Ive read comments on a few blogs that state the child will not have learned the necessary geometry in time. I guess most of geometry isn't learned until the Advanced Mathematics course. I'm. not certain of this, so I was wondering if anyone had any knowledge or experience with this. Also, my daughter really dislikes Saxon so I was considering my options anyway.

I keep reading comments from folks stating that Saxon isn't enough to carry a child through high school anymore because of the modifications made to tests like ACT, SAT... My daughter is working through Saxon Algebra 1 this year, and I'm trying to figure out where we go next. Can someone point me to information about these changes? And if so, what are people using for high school math? My daughter struggles very much with math and always has. We muddled through Saxon 8/7 and doing Alg 1 for 9th grade. I don't have a big budget so I'd like to keep under $250 for the year. I need to find her a solution for Geometry next year. My younger daughter will be in 8th grade in the fall so I want to have this figured out for her as well.

My daughter (9th gr.) is currently muddling through Masterbooks Biology. We will push through and finish the year, but it is awful. She doesn't have a great understanding of Chemistry and that is causing her a lot of issues. I wish I would have given her a year of Earth Science for 9th, but Biology was recommended. So, we are switching for 10th grade. I have been looking at Berean Builders Discovering Design series. Typically Chemistry would come after Biology, but I am not sure what the prerequisites would be for this course. She is working through Algebra I now (Saxon). Would we be better off to use the Earth Science for 10th grade? and then do the Chemistry in 11th when she's taking Algebra II? Does anyone have experience with the difficulty of these courses? Would colleges consider it concerning that she took Biology then dropped back to Earth Science for a year? ....maybe I'm overthinking this. LOL

Thank you stlily. I forgot about Rod & Staff English. I think that might be a good fit. She needs a solid overview of grammar, and we can add our own literature to go along with History.

My rising 9th grade daughter is needing a lot of guidance and help with writing as well as grammar. I am going to be spending a one hour block with her each day next year, and I'm looking for something to guide me daily with lesson plans. I am a Math person, and English was never my strength so I need something that will guide us both well. She is also not a natural writer. I would like it to cover basic composition skills, various writing projects with step by step instruction, a strong review of grammar that includes diagramming, and literature lessons if possible. I've looked at TGATB English 9, but I'm hearing mixed reviews. Some say it doesn't have enough actual writing instruction, but some say it's a great mix of english lessons. I'm not looking to send her off on her own to work independently every day. She really needs guidance and I'm willing to dedicate that time for her.

I am looking into using MFW 9th grade for my daughter. She is behind in grammar and writing skills, and I'm curious if the English component can be swapped out? She is definitely not ready for writing papers on her own. Has anyone done this successfully or is it too integrated?

I love this idea! She has actually asked to do more World Geography, and I think she might actually enjoy this type of study. Thank you!

I have looked at GH World Geography. It sounds great, but my daughter would not do well with an online text. It also sounds like it's quite time consuming. (1-2 hours per day) Also I'm not good working with a "buffet" of choices. I need the plans to be more specific.

My daughter will be in 9th this fall. I am struggling to find a solution for History. ...really struggling. I've been scouring the internet for a few months now and I've even purchased so much curriculum, but nothing seems right. We just finished studying modern history so I would like to either do a year of World History or a World Geography course. I don't want it to include Bible, literature, writing... I have these subjects covered (see below). I just need a History or Geography solution. I also need it to be somewhat independent. I'm going back to school in the fall and I'm a single mom (widow) with a special needs 12 yo that struggles a lot with reading. I'm stretched pretty thin as it is. Here's what I've considered: NOTGRASS WORLD HISTORY OR GEOGRAPHY - I only want history or geography. I don't want all the extra assignments. We're also not big fans of Notgrass. I can't really pinpoint why... HOD WORLD GEOGRAPHY - This looks awesome, and it would be great if I had a highly motivated student and lots of extra hours in the day. (I don't.) ABEKA WORLD GEOGRAPHY - I like the looks of the 9th grade World Geography, but it's only 1/2 credit. I would need to add something to this. BJU CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY - This looks interesting, but we have never been successful with any BJU courses before. If we do the DLO option, she would be spending so much time watching the videos in addition to the actual work. I think she would burn out fast. She's not the kid that likes video lessons, and I'm already using video lessons for Spanish, Science, and Math. MASTERBOOKS WORLD HISTORY (Stobaugh) - The text looks good, but the workbook looks like it would be miserably dry and boring. I've read that there are a lot of inaccuracies with the text as well. I can't confirm this, though, as I am definitely not a historian. THE WORLD'S STORY - (by Angela O'Dell) I really like the looks of this, but it's written for middle school. I am considering using it for my 6th grader. I see that there are lesson plans written to use all 3 levels in one year for a high school level course. I can't find any reviews that show anyone's experience with this. TGATB HISTORY - This looks like it would be enjoyable for both of my girls, but I don't think it looks like it would be enough for high school credit. I'm not sure how you would even grade this. ... and I've looked at dozens of others. What are your favorites? I am not the mom who has it all together and can build her own curriculum. I really need something laid out for me. ___________________________________________________ To give you an idea of what we're already planning, here is what our plan looks like so far for next year: BIBLE - with family, church-led HISTORY - ????? SCIENCE - Experience Biology MATH - Jacobs Algebra 1 with Masterbooks Academy ENGLISH - TGATB English 1 (Grammar, Writing, Literature) ELECTIVES / EXTRAS: Spanish 1 (BJU DLO), Photography, American Heritage Girls, Swim Team

Thank you all. Your opinions and suggestions have been very helpful. My daughter has a large group of established friends at church, swim, and American Heritage Girls. Her Sunday school class is based on grade, and she's been in the 8th grade class this year. So... I am going to count her as a 9th grader next year. If we feel she's not ready to graduate/move on to college when she's in 12th grade, then we will add a bonus year. I talked with her, and she really wants to move on to 9th grade. She wants to be on level with her peers, and that makes sense. I also like the idea of her graduating high school the same time I will graduate from college (online university). She told me that we can't share a graduation party though. 😂

Sorry. Yes, it was a typo. I have since fixed it. It should read 2008. Thanks for pointing it out.

My daughter has a late September birthday (2008). She will be 14 this fall. This year she is considered an 8th grader for all activities (church, American Heritage Girls,...) We started Kindergarten when she was 4; turning 5. We've never really focused on "grade level". I was thinking of having her official 8th grade year be next year, and that will make her 18 when she graduates. We have also faced tremendous amounts of stress over the past few years. My husband passed away last year, and our lives have completely changed. I'm also going to be going back to school (hopefully) in the fall. So, I was thinking an extra year before high school might make things easier, but I'm concerned I'm not being fair to her. If I go ahead and let her officially be in 9th grade this fall she will only be 17 when she graduates. She would probably do okay with high school level materials. She is ready to move into Algebra 1 this fall. Her writing is a bit weak, but I think we could catch up. I was thinking of using Essentials in Writing Gr. 9. I guess I'm just trying to determine what grade she "should" be in based on age. Late fall birthdays make it so hard!

Thank you all for the responses so far. I was considering the Getting Started with Latin book. We are using the Spanish book for family learning. I will look into the Cambridge as well. I looked into Latin Alive, but the reviews I've read make it sound very intense and too repetitive in structure.

We have attempted Latin a few times. It usually was taking up too much of our day in the early years so we set it aside. We tried Latin for Children and First Form. My daughter will be in 8th grade in the fall, and she has decided she's interested in learning Latin. She is not a strong student, so I don't want anything too rigorous. She is not looking to take the Latin Exam. Also, I'm guessing she remembers nothing from what we learned in the past. Any recommendations on Latin curriculum for a beginner at her age? We also have a 6th grader with special needs who might tag along, depending on how our schedule works out.

HISTORY: BF Ancients (I think... trying to choose between Ancients and Modern/World. Her sister will be doing Ancients with SOTW1.) SCIENCE: Apologia Gen. Sci. MATH: Saxon 8/7 WRITING: WWE1 GRAMMAR: GFWTM FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Getting Started with Spanish (she’s already done half of this) *Homeschool Swim Team, American Heritage Girls, Youth Group, and possibly fun clubs with our local homeschool group OTHER w/ 11 yo Sister: BIBLE: Wise Up (Proverbs) & Listen Up (Parables) devotionals GEOGRAPHY: US states (nothing in-depth) ART / MUSIC: Artistic Pursuits / Music Theory and Piano

.

I had the 2nd ed. Of Apologia Gen Sci (Wile) last year. I know people sing it’s praises, but I could not like it. I tried. It was so wordy. My daughter shut down and absorbed nothing. I had a hard time enjoying it as well. I’m sure it’s a great resource, but it was just not for us. I like the looks of the newer edition though. I’ve read the samples online and it seems like we would enjoy it. I really like the focus on skills such as note-taking. I’m leaning more towards the Gen Sci (3rd Ed). Someone made a comment about MB being too elementary in reading level, and I could see that. It’s doesn’t appear to be nearly as challenging as Apologia.

I am having a difficult time deciding between Apologia's General Science and Master Book's God's Design for the Physical World. This would be for my 7th grade daughter. She likes the idea of the Master Books Physical World because they learn about roller coasters in one section. I like the idea of covering a broad range of general science topics, and Apologia has a great reputation. Does anyone have experience with both of these? or at least have a strong opinion on one or the other? Almost all of the reviews I find for anything online nowadays are simply unboxing reviews. I wish people would post reviews after they've used a product for 6+ months. But, that's another post...

Thank you Lori D! That was a lot of great info. Now I've got to start my research. Supercharged Science is an interesting option. I had never heard of it. I considered Novare, but I was under the impression it was much more advanced and "text-booky" than even Apologia.

For Masterbooks Teacher's Guide - Yes, you can remove individual pages and make copies.

My daughter will be in 7th grade in the fall, and I need to choose a science curriculum. I am aware of most of the big names, but I'm wondering what else is out there? She is studying astronomy this spring. Ideally I would like a year long curriculum that covers a variety of topics with experiments, projects, and note-booking. We are Christian, but I'm open to secular curriculum as well. Below is a list of what I've already considered. I'd love to hear other ideas. Apologia General Science - I've looked at both 2nd and 3rd editions. They are both so wordy. I've presented the 2nd edition to my daughter, and she gets so frustrated by the amount of reading that she doesn't absorb the material. I do like the topics that are covered though. Elemental Science for the Logic Stage - This seems appealing to me because it promotes independent learning. I think I would choose the Biology level. I've read many reviews that say the experiments don't work well and the recommended texts are quite boring. I don't want to set her up for failure from day one. Real Science 4 Kids - We're using this for astronomy. It's just okay. I paid a lot of money for the full set, but so far I'm not impressed. WTM recommendations - I'm not sure I'm comfortable enough to use this approach yet.

Masterbooks America’s Story is great for family style learning. You can view good samples online. The “teachers guide” is really worksheets with questions. It was nice to have, but I’m not big on worksheets. The text on its own was very interesting though. You could easily read through more than one level in a year. There are 3 level in all.

My 12 yo daughter is working through Saxon 7/6, and she's doing well. I am trying to figure out what her next math is. I don't want to stick with Saxon. We tried it this year, but I don't like their progression through high school. I have seen many recommend Dolciani for Pre-Algebra. I can't locate it online anywhere to see samples or even purchase (at a reasonable price). However, when I searched, I immediately recognized it! It was the Pre-Algebra book that I used in the early 90's! I don't really remember much about it though. I am curious to hear if any of you transitioned from Saxon 7/6 to Pre-Algebra, and what curriculum you chose? My daughter does not like math, or school for that matter. I don't want something that will be super challenging, but simply to introduce concepts of Algebra.

OP here... This has been some great discussion. I really appreciate all of the experienced moms chiming in. I am leaning farther away from BJU. I like R&S, but there is something about it that just seems like it wouldn't be a good fit. I can't quite put my finger on it. A few of you had mentioned CLE. I am using it this year for my 10 yo (SN, Grade 2). I'm not sure why I didn't consider it before for my 7th grader. I have spent some time looking at all of the samples. I like that it lays a great foundation for Algebra, but it doesn't seem overwhelming. I'm leaning more and more to CLE 7.

I don't have an answer for you, but I am currently questioning the same thing. I have BJU 7 Lit, but I've been considering the PP guides or simply just reading lit that goes along with history (Notgrass). I look forward to reading other responses.