My son (the hockey goalie) is on track for playing hockey in college--he's currently one of the top four goalies his age in the Rocky Mountain District, and is playing for a Bantam AAA team and hoping to go to Nationals--we'll see. We use Clonlara School, in Ann Arbor, which does provide an accredited diploma (and we are doing English I, Biology, Algebra I and II, German I, Latin I, and World History in "official transcript language" this year). He's got tons of PE as well...and music performance (if we can ever find a viola teacher in Phoenix!)

we use Ancient World from Trisms, so it combines history and language arts/literature...so far, it's working. We do Trisms from 8:30 to 11, then a period of German, then lunch, then algebra, Latin, and Abeka biology. So far, so good. We've made the transition to temporary Arizonans (for my son's hockey), so we're settling in.

Good point, Meryl...my son did a similar program in 8th grade (he's a competitive hockey goalie). He enjoyed music (he's a classical viola player, so that was included)...didn't care for art, so I'm not going to ram it down his throat, although he doesn't mind the Sister Wendy videos...we tried various "logic" activities (he enjoyed Fallacy Detective, and computer games), but we didn't do a formal logic program (he's competed the Mind Benders' books)... I'd say just keep stressing reading and writing...lots of "living books" and practice writing essays (we used IEW with Trisms and it worked well for my son...)

Looks good--my 14 yos will be playing competitive hockey as well as following a similar schedule to yours--he's also got modern language (German) and viola--I'm thinking of basically 45-minute blocks of time for him for each subject--if he finishes math (VT Algebra--continuing), he'll have some more free time... So Trisms for us is both history and language arts (with IEW), and takes from 1 1/2 to 2 hours/day. He also reads independently (and will continue to do so).

I'm most excited about Trisms and the Learnables for German--it looks more manageable than Rosetta Stone (which we have, but it just doesn't seem to work for us)...I'm excited about what will happen with hockey, especially as he plays for the regional team in Calgary this summer!

My son wants to play Division I hockey in college (and he's got a good chance to do so--he's been selected for all kinds of accolades and teams this year at 14)...we've found sites that specify the NCAA requirements for college--along the lines of "4 years of English, 3 years of math, 3 years of science, 2 years of language..." You might look on the NCAA sites...just google NCAA college requirements...

I'm toying with moving to Learnables for German for my son for 9th grade--we've used Rosetta Stone off and on for a couple of years, but it doesn't seem structured enough to me (or I haven't figured out the structure)--just seems to complicated for one parent and one student. Anyone have any recommendations/thoughts?

What we did...lots of different subjects still in 8th grade...a la Charlotte Mason...we'll be more structured in 9th. We studied algebra (Videotext), geography (various sources, including Mapping the World by Heart), computer programming (Lego/LOGO), writing (IEW), history (Trisms' HistoryMakers), Latin (Latin Prep), German (Rosetta Stone), health (Total Health), language arts (various sources), logic (various sources), and keyboarding (Garfield!)...classical viola, PT, and hockey, hockey, hockey... I'd say your schedule looks do-able, but I'd second Liza's idea about a foreign language (or two)...

I'm not a scientist by any means, so we've chosen to use Abeka biology with my son next year (9th grade). We're using the DVDs--so I don't have to deal with the concepts or the labs! I'd suggest looking at some of the video-based programs...I liked the way Abeka structured its biology.

Wow, I could've written the first lines...I'm not science-minded AT ALL, but my son is, so...I was planning to use Apologia Biology until my husband saw Abeka at the convention and...he liked it, I like the order it uses (and that it includes human body stuff), we ordered it, we got it, we're getting the DVD, we got the lab kit and the microscope, and I'm going to DO SOMETHING ELSE while he dissects the fetal pig. Good grief. (Sorry, I just can't cope with that stuff...)

FWIW, my son loves the research assignments in History Makers--we didn't do much science, since we did Rainbow science for 8th grade...and he asked me to keep two programs: Trisms and Videotext Algebra. His favorites. I like the living books approach to history that Trisms uses--I really try to avoid textbooks as much as possible (the old CM thing..)

Oh, and I should have mentioned...my son loves Videotext Algebra (he begged me not to change it for next year...) We did TT for pre-algebra, but it was too easy...I think LOF would be fun...

How are the boybarbarians, Camy? John will eventually reply--we've been all over the southwest in the last two weeks, and haven't had a breather to be home. He's been selected for a regional hockey team...so it never stops.

I like your schedule! How are you going to do the courses on a weekly basis, though? Will your 14 yo do everything every day? If so, will the times be shorter than the traditional 45-minute periods?

I'm using Clonlara (Ann Arbor, Michigan) as an umbrella school for my son. He's the best 1994 birthyear goalie in the state of New Mexico, and he's made several AAA teams in other states (we'll go to a regional team and play ice hockey this summer--Calgary tournament for one)....we'll stay home and play Midget Minor next year. We''re making sure he's eligible for Division I schools, even as he enters highschool.

We're going to continue traditionally, with lots of "couch learning" for literature and Trisms--some stuff on his own (algebra, biology <blech>)...and lots of ice time. I've just gotten home from a marathon (Player Select Camp in Utah, and a follow-up tryout in Phoenix...he's made a bunch of AAA teams, with offers to be billeted (at just-turned-14!)...so we're going to Team Northwest over the summer, and "playing up" on Midgets from home next year...we'll see if the following year brings Michigan <yikes> or Junior A <double-yikes>. He's on the Red roster for the 94s for Team Northwest, and we'll be at the Calgary Stampede in June. It's all about hockey for my son...he's working out (physical training) about 1 to 1 1/2 hours/day off ice to prepare for various camps and events this summer...and we still find time for baseball, viola, and school.

Go for it--I'm validated! We'll do the same Trisms (AOR), with a credit of English (literature, IEW, maybe some additional stuff, but not too much...Language Lessons for the Secondary Child, because I like the books)...We'll also continue with algebra (I, II with Videotext), German (with Learnables--I need to get out of the Rosetta Stone rut we're in), Latin Prep 1 (finish) and 2, and Abeka biology (with the DVDs, so I don't have to deal with the fetal pig's membrane...) I'm thinking 45 minute classes...maybe four days/week for the languages--I'll have to see how it goes...

Didn't see the Old Man and the Sea, there--probably because I find it so tedious! <grin>

You might try the Nick Adams stories by Hemingway--my personal favorites...and, that way, you'd get some Hemingway in the mix as well...

OMG--an engineer who can WRITE? I used to write documentation for engineers--I've been being paid to write for most of my adult life...and I was sought after because I could understand what engineers meant and translate their work into written English that others could understand....;->

I love it--did you know that Andrew Pudewa was (is?) a Suzuki violin teacher? My son plays classical viola...

E gads--yes, it is. I use it (have used it for two years) with my 13 yos...and he's made great strides in his style. Formulaic writing (I'm speaking with my communications professor hat on here) is not necessarily "bad"--it gives most students a structure and the rudiments of style, which they can then refine and "make their own." If I had just 10% of my graduate students capable of writing as well as my son can, I'd be happy. Depends on what your expectations are...if your student loves creative writing, formulaic might be less effective...if your student writes because writing is an essential skill he or she must have, formulaic should provide the foundation he or she will need to communicate clearly and effectively... Just my 2 cents...

If your child has a passion for something (hockey, baseball for my son), you could do a short local camp or two...my son started baseball camp at the University of New Mexico when he was six--he loved it (half day for a week). He's been going ever since--he's going to a tryout camp for a regional USA team in early June for baseball (one-day camp), a week-long camp in Michigan for hockey (great goalie coach), a week-long goalie camp in Dallas with our goalie coach, and the ultimate--two weeks with Tretiak in Toronto. Yes, I'm spending my retirement money, but we don't owe anything other than one car and the house payment... I believe in doing what I can to help my son follow his passion...sure keeps him busy and out of trouble!

I've never used them; my 13 yos excels at vocabulary questions on standard tests, to say nothing of using his extensive vocabulary--he's learned from listening to and reading classics.

Let's see--from our advanced status heading into highschool...:-) --SOTW on audio (we do a lot of "car-schooling") --classics on audio (my son still enjoys The Five Little Peppers, we've also got Jo's Boys (for me), and we'll be listening to some WWII audio as well as The Great Gatsby and the Nick Adams Stories (good intros for the boys to Fitzgerald and Hemingway, I think...) --IEW --Teaching the Classics --a quality microscope and telescope