[Can we share 8th grade schedules, too?]

8th grade schedule:

 

math - Chalkdust Geometry

science - CSI/Forensic Anatomy

language arts - Intro. to Literature (Laurel Tree), IEW, Vocabulary Cartoons

foreign language - JH French 2, French Conversations (Potter's School)

history - World Geography (Potter's School)

 

also violin lessons, group violin class, swimming, and dryland practice

[Splash! Free one-day classes covering all sorts of topics.]

My son is attending this year's at MIT, so I appreciate your advice. Did you stick around for any of the parents' sessions?

 

Yes, I went to a couple of the parent's sessions. I'm glad I stayed on campus too because my younger dd (7th grade) texted me at one point saying she "was completely lost". By the time I found her, she was in tears and broke down in the middle of the crowded hallway. After a quick snack and drink she was good to go again (probably a combination of tiredness, nervousness, hunger, etc.).

 

Do the kids get lunch, then? Or do I have to take him to lunch between classes?

 

You can sign up for the lunch (a long line for cold pizza last year) if you want, but I suggest you pick up a sandwich/salad in the student union and coordinate a meeting place.

 

Interesting review of Diophantine, as that was one my kid was hoping they'd repeat this year. Maybe he'll want to rethink that, if it's incomprehensible (although, would the teacher be the same? I understand they're mostly undergrads, so do they tend to teach more than one year?).

 

I don't know if they'll have the same teachers this year, and if your son is interested in that class you should have him try it. My older dd was in Geometry at the time and said she didn't understand any of it. Your son might have a completely different experience though. She really wanted to take the night tour of MIT but she was too tired by the end of the day Saturday.

 

And we're traveling for this, so any suggestions about what to do in Boston are most welcome! :001_smile:

 

There is so much to do in Boston it's hard to narrow it down. The Faneuil (sp?) Hall area is a lot of fun and they actually had the Christmas tree lighting celebration the weekend we were there. Also, try to take one of the historical walking tours if you have time. Very cool. We went on a tour of Harvard with a bunch of other kids and that was interesting. The next time we're in town we'll probably visit Boston College or Boston University.

[Splash! Free one-day classes covering all sorts of topics.]

My kids went to MIT Splash! last year and it was quite an interesting experience. It was good, but it could have been a little more organized. My younger dd was overwhelmed and ended up skipping a couple of her classes. My older dd liked a few of her classes, except for Diophantine Equations (?). She didn't understand anything they were talking about...she excused herself and never returned. The class descriptions were lacking so they were never quite sure what they were going to end up with. I would recommend not overscheduling yourselves, leave breaks for lunch and dinner (the cold pizza served for lunch was terrible), and try to see a little bit of Boston while you're there.:)

[not happy about Chalkdust Algebra 1]

I have to chime in and say I think there's a right math program out there for each and every student. Chalkdust works for some kids, and is a complete bomb for others. If someone is on the fence right now and considering using CD, I don't want them to get discouraged. My kids tend to pick up new concepts fairly easily and I was also a strong math student in school so I am able to help them if they need it. They watch the lesson on DVD, look at the examples in the book, and then tackle the homework problems. It is working. It has been a long road though. We did go through many, many different math programs before settling with CD. Hang in there, contact Mr. Moseley for help, or check out one of the great math websites (CoolMath, Purple Math, Ask Dr. Math, Khan Academy, etc.). If all else fails, try a different program and see what happens.

[What program did you use to give your child a firm phonics foundation?]

Good ol' Phonics Pathways with Bob Books worked for us.

[I hate geometry.....]

:iagree:

 

I'll chime in by saying geometry is not my favorite subject either. I much prefer algebra. We've got one more year to go and I'm counting down the days.

[What's your fave Geometry, and why?]

Chalkdust worked well for my older daughter. Math is one of her better subjects and she is very independent, so she was able to do the program mostly on her own and only had occasional questions for me. She felt the DVD lectures did a good job preparing her for the homework problems, and she thought the number of proofs was just right.

 

Oh, also my younger daughter will be trying CD as well, however, I'm not sure it is going to work for her. The jury is still out.

[Challenges of hsing 15 yo ??]

It is so nice to know that I am not alone. Some days I feel like I am the only person in the world who has to put up with obnoxious behavior from one (sometimes both) of my teenagers. Thank goodness for you guys and Fridays. :)

[If you want to focus on writing]

I will 4th(?) the IEW recommendation, but I will also agree with Sue to look at WriteShop as well. I used WriteShop with my dd a few years ago and it really helped ease her into writing more with a lot less anxiety.

[Test prep, SAT]

My dd is using the College Board SAT prep book as well. She studies approximately 15-30 minutes a day, depending upon the schedule for the day. She has already taken a practice test so she knows what she needs to work on. She will take a practice test every month or two until the actual test date next fall. She is also taking the PSAT in Oct. Also, the SAT Question of the Day from the College Board website is good practice as well.

[PSAT; Should dd take this?]

Yes, I agree with the others to go ahead and have your dd take the PSAT. My older dd will be taking the test this Oct. as practice for the SAT next year. She has already taken a practice SAT, but I think the more experience they have with taking these kinds of tests, the better they'll do in the end.:)

[Music as career?]

I'm offering advice as the wife of a professional musician. My husband went to college for a business degree and ended up gigging his way through college to earn extra money. After college he decided to go to NY to try to make it as a professional musician. He ended up starting his own business and has done well, but it has not been easy. It is a very competitive industry. Competition for orchestra seats to gigs in military bands (great job if you can get it) is extremely tough. Most of the people my husband plays with are part-time musicians who have day jobs as engineers, computer specialists, music teachers, etc., and many have their own music studios for lessons. They take the music gigs because they love playing and figure they can earn a little extra spending money each month. There are many different ways to fit music into your life. It can be done. HTH

[Is this rigorous, average, or lame for a 7th grade schedule?]

Wow! Latin, Spanish, and French? This looks rigorous to me. I say go for it! School will never be boring. :)

[Chalkdust: Does your student read the chapter *and*watch the video?]

My dds tend to look at the chapter/lesson 1st to see if they understand the new concept. If not, they watch the lesson on DVD then do the homework problems (usally odds). For geometry, my older dd usually just watched the lesson on DVD and used the book as a reference. HTH

[Nice Chemistry elements site!]

Great site! Thanks.

[Has anyone gone 100% online for high school?]

We are doing about 1/2 of our classes online. My kids can only tolerate a few online classes per year because they say sitting in front of the computer gets a little tedious. So far, we have been pleased with all of our outsourced classes.

[On-line French?]

My dd took JH French I with Madame S. at Potter's School last year and absolutely loved it. This year she's taking JH French II and we also added in the French Conversations 1 class as well.

[IEW or Writeshop...pick one!]

My quick 2 cents - We have used both and actually like both programs. I don't think you can go wrong with either one. WriteShop is easy to implement with everything spelled out and scheduled for you. My older dd used this in middle school and really enjoyed it. We have since moved on to IEW. I had purchased it a few years ago and finally found the time to watch the DVDs. I really like the theme-based books that you can use along with whatever history you happen to be studying.

[The CAT test...do you think it is a good indictor...]

Someone probably already said this, but I think the CAT is good for a quick-n-dirty, just-get-it-done test to prove to the state that your children are doing fine. However, I prefer to use the ITBS because I like the detailed information for each subject. It's easier for me to see if my kids need any extra help with anything.

[BJU French 1]

My younger dd took the JH French 1 class this year with Madame S. and loved it. In fact, my older dd decided to switch over to the HS French 1 class for this very reason. The Potter's School also has a French Conversations class which reinforces (and allows them to practice) what they are learning in class.

[Ask Dr. Callahan vs. Chalk Dust]

We prefer the DVD's for Chalkdust.

[PA Homeschoolers - AP US Govt]

You can go onto their website and read the class reviews. My daughter is signed up for this next year, so we'll see how it goes.

[Greg Landry's Online Science Classes?]

I'll also be able to give my 2 cents in December. Both dds are taking classes with him next year.

[Phonics]

There are many, many great programs out there but I always recommend Phonics Pathways with Bob Books because it worked so well for us. Just a thought.

[TOG books at lampstandbookshelf: impressed at the low price]

I know this sounds like a pain in the hoot, but I usually go through the book lists for the different levels we are using and compare prices. I would say about 75% of the time the Bookshelf prices are lower. However, we order so many books from Amazon that we usually get free shipping with Amazon Prime.:)