I'd say yes, so long as you are reading it together. There is a lot of sex implied, but it's not explicit.

Shannon has done two things so far this year, both have been fantastic. The first is to watch the GC How to Become a Superstar Student. The second thing is the Adam Robinson book, What Smart Students Know. It's all about taking notes effectively, from texts and lectures, and studying effectively. It's great. http://www.amazon.com/What-Smart-Students-Know-Learning/dp/0517880857/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443708250&sr=1-1&keywords=what+smart+students+know I'm currently listening to The Art of Self Directed Learners by Blake Boles. So I don't know if I recommend it yet . . . but you can get the free download from his website.

I think it's absolutely typical. There is a ton of research about teenager's changing need for sleep and changing circadian rhythms that makes morning sleep especially important. There is a national movement to try and get high schools to start later, and good evidence for the beneficial cognitive effect of doing so. If it's really non-negotiable, I don't know what to say. I'd be trying to find some way to let her sleep later in the mornings. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/08/19/peds.2014-1696.full.pdf+html http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/publications/documents/Bulletin200212Wahlstrom.pdf https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-polls-data/sleep-in-america-poll/2006-teens-and-sleep

Just chiming in to agree with everyone else - it all looks good, but I think it's way too much, too grueling of a schedule. The things that really stuck out to me were the early start times and the Saturday work. My dd needs to sleep later than 7 and needs downtime in the evenings to be able to fall asleep between 9 and 10. And weekends are sacred no-school time. Even if they just end up hanging out, playing, reading, it's critical that she have some time when she is off duty - to just be, as you say. I also personally wouldn't consider how it compares to a rigorous high school schedule in ps to be a determinant of whether it is working for my kid. There is his age to consider, for sure. And one of the reasons I homeschool is that I think that the demands on high schoolers is ridiculous - to ask students to consistently put in more time each week than an adult would put in at a full-time job is ludicrous, and it is robbing them of their childhood. Cliche, I know, but I do believe it. Everyone's different there, but if you can't provide a different, more sane kind of life by homeschooling, why do it? OTOH, I feel your pain about the idea of dropping the project school. It sounds like it's something he needs right now, and the social aspects are really important for kids this age. If it were me I think I'd be looking at cutting down to one sport and dropping or cutting back the home subjects. Or, you could really step back and ask yourself why it is important, for this child and his long term goals, to be doing such an accelerated set of subjects? Is this officially 9th grade? If not, why is he taking Algebra 2 and Physics, presumably for credit? Why can't he have one last year to be a kid, to grow, to experience things he enjoys and do sports and maybe even focus more specifically on learning good study skills, before high school starts? Why does he need to be doing all that now, as a young 8th grader? That's really the question I'd be asking myself, which would probably lead me to keeping the project school and the sports, and dropping the Algebra 2 (he can do review for a year and still be ahead of the game), Physics (let his builder/maker type stuff at the school count as science), and scale way back on Latin, just do enough to maintain his level. Let him be an 8th grader, don't make him be a high school student yet. If that's what is right for him. Anyway, food for thought. Meant to be supportive, not accusing, but I would really have a heart to heart with him about his long-term goals and why he is on the accelerated path he is on. It's his life, what does he want to do with it? Maybe you guys could read How to be a High School Superstar and think about some alternative paths to the destination he is shooting for? http://www.amazon.com/How-High-School-Superstar-Revolutionary/dp/0767932587

That was my first thought, too! I grew up on ONJ.

Yes, we will probably continue to use both MM and BA through 6th grade at least. She did pretty much all the MM problems through third grade, but starting in 4th, no, not all. (My older dd did MM 4-6, so that's the experience I'm drawing on here). There are a few whole sections of MM we will not do, focusing on the BA material instead, like geometry and measurement. And on the very computational MM lessons, I usually assign half the problems to start with, and only do the other half if she needs them.

Well, the main things is, I read the book and think about it myself first. I go online and read reviews, lit guides, etc. and I think about my own answers to the questions, my own interpretation, whether I agree or disagree with the analysis. So I've done some thinking before we start. If I can find a good lit guide, with discussion questions that I like, I will often use that to guide our discussion, or at least to kick it off. If I don't have a lit guide, I fall back on SWB's lit analysis questions from WTM. We've used those for enough years now that we are both familiar with them and can usually move through the basic analysis questions pretty quickly. Once we're discussing, I try hard to listen more than talk, to draw out partial answers, to ask for more or for why or for specific examples. We also do a lot of comparing - books to other books, books to movie or stage versions. That's always fruitful. We have a few books she's read many times, or that we've both read, that we tend to fall back on for examples or comparisons, like Harry Potter. How was Ender like Harry? How was he different? We also have lots of themes that we tend to fall back on and discuss whenever it is remotely relevant - things like free will, choices, courage, the search for self-identity. We also tend to do themed lit units, so usually we have some overarching theme that led to the selection of the particular books in the first place, and we talk about that theme and how the book elucidates it, and how it converses with the other books or movies we've engaged with. And, since dd is a budding writer/filmmaker herself, we tend to talk about the mechanics of the story - what worked and didn't in terms of character, plot, etc. So, basically, I wing it. ;) :D

She has Samantha Burtner. Shannon says she is awesome, she's really nice. IMO she gives good feedback - very supportive and encouraging, and asking for gradually more polishing over the 6 weeks. Shannon has really enjoyed the class, which ends this week.

She's been doing MM? I'd say start at the beginning with BA. She will learn tons of new stuff she didn't get in MM. The Geometry chapters are brilliant, much better than MM's geometry. And the variables chapter in 3C? None of that is covered in MM 3 or 4. My dd did all of MM3 plus BA 3A & 3B in 3rd grade. This year she's doing most of MM4, and the rest of BA3. The BA stuff is easily as challenging as the MM material, for her running a half a year or so behind seems to be the right pace. I don't think your dd will be bored, as you say, there is a lot more to BA than computations! I find the two programs to be really complementary for a bright student who isn't a math whiz. MM provides the extra, sequenial steps and the extra practice for when she needs it, but BA is great for challenging and stretching. I let my dd choose which she wants to work on each day and I find we move through them both in parallel pretty smoothly.

I agree, the mention of her having trouble remembering the rules made me think that maybe she doesn't understand why the "rules" exist - what the concept is that the rules capture. Is she really verbal? Does she like having math explained in words? If so, you might take a look at the Arbor School math books - Jousting Armadillos, Crocodiles & Coconuts, and Chuckles the Rocket Dog. The first one is focused on PreA topics like working with single-variable equations, but it does a fantastic job explaining the why behind the rules, particularly for integers. It has really worked well for my super-verbal girl. She doesn't always remember formulas, but she does have a good grasp of the "why" behind them so she can figure out how to solve the problems even if she has forgotten some particular formula. I think this is invaluable. JA isn't for every kid, but seems to work well for a reader, a whole to parts big-picture thinker who can't remember things unless she understand why they are how they are, and where they fit in to the bigger picture.

Hmm, I'm inspired by Eliana's post to read some more Saramago. My BIL turned me on to Blindness a few years ago, and I thought it was brilliant. I see there is a followup to it, called Seeing. I'm thinking that The Gospel According to Jesus Christ is something I will enjoy. Death with Interruptions and The Stone Raft look interesting too.

These look really great! Sadly my library doesn't have any of them, but I requested they purchase them. I'm starting to do that with quite annoying frequency.

What are you using for Algebra? What did she do for PreAlgebra? Knowing that will help with suggestions for supplementation.

Lori D. is a gem. :grouphug:

Ok, challenge accepted! Putting The Book of Chameleons on hold now.

I've really mellowed out on the number of literary essays I require. This year in 8th we are reading in themed units, and I'm just going to ask for one paper over the whole unit, rather than a paper for each book. That just seems to bog things down. We can read and discuss way more books than she can write essays about, and I want her to write about other things, too. So far this year she has read and we have discussed one play, one volume of short stories, three novels and their associated movies. We discussed them all, but her first literary essay assignment is coming up next week. This seems to be working out well. You learn to write by writing, but you learn to think by having great discussions.

I think that MR is a genre that I can appreciate, but not really enjoy. Murakami, Calvino, and the various South American MR writers are things I've read more because I should than because I want to. Although I just can't do Borges. I have tried several times, and just can't do it. Porcupine was a stretch for exactly the reason you articulate. I was cool with the porcupine too, but I was trying to understand if I should be reading this as some kind of legit folktale or if it was more of a postmodern satire. Really, it's my own ignorance about sub-Saharan African writers and culture speaking here. I have read and really, really enjoyed Cry the Beloved Country and Things Fall Apart, but those are more a response/clash/relation between the authentic culture and the colonizing culture, so at least I know how to approach it. With Porcupine, I felt like I was watching a party I didn't really understand how to interpret. Does that make any sense? What is the chameleon friend??? I'm always open to must-read suggestions from you!!!

I'm a huge Frances fan!!! She captures the sensibility of my youngest dd so well. I also like to make it all come out even. :D

I sure hope my post came across as supportive, as intended, and not patronizing! I have been really challenged by some of the things that I've read this year, and definitely stretched. I found Murakami to be a real stretch, and CS Lewis, too, as well as the good old Porcupine. In looking at my goodreads list I see I've read a lot more modern/contemporary fiction this year than I've read in a long time, and that's not my usual genre either, at least outside the sci-fi/fantasy realm where I feel really comfy. It's been good for me, though.

Yes, but I give you credit for the Banned Book challenge! I think it's a great idea. I know I've read a lot this year I wouldn't have touched if it weren't for you guys. Yeah, Memoirs was an odd read for me. I wasn't sure exactly what to do with it so it's kind of still skittering around inside my head.

Angel, I'm proud of you for stretching yourself! Or letting Stacia stretch you, she's good at that! ;) :D If I could read Memoirs of a Porcupine, you can make it through BNW! I'm looking forward to chatting about it, I just re-read it a couple of months ago. I'm also waiting on Slaughterhouse-Five to come in from the library.

I read it, and it helped me on my path toward relaxing a little, and not feeling like which books I choose or leave off Shannon's list will either make or blight her life. Our lists are now evolving more organically based on themes and interests and serendipity. I can't say I actually used the book, but I did read it and appreciate its message.

My "plan" is similar to yours - more DE, few if any APs - but I also find myself thinking about it all the time. Hence "plan" in quotations. I welcome the idea that learning should be verified by something other than mommy grades, but I wonder how much it matters which method you use to do that? There is DE, SAT2s, APs, extracurricular awards/recognition, evidence of high level performance (I'm thinking of the arts or athletics) - what else? Am I missing anything? And does anybody have opinions (or evidence!) about which method is strongest?