I apologize if I wasn't quite clear. I was precocious; it just didn't come from bookwork. (I made up for it in high school anyway.) Nor am I implying that all parents who challenge their kids are forcing them beyond their limits. But there are some who do, though I have found them a minority. Kids need to be challenged but not forced to learn. Just pointing out that in many circles, classical education is synonymous with unnecessary rigor.

Diana Waring is great. Her tapes (What in the World and True Tales) are good for older elementary students as well as highschoolers and adults. Of course, not all fourth graders will appreciate her. I would wait until your kids are a bit older and then listen to them. They make a great history supplement/component. So fascinating. (The recording isn't the greatest quality, but the content is worth it.)

I think you may have to select the text and then click to un-highlight it. I haven't used Word for a while, but it should work the same way as changing fonts and colors.

I think Harold Jacobs recommends Foerster's text for Algebra 2. Otherwise, have you considered BJU or ABeka? I'm not familiar with any of these, but I know they're out there.

Saxon is great. And with TT under her belt, hopefully the concepts will make sense. I don't know what age you used Saxon with her before, but in my experience, late elementary and junior high math, especially, can be a pain. I hated Saxon 65 and Algebra 1/2. But Advanced Math was great; as I got older I could appreciate and enjoy math. Why not try some of Algebra 1? The geometry should be easy what with TT and the other stuff can't be that hard. And if you end up jumping in half-way, I believe the problems are labeled with the lesson number that the infomation was introduced in. That way, if you find a few gaps, you can just go back and review. Also check out the DIVE cd lessons, if your daughter needs more explanation than Saxon provides, these are great. I would suggest making math a priority, at least for the next year or so. Spend at least an hour on it a day, if possible. While Calc is optional, it is important to have a strong foundation in higher level math. Anyway, that's my advice.

Yes, and this was in eighth grade, not first.

:iagree:I am so glad my parents did not force me to be really smart! I remember I loved multiple-digit multiplication when it came along, but I basically stopped math in sixth grade and it took me until tenth grade to finish Algebra 2. But I got it. And in the process, I learned how to teach myself and how to use my time wisely. Those are things I fear children do not learn when their parents spoon-feed them in an attempt to make them smart. In other words? Let kids be kids. But when they are ready to grow up, help them do that.

There's good advice here. Try squares to learn area; sugar cubes to learn volume.

There are lots of options out there... If you are looking for good textbooks, try BJU or A Beka. I personally prefer BJU as more appealing and higher quality. While I like the conservativeness of A Beka, I feel they overemphasize it. The nice thing with these is that it is easy to switch subjects out after a while, for example if you don't like the math or science text or want to supplement English or teach latin, you have the freedom to do that. I've also heard good things about Calvert. Veritas Press might be another option, though they do more of a mixed approach than textbooks. Find a good reading list and encourage your daughter to read. And relax. As long as she learns how to read and write well, she will be fine. Don't throw textbooks at her, instead, teach her to love learning.

The local public school weights their "college level" classes double. So I know students who have graduated with GPA's of 4.2 or higher.

You don't need to pay attention to time until you get to high school, and even then you can be lax, unless your state requires meticulous records. For example, in high school, if your student does a standard one-year textbook or the equivilent, give him one credit without worrying whether he spent 90 hours or 250 hours working on it.

Sounds like your son is on track. If he does most of Advanced Math before next spring (most take it spring of 11th grade) there should be virtually nothing on the test that he doesn't know. Of course, a little review can't hurt.

Very true. Perhaps I meant that Biology is not for seventh graders. However, I will point out that General Science covers the human body, which is not revisited until Advanced Biology. And Physical Science covers weather, the earth, and the solar system in addition to motion and energy topics covered more fully in Chemistry and Physics. So while you certainly can skip these books, these are also great books that deserve to be studied. Write in pencil? Yes, definitely. There is no need to plan high school in detail until your student is about to enter 9th grade, as long as you have prepared well.

In my experience, teaching to the test is stupid! I have found that the children who learn the really important stuff, like how to think and use words, which is exactly what homeschooling teaches best, are the children who are going to do best on standardized tests. Yes, there are some children who need special work to learn to take tests well, but that's because of the format, not the content. Besides, the ACT and SAT aren't really tests you can teach to. Anyway, teach your kids what matters and enjoy exploring. Then, when they get to high school and the tests matter, read a test prep book or two, do some practice tests, and work on the things they have difficulty with. You can still explore and do fun things, especially if you choose literature based programs over textbooks. While the test scores do matter, I disagree with those who base their entire high school experience around them.

Lightbearers (published by Summit Ministries) is a great worldview course for both junior high and high school. However, it is designed for group study.

Yup! Just put the course title and then note the institution it was taken through. Usually the titles of courses give them away as college courses, but at any rate, talk to college admissions about transferring the credits, because they are, indeed, college credits even though taken in high school.

As long as your son is comfortable with math and science and can figure things out, he should be fine. Some people skip Pre-calc and go straight to Calc, which I would recommend over skipping Algebra 2.

I am assuming that the Carnegie Unit is what we commonly call a credit hour, that is 180 class periods (50 minutes) which is the same as 150 hours. Regardless of the exact requirements for your state, you shouldn't have difficulty meeting the requirements. Your student can easily get more than six credits in year. For example: 4 English + 2 Literature + 4 Math + 3 Science + 4 Social Studies + 2 Foreign Language + 5 Music/Art/Phy.Ed. = 24 credits. And you can also give credit for Bible courses, music activities, home ec., and other activities that public school students don't get credit for. Not to mention that you have the freedom to earn several credits in one area in one year. In other words, there is no reason why you can't earn 40 or so credits.

Doing a little more TT before starting another program might be a good idea if your daughter has done well with TT. For example, she could work through Algebra 2 and then try a more rigorous program, or she could do pre-calc as well and then try something. Also look for some PSAT prep books at your library or bookstore; these usually review basic concepts and include some practice tests. That might help you find out where she's at.

I would suggest double courses in general language-- composition, grammar, etc. You can included lit in here if you want. On my transcript, Norwegian is counted as a foreign language, or at least, it looks like it. :D At the high school level in the US, lit is usually divided into genres like "British Lit" or "World Lit." You can try fitting lit into these areas, or you can go with generalized "French Lit" type things. While you should plan on reading a variety of languages, I would suggest sticking to a moderate amount.

In my experience, there aren't a lot of materials available for Norweigan homeschoolers, at least not compared with the U.S. market. You may have to come up with other options. Pick out the best curricula you can find, regardless of the language. Use the "foreign" language at home, especially if a lot of your school is in the language of your community. As far as language arts, in my experience (I grew up bilingually homeschooled) do two separate subjects. It isn't necessary to do a full grammar program (or any other strand, for that matter) in both languages, but be sure to mix enough. For example, do some writing assignments and sentence diagrams in Norwegian to make sure the ideas are cemented. Study the history and geography of both cultures. Teach math words in the other language when the child is old enough. Expect him to read books.

I would suggest picking whatever script you like and is readily available. Then you can teach the letters that vary, for example, in Norwegian we use the letters æ, ø, and å, which are not taught by American materials!

I lived in Norway until I was 6, though I crossed the Atlantic several times before that and my mother spoke English at home. I have been told stories of how I refused to use English with non-speakers as a child, probably because I wanted to be difficult. I must also admit that after we moved, I forgot some Norwegian which I didn't recover for several years. Even words like "crayon" I had to relearn after a year or so. To this day, I struggle with some basic words and frequently misuse words, despite a thorough study of the language including high school level composition. I think your daughter will be fine. Keep speaking and encouraging her to speak as well. And yes, interacting with other Germans would probably be a good idea.

My mother is American and my father is Norwegian. I lived in Norway until I was six, then we moved to the US, partially so we could homeschool freely. Those two facts have played an important part in who I am-- I always feel like there is a part of me that those around me cannot understand, because they do not know what my other world is like. I know two languages fluently, though I am more comfortable with English. Spanish was a breeze because I could go into a place half-way between Norwegian and English and understand what the words meant-- bilingualism has given me the ability to understand languages better. There is also the culture and traditions I carry with me. Americans do not understand my heritage; it is foreign to them. And I have all sorts of quirks: I regularly use words like "gummistøvler" and "gravemaskin." The worst part is telling people I'm Norwegian, only to have them reply that they are too, thinking I was merely referring to my great-great-grandparents. And they ask questions equally ridiculous to the famous homeschool ones.

I apologize for butting in here, but WRTR is a great spelling program. Yes, it is complicated to get started with, but it taught me to spell and I know firsthand its value. Reading Works is a great guide to WRTR, breaking it down into manageable project. http://www.theworkspeople.com/