Have I totally messed up with my 8th grader?

[rubyschu]

My oldest is in 8th grade this year and I thought she was doing really well academically based on what I had read in TWTM and on these forums. She has always been homeschooled, but we always assumed she would likely go to public high school since we live in an area with supposedly "excellent" schools. I've been making sure to cover our bases by following TWTM and I've even made sure to keep tabs on using Common Core standards as a checklist. Last year, we had even taken a look at some public school "Common Core" textbooks and they actually seemed a bit too easy to for her.  She was a late reader (around age 7) and we were following the interest-led and unit study methods up until grade 6. That is when we switched to TWTM methods and she has done great with it. Its been an excellent fit for her and I've been thrilled with the tremendous growth I've seen her abilities. She recently decided that she thinks she wants to study ecology and/or wildlife biology at a state college (she is absolutely passionate about ornithology). She is a natural writer, reads tons of books at a high school level, is currently writing a novel all on her own, and is on track to complete Algebra 1 through Thinkwell by the end of the school year. I really had thought she was doing amazing. 

 

Anyway, to get to the point...the local public high school has 9/10 on Great Schools ratings, and they make a big deal about that they offer tons of AP options. I wasn't totally sold on the AP options as a good fit but figured she could take them eventually if she felt up to it after 9th grade. She has minor test anxiety and doesn't do well with rote memorization so she wasn't very interested in AP classes anyway. I have now realized that she is NOT at all prepared for the local public high school because they use all Pre-AP classes in middle school through high school (through the College Board "Springboard" curriculum) and start watered down AP material in *6th grade*. There are NO other options, only Pre-AP classes, even in middle school. If you don't start in 6th grade, you will struggle with the way they teach the material. By 8th grade they are supposed to be able to understand and remember rhetorical literary terms and writing techniques that I learned in the end of high school. I feel like there is just no way that she can be at that level without intense stress by the end of the school year. I feel like I have totally made a mess of her education.

 

What would you do at this point??? When she saw the sample materials that we recently got that are from the pre-AP program for 8th graders she absolutely insisted she wants to homeschool for high school instead. She just figures that their program isn't a good fit for her and she's happy to keep doing what we have been doing. We live in a state that has a very well respected Running Start program that is extremely popular for both homeschoolers and public schoolers, but that is only an option for junior/senior year. She can earn a high school diploma from the community college at the same time as earning an associates degree. The state universities all have transfer agreements with the community colleges, so that is a fairly safe route to get to a bachelors degree. There isn't tons of social opportunities for homeschoolers in middle/high school in our area if you are not a "Christian homeschooler" (we are Christians, but use secular materials). My confidence in my ability to homeschool her has taken a big blow from the realization that we are technically way behind according to the school, when we thought we were likely ahead to start high school. I really don't want her last year of homeschooling to be a huge big stress of pushing her to get ready, when at this point she really enjoys learning. Our original long term plan has just all sort of fallen apart. I could really use advice from others on here. Thanks in advance for reading all of this.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2017 by rubyschu

[freesia]

I don't think I have any or much advice, but hugs definitely.

 

It honestly sounds like she is doing really, really well and it certainly on par or ahead of my oldest at that point (and, for the record, he got a 5 on the AP Eng language without having all those lit terms and rhetorical techniques down by 8th grade. He learned them in AP class.)  It's fine they've decided to teach the scope and sequence they have, I guess, (although I question the actual depth of use of those techniques and tools in 13 year olds).

 

It sounds like she is thriving in homeschool, so I'd continue on.  But don't even begin to think that you are missing the mark or behind. Don't let this steal your joy.  Those benchmarks are not necessary for anything, except maybe progressing in that exact school.

[Lori D.]

...we switched to TWTM methods and she has done great with it. Its been an excellent fit for her...

...She is a natural writer, reads tons of books at a high school level

...is currently writing a novel all on her own

...and is on track to complete Algebra 1 through Thinkwell by the end of the school year. I really had thought she was doing amazing. 

 

.....the local public high school has 9/10 on Great Schools ratings, and... hey offer tons of AP options...

... she wasn't very interested in AP classes anyway...

...they use all Pre-AP classes in middle school through high school (through the College Board "Springboard" curriculum) and start watered down AP material in *6th grade*. There are NO other options...

 

She sounds amazing and ahead of the curve to me! I wouldn't worry a bit about not having had the "pre-AP" materials. If she's reading and understanding quality high school lit, can discuss the lit intelligently with you, is a solid writer, and will be ready for math above Algebra 1 by 9th grade, she will be fine.

 

 

...There are NO other options, only Pre-AP classes, even in middle school. If you don't start in 6th grade, you will struggle with the way they teach the material...

 

That sounds like hooey to me. Seriously, EVERY school has a bell-curve of student abilities. Not all students can do "pre-AP" (whatever THAT means) classes in 6th grade. And a smart student (like your DD) will adjust to whatever is "the way THEY teach the material" in 2-3 months.

 

 

...By 8th grade they are supposed to be able to understand and remember rhetorical literary terms and writing techniques that I learned in the end of high school...

 

Gently, do you REALLY think EVERY student has this list memorized?! We're talking public school, and we're talking tweens/early teens... I really cannot imagine this is a true fact: 100% of all 8th graders have memorized and correctly use all literary terms and writing techniques at the level of a 12th grader.  :lol:

 

 

Your DD sounds amazing and ahead of the curve to me! I wouldn't worry a bit about not having had the "pre-AP" materials. If she's reading and understanding quality high school lit, can discuss the lit intelligently with you, is a solid writer, and will be ready for math above Algebra 1 by 9th grade, she will be fine.

 

If you're really worried, ask the school to schedule the ability for DD to shadow an 8th grader for a day or two, and then shadow a 9th grader for a day or two. Help DD to think about big picture -- "can I learn with this set-up", rather than getting all anxious about "I haven't seen this particular material before so therefore I must be "behind" and unable to do this".

 

Also, remember that the first 4-6 weeks of EVERY new school year is review of the last year's material, and THEN moving into the new grade-level material. So your DD will get a bit of a review for the first weeks of 9th grade, which should help her focus on transitioning.

 

It WILL be an adjustment for all of you, switching to new materials and new expectations, but that has nothing to do with academic-preparedness. That's more about learning the new terminology and the new "system". And, some of it will also be adjusting to simple public school things like study skills, time management and tracking deadlines of homework/projects/tests, memorizing locker combinations, putting your name and date on all your work.

 

My only thought is that if WTM has been an excellent fit for her and she is thriving with it, the public school will likely be a let-down academically and interest-wise for her. It's unfortunately there aren't many homeschool socializing opportunities for her. But if she's a brave soul, and if the high school is disappointing and she wants to homeschool for high school, then look around for more youth community-based extracurriculars for socializing:

- youth theater

- Mock Trial

- Model UN

- YMCA Youth & Gov't

- local high school sports team, band/orchestra, etc.

- Speech & Debate club

- Civil Air Patrol

- youth docent volunteer at the zoo, museum, or other local site with a teen docent volunteer program

 

You might also contact the Christian homeschool group and offer to organize/host homeschool youth activities for socializing, where it won't matter what school materials you use -- volunteer projects together, hiking trips, game nights, meeting up at venues like rock climbing, roller skating, bowling, etc.

 

BEST of luck in finding what works best for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited October 26, 2017 by Lori D.

[Pen]

It sounds like she is doing amazing.  Why not just continue with homeschool through 12th?

[boscopup]

Remember that your goal is for her to be able to function well in college. It sounds like you've done a great job with that. :) I'll bet if she went to that high school, she'd adjust quickly. Kids are pretty resilient. I doubt their 8th graders are all that much more prepared for high school than your daughter is.

 

My 8th grader has done virtual school this year and half of last year. At first, it seemed really difficult. Later, I realized that it was just "different". Like he had to learn how to answer questions the way they wanted him to. It wasn't that the material was necessarily any more difficult. It was just presented differently with different expectations. Nothing wrong with either method. He just had to adjust to the difference. We'll be homeschooling high school, as we're both kind of tired of some of the silly stuff (like narrative essays on topics he struggles to think of anything for). Also, before he started virtual school, I was scared about the amount of writing. He wasn't used to writing a whole lot, and it was definitely his weakest subject. Well, it turns out that the (local) teachers think his writing is very good! They've even said it was better than what many of the high school students were turning in. That shocked me. I had it in my head that kids in public high school were writing better than they were. I think my vision was clouded by WTM students. Based on the science teacher's instructions for labs, I get the feeling that many students are turning in labs with numerous grammatical and spelling errors. He only mentioned those things in bold letters at least 3 times in the one page instructions. :lol:

[MinivanMom]

If the only classes they offer are "pre-AP", then "pre-AP" is just another way of saying "regular track". Because there is no way that every single student at that school from low-IQ to high-IQ, from struggling reader to strong reader, from kid with ADHD to overachiever is functioning at a "pre-AP"-level. I'm just laughing at the idea. 

 

So don't let a sample of their most challenging materials shake your confidence, because it sounds like you are doing a fantastic job. You have not messed up. Those materials they gave you are their star in the sky that they're reaching for. Good for them, because high ideals & lofty goals are wonderful. But there is no freaking way that all of their kids are achieving at that level. Have you looked up their actual stats? Many high schools have their "school profile" right on their website. It should tell you the high school's average SAT score or ACT score, the percentage of students taking AP classes, and the AP pass rate. Take a look at those actual stats rather than being intimidated by whatever hard-sell they're giving you.

 

And I say this as someone who lives in an upper-class area with fabulous schools. The public high schools around me offer full Latin programs and AP diplomas. They have kids taking as many as 15-20 AP's and have AP pass rates above 90% (yes, you read that correctly). Yet I know students at those schools who will admit they hate reading and have never read a book for English class all the way through. I know students who struggled in regular track classes and did the bare minimum and still graduated with decent gpa's. If your kid is ready to dive into the Latin program and sign up for 15 AP's, they will have a rich environment with equally motivated peers. But if your kid struggles with math . . .  or with keeping his papers organized . . . or with meeting deadlines . . . he will have plenty of company, and he will graduate with a diploma too. And they have every student in between. Because it's a public school, and they have to educate every student who lives within the district boundaries.

 

So take a deep breath. Look up some real stats on those AP classes. Talk to some parents who have kids attending the high school. If you don't know anybody, now is the time to chat up your neighbors . . . or the kid bagging your groceries . . . or the friendly kid who works Saturdays at the Chick-fil-a. Seriously, talk to some real high schoolers (and their parents) if you want to know what it's really like.

 

If you really want to homeschool high school, that can be a wonderful choice. But don't do it out of fear. Go explore the high school in depth and talk to some real people. Then you'll be able to make the decision that's right for your daughter.

[fourisenough]

If the only classes they offer are "pre-AP", then "pre-AP" is just another way of saying "regular track". Because there is no way that every single student at that school from low-IQ to high-IQ, from struggling reader to strong reader, from kid with ADHD to overachiever is functioning at a "pre-AP"-level. I'm just laughing at the idea.

 

So don't let a sample of their most challenging materials shake your confidence, because it sounds like you are doing a fantastic job. You have not messed up. Those materials they gave you are their star in the sky that they're reaching for. Good for them, because high ideals & lofty goals are wonderful. But there is no freaking way that all of their kids are achieving at that level. Have you looked up their actual stats? Many high schools have their "school profile" right on their website. It should tell you the high school's average SAT score or ACT score, the percentage of students taking AP classes, and the AP pass rate. Take a look at those actual stats rather than being intimidated by whatever hard-sell they're giving you.

 

And I say this as someone who lives in an upper-class area with fabulous schools. The public high schools around me offer full Latin programs and AP diplomas. They have kids taking as many as 15-20 AP's and have AP pass rates above 90% (yes, you read that correctly). Yet I know students at those schools who will admit they hate reading and have never read a book for English class all the way through. I know students who struggled in regular track classes and did the bare minimum and still graduated with decent gpa's. If your kid is ready to dive into the Latin program and sign up for 15 AP's, they will have a rich environment with equally motivated peers. But if your kid struggles with math . . . or with keeping his papers organized . . . or with meeting deadlines . . . he will have plenty of company, and he will graduate with a diploma too. And they have every student in between. Because it's a public school, and they have to educate every student who lives within the district boundaries.

 

So take a deep breath. Look up some real stats on those AP classes. Talk to some parents who have kids attending the high school. If you don't know anybody, now is the time to chat up your neighbors . . . or the kid bagging your groceries . . . or the friendly kid who works Saturdays at the Chick-fil-a. Seriously, talk to some real high schoolers (and their parents) if you want to know what it's really like.

 

If you really want to homeschool high school, that can be a wonderful choice. But don't do it out of fear. Go explore the high school in depth and talk to some real people. Then you'll be able to make the decision that's right for your daughter.

This. All of this!

 

I call BS on the claim that everyone at this public school is achieving at that level. Unless they (illegally) screen students through some selective admissions process, it just isn’t possible.

[madteaparty]

I agree with minivanmom as well.

We have a decent public. We moved specifically so when high school came DS would go to this public. I don't think he will, but I've had occasion to visit the school and the teachers. What you should know, generally, about APs is that schools love to "offer" them and they feature prominently on their brochures. But I don't know who's controlling for the quality of these classes because I don't think they include AP scores in their brochures ;)

I know this is a risk with privately taken classs as well, a child can get an A in the class and then not score that well on the exam, but for public schools it seems the exam score matters not at all so long as the kids "participated" in AP.

Lastly, WTH is a term like "pre-AP" mean? Any class that comes before the AP is pre-AP. I hereby designate my daughter's first grade curric "pre-AP".

Don't let the school rile you.

[Lori D.]

...WTH is a term like "pre-AP" mean? Any class that comes before the AP is pre-AP. I hereby designate my daughter's first grade curric "pre-AP".

Don't let the school rile you.

 

lol :laugh: That was my thought, too.

[MinivanMom]

Lastly, WTH is a term like "pre-AP" mean? Any class that comes before the AP is pre-AP. I hereby designate my daughter's first grade curric "pre-AP".

Don't let the school rile you.

 

About a million years ago, when my oldest daughter was in preschool, I went to a "magnet fair" for our school district. I stopped at a table for a local elementary school whose magnet was "pre-International Baccalaureate". And I was like "What?!" because how can an elementary school be pre-IB? So I stopped at the table to talk to the lady who was sitting there. I can't remember now whether she was the magnet director for the school or a vice-principal or what, but our conversation went something like this:

 

Me: What does that mean that your elementary school is pre-IB?

Lady: It means that we feed into the pre-IB magnet middle school which then feeds into the IB high school.

Me: Okay, but what does a pre-IB elementary school do?

Lady: We prepare the kids for the IB middle school and high school.

Me: But what do your kids do to prepare for IB?

(Lady rambles on and on about how they have a Spanish special every week and focus on international things - studying other countries & having an annual International festival.)

Me: Don't all the elementary schools in our district have a Spanish special?

Lady: Yes, but we have an international focus at our school, and that prepares the kids for IB, because IB is an international program.

 

Oh my goodness, I laughed over that conversation for ages. To think I passed up the opportunity for my kindergartner to be a pre-IB student. So funny!

 

ETA: I had completely forgotten about that conversation until madteaparty's comment. 

Edited October 27, 2017 by MinivanMom

[maize]

I think your kid will be fine.

 

I transferred into an IB program in 11th grade, coming from a really poor school for 9th and 10th; most of those kids had been in pre-IB classes but really it was fine. 

 

Think about what happens when kids go to college--they're coming from hundreds of different high schools, but as long as they have a decent foundation over all they do fine. I can't imagine thinking your child had to be in one particular prep program for x university in order to succeed there.

[Library Momma]

If the only classes they offer are "pre-AP", then "pre-AP" is just another way of saying "regular track". Because there is no way that every single student at that school from low-IQ to high-IQ, from struggling reader to strong reader, from kid with ADHD to overachiever is functioning at a "pre-AP"-level. I'm just laughing at the idea. 

 

So don't let a sample of their most challenging materials shake your confidence, because it sounds like you are doing a fantastic job. You have not messed up. Those materials they gave you are their star in the sky that they're reaching for. Good for them, because high ideals & lofty goals are wonderful. But there is no freaking way that all of their kids are achieving at that level. Have you looked up their actual stats? Many high schools have their "school profile" right on their website. It should tell you the high school's average SAT score or ACT score, the percentage of students taking AP classes, and the AP pass rate. Take a look at those actual stats rather than being intimidated by whatever hard-sell they're giving you.

 

And I say this as someone who lives in an upper-class area with fabulous schools. The public high schools around me offer full Latin programs and AP diplomas. They have kids taking as many as 15-20 AP's and have AP pass rates above 90% (yes, you read that correctly). Yet I know students at those schools who will admit they hate reading and have never read a book for English class all the way through. I know students who struggled in regular track classes and did the bare minimum and still graduated with decent gpa's. If your kid is ready to dive into the Latin program and sign up for 15 AP's, they will have a rich environment with equally motivated peers. But if your kid struggles with math . . .  or with keeping his papers organized . . . or with meeting deadlines . . . he will have plenty of company, and he will graduate with a diploma too. And they have every student in between. Because it's a public school, and they have to educate every student who lives within the district boundaries.

 

So take a deep breath. Look up some real stats on those AP classes. Talk to some parents who have kids attending the high school. If you don't know anybody, now is the time to chat up your neighbors . . . or the kid bagging your groceries . . . or the friendly kid who works Saturdays at the Chick-fil-a. Seriously, talk to some real high schoolers (and their parents) if you want to know what it's really like.

 

If you really want to homeschool high school, that can be a wonderful choice. But don't do it out of fear. Go explore the high school in depth and talk to some real people. Then you'll be able to make the decision that's right for your daughter.

 

I'm going to quote and say "This" too!  It reminds me of schools that call their top track of classes "Gifted" classes.

[rubyschu]

I should probably clarify a bit, since I'm guessing the pre-AP program may not be well known at this point. I had assumed it was a silly label when I heard about it before and didn't pay much attention to it. The "pre-AP" label is on the classes because they were part of the group of schools that have tested the College Board's (the group who make the AP exams and designate what is considered "AP") new curriculum geared specifically towards AP prep. The program is meant to teach AP prep split between grades 6-10 from what I understand. They can call the classes "pre-AP" because they are using curricula for that purpose directly from the organization that makes the AP program. It is not just some random label this school district slapped on their course catalog. Personally, I think it seems like a total conflict of interest for the College Board to be in the business of making curriculum to prep for their tests and sell it to school districts. That is a whole can of worms that I won't get into right now. 

 

I was told that transferring in for 9th will make it difficult because the "pre-AP" program starts in 6th grade and they expect for the student to understand the previous concepts that wouldn't have been typically introduced at this point. I believe that the issue is not that they will not accommodate different levels of students, but that they are introducing concepts that are not typically introduced at this level. I actually think it looks like it could be a decent program, just not necessarily a great fit for where my daughter is at this moment nor where we planned to be by the end of this school year. I was able to get a copy of the 8th grade ELA workbook from a friend. I think I will take a look through it and see if it is feasible to add the additional concepts to our current plan for this year. The school really is excellent quality for a public school. They have AP participation rates around 45% and a 90% AP pass rate, so it sounds like they are doing a decent job. I doubt that I could offer that kind of level of work for my daughter at home. Thank you all for your responses. You have given me a lot to ponder.

 

Edited October 27, 2017 by rubyschu

[almondbutterandjelly]

If all you need is literary terms to feel like it wouldn't be a problem for your dd, there is a wonderful workbook called Figuratively Speaking that covers them all.

 

 

[Lori D.]

...The "pre-AP" label is on ... new curriculum geared specifically towards AP prep. The program is meant to teach AP prep split between grades 6-10 ...They can call the classes "pre-AP" because they are using curricula for that purpose directly from the organization that makes the AP program...

 

...Personally, I think it seems like a total conflict of interest for the College Board to be in the business of making curriculum to prep for their tests and sell it to school districts...

 

I agree. It also sounds like "teaching to the test", rather than teaching how to actually learn and think. I would be extremely wary of a program designed to feed directly into a test, as that has NEVER provided good end results as far as actually thinking, ability to learn from mistakes, or encouraged the creativity of coming up with out-of-the-box ideas and solutions, all of which are needed for real life college or career work.

 

 

...I was told that transferring in for 9th will make it difficult because the "pre-AP" program starts in 6th grade and they expect for the student to understand the previous concepts that wouldn't have been typically introduced at this point. I believe that the issue is not that they will not accommodate different levels of students, but that they are introducing concepts that are not typically introduced at this level. I actually think it looks like it could be a decent program, just not necessarily a great fit for where my daughter is at this moment nor where we planned to be by the end of this school year...

 

I just did a fast skim, at random of the grade 6 and grade 10 ELA samples of the SpringBoard materials at the AP website, and it sure seems to me the SpringBoard curriculum is not covering anything differently than what a lot of classical homeschoolers are doing -- what *you* are probably already doing a lot of, as I quote you from your original post:

 

...I've been making sure to cover our bases by following TWTM

...and I've even made sure to keep tabs on using Common Core standards as a checklist...

... public school "Common Core" textbooks and they actually seemed a bit too easy to for her. 

 

... when we switched to TWTM methods and she has done great with it. Its been an excellent fit for her...

... she wants to study ecology and/or wildlife biology... she is absolutely passionate about ornithology...

... She is a natural writer

... reads tons of books at a high school level

... is currently writing a novel all on her own

... and is on track to complete Algebra 1 

 

So much success here! I would really question whether the pre-AP / AP track will HELP her with her evident love for creative writing and passion for ornithology, or will it lock her onto a track that has no room for her gifts and passions.

 

She's already writing a novel. There are probably a number of ways you could help encourage/support her pursuing ornithology:

- volunteer teen docent at a local bird aviary or bird dept. of local zoo

- involvement with a local falconry group

- volunteer in the bird dept. of a local pet shop

- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Home Study Course of Bird Biology

 

 

...I was able to get a copy of the 8th grade ELA workbook from a friend. I think I will take a look through it and see if it is feasible to add the additional concepts to our current plan for this year.

 

That sounds like a good plan. :) Good luck, whatever you decide to do! Warmest regards, Lori D. 

[freesia]

I think your kid will be fine.

 

I transferred into an IB program in 11th grade, coming from a really poor school for 9th and 10th; most of those kids had been in pre-IB classes but really it was fine. 

 

Think about what happens when kids go to college--they're coming from hundreds of different high schools, but as long as they have a decent foundation over all they do fine. I can't imagine thinking your child had to be in one particular prep program for x university in order to succeed there.

 

Yes, this.  I graduated for a city high school (that was the best in the city, but definitely not as good as the local privates or close in suburban schools).  I went to a highly selective NE liberal arts school with many women who had gone to the most exclusive New England boarding schools.  Guess what? After a semester of figuring it out, I graduated summa cum laude.  Bright motivated kids figure it out.

[freesia]

I should probably clarify a bit, since I'm guessing the pre-AP program may not be well known at this point. I had assumed it was a silly label when I heard about it before and didn't pay much attention to it. The "pre-AP" label is on the classes because they were part of the group of schools that have tested the College Board's (the group who make the AP exams and designate what is considered "AP") new curriculum geared specifically towards AP prep. The program is meant to teach AP prep split between grades 6-10 from what I understand. They can call the classes "pre-AP" because they are using curricula for that purpose directly from the organization that makes the AP program. It is not just some random label this school district slapped on their course catalog. Personally, I think it seems like a total conflict of interest for the College Board to be in the business of making curriculum to prep for their tests and sell it to school districts. That is a whole can of worms that I won't get into right now. 

 

I was told that transferring in for 9th will make it difficult because the "pre-AP" program starts in 6th grade and they expect for the student to understand the previous concepts that wouldn't have been typically introduced at this point. I believe that the issue is not that they will not accommodate different levels of students, but that they are introducing concepts that are not typically introduced at this level. I actually think it looks like it could be a decent program, just not necessarily a great fit for where my daughter is at this moment nor where we planned to be by the end of this school year. I was able to get a copy of the 8th grade ELA workbook from a friend. I think I will take a look through it and see if it is feasible to add the additional concepts to our current plan for this year. The school really is excellent quality for a public school. They have AP participation rates around 45% and a 90% AP pass rate, so it sounds like they are doing a decent job. I doubt that I could offer that kind of level of work for my daughter at home. Thank you all for your responses. You have given me a lot to ponder.

 

Guess what?  Public schools have to take kids transferring in for 9th and make it work.  It's actually on them to make sure that she is ready.  Not saying that it's the path you should take (and there isn't any harm in doing what you are planning, which might make it more comfortable for your dd if she does transfer in), but they must take her and teach her no matter what (unless, I guess, it's a charter).  And don't for a minute think it's what you have to do in order for her to succeed on the APs. 

 

 

[redsquirrel]

My kid transitioned into a high achieving high school in 9th grade. We got told similar blah blah blah.  Guess what? He did FINE.  The first couple months were challenging but guess what: They are challenging for EVERY 9th grader. His early adjustment struggles didn't stand out in any way. None of his teachers knew he was homeschooled, he was just one more 9th grader trying to keep it together. They all settled in eventually.

 

I'm actually really glad we sent him. The level of science he has done at school is well above what I could achieve at home. That at least has been a big relief.

 

Has every day been perfect? Has he been a straight A student? Nope. He's been a regular teenager and worked harder in some classes than others, had better years than others. He graduates in June and he's just fine.  Any of the struggles he's had have been typical teenage ones and have had nothing to do with homeschooling.

[rubyschu]

I agree. It also sounds like "teaching to the test", rather than teaching how to actually learn and think. I would be extremely wary of a program designed to feed directly into a test, as that has NEVER provided good end results as far as actually thinking, ability to learn from mistakes, or encouraged the creativity of coming up with out-of-the-box ideas and solutions, all of which are needed for real life college or career work.

 

 

 

I just did a fast skim, at random of the grade 6 and grade 10 ELA samples of the SpringBoard materials at the AP website, and it sure seems to me the SpringBoard curriculum is not covering anything differently than what a lot of classical homeschoolers are doing -- what *you* are probably already doing a lot of, as I quote you from your original post:

 

 

So much success here! I would really question whether the pre-AP / AP track will HELP her with her evident love for creative writing and passion for ornithology, or will it lock her onto a track that has no room for her gifts and passions.

 

She's already writing a novel. There are probably a number of ways you could help encourage/support her pursuing ornithology:

- volunteer teen docent at a local bird aviary or bird dept. of local zoo

- involvement with a local falconry group

- volunteer in the bird dept. of a local pet shop

- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Home Study Course of Bird Biology

 

 

 

That sounds like a good plan. :) Good luck, whatever you decide to do! Warmest regards, Lori D. 

 

 

 

Thank you for your comments, they echo my own thoughts on teaching to the test. That is one of my biggest annoyances with the public school system. She has participated each year in a one day seminar at a local community college for middle school girls interested in STEM careers. She mentioned that she was going to ask the group that comes in with birds of prey from a Raptor Rescue for ideas about volunteering. She also has asked to volunteer with the teen program at our local zoo. Its funny that you mention the Cornell lab study course. Their Merlin bird ID app was what started her dive into this interest. She became absolutely fascinated with using the sample bird calls to interact with the birds in our yard. She has gobbled up every bit of info on birds she could find and then sent an email to Cornell bird lab asking questions about possible suggestions about future add ons to their app. I was slightly stunned when she told me after she had emailed back and forth with someone from Cornell bird lab. She has a passion for language and originally thought she might like to study foreign language, but then she realized that understanding how animals (specifically birds obviously) communicate was even more fascinating. When we've discussed the possibility of homeschooling for high school, I had thought about the Cornell bird lab program(s) as an elective science since I know she would just love that. 

 

 

I've been wrestling with the high school options well before discovering this "pre-AP" nonsense. I think I just let my fear jump in before I really looked into the program in depth. We actually never planned to homeschool in the beginning, but she was just absolutely not ready for kindergarten when the time came. We had a few friends that were successfully homeschooling their kids and it seemed like a good thing to try. Then year after year, she has thrived (along with her younger brothers). She has exceeded my expectations at this point. She has such intense passion and drive for the things she wants to learn about that I want to make sure that we set her up for success. On the surface it seems that a quality public high school that offers AP classes is a great opportunity, but I worry about her not having enough time to explore her passions/gifts. The real struggle has been that after elementary school there is a real lack of academic type homeschoolers in the area. It's mostly extremely conservative religious homeschoolers or unschool/very relaxed homeschoolers. I guess it will have to come down to her own choice, because in the end it is her education.

 

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Edited October 27, 2017 by rubyschu

[rubyschu]

My kid transitioned into a high achieving high school in 9th grade. We got told similar blah blah blah.  Guess what? He did FINE.  The first couple months were challenging but guess what: They are challenging for EVERY 9th grader. His early adjustment struggles didn't stand out in any way. None of his teachers knew he was homeschooled, he was just one more 9th grader trying to keep it together. They all settled in eventually.

 

I'm actually really glad we sent him. The level of science he has done at school is well above what I could achieve at home. That at least has been a big relief.

 

Has every day been perfect? Has he been a straight A student? Nope. He's been a regular teenager and worked harder in some classes than others, had better years than others. He graduates in June and he's just fine.  Any of the struggles he's had have been typical teenage ones and have had nothing to do with homeschooling.

 

Thank you for sharing your experience. That is very reassuring. I love the idea of her getting to experience some awesome lab science, since I think we've pretty much done the majority that is realistically possible at home already. My husband is an engineer and I'm a former nurse with a love of science, with a bunch of very science-y kids so we have done tons of home lab science already. When I have seen suggestions for home labs for high school, a good portion are things she has already done. 

[Lori D.]

She has participated each year in a one day seminar at a local community college for middle school girls interested in STEM careers...

... Raptor Rescue for ideas about volunteering... also has asked... at our local zoo...

...Cornell lab study... Merlin bird ID app... started her dive into this interest.

... year after year, she has thrived...

...she has exceeded my expectations at this point...

...She has such intense passion and drive for the things she wants to learn about that I want to make sure that we set her up for success.

 

What an awesome young lady, and what a fabulous experience and gift homeschooling has been for your DD! Sounds like she has had SO much success with homeschooling.   :) It sure sounds like you are well on the way to creating a fantastic high school academic experience that will prepare her for taking off in college. :)

 

 

...The real struggle has been that after elementary school there is a real lack of academic type homeschoolers in the area. It's mostly extremely conservative religious homeschoolers or unschool/very relaxed homeschoolers. I guess it will have to come down to her own choice, because in the end it is her education...

 

For academic support, check out:

- hire a local tutor or mentor

- great online options for homeschoolers

- podcasts, Teaching Company Great Courses, MOOC, and open source university classes available online

- dual enrollment at the local community college or university

 

More academic support ideas:

- Science Fair projects/Science Fair groups

- high school engineering/robotic after school groups

- summer programs offered for middle/high school students by local university or community college

- travel and spend a week at a summer science camp

 

Does your local university have a wildlife biology degree program? Maybe go in this summer and talk to the department and see if there is some way your DD can be a "high school intern" helping out in the labs, or be mentored by a grad student or professor in the department.

 

 

For social support, see if you can organize and host activities with members of your local homeschooling groups, so your DD can still enjoy time with age-peers, even if none of them are doing the same kind of academics. :) What about joining after-school clubs at the local high school, or community-based teen activities? Check out the ideas I listed above, or ideas in these past threads:

 

High school socialization

Finding extra-curricular

What extracurricular activities for the high school years?

What kinds of extra activities for high schoolers?

 

You've got a great homeschooling situation going -- have fun planning for how to keep that up through high school! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited October 27, 2017 by Lori D.

[bethben]

I have a homeschooling friend whose daughter was obsessed with ornithology also.  Her parents let her run with it throughout middle and high school.  She went to college no problem and I can't remember what her major was, but she works at a Raptor center in Minnesota and LOVES her job.  Where else can your dd pursue an education that is geared toward her passions aside from homeschooling?  She did a lot of volunteering with bird groups and joined a bird watchers groups - she did a lot of adult activities within her passion.  

 

Also, like a pp mentioned before, schools have to accommodate transfer students.  I asked about Spanish instruction when my dd went to 4th grade public school this year.  I thought she would be behind because all these kids take Spanish every year.  Nope.  She's doing just fine.  If you go the public school direction, your dd will probably do just fine.

Edited November 4, 2017 by bethben