IMHO the best way to learn study skills is by enrolling students in a rigorous class with their peers - online or otherwise - and have them learn by doing. Must be a very good teacher for this to work of course - one who understands the value of being prepared for college classes and guides them through the motions daily / weekly. Both of mine "got it" very quickly after starting Lukeion Latin in ninth grade. Other classes like AP worked well too.

My son loves Derek Owens math and wants to take calculus in his junior year instead of senior. So he is squeezing the Derek Owens self-paced classes and working over the summer to make it happen. He is very motivated, and Derek Owens is very user friendly, so it's not too painful for him. As for colleges wanting to see calculus on the transcript, my Dd will be going to college this year. As we visited campuses, we heard over and again (especially from the more highly ranked colleges) that what they want to see from applicants is rigorous high school course work - even more so than high SAT scores. Does your student want to study a STEM field? If so, calculus in high school is a definite plus. If your student is settled on a humanities degree (doubtful at that young age) then challenging courses along those lines may do the trick. My kids had no clue about what they liked studying in early high school though. So much development is going on mentally during those early high school years. Bottom line, you can fit five math courses in if it's a priority for you. If not, your student can pick up calculus in CC or college if needed.

Does anyone have experience with Derek Owens AP Calculus course? We're looking at his and Susan Gilleran's Calculus AB courses. Her class has substantial reviews on the PA Homeschoolers website, but I can't find much about Derek Owens' class. We've used Derek Owens for physics and math, and my kids love him, but AP classes require that the instructor "teach to the test" to some degree. We're wondering if he is successful in this regard and whether your AP exam experience with D. Owens was positive. Thanks!

Ditto snowbellmom's answer. If your dc is very interested in Latin, and you like MP, call and discuss your concerns with them. It's been two years since we had our unfortunate revelation, and MP was just beginning to consider an AP prep plan at that time. It is possible that they have worked out the logistics by now. But I can say that if you want a sure thing for AP prep - go with Lukeion. Yes, definitely challenging, but probably not for the student who just wants a language ticket punched.

My daughter took HS Latin I, II, and III with Memoria Press (finishing in 2011). She wanted to continue with AP Latin, but was ill prepared to do so. We had to switch her to Lukeion Latin Year III fall of 2011 for yet another year of Latin prior to her being ready for AP Latin. (My son also had to repeat a year of Latin with Lukeion in order to get up to speed.) Wish I'd known. Lukeion is very rigorous and will prepare your student for the AP. They use a "college" text - Wheelock - vs. Henle which is more on the high school level. Dd is taking Lukeion AP Latin this year and is breezing through - after a tough year catching up in Lukeion Latin III. My message here is that if AP Latin is a goal, you definitely want to make sure MP is going to prepare your student. I would discuss it with MP lest you repeat what our family experienced with them. Scott Piland was always very easy to communicate with and seemed really concerned for our situation. Maybe they have restructured their program with the AP in mind. If not, check out Lukeion. We have lots of experience with various online homeschool providers, and Lukeion is the best overall.

Definitely check out The Lukeion Project Latin. Ds is in AP Latin IV this year wirth Mrs. Barr and took Latin III with her last year after a few years in Memoria press Latin. Ds is taking Latin II with Mrs. Barr this year. She is a wonderful teacher and does have a Latin V class. Both of my kids love her classes - even my previously Latin-phobic ds. Very organized, humorous, and always challenges the students. Her students' National Latin Exam grades are stellar. Highly recommended.

We have used LLC for three years with mixed results. Y1 rhetoric was great for my dd 9th grader - great teacher and the right amount of challenge for a young high schooler. Y2 was considerably less inspiring for dd. Our experience wth the "lite' literature (9th grade ds) is underwhelming. Not nearly enough challenge.

What instructor materials have you been able to access from the big publishers (Prentice Hall, McGraw Hill, Addison-Wesley, etc.) that accompany intro level college science texts (chemistry and physics)? Could anyone give a rundown of what can be purchased by a homeschool teacher? I'm interested in materials that have quality virtual labs, tutorials - either power point type or video lessons, plenty of worked problems, a thoroughly worked answer key, tests, and a great quality textbook. Also, have you found that there are sufficient resource links to enhance and reinforce material lbeing studied? How difficult is it to aquire these materials (as a homeschool parent) and is customer support reasonable? Have you had success teaching college prep science using these materials? Thanks!

Since you have mentioned instructor materials available with the big publishers for intro college science texts (chemistry and physics), could anyone give a rundown of what can be purchased by a homeschool teacher? I'm interested in materials that have quality virtual labs, tutorials - either power point type or video lessons, PLENTY of worked problems and a thoroughly worked answer key, and a great quality textbook. Also, links to sites that reinforce material learned would be a great bonus. Thanks!

I'm considering an Algebra I teaching position at a local one day enrichment "school" for homeschoolers. I want it to be a complete class including daily homework, quizzes, tests etc. Has anyone taught a class like this that really worked? I'm concerned that there won't be enough face time / teacher feedback for the average student. I definitely don't want to get into this if it won't be successful. Thanks!