I taught BJ Geometry last year. The teacher book has every line of every equation for the answer key, as do the test answer keys. This is a huge help to me. Geometry went very well for my daughter. Proofs are not her thing, but the good explanations in the book helped us through one day at a time. It is a challenging course. When my middle girl gets into Geometry, if I can afford it, I will buy online access for the BJ teacher. Though the book is very well written, I had to teach and re-learn things myself that seemed so foreign to me. The online access usually goes on sale for $99 every December or January. I have to re-buy our Alg 2 access pretty soon. For me, having the online teacher explain and simplify has been invaluable. Buying online access twice (once in Dec for the following school year, and once the next year for access for 2nd semester) is still cheaper than buying it once when it is not on sale. This is the cheapest way to get access. If a student is able to start a course in January, your access would go for 12 months, so you could finish the course; we are just not on that kind of a schedule.

The online sale gives access for 12 months. So, the online access I bought for my girl back last December, I will have to re-buy it again to finish out her Alg 2. Buying the online access on sale twice is still cheaper than buying the DVD's to rent for a year. If you will be ready to start in Feb, you would have plenty of time to finish the course before the 12 month access is over. And the beginning of the next level of BJ math always reviews the prior year, so you might be able to start the online after the holidays if the content for end of the year with your current course is covered anyway in the review. Either way, if it were my family - I would consider buying it. Have you checked their website for links to see sample lessons? I did that for the math for my daughter. It helped to see the teacher's face and hear the manner of the teaching. It might be possible for you to view the table of contents on the BJ Press website. Amazon and CBD will sometimes let you see inside of a book for the table of contents and sample pages.

Here is the HSLDA link for all the states so you can check your state laws for legal paperwork as well as graduation requirements: https://www.hslda.org/laws/ HSLDA may be able to help you find someone in your area to help you with these details. People who choose to be members of HSLDA have access to lots of helpful articles that can help you with details such as how to make a plan from present until graduation, they have lots of lists for special needs, and so much information that can be a starting place. Also, about testing, most juniors need to take the SAT or ACT in the spring. Then you have time to study and retake in time for college apps. Here is a link to a list of test dates from someone's school, so as a homeschool student your child will have a different code. I am posting this so you can see the dates. http://www.washougal.k12.wa.us/whs/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2017/10/ACT-SAT-Dates-2017-18.pdf Lee Binz' website has also been a tremendous source of information to me too. She specializes in helping parents of high school homeschool students with the planning and paperwork. https://homehighschoolhelp.com/about-us

A few months ago, someone recommended this book to go with statistics: https://www.amazon.com/How-Lie-Statistics-Darrell-Huff/dp/0393310728 This is a Great courses DVD I am also looking at: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/meaning-from-data-statistics-made-clear.html 3andme, Thanks for sharing the list of links. I am also looking at these!

The 101 series includes Bio 101, Chem 101, and Physics 101. I am using the Chem 101 as a supplement to Dr. Wile's Discovering Design in Chemistry.Originally, I bought it so I could review it before teaching Dr. Wile regular chemistry course with all the math. I am also using it to supplement my middle school student and very bright elementary student who are using the AIG Chemistry God's Design series. The 101 series is not heavy or hard. It includes a PDF book of the content. You have plenty of time for outside research, science projects, and additional reading. The DVDs are all of fun and include a nice mix of science history with scientific concepts. I personally would not use it alone for a hs school credit, but I do love it as a supplement. The course is designed to be part of a science curriculum - not just watch the DVDs and you're done. These are Christian perspective. Younger children can also learn from these. Great review for parents too! http://www.the101series.com/index.html I am also exploring the Body of Evidence anatomy DVDs as an option for part of our next school year. Christian perspective. https://timberdoodle.com/products/body-of-evidence-8-dvd-set Have you checked Aurora Lipper's website for her Supercharged Science and e-science courses? She describes herself as "creation neutral." So, she just does not teach origins science theories. My family really enjoys her experiment videos. I have not yet explored her high school science.

9th grade honors lit with composition: Online Avg. 50% of grade, Composition 25% of grade, Daily Reading 20% of grade, Grammar review- 5% of grade 10 grade honors lit: Online Avg. 50% of grade, Composition 10% of grade, Daily Reading 30% of grade, Semester Exams 10% expository writing with logic: Composition 60% of grade, Daily Work 40% of grade Contemporary lit elective: Reading 75% of grade Composition average 25% of grade This is how I divided it for a few of my daughter's courses. For compositions, I averaged them for a percentage of the final grade. Some more important papers, I counted twice to give more weight. The above is just a cut/paste from my course descriptions. Every year is a little different with how it seems logical to balance figure out the final grade.

I am also looking for one for next year. have you looked at the Math with Fred one? It is supposed to be for college level. I want a one semester introduction to statistics. I also want to check the great courses. Thinkwell does not have it either. CTC math does not have it; I looked a few days ago.

There are lots of abridged versions of the classics. You could get ideas and titles from a history through literature catalog. I recommend Beautiful Feet, Veritas, Sonlight, etc. Originally, I got my lists from the first edition of the WTM book. Also, the book All Through the Ages, by Christine Miller has lists of books arranged by both genre and age level. It has been a help to me. For Veritas, I ignore the grade level but look for the era of history as their grade level reading tends to be more accelerated than my family. https://www.amazon.com/All-Through-Ages-History-Literature/dp/B003JOQ8WS https://www.veritaspress.com/catalogrequest Use the web list or request a catalog. We love their programs! I also got books for 7-8th grades off of Yesterday's Classics website. You can find the same or similar content with an easier reading level. http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com/o/ebooks.php Tapestry of Grace website reading list is also a good source for ideas. http://bookshelfcentral.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=828_829 BF does have Jr High plans for the lit/history eras. BF has a guide for teaching that does include comprehension activities. I have used their Early American pack for elementary. Your student might also like the Genevieve Foster books that they have. My daughter could not put the Washington era one down! http://bfbooks.com/Literature-Packs/Ancient-History-Packs Are you specifically looking for books along the lines of MP 7th grade? You could rephrase your post to ask for the era and grade level so that people not familiar with MP can also share their experience. You might also want to post on the high school forum. http://bfbooks.com/Literature-Packs/Ancient-History-Packs

I have used the book, but not the DVD's. Will you post how things go? I am interested for the sake of my younger children.

BJ Press has great math with a DVD option. They usually go on sale every year in Dec for $99 for online access. The DVD option is more expensive. I have used their math from K all the way to up where we are right now in Alg 2. This is the first year we have used the video option to assist me in teaching. It is fabulous! BJ Press is much more challenging than Thinkwell (at least for Algebra 1) and definitely harder than TT - which I have looked at). I love it that the teacher editions have every step of the equations, not just the answers. Students learn several strategies for problem solving and the teaching is designed for understanding first before you have to "do it." For my family, it is a good fit. http://www.bjupresshomeschool.com/content/about-distance-learning-dvd Thinkwell also has 6th grade math - I think. We used the Thinkwell videos to assist with some of Alg 1, but they did not match up very well. But the teacher is wonderful and explains so clearly! Thinkwell goes on sale for about 1/2 price every month with homeschool buyers coop. They have a DVD option to add to the online access - if bandwidth is an issue for your family. https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/thinkwell-math/ CTC Math is having a sale right now for homeschoolers with a 2 week free trial so you can see a few lessons. The reviews are very positive and the price is affordable. This is online - not DVD http://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/math/grades-k-6/ctc-math https://www.ctcmath.com/how-it-works/home-school Good luck as you research!

We just started using manipulatives again to teach basic multiplication concepts. I can make sure they are out next to her desk for easy access. I did this for my middle girl. "Use the manipulatives until you think it is easier not to" approach. I will explore the linguisystems website. I have not looked at this company before. And the Sittitng Like a Frog looks interesting. I just read some reviews of it on Amazon. I will see what our library has. Thank you also for the software recommendations. A little bit of healthy caffeine in the morning would be a treat to my girl. I am not opposed to trying it. I will investigate developing the working memory more. Today, I figured out that the talking and distracting herself is not just math, but carries over to lots of things. So, we have some habit work to do. Retained reflexes. I am reading about this now. One informative website I just found it: https://epidemicanswers.org/is-this-your-child/symptoms_and_diagnoses/retained-reflexes/ The diet/environmental stuff we already live, but there is so much information here. I think the symptoms could apply to lots of children. But some of the symptoms do sound like my daughter. I will look into it! Elizabeth, you have shared lots for me to think about. Thank you!

You daughter sounds very intelligent! And it is obvious that you are doing your best to be thorough. At 7th grade, I would recommend that you make a high school plan, so you know where you are going to put the required subjects. If you daughter is doing Kahn as a pre-algebra, you might plan to do an Alg 1 program next year - which would be an early highschool credit. Having a general plan for now until graduation will help you be confident that you are preparing her for the next level, and it will help you answer inquisitive family members. Even if she goes back to school in the future, your plan will help you know what course she is prepared to take. Also, some of her courses might be appropriate to put on her high school transcript (the foreign language?). Checking state requirements for graduation will help you put this together. It is not too soon to begin forming general plans for high school. 7th and 8th grades are a great time to make sure your girl has solid academic foundational skills. This is a great time to hone in on writing. This forum is a really great place to learn and gather ideas. It has been a tremendous help to me since many of the homeschoolers in my local area are much more relaxed about having a serious attitude about school. Here, on the forum, are many moms who are careful about quality education.

About essays, I teach the essay as a piece of writing with particular focused purpose - called a thesis. I do teach that there are various types. Again, I like Sharon Watson's books with the way they explain this. I too have so many writing books. Her approach made sense to my high school student after a lot of struggling to teach her to use the writing process. It is written to the student, for a homeschooled student. I usually read these with my girl. I have required outlines in the past. Calling it an outline, rather than a list made it harder for one of my children. We have developed our "list" with sticky notes too. The point is to create a structure for your paper. About time, it depends on the essay. For a simple 5 paragraph essay: Usually, first we decide the structure, then the body has to be written second day, intro and concl the next day, proofread and refine, to be turned in to me. This process usually takes about a week for a paper that requires minimal research. Other times, by student procrastinates and puts it all together in an afternoon. We will be doing another research report soon that will require more time. I use the guidelines in the curriculum. Dianne Craft also has a right brain writing technique on her website also that works really well. It teaches writing by putting sentences into little textboxes - very good for visual learners. The point is for the student to learn to communicate well and support thoughts with logical reasoning and good documentation. Types of writing we have done: biographical report, several persuasive essay, literary analysis, summaries, character sketch of one character from a book, opinion papers, last year - she wrote one related to biology and evolution/creation discussion, biblical analysis that relates to one of the hundreds of prompts in the Veritas textbook for Omnibus, comparing villains of 2 works of literature, review of a classical music concert, short fiction pieces... Right now my daughter is finishing up 2 papers: one about pros and cons of social media, another using quotations from Pride and Prejudice to show the way the author comments on various personalities and the society of her day. We have a long way to go. Even after all the work I did with her in the elementary and middle school years, I finally feel like she is getting a great education in writing because of the textbook. Before, I was doing the best I could and always wondered if I was doing "enough." If you are not confident in putting together your own program from what you have, I would recommend that you pick the one you like the best or that is a good fit for your student. Also, there are some good essay courses online via Brave Writer and Rock Star Essay, etc.... I could not afford these options. Some of these are 6 or 8 week courses. For me, finding the right textbook was a big help since I was not a writing major in college. Good luck as you research! If you look up some past threads about teaching essay writing, you will find good ideas. I did lots of copy/pasting from Lori D comments. They are a tremendous help to me.

More very good ideas. Maybe it would be good to have a clip board reserved for free time activities. Whether it is drawing paper or math could depend on the day. I can add in more physical activity, I am working right now on tweeking her routine to try out some of these ideas. We do have a mini trampoline that could be incorporated. Thankfully, we are past needing the manipulatives for addition and subtraction, right now the challenge is remembering the related math fact in order to solve the problem. Renaming is going great for her! Lately, the process of remembering the math fact makes her want to start talking between every column of numbers. So, for this next week - academically - I am trying to help her finish the problem or sets of 2 or 3 problems before she starts talking. Refocusing for every column of numbers in addition or subtraction takes a lot of energy, especially when she is working with 10,000 place value numbers. For getting up in the mornings, we traced her hand for her 5 finger list. One task written on each finger with a clock on the wrist so she knows our time goal. She is excited to decorate this with permanent markers. She came up with a funny poem for Bath Routine which she loves. Again, permanent markers and contact paper before I hang it up where she can see it. I have to make an effort to change what we are doing. If I do nothing but think about this advise, probably nothing will change. Time and maturity do not fix everything. But to work on one thing at a time is reasonable. You all have given me some very good suggestions. One of them about habits reminded me of an e-book that I have on my tablet by Charlotte Mason. This might be a good source of some ideas also. I have not read much by her. I had actually forgotten about this book until this discussion. The full title of the book is Habits: the Mother's Secret to Success. I am pretty sure that I bought it from Amazon. I have read the beginning. I have some more re-thinking to do, to make a few adjustments in order to try out some ideas.

Answers in Genesis God's Design series Chemistry & Ecology set, also Chemistry 101 DVDs for my 6th grader, my 3rd grader joins in with age appropriate adaptions, though she is the science brain of the family. labs that go along with older sister's Discovering Design in Chemistry by Dr. Wile Fizz, Bubble, & Flash: Element Explorations and Atom Adventures by Anita Brandolini for elementary level Element flash cards

The books that helped me with these issues include: Robin Finley (from AG) Essay. She explains very specifically how to write a 5 paragraph essay (introduction to literary essay) This is now part of BBR 3. See the website below. I am currently using Sharon Watson's The Power in Your Hands: which teaches about all kinds of essays. This is a super resource easy to use and comprehend. I wish I had learned to write like this. Classical Forms like the Progymnasmata found in Veritas textbooks and Memoria textbooks give students who have trouble brainstorming a form to use. This has worked well for my oldest daughter who is on the other side of dealing with dysgraphia. https://writingwithsharonwatson.com/the-power-in-your-hands/ https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/writing-and-english-grammar/ https://www.analyticalgrammar.com/our-products/beyond-the-book-report/ In the beginning stages of teaching this writing process, I give separate grades for brainstorming, outlining, rough draft etc.... But honestly, I like best the way it is taught in PIYH. A clear rubric and procedure is outlined in each chapter . See the sample if you are interested. If another "teacher" in the book said to do it, my daughter was much more coopoerative to do the prewriting steps. We are working on one type of essay at a time. She is doing the book slowly so to do a half credit in a year. I adapt the writing assignments to fit other content areas. I will start working on times essays soon for SAT prep. Lee Binz recommends using a book of prompts written for the purpose of practice. I also have started collecting free ebooks of writing prompts from Sharon Watson from the homeschool freebies emails. I know I did not answer you thoroughly, I will try to post later on this weekend.

I have read Smart, but Scattered - the teen version. And yes - my teen used to be like this too - just not the bathtub issue. She had a disgraphia issue coupled with a fungal overgrowth that later explained the lack of focus. I spread 1st grade out to two years with this child since she was another one who was truly interested in books and could read at 3 and 4. I had to slow her down so her writing could catch up to her reading. I do sit with this daughter #3 while she works. Lots of homeschool kids do need mom physically near by. I expect that. She is very intelligent, but does struggle with executive skills. Amazingly, science bypasses everything. She can quote verbatim from Aurora Lipper's Supercharged science, as well as her high school sister's Apologia Biology DVDs from last year. She does not just quote, she takes over the microscope and has an amazing comprehension. And then there is the rest of life. I like the idea of a bathroom checklist. That is something I can implement. This daughter does love her bar graph because she can see what she has done, She likes this better than a think card. I like it better than a dot to dot. She definitely takes ownership here. EKS, thanks for the advise about reward systems. I will think about what you have typed. I want to encourage good habits without frustrating her. Have any of you ever dealt with a child who deliberately stalls when she does not like a task - like subtraction - one who will purposefully use up her "math time" with behavior that puts her think time/time out type of break. Later to be heard bragging about getting out of work to a sibling? In a way, it reminds me of high school, when the guys in my class would purposely ask our teacher about the Vietnam war to get him off the subject. Mr. Burk lost a few fingers in the war.... About real learning issues, I am exploring the possibility of an eye dominance issue, and she has a few auditory processing symptoms. I have to use Right Brain teaching techniques to help her remember math facts and, in the past, phonics. We are doing a modified version of Dianne Craft's brain training exercises to work on these issues. maybe I should have this actually on my written schedule for her - so that she is expecting it. Callista (and everyone) thank you for your good ideas and perspective. I need to do my best to be very consistent with clear structure, maturity needs to be kept in mind - I don't want to put her in over her head as school work is getting harder, decide which habits to work on first. Anyone with a child with executive functioning issues knows how challenging it is to get and keep those kids on track with life skills, and then to add in academics on top of it is very challenging. Teaching her to use the morning checklists will be my next step. No getting ready of any kind gets done without my direct supervision. It is my responsibility to help her with this. OneStepAtATime, thanks for reminding me about scaffolding. It is the stage where we are right now. I might need to read the elementary version of the book. I appreciate you all taking time to share you thoughts.

I will be adding Dragonsdawn to my list . My daughter also reminded me that she wants to read Eragon too. Speaking of dragons. :) You all have given awesome input! Thank you ever so much!

Hi, My youngest student is 3rd grade with a just turned 8 in Sept birthday. She is super smart, but is going through a hard time of focusing and concentrating. I am doing what I can to limit distractions, examine her diet, and put together some essential oil blends using oils that help with this. But I need help with rewards for her. She was earning ipad time when she could get her work done before a timer went off. I would add it up for the day so she could enjoy using the time "she had not wasted." The problem with this is that it only takes one situation of really bad distraction or just "forgetting" that she needed to work to loose it all in one shot. After several days of this, she never got to enjoy her reward before she lost it. I have done dot to dots with connecting dots when she is working hard and as she completes a school subject. And we have used school style discipline system in the form of an index card with the word "Think" and a paperclip that moves back and forth with her level of concentration and cooperation. Stickers were added to the card twice in the morning and once for afternoon if she could keep her paperclip on the K or the smiley face I drew after it. Rewards for when she could earn 20 stickers on a card. Now, that she is older - I use a bar graph so she can "see" how much work she has done, and what is left to do. I am about out of ideas. This is the child who can't remember to wash in the bathtub, she struggles with remembering her "first things first" with getting ready in the morning. Piddeling/dawdling is as natural to her as breathing. She is not trying to be defiant. I am trying my best to help her pay attention to what she is doing or needs to be doing. At times, she can focus clearly - very clearly and work fast. But it has been a while. I do teach her. I do not just assign work and walk away. But I do have to spin my chair sideways to teach her sister also. I want to try letting her use an MP3 player to limit distractions she can hear. But really, I need some suggestions to motivate her to hang in there while I help her develop routine so that certain actions eventually come automatically. I appreciate any suggestions from those of you who have "been there, done that."

You all have given me some great lists of titles and websites. The great courses SCI fi course looks worth investigating, as well as the many websites you all have recommended. I am seeing some of the same books repeated on many lists, especially online lists. I am cutting and pasting all the suggestions into a work file so that I can print it out. I hadn't thought about the many, many themes in sci/fi more than space travel. But really, trans-humanism, AI, inter-dimensional stories, alien - extra terrestrial stories, nuclear war aftermath, future govt run societies - (The Giver and Hunger Games but more mature...) Fantasy books are sometimes in the mix. These are some of the common settings I am seeing. It would make sense for me to choose at least one example from each setting. Has anyone ever read any of the Dune books? The person who I remember years ago who read these was not necessarily choosing books for young people. He was wild himself, though the books may possibly be great. Terry Brooks is also an author that was recommended to me. I might even put a few younger level books along the lines of A Wrinkle in Time in my list. The Step 3-4 also looks worth digging deeper. I like that it focuses on basics. But if possible, I want a mix of teen and adult level content since this is for a senior. Time Machine, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, CS Lewis Space Trilogy, something from Anne McAffrey, and I will be combing through the lists you all have given me. Some of the books of your lists are covered in her Veritas reading too. I am working on a big list to whittle down into a semester's worth of reading time. This genre could easily get huge! Thanks so far for all the help. I appreciate any opinions and suggestions that come to mind.

I am beginning the process of putting together a sci fi reading list for my high school student for next year. After 3 years of Veritas Omnibus, we are making a list of the classic books she really wants to read her last year of high school. No Omni planned for this next year unless she changes her mind for secondary only. This will be at the same time as as govt/econ credit. We are thinking about doing part of her literature reading from science fiction because she has not really read any. I am in the process of looking up university course descriptions for courses like this , but has anyone here ever already done it? I would love to get suggestions for a reading list of some classic titles as well as more modern favorites.

BJ Press math from K all the way up through Alg 2 and Geo. Analytical Grammar English for the Thoughtful Child Memoria Latin: Prima, LC, Form series Memoria Geography Evan Moor Daily Geography Practice Evan Moor Vocab BJ Press Spelling AIG science God's Design series Italic Handwriting WTM lists for history and literature for early grades wit lots of library books Memoria History for oldest who is now in Vertias Omnibus 3, younger 2 in VP self paced Beautiful Feet American History through Lit, early grades Memoria Press Story time favorites 1 - 2 for learning to read after basic phonics BJ Press Phonics for K, 1 BJ Press Spelling grades 1 - 6 Sharon Watson writing: Jump In, The Power in Your Hands Each of my children are different, so I adapt and add to a book that I have as needed.

I have written course descriptions year by year for my hs student. Some have to be long - especially for Veritas Omnibus. Does anyone know if there is a limit for size for the college applications? I too used Lee Binz' materials as my template. BTW, I do like the idea of including the online teacher as a resource, since technically - the class was still taken at home.

I am also investigating their books. We used their astronomy to add to the Apologia Physical Science to make it fit my state's description for Earth Science content for hs credit. If I were using their books exclusively, I would also add in at least one science project applying the scientific method per year. Reading biographies of related scientists, checking out library DVD's of related content, just exploring the web by writing a review of a science article - like "current events" from our school days, and writing a research paper on an appropriate science topic are a few ideas that come to mind. Are you doing experiments/lab exercises? or does it relate to your content. I know for some of their titles, that might not be part of the course. Also, depending on the topic, you might be able to add in some related reading from one of the living books approach websites. I have seen great lists of titles on the Guest Hollow website. It is not only elementary content despite the look of the pictures. http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschool/science/otters_science/otters_science_main.html

Various companies make stickers than re-organize the radiation so that the harm is minimized. Since the science is beyond my understanding, I rely on recommendations from holistic practitioners or quality websites to buy something that is not a hoax. The stickers we have right now are from Biozen. Gans technology also has much to contribute on this subjects as well. I have much to learn. Some people even sell crystals and special metals to wear as jewelry for this purpose. Like I said, the science is hard to understand, so I rely on reputable recommendations - not Amazon reviews. You tube has lots of information about this. Also, no wearing the phone in one's back pocket. Keep it away from the body as much as possible. Using speaker phone so not to hold it close to the head will minimize the microwave exposure to the brain. Even the apple website has some information for ipads with regards to radiation and health. Basically, since a phone is like a small ipad, we try to apply the manufacturer recommendations. I don't allow phones or ipads in bedrooms at night at all - for radiation as well as avoiding addictions to electronics. We turn off the wireless, and put tablets on airplane mode when not actually needing to transmit data. As I learn more, I will apply more precautions.