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daveswife

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Everything posted by daveswife

  1. If you decide to go with Sonlight, there will be workbooks for handwriting, phonics, and math. In addition to those, Sonlight provides worksheets for their L/A and Science programs. It may actually be enough to keep your little guy satisfied.
  2. If your son does it as is, there will be plenty of work (my dd did 100 in 8th, my son in 9th). The student guides for history have tons of mapping, comprehension questions, vocabulary, and discussion questions (some of which I used for essay topics). I would suggest that if you're going to add Lightning Literature for the English credit, there's no need to buy the literature module (it will be way too much to do). The only addition I made to 100 was the test packet for History of US from Hewitt Homeschooling (and in hindsight, I can say they are not necessary).
  3. Yes, that's definitely true if you want a course where you need to be hands-off. MathHelp has worksheets in addition to the few automatically graded problems. I marked the worksheets and provided any additional teaching my son needed, but I wasn't looking to outsource.
  4. My son used it for Algebra 2 a few years ago, and it was a hit! He'd completed MUS Algebra 1 and Geometry, but wanted a curriculum with daily, not weekly videos. I also purchased a cheap textbook to use for reference (Introductory and Intermediate Algebra for College Students by Blitzer). I purchased the subscription to MathHelp through a group buy at the Homeschool Buyers Co-op with a nice discount. I do have to say that the course is fairly short, though covers the Common Core standards. My son was able to complete it in just a few months, which was our goal at that time (I'd had him do an Algebra 1 review for the first half of that year, because he felt like he'd forgotten much of it during the previous year when he did Geometry).
  5. MUS Geometry is very light, so you may want to have him work through it over the summer with an eye toward beginning Algebra 2 in the fall. I know summer work stinks, but it truly is a light and easy course that he should be able to complete successfully.
  6. My daughter's Vera Bradley backpack and notebook laptop have lightened the load on her back considerably. She also likes to buy the loose leaf textbooks and put the chapters she's working on in smaller binders.
  7. Yes, I have. They seem to think I'm some kind of genius and I have no idea why. When they saw I graduated from college with a 3.45 GPA, there was this realization of "Oh, that's why mom says to just do the best job we can and not worry so much about getting all A grades. She really means it!" They are much better students and have much higher grades than I ever did. I'm so proud of them!
  8. We did the World Literature course a few years ago, and I felt the Teacher's Manual was basically an answer key (with very few grading helps here and there). If you're keeping up with the reading, and engaged in the course along side your student, you won't need it.
  9. With a boy who loves books and has his letter formation down, I'd do lots of read-alouds, keep supplying him with books he likes to read for enjoyment, play lots of math games, have a composition book available for days he may feel like writing and illustrating, and maybe add some Kumon cutting and pasting books into the mix. It sounds like you have a really great routine going already! :)
  10. I'd be inclined to drop the formal spelling. I think that editing her own work will help her to internalize the spelling and punctuation.
  11. The Schreyers Honors College requires a separate application, essay, and interview. I believe the scholarship is $4,000 per year, but don't quote me on that. The Presidential Scholarship is not attached to Schreyers, but to the branch campus honors program.There's really little to no true merit aid for freshman at PSU these days. For instance, the National Merit scholarship is $2,000 per year.
  12. This is just how Penn State admissions works (my daughter is a freshman at a branch). If your student applied by Nov. 30th, you'll get a decision by Jan 30th. If you check College Confidential, numerous students with high stats are in the same boat. Rest assured that homeschoolers are given the same consideration as students from b&m schools. Since my daughter was high stats (in the top 6 students) for her freshman class at her branch, she was awarded a Presidential Scholarship (tied to the campus honors program). She had a fantastic first semester and no one seems to care that she was homeschooled.
  13. If you decide to go with SL for lit/comp, they offer a writing coach service through Write at Home.
  14. It was 4.5 years ago, so I don't know how much has changed with the test, but my son didn't miss any math questions on the CAT after using TT7. The test was really quite easy.
  15. My daughter's grades are all in for her first semester and she made a 3.69. :) She's absolutely loving school (she's at our local Penn State branch) and thriving in the campus honors program!
  16. BJU English 6 is a really nice course.
  17. I've used Sonlight high school cores for both my kids, and I just made sure to be a real hard-nose when it came to due dates and grading (create a rubric you like and follow it, just as a classroom teacher would do). My daughter is a freshman in college this year and doing fantastic work. My son will be dual-enrolling at the community college this spring to finish out his senior year, and I expect he'll do just as well meeting instructors' expectations.
  18. I used OM World Literature with my two kids a couple of years ago (when they were in 10th and 11th grades) and we really liked it. :) I felt there was a nice balance of literature and composition (including vocab and a light grammar, usage, mechanics review along the way). We were used to reading and writing at lightning speed with Sonlight, so it was kind of a relief to slow down and really discuss the literature in-depth.
  19. My son also did bio in 8th grade (along with his 9th grade sister) and I included it on his transcript. There was no way I was going to make him repeat the course (we did A Beka, which had a ton dissection and microscope work) after all of the hard work he put into it. We're in PA and required to keep portfolios of work, so if there were ever a question about what he did that year, I'd have plenty of tests and lab reports to pull out for proof.
  20. My daughter had the same experience. She was shocked she placed into Pre-Calc, considering all the negativity surrounding TT's high school courses. I definitely consider it solid enough for a non-stem student. :)
  21. I think Oak Meadow is perfect for your situation. I used the World Literature course to teach my two teens and a few of their friends (we met together every Friday for discussion and to exchange papers for critiquing) a couple of years ago. Their courses are completely secular.
  22. My daughter did Thinking Mathematically by Blitzer after Algebra II for her third math credit (she did not do math her senior year). She really liked it, did just fine on the math section of the SAT, and tested into pre-calc at her university (she does not need calculus for her degree). She liked the variety of topics, and also felt it helped her to understand the concepts of math better.
  23. Rebecca might also be a good replacement for Jane Eyre. My son really liked it (he felt like it was similar to Jane Eyre in many respects, but definitely a much easier read).
  24. Here are the honors requirements for the diploma program we use here in PA: Honors Requirements for Subjects Other Than English In addition to meeting all standards for the Academic Diploma, specific requirements must be met to receive honors in any given subject. It is understood that only very good students will receive honors. Each chosen honors course should be mastered well enough that the honors student could major in that subject in college if so desired. Mathematics – The student must complete Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus sometime prior to graduation. The courses may be completed at any grade level; however, four full math credits, including a full credit in Calculus, must be earned during the four years of high school to qualify for honors in mathematics. Science - The student must complete four science credits. A minimum of two credits must be earned in two of the higher sciences such as biology, chemistry, physics, or a college level science. In addition, the student must write at least two science research papers* based on student designed experiments. In designing his own experiments, the student will explore his own hypotheses and defend them. Social Studies - The student will take four social studies credits and will write at least two research papers* which explore original hypotheses and defend them. On the diploma, honors will be stated "in Social Studies" unless four full courses were taken in one specific social studies discipline. Computer Science / Programming - The student will take four computer science credits and write at least two original computer programs with explanations for how they are to work. The papers should be written so that anyone could use the programs. If the courses deal primarily with computer building and repair, they would be considered for vocational specialization. Foreign Language - The student will take four credits in one foreign language. Student will write a paper in that language and read a novel or other non-textbook in the language in each of the last two years. Student will also demonstrate fluency in speaking the language. For those who are taking sign language the requirements change to writing a paper on deafness, adventitious deafness, etc., watching five videos about deaf people (fiction or non-fiction), and twenty hours of interpreting to CDs. Humanities - At the discretion of the evaluator and with adequate documentation - including two research papers* - four years of concentrated study in one field of humanities (e.g. philosophy) will be accepted. Fine Arts - At the discretion of the evaluator and with adequate documentation, four years of concentrated study in any fine arts area (e.g. art, music, design, or dance) will be accepted. Theory and history of the subject should be studied each year. In addition to performance or exhibition of work, two papers* shall be written on history, theory, or another aspect of your fine arts area. *Please note: If "completion of a research paper" is the method used to provide evidence for one credit in any given subject, then the research paper required for honors must be in addition to the ten page research paper written for course credit. Requirements for Honors English Earning honors in English suggests that a student's work is well above average. Not only the quantity, but the quality of his work is exceptional and distinctive. For Honors English to be specified on the diploma, one would expect superior work in literature, composition, language/grammar, and speech/public speaking. Begin with requirements for the Academic Diploma and upgrade to honors level by adding the standards detailed below. In addition, as supervisor of the home education program or as an evaluator, you may add requirements that will improve the quality of the student's work even more. Make Honors English really impressive! 1. Literature The student's Honors English program should be based heavily on literature, including both fiction and non-fiction from various genres such as novels, short stories, poetry, drama, essays, and periodicals. It is recommended that each year's study be concentrated on a specific type of literature to include American Literature, English Literature, and World Literature. Each year, the honors student will read a minimum of twenty-five books, including at least three classics. Classics must be written at a high school level. Lists of appropriate classics can be found on websites, at the local library, or through an evaluator. It is vital to remember that the quality of literature read by an honors student is as important as the quantity. Literary analysis is an important aspect of a good Honors English literature curriculum. The honors student should understand and identify literary terms (plot, setting, characterization, etc.) and devices (refrain, parallel structure, simile, metaphor, foreshadowing, etc.), and should be able to recognize logical fallacies and ad hominem attacks. 2. Composition The minimum composition requirement for each year of high school for Honors English is six papers, however an honors student should write significantly more, with an emphasis on the quality of writing. Writing, proof reading, and revising are integral aspects of a composition course, therefore frequent writing assignments are expected. The honors student's compositions should show continual improvement in purpose, organization, language mastery, and effective elaboration of selected topics. Yearly composition portfolios could include character analyses, narratives, persuasive papers, short essays, critical reviews, expository writings, and research papers. In addition, at least one research paper must be written each year - five, seven, eight, and ten pages for grades nine through twelve respectively. The research paper must include a title page, an outline, a body with a clear introduction and conclusion, correct use of parenthetical citations, a bibliography, a thesis statement which is followed throughout the paper, and evidence that the student's research was thorough and comprehensive. Follow MLA guidelines (or another standard format) to ensure a properly formatted research paper. 3. Language It is essential that an honors student acquire a thorough knowledge of English grammar. Not only should the student be able to recognize the eight parts of speech, he should also be able to analyze and/or diagram sentences. One important goal of language and grammar studies is to prepare the student to produce written work free of mechanical errors. 4. Speech An honors student should be familiar with persuasive, argumentative, informative, impromptu, humorous, and extemporaneous speeches. All require different preparation and are beneficial to the student's development as a public speaker. Therefore, the yearly speech requirement should come from one of these categories. The student must present a minimum of one self-prepared speech per year to a group outside the immediate family.
  25. Oak Meadow offers Environmental Science for the 9th grade.
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