill classes I'd contact both teachers and explain your situation and ask for help to help your dd. I guarantee she's not the only kid who is lost. The first chapter of Geometry blew Trinqueta's mind and she is a mathy kid who aced Algebra II last year. It turned out she seemed to think you should be able to graph planes on the xy graph. When she figured out that the xy graph IS a plane, things snapped into place (at least until the next crises). I still sit with her with the solution manual in hand while she works through her homework so that I can check one by one and figure it out if she starts getting confused. I'd try that for both geometry and physics. If the textbook is Conceptual Physics, there's a website with a lot of videos by the author. 

 

http://conceptualacademy.com/

 

For the reading comprehension problems, I'd take a break from TOG and get something that asks comprehension questions as you go. For example, the MP Guide to Ancient History asks questions for each 5 or 6 page section. You can't zone out but it's not an overwhelming amount of material either. Smarr guides are similar but you MUST use the translation they use or you'll never figure out the answers (ask me how I know). I think the study guides for SWB's high school history books are similar. Of these three, MP guides are the most straightforward so they're probably a good place to start. I'd pick one history and one lit guide and see how it goes.

 

For Latin, I'd see if your text book has a website. I know Cambridge has a very nice site with lots of support for British schools (the textbooks are divided differently, I think). I've never used it but other here have and if you post they'll explain better.

 

Good luck!!!

[skimomma]

I have a similar 9th grade girl.  She is very bright but easily overwhelmed, easily frustrated, a perfectionist, and a procrastinator.  I have been homeschooling all the way through so I was very aware (and slightly afraid) of the issues I would be facing when we stepped it up for 9th grade.  

 

I find that I have to scaffold a great deal, especially at the beginning of the year.  There is very little my dd can do independently with high success.  I am not sitting here doing each thing with her, necessarily, but I play a huge role in scheduling her work flow (with her input) to try to avoid cramming and last minute rush jobs.  My hope is that she will adopt these practices, or some version of practices that work for her, herself over time but she is just not there yet.  I have to teach the kid I have in front of me right now.  Honestly, her online classes require the most management help from me.  One of them has a lot of busywork with complicated due dates.  The other (Latin) is by far her most difficult class and the workload is so high that help managing it is necessary.  There is no cramming or procrastinating in that class.  Without me helping her handle the schedule, she would be scrambling most days to get things in on time.

 

I have also found that during the 11-14 (and who knows how much longer) year old girl time, the beginning of the school year always seems hopeless.  I have finally learned to not let this alarm me and to even purposely lighten the load for the first month.  I cannot control her online classes so I lighten the all-home classes.  We are both adjusting to a change in schedule and it really takes a few weeks for dd's brain to get in the right space.  By November, I have usually forgotten the rocky start to the year.  Just a warning - January can be tricky too.

 

As others have said, bare bones scheduling might be something to consider.  My dd has 6 credits, one of which is an elective (music).  The 5 academic subjects she is taking are almost too much.  We too combine history, lit, and writing but I base the schedule on time, rather than content.  Basically, she has two hours a day for the combo and when that is exhausted, she is done.  It is broken up into two sections and I am right on top of her during those two hours to make sure she is focussing the entire time.  I don't expect to have to do that all year but it is what it is right now and I am ready to do it all year if I have to.

 

I second the jumping back into high school concern.  We live in a district that makes this nearly impossible.  Dd could jump in her 10th grade year and with testing be just a little behind, enough to maybe still graduate on time, but after that she is home or will have to extend her high school years.  Dd was well aware of this before final decisions were made.  I don't say this to freak you out but I would check in with her old school if there is a significant chance that going back to school is a possibility.  And share that info with your dd if a major factor in your decision to come home was her desire to do so.

[Wheres Toto]

Thank you!! I'll look at this more closely tomorrow but, just glancing, I don't think these tests will indicate a problem. She's an excellent speller (avid spelling bee contestant). She was an early reader and always scored very high on standardized tests. ????  Yet, I can read her a paragraph and she has trouble understanding the full meaning or answering simple questions about it. Her 11yo sister can answer rings around her. Any type of question requiring a thoughtful response (Why do you think he did that?) goes unanswered.

 

She read some difficult books in school and I could see why she had trouble. But our first book of the fall was Golden Goblet. I meant it to be a quick, fun, easy read. She waited till the last minute and then read it quickly and couldn't answer simple questions. I was quite frustrated. I'm reading the Book of James to the girls in the morning and asking simple questions. She is very inconsistent in being able to answer questions or even show she has followed the short reading. 

 

One insight....if she does not want to do something or isn't interested in something, she has great difficulty doing it. She understands more if she's interested and willing. That may be the case, to some degree, for us all but for her it's a particular challenge. I don't know how much of her incomprehension is inability and how much is lack of motivation. 

 

You have gotten a lot of good advice already, IMO but I wanted to ask about the bolded above.

 

Does her reading comprehension seem to be better when she reads it herself as opposed to you reading aloud to her?  Neither of my kids (nor myself really) are good at comprehending things read to us.  All three of us need to see and read it ourselves.  Definitely more visual than auditory.

[RootAnn]

OP, before you drop the Wilson Hill classes I'd contact both teachers and explain your situation and ask for help to help your dd. I guarantee she's not the only kid who is lost.

:iagree:  I don't know who her Geo teacher at WHA is, but all the math teachers (well, I don't know the new ones) there are really helpful. Are there discussion threads set up for the kids to ask for help? I don't know how the geo class is set up, but there should be a way for the kids to ask questions outside of class and get some help. Other than proofs, are there specific things she's struggling with? I've used Jurgensen (the text) without WHA's class and it is a tough book. There are some videos on Youtube specifically for that textbook and I'd definitely have the solutions manual (although it is pricey) even if my kid was a math whiz.

[Garga]

I just want to throw out there that in many states, one you start high school at home, you are committed through graduation. This isn't everywhere, and private schools are often more flexible, but you can read all the threads about local public schools refusing credit for any homeschool work. If she's immature, doing 9th twice might be a good thing, but, there's no guarantee she'd get credit for geometry, etc. I don't share this to scare you but to help you look at how decisions today might affect your future options.

 

Yes--please contact the school, quickly, and double check that they will accept your credits.  It's not joke that the majority of high schools will NOT accept homeschool credits.  If you homeschool for 9th - 11th grade and then your student wants to go to school in 12th, the school WILL put the homeschooled student into 9th grade classes and they'll have to do those 3 years over again.  There is no wiggle room for many schools.  

 

This isn't true everywhere.  For instance, my school district accepts them, but the school district 30 minutes up the road doesn't, in the same state.

 

 

You have gotten a lot of good advice already, IMO but I wanted to ask about the bolded above.

 

Does her reading comprehension seem to be better when she reads it herself as opposed to you reading aloud to her?  Neither of my kids (nor myself really) are good at comprehending things read to us.  All three of us need to see and read it ourselves.  Definitely more visual than auditory.

 

I have trouble remembering things when I'm listening vs reading with my own eyes.  Oddly enough, if I play solitaire while I listen I am completely able to focus.  But if I doodle or just sit there, I can't take the information in.  This is hard at church on Sunday mornings.  If I sit and listen, I don't remember a word.  If I could play solitaire, I'd get so much more out of it, but a grown woman can't sit there playing solitaire on her phone without it looking horribly disrespectful to the speaker.  Anyway--maybe she needs to be doing something with her hand or eyes while she's listening.  

Edited September 21, 2017 by Garga

[8filltheheart]

It could also take time to readjust to homeschooling. Homeschooling typically takes a lot self-study, way more than a typical in classroom setting. If she has become used to someone spoonfeeding her info vs self-learning, that could be a rough adjustment, but definitely a worthy skill.

[taffnus]

I've seen so much here I need to respond to but am in the middle of geometry prep 😳 Just wanted to say that our public high school is as you said - they will not accept her homeschool courses. If she returns to school, she will go to private and should have no issues with credit acceptance. Thanks for mentioning this. I didn't know it before his summer.

[Arcadia]

If it is the first time your daughter is taking online classes, there is a learning curve to it. My kids have been in online classes since 2nd grade but three instructors are new to my oldest this year. It took two to three weeks to get into the rhythm for those classes.

 

Even for math while my kids didn’t have much problem doing the tasks, it was remembering to check all components of homework was done and they didn’t miss any questions.

 

My oldest forgot to write his name down on his first class test. The teacher did not deduct points since it was the first time but did remind him that he would deduct for forgetting subsequently.

 

Also if your child is tired in the mornings and the class is at that time, see if there are recorded sessions that she can play again or class transcripts she can read through. We have never used WHA so I don’t know if they have that. My night owl will replay class recordings if he was sleepy during class time to see if he miss anything.

 

My perfectionist has problems with thoughtful answers because no thoughtful answers are good enough. My kids also do better with written instructions then verbal so they write it down. They remember well enough what they hear but they do better with reading the same novel than just hearing it. Their standardized scores are high because it is easier to pick the most perfect answer out of 4 or 5 choices in a multiple choice question than to write a perfect answer to an open ended literature question. My oldest took quite some time to make his math proof better because he had time. So even math homework can be “perfected†when it comes to being a perfectionist.

[Julie of KY]

Everything is a huge learning curve. I'd encourage you to pare it down to essentials or things that are hard to drop like online classes and start building up a routine. As things become a little easier, you can start adding more it.

 

I'd also encourage you not to compare your daughter to everyone else - especially the high achievers on this board. Take education one step at a time and do what is best for HER. My daughter who is in 9th grade could never handle the schedule you have for your daughter, but she is rapidly progressing in what she can handle and will probably surpass many of her peers in a few years.

 

It's difficult to learn to juggle online classes. Often they assign a lot of work as well. I try to push in one area at a time rather than change everything at once. In your case, everything is new as she came from brick and morter school to homeschool and it is a very different routine for high school.

[mirabillis]

We took Geo at WHA and have continued through Alg II & now Pre-Calc. This is for my super mathy kid. He required no hand-holding with this. But he did start with the outsourcing of Geom in 8th, when it was his one-and-only outsourced class. Outsourcing takes time to get used to and there is a learning curve.

 

Now, WHA has a reputation for being rigorous for Math. I have chosen another option for my next in line dd who is not as strong in Math (myhomeschoolmathclass.com - Jann in TX's class). And I will likely continue with her up to Pre-Calc and then we'll assess. And this is for someone who *loves* WHA. We also started with their Honors Physics course, but ended up dropping in favor of Biology for 9th grade. This was more personal preference than workload problem, as he really only was there for 1 week (maybe) so can't comment on its rigor.

Edited September 21, 2017 by mirabillis

[Reefgazer]

TOG is very time intensive. Is it possible that you can get a history and literature curriculum/program that is not as time intensive? We have History Odyssey and love it (and you can get it immediately as a digital download), but it can be a little more time intensive unless you are willing to cut out lessons. But you could use it in its entirety to give you a history and literature credit along with your writing program.

 

Latin can be very tough without an experienced teacher. I didn't know the first thing about Latin when I started teaching it so, I got Memoria Press Form series because it is designed for people who don't know Latin but need to guide their children through it.

 

I actually think physics is a great first science to start with, assuming the child has had algebra (at least). With my oldest, we did biology first and are following the traditional science path, mainly because I was an inexperienced homeschooler so I did what I had been taught to do. With my DS, we are going to do physics first because I determined that that made more sense scientifically and he is more a physics kids than a biology kid. Is it possible to drop down to non-honors physics with a curriculum that allows you to help her rather than do honors physics with some book for which you have no teaching support? I would not do conceptual physics for a mathy high schooler unless you were planning to follow it up in the senior year with an algebra based physics, as well.

 

As for math, would you consider a curriculum that allows your daughter to do a lot of the self teaching, such as Saxon? Saxon has been easy for me to implement, and once my children got to seventh grade, they could self teach it, mostly, with my supervision.

 

So in a nutshell, I think what you're doing is great and very similar to what we are doing, but I would dial back the intensity and make some changes to reflect what works for your daughter. I made the same mistake in high school as you did as far as intensity goes, and I had a completely unrealistic expectation of what a ninth grader is capable of. They are really not that far removed from the middle school, when you think about it, and the stamina and capability will come in time. I think a few adjustments for intensity and your daughter's learning style will solve your problem.

 

 

 

if

I'm on an emotional roller coaster right now. My dd came home from BMS for 9th. I homeschooled her K-5 and her little sister has always homeschooled so I'm not new to this but high school is a totally different animal. We started strong and with such high hopes but I'm afraid we're both about to crash and burn. Here was my original plan and the current status:

 

History - TOG Yr 1 Rhetoric / DD is complaining that the reading is too much and doesn't like the "read all week and then have a lengthy discussion" format.

Literature - TOG Dialectic then Rhetoric - First book down and she couldn't tell me anything about it.

Writing - LTOW - Just started and going very well. This may be a good fit.

Health - Mom-created course supposed to be completed this summer. She did about HALF. We've put it on the back burner.

PE - Ongoing. No issues.

Latin 2 - We continued the same curriculum from BMS. Got 2 weeks into it and had to find a tutor. This has been her favorite subject for 3 years and now she's not enjoying it or wanting to do it. Breaks my heart.

Geometry - Wilson Hill - I was so excited to let someone else teach math and science. Now, I'm finding myself having to sit next to her for every class and then hold her hand for the homework and studying. I was about in tears tonight trying to figure out how to explain proofs to her. She's clueless and I don't know what to do.

Physics (Honors) - Wilson Hill - ditto the above. I never took physics. I don't want to teach it but she's nowhere near independent or mature enough to do the class on her own.

 

Background on DD - diabetic, immature for age (just turned 14), not independent worker, perfectionist and quick to give up, very bright (performed well at high-achieving private school), has lofty goals but little lasting motivation, has some focus and reading comp issues but psychologist says there's no diagnosable problem

 

I'm frustrated and scared. I can't imagine all of the other kids in her online class can do this work on their own but we're still faced with having to do it. I'm low on time and energy and am stressed in thinking I may have made a mistake taking her out of school or, at least, putting her in online classes. Do you have any advice??

Edited September 21, 2017 by reefgazer

[Pen]

I'm on an emotional roller coaster right now. My dd came home from BMS for 9th. I homeschooled her K-5 and her little sister has always homeschooled so I'm not new to this but high school is a totally different animal. We started strong and with such high hopes but I'm afraid we're both about to crash and burn. Here was my original plan and the current status: 

 

History - TOG Yr 1 Rhetoric  /  DD is complaining that the reading is too much and doesn't like the "read all week and then have a lengthy discussion" format. 

Literature - TOG Dialectic then Rhetoric - First book down and she couldn't tell me anything about it. 

Writing - LTOW - Just started and going very well. This may be a good fit. 

Health - Mom-created course supposed to be completed this summer. She did about HALF. We've put it on the back burner.

PE - Ongoing. No issues.

Latin 2 - We continued the same curriculum from BMS. Got 2 weeks into it and had to find a tutor. This has been her favorite subject for 3 years and now she's not enjoying it or wanting to do it. Breaks my heart. 

Geometry - Wilson Hill - I was so excited to let someone else teach math and science. Now, I'm finding myself having to sit next to her for every class and then hold her hand for the homework and studying. I was about in tears tonight trying to figure out how to explain proofs to her. She's clueless and I don't know what to do. 

Physics (Honors) - Wilson Hill - ditto the above. I never took physics. I don't want to teach it but she's nowhere near independent or mature enough to do the class on her own. 

 

Background on DD - diabetic, immature for age (just turned 14), not independent worker, perfectionist and quick to give up, very bright (performed well at high-achieving private school), has lofty goals but little lasting motivation, has some focus and reading comp issues but psychologist says there's no diagnosable problem

 

I'm frustrated and scared. I can't imagine all of the other kids in her online class can do this work on their own but we're still faced with having to do it. I'm low on time and energy and am stressed in thinking I may have made a mistake taking her out of school or, at least, putting her in online classes. Do you have any advice??

 

 

I'm not familiar with TOG.

 

But it looks like it may be too hard a load given the bold.  Especially the honors physics. And maybe she needs an easier Geometry. And, also, nothing looks like a "fun" class.

 

And maybe switch to a living language of her choice?

 

And let her read 9th grade suitable literature books and write about them?

 

My ds is in BMS this year; and also  in 9th has

Physical Science (which really is a 9th grade science class--much easier than honors physics.   Biology would have been another option.

 

He has Geometry too, and it is a lot of work. I'm finding it hard when he comes home needing some help, but in a book that is unfamiliar to me (and that I probably would not have chose, since I don't find it has good explanations), plus I've forgotten much of Geometry I once learned.  I'm thinking I may take a look at Khan myself to reorient to geometry and maybe get some ideas.