Of course we haven't even finished this school year and things are changing already. Sigh. She does not want to quit choir at school even though that means she will have to go every day. They run on a block schedule and she was lucky this year that the classes she wanted were all on B days, so she only had to go every other day. Next year choir is on an A day and band on a B day. They are both late in the day so at least she can sleep in a little. AP Music Theory will not be done at the high school because it will be the first block of A day. She is already committed to helping the middle school band directors out with practice next year, which would be at the same time as the class. We have a request in to the PAHS AP Music Theory teacher to see if she can take the class thru them even though she will only be in 10th grade. If not, she will probably just take it next year at school. She and DH have also decided to stick with AoPS so she will be doing Pre-Calculus next year, if that's any different than Algebra 2 :confused1:

We also have a 12yo with a late September birthday. When we lived in CT and the kids were in public school, the cutoff was December 31st, so he was not the youngest in his class by far. When we moved to IL they entered public school, but the cutoff was September 1st, so he was in 3rd grade with kids that were a whole year older. He did fine and went through 5th grade. We started homeschooling after that and it has been two years now. He tells people he is in 7th grade, going into 8th. We are very lucky in that our high school allows part-time attendance, my daughter started there this year with two music classes and Biology. He wants to go to the high school for classes like metal shop, art, woodworking, music, and maybe science or math. We are hoping to convince him that staying back an extra year before starting HS is a good option, even though he has friends that will start a year earlier. I don't want to force it on him, but DH and I are pretty convinced this is the way to go. He is not a highly motivated child and needs lots of help with organization, so I think an extra year will give him more time to work on his executive functions and prepare for high school.

You can always give her a grade for the class instead of using the grade given by the online school. Did she learn anything in the class even though she did not do her homework? If you feel that she learned the material and would be capable of moving onto the next level class (regardless of whether the online school feels she is) then you can still give her credit for the course. You could also have her go back and do homework assignments that were missed if you feel that would help. Quizzes and homework are not the only ways to show your student has learned something, so you can be creative in figuring out a way to see what she did learn and if you can give her a grade and credit for the work she did do. If she just didn't get anything out of the class, then I think you just start over with the same class or a different one and try again. Before doing that, though, I would try to find out why she didn't do the homework or take the quizzes. I would be hesitant to pay for another class if the student couldn't formulate a plan to remedy the situation and make sure the same thing doesn't happen again.

If they took classes online, would it be helpful for me to get The Writers Jungle and/or Help for High School or would that be redundant? I'm a planner, so I like to have an idea of what they might be doing ahead of time, but it's not totally necessary if I'll be getting the materials with the class when we register. Looking at the fall schedule I plan on signing my daughter up for Powerful Fiction Techniques (she wants to do NaNoWriMo this November) and Expository Essay for the late fall/early winter. My son would love Write Your Own Greek Myth and Middle School Writing Projects. I am hoping the Photography and Writing class will be offered in the spring, I didn't see it on the list for summer or fall. Thank you 1Togo, Carol in Cal and Julie of KY for your help! I feel much better now with my choices. I LOVE these forums.

I will add that she is already taking two, possibly three online classes next year (Latin, AP Human Geography and possibly AP Music Theory) so I was hoping to do the writing at home and not online. I have looked into hiring a local tutor to help her with writing, mostly the editing part and not teaching a curriculum. Between the online classes, public school classes, plus drivers ed and other extra curricular activities, I'd rather not try to squeeze in one more class. We may not actually start English until her fall activities are over at the end of October just to give her some breathing room. Maybe Bravewriter would fit our schedule after all, though, since the classes are only 6 weeks, we could skip the first fall session and start later in the school year. Sorry, just thinking as I type there :tongue_smilie:

As the title of my post mentions, I've been doing intense research on writing curriculum for the last few weeks and my head is spinning! My daughter is in 9th this year and goes to the public high school part time for music and electives. She also took Biology this year but has no interest in taking any other core classes at the high school. She was in public school full time through 7th grade and stayed home exclusively in 8th. For the last two years we have done bits and pieces of several writing curricula, including IEW TWSS, IEW SWI-C and LToW 1. LToW1 combined with EIL and Fix-It grammar have made up our English credit for this year. IEW was a bit too formulaic and repetitive for us, so we dropped it. We do still use many of the dress-ups, sentence openers and decorations taught in IEW, but my kids do not want to do any more IEW lessons. Last year while working through various EIL lessons she used LToW 1. We started at the beginning but then she skipped some of the intermediate lessons and moved to the complete persuasive essay. She basically used LToW when needed to help her with the written assignments for EIL. Her literary analysis papers for EIL seem to be well written and carefully thought out, but I have a chemistry degree and was not a lover of high school English, so take that for what it's worth :laugh: She did like LToW, but I am hesitant to continue with LToW 2 next year, only because I think she should branch out a little and learn other types of essay writing. LToW 2 seems to continue with two more elaborate versions of the persuasive essay, called the deliberative and judicial essay. The website describes these as refinements of the persuasive essay but written in the past and future tense. Some of the other programs I have looked at are Bravewriter, EIW, Classical Writing, WriteShop, and more that I can't remember. I am drawn most to Bravewriter, although I've heard some folks on the forums say it's a little light. I think I like it because it would also be a good fit for my 7th grade son who hates writing and is not enjoying WWS this year. He also did not like IEW last year, but I'm not sure there is anything he WOULD like. My one issue with Bravewriter is where to start, there are so many choices! The website says to start at the beginning even if your child flies through the first levels. Well, that would make it one VERY expensive program if I would have to buy each level and move onto the next in a month or two. I have the same opinion after looking at previews of some of the other curriculum like EIW. I feel that starting at the middle or end of a 6 year program is not a great idea because the upper levels build on each other from the beginning, and to skip them would confuse the student. My daughter is planning on going to college to pursue a degree in music, so that means lots of essays for applications and SAT/ACT tests eventually. I purchased a used copy of the Elegant Essay by Lesha Myers but haven't received it yet (yes, I know, more IEW!!! but hopefully not dress-ups etc...) Was hoping to do that as a short boot camp this summer with her before picking something to work through next year. My inclination is to get the Bravewriter package Homeschool Buyers Co-op is offering for Writers Jungle and Help for High School so I would have both kids covered. If anyone has used either of these and has opinions on them, I'd love to hear them. If you have used LToW 2 and have advice about that curriculum, I'd love a review of it. If anyone else has other curriculum they use that might fit our needs, please let me know, I'll take a look at anything at this point! Thank you!!!

I found a good lab report outline on the Donna Young website. We used it for 9th grade Biology labs. There are also examples of written lab reports if you look at some of the other tabs in Science. http://www.donnayoung.org/apologia/labhow-cr.htm

We did not schedule AoPs either. For us, scheduling subjects will only lead to anxiety and disappointment (mostly me!) when things don't get accomplished. Plus, if they need to spend more or less time on a chapter we can do that without feeling like I have to reschedule the whole year. My 6/7th grader is finishing up pre-Algebra now. My 9th grader is finishing Geometry. They have been homeschooled for the last two years. Neither enjoys math that much so I am happy with the progress they are making, but I don't see them wanting to go all the way thru Calculus if they don't have to.

It's pretty much the same in our district. 6th grade : advanced math starting pre-Algebra for last 3 months of school year, intermediate math, basic math 7th grade: finish pre-Algebra and start Algebra for last 3 months of school year, pre-Algebra, basic math 8th grade: finish Algebra and start some Geometry last 3 months of the school year, Algebra, pre-Algebra The advanced classes teach basically the same as the intermediate classes but at a faster rate, therefore they get through more material in a school year. I never really got that, I thought they should go deeper into the subject and not wider, but that's just my opinion. There were also kids that went to the HS for math in 8th grade and started with Algebra II as freshman. Our district is pretty good about making sure you have support no matter what level you are at. In the high school there are freshman that start at Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. I even know of a few students that go to the community college to do math, they are that advanced. Common core hasn't changed any of that, but just perhaps the curriculum they are using, although I haven't even heard of those types of changes except at the elementary school level.

I would also recommend the book College without High School by Blake Boles. It basically answers the question you have asked on how to get into college without a single high school class or grade. We are not unschoolers ourselves, but reading the book helped my daughter understand that because we can be very flexible with our education, the experiences she makes for herself during the high school years will set her apart from her public school friends when competing for college acceptance.

I can sympathize, our daughter is not a lover of science and was dreading chemistry and physics! This year she took Biology at the public high school and was trying to decide between chemistry and physics for next year, most likely at home. Both DH and I have chemistry degrees so that's the one subject I actually feel qualified to teach :) We decided that since she loves music and will most likely pursue a music degree in college we would do physics next year and study sound, acoustics and instruments. I think it would be very easy to create a course where your son studies the physics of sports. I am undecided about what to do her junior or senior year. We may try astronomy at the high school or anatomy and physiology at home, although something tells me we should just do chemistry. I worry that some colleges specify bio/chem/phys, and not just 3 years of a lab science. I may have to look into that more before we plan that far ahead.

I think I have finally figured out 10th grade for my daughter next year. This of course depends on what her public school schedule will be like. She attends part time and they are still working out the block schedule for next year. At public school: Band AP Music Theory maybe a fun elective At home: AP Human Geography with PA Homeschoolers Physics of Music and Sound Algebra 2 Latin 100 (Lone Pine Classical School online) Excellence in Literature lessons combined with a writing program (still deciding) and local tutor I wish I could squeeze logic in there somewhere but I don't see it happening. She will also be helping her old middle school band director with their band three mornings a week, doing girl scouts, and taking piano lessons. Then there's marching band in the fall, pep band in the winter and possibly a mixed school orchestra all year. It exhausts me just thinking about it :crying:

This is wonderful! I've been looking for an online Latin class that had good reviews and could fit into our weird schedule. Just registered for Lone Pine Latin 100! So excited!!!!

I would love to see an online class using the EIL curriculum. We used it on our own last year but my soon-to-be 15 yo daughter would like some additional instruction on writing. Was hoping to find a local tutor who could help her organize and write the papers for the books we will cover next year.

My current 9th grader is doing the following this year: At our public high school: Choir Freshman Band Ecological Biology At home: History: Started with BF Medieval and she wanted something else. She loves studying music (plays many instruments, loves music theory, listens to lots of classical) so she wanted to research the music of Medieval times (how it was written, played, used, etc…) She is going to attempt to write a chant and play/sing it for us at the end of the summer. English: She has done the Center for Lit online discussions about once a month and is also working through some of the Excellence in Literature lessons. Many of the books overlap, so in addition to the discussions she researches the author, writes author profiles and has an essay assignment for each book. She loves the independence of this curriculum. Also doing grammar and LTOW as needed. Language: Latin Alive 1 Math: AoPS Geometry She has also been watching Coursera and Great Courses classes on music theory. She has really enjoyed How to Listen to and Understand Great Music. She takes private flute and bassoon lessons and dabbles in piano and guitar. She has also taken electric bass lessons, but something had to go so those lessons are on hold for now.

I am also in the burbs of Chicago to the north. My daughter went to public school thru 7th grade (started in CT and moved to IL in 2010) and then stayed home for 8th. The middle school allowed her to remain in the band program and they actually let her go thru graduation and gave her a diploma. She wanted to take a few classes at the high school this year so she is doing choir, band and biology. She is not sure what she wants to take next year other than band. She will probably not take another core class like English or science again, she was not really enjoying the way they taught and tested in her bio class. She will probably stick with fun classes like photography, art, maybe Latin, and woodworking or shop. The high school will not give her a diploma unless she completes all of her classes at the HS, they will not accept homeschool classes, so we will have a mixed transcript of homeschooled, online and public school classes and maybe a few cc classes by the end. By taking classes part time she is eligible to participate in extra curricular activities like pep band, marching band, clubs and groups, so she has plenty of social interaction. What is it about a diploma from the HS that is so important to her?

My son is 12 and home full time. My daughter is 14 and is going to the public high school part time for her freshman year, so she is there either 2 or 3 days a week until 1:15. I love everything about our arrangement except being a slave to the school schedule. I get one on one time with my son, which we both benefit from. My daughter gets to pick what classes she wants to take at the high school, this year it is choir, band and Biology. She gets to see her friends (she was in PS until 7th grade) and has made many new ones from participating in marching band. She gets to do any extra curricular activities she wants and is welcome in all the high school functions. She also gets to study whatever she would like at home (literature, music history/world history, Latin, math) and also has lots of extra time to practice her many instruments. I do wish we didn't have to follow the school schedule, especially when planning vacations, but I'm willing to do it because it is the best of both worlds for all of us. My son is excited to be able to do the same thing in a few years, and I am as well! I'll get some free time back but still be able to work with him when he is not at school.

We just started the BF Medieval guide for intermediate/jr high this week. I also try to pick secular materials, mostly for science, but also for history. I picked BF because my son enjoys reading real books more than texts and the guide was inexpensive. As far as I can tell from skimming the guide to make our lesson plans for the first two months, there really isn't a Christian slant to the material. In week 5 they read about Islam, Judaism and Christianity as it relates to what was happening in the world at the time (Muhammad, spread of Christianity, etc). Religion is a part of history and it is important to study the impact religion had on history. But I don't see that they are pushing one religion over another at all. There are no Bible studies like in Sonlight. One week they actually suggest you visit a house of worship different than your own, or one you know little about, to learn about differences and similarities of other religions. So far we both have been pleased with the assignments and discussion materials.

Yes, the first link is what I was referring to in my post, I got the name slightly wrong. Teaching from Rest is found on the blog Amongst Living Things. It is a workbook and series of audio files about how to teach from rest. It is a refreshing way to think about homeschooling for someone like me who likes to plan, always wants to make sure she is doing "enough" and using "the best" curriculum. It has made me rethink my approach to the school year and I've rearranged our work so it isn't so scheduled. There are also some free audio talks by Chris Perrin on the subject of Multum non Multa on youtube which relays a similar message, although they don't really get into the how, but discuss more of the why.

I may go if I know DH is in town that weekend and not traveling for work. I'd have to leave early on Friday, but think it would still be worth it. We live a little more than an hour away. Will make a decision this week.

You all have reminded me why I listened to all of those Multum Non Multa talks, read the articles and purchased the Teaching from a State of Rest bundle. After hearing all of those talks, I went through our plans for this year and removed all of the fluff from our schedule, but the one thing I did not do was give us the freedom to work at our own pace thru the year. My son had a hard time last year (our first year homeschooling) figuring out how to get the work done that was assigned each week. We tried a daily schedule and then switched to just a list for the week. I think this was too much pressure for him, he felt defeated before even starting. I started making our schedule on One Note a couple of weeks ago and have decided to change it from weekly assignments to having a tab for each subject and lesson but no timeframe for completing the work. He can read a book in two days if he wants, then move onto science or history, or he can do a little from each subject every day. He can change it up from day to day, week to week. I think we will actually get more done this way because he won't feel so overwhelmed that he just shuts it all down. It will be better for all of us not to have that feeling like we're already behind schedule by Tuesday of each week :/ We will be starting next week and easing into it be doing some together time with both kids (grammar, logic, and Latin) and probably reading the rest of the day. Science, math and writing will work their way in by the end of September.

I was very much hoping the guide for the medieval world book would be out this fall. Any chance of giving us a preview of the first few chapters to start our school year?

I have a friend that did CC with her girls for several years. It does vary from group to group, at least for the elementary aged programs, but when her oldest get into the Challenge program (7th grade and up) many of the resources she used were creation-based. They use Apologia for all of the science classes, I looked through the general science book and there is no way I could bring myself to teach my kids that dinosaurs roamed the earth with humans or that carbon dating objects that are thought to be millions of years old is not accurate.8& They also use many creation based stories in literature and logic. In Foundations &Essentials it probably wouldn't matter that you believe in old earth but if you wanted to follow through with the program thru middle and high school I would guess you might have some issues with what they were teaching

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We are starting the Art of Argument this year with our 9th and 7th grader. Last year was our first year homeschooling and we did not do any kind of formal logic curriculum. We will do it during our morning meeting together along with Latin, reading poetry and Shakespeare, and grammar.