Thank you! We do the planner thing on a weekly basis already. He is amazingly able to organize his time for outside classes. I just need someone else to really push him to read and think deeply and write well. For me, he does the bare minimum and wants to argue about everything. I want him to think and argue, but Geez! He's very into checking off boxes - taking lots of DC and AP courses and Arabic because it sounds impressive. Since he is automatically accepted into the Baylor Honors Program as a NMS, those things don't matter so much any more. He really needs to spend his time LEARNING how to think and argue critically so he can do WELL in college. You know, I don't think I've ever explained that to him. Hmmmm....

Accountability partner is a great idea... I'm still thinking about that one.

OK, I know the time of the year is a factor here, but this kid is driving me nuts. I think I need to outsource some/many of his classes so I am no longer the meanie taking away all his free time. I'm looking for some online classes that match his goals: 1. Wants to study international law... at Harvard or Yale :ohmy: 2. He's a junior, 17, really smart, pretty lazy. He scored really well on the PSAT and will probably be a NMSC finalist. 3. Plans to go to Baylor Honors College. He can pretty much write his own curriculum, so it will be heavy in great texts and pre-law stuff. He can only go there if he gets their national merit scholarship (very likely) and must maintain a 3.5 GPA, so he needs to figure out how to apply himself. 4. GPA 3.8, which is generous on my part. All his B's are in math and an online AP English Lang & Comp. 5. He's taking some DC now. Just finished Intro to Chem (A) and Trig (probably a "B") and will take Pre-Calc next semester. He's studying Arabic I on his own to test into a summer DC Arabic II class. 6. He's been competing in speech/debate/moot court/mock trial most of his life and is an excellent public speaker. So what's the problem? I'm tired of his griping that he never has any free time! It's really difficult to get him to (1) read what I think is an adequate amount of literature and (2) write well. Everyone we talk to reiterates that in order to do well in law school he must read and write well. So, I'm not too worried about the B's in math. I AM worried that he's lazy in humanities and can't organize his time. I would like to outsource reading/writing/history if I could find something I like. So far, I haven't found anything I like as well as my own curriculum, but he just won't take me seriously. We have some local co-ops (Austin, TX) but none are rigorous and the discussions I've sat in on are pretty lame. I'm considering Veritas Omnibus online. Has anyone tried this? I am not considering DC for lit/writing because of the really trashy literature our local CC uses. It doesn't have to be Christian, Baylor won't be, just decent literature instead of trash. I'm also thinking of having him study for AP US History and/or US Gov't on his own. I've told him I'll award whatever he makes on the test for his semester grade. 4-5/A, 3/B, 2/C. Does that seem reasonable? It also means I have to be prepared to give him NO credit if he doesn't get around to taking the test. Any other outsourcing ideas I might have missed? I really need to somehow get him to "buy into" his own curriculum planning. He does help plan at the start of the year, but as the year drags on he starts complaining about no free time. It's true. He procrastinates, so he has school dragging out over the Christmas holidays. I feel like I just need someone else to hold him accountable. I feel like if I just back-off and let some things slide, he will really struggle in college. And he really does need some free time and time with his friends; I just don't know how to make that happen. When I ask him to write out his goals (still Harvard law school) and what he needs to do to get there and how much free time he needs, he just gets upset. I can't push him toward those goals, I would want to push anyone that hard. He wants it, I'm just not sure he's willing to do what it takes to get there. How do I make him see that? Thanks for listening!

Not much - we stick pretty closely to WTM. I have outsourced a few 9th-10th grade classes at a local co-op and always regretted it. I wanted my kids to experience a classroom and be held accountable to someone else, but the classes were always a joke. They were never rigorous enough - even the ones that claim to be "pre-AP". I don't understad why this is the case. I have sat in on several classes at various co-ops, hoping I would find a good one, but it always seems that the kids just don't care/would rather goof off, and the teacher is doing the best they can. I have also had my kids take a few online classes with mixed success. I have found almost all of these to be much more rigorous than the co-op. I especially liked the Patrick Henry College AP Prep class; it was very well organized. I would not, however, take their DC classes because their accreditation is not recognized by most other schools. I am outsourcing more DC classes in 11th-12th grade at our local CC. We are choosing to take classes that will NOT be in my son's area of major. Many universities seem to want students to take all of their classes in their major from the university. So, my liberal-arts minded future law student is taking math, science and foreign language at our local CC. Again, I've been told they are not rigorous, but since these classes are not his focus, I'm okay with that. My philosophy is teaching the things at home that are really important to me - history/philosophy/worldview kind of things. Lots of great books. Rhetoric, logic and writing. Teaching the kids to THINK. These are the reasons I chose to homeschool in the first place and the things that make homeschooling so special. I outsource the courses I cannot (calculus, foreign language) or don't want to teach (chem lab in my kitchen?) And I think a few DC classes help verify the mommy transcript.

*sigh* Can you hear me breathing easier? Thank you. I really loved physics (well, "cowboy" physics) in college, and this book looks like a lot of fun.

One week to go and I'm having second thoughts! I read Anglie W's posts about the various levels of physics (Conceptual being "less" than a standard high school physics) and now I'm not sure I've made the right decision. I was hoping to keep two kids together for science next year: (1) 10th grade son, has completed Biology & Algebra I - possibly a liberal arts major (2) 8th grade son, finishing up Algebra I now. He is my math/science lover, so I want to challenge him. Is CP a mistake? Obviously, neither are ready for a science that requires Alg 2, so I guess chemistry would be an option. I was kind of thinking to wait and have them take that as DC in 11th grade like my oldest son, so they get the benefit of a real lab. Is there something else I should be considering?

My son's PSAT prep class gave them the College Board blue SAT book to prep. They don't recommend any PSAT books. They have also passed out old PSAT tests, but I have no idea where to get those.

Thanks for all the input - the B is staying. I suppose if he does well in his DC classes it will be obvious that his homeschool has a high standard. And if he doesn't, well, at least his transcript will be credible.

Yep, 1200 pages, but worth it. I couldn't slog through the first 20 pages of The Three Musketeers, so I was hesitant, but The County of Monte Cristo was great. I spent maybe 3 weeks or so on it & I'm a slow reader.

We spent about about $500 for a 6-week prep class meeting once a week for about 2 hours. It was more of a general overview and test-taking skills for each section. My son's practice scores have gone up dramatically, but he does take practice tests often (at least one SAT section a day right now) and analyze everything he misses.

I'm still not sure if I've made the right decision. I have given ds a "B" in Alg 2. His average is 85, his final exam was an 85, so it seems pretty easy. However, I made him re-work every single problem he missed all year long. I know he understands the material. He will be taking DC trig next year, and when he went in for his Compass test he sailed through college algebra (not that it's all that difficult :-) He's acing SAT practice math sections. I know some teachers will drop low scores; I didn't do anything like that. Do you assign grades strictly based on averages? Do you take any other factors into account? I know I'm a tough grader; I also gave him a B in economics for lazy work and that one is staying. I'm just not sure about the Algebra. What would you do?

Mostly at the dining room table. I just can't leave 3 boys at their desks together in the school room unless I'm working in there. Same thing at the dining room table - I have to be around. I'm tempted to give each their own closet to work in!

It's a blue book question.

I am stumped on this SAT practice question, can someone explain it to me? 14. Nicknamed the supergrain of the future, quinoa is a complete protein, one that contains all the necessary amino acids and is high in fiber. (a) protein, one that contains all the necessary amino acids and is (b) protein, it contains all the necessary amino acids and is © protein, and containing all the necessary amino acids in addition to being (d) protein that contained all the necessary amino acids and also is (e) protein; thus, containing all the necessary amino acids and being also Here's how we worked through the question: (e) "thus" doesn't work and the semicolon is wrong because it isn't followed by a complete clause. (d) tense problem - "contained" is past tense, "is" is present © "is" and "containing" are not parallel. The comma is not needed. (b) a semicolon should be used in a compound sentence without a conjunction (a) This is the correct answer but it seems wrong to me. Isn't "one that contains all the necessary amino acids" a nonessential modifier? If so, it should be set off by commas... one before AND after. Right? The only way I could consider (a) correct would be to assume that containing fiber is part of the description of a complete protein and, therefore, part of the nonessential modifier. Can someone explain this to me? Thanks, Tracie

Why do I have this feeling that there is NO WAY it will be ready in time to plan my fall schedule? :glare:

:iagree: I have my kids outline this book and use it as a sort-of checklist for all their persuasive writing assignments. This is my #1 choice. #2 is A Rulebook for Arguments - another clear, concise little book that explains different ways to support your arguments.

I would not skip the logic and I think a freshman is still a bit young for rhetoric. At this age you could easily cover The Fallacy Detective and The Thinking Toolbox over the summer. I would not skip those books - they are the foundation for logic. Then there are several logic curriculum you could cover next year from either Mars Hill or Memoria Press. I've used both, but have now switched to the text Socratic Logic by Peter Kreeft - better explanations and just easier to follow. You don't have to do it all, but do spend some time on it. We just read, take notes, work exercises and DISCUSS (that part is critical). Also, the first few chapters of Jacob's Geometry reinforce this introduction to logic. We start formal rhetoric in 10th grade, although we have already covered persuasive writing through The Lively Art of Writing and A Rulebook for Arguments. We have also done a great deal of speech & debate. For formal logic I really like Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student. Another text - we read, take notes, write examples and DISCUSS. I can't stress enough that logic and rhetoric need to be discussed - partly as a separate formal study but mostly in daily life. Discuss (with a view towards logic and rhetoric) the newspaper, literature, science, what your teen's friends are doing, etc... Point out logical fallacies, use of good logic, and how you could improve on the logic. Look at the use of ethos, pathos and logos - or the lack of - and discuss how you could improve arguments. Write lots of persuasive paper, give persuasive speeches, and try debate. Good luck! Tracie

Other than the fact that is going to come out later than expected? Is it going to be worth the wait? Is there something else that really works for homeschoolers? I'm drowning in papers and I would like to be able to move assignments around on our schedule without re-working my antiquated Excel spreadsheets!

Thanks for the help. I guess I still suffer from the "We have to get through the entire book in a year" mentality. Sometimes it's hard for me to think outside the box, especially in science which is way outside my comfort zone. And thanks for the syllabi offers - those are really helpful!

Those are some great resources - thanks.

Anyone? Pretty please?

Can someone tell me how you've done this so I don't re-invent the wheel (ha-ha, lame physics pun :) I'm using this for a very bright 8th grader and an average 10 grader that will be working together. Here's what I'm thinking: There are 36 chapters in the book, so that is one chapter per week. Mon-Tues: Read chapter, take notes. Wed: Review Questions (orally) and work Practicing Physics Q's in book. Thurs: Exercises (odds, possibly orally) maybe an experiment, too. Fri: Work odd problems in text. It looks like the Practicing Physics Q's and the textbook exercises cover similar material, so I don't want to do too much of this. We're becoming big fans of Khan Academy, so I may add in videos if it seems like too much time on the same exercises. Also, I don't think the math for the textbook problems is covered in the text. Should I expect that my kids will I need some outside help for these problems? Any ideas for lab experiments? I would appreciate any other suggestions you have!

I'm working on this right now. I don't think the edition matters, either. But you will want the same edition text and the practicing physics paperback to go with it. The text doesn't have ANY answers in the back. The practice book contains extra practice problems, as well the answers to odd-numbered questions in the text. I bought the wrong one the first time, so I can tell you the problem #s don't line up between editions, at all!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would highly recommend The Deadliest Monster along with Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. These are suggested in Starting Points, so you might looks at the other books used in Starting Points. If you like Deadliest Monster, then you should also look at Jeff Baldwin's website, TheGreatBooks.com His study guides to go along with the great books are really good. And if your son is interested in political science, he might also want a good foundation in economics. My son really enjoyed Economics in a Box which uses lots of real books.