I redid the definition part of Apologia tests to matching format, put the words on one side, the definitions with letters on the other side, be sure to make a key (I forgot the first time :) )

Yes, my dd will probably bring on the gray for me as well :) My dd has always read slowly. The only thing that gets her moving is a book that she can't wait to get to the end on. Twilight was like that (I know not very classical, but her speed did come up reading all three in a summer). To Kill a Mockingbird is a great book, but definitely not one to build speed on, there is too much to catch in it! And, my dd wears glasses as well, the optometrist got her prescription wrong the first time (it was too strong), may need a double check. They are used to making reading glasses too strong for old people whose eyes are going!! Make him check the prescription with her with a book in her lap, not six inches from her face!

We loved BJU British Lit!! The dvd teacher for that is wonderful!! That is the one year we bought whole grade dvd (and will never do that again). That class was supposed to be just a bonus, and wasn't the reason we did dvd. She ended up being our favorite!

Funny, are thinking of going the other way! :) The thing I like about textbooks is that it is easy on me when I have a lot going on (and I usually do). Just read, answer the questions, take the tests. I just check answers, give a preprinted test (that has a key) and look at the teacher edition for discussion questions (that have the answers right there). I like BJU textbooks WAY better than A Beka. (Take your kids to a hotel meeting and let them look at the books, if they have a meltdown in a minute, a year is a long time to live with that!) BJU has a nice World History textbook I used for my son that I plan on using it for my daughter, it has art, music, authors, etc. worked in and is well done for a textbook. I also like their US History (but my son didn't, bailed for Beautiful Feet), but he did like World, and did American Government and Economics in 12th grade (Ecomonics was so so). I didn't use dvd for any of the social studies. For science I like Apologia, have used General, Physical, Biology, Chemistry, & Physics. And, I really like BJU Writing & Grammar workbooks and their math, but with the math, you really need the DVDs. If you can't do the steep price of renting the dvds, Chalkdust or Teaching Textbooks would be good alternatives. Just finished 9th grade, had a good year, this is what we used: Apologia Physical Science, BJU Geography (no dvds), BJU Writing & Grammar 9 (no dvds), 6 Books for Lit., BJU Algebra 1 (with DVDs), PE, and Computer.

It is common to have the 3/4 book rule, schools rarely finish textbooks. We stopped Apologia books around Module 12-13.

Hi Lori, I see 8 classes here, do you do all of them all year, or how do you split them up to fit them all in?? DD is a good student, but so far through 9th grade, 5 classes seems to be the point where she runs out of day! Just looking for input on how to get more accomplished! Thanks, Susan

:iagree:

We went by interest, son did guitar lessons (music), drawing (art), cultivated and grew palm trees (horticulture). My daughter so far has taken a cake decorating class (culinary arts) and does PE every year, so the PE will eat up a lot of her electives. It doesn't seem there is that much room anymore.... with colleges wanting 3 yrs. of foreign language, higher math, AP classes..... I think she will end up with her four core classes (history/math/science/English), Spanish, PE, and one year of an art.

My daughter really likes Jane Austen books, has read Emma, now reading Pride and Prejudice. But if your step likes sci fi, I'm not sure if she will like romantic novels :)

Hi Faithe, My daughter will be in 10th this year, and I have one I have graduated. This is what I see, see what others say! I don't know what you did last year, but I don't see any history. My daughter did geography last year (9th), and that is the credit the colleges didn't really care about for my son. I did it because I liked BJU Geography when my son did it, and neither kid had much geography to that point. The traditional route would be World History in 10th, US History in 11th, and a semester of each of American Government and Economics in 12th. If you have already done a lot of history, then the geography would probably be fine, just make sure you map out school all the way through 12th so you get all you want done. I don't know your abbreviations for CLE LA.... can't tell if that is your Latin or regular grammar/vocab. I am definitely doing a grammar and vocabulary program for my daughter. You might want to get the High School Chemistry DVDs at Teaching Co. to go with the Apologia Chemistry. They should be $69 or $79 on sale. I am just reading WTM, and haven't figured out how classical homeschoolers fit it all in, I have done the traditional 5-6 classes a year kind of like a school structure because I haven't known what else to do! My daugher is going to be doing the following: English 2 (10th grade), A Beka World Lit, BJU Writing & Grammar 10, and a vocabulary program (haven't picked yet) Apologia Biology BJU World History Chalkdust Geometry PE Spanish (don't know what program yet) In spare time decorating cakes (took a Wilton class at Michael's), when she gets 75 hours will award 1/2 credit, one semester HTH, Susan

I have used many of the Apologia texts. He does present both views with evidence for both, and admits that evidence is missing for both views and encourages students to look at the evidence and make their own decisions. You can see that he believes in creation and a young earth. It doesn't bother me because we agree and I appreciate him presenting the other view for exposure.

Just finished 9th grade with dd, used BJU Writing & Grammar 9 and liked it, ran easily and covered everything (didn't do dvd). Every once in a while, there is hard grammar stuff that we do skip.... She read 6 books (my and her choices) for the lit. because I didn't like any of the 9th grade lit. books (we like lit books because of the variety, then pick what we like and read the whole book).

Have it, looks great, but haven't used it yet..... (because we use BJU for Writing/Grammar). It does have great writing assignments in it.

I started science doing Apologia. Really like it, but wanted a teacher. So, moved to BJU dvd. They are interesting, but definitely time gobblers. In the classes, they have people help set up experiments, have lab partners. Not at home, its you, you, and maybe mom. The administrative part was a lot for me. I do have positive reviews from friends for the biology and chemistry. I did physics and bailed. We are back to Apologia for second child. We will add Teaching Co. dvds or do online classes for that if we need to.

Did BJU Economics with son, but went at the end of the year and looked at A Beka's and liked it better. It gets a review of being un-A Beka like by Cathy Duffy. BJU did do the job and was ran easily (w/o DVDs), it did get quite a bit college like, figuring GDP, charts, supply and demand, etc. A lot more than what I did in Economics. If you want a more challenging course, than BJU would do it.

My friend does PACES, and they do Biology in 9th, Physical in 10th. There was some serious physics stuff at the end of our Physical Science book this year....

I wouldn't do it w/o the solutions manual, you will have to figure out each problem, then you still won't know if its right. When my son and I did algebra, sometimes we both got the wrong answer, thought for sure the key was wrong, but we were.

Yes, I was using the dvds and bailed. (Even though I lost the money I spent). Got Apologia, LOVED it, and never turned back. (And you don't need near as many supplies with Apologia, they try to keep labs affordable). You can also add Teaching Co. DVDs to it, and they are on sale right now :) Others on this forum have not liked the BJU Physics either (but there are good reviews of the chemistry). Like I said, my friend used it with two kids, but I thought it was awful. The teacher is very nice, but absent minded, after seeing your post I remembered my several frustrations with it and how endless the work was, and the errors in the print outs, and the time my son got 52 out of 77 on the test, went to bed frantic, the next day he curved it and my son got the 4th highest grade in the class. Apologia is more concept oriented, more friendly physics (but still rigorous), and much more doable at home. BJU was tons of equations, tons of calculations (do 5 each of 4 things in this experiment, and it was just my son), and not always knowing why you were doing all of the work... If you want to step up the Apologia, they also have an advanced physics, and I know some who have done both books.

We did BJU Physics year before last, bailed at 8 wks......switched to Apologia. The lab supply list that comes with the dvds and other materials totaled about $700. I nearly fainted.... but luckily a friend loaned me everything. She has done the program twice, I don't know how... there was the text, teachers edition, CD of solutions for the problems, lab manual, teachers for that, BJU materials, teachers for that, it all covered my whole kitchen table and was a lot of administrative work for me. Unless you are sure you will stick with the class, I would buy the supplies in increments, maybe four chapters at a time, that way you won't get stuck with a lot of supplies you don't need (also the teacher doesn't do all of the experiments). Also, the book is huge, and you probably won't finish it, so supplies at the end might not be needed.

I agree, there is some earth science in the Apologia Physical Science, I would do all you can in 9th of Physical and Space and Earth, and then the other three you mentioned for the rest of high school. I had an extra year because my son was ahead, he did Space and Earth in high school, and a few colleges were not happy with it, good thing we had done the "magic three" Biology, Chem, Physics then they didn't care. One college even said they don't count Earth Science ever unless extensive labs can be proven.

Jennifer, I think I get it, we have added books in the past (I have even done history with Beautiful Feet), I also use a lit text so I try to add whole books in from different time periods for lit and history credit. What type of writing assignments and projects have you done? In the past I have kept writing assignments in Language Arts because I am terrible at coming up with the assignments (and my kids can't seem to pick topics well either...). And we haven't done projects either, they end up at the end of the year, we get tired, they don't happen :) My son did a great research paper as a senior, my daughter did one this year (9th gr) and will every year. Again, I have trouble coming up with exactly what to do, and my daughter doesn't do well with "just do a paper/project." BTW I have seen the objectives section in the teacher's edition of geography/history and thought those would make good paper topics, except they are pretty general, and a paper should be more specific. Thanks! Susan

OH, definitely more..... the principal, the guidance counselor, cook, janitor, nurse, person who picks the curriculum (above the principal in pay), and several teachers all in one. :)

Hi! I did look at Notgrass samples online. I like BJU better, used it with son and liked the text. My daughter did BJU Geography last year and is used to their format. Using A Beka World Lit. for lit. I was wondering what MFW used! I'll look up the other things you mentioned as well, thanks!

Do you have to do Chemistry? Does she have a few colleges picked? Son just finished freshman year of college. The science requirement was Biology and two sciences after that require biology as a prerequisite. We did Biology, Chemistry, and Physics (ugh), but Marine Science and Anatomy are also acceptable with Biology. Are you sure the Video Text isn't a good fit? It didn't work over here. Teaching Textbooks is a good suggestion. We had a tough time with the chemistry as well, hoping it will go better with next child...

BJU Press does allow you a one time add on of DVDs for the difference between the books and DVDs.