Thank you for sharing about your son. I honestly did not love their "spine" book, at least at flipping through it on first glance. I was curious if anyone has ever actually used it. I am considering borrowing from their reading list to beef up a different biology that will work well for a reader who reads slowly, but is very smart. I need this course to be college prep and lay a good foundation for possible college science requirement courses for a future non-science major, but still basic enough to understand the concepts so that the student is not just learning material for a test. As an adult, biology background really matters just in our everyday lives. This course needs to be teaching regular biology concepts a different way, but not on a middle school level. I have a few months to organize a course of study plan. My tendency is to make a course way too full. So I am trying to be careful to avoid that. I like the idea of adding in better genetics than the Apologia book.

Hello, Has anyone had experience using the plan from Guest Hollow Biology? I am considering adapting parts of it to add to some books I already have rather than use the Apologia Biology sitting on my shelf. Has anyone done this? https://guesthollow.com/store/high-school-biology-curriculum/ Thank you!

Constitutional Literacy by Mike Farris. DVD lectures with workbook. We used this for a senior year Government course. https://www.amazon.com/Constitutional-Literacy-presented-Michael-Farris/dp/B075FZRL1J/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/140-1006689-1456640?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B075FZRL1J&pd_rd_r=f781a529-1380-4fe1-bb02-80b82d0967b5&pd_rd_w=3wpC1&pd_rd_wg=CgCNO&pf_rd_p=bdc67ba8-ab69-42ee-b8d8-8f5336b36a83&pf_rd_r=N54990F8R0JX7KAQTSXS&psc=1&refRID=N54990F8R0JX7KAQTSXS

I am planning to name this some type of Earth science name. The content from both years is the same as my state's description for Earth Science. My state will not count Physical science as a high credit - even though the content is similar. Cbollin - thank you for the link and the message. I will check them out. 🙂

I counted Omnibus credits as honors for history and literature because of the amount of reading and composition included. My daughter also did the self paced lectures. Another consideration is to combine logic with composition; we did that. I have been told that it is not unusual for fine arts students to have a lot of extra credits that they really do earn. Also, in competing for scholarship money - I have also been told that students who take a challenging load even throughout the senior year have a better chance at school money. My daughter graduated with an extra 12 credits or so that she actually earned. If the student's test scores reflect the grades, more credits should not be a problem. I agree that drivers ed could be left off. You could list it as an extracurricular if you wanted to. Like Lori mentioned above, we did an "early high school" credits section to the transcript to include the foreign language and high school English grammar and comp.

I used BJ Press Geometry. It is rigorous and always requires the student to use algebra knowledge. BJ Press has a video option. https://www.bjupress.com/category/grade-10-geometry-curriculum Also, the online math teacher at Thinkwell is the author of Holt Geometry - if I am understanding correctly. I used the Thinkwell Algebra 1 videos as a supplement a few years ago with my oldest daughter. The teacher is fabulous. He has short lessons, clear teaching, and a great sense of humor. Homeschool Buyers Coop is the cheapest way to buy access to Thinkwell that I have seen. Thinkwell offers a free trial to learn more about how the program works. https://www.thinkwellhomeschool.com/collections/grades-6-12-math

Hello, I want to share an activity that was super productive in my home-school this last spring. My 8th grader had just finished reading The Hunger Games in May. She started this back during spring break and was reading as she had time with the other demands of life and just getting 8th grade done. For a final paper in her year, I had her write a comparison between concepts, settings, characters, etc from Hunger Games to Ancient Rome. She had just finished up Memoria Press' Book of the Ancient Romans, read Julius Caesar and Midsummer Night's Dream, and lots of other historical literature appropriate for an integrated study of history and literature for Ancient Times. This project became the first 5 paragraph literary essay that she actually understood what she was doing and was excited about putting the ideas together. Her main points included the setting of a big empire feeding one advanced city while many people in the empire live in poverty, the government control through fear using the arena in the Hunger Games or being sent to an arena in Roman times - going to the Games as punishment to display power, and a brief discussion of the names that are similar. Some of the names include Caesar, Octavia, Plutarch, Coriolanus Snow, Cinna, etc to name just a few. We came up with a large list of names that are straight out of Roman history. Anyway, the correlation between Ancient Rome and Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series added some unexpected unity to the end of our school year. It was a great way for my student to practice her literary analysis skills on a more mature level. I think a paper like this or even a discussion can add a lot to a historical study. So, I am just sharing with you all something that worked for my family. This was a good bridge into high school level work.

Hello, I am planning to use the Masterbooks General Science 1 Series for my 9th grader. This is a high school credit introduction course to Earth Science Concepts. General topics include: Ocean, Astronomy, Weather, Minerals. If these books are like Masterbooks' General Science 2 [Archaeology, Geology, Fossils, Cave] course that I used last year, it will be a challenging course and very appropriate for 9th grade. The content from both of these years is an in-depth look at Earth Science. I am looking for a lab supplement that related to weather, astronomy, basic periodic table/geology, and oceans - if possible. I live inland so the labs for ocean related things need to be not dependent on access to an actual ocean. https://www.masterbooks.com/general-science-1-survey-of-earth-sky-curriculum-pack Has anyone already come up with a lab add on for this course? I have also sent an email to the publisher if they have any recommendations. I need to add in hands on activities, basic chemical equations, and some additional papers, videos etc to include a lab component. One idea that I have, is to pull labs activities from Apologia Physical Science and add them in. The content has enough overlap that this might work for a few activities. I appreciate any suggestions! Thank you!

Roy, That sounds like a great activity for this type if thinking. I have found the same thing you said. Most online forums for students are for those already enrolled in a class. One of the beauties of homeschooling is that we can make an individual educational plan for each of our children. But one of the weaknesses is that we have to work to find the right groups for the right subjects in an affordable way for our families. I like your idea of a movie night. You and your wife give the teens who come an opportunity to think more deeply and practicing articulating their thoughts.

I will check out Athena and Outschool! I would love to find a forum that is divided up according to the Trivium.

Hi, I looking for options for homeschool students to be part of an online group discussion related to school content. Recently, I have been studying about the benefits of group discussion for student learning. Not everyone has a local coop of like-minded families serious about doing a good job with school work. That is part of the beauty of homeschooling is that we can have an individual educational plan for each of our children that is a good fit. But, the group interaction skills and just sharing with others who are studying the same content is an option I am looking for. Any suggestions?

I did Constitutional Literacy from HSLDA for my daughter's senior year. It is a workbook full of great content with DVD lectures that my daughter really enjoyed. We did the book in one semester even though the course if meant for 1 year. It was very doable to adapt it down by adjusting the writing assignments and outside research projects. We needed a 1/2 credit Govt course also because we needed to have the other half of the year to study Economics. https://store.hslda.org/constitutional-literacy-dvd-p927.aspx?Thread=True The Bluestocking press books might also be an option for you. These books overlap government and economics concepts

Hi , I am looking for an online forum for middle school students to discuss literature or other school content. There is a lot of research that supports the idea that group dialogue increases student learning. I am doing searches for online options for homeschooled students in this area. Does anyone know of anything?

The question about age appropriateness: I think a high school student having finished biology will be better able to absorb the material. Also the chapter about dating/pregnancy/childbirth content is for more mature students. It is not explicit in an inappropriate way at all, but I would not use it yet with my rising 8th grader. (But this is her - your student might be more mature...) The content of the chapters in general will make more sense after studying biology and learning about cells and life. What I like about it is that it is not just a general anatomy book, but it teaches about health issues like strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, etc... and helps the student to understand what is happening physically in these issues we hear discussed all the time. In my opinion, this is an exceptional book.

I used this book last year in conjunction with Nutrition 101. I named the course nutritional science. We also included Dr. Menton's body of Evidence DVD's. (The Apologia Health can stand alone, I used it as a supplement to the other courses. One of my relatives gave me a free copy that she picked up at a convention. I am very impressed with the book. This book is a great resource and challenging even for a senior. It is well organized and balanced in the presentation of ideas. I really like it. You do need the notebook to go with it since the tests are in the notebook.

I have both the BJ Biology and Apologia Biology book, and the BJ is much more detailed than the Apologia one. And yes, it does include a section at the end of the book about human body systems - even the reproductive and endocrine systems that are sometimes skipped in high school textbooks. (also - The new Apologia Health book is very well done mixing anatomy, physiology, psychology, health, from a Christian perspective. )

Thank you for your thoughts. I was looking at Video Text samples earlier this week. It is good to know that it worked for you. Since the books are shorter, I was wondering how many concepts could really be covered well.

I would include art in her course of studies and count the hours like Carnegie credits. Naming it portfolio 1 and portfolio 2 could work, or independent studies, or name it whatever style of art she is doing. The Lee Binz Delight Directed Learning from her coffee break series might be helpful in organizing the course description and helping your student be productive. https://www.amazon.com/Delight-Directed-Learning-Homeschooler-HomeScholars-ebook/dp/B00BOB0ZRW https://www.homehighschoolhelp.com/delight-directed-learning I will be helping one of my children prepare an art portfolio too in the next few years. It will involve researching what she needs, current college admission requirements, her interests, and helping her set goals to stay on track. For my family, I will require her to do some career exploration activities as part of this, maybe an internship too. Another idea, is to experiment with a specific area of media for parts of the year such as advanced drawing, watercolor techniques, acrylic/oil painting, printmaking, fiber arts, sculpting, ceramics, illustration techniques, etc... the list can go on and on. For my senior who just graduated, we did first half of the year government, second half of the year economics. But I named the course Honors Govt and Economics for 1 high school credit, because some of the reading and resources applied to both courses. For the honors credit in my state, this was the best way for me to organize her work. Best Wishes as you organize your plan!

Hello, Does anyone have experience with the Learn Math Fast System products? I am researching this for an option for high school math for a student with a medical condition to keep her on track. The math program I used for her older sibling could work for Alg 1 , but not past that for this student. I need something with few lessons, clear teaching, and a flexible schedule that will allow time for review. This student is gifted and scores fantastic on standardized testing. But I need something less rigorous that BJ Press, but still teaching the concepts clearly. We are finishing up the BJ Press Pre Algebra first semester and will be ready to start an Alg 1 by January. I want to make sure she is prepared to do well on SAT, ACT and college math if she needs it. https://learnmathfastbooks.com/index.html Thanks!

I would add in Aesops Fables to the above suggestions. Our library is full of retellings of ancient literature. Have you seen the retellings of the Gilgamesh Story ? My children loved these. https://www.amazon.com/Gilgamesh-King-Trilogy-Ludmila-Zeman/dp/0887764371 Famous Men series is great for older elementary and on into middle school. I started using it in 4th grade for my oldest. The content and reading would have been challenging too much younger than that for my children. Yesterdays Classics has many retellings of classic literature for young students. Genevieve Foster has books that are a higher reading level but might work for read aloud. My family used the one about George Washington last year. Short chapters with illustrations. https://www.amazon.com/Augustus-Caesars-World-Genevieve-Foster/dp/0964380323

We chose to go with a basic introduction to statistics for senior year math for one semester and financial literacy (with applied algebra review) the second semester. I have a fine arts girl who needed a math that will help her in the real world. She is not AP material for math. Statistics paired really well with studying government and was a good per-cursor for Economics. This worked for us. Also, if she ever wanted to switch to an education degree, I thought the statistics class would help her to understand research and the descriptive stats classes required in college. She has decided on a fine arts degree right now.

I agree the grammar concepts listed in the lessons look very good for a 2 year course. Good to know about the reader and dictionary. Thank you!

I would recommend doing a third high school science. Many college admissions lists include 3 sciences. A few possibilities (on the lighter side) might be: Nutritional Science (I am using Nutrition 101: Choose Life in conjunction with the Human Anatomy videos from Dr. David Menton (Body of Evidence) (I wrote my own tests). Our labs are cooking, mixing makeup and skin care products, and home remedies related to caring for sick people). It is a mix of health and science. https://www.amazon.com/Nutrition-101-Choose-Family-Program/dp/0981695426 https://www.christianbook.com/body-of-evidence-8/pd/301370 the 101 series DVDs: I have the Physics and Chemistry. These are more of an introduction to the concepts, you have plenty of time left in the school year to add appropriate research topics that are practical for your student) It is light, not meant to be used totally alone. https://the101series.com/ Masters books has a history of science series. I have the World of Mathematics and The World of Physics. The teacher guides are great for structure and quizzes and tests ready to go. https://www.masterbooks.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=history+of+science Archaeology or Geology Also, reading biographies of specific scientists could be pieced into a course. Any basic foundation you give will help her comprehend college classes better. Good luck as you research!

Thank you for taking time to describe so thoroughly how you use VL and the way it works for your daughter. This is so helpful to me!

I am using Financial Literacy from 7sisters. It is an ebook course revised in 2018 with student text, teacher notes, lots of weblinks, tests, and AK for the tests. It is a great up to date fit for my senior. Much cheaper than Dave Ramsey though it does link to his and many others' websites. Easy to use and very comprehensive. I was going to use BJ press Consumer Math, but it was on an 8th or 9th grade level and would have frustrated my student. Also it was written about 15 years ago. I also wanted something up to date that has more math the addition and subtraction of the budget. https://7sistershomeschool.com/products-page/language-arts-3/financial-literacy-from-a-christian-perspective-duplicate/