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DocMom

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  1. 47 minutes ago, daijobu said:

    Another vote for Kernion >> Lanctot.  My dd started with Lanctot for mechanics then switched at the semester to Kernion for e&m and was glad she did.  

    It would not be a science post without daijobu sharing her great infinite wisdom. Thank you 🙂 Did your child take 1 and 2 in the span of a year? Or did you do it over 2 years?

    • Like 1
  2. I have searched, and looked through the physics thread but still have questions.

    I was hoping to find a synchronous AP physics class, but no luck so far. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    If not, I am assuming my options come down to Derek Owens or PAH. Anyone take either over this past year that could share their experience with the course?

  3. 21 hours ago, Farrar said:

    Yes, I saw the FLVS course. My understanding is that the FLVS courses are not live taught, but are recorded computer based lessons that are overseen by a teacher. That's how the CTY course works (they use Thinkwell) and several others I spotted. Definitely not the model we want.

     

    Just so difficult to find synchronous classes. We found 1 options for AP calculus next year that has live classes, but nothing for any of the other AP classes we are interested in.

    • Like 1
  4. On 5/8/2019 at 8:53 PM, AEC said:

    DS took Macro & the 1/2 year version of Micro from Mr Burns last year.

    Both he thought were good courses, though he enjoyed Macro more (enough that he's thinking about a college major in Econ). He was a bit mystified about what the full year micro course covers because he didn't think the 1/2 year version had an especially fast pace.  He got 5's in both and felt well prepared, FWIW.

    Did he take both in the spring, or did he do one in the spring and one if the fall? Curious about the timing of the classes and the tests.

  5. On 4/22/2018 at 12:45 AM, daijobu said:

    I'm not that involved in her studying anymore, but I'd say they were pretty similar in difficulty and workload.  AP chem was the only AP she took that year, and by far the most demanding class.  AP bio she took alongside AP stats which isn't that time consuming.  

     

    Do you think AP chemistry and AP calculus in the same year is too much?

  6. On 5/12/2018 at 2:25 PM, TracyP said:

    I have put together a list of books for my rising 10th grade daughter. These are just for fun at her request, so I tried to make a varied list. Any thoughts? Any books on here you wouldn't want your 14 yo reading? Any books you'd add?

    Emma

    Something Wicked This Way Comes

    Childhood Ends

    The Tale of Two Cities

    Andromeda Strain

    The Invisible Man (Wells)

    Kon Tiki

    The Life of Pi

    The Outsiders (Hinton)

    The Scarlet Pimpernel

    Ender’s Game

    A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

    Of Mice and Men

    The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night

    Black Rain

    Bless Me Ultima

    Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

    The Crucible

    Fahrenheit 451

    Flowers for Algernon (short story)

    Great Expectations

    The Great Gatsby

    Slaughterhouse-Five

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower

    The List

    The Crossover

    This One Summer

    Goodbye, Stranger

    What is the secret to getting your DS to read ALL these books in a summer. Please share - I am lucky if I get through a quarter of this!

  7. On 5/16/2018 at 8:40 PM, Alice said:

     

    This is almost exactly what I would have written. My math-dude son did one IEW class and it killed any tiny enjoyment in writing he had. He hated it. I hated it. Making him finish the class is the one big thing I regret in our homeschool so far. 

    I was reluctant to try BW because I felt like it was too vague and not explicit enough and I couldn’t really wrap my mind around it.  However, we did two classes this year for 9th grade and it was fantastic. I was so impressed by the feedback he got. More importantly....he actually maybe admitted to enjoying it a little. I think what he said was something like “Well, if I have to write, I guess that’s ok.” That was HUGE coming from him. He has agreed to do more BW classes and I really can’t say enough good things about them. 

     

    Exactly opposite for my STEM inclided one. We had an amazing experience with IEW. We tried BW, which neither he or I liked. IEW is very heavily teacher dependent, I agree. We have done their courses online, and through our local HS co-op. We are going back online as that experience was very different. IEW gave my kiddo structure and confidence, which for us was invaluable.

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  8. I think geometry is just a different type of math than algebra based math. We had to change our expectations - we probably spent the most time doing homework in that class of all the AOPS classes we have taken. I'm not sure there is anything we could have done honestly to prepare.

    Apparently there are a lot of B&M kids who take AOPS geometry b/c they struggle with it or want to get a head start.

    Good luck to you daughter.

  9. On 5/9/2018 at 12:45 AM, Arcadia said:

     

    8th grade, with AP Physics C. He decided to do the two required lab sciences in 8th so he can do whatever science he like for high school. He won’t be doing biology. 

    Arcadia: can you share how much physics he had taken before to be doing Physics C? Did he do 1&2 before? Did you do an AP class to prepare for this?

  10. On 5/1/2018 at 7:52 AM, RootAnn said:

    If needed after that, Erica Metzler books for EBRW and a SAT math book (can't remember what people recommend-  PWN the SAT? Panda something?). (Dd#1 had no luck with Erica Metzler book, but some people swear by her stuff. We never used a math prep book.)

    What is EBRW? Erica Metzler has quite a few books on Amazon. Are you referring to reading or grammar?

     

  11. On 5/2/2018 at 10:55 AM, historymatters said:

    Can you comment on your experience with any of the 3 below please?

    You can use ReasonPrep, or a 2-week class by Amanda Fletcher (she used to teach SAT/ACT prep w/Landry), or a semester-long class.

    https://reasonprep.com

    Amanda Fletcher (multiple dates):

    https://amandafletchertest.wixsite.com/satact

    The Potter's School has a summer SAT prep course.

    https://www.pottersschool.org/course/list/#course-3617

     

  12. First let me say I tried searching, but it is very wonky tonight ?

    Trying to figure out what to do next year. We took WTMA chemistry this year, and want to avoid a similar experience next year, as the course did not live up to our expectations. I'm sure everyone has their opinion, but this is mine, as I think it is the teacher that makes or breaks the experience. I am asking for feedback from anyone currently enrolled in PA homeschoolers. Can you please comment on the following:

    a) How much busy work is involved - the description states zero, but I would appreciate if you can clarify if this has been your experience?

    b) How many lab reports/papers are required? Do you turn those labs in for grades?  Is there a consistent grading rubric? How long are the lab reports? Are the chemistry lab supplies adequate to run an experiment?

    c) It sounds like most of the grading of quizzes/assignment/tests are immediate feedback. Are there other assignments that are not immediate feedback? Are those graded in a timely manner? (1-2 weeks).

    d) I know the class is asynchronous. Do you find access to the teacher or TAs easy and helpful?

    The course sound great, just hoping for some encouraging words before I purchase it.

    Thank you.

     

  13. Would you mind sharing what English class this was?

     

    My ds's reading score jumped to a 34 this year and he attributes that to an English class he took last year where he read a book one week and then wrote a 3-5 page analysis paper on it the next week. If it was a shorter book like The Old Man and the Sea, then he would have to read the book and write the paper in one week. The book selections were all good literature, but not necessarily tough reads, along the lines of Steinbeck or Kafka. He's read much more difficult works in the past like Dante and Milton, so maybe that gave him the foundation he needed, but I think it was the fast pace of the class that really helped with his score. I never would have dreamed he would be cranking out long papers like that on his own in such a short time. He found the class so beneficial, he's taking the next level of it this year.

    We won't be getting lots of scholarships here either because my ds' overall score topped out at the 90th percentile, too, but I thought I'd share what helped with the reading score.

    I do think Latin has helped my dd tremendously with the English section of the ACT. The first time she took that section in 8th grade (with a number of years of Latin under her belt) her score was something like a 34. Lately, I wish I had stuck with Latin instead of Spanish for my ds, because I think it would have benefitted him.

     

  14. DS loved AOPS books all along, but I can't sat he has enjoyed the classes as much as we had hoped. It is a lot of extra work. What everyone says is true, it is a serious serious time commitment. It seems that most of the kids who take this are non-homeschoolers who have difficulty with the geometry component of math competitions. At least that is the impression I get from those who were enrolled in his geometry session.

    • Like 1
  15. My question is 3 part:

     

    How many of your waited to take the SAT II after taking AP biology? From what I understand, the tests are offered a month apart in the spring, so kids study AP, take it, and then a month later take the SAT. Has anyone done this? Would you say the AP is less memorization/fact based and more analytic and interpretation of experiments?

     

    Also, what did you use to study? Did you use AP books? I have done a search, and it seems that folks are recommending the Barrons book along with the official test book when studying for SAT subject test. Anyone else care to offer other choices? What would you use for the AP test? There are SO many books on Amazon.

     

    And from what I understand, an SAT subject test stays with you for life, correct? They may archive it, but if you ask them to send out scores, you have ALL sent - you can't tell them to send out your most recent score if you retook it?

  16. Intro to Algebra does introduce the terms, but doesn't go into that much depth.  I'd double-check that coverage was adequate.  Not saying it can't be, but the Intro book by itself doesn't quite get there.

     

    I'll second the last question: do you know where the additional content came from?

     

    AoPS Intro + extra content is tantalizingly close to a full algebra 1 & 2 sequence, so I really am curious to know.  Intermediate goes WAY beyond what most students - even STEM students - will ever be able to use.

     

    Can you elaborate on "WAY beyond what most students..."? This sounds like Intermediate math is really more like mostly Algebra III and a little bit of Algebra II? Granted a few pieces are sparse from the Into Algebra(which really is Algebra I + 1/2 of Algebra II). When we looked at the syllabus, subjects such as complex numbers are important to someone going into electrical engineering, but for many other engineers(and most other STEM folks) there is no great need for it.

     

    Is Intermediate Math better for someone who wants to do math competitions rather than someone who wants to understand math at a high level so it can be utilized in the sciences?

  17. For cosci, the ONLY good math program I've seen that is aimed at kids is AoPS.  In particular, the counting & probability series and number theory series are fantastic for the cosci track. 

     

    That doesn't preclude using Dolciani or Jacobs for "main track" math.  They can pair up well, but may take longer to complete overall.

     

    Googled Cosci without luck. What does this mean?

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