Gag!!! I definitely won't be picking it up for my math girl!

This has been our first year of hsing at all high school level and above. Our days look like this: English - 1 hour most days (World Literature) Social Studies - 45 mins reading/highlighting M,T,W, 1 hr review R, 1/2 hr test on Friday (college history text & tests) Science - 1 hour (30 mins reading/highlighting, 30 mins DVD lecture) M,T, W, 1 hour review Thursday, 1/2 hour test on Friday (Teaching Company Joy of Science w/ accompanying text and publishers tests) Math - 1 hour per day (Life of Fred & Teaching Textbooks) Spanish - 45mins-1hr M,T,W,R, 30 mins test F (Rosetta Stone 1 w/workbooks) Musicianship - 1/2 hour per day P.E. - 2 hours on Friday, usually 30 mins to 1 hr. other days. My dc don't count this as "real work" though. Computer Skills - 30 minutes a day -- variety of resources Most days the dc start on their own with the reading as soon as they get up, then do other subjects starting after breakfast. To avoid burn-out, we school year-round, so that we can take off a day, or a week, whenever we need it.

Seconding some of Lori's suggestions: Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, and 1984 have been among our favorites to read -- and good for the children's comprehension of political systems and the nightly news, too! Shakespeare is actually pretty good, too. One selling point -- The plays are short! We usually read the Sparknotes synopsis, watch the video version with subtitles on, so that we read and watch all in one, which makes comprehension much simpler, then go through the actual written play once it and its language are familiar to us. For good essay skills, I'd suggest IEW's Student Writing Intensive. My children actually enjoyed it, and we did it as an actual intensive course over a week's time. We're planning to use their High School Essay Intensive next school year, so I don't know whether they'll like it as well or not.

I think Music History or Art History could be counted under Fine Arts. However, it might not be hard to sign your child up for some kind of art, drama, or music lesson/experience and gain the credit that way. To me, it seems that some sort of art/music/drama experience and knowledge would be helpful in many fields and is part of a well-rounded education.

I'm encouraging my dc to do multiple foreign languages. Our current high school plan is four years of Spanish for each, plus at least two years of a second one. Right now, one wants to add American Sign Language, and the other is unsure what to pick, but Arabic, Chinese, and Gaelic are all possibilities. We're using Rosetta Stone and supplementary materials for Spanish, and I'll probably use Rosetta Stone again if we do a spoken language that's fairly uncommon. For a more common one, I might Tell Me More, as that sounds interesting, too. The only disadvantage I see to uncommon foreign languages is that there are no AP tests for them, and fewer colleges will likely give credit for those languages -- especially if they aren't ones they offer.

A few ideas: Here are a few self-teaching sorts of ideas, depending upon how independent your dc are in their learning, what their college plans are, and the type of curriculum you prefer. Chemisty (non-science kid) -- I'd personally buy a used ps high school chemistry text off of Amazon and combine it with the high school chemistry DVD set and workbook from the Teaching Company. However, if your child would prefer studying chemistry via computer, I'd look at these current specials from Homeschool Buyers Club -- https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org -- they're selling Thinkwell, Fascinating Education, and Plato Chemistry at bargain prices. US history / American History -- Again, I'd probably go with a highschool or college textbook style course (I bought a good college text and teachers' tests off of Amazon), but if Abeka or BJU is more your bent, you do that. If you're really needing to save money, this is a course that a friend may have from a past year to lend you or sell to you. Spanish 1 and 2 -- We're using Rosetta Stone, including the workbook pages and tests that come on the accompanying CD. It's expensive, but since you can buy 3, 4, or 5 years worth at once, and it can be used by multiple students at multiple levels, it's really not bad. Tell Me More by Auralog also looks like a good program -- we may try that if we decide to add another language. 8th grade science -- Plato Science has middle school internet-based courses that are also on a special deal through Homeschool Buyers' Club, or, again ps texts are a possibility. Alternatively, if you want something Christian, Abeka is pretty self contained and you can buy the book, tests, and get a lab set from Home Science Tools. I hope some of this is helpful -- I don't envy you the job of single-parent homeschooling. I have a friend who's done it, and done it well, but it wasn't easy.

My math-hater seems to like Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1, though he massively disliked Videotext. We're planning to use TT Algebra 2 next year, but supplement it with Life of Fred (as we're doing this year), which my math-lover really likes and which math-hater enjoys reading, but doesn't like doing the work in. However, I'm wondering about the quality of your local college if College Algebra is the equivalent of TT Algebra 2. In choosing curricula for next year, I looked through the scope and sequences for several Algebra 2 programs and this one is fairly standard, offering more information than a few out there, but less than Life of Fred and some others! Of course, I don't know what's in the CLEP algebra test, and if she can get it out the way and her college will accept it, that would be a relief to her. Someone not going into math or science probably won't have much need for higher mathematics! HTH!

Sending up a prayer for you and your family.

I'd schedule math just before lunch, and when it's lunch time, the math stops -- and anything leftover is homework which must be done in the afternoon before any free-time is allowed.

We're really liking "The Joy of Science", done by Robert Hazen, which we've used this year along with the suggested text, Integrated Science, by Trefil and Hazen. It really gives a good review of everything a person needs to know about science as a non-scientist -- like an all-in-one high school science education. Of course, since we're very science oriented here, we're using it now (with ages 11 and 13) to make sure we know all of the basics before spending the next few years studying individual sciences in real depth.

I taught middle school/junior high before becoming a homeschool mom, and, granted, I resigned in the mid-1990s, but in our school the nose puncher would have been suspended. A light punch to the shoulder -- o.k., boy stuff. Calling someone who did that a jerk -- again, boy stuff -- it's not as if he was using obsecenities. But punching someone in the nose -- assault. And, btw, the only homeschooler that I had who came into public school in middle school did beautifully and was beloved by everyone -- but she was a girl and very emotionally mature (in a good way). Any child who is socially or emotionally immature and gets thrown into the shark pool of a middle school is likely to be eaten alive. It happens to those who've been in public school, private school, or homeschool, just based on personality, but the NEA supporter teachers like to use any weakness against former homeschoolers. (Sad, but true -- I was the non anti-homeschooling teacher on our faculty.)

Indiana is doing lots of serious cutting, because they are wise enough to be trying to live within their tax revenue. Wisconsin, on the other hand, seems to be trying to dig as deeply into debt as possible, so I haven't heard any talk of cutbacks here.

Here are a couple of videos I found listed on the internet while looking for the set I have. http://www.coultervideo.com/manners.htm http://www.enasco.com/product/WA24533H I have a set of 1950s ones similar to this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160370690480&rvr_id=&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=M*F%3F&GUID=e45c032c1260a02652b2b2f2fff13699&itemid=160370690480&ff4=263602_263622 Aha! Finally located where I got mine -- http://www.mediaoutlet.com/social-guidance-films.html

When I taught ps jr high, I was amazed at how little mental calculation my students could do -- not even enough to tell them when they'd hit a wrong button on the calculator and had gotten an answer that was, way, waaaay, off. (A great example was when I asked about buying a $10 item and adding 5.5% tax on it -- I had a class that thought the item should actually cost $55. I told them that if I were really smart, but nasty, I'd open up a store in town and rob them blind! That's why I didn't allow my dc to use calculators until we hit algebra, and, even with that, I encourage them to do as much in their heads as possible.

I remember being told that that we shouldn't expect children to have a longer attention span in minutes than their age in years. However, my ds was a dedicated NOVA and History Channel watcher as a preschooler, and both dc would spend hours reading as little ones, so I'd guess that, at least for GT children, long attention spans are "normal".

(in the SOTW 1 Activity Guide) I strain my broth (but through a stainless steel strainer), because, like others, I use the bones and skin. Then I chill the broth so that I can skim off the fat easily. Then I add veggies and the meat which I've reserved. Then noodles or rivels. Yum!!! Maybe I'll have to make some chicken soup this weekend!

Chiming in -- do school! My son was begging to start kindergarten when he was 2.5, because he loved learning so much. I went ahead and bought Sonlight K (though since then I've gone eclectic to fit my children's needs better), and I don't regret it at all. He's now 14 and still loves to learn. My daughter, at barely 3, cried because her older brother had a math book to do and she didn't. As a former ps teacher, I happened to have some old math books and brought out a selection of K and 1st grade ones for her. She chose the 1st grade ones "because they have more numbers" -- and she completed it, too. She's now 11 and still loves math. Don't tell the neighbors, and don't pressure him if he's not interested, but if he is -- Go For It!

I think every hs mom goes through this. I had my crisis over high school this winter. What cured it was looking over the course work offered in the local high schools and comparing it to what dh & I could do for our children at home -- through ourselves, online classes ( http://www.pahomeschoolers.com/ has some that I've seen good reviews of), local college classes, using DVD sets from The Teaching Company, and keeping my dc doing Life of Fred mathematics, etc. I also found a very promising looking chemistry course (one of my big worries), and that helped me get back my confidence. Like you, I'm a former junior high teacher, and I'm married to a science professor, so it's not that we're unqualified or, in fact, not as well or better educated that most high school teachers, yet, for a few days, I got nervous. My closing argument to myself was looking around at the well-educated young adults I know who were homeschooled by people with far fewer academic qualifications that dh and I have. If their children, some of whom went farther in math and science than their parents had ever been, are doing so much better than the average public school graduate, why shouldn't mine!

On credits -- Rosetta Stone has said that 1 level of Rosetta Stone is equivalent to one year of college level language, so four semesters of high school level. Our plan is to have our children finish levels 1, 2, and 3 before taking an AP Foreign Language test, as the AP tests are supposed to be the equivalent of third year college foreign language. However, I'll have to check that with what LivingUnderGrace said, to make sure I'm on the right track!

Another Life of Fred recommendation here -- my dc are eating it up.

One way to prepare for whatever may happen is to have lots of documentation! We're doing our paperwork through NARHS, so that the children have their learning and achievements documented formally whether they decide to graduate at 14 or 18. We're leaning toward 18, though, figuring we'll do a lot of AP courses so that their basic requirements for college are already met before they begin. I'm not a fan of sending young teens to college.

If you want something with astronomy, I'd agree with those suggesting a standard earth/space science course, especially if your child may be applying to colleges in a few years. A fairly standard high school science course of study is Earth Science in 9th, Biology in 10th, Chemistry in 11th, and then Physics in 12th. Obviously, however, for children who may want a science-related career, a lot more and tougher science is recommended.

We alternate. I have two who are working on the same books, so some days we read aloud together and discuss at the time and other days I assign a certain number of pages and then we discuss them later. Given a choice, they prefer reading it together so that any questions or ideas can be discussed right away. Also, if it's a book that's particularly hard to "get into", I often read the first chapter or so aloud to them to help suck them in. (And then there are the books that I detested in high school, and know that they will likely detest, but we have to read them anyway because they are "classics". Those, I just empathize with them.) Heather, who really doesn't like Hemingway!

Similar here -- series books have gone over well. Also, not everything has to be at her maximum reading level. My daughter who reads Orwell and Shakespeare still enjoys the American Girl and Little House (both the classic and the newer) ones, too.

We've recently dumped the cable and gotten an antenna. Better reception, and fewer choices so that we spend less time watching. So far, so good.