choirfarm
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Posts posted by choirfarm
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Anyone have any thoughts on the math?
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Ok, now for my middle one in 10th grade. He does best with firm teachers with high expectations but that are really sweet and encouraging ( His piano and Spanish teacher!!) We had been planning on going back through TOG next year with year 1. ( He did dialectic level 5 years ago.) However, his friend really wants him to do a classical type co-op with him that he has been doing next year. It would be 1850-present, covering his favorite time period: The Civil War. He visited yesterday. It meets from 10:30-4 at the woman's house. They are currently studying the American Revolution. The students had memorized part of Common Sense, were reading Yankee Doodle Boy, as well as selections on Lafayette, Benedict ARnold, Locke etc I'm not sure what the spine is she is using this year. They are working on a research paper as well. My son said that although it was long, he was never bored. They took breaks. I think during lunch, they watched the beginning of The Patriot. He was in heaven. It will be strange for me not to do history with him, but the opportunity to have a class with a different instructor and 10 kids or so would be ideal. Her standards are high as well.
His friends are all taking College Algebra next fall. His THEA score from 8th grade was close, but not close enough. He is studying right now to try and pass the accuplacer so he can take it. He does NOT want to be in the cc College Algebra class all by himself... But I have concerns... So, if he takes College Algebra in the fall and Trig in the spring as a 10th grader, that would be good for the PSAT. His friends would be there to help him along. I DONT HAVE TO ARGUE WITH HIM. He will sink or swim on his own, and doing something for someone else seems to motivate him. He doesn't want to embarrass himself. That said, if he takes those classes next year, then what does he take for math his junior and senior year. His friend is like my oldest and will go on to precalc, cal I, II and III. The girl will probably do like her sister and will graduate early with an AA degree and transfer. I doubt she will go past trig. So...
1850- Classical co-op which will count for history and literature. I hear she also does grammar and vocabulary.
College Algebra and Trig
Spanish 3 and 4 if it makes
Apologia Chemistry
Possibly speech or music appreciation in the fall if Spanish doesn't make...
Now there is a co-op that meets Wednesday morning. He is doing that now for Biology and my literary analysis class. Next year he would do his Chemistry labs there. We would see what else is offered. He could just do study hall the other 2 periods.
Here is my big problem... That stupid Spanish 3 and 4 class. First of all, will it make??? It is offered MWF at 9... so he couldn't do the Chemistry lab at the co-op... He is halfway through Spanish, so I hate to drop it.. But it would be easier to do the speech or music or drama apprec at 8-9:20 on Tues and then Algebra 9:30-11. I won't know what the Wednesday co-op is offering until June... I'll be honest, standards for many classes (other than the science) haven't been high.. I have always just treated it as extra.. If however, the co-op accepts my music appreciation class that I offered to teach, then he would take it with me and not at the cc. ( Though he wouldn't get college credit for it!) But registration starts in a week for cc, so I need to register... GRRRRRR..
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I have almost figured out next year. We got a big hiccup in our plans when their beloved Spanish teacher at the community college announced she is moving this summer. There is the potential of a former high school Spanish teacher, who has been teaching a Spanish co-op for homeschoolers, offering a class next year. I'm talking to her about preparing them for the CLEP. They are offering Spanish 3 at the cc next year. The teacher is unknown and it will be MWF at 9. It may not make as there are only 5 in Spanish 2 right now. So....
Oldest: 12th grade
He will basically not be homeschooled anymore, but completely outsourced. He will be taking 5 classes. He wanted to do the Calculus the PA homeschoolers since he has done so well with classes and is so comfortable with the set-up. We did decide to just do AB instead of BC. We also decided on the noncalculs AP Physics B.. So, although this schedule looks tough, it is not nearly as tough as it could have been:
PA HOmeschoolers: AP Economics
AP Physics B
AP Calc AB
Eng I and II at cc
He will sign up for Spanish at the cc to see if it will make. We are still working with that teacher. We will also sign up for either Speech or Music Apprec. If a Spanish option works out, then he will drop the Speech or Music apprec class.
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If it is the SAT 10, I think 4th grade is the first year that the students have to actually bubble in answers from their "scratch paper" work. In the earlier grades, they enter their answers in the actual test booklet. So it is easy to understand that she would have been confused this year! Other standardized tests *may* follow this same timeframe.
QUOTE]
Yep. I just asked and you are exactly correct. That makes a little more sense. And yet, she has been bubbling for the last 7 tests over the 3 days. Why didn't she do it for this one????
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Sorry, just don't let the schools do place her in a lower math class based on poor test skills.:)
Sounds like something my kids would do.
OH no. She is homeschooled and will be homeschooled. We don't have to even do it in Texas. It is my choice to see where they are. It will just be hard to tell, I'm afraid. And yes, this is why I do this. So when they take the SAT/ACT it is standard. I just can't believe she did that when she tested in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade with the same type of bubbles. Plus, The other tests the past couple of days had the same bubble sheets... So how in the world did she not do them...
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Ok, my daughter is doing standardized testing. She does this every year at this time. She is in 4th grade. This is the 3rd day of testing ( not the first..) So today is math computation and the teacher wanted them to work everything on a separate piece of paper. ( I'm guessing they couldn't write int he book.) So my daughter does that. She gets to the end of the test and realizes that she hasn't bubbled in a single answer... Time is running out and she has a bunch of scribbled work on paper and she is trying to figure out which answer goes with which problem.... :banghead::banghead: Good grief.... This child can be so brilliant and so stupid. I'm guessing her scores won't be the best...
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What does your son want to do? That's a very time-intensive schedule that you have planned! I've heard that Economics with PA Homeschoolers is fantastic but time-consuming, and Physics B is a breathless ride for most students, too. Then he'll be travelling back and forth to the cc for upper-level Spanish and English. Whew! With college apps on top of that and other assorted senior year stresses, will he have time to breathe?
He isn't sure.. His schedule this year is Spanish 1 and 2 at cc. AP Gov and AP Chem through PA Homeschoolers, English with me, Health, Racquetball at cc and Precalc. He is doing AOPS computer programming right now as well. HOnestly, he is through most days by 4 and has no homework on the weekends.. He works pretty quickly.
As it turns out, he may not take Spanish at the cc as there may not be a class. The teacher is moving this summer ( only one at cc...she teaches all levels of Spanish). They haven't found a replacement yet.. There are only 5 in Spanish II right now anyway, so I don't know if it will make. We are working on possibility of a former Spanish teacher that currently has a homeschool Spanish class adding them or making a small AP Spanish class for 4 of them ( 4 out of the 5 are homeschooled in the cc class).
The other thing I wondered about was possibly just doing one semester of Calc... Right now it is looking like
English 9-10 MWF
Calc 10-11:20 MWF
AP Econ
AP Physics B
Spanish with other teacher
The Econ class only goes from Sept- Feb... I don't know.. That doesn't seem too stressful to me. Plus, he will have to get ready for a STEM type schedule when he goes to college.
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Is this the son who's going into medical? Sorry I keep forgetting who's doing what. :tongue_smilie: If so' date=' he probably doesn't need any math beyond Calculus II and may want to just place out of it at Baylor entirely. That would free up more time for concentrating on his science courses.[/quote']
No, he is wanting to do computer science. The degrees he is looking at have 3 semesters of calc and physics. The med school is a girl who has been in my music program at church since she was in 1st grade.. My boys have seen too much of what a doctor's life is really like with my husband and have absolutely no interest in the medical profession!
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I am going to cry. The boys came home from their cc class saying their Spanish teacher is moving to California.... Many, many homeschoolers have taken from her over the years. She is fabulous.. She is a native speaker. She is the only Spanish teacher at the cc... So my boys will be entering Spanish 3 with a brand new teacher if they can find one... Plus it may not even make since there are only 5 of them in Spanish 2... I was going to have her write the recommendation for my oldest as she is the only "real" teacher he has had other than online PA homeschooler teachers and I don't know that they know him well enough..... I guess I can just print off the forms from TCU and Baylor...but they might change.. Should I also have her write another general one, but how would that work.. Don't they normally want them sealed. AACK.. This is totally wrecking my plans. I was counting on my oldest taking all 4 semesters so he wouldn't have to take it at his "real" college... NOOOOOOOOO
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Ugh!!! My son and I don't know what to do.. He will be finishing up Precalc in a couple of weeks. So.. this fall what Calculus should he take??? PA Homeschoolers AP Calc (650), Calculus I and/or II at the local cc. ( 90 for each semester) or something else... AOPS??? I REALLY want him to have a REAL teacher who will look and see if he is showing enough work, should or should not be using a calculator, and generally understanding the topic to discuss it with him. I had a long talk with the head of the math department at lour local cc. She was VERY nice and it turns out she is a frequent patient of my husband and her husband is one of the doctors who often refers patients to him!! She told me that he does NOT need to take Calculus at our cc and then enter into the sequence at Baylor. She said he needed to take all three years there and not enter in the middle.
So should he just take the AP course and just not take the test for credit?? Should he take Calc at the cc and then just retake it at his university? Should he take a semester of Calc at cc and a semester of something else like speech or Theater apprec. He could then take AOPS probablity course or the second computer programming course.. Or for that matter he could take Calc I and the hard computer programming course at the cc, but then he would need to retake it at Baylor anyway....
UGGG. We just don't know what is best...
Here is the rest of his schedule:
Eng I and II at cc
Spanish 3 and 4 at cc
AP Physics B with PA Homeschoolers
AP Economics with PA Homeschoolers
Then... last course would be calculus of some type.
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Sorry, but I have to agree. This paper is boring and gives me no sense of the personality of the student!! Let us take this:
Looking at a desk or keyboard, I sometimes find myself visualizing the microscopic realm of molecules, atoms, baryons and quarks forming our immediate universe. This is an example of a world with interior workings so completely at odds with our everyday experiences that the curious mind is at a considerable risk of being boggled.
I like the first sentence, but the second sentence sounds so stilted and not like a "real" person.
When my friends look at a computer, they see a keyboard. However, I sometimes find myself visualizing the microscopic realm of molecules, atoms, baryons and quarks forming our immediate universe. The endless possiblities are mind boggling! ( I'm not sure if that last sentence will work, because I did not truly understand what he meant by the last sentence in the original. )
The second paragraph is fine.
I like this part of the last paragraph:
I believe the XYZ summer program provides an opportunity to build upon my present knowledge and interest base. I especially hope to take part in activities or demonstrations of the principles involved. Abstract information about a theory is interesting enough, but a physical illustration of its effects provides a whole new conduit of understanding. Additionally, the summer camp offers the opportunity to experience life on a university campus. I would like to be as prepared as possible before enrolling in college. Having the opportunity in high school to spend a week in a college dorm, immersed in physics, would be an excellent indication of what college might be like. The program will provide a chance to meet students also interested in the field of physics.
The rest of it sounds like an obnoxious know-it all. ( Sorry!!)
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Choirfarm, I just wanted you to know you've given me inspiration from this thread. Instead of complaining about how my school shortchanges potential top students, I'm opting to work more directly with a few I've identified as being able to do more and go places if they get the opportunities.
The study sessions for the SAT are at my place on Fridays - and will include youngest son as he needs to get ready for the PSAT anyway.
I've got two candidates already (the first started yesterday) and my eye is on Franklin & Marshall (100% need if they can get in, fairly local, LAC with good guidance and a good rep). I'll identify more schools later - esp after I start seeing their SAT ranges. Maybe we can share info on schools we find.
Now I just have to see what kind of internal drive they have. I think it's there or I wouldn't have selected them in the first place. They've impressed me at school - albeit neither are top of the top right now. A good part of that is the background each has started with.
Thanks for the kick in the seat of the pants to actually try to do something rather than just complaining. I'm not really sure why I didn't think of it before...
That is actually what I plan to do. This girl is the same age as my middle son. She was in my children's choir from 1st - 6th grade. She has been in my youth sticks group since she left children's choir. I may open it up to anyone else in the youth group who wants to participate. Her mom has helped me out off and on in the music department with the little kids. I feel for her so much right now.
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I do the exercises in the book orally. Then I have her do the worksheets that came with it in the packet.
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For subjects like math, if my kids are taking math at home w/me, they do not go off and do it on their own. We watch videos and read the textbook together and we stop and discuss them and we work the math simultaneously. I get them to explain what we are doing to me via sample problems or some of the text problems.
This process is what demonstrated to me our ds's math strength. Whenever he would explain a process it never resembled the way it had been taught. He had processed the information, made it his own, and taught it completely from his own understanding (which typically explained it to his sister in a way she understood it better than the textbook or lectures.
.. :tongue_smilie:
Sorry, but I am already doing that with Geometry right now. I got lost at the end of Alg. II with my oldest and I do not have time to sit and watch the hour of videos for Pre-calc as well as however many hours it would take me to actually figure out the homework AND teach my 10th grade and remediate my 4th grader. Just can't. So I do the best I can...
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Ok.. I've been concentrating on math and feeling pretty good about that. She reads REALLY well, so that isn't a problem. But her spelling and writing is HORRIBLE. So.. is it reasonable to do an hour and a half on that but break it up. She is going to scream, but so be it. I don't really care.
I can't figure out exactly what to do:
We did WWE2 last year but stopped halfway through because the dictations were horrible. She couldn't spell any of the words. Now she narrated the selections perfectly. She is very, very good at oral narration. ( Just don't ask her to write it down.) So should this be a component?
Copywork- She copies a scripture or a Texas history quotation or whatever every day as it is...doesn't seem to help with spelling when she thinks on her own. She has always copied things perfectly. She never makes a mistake. But if I then dictate what she just wrote, she can't do it.
We made it through IEW SWI-A through the story section. She does a good job of key word outlines one day, rewriting it the next day, revising it with me the next, copying half of it the next and the rest on the final day. So she takes a whole week to do it. To me, a 4th grader should be able to do that in a day. Can I ramp it up so she does key word and writing it out on one day, revision on one day and then copying it all on one day. So from 5 days to 3. REasonable??? If she is copying the paragraph, then should I skip copywork that day. That is what I have been doing but I'm thinking maybe she should do both. She has got to write more and not cry about writing more than one sentence at a time...
Spelling- We started AAS in January and are halfway through level 2. She find the dictation and words very easy for the most part..there are just a couple pronounciation issues but the board told me how to do it. I'm doing a lesson a day for the most part. She spells about 10 of the words orally, goes over the blue and red cards, sometimes spells with the cards or on the board. Then we do 3 of the dictations which she always gets completely right. We spend 20 minutes or so. But none of these words are the words she struggles with in her writing. So.. I'm thinking of creating her own spelling notebook. We will take words she uses and make lists from those. That would mean 20 minutes of AAS and 15 minutes or so of her own spelling.
So
Copywork-15 minutes
Spelling: 20 AAS and 15 personal spelling
IEW- 30 minute paragraph work
I'm not sure about WWE... Isn't that reasonable.
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You may remember my struggles with Horizon last fall. She had done some TT4, so I switched to doing that every single day. A typical lesson takes her about 20 minutes. I was doing extra math but stopped when her multiplication became in the 90 percentile range. In January I also started doing just sections of Math Mammoth 3. I do the word problem pages and the pages that take the thinking. So right now her schedule is TT 4 in the morning - lesson takes 20 minutes
Math Mammoth in the afternoon for 20 minutes or so.
I would like to add x-tra math. She has been begging to do that again but instead of TT. Sorry, x-tra math is just drill.
So then it would be TT4, Math Mammoth 3 and soon going into 4. and x-tra math division.
She is going to scream.. but this is reasonable, is it not?? BTW we are on lesson 95 on TT4 so when we finish that we will go on to TT5 which I just bought.
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In addition to Hamilton's Mythology, you might add in
Another choice, if you want something quick, are the Sutcliff versions: Black Ships Before Troy and The Wanderings of Odysseus. These come with artwork.
He read these when we did ancients when he was in junior high. He knows the basic Greek myths. He just hasn't read the "real" Illiad or Odysseus.
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And honestly, no, I don't buy into the facilitating/teaching distinction and I most definitely do not agree w/ equating a so-called "facilitated" class being the equivalent to outsourcing. There are some subjects my kids complete at a level that I do not understand (astronomy for ds) However, I carefully investigate materials and still generate lessons plans from online supplements. And no.....it is not outsourcing. It is closer to "self-study" (though I don't believe his current class meets that criteria either since he didn't design it, I did. But, next yr he is designing his own dark matter study and that will be completely classified as "independent study.") However, one thing the course most definitely is not..........a class taught at a high school. It is a 2nd level Berkeley astronomy majors' text and no high school in our reality (don't know about yours) would even offer such a course.
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But see this is my question...My oldest has basically been self-studying Chalkdust Precalculus. He is getting good grades. BUT I don't know if he truly understands the why's or if he is showing his work correctly or anything.. I only know the answers that are in the teacher's guide...
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He will visit the current class in a couple of weeks and make a decision. I think if he wants to, then I will let him.
His friend really wants to take College Algebra at the cc next year.. We are discussing whether he should do that or not. We don't talk the same language as far as math goes. The teacher we want is very enthusiastic about the subject and several reviewers have talked about how they hated math and never understood Algebra until they took her. His 8th grade THEA math scores placed him into College Algebra... Plus, then he would have access to the math lab there at the college and his friend could also help him if he is getting stuck. There isn't the same kind of competition like his brother... I'm leaning toward saying yes.
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Yes, people around here just give one credit for the whole year. However, I wonder if that is because for dual credit at ps, the teacher teaches at the high school. The dual credit classes for public school are at the high school so they are taught in the same amount of time. Hence government is taught in a semester and gets a semester credit, not a year. No one take Spanish or any other class that they take off the ps campus...
One of the college kids saw my kids on the cc campus and was really confused when they said they were doing dual credit. Then he remembered that they were homeschooled. All of his dual credits were at the high school...
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My two boys grades 9 and 11 are taking it right now. Ms. Califf warned me ahead of time that when she has two siblings taking it the younger one normally does not do well. I went ahead and signed him up because the year before he had done rhetoric level TOG. He LOVES history and reads quickly and tons of books.
However, my 9th grader HATES the class. Let me tell you why:
1. The textbook is horribly dry and boring. He has never used a textbook for history. TOG is sort of textbooks but has tons of other things like biographies and such.
2. The teacher had to have a c-section as class was starting this year and her grading wasn't timely first semester. Hence he wrote like 4 essays before he even got one back. So he by the time he got feedback it was too late to correct it. He got VERY discouraged. She has been MUCH better this semester and her comments have been very helpful.
3. Although he loves to argue with me, I found out that he actually does not want to have an opinion on issues. So the short answer question each week he struggles with. It will ask something like this:
Discuss ways in which bureaucratic policies affect our everyday activities. For example, how might decisions by bureaucratic agencies affect the food that you eat, the car that you drive, or the medicine that you can take when you are ill? Is there any recourse for citizens who object to the rules imposed by bureaucratic agencies?
He is says he really doesn't care. I tell him why he should, but these were the type questions he hated. Now, I guess they have just been completion grades because I have never seen any comments by her on what he has written.
4. Some of the students get involved in passionate discussions. He will not. He is afraid the students won't like what he thinks. He is VERY self-consious right now and that isn't the teacher's fault.
5. He struggles with the multiple choice. The questions confuse him as they are not straight forward but rather take information from several places and merge them. You have to think about what you know and how to apply it. It isn't a fact you can memorize.
6. Consider the relationship of the brothers. I thought it would be good as they could study together. Ha!! My oldest reads the chapter in one day. Looks it over and gets an A on the multiple choice quiz. My middle one reads it slowly over several days taking notes, takes the practice test that goes with the chapter and makes a C or a D. His oldest brother says he just knows what the answer is... ( that is not helpful!)
He has done very well on the article and cartoon analysis as well as the grading essay part. He has yet to write a good timed essay..
All of that said, my 9th grader has a very strong B in the class because of all of the extra credit points, participation points, etc. We discovered this year that online classes are not his strong suit. He likes a live teacher where he can talk in class. He will be doing all community college classes and no more online classes. We even decided to have him do Algebra at the community college and not JanTX online classes..
I hope this helps. My 11th grader LOVES the class and has enjoyed it and thinks the teacher is great. He took an AP class as a 10th grader ( AP STats) and so he already knows the procedures and it fits him. That said..he struggled at first in AP STats. Blue Hen was WONDERFUL about helping him and by October the light bulb had clicked about what he needed to do.
So I am not blaming Ms. Califf at all. I think she is great and she did warn me... I just thought my bright 9th grader could handle it and I mean, he has a B. If I can coach him through the essay part over the next few weeks, I think he will at least get a 3 and probably a 4 on the exam. My oldest will probably get a 5.
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You're right - Chemistry & lab is only 1 credit.
Spanish I & II at the community college are actually 2 separate high school credits in Texas.
t.
Yes, I was told not to do that and I'm in Texas as well. He already has 7 credits anyway with me just counting it as one.
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I'm hoping some of you can help me help a friend. I know that Creekland is deep into pre-med stuff.
I am helping a friend. Her daughter is 9th grade and has always wanted to me a doctor. She is a good soccer player and made varsity this year and plays on some kind of club team as well. She makes good grades. Now.. she has a sister and their dad isn't in the picture..hasn't been since I've known them when they were preschoolers. She remarried when they were in early elementary school, but they just got divorced so it is her and her two girls living in a tiny apartment on her Walgreens pay by the hour paycheck. She going to school for pharmacy tech, and should finish next month so hopefully her income will be higher. They are barely making ends meet right now.
Now we live in East Texas. Am I correct in assuming that medical schools do not look highly on going to community college and transfering to a bigger university ( that is the default here.. 80 percent of the kids go to the community college in our town if they go to college at all). How would they feel about University of Texas at Tyler?
What colleges would you suggest setting her sights on? I printed out the soccer advice from another thread. I will talk to her about strength of schedule and taking good classes as she gets older. But that said, our high school isn't strong. 34 kids took AP exams and only 7 got a 3 or higher. I will also help her with PSAT/SAT/ACT prep as that is nonexistent here. People around here shoot for 1800 and think that is a fabulous score.
I know she needs a decent college but it cannot be too high priced either. Do you have any suggestions as I help her? It looks like maybe aTM has a good ladies soccer program..
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When my son studied Basic Composition and Expository Writing at the community college (two semesters), I still assigned books from the WTM cycle at home. If it were me, I would add a literature component in 12th. Perhaps a "fill in the gaps" list? Has he studied Shakespeare?
(It is not clear what he did in English I, II, III. Is the grammar and writing or do these courses include literature?)
I had that on another post and everyone said I would kill him by doing that.. That is what I thought I might do..
College search and selection - "steering" your dc - long and rambling
in The College Board
Posted
AS a Baylor grad and former music major, I want to put in a plug for Baylor. The music program is awesome and so is engineering. My son is going to a weekend for engineering/computer science next weekend. They also have a summer camp for engineer/cs kids the summer before their senior year. He might go to that. The weather is great. Although, one spring break the campus was snowed in while I was there. Rare, but it does happen. Here is the link:
uggh. my computer is crashing.. Google Baylor ECS . It is nationally ranked. The camp is called Innovate. I'm hoping that this weekend will talk him into going.