[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

I included it mainly because aside from the math, I didn't think your schedule was that far off from a public school education (at least mine).

 

I don't know what you're doing for writing/composition, and again - I don't remember a lot of 11 grade English, but I know that by the end of school we had written different KINDS of essays (persuasive, expository, etc) and had done some oral reports. My senior year English class was "how to write a term paper" with instruction in note cards, outlining, topic paragraphs, notations, etc. Some of that had been covered before in other classes, but that was the main focus of that class. That would be another thing important for college: knowing how to set up a good multi-page paper - planning the progression of the writing, knowing how to cite and quote sources (and not plagiarize), knowing how to FIND relevant and current sources (and knowing that wikipedia alone is not a legitimate source), etc.

 

I'm going to add gently that if your kids haven't learned some good ADD coping strategies, now's the time to find some. The deadlines in college are going to be pretty firm, so work will either need to be done on a deadline or turned in incomplete. If your goal IS college for next year, working to firm deadlines would be another good skill for this year. Set them with an actual time (like a college class would be - the essay wouldn't be due on Tuesday, but rather "Tuesday at 10am") and adjust grading accordingly. It's okay to give a paper 2 grades: one for if it were handed in on time and one because it wasn't. Then you child knows the quality of the work and the cost of not focusing. And I understand they have ADD, but there's going to be a limit of how much a college professor is willing to listen to "I need 4 extra days for my paper because I have ADD and I won't be able to concentrate enough to get it done on time." KWIM?

 

I agree about the ADD. That is why I am doing a co-op and make them turn everything in on time along with the other kids. If it's late, I mark it down as such. And, I've told them that in college there are no excuses. If you don't hand something in, it's a zero and you'll flunk the class. I do not baby them as that would serve no purpose, if anything if would be a great injustice to them.

 

Thanks for the feedback.:)

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

If you spend some time here you will see that there is a broad range of homeschoolers ranging from "very relaxed " to "draconian" (their own labels that they've put on themselves!). But you will also see that once it gets to high school that it no longer is just about following your educational heart but on meeting requirements for whatever goal you and your children have. People have seen first hand the disappointment that comes sometimes from people having a goal of something like college but not having met all the standards for that goal. Those standards are not set by us but by the colleges. So do your homework - asking those of us who have kids doing high school level work (me) or have graduated kids from high school (not me) is one part of that homework. As someone else mentioned, asking at the community college or your child's favorite college picks is another part of that homework.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I have come that these conclusions as well. I'm in the midst of looking at classes at the community college as well as getting a math tutor. It's going to take time, but I feel confident that we will find what's right for him and rest in that.

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

Is there any way to take a pretest for your college's chemistry class (or ideally, for English and math as well)? I think that is really the only way you will know if you are doing enough for your particular situation. Everyone here can only give their opinions, what they think is most likely to happen, based on the information given. If your son does test into chemistry next year, then I seriously doubt anyone here would say he shouldn't do it. They are just saying they don't think it is a realistic possibility. It seems to me that you have two options. One, you can continue the way you are going, and hope it is enough based on your understanding of your kid's needs (this is what most people do, when it comes down to it). Two, you can go to the college directly and ask what they will need to show your child can do the work. If there is not a pretest, maybe an accomodating instructor or two would let you have a course syllubus, or see some examples of work from the beginning of the term. I think this is the only way to really know if your goals are achievable. Either they are or they aren't, when it comes down to it. This is true of all of us. It is in each of our best interests to be honest with ourselves, regardless of what other people think of our curriculum plans. Please do know that nobody here wishes you ill will, or HOPES for whatever reason that your children will fail. People here tend to give their opinions because they wish the best for fellow homeschooling parents and their children. :)

 

I realize that. I printed out the math test that he will have to pass in order to take chemistry, so if doesn't pass it, he'll have to improve his math skills.

We aren't looking at college for next year. I've already decided that he'll take classes at the community college for a year and then go from there.

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

I'd say if you have OCD and you require too much of your high schoolers then you have come to the right place! :D I think many of the moms here would fit that description and this is why their children are so well accomplished!

 

If anything, you will probably be told here that your schedule is too lenient! :tongue_smilie:

Yes, I get that feeling. I haven't posted every single thing I've done, like 3 years of Latin, memorizing every one of Hamlet's lines when he was 12 and so forth, so to some it looks like too little is being studied. I don't want to kill their desire to learn and look up things on their own, but it could come to that if I become a task master.

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

This. What is leading him to think you're going too far with their education? I'm not saying he's correct, but maybe he's got an issue that needs to be taken into consideration?

 

He sometimes needs my son, but weekends are usually school free. I am distracted because I am doing a lot of reading to prepare for German, history and literature, and I'm also grading papers. I am rarely grumpy, it's not my disposition, but I am distracted. I get focused on the tasks ahead of me and its difficult to switch gears. Also, his irratation with school is not constant, just when he needs my son and he's busy with school. I am not very flexible when he needs him during school hours. Sometimes it would be better if I'd ask him how long the task will take instead of a rote response of, "no, he has school".

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

I was public schooled in NY. My junior year I took (for comparison's sake):

 

Regents English (we did MacBeth, Canterbury Tales, A Modest Proposal, and other stuff I can't remember. We did one Shakespeare play each year, so previously I'd done Romeo & Juliet and Julius Cesar. I mostly remember being bored, occasionally confused by my teacher's relating things to 3's Company, and trying to keep my friend Jessy awake).

 

Pre-Calculus (because I was accelerated in math: my peers were doing Trigonometry [basically - in NY at that time it was called "Course III" ]. I was required to take 3 years of math, I ended up with 5 because I took AP Calc my senior year)

 

Regents American History (9th and 10th grades are Global Studies, 12th is one semester each of Participation in Government and Economics)

 

Spanish 4

 

Regents Physics (again, accelerated schedule. my peers were doing Chemistry. Traditionally 9th was Earth Science, 10th was Biology, 11th Chemistry. For a Regents diploma you needed 3 years of science, but I electively took 4. I didn't take any my senior year because the only option was AP Biology and I'd had enough of dissection, tyvm).

 

Chorus

 

PE

 

Health (one semester)

 

*the accelerated schedule was something my school did for students who were above average in science and math (or just one). So, I took Regents Algebra (Course I) and Earth Science as an 8th grader (skipping traditional 8th grade science and math).

The Regents Diploma required also 4 years of English and Social Studies, 3 years of foreign language (unless it was Latin, in which case only 2 were required OR you could do 2 years of another foreign language AND 5 years of English and social studies), and an equivalent amount of PE (or maybe that was just a general state requirement for graduation, like health was).

 

 

Read up on your community college's requirements for admission. I know some of the systems around here allow you to enroll at 12, and that doesn't assume you've had high school coursework necessarily. I guess it depends on whether you're looking to get into a 100 level class or will be okay with the 000 level one.

 

If you're interested, here's a test (I found it online) for a remedial chem class at a local community college: http://www.gwc.maricopa.edu/home_pages/fergusson/chm090/090test1V2.html this is for CHM090 which is "A developmental course designed to review basic math and chemistry principles for students deficient or insecure in these areas. Stresses individualized instruction and "hands-on" experience. Serves to prepare the student for CHM130." (CHM 130 is Fundamental Chem). It made me realize how much I remember and what I've forgotten: I can't remember how to write something in scientific notation, for example.

 

Wow, what an education!! I went to a decent high school and graduated in 1980. We didn't have a lot of choice, but thankfully I had some good teachers, especially for 12th gov't.

 

I will look at the website you suggested. I found a similiar one and copied it for them. I haven't shown it to them yet, but I'll bring it out so they realize what they should know in order to be ready for chemistry. I really feel that they need to work on just math with a tutor during the summer. I am thinking that my son should be tutored twice a week until he can do the lessons without help. I am not concerned about the $; I just want them to master each math lesson and be able to think through problems on their own without help.

 

When I took Alg. I and II, I had to just sit and work the problems out until I found the solution. My dad was gone a lot with the military and my mom is German. She learned math so many years ago and in another language therefore the directions just didn't click with her. If I could do it, so can they. It is going to take determination and hard work and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

By the way, thanks for your comments.:001_smile:

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

I agree with what's been said that it's definitely not too much - especially for 11th grade which is notoriously the most work intensive. I think the main thing is to talk with your husband and ask him why he thinks it's too much. Are the kids complaining to him about the work load? Are there things he'd like to do' date=' but the schooling interferes with that? Or does he just base it on what school was like for him?

 

It sounds like you've got them on a good math program now, but I agree with others that it might not be a bad idea to consider them 10th grade and give them the extra time to get up to speed in math and science. I don't know your criteria for choosing curricula, but Apologia is very much self-teaching. Biology could easily be done by them even with them taking algebra I. Then they could go to chemistry next year, and if that's what they're most interested in, follow that up with a CC course in their senior year when they'll have finished algebra II and be working in Advanced Math.

 

Giving them an extra year could make the difference between having students who struggle in college, and those who will excel. :)[/quote']

 

They finished Biology last year with Potter's School...every module with teacher made tests that were rigorous, so now we need to finish physical science. We will complete it by December and we'll start Astronomy second semester and work into the summer. We got behind because my kids were doing German II and Latin I along with all their other subjects. I was also doing Latin roots. In hindsight, I should have dropped the latin roots and Latin I and stuck with physical science. My kids are good at languages and my daughter loves Latin so I focused more on what we enjoyed.

 

My son started school late and he'll be 18 in Jan., so I am not going to hold him back. I am setting them both up with a math tutor this week and they can work on math throughout the summer. I am going to enroll him in a community college next year. He's a very strong writer and loves history. He is also a strong reader. I struggled in math until I got to Alg. I and II and then I made A's and B's without a lot of effort. Somehow, it all came together when I could memorize equations and plug in numbers and solve for variables. It reminds me a little of putting sentences together in a foreign language. My daughter is definitely getting stronger and seems to enjoy Alg. I.

 

My husband gets a little frustrated when he needs my son to help him and I say he can't because he is behind. He thinks it must be the work load I give him though he knows that my son is ADD and doesn't stay focused. I just need to talk with him when we're both relaxed and I can more clearly articulate the fact that their school work is typical of others their age.

 

Thank you so much for your thoughts.

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

Their schedule doesn't look like too much by any stretch. Their history and literature sounds better than public school, thankfully :). Their science is a tad behind. German III is good and sounds strong. I'm surprised he's not concerned about their math being so far behind (this is not a dig. All kids are different but college bound 11th graders are most certainly behind if they are only in Algebra I).

 

It sounds like they may not have enough credits by most people's (and schools and college's) standards which is a concern. You may have just missed letting us in on some of that. But if each year has looked similar to this one, you may need to step things up quite a bit to get a normal number of credits and to get that math and science up. Honestly, I would seriously consider an extra year.

 

They've had a speech class, drama(put on plays), and music classes and also PE. My son did a grammar course with a tutor once a week last year along with a literature class at home. They are behind in science, but I think I can catch them up. Next year I'd like them to take chemistry at the community college if they are ready. My son is super stressed about math. I'm getting him a math tutor and he can use the summer to work as well. My daughter is working diligently with math and is getting it. They completed biology with Potter's School(online) and my son took a very intensive US Military History course last year also with Potter's school. He had two exams and a paper per semester. He is a strong writer and is an auditory learner so he got a lot out of the course and did well on the exams. He worked from a syllabus and was able to do all of the reading and keep up with taking notes during lectures. The first semester he wrote an eight page paper and second semester he wrote a 12 page paper. It was a huge confidence booster for him as he did well on the papers and I feel it gave him an idea of what lower level college classes require.

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

Agree. They should have completed algebra I and geometry. Algebra II should occur in 11th grade for the mathematically disinclined (which I definitely was/am). Higher level work will make them more competitive for college admissions.

 

I realize they are behind in math. My daughter did pre-algebra with Teaching Textbooks and just didn't learn it. I made her go back to Saxon and redo it, hence a year was wasted. My son also did a different pre-algebra program and didn't get it, so he too lost a year. I'm hoping they'll finish Alg. I during the year and will begin Alg. II. Geometry is included in Alg II and Advanced math with Saxon. I think they get a bit in Alg. I as well. They do the lectures with a cd and if they can't get a problem, they can watch it being worked with the cd. A lesson takes an hour or even 1 1/2 hours each day.

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

I am preparing them for college. I want them to be familiar with important works of literature and history when their professors make references to them. I took some advanced classes in high school yet had never heard of the morality play "Everyman" until my German professor lectured on it. I had only read one play of Shakespeare and I never read "The Canterbury Tales". I want them to have a better education than I had. Reading what others are doing with their high schoolers leads to the conclusion that I'm not giving too much, in fact, they could probably do more science. I wanted them to take chemistry at the community college, but they have not complete algebra I.

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

I have a son who is dysgraphic and a daughter. They are both in 11th grade. Also, they are both ADD, but my daughter does fairly well keeping on track this year. They both are in Algebra I/Saxon Math. She is about 15 lessons ahead of him.

 

They both are in German III and I use a German textbook-Komm Mit level 3. It is advanced, but I am going slowly and making them practice vocab. on a daily basis. I have 2 other students that come to my house once a week. They do partner work and I go over grammar. I give them the company quizzes and tests. I have a grade book and now I keep grades online with ClassBuilder.

 

I also teach medieval literature and we watch videos from the Teaching Company on medieval history. The instructor is a professor at the College of William & Mary. I do give them vocab. lists to help with comprehension and I stop the DVD so we can discuss the lecture. During the week they are given topics to study and I ask them to write a paragraph. Some examples are: What was the Council of Nycea? Who were the Vandals, Burgundians etc.,

 

For the literature class we read various books written during that time period such as, Beowulf, the morality play Everyman, Canterbury Tales.... I give them comprehension questions to answer. We read the book aloud and discuss the questions and they write down the answers.

 

For writing we do WriteShop. I am doing this with 2 other families. I basically teach the lesson and grade the paragraphs of the 7 kids taking the class.

 

We have had a hard time fitting science into our schedule. Last year they did Apologia Biology online with Potter's School. This semester I would like them to finish Apologia Physical Science which we didn't complete the previous year. I would then like to do Astronomy with them second semester. I got one of the books suggested by Susan Wise-Bauer in T W-T M.

[My husband thinks I'm OCD about teaching and require too much of my high schoolers.]

My husband is complaining that I give our kids too much work. I don't agree with him at all. He's comparing their schedule to what he did in high school which wasn't much. How much is too much?