We're doing Conceptual Physics online with Jetta Seboly at Clover Creek which includes a lab component. My DS (10th) is a more humanities and less science/tech/STEM oriented type of kid.

Science: Chemistry & Physics but I'm not sure how this will happen yet. Maybe Mr. Q. I already have Masterbooks units on Matter, Chemistry, etc. and Nancy Larson Science Units. There will be experiments and hands-on. I signed her up for a semester long online class called Pre-Chemistry (Chemistry for middle school) with My Fun Science . If it works out well, she will take Pre-Physics in the spring. My DD is VERY excited about this! Welllllllll....plans have changed for Science. I looked over the syllabus for the online class very carefully and noticed that the teacher expects 3-5 page fully written lab reports for experiments (at least going by the example lab report he gave the students). These are the types of in depth lab reports my DS does for his high school level science classes and not what I had intended for my rising 6th grade student. My goal is not to suck the life out of science for my starting middle school kid ; My Fun Science should be FUN!!! So, I think I will go with Noeo Chemistry & Physics which have gentler, introductory lab report forms. I also have the Masterbooks booklets. I already have Level II of Noeo Chemistry and Physics, but my DD may be ready Level III so I will need to check that. I can get a partial refund for the online class (75%). < sigh>

Found this list (in case anyone else is interested) : https://homeschoolingforcollegecredit.com/2018/01/16/dual-enrollment-schools/ The first one is a private four year college in VA that is actually not that expensive!!!

Liberty University is pretty much the closest four year school. It's private (and expensive per credit hour). There probably are other four year private colleges in VA that will enroll HS students at a (high) cost. I'm looking for reasonable cost : ) . For public, state colleges/universities, VA has a two-year, community college system that seems to carry the workload for public/private high school DE, and where most homeschool students go as well when they are looking for college credit classes. It doesn't look like VA in-state four year colleges (i.e. University of Virginia, James Madison University, etc.) enroll currently attending high school students for DE credits. Many states offer this option at their bachelor + degree granting in-state (i.e., more affordable) colleges/universities but it looks like VA is not one of those states. Thanks for the information so far!!!!

Still researching and found this: https://www.waldorf.edu/admissions/special-terms/start-point Dual enrollment college classes for current high school students; cost is $250.00 per 3 credit course (not per credit!) Credits will transfer to Waldorf without hurting freshman status.

I appreciate the information!!! I just found this accredited bachelor and master degree granting college with 3 credit online classes costing $810.00 (8-16 week college credit courses): https://www.apu.apus.edu/admissions/individual-courses.html

That sounds interesting to me. Who is the online provider offering the integrated Algebra I and Geometry class (es)? A major private school in my area (K-12) is now offering integrated math courses only for grades 7-9 (no more single topics). Over the three years the students receive credit for Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 and Geometry. This may be a new trend in the USA, but is often standard elsewhere in the world from what I understand.

I was looking through all the tagged topics (motherlodes 1,2, 3, etc.) and still couldn't find an answer to this question (I might have missed it though). Is there a list somewhere on this site of four year, i.e. Bachelor degree granting, colleges/universities that offer dual enrollment credit for courses taken by high school homeschoolers? I'm aware that community colleges are the typical providers of dual enrollment courses, but I am considering overseas colleges for my kids (non USA) and many European colleges are now asking for, in addition to an American high school diploma, college courses that come from institutions granting four year degrees (essentially dual enrollment courses but not from cc's). This requirement presumably is to establish the rigor of an American high school education as compared with a European, Asian, etc., high school education. (The other option is an American high school diploma accompanied by 3-4 AP tests with scores of 4-5, which we may do instead because it's probably faster and easier, lol. The AP class is not required, just passing the AP test with a score of 4-5). I know of Liberty University Online that allows high school students to take college courses for credit (pay by credit hour): https://www.liberty.edu/online-academy/dual-enrollment/ . Maybe Stanford University also does this (?) but I was wondering if there are lists of other 4 year colleges/universities somewhere? Or maybe four year colleges/universities with these options for high schoolers somewhere that somebody here happens to know about? All the info I can find is about community colleges, or other two year degree granting programs. Thanks so much!!!

Now until August 19th : P.

We've been using a mixture of IEW and Writing with Style. IEW is great for paragraph writing including introducing and cementing structure, word choice, sentence variety, etc., in my opinion. For my DS (now rising 10th) we also did an online course with Open Tent Academy last year when he was in 9th grade. It was a mixture of IEW B & C and The Elegant Essay without calling it those things. He had to write five paragraph essays in various formats: narrative, informative/expository, persuasive, etc. That class was for students who already had mastered paragraph writing but they also have more beginner type of classes. I second the idea of waiting until your child is older to master "true" report writing (i.e., citations, etc.) You can have him write longer "super essays" as he gets more proficient but this is mostly adding on body paragraphs beyond the typical three.

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned further up (I apologize— I did not have the time to scroll through the entire two pages) but I have started hearing more about American students attending colleges overseas for degrees (instruction in English) and not just for one semester abroad. International students have long attended American universities, but now, a growing trend is Americans starting to attend international colleges. Obviously, this option is not for everybody, but I'm just throwing it out there because it may be helpful to somebody : ) . Apparently some companies that assist American students in doing this have calculated the cost as about 1/3-1/2 of the USA cost of a college degree (undergrad or grad) even including costs for room, board and two-three trips back to visit in the US. Here is just one link with some info: https://beyondthestates.com/why-college-abroad/nine-reasons-to-attend-college-in-europe/ Personally, I was concerned that an American student with an international college degree may find it difficult to procure an American-based job after college, but it might actually help. Here is what some are saying (from the above link): "Students who studied abroad stand out from the crowd when seeking jobs after college. The very act of leaving their comfort zone to make a fresh start in a new place builds skills and confidence that will be carried throughout a student’s life. Silicon Valley billionaire investor, Chris Sacca, describes international study experience as a critical differentiating characteristic among candidates. According to former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, “The Jack Welch of the future cannot be like me. I spent my entire career in the United States. The next head of [General Electric] will be somebody who spent time in Bombay, in Hong Kong, in Buenos Aires.” In a study published in the Harvard Business Review, people with experience living abroad were better employees, because they are likely to create new businesses and products and to be promoted. According to The Erasmus Impact Study, internationally mobile students are half as likely to experience long-term unemployment compared with those who have not studied or trained abroad and five years after graduation their unemployment rate is 23 percent lower." Interesting.

This is what 2nd grade looked like for my DD last year: Daily "sit down" subjects (took about 60-90 minutes): Math (Singapore Primary Standards 2 mixed with Beast Academy 2 and Math Seeds); Phonics/Reading/Spelling (Explode the Code 5 & 6 mixed with Swells and Shells, Rod & Staff Spelling 2, and Beyond the Code 2); Handwriting (Zaner Bloser Printing) Reading on her own usually 1-2 chapters of a book Science at homeschool co-op History listening along with older sister; watching various videos Art at homeschool co-op Fine Arts: Ballet, Tap & Jazz; Chorus, piano lessons Bedtime reading of quality literature I wait to start formal grammar until 3rd grade

The plan for my DS (rising 10th) is: 1 year of World History Ancient through Medieval; 1 year of World History Medieval to Modern; 1 year of US History; 1 semester of Introductory Economics; 1 semester of Government; and 1 year of whatever he is interested in likely some sort of comparative political science theory/ideology/government class. He also will be taking a semester of Personal Finance at some point but, for planning purposes, I consider that more under the category of elective credits. My DS started his high school social studies classes in 8th grade by accelerating at our home school coop so he has finished two high school credits already although he is only going into 10th grade. Next year he will take a year of American History which typically is an 11th grade class here. DS loves history so that is why I think he will take something every year, 8th through 12th grade (5 credits). Otherwise, in our local schools, typically 3 credits are required for "standard" high school graduation, and 4 credits for a "college prep" program of study.

I have used it it as a supplement for two of my kiddos—now rising 3rd and rising 6th. We have used levels 2-4 so far and I have level 5 on deck for for my rising 6th grader. My "spine" math curriculum for both is Singapore Primary Standards. Ymmv, but in my experience BA has worked great as a supplement. I have also used Math Mammoth for targeted practice if and when needed.

I hear you.... My oldest DD who is of the "correct age" is not reading Where the Red Fern Grows due to the, ahem, *unfortunate* events pertaining to not one but TWO dogs, and also will not read Old Yeller. We are completely besotted dog lovers here, lol.

7sistershomeschool.com is having a sale this week at their website: all literature study guides are 50% off through 6/30/19. Code is 7thSistersRead19 Enjoy!! 😃

What specialist do you go to diagnose these vision issues? My DS sounds a lot like like the op's son which is making me wonder..... Also my youngest DD (age eight) likes to read but is starting to complain about the size of the print and the b/w contrast on the page. Both of them have had "regular" eye check ups during their annual physicals and nothing has stuck out as abnormal so the doctors have not suggested anything further. Hmmmmmm.

Speaking of animal stories, and central character animals who DIE by the end of a book, Suzanne Selfors penned an introduction in the first Smells Like Dog book specifically stating that NO DOGS will die in her books and lamenting how authors have animals die after readers have become attached to them. It's pretty amusing and set my kids' hearts at ease.

I'm not sure how "laugh out loud" funny these are (there are some funny parts mostly involving the dog) but the Smells Like Dog series by Suzanne Selfors was a huge hit with all my kiddoes aged 7-14. Very old school, and maybe too young, but Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books are always amusing and "clean." The League of Unexceptional Children by Getty Daneshvari (a series of three books) is funny with a sly bent. I don't remember if they are 100% potty-free but the humor mainly is wittier if I recall correctly. The overall premise pokes fun at the trend of "every kid is a genius" which my children have run into as homeschoolers so they get the humor.

My oldest DD (rising 6th; just turned 11) used BA Level 4 as a supplement to Singapore Standards 5A and 5B this year. I have all of the Beast Academy Level 5 books but we just did not get to them yet. My plan is to used them next year in 6th with Singapore Standards 6A and 6B. I will also use selected topics from Math Mammoth 7 as needed (I already have all the MM materials) to make her 6th grade year a complete pre-Algebra year. I have used BA with two kiddos for about three years now and I find that the topics vary regarding how advanced they are. For example, variables with equations are in the level 3 books so I actually skipped that section last year (when DD was in 4th) and used it this year instead as she was doing more algebra and advanced problem solving with Singapore level 5. I love using Math Mammoth for targeted practice such as multiplying decimals by decimals, finding the percent of a number, etc. I have not used MM as a "stand alone" just as a supplement.

So, after perusing many, many programs and rejecting them, lol, this is what I have decided to do next year for literature with my rising 6th grade DD (who is more like grades 7-8 for Language Arts): 1) A selection of short stories using Teacherspayteachers guides—mostly from Lovinlit who has a great series of short story guides in her "short story clubs" for 6th, 7th and 8th grades (also includes some poetry mostly narrative) I am using a mixture of stories from her grades 7 and 8 "clubs"; 2) I will supplement discussion of short stories (or novels) if necessary using free resources from shmoop.com, sparknotes.com or enotes.com; 3 Figuratively Speaking tying literary elements into whatever short story, poem or novel we may be looking at 3) Poetry study using resources from Teacherspayteachers (Lovin Lit and others), Grammar of Poetry (IEW) and Progeny Press's poetry guide 4) Novel studies using a list of classics and various other genres that I have compiled from extensive research : ). I will use selected lit guides from Progeny Press, MBTP, Memoria Press, Novel Units and Teacherspayteachers. The websites listed above also are helpful for literary analysis; 5) I would love to introduce some Shakespeare using E. Nesbit's and/or the Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare books. We'll see if there's time.....

You could also look at K12 Literature (www.k12.com) which is available as a stand alone course for individual purchase (taught by you) or as a teacher led option. It does have grammar, vocabulary and composition along with the literature portion so it may be more than you want. The literature study includes short stories, nonfiction, and poetry as well as novels. I had the exact same reaction as the original poster when I examined LL7. Luckily, someone was giving the books away in the "free/giveaway" area at my homeschool co-op so I didn't have to purchase them to find out they were too "light" for my DD. I examined the 8th grade version at my recent homeschool convention and was still underwhelmed. I will be using LL for my 3rd grader this upcoming year, however. For 3rd grade I think it's fine, lol.

Yes! My DS sounds a lot like Storygirl's son and, as I said earlier, CLE Algebra 1 with reinforcement from the Keys series has been great for him. I' m commenting yet again : ) because she makes a great point about word problems. It reminded me that CLE is a little "weak" in the word problem area which, imo, is a significant problem for Algebra 1, but really for any math level. What I did to "beef up" the word problems in CLE was to find extra word problems for him on Purplemath.co and other, similar web sites. Sometimes we would watch free Khan Academy videos to reinforce concepts and do the problems they have. I also purchased cheap, used "schoolish" textbooks at my state's homeschool convention's used curriculum sale for a few dollars and mined them for useful word problems. Mainly, I put together a math program that specifically works for my DS which requires my carefully diagnosing where he is doing well and where he needs reinforcement as we complete the "spine" program (in his case now it's CLE Algebra 1). I couldn't imagine using only CLE by itself with him, or just giving the modules to him and saying "do it." That probably works for some students, it just wouldn't work for my DS, lol.

The Keys to.... books are modules that cover individual topics within a broader mathematical subject area. There are ten of them in a set and they are sold as Keys to Decimals, Keys to Fractions, Keys to Algebra I, etc. I would use selected topics/problems as reinforcement when my DS needed additional work in a specific area, graphing or quadratic equations, for example. I did not use them as a secondary curriculum with CLE Algebra I as that would be too much imo. I know people sometimes use them as a total, stand alone curriculum but I would imagine that would involve buying several sets and mixing them (I'm not really sure). The other option similar to Keys is Math Mammoth in that you can purchase downloadable modules for specific, targeted reinforcement of topics as the pp (above me) said. I also have all the MM modules for grades 1-7 (purchased over the years) but I didn't use them for DS's Algebra I (they don't cover Algebra I topics). I have used Math Mammoth for earlier grades, though, in a manner similar to Keys.

Totally agree with Farrar—I also used the Key to Algebra series alongside CLE Algebra 1 with my DS. They were great for reinforcement when needed. As far as mastery vs spriral goes, my DS did okay with mastery programs (Singapore) but experienced much less stress with spiral curricula such as Saxon or CLE. He was more confident solving math problems when he continually reviewed material, and the lowered stress/increased confidence greatly affected his ability to remember math concepts, his motivation to learn math, etc. Just something to consider.