I had my ds take one AP in 8th grade (US Govt) just to get the hang of it. He did not take a class. I helped him prepare for the test by scheduling it, getting the materials, reading along and reviewing it with him. He got a 3 on the exam which I felt was good given his age and our inexperience with the tests. Last year, he retook the exam and got a 5. You can delete previous scores from your record if you get a better score. I believe the main problem initially was on the Free Response Questions. He had a tendency to provide very short responses with little elaboration. Second time around, we really worked on writing longer more detailed responses and throwing in as much additional information as possible as there is no penalty for incorrect or irrelevant data. Ideally, I think all new material should be completed three to four weeks before the test. This gives lots of time for review. It is also important to do as many practice exams as possible. Review the course outline throughout the course to help you focus your time appropriately. The outline usually gives a % for each topic so don't spend 20% of your time on a topic that is only 5% of the test. This is important because textbooks often allocate the same amount of coverage to each topic and that may not be consistent with the test. Some of the exams such as the History ones have very specific rubrics so it's vital that your student understand these rubrics and be able to respond to them appropriately. For example, they have a document based question (DBQ) that provides 7 documents to be used in crafting an essay response. The student must use at least 6 of the documents to get credit. No partial credit for 5 or fewer. So it's really important to understand the specifics. The College Board provides access to all previous Free Response and Essay Questions on their website. Go over as many of these as possible. It's also really beneficial if you can do targeted practice review in the test format along the way. Many teachers of actual classes will do this by sprinkling essay questions or multiple choice throughout the year. Some textbooks include questions already formatted in AP style for each chapter (ex. Econ for AP by Krugman, Practice of Stat for AP by Starnes, etc.) which is helpful. Doing full practice tests under simulated conditions is critical. Some exams have a lot of practice tests available and others much less. If you are self studying, I would discourage doing any exam which has been revised in the current or previous year as it's hard to get reliable practice information. Usually one practice test is available from the College Board. Additional ones can be found by googling. If you have your course syllabus approved by the College Board, you will have access to one secured test not available online. Review books can be helpful for consolidating knowledge and providing additional practice material. The best review books vary by test - check out College Confidential, Reddit, or high school syllabi to see what's recommended for each course. In addition, there are usually youtube review videos, review packets and/or textbook outlines for each course that can be found by googling.

I'm glad you posted this. There are many reviews for Lukeion but it's nice to get feedback about other alternatives.

Apropos of this, I saw this article the other day about another set of quads.

PAC American HIstory - Parts 1 & 2 - Concise, well written text with clear daily lessons and questions as well as quizzes and tests. From a Christian perspective, maybe Dave Raymond's American History. Videos and accompanying reading.

Haven't had experience with any of these providers but they are NCAA approved. Of these, I have read positive reviews for some of the FLVS courses on other forums. BYU Independent Study FLVS APEX Acellus

Visual Latin or Latin Alive have dvd lessons which would add some audio/visual input. I believe these are classical not ecclesiastical. Artes Latinae is a self paced program. Unfortunately, they no longer support the PC version on Windows 10 and up although you could buy a used copy of the program and use on an older operating system maybe. They also have a non-pc version with cd and books. There is an ecclesiastical option.f Some of the other traditional programs like Cambridge Latin have online exercises. You can also find online quizzes for most of the major programs.

There's also Gwynnie Bee. They are a plus size clothing rental service.

The entire Prealgebra book is actually covered in two 16 week classes at AOPS (Prealgebra 1 - Ch 1 to 7 and Prealgebra 2 Ch 8 to 15). I think AOPS is just one of those things you have to try with your dc and see if they take to it. It's a great program if it works for them but there are plenty of other good programs out there as well.

TTUISD stands for Texas Tech United Independent School District

The Animation Course also offers Drawing classes with feedback.

I don't think you really need additional video instructions for CLE because the concepts are presented in such bite-size increments and written clearly. If there's a particular topic that's not well understood though, I usually go through a few other textbooks to find alternate presentations or I just google videos or worksheets on that topic and usually something beneficial turns up. However, I like math and am pretty comfortable with it. If you don't feel that way, it may be helpful to have the videos as additional support. Definitely, have your child watch the videos and see what they think. My sons seem to have an immediate like or dislike to different instructors. If your dc is already using CLE and likes it, I would just continue with it. If they've done any of the 800 series, there is some definite overlap and the first few units should be easy. On the other hand, if they're tired of the CLE format, a change might be good. Personally, I just find CLE more manageable and easier to complete for parent and student than the Foerster text. Foerster does have more challneging problems but CLE definitely covers the standard Algebra I groundwork for moving on to another Algebra II program if that's a concern.

I used a few books for word problems including Lial's Algebra but my favorite was How to Solve Word Problems in Algebra by Johnson. I think she had some good techniques in that book but I can't remember exactly what they were or why I liked it better. It's been a few years since I did Algebra I. I think using a tabular format is good for solving many of the common types of algebra word problems. I believe Lial's has some examples of that and Johnson might too. For example, write the ID, Distance, Time, Rate etc. in the Column Headings and then put two rows beneath them (one for each person travelling in a particular direction for ex). Then have student fill in each cell in the table and calculate. The tabular format does a good job of systematizing the problems and making the student focus on extracting the relevant information first, putting it in the table, then the actual calculation or equation setup is usually pretty self evident and straight forward. CLE doesn't teach the tabular format. It was something I added on.

The Thinkwell videos can also be purchased as DVDs on Amazon or ebay. These were issued as supplements to the Holt textbooks. I'm not sure if these are complete duplicates of all the Thinkwell vides but they definitely feature many of them. In addition, the Math Fuse online curriculum also incorporates the Burger videos (see Math on the Spot at the bottom). These are relatively affordable online textbooks.

I have used CLE Algebra and Foerster but not Saxon or Jacobs. Overall, CLE and Foerster cover the same ground but here are some of the main differences: Lesson Planning CLE has clearly delineated lessons for each day. There's no deciding which problems to do or how much to cover. There are quizzes every five lessons and tests every 15 lessons. I think the lessons are appropriately paced - taking 45 min to 1 hour each day. Foerster's is divided into sections but some are longer and more difficult than others. There are many exercises presented and the student is not necessarily expected to do all of them - perhaps only odds or evens etc. The additional exercises can be helpful if the student needs additional practice. Foerster's has tests at the end of each chapter. Application Problems Foerster's has many more application problems then CLE. CLE does a solid job of covering the major types of algebra word problems but it doesn't have the same magnitude of practice problems available. When I used CLE, I did supplement with some additional word problems if I felt my ds needed more practice. Quadratic Formula Foerster's is a little unorthodox in introducing the quadratic formula early on in the text so that student's can use it to solve more realistic problems. Like most Algebra programs, CLE doesn't introduce the quadratic formula until later (the last light unit). Personally, I prefer a later introduction. I think it makes more sense in terms of conceptual development and also keeps the emphasis on factoring rather than relying on plugging numbers into a formula but I can also see Foerster's point. Progression of Topics Foerster's has a more traditional mastery approach. Introducing a topic then continuing to cover that topic in more complexity as a chapter progresses. Then moving on to a new topic in the next chapter (e.g one chapter on Rational Expressions, next chapter on Radical Expressions). There is some review incorporated in the problems and at the end of chapter tests. On the other hand, CLE has a more incremental spiral approach. Each daily lesson introduces a new concept - one small bitesize aspect of a topic then has mixed review of previous topics. It continues to review new topics over many weeks. For example, for radical expressions CLE introduces simple radicals in Light Unit 1 then a few weeks later introduces multiplying radicals (LU2), then in LU3 and 4 simplifying radicals, then dividing radicals in LU9. Thus radical expression concepts are sprinkled throughout the year. Personally, I prefer the constant review and more gentle introduction of topics in CLE but some students may be frustrated by the mix of topics and bite size introductions. For a less mathy student, I think CLE is a slower ramp toward the more complex algebraic concepts. The first few LUs are quite easy and then there's a steeper ramp in CLE. A more mathy student, may prefer the more intensive progression in Foerster's. Non-Algebra Topics CLE covers a number of probability and statistics topics. Foerster's includes a discussion of probability in Chapter 8 on Linear Functions but I don't think it goes into as many statistical topics as CLE. Here's CLE's scope and sequence.

The "generic" Chalkust pre-algebra is a folder with 5 dvd's in it. The geometry must be fairly rare. There is a set of the actual Chalkdust geometry for sale here for under $100 and pre-algebra. Ebay and homeschoolclassifieds are a good source for used Chalkdust as well as the classifieds here at WTM.

You can purchase a "generic" less expensive version of the Chalkdust videos. They were produced as a supplement to the textbooks and sold by the publisher directly. They can be purchased on Amazon etc. Here are some links for the generic DVDs. In some cases, there is more than one version due to different editions of the textbook. Click here to find a more comprehensive list of possible DVD links. Prealgebra DVD (using Aufmann text) Geometry DVD (Using Alexander text) Precalculus DVD (Using Larson text) Calculus DVD (Using Larson text). A subset of the Chalkdust videos are also now available online for free as a supplement to Ron Larson's textbooks. (Click on instructional videos button from the links below). The exceptions would be pre-algebra and geometry which were developed for a different textbook author. Elementary Algebra Intermediate Algebra Elem. & Inter. Algebra College Prep Algebra Algebra & Trig Trigonometry Precalculus Calculus

We've used all the levels of CLE including Algebra I. I think you should be fine transitioning mid-800's. If you get up to 805, the first few units of Algebra will be mostly review so it should make for an easy transition. If you look at the scope and sequence, there is a lot of overlap in the later units with the Algebra I course in both Algebra and probability and statistics concepts. In addition, 810 is all consumer math and some of the other light units have quite a bit of consumer math which I don't feel is all that necessary. There are some good geometry concepts presented as well (basic trig functions) but nothing that won't be covered again if you take a separate Geometry course.

Thank you! That's a very interesting analysis - very heavy on the small LACs.

For further comparison: CLRC's Great Books list Kolbe Academy's Literature: The Aeneid - Virgil Meditations - Aurelius Fall of the Roman Republic** - Plutarch (also used in History) Makers of Rome** - Plutarch (also used in History) The Roman Reader Coriolanus - Shakespeare Julius Caesar - Shakespeare Antony and Cleopatra - Shakespeare The Confessions of St. Augustine of HIppo Kolbe Academy's History: The Early History of Rome - Livy The War with Hannibal - Livy The Annals of Imperial Rome - Tacitus City of God - Augustine Fall of the Roman Republic* - Plutarch (also used in Lit) Makers of Rome - Plutarch (also Used in LIt)

Another possible online class is Wasko Lit. They offer a chronological "Great Books" approach to lit over 4 years. Might be a little lighter load than Wilson Hill - hard to tell. Here's an example from their Lit 2 class: Confessions, Augustine Beowulf, Anonymous The Inferno, Dante Selections from the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer “Gawain and the Green Knight,†Anonymous The Once and Future King, T.S. White Excerpts from Le Morte D’Arthur, Mallory Utopia, More Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves (The Faerie Queen, Book I) Spencer Doctor Faustus, Marlowe Hamlet, Shakespeare Henry IV, Part 1, Shakespeare Henry IV, Part 2, Shakespeare Henry V, Shakespeare Macbeth, Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare Miscellaneous Sonnets, Shakespeare Selected Poems, Metaphysical Poets

Mr. D Math offers a 6 week SAT Boot Camp for $197. Could this be it?

Definitely UC Davis as mentioned above plus Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Cruz would be similar. Maybe UC Santa Barbara to some extent.

US News is not a bad place to start if you want to get oriented. I prefer CollegeData's search tool. It's more flexible and there is more detail on the colleges than presented in US News free portion. One nice feature of CollegeData is the College Overlap button. Once you have selected a particular college, click on the College Overlap button in the upper right hand corner to the right of the college name and it will show you other colleges that tend to attract the same kind of students. Also, check out the resources on the What are your favorite resources for researching colleges? thread.

I think there might be something in the preface to the Foerster's Algebra 2 book that discusses different approaches to using it and indicating there is overlap between the two books. You may also find this thread on Foester's Alg 2 vs. Precalculus books helpful.

For the fine arts student, I thought I'd mention UCSB's College of Creative Studies. It's a small college within the univ. - or as they call it "A Graduate School for Undergraduates". UCSB seems to have a reputation among the UC's as a less rigorous, party school but this seems like it might be a little gem for the right student. CCS also offers sciences and computer sciences but no business or social sciences.