I just saw this post, which is a little dated, I guess, but I have the following I can mail to anyone who would like it: Mother of Divine Grace guide for Latin II (uses Henle Latin Book I) - like new - daily guide for assignments; includes tests, answer keys. $25 ppd Please pass this on to anyone you know who might be able to use it. Thanks, Jo

almost ALWAYS cheaper on Amazon.......... Just sayin'

but my daughter plans to take Eng. lit. subj., Eng. lang. AP, and Eng. lit. AP this next year. We've been advised that the Princeton materials - Cracking the Eng. lit/lang AP exam books are helpful for this. Also, the Barron's book for the Eng. lit. subj. test. Can't speak from experience on either test yet, but those are what we plan to use. My daughter is a serious and successful test-taker and likes to get what other serious students/instructors suggest, so, if that helps you in your decision making at all....... Jo

Just want to bring up the whole issue of counting extracurriculars. By definition, these activities should be things outside the curriculum. So, I feel it is the best representation if we do not "double dip" in this arena. This is sort of another angle to this thread, I think, that hadn't been talked about, so I thought I'd toss out there. Remember that colleges REALLY DO want to see that the student can juggle the academic, the required, with the "extra," the non-required. I really honestly don't see how this can be carefully, thoughtfully represented if these things are all jumbled up, double counted, or cross-applied all over the place. So, for example, say my daughter spends several hrs. a week in the dance studio disciplining her mind and body in this way - the first year of h.s. (or first year she does this) I might make it her P.E. credit, but in subsequent years would leave it off the transcript as far as credits go and feel perfectly fine to then call it "extracurricular." Does that make sense? Also, in relation to the several posts regarding the fact that there's a difference betw. counting dual credit as a h.s. credit and as college vs. counting a h.s. course as two h.s. credits - I agree w/these thoughts - there is a difference, and we should be careful there. We should always remember, in our freedom to do what we want, there will be countless families coming behind us - even our grandchildren, etc. - whose way we will want to have paved with much thought and care. We always want to keep in mind upholding the "good name" of homeschooling wherever we can, in effort to make it easier for our posterity to homeschool, should they so desire, rather than more difficult. Just food for thought. HTH! Jo

or something to that effect. We've always broken it down that way. One year do half the text - call it geometry - 1 credit. Next year cover rest of text - 1 credit - we titled it Trig/pre-cal based on what we felt it covered most heavily, when. if that makes sense.......... This text is hard. And the problems are time-consuming and if you're faithfully taking the tests, as well, it's a demanding course. HTH! Jo

I do like Apologia that we've used before in other subjects - I was wondering, as I am gathering information here, have you used the physics of theirs before, or will you be using it coming up for the first time? And if you've used it before w/a child, did that child take the physics subject test afterward? I'm just gathering info and working on a decision here...... Thanks!

Ok, so, I'm going through the posts, here - have your kids, then, taken the subject test for physics after using this text? If you don't mind my asking - how well-prepared did they feel, if so? And/or, I guess, how well did they do? (I'm not asking for scores, just a ballpark idea, or clue, of course.) Thanks for your patience. Jo

those of you who've used this Giancoli's, did you guys self-teach, did your students self-study? Did you have a tutor? Just want to know how you carried out the course and if your student was required to do hands on lab work, etc. Also, where can one get the Giancoli's and what components go with it or are necessary? Thanks.

The National Home School Honor Society is worth looking into. And they do require test scores. You can't get around that. There is also the newly established National Math Honor Society for Home School Students, too. Mu Eta Sigma. Google them and see if you qualify, explore the website, etc. Skip the High School Scholars thing - it's a rip off, plain and simple.

that all of these various programs - from state to state - are putting so much darn emphasis on math and science - as if the humanities don't matter. It's really upsetting because if you think about it, a lack of knowledge and understanding of our western culture is what has gotten us in the mess we are in in this country and pushing kids into math and science, giving them monetary incentive to do so, even when perhaps that is not their gifting, just perpetuates this problem and will, in time, make it even worse. I believe this math, science, technology emphasis is nothing more than a statement that history doesn't matter and won't matter to the generations to come. This is something we should all be concerned about. This is why you see a shift in colleges from the liberal arts core curricula to more specializing and techno emphasis. Kids are coming out of schools with very little ability to think and reason and NO knowledge of western culture and civ. Sorry if this seems like a rabbit trail to some, but to me, it's so obvious when I see things like this go on. Nothing meant against techno gifted kids - at all - I'm only commenting on the unequal treatment.

can usually point you in good directions for where to ask about taking the exam. If you're not taking a certified AP course, don't want it listed on your transcript, and just want to take the exam - you can still take the exam with whomever will allow you. (you should check with your colleges because I understand things are changing all the time and many aren't even accepting any kind of AP claims at all unless the course was taken w/a certified provider) The College Board site also has lists and contacts of high schools in your area that have agreed to be testing sites for "outsiders." This past year, here's what I did: I live in a small town. There are only a couple of high schools, neither of which normally administers many of the AP exams. I first approached the school that is in our "district" to ask them whether they'd be open to our coming in and told them which tests I needed. I happened to have a very friendly contact person there to work with and she was very helpful and open to us. We took one test there, but the other was one they didn't give and weren't willing to order just for us (though, I understand, some places have been known to do that....) At any rate, so, then I looked on College Board website, etc., etc. and called a couple of the places listed for my region. We ended up with a school about an hr. away that pretty much gives all of the AP exams every year and had already been experienced at opening it up to homeschoolers coming in. So, we signed up for the other test with them. I kept very close contact w/each person at each place, didn't rely on them to keep up with me, etc. I will say - all of this would have been super difficult, I think, to maneuver if we were not taking these courses through Pennsylvania Homeschoolers and had the help and advice of the coordinators there. Our US Hist. teacher and PAH coordinator, Susan Richman, knew just what to tell us to ask about, little details, etc. The way I knew to look out for certain things and make sure we did certain things was that I asked her questions along the way and she was knowledgeable and could help us make sure we covered every detail in registering. I hope this helps! Let me know if I can answer anything else. Jo Oh, and P.S., you do know that, unlike the SAT subj. tests, the AP exams are each offered only one particular day each year. You get one shot. US Hist. one day, Physics one day, etc. They occur the first two weeks of May and are supposed to be administered the same timeframe all across the world. By the way - too - when I called College Board, at one point, to ask them questions, they told me that they don't care at all where anyone takes his test. They told me a kid could take a test in a different COUNTRY from where he lives if he wanted to. (I tell you that just in case anyone were to try to feed you the line that "you're not in our district or you don't live in this county" therefore College Board wouldn't allow it type thing.

Did any of your students who took it take the SAT physics subject test afterward? I am curious to know what you all thought of the thoroughness of the course. Thanks for any comments or input. Jo

But first - who says church activity does not count? I mean, where is that established? I've had two to graduate and am now working on my third one's resume with her. Many of my kids' leadership and service activities have COME from church involvement and it certainly hasn't seemed to bother any of the colleges we've connected with yet. For example, this year, my daughter will co-lead an entire Christmas musical in our church. This is a big deal. This involves planning and management for not just younger children, but adults, as well. It's all in how you present it and are ready to describe it should your child be interviewing somewhere. My son was involved when we had VBS and did the skits all week one year. Yes, that was only one week out of a summer - but was it? No, it involved other weeks of planning. These are things that matter and show some fortitude. It's all in how you present and describe it. Church is definitely part of "community" and reaches out to community. Being a choir member? ensemble? perhaps playing or singing in a worship team or band that leads your congregation or youth group on a regular basis? These are certainly service to your community. We've counted them different ways depending on the form we were filling out. If there was a section for leadership, many times it went under that, but sometimes there's not and you can include these types of things under "community service." As for other areas you can serve: I agree, Food Bank - look up your local food bank to find out how you can serve (we are going once a week stocking shelves - there are usually needs w/helping w/food drives, and distribution days too, when needy folks actually come in for the food). Does your community have a soup kitchen? We have one that serves up meals on a regular basis and is always looking for volunteers to be there for serving, clean-up, etc. Also, meals on wheels is ALWAYS needing volunteers where I live. Does your library need any volunteers? Habitat for Humanity - is there one of these in your area? We haven't gotten involved - though I wanted to - but many kids I've known of have helped with the various houses and counted that. (16 y.o. and up) Is there tutoring of elementary aged children your child could do? Perhaps there are friends at church or a local Christian school that could use help in this area. Some schools offer after-school tutoring using older students to help younger ones. We have also counted community theater involvement. Whether you're in a production as cast member (because in ours - you're doing this totally volunteer and it ends up costing you $$ - and you're helping produce something that benefits your community) or as backstage help. Possibly you could sign up to be a regular stage crew member. Our theater is always looking for folks for this. Hope some of this helps!

Feels awkward to brag, but we were just excited...... The two classes were AP US Hist. and AP US Gov. and Politics. :)

I'm especially interested in physics....... As far as our own experience, my daughter took the US Hist. subj. test, just after finishing AP US Hist. w/Penn. Homeschoolers online this past year (instructor, Susan Richman), and taking that AP exam. Did very well. Thanks, Jo

Been trying to resist making the call and payin' the extra bucks to hear it on the phone - so we stuck it out and waited for the snail mail version. Two exams, two fives! So thankful!! I highly recommend, by the way, PAH; but my caveat is that I do have a daughter who is extremely motivated, which definitely has something to do w/it......... Soooo thankful. God is good. :hurray:

Gwen, would that school to which you're referring in Idaho be The Logos School, the classical school? Thanks for all of your great advice and assistance both here and in priv. messaging. I may be continuing to contact you.......... Jo

I'm not advocating re-doing a course at all - sorry if that was what was communicated. But if what he basically covered of US Hist in another course - as I mentioned there in the post - was only early US Hist, then he hasn't had a full dose of high school US Hist, plain and simple. That doesn't merit changing the name of the course, in my mind. And, again, if the course was taken in an institution, it does not seem right to me to change their course title. Configuring your own course titles for courses done at home is certainly what we all expect to do and a privilege of homeschooling, for sure, but configuring titles that a school has assigned is a misrepresentation by my book. Thanks.

I think it's better to "under credit" than "over credit." I think it does look weird to have English and lit. like that. It should just all roll together as one credit and a darn good one at that. Think about it - wouldn't you want your transcript to promise slightly "less" than your child can "deliver" rather than "overpromise" ? That's how I feel about it. I've had two to go on to college and I feel this is the way to go with it. HTH!

That could get sticky and you could get "lost" in what you were doing. I think integrity would call for having your transcript be what it is and just "beef" up what you do have on there - I don't mean "fudge" or fabricate at all - but make what all is on there fully descriptive of what was done. As far as US Hist. - is your son a senior? Why not incorporate a credit of US Hist. this fall? You could have it on the transcript that you send out to schools for apps as a "course in progress." I do think you need a unit of that on there, if possible. Having had a good study of the beginnings of our country isn't really US History. And if an actual school has given the title to a course he took, I don't see it being feasible that you could change the title for your purposes. Is there a community college or other school where he could take it for dual credit? That might be a good option if you don't want to have to figure out covering it yourself. Whatever bits and pieces he's had of it in the other courses will only enhance a more focused study of it. I have had two go on to college and have another senior this year....we'll be doing all of this application stuff, as well, this fall :tongue_smilie:- if this were me, I would be looking into a way to get this for my student this fall, as an actual course - whether I covered it at home - or signed her up for a course at a nearby college. Does this help? Jo

Please share about any and all. Jo

Hello - I'm interested to hear of anyone's top picks for colleges in VA. Smaller scale, fewer than 6,000 students, I would say. What about College of William and Mary? Does anyone know if it's hopelessly leaning liberal? ISI seemed to think so......... At any rate, I'm very interested in hearing what some of you know about VA colleges with good liberal arts core. Thanks! Jo

I recommend not taking it in 9th grade, but taking it as practice in 10th - when most serious students have had a better/larger dose of enough math to get something out of it and not be too discouraged. Then in 11th you take it for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying. That is the year it counts. 11th. I recommend prepping by: mainly taking rigorous courses through high school and not "fudging" - i.e. correct math problems all year, find out why mistakes are made, be disciplined about it; read, read, read. The student should read literature that challenges him and should read and analyze lots of it. The other way we've prepped (and done AMAZINGLY well) is using some of the SAT prep books. Don't send a kid ever into a testing situation without having him first having a grasp of what the test will be like, what kinds of sections it will have and special challenges it will have. He/she should also practice taking sections - either in parts, and/or sitting for a whole entire (all sections) SAT as practice. He should try to have it set up just as if it were a real test situation. Doing this over and over helps, I believe, before they sit for a real test that counts. He should study the books - reading through them for tips and strategy issues - then use practice tests that most of the prep books have. HTH! JC

Most average kids and even some superior ones will be at a serious disadvantage in today's world if they do not prep for these tests. So, the way I see it, you either dangle your kids out there and hope for the best or you give them every opportunity to succeed and compete in today's real world. Princeton, Barron's, College Board Real SATs, try the different ones and take several practice tests - do some in sections, but do at least one full sitting of a test, with essay, before taking the real test. That said, if money (as in, college tuition) is no object, nor college acceptance, then, well, disregard the above. ;)

The redesigned is supposed to be much better than the classic. Yes - I do know that. In fact, what I heard from other customers and from the publishers when I was first considering buying it, was that a large reason for redesign was to remake, redo, revamp the rhetoric lit. portion. What I really appreciate about TOG is the emphasis put on the discussion time. I feel like this is so key with students studying literature. I like that all the background is there for me, the scripting, etc. My daughter has devoured it. (wish I'd had TOG redesign when my other two, graduated kids were still at home....) Anyway, just tossing that in. :)