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MommyThrice

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    Another writing question

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Earlier, I asked about writing in Omnibus. So, I've been looking for a writing progarm. Several people suggestion IEW books. I've been looking at them online, and I can't find anything my son doesn't already know how to do?!?!

     

     

    Well, obviously I need a spelling and grammar curriculum - for myself :D

     

    I do plan to work a little more on rhetoric, but he's getting a heavy dose already this year in debate. The first year was spent just "getting through" debate rounds, but this whole year has been spent looking at the logic of the case and how to present an organized, persuasive rebuttal.

     

    OK. So this is one area of his education I'm going to quit worrying about. No wonder he wants to be an attorney.

    Another writing question

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Earlier, I asked about writing in Omnibus. So, I've been looking for a writing progarm. Several people suggestion IEW books. I've been looking at them online, and I can't find anything my son doesn't already know how to do?!?!

     

    Am I missing something?

     

    He's in his third year of speech & debate. He's been writing speeches for 3 years. Short speeches, long speeches. Prepared speeches, impromptu speeches. Most of his speeches are basically essays - narrative, persuasive, expository. He does them all. Some of the speeches would pass for a research paper, we just didn't know it at the time. He spent weeks researching Swiss Army Knives and wrote an expository speech on them - the history, the various kinds, famous uses - and did really well. He edited and improved it many, many times. He writes his own debate cases (but needs a little help understanding how government works - he's in 9th grade)

     

    So, an I missing something? What else is there that to writing? It can't be this simple.

    Your wisdom on high school direction

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I'm in the same boat here - 14 yo lazy son. (And I have two younger boys!) Maybe more than lazy I would say he is unorganized. I can so relate to the way you feel. :grouphug:

     

    I have two thoughts. First, I think 9th grade is a little too early to start specializing academically. We are just starting to realize that my sons strong areas are the humanities. Or, I could say his weakness is math. But, he is still young enough that it could change, so I don't want to drop anything yet. However, we do discuss it with him and let him know that the subjects he really struggles with will become less and less a part of his studies so that he can focus on his strengths. He has that to look forward to and also he is helping to decide what direction he wants to go. Right now he wants to be an attorney.

     

    Second, I consider this a time in his life where he really needs to buckle-down and face his weaknesses. While he is not accomplishing all the school work I would like, I am insisting that everything he does complete is done WELL. We spend more time on how to take notes, how to organize his planner, how to file papers logically, how to organize an essay logically, how to motivate himself, etc... that we do on actual history or literature discussions. I really think he needs to take the time to learn step 1 before he moves on to step 2. My son will even admit that this is a self-control / laziness issue that he needs to conquer.

     

    Have you seen How to be a Superstar Student from The Teaching Company? http://www.teach12.com/ttcx/coursedesclong2.aspx?cid=140 We are going through that right now and it does seem to be helping. At least it is a man telling him the same things that I keep saying. It does goes on sale for $50-60.

     

    Keep us posted on his progress... I could use the encouragement!

    Writing ideas for Omnibus?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I'm going to look at the IEW history writing. I wasn't crazy about the basic IEW. The dress-ups got rather rediculous, but we did use most of the book anyway. It does a good job of explaining organization.

     

    I requested a writing tutor from Patrick Henry College, but haven't heard back from them. I'll email them again. I feel like I really need someone else to be the bad guy when it comes to my sons writing!

     

    I had really planned on using Omibus more for a reference, anyway. I plan to skip several of the books and cover creation through the middle ages this next year, so we can spend more time on modern history when we get there.

     

    Thanks for the suggestions.

    Tracie

    Writing ideas for Omnibus?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Well, I didn't recognize the summa section as essay questions, but it does say they could be oral or written. I could use them, but there are zero instructions to go with them.

     

    The actual writing assignments - about one per week - say to write a short one to two paragraph response. I'm positive my dc will not write any more than what the books asks for. :glare:

     

    He writes decent essays now, but I have to make up assignments every week.

    Getting through the year

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I'm so sorry you are dealing with all this right now.

     

    I, too, have migraine headaches. They started with puberty - and seem to be ending with menopause :D I never had access to medication other than Tylenol - it hadn't been invented. Some things that trigger mine are sugar, chocolate and skipping meals. Don't skip meals!

     

    The first things I throw at a migraine are BC Powder, caffeine, and spicy, Mexican food. I know "healthy" should be best. But, honestly, I do better with heavy, spicy, beefy foods when I have a headache. (I save the low-fat foods for headache-free days.) It couldn't hurt to try it! Also, get some fresh air and have her take a shower and let her hair drip dry. That works much better than a cold pack on my head. Of course, my hair looks awful but if it hurts bad enough it doesn't matter!

     

    I will be praying for you!

    Writing ideas for Omnibus?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Just got my Omnibus I & II in the mail and started planning for next year. I realize that this is supposedly 7th-8th grade material and I'm planning to use it with my 9th grader. I love it except for the writing. Where is the writing? There seems to be barely one writing assignment per week in OI, and most of those are very short - a paragraph or two.

     

    Am I missing something?

    Any suggestions on how to supplement?

     

    I HATE planning writing assignments! Every week I have lessons plans all organized for all children except for writing... I always wait until the last minute!

    s/o Shari's thread on "average" kids . . .

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I must keep reminding myself of the REASON we homeschool. For us, it is not to be academically superior - it is to train the hearts of our children. I want to build up the bonds of our family and have children that serve the Lord and speak out boldly about what is right. I want children that THINK and LEAD instead of following the masses. It doesn't matter if it is a community college or an ivy league school. If they are just blindly following, then that isn't what I have in mind.

     

    It is so easy to get caught up in trying to legitimize our homeschooling with academic achievements (hey, I want them to make me look good!) But when I am old and look back on what we have done, it is more important to have children with character. A good name is more precious than gold.

    helping children find their passion?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I like to have my kids talk to our adult friends about their careers. Sometime the "real world" of a particular career is so different than it is described in a book. And there are so many shades/variations of each profession. My oldest had no direction until he started speech & debate. Now I can't get him to do anything else; he wants to be an attorney. So, we've talked to our attorney friends and discovered many directions that can lead - judge, contract law, trial law, copyright law, prosecution, etc...

     

    Just for the record, son #2 is still clueless. :toetap05:

    math - science prerequisites

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Do I need a lab or could this be a study-at-home course? His biology won't be on his HS transcript, since this is now 8th grade. How many science labs are usually required? He'll have 10th, 11th & 12th grades remaining, but I was hoping to drop science in 12th so he can concentrate on pre-law studies. (Surprise - this is not my mathy kid!) Will 2 lab sciences be enough?

    math - science prerequisites

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I need help deciding what to do next year. My 13 yo son is finishing up biology and algebra I this year. We started the year calling it 9th grade, but quickly decided to make it another 8th grade year - he just wasn't doing high school level work (and, he is young, too). So, next year will be 9th grade. He is doing well in biology - making an A in that outside class.

     

    However, he struggles with Algebra. I can't imagine moving him on to algebra II next year. We use Saxon, but I'm thinking about adding a year of geometry. Will adding a year of geometry (an growing another year older) help him get ready for algebra II? Do geometry courses review algebra so he doesn't forget it? And what do I do about science? He probably shouldn't take chemistry if he isn't studying algebra II. What science could he take?

     

    Thanks,

    Tracie

    HS foreign language - Spanish? Latin?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Well, would you believe I asked him which he would rather take next year and he said Latin! :willy_nilly: Must be the teenage hormones.

     

    Anyway, he doesn't want the little Latin he has had to be wasted. And he doesn't want to study Spanish for 4 whole years and end up with 6 years worth of HS credit. He would like to do 2 years of HS Latin online, then 2 years of dual-credit Spanish at the cc. Is this crazy? I mentioned that if he really enjoyed the Latin and felt like he was dropping it right before it "gets good" (actually reading Latin) we can continue on, or try doing both for one year.

     

    Are we making a big mistake?

    HS foreign language - Spanish? Latin?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I've failed miserably in the foreign language department with my oldest ds. (The good news is that his younger brothers are benefitting from what I've learned :) - Don't quit Latin!!!)

     

    Anyway, he made it through about 3/4 of Henle I, but hasn't looked at latin in over a year now. I'm trying to plan his last 4 years of school and I'm now ready to admit defeat and farm out foreign language to an online class. But, which one? I'm tempted to start him over again in Latin I and have him take 2 years before switching to Spanish for the last 2 year. If I do that, his Spanish will be dual-credit college courses.

     

    So, is there any reason to take any HS Spanish classes if he plans to take 2 years of dual credit Spanish? Is there any benefit to taking only 2 years of Latin before we move on to Spanish? Is there a better way to sequence HS foreign language? Is it better to take 4 years of any one language? What are your thoughts?

     

    Thanks!

    How to choose "selections" from great books?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I am getting a little (ok, a LOT) anxious over planning high school and I have many questions. Right now I'm working on book lists. I have a nice list of books that I want to cover, but I don't have a clue how to choose selections from them. I know most people don't cover all of Livy's Histories of Rome, Calvin's Institutes, the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers, etc... How do you choose selections from these works? Is there a good list somewhere?

     

    Thanks,

    Tracie

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