Hmmm....that is interesting. Your link linked to the common core standards. I didn't know we were using those yet. I heard that they were going to started implementing them. The standards that I have been led to believe were these: http://www.cde.ca.go...thstandards.pdf It does say that mathematics programs can be integrated. But I know of no schools that mix all of their math by the standards. I did see a cde page that did say that they had to take algebra...but now that I am looking for it, I can't find it. I think that I will take the core curriculum standards down and try to talk with them. :)

The only problem I have with having him go to the 7th grade is his age. He is already a big kid now (5'9") at age 14 and one month. Some of the 7th graders are tiny! I think that would hurt him more than anything this would really hurt him emotionally. I think he is doing well in his other classes, which are grade level. I feel like it will just be a waiting game. Actually....I am hoping that he learns his lesson in ps that hs is a better fit for him. He did say he would do everything I asked him to do (far as doing his homeschool work...but I didn't fall for it.) the night before I sent him, but we have been there done that. I want a permantent change from him not temporary. The demoralizing part IS the part that I am worried about. I forgot to mention that in addition he has dysgraphia so it is hard for him to write (even harder for me to read) so he has that to deal with in addition. We have thought about getting a 504 plan but he doesn't want to. He doesn't want anyone to know he is "different." I just wonder how he would be able to do his actualy homework and work on pre-algebra. Two nights ago I had him do something different than the teacher asked and sent that in with a note. I didn't hear anything from the teacher. I wish private school was an option. We just don't have the finances. Private schools here run about $1000 a month. Yikes! The textbook they are using is Pearson Prentice, not one you mentioned. I have't looked to see if the high school offers algebra or not. Hopefully so as he will most likely be taking it again. We are in California (of course!) I did look up the education requirements and they do in fact state that 8th graders have to take algebra or above. This is ridiculous! We can't afford private school or a math tutor as dh is unemployed right now. Dh isn't really a math person, he says he can do it but can't teach it. I do believe it because sometimes he gets too lengthy in his explainations. :( Yes this about sums up our district! Without another choice this is what I am left to.

Ok so my dh and I decided to send our ds to ps. It was done more out of desperation by me. He has never been to school. At the end of most days I was ready to lock him out of the house and have him wait there until his dad came home. We just clash personalities. Sometimes he is disrespectful to me. But he isn't to others. Maybe because he is too comfortable around me. I threatened many times to send him to school. This time I had enough and my husband said it was time. We have said we will do it through the school year and re-evaluate from there. Anyway...he is in school now. This year he was working on pre-algebra. Since we enrolled him in November, he only got 2 months of math under his belt, or mainly the review portion and the beginning of the pre-algebra text. When I brought him into the school the administrator told me that state law mandated that he be in algebra 1. I told her he wasn't ready. She basically said "oh well." and off he went. Well, every homework assignment I have seen he is clearly baffled by and cannot do. I try to explain, but without the basic steps, he is lost. I have been trying to explain the basics, FOIL method and simplifying, but I feel that I am still homeschooling him. Nothing has changed. The devil on my right shoulder thinks that I am sending him to school to learn and THE state is making him be in the algebra class, they should teach him. The angel on my left shoulder hates seeing him fail. I should be helping him. I have sent an email to the teacher but with the weekend, I dont' expect a response. I just wondered how others would handle it.

Hi, My dd16 is enrolled in a British Literature class. They are about 3 weeks in currently. The teacher emailed me and said that my daughter is very disinterested in the book they are reading, Pride and Prejudice. They are watching parts of the movie too. My daughter is really struggling to understand the language and finds it terribly boring. I can't say that I am much better. Literature was not my strong suit. Science and math are. That's why I farmed this class out so I wouldn't have to relive my Literature days. I strongly dislike Shakespeare even to this day because of it. My dd does not read for fun. She reads for necessity. A skill that is definitely not from me. I am a voracious reader. She is a reader when need be. She can definitely research a topic that she is interested in to death though. Mostly nonfiction stuff about animals....her true love. The teacher wants to know if we should even continue with the class if she is going to be disinterested. The other books that they will be reading will be A Beka's British Literature (selections), Best of Sherlock Holmes and The Curates Awakening. Having never had read any of these books, I can't say if she will be disinterested in these either. If I take her out of the class I will have to come up with my own selections of books. Are there newer, more interesting British Literature books available? What are your thoughts on the other two books that will need to be read in class? Similar to P&P? Thanks for any advice given! Mommieeeee

Don't leave out used curriculum sales in your area. I started buying some things for high school when my kids were younger. I bought a Apologia high school science textbook for $5 at a curriculum sale. My dd used it last year when she reached that level. When you see cheaper items, don't be afraid to buy them and just store them on the shelf. For me, I started researching things that I wanted my kids to learn when in high school when they were late elementary and middle school. Since they are on the college track, there isn't too much deviating from the college path of classes. By researching I knew what was out there and when I was at a curriculum sale I would know that the Apologia book that was priced at $5 was really $50 retail. Plus, you get a awesome feeling about the deal. Then again, I am always out for the thrill of the discount hunt...

Congratulations! I think you just gave me some promising news. This is the exact description for my son who is my last. Only I think he is still a few years off from this age. He is 12 now and having him write is like pulling nose hairs out slowly, one by one. Actually that might be more fun that doing writing with him. LOL Thanks for the praise report. I think that encourages other moms who are in the trenches too that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

We are thinking of going the Algebra 2 then Advanced Math route using the Saxon Teacher CD's. But, is there enough to cover the geometry area of the PSAT and SAT? She is in the 10th grade and just finished Algebra (McDougall Littel). Her first PSAT will be this year, so I know she won't be totally ready for it. But, next years should be better.

oops...meant to start a new thread!

We are thinking of going the Algebra 2 then Advanced Math route using the Saxon Teacher CD's. But, is there enough to cover the geometry area of the PSAT and SAT? She is in the 10th grade and just finished Algebra (McDougall Littel).

My daughter just McDougal Littel Algebra. I had her enrolled in the next book by the same publisher (and author too, Larson) Geometry at the co-op. Due to low enrollment it has been cancelled. What curriculum can you recommend that she can do on her own with little help from me? Additionally, she plans on being a science major. I didn't do well in geometry (my only C in high school!)...I was an algebra person! So, my skills are not only rusty, but not great to start with. I have briefly looked at Discovering Geometry by Serra and it looks like it can be handled pretty independently, but is it college worthy? Thanks!

Both! I can handle honesty. But if you have a better plan to implement, I would am definitely open to ideas! Thanks so much! Casey

Hi, I will be teaching the world history class at the co-op this year to 9th and 10th graders. I am by no means a history professor. But, I have taught at the co-op for 4 years now, mostly math and science, so I have the teaching thing down. FYI: This is a Christian co-op so Christian materials are encouraged, but not demanded. With today's technology it is easy to look up information and research when needed. Therefore memorizing dates and specific, detailed things are not as important to me as the big picture sand how things spurred other things to happen. I would basically like to give the students an idea of history so that the negative things aren't repeated. In addition to teaching, there are a couple other things that I wanted to integrate into the class that I haven't seen taught strong enough or in her other co-op classes. Because this is the year that the PSAT's are being taken for a few (including my dd) I want to teach/brush up on the 5 paragraph timed essay. In addition a few of the students need to improved upon their note-taking skills for lectures and textbook reading. So, I was thinking of starting the class with a few of the lectures from IEW High School Essay Intensive (lessons on the SAT essay writing) and IEW Advanced Communication Series (lessons on note-taking). After these first few classes, where the homework will be to work on these things as well as read in the assigned text, I plan on jumping into the history portion. I would really like to use the DVD's World History: The Fertile Crescent to the American Revolution (Teaching Company). This will be a supplement to the spine I choose. Using these is two fold. One, I want a professor who knows alot about history to teach, and that's not me. Two, I want them to begin learning how to take notes from a professor while he is teaching, such as they will get in college. I do not plan on using the full 30 lectures. I plan on using about 15 half hour segments of lectures. I have not yet decided on a spine for the book. I have Streams of Civilization and I can correspond it to the DVD's But is it too simple for 9th/10th graders? I have read that there isn't enough about the Renaissance and certain other areas of history. Plus in scanning it, it is a little on the scattered side as far as placement of some reading. I have looked at Notgrass Exploring World History. I really like the first book, but feel that the second book goes too fast through the later bit of history. Another poster said that WW1 and WW2 are combined into one week. In addition, there aren't any videos to show for the last few units. So I might have to come up with something for those. Each week the homework will be to read the specified pages, take notes on them and notes on the lecture from the video (actually that will be done in class) and write an essay on a given topic. The essay is to practice their writing as well as discuss the question given. What are your thoughts? I might also mention that this year my daughter and a couple other students have really heavy loads this year. So, I don't want this class to be a burden. If you've gotten this far...Thanks!!!!!

Thank you for all the answers! Does anyone have any idea where to go for testing? I do not want to open the door at the public schools unless we plan to attend there. They have been known to harass homeschoolers in the area with the "illegal" tactic. I don't need to add more problems to my plate. Thanks!

I need help from the Hive! I have been homeschooling my kids for 7 years now. My dd since she started 2nd grade and now she is in the 10th. My ds has always been homeschooled. Part of the reason that we started homeschooling is we see the extremely sorry state that our local schools are in. We live in CA and our area is very awful as far as the selection of public schools. The year that my daughter started kindergarten, the school around the corner was so busy teaching the kids english (95% spanish speakers) they didn't teaching any of the 3R's. So, we drove her two cities over and used my mom's address to take her to a better ps. To make a long story we ended up pulling my dd out at the end of the 1st grade for social, time and religious issues. We wanted more time with the kids, to be able to use religious curriculum if we so chose and to have better social experiences than were offered at public school. I work about 30 hours a week. Not by choice, out of necessity. My job is fairly flexible. It try to work when my kids are at co-op and other odd and weekend hours. My dh doesn't always get enough work hours to allow us to survive without my job due to the economy and the fact that he is in construction. He was off work for 1.5 years and my job is what kept us afloat. He is very supportive of our homeschooling but just cannot teach the kids. He has even lower patience than I do. He can tell them what to do, but won't sit at the table and make sure they do it. Now, of course my dd and I have had trials. But now that she is 15, she is managing to be able to do her schoolwork on her own for the most part, and I am generally happy with her schooling. My ds, is another story altogether. Since the day that we begun homeschooling him, it has been a trial. Everyday I have to practically sit on him to make him do his schoolwork. I do not give him large amounts...I have tried so many curriculums to have the right "fit"...I have yelled, screamed, pulled my hair out...tried to be calm, and not shout...and finally yesterday I think I was close to a nervous breakdown. I was at the door yesterday when my dh came home, crying, asking my dh if we could enroll my ds in a private school. He is extremely supportive of any decision that I want to make as far as the kids schooling, of course within reason. The problems are many though. My son, absolutely has the worst penmanship ever. He prints, only in captials, very slopily, and will only write about 1 sentence at a time. My dh observed that he holds his pencil incorrectly and I have been trying to change it...unsuccessfully. He cannot write a paragraph. I think he can read at grade level, but he absolutely refuses to read anything that I want him to. He prefers comics and twaddle. I don't force the classics upon him, but want him to read decent things. The only way he gets good books in is by me reading aloud, which he loves. We have done Sonlight read aloud for years. He is working through Saxon 6/5, which is around grade level. I think this is the only thing he is grade level for. In addition we are currently in a co-op. This is his second year. Last year the history co-op mom/teacher called me and told me that my son reminds her of her son who had many disorders (add, adhd, dyslexia and an anger disorder) and was ultimately murdered because of his anger issues. After I got over that I realized that my son is in fact different from other boys. He is definitely more extreme. And I don't know how to handle it! We are continuing with the co-op this year. Each day that I leave them there (I go to work while they are at co-op) I fear that I will get a call having me come back for him. I teach his math class and my daughters biology class. He is taking 3 other classes (history, science, writing). So far getting him to do his homework has been extremely difficult and it is only 3 weeks into the school year. My dh says there is no way we can possibly afford private school for him. He says he would have to go to ps. This really kills me because the local schools are awful. The have fights daily, the kids all look like they are in gangs, the schools are locked so no outsiders can come in and a police car sits out front most of the day because there are so many fights. This is only the middle school. The high school is worse! I am at the end of my rope. I feel that there are no good solutions. I cannot quit work. I cannot go on with our current homeschool situation. I cannot put him in public school. I cannot afford private school. I have tried so hard and I feel like such a failure. Ultimately I am responsible for his schooling. I really want to just dump it on someone else. I know if I were to go to the local middle school they would look at me like "Lady what have you been doing with him for 7 years?" If anyone has any experience, suggestions, comments, prayers, they are much appreciated. Thanks! Mommieeeee

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