I contacted a local metal detecting group and they are going to help us! :) Thank you for that recommendation. Here's hoping!!!

Thanks, everyone! Y'all are giving me hope and the support makes me feel better, too. :grouphug: I'll let you know if I find it! I didn't think about a commercial rental center. Good idea! Leaf blower is a good idea, too.

Thanks. 20 years next month. :( Even worse. Sigh.

What is the best metal detector for finding a ring in grass and possibly under leaves? Have not been able to find it with just the human eye, so we have to go to step 2, I think.

Thank you for answering my questions. You've been very helpful, too. One last question, what do you plan on using for hs writing?

VERY helpful! Thank you!

I see that you are using IEW. We used the SWI-A a few years ago. Do you like the upper level options from IEW? Can it be done mostly independent? We used Write At Home last year and it went well. I might look into that if I can get into a course at any time since I'm past the beginning of the school year.

Thank you. Your information is helpful. I'm wondering, though, if AG/BTBR can be done independently easily or will it still require a lot of me?

I know these two are very opposite, but I'm trying to decide which one to use for my ds14. Originally, I was going to incorporate Starting Points with LLATL gray book and a few literature choices with various lit. guides for his English credit. But, it's not happening consistently and he can't suffer from my inability to be consistent with him. I also have 3 other children, 12, 5, and 3 years old. My goal is to get something for him that can be more independent and not rely so much on me. So, my search has come down to these two options. I understand that BJU is complete with the teacher on the DVD and assignments lined out, etc. My question is if the Analytical Grammar/Beyond the Book Report option would be mostly independent, too? I saw that AG and BTBR both have DVD's with lectures, but I can't determine how thorough the instruction is. I like what I read about AG and BTBR, but I just don't know if it's what we can actually "do" around here. Thanks for any insight you can give me.

What versions are good choices?

I'm new to both and really don't know which to choose. Need help by those more experienced please. DS14 will be starting 9th and I want to have a literature focus mainly this year and discussion, etc. that these books might support. 10th and 11th I will use a main textbook I think, but also add in literature. I'm looking at Ambleside Online for books to use, too. I like the study guide approach that will help us get more out of the readings. Thanks.

Which courses are the best ones to choose for AP? How do you go about choosing?

My thoughts are for ds14 to mainly do the geography for 9th grade and I'll give him a credit for that. I'm also thinking about doing an overview of history (to help give a summary so to speak of history before beginning world and american in the next grades) using literature and just letting him read and fill out a "reading diary" mainly for accountability to read and for me to know that he read it. There are a ton of books to choose from though!!! I have All Through the Ages if that helps. Help me plan this, please, and help me decide good books to use. I'm wanting to include "great books" and biographies that span the historical time periods. I've thought about using TruthQuest as a guide, although I've never used TQ so I might be naive here. I like the thought of having a guide, even if we just use it loosely. Is that doable? Suggestions? Thanks! By the way, we are not secular.

Great! This is doable. Now, what is the process of taking the AP test? Sign up? How are in advance do I need to sign up? Where are the tests given? Schools or local colleges? Thanks!

I don't have any particular areas right now. I've just seen the advice that having AP courses and good scores on the exams helps validate the transcript and helps make entrance to universities easier or at least because of validating our homeschool, it makes our educational path for our child more respected and worthy. I'm still learning, but this is what I understand so far.

I'm new to this, but I have been reading the posted messages regarding AP on this forum. I don't know if this question has already been answered. If so, please direct me to that post. If not, what are good resources to help prepare for the AP exam? I'm understanding that there are basically two ways to go about it: 1) take a specified and approved AP course, usually online, and then take the exam and notate that the student took an approved AP course and the test OR 2) just use regular currciulum choices and take the AP exam and notate that on the transcript accordingly, i.e... name the course and add AP exam score to it. Is that basically it? DS14 will be in 9th this year. I'm interested in taking AP exams in the future. What courses and course resources are good to use at home to prepare? Can I just get the books that the AP courses are using and use them at home? And are there test prep books for AP as well? Thank you!

Bumping again. :lurk5:

We are doing BJU Geography this year and will begin the focused histories next year (i.e...World- 10th, American- 11th, govt/eco- 12th). I would also like to incorporate literature readings that will give an overview of history to do this year. I have the All Through Ages book as a book list. Any other resources you could recommend that would help in selecting literature options? Has anyone done anything like this and if so, what were your favorite choices for each time period and what did you do besides just read? I'm not opposed to just reading, but if you did other things I'm glad to hear your ideas. I'm looking forward to my ds being able to just read for enjoyment and learning about history, too.

How did you do it in your family? Did you count it as 3 credits (bible/english/history) as it says you can? Please give any helpful tips. Thanks!

I think I'm settling on Notgrass since it incorporates History, English, Bible. If I add Progeny Press guides, more literature selections, and Write At Home as the writing program will that be sufficient? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

I posted a few weeks ago asking for help and everyone was wonderful! I've revised some and here is my list: English/Lit/Composition: Classic Lit. with composition through an outside local class Science: Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) (same location as English) Math: Algebra 1-- not sure of curriculum yet. We currently use TT Pre Alg and it's going well, just working through being careful, not rushing, being thorough, organized in thoughtand problem solving, neatness, etc. I just added Tablet Class to strengthen and solidify his skills and just be extra to boost him along. We will see how the summer goes as far as which curriculum to continue with or choose. Geography: the geography for BJU 9th History: ???? begin 4 year cycle and if so with what (Veritas, Omnibus, ???) OR wait and just follow typical plan of geography for this year and then do world, american, govt/eco and use Notgrass for those, ??? Streams of Civilization interests me, too. Just not sure on this yet. Spanish 1: likely we will just do the BJU distance dvds or online. Worldview: would love to do this through The Potter's School, but I'm concerned about his workload already. Might just continue this as a family.

How does the tutoring work with TC? We just started using TC recently in addition to TT to boost my DS along through PreAlg. Thanks. So far, it's working great as well as sitting with him while he does his work. We might use tutoring as time goes on to really help him move along.

This was great! They have autocad and autocad architecture. Free 3 year license for secondary student! Thanks!

Software mainly.

Thanks. I've seen the CADD class and am planning on that later. I was wanting software more than a class. I'll look for a class, though, didn't think of that. Might be a good elective at some point since he is interested.