Look at the college requirements where your son would like to attend. The science requirements I saw (my son just finished his freshman year at college) were three years of biology and beyond, all with labs, meaning that it is either biology, or a science course that has biology as a prerequisite. Physical science didn't count. We did biology, chemistry and physics, but you can do biology, marine science, anatomy. My son knew where he wanted to go at the beginning of his senior year, so I just ran everything we did by the college to make sure we didn't miss something.

We did BJU Earth Science, their new text. Even though it is 8th grade, it was equivalent to a high school course. There are labs included, but you may have to alter slightly for your needs. We did the course w/o the dvds and it was fine.

Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 is much easier than Chalkdust Algebra 1. Teaching Textbooks also has the same approach as Saxon, introduce a concept, work on some, then review everything else you have learned. Chalkdust you work on one concept at a time with occasional review.

Thank you LaJuana, sounds like ok, but not wonderful! We have Strunk & White, and my daughter writes well already. Wouldn't it be better to write a complete thought than struggling over each sentence, or am I missing the point?

Since you all seem to like teaching company, I thought I would see if any of you have used this: Building Great Sentences - Exploring the Writer's Craft It is on sale until midnight Thursday, 6/11 for $69.95 (dvds) Thanks!

I can vouch for taking it in high school before college for prep. I got my son through precalc. in high school, he tested ready for calculus for college. One person said to put him into precalc. again to help with his transition, I should have listened. He got a C in Calc. 1, and failed Calc. 2. He is a staight A student other than that (and a C in adv. Chem. taken first semester). You get the whole year to take Calc. 1 in high school, and only a semester in college. That was too fast for my son. He flat couldn't keep up.

I think most just take it at college, at least that is what they do around here. If still in high school, as dual enrollment. See what others say, I've seen others teaching Calculus in high school on this forum.

Saxon has a DVD you can buy for Algebra 1 and 2. I think it would be a preference between the two math programs, they both seem to be strong. I didn't like Saxon because it wasn't "in order" meaning it mixed topics that were unrelated, and had constant review. It drove both of my kids crazy. I felt there weren't enough problems when the topic was taught for it to "set." Other people I talk to praise the constant review....My son did Chalkdust Geometry, Algebra 2 (and a little of Algebra 1). The Algebra 2 was a little rigorous for him, in fact he hit a wall with it, and we had to stop and do BJU Algebra 2 the next year. My son needed a lot of explanation and teacher reminders, and BJU was great with that. But after one year of BJU, the next year BJU moved too slow. So once he was onboard with the math, I think Chalkdust would have been fine. If you son is going to do engineering, Chalkdust uses the college texts and that would well prepare him for college.

Terri & Cynthia, We thought the tests were hard, now where is that little face with a scowl on it, I haven't figured how to do that yet! Thanks for your ideas about traditional! Wish me luck, doing again next year with my daughter who has never done CD before.... but she likes geometry.

Cynthia and Terri, Are you using the traditional geometry from Chalkdust? If so, doing odd problems will be a great help to me, in CD I never know what problems to assign. And do you both use the tests in the book, or make up your own?

Did you purchase it from Chalkdust? If so, you can call or write them, they will tell you how to do it. It has been too long for me to remember! If you bought it used, you can purchase technical support from Chalkdust. Then you can email Dana Mosely (or call him). That was wonderful, geometry was between my son and Dana Mosely!

That is one of the problems I have with Chalkdust (not much calculator instruction), Video Text (no instruction), TT (not til precalc)...... BJU Algebra 2 dvds have excellent calculator instruction, that is how my son learned how to use the calculator, and also there is a lot of instruction in BJU Precalc. as well. Other things we didn't like about precalc, but we lived through it and he went to college able to use the calculator!

Jackie, Thank you for posting, I think I would agree with you and you saved me! Could you suggest other Teaching Co. dvds to use for World History?

Hi everyone, Have any of you viewed these DVDs from Teaching Co. and are they good? We are doing World History next year and my dd would like some interesting dvds to watch with it. These are on a one day sale for 79.99! Thanks!

I just went to a book meeting, there will be pdfs online for teachers edition, clipped back of course. You can order T/E for $100

OK, who gets charged the fees, buyer/seller/both? I see "if you purchase" and "if you sell."

I am in SC now, but from Calif. When I was in high school, you had to be three quarters dead to get out of PE and you HAD to do it every year. SC only requires one year of PE or health. But my dd loves to exercise and ballroom dance. She does 45 min each day all year, and I give her the credit. It will probably end up serving as some of her elective credits. A good thing about Calif. (when I was in high school, have no idea what they are doing now) is that that left only 5 classes to take, so they weren't as strict about how many core classes you took. In SC we are really pounding the books, and my kids don't have as much opportunity to try different things. I took accounting, typing, an office class, marketing, was on yearbook staff all four years (and got English credit for it for two of those), worked at the elementary school down the street for two hours a day my entire senior year, and consumer math (had done advanced math, but didn't know any practical math).

Hi, I have looked at both, and just finished BJU Geography with dd this year. BJU is a one year course, includes information about cultures and religions of the world. I liked it better than A Beka because the extra information was interesting and it held the course together better (if that makes sense). I borrowed A Beka Geography, it is a one semester course, much shorter, more basic. (didn't do A Beka) I did not use dvds with BJU and my friend did not use them with A Beka. The courses run fine without them. I have also heard good things about Glencoe Geography.

Just make sure it will run on your computer. I have an older version, but it doesn't run on our new computer.

I think timberdoodle.com has the integrated physics/chemistry. The BJU Physical Science is a 9th grade text, but does have both physics and chemistry in it.

Oh, more ideas! My daughter wants to have Physical Education every year in high school, like I did in Calif. growing up (we are in SC now). She does pilates, dance class (ballroom), and exercises with Fit TV. I told her if she does 45 min/day 5 times a week, that is a PE credit.

Oh, other ideas. My son is creative as well, in 11th grade, two of his classes were guitar (the lessons and practice were the class), and art (did a drawing program from a book). He also loves plants, got two years of horticulture credits awarded (by me) for growing many plants (mostly palm trees) from seed, taking care of them, repotting them as they grew, and making spending money by selling them. I think I am starting to see that we can do too much on the academic at the expense of the kids developing in other areas. :)

My dd is 15 also. She just did a cake decorating class. I was scared to do it because she is pokey with school. What a surprise! She is actually very good at it. I am allowed to offer credit for 75 hours (1 semester), or if she really decorates those cakes, 150 hours is a whole year credit. It was suggested to call it culinary arts, and add other baking to it. I have hesitated to add activities because I get concerned the actual book work won't get finished, but she loved the class, and had to do a lot of prep work before it (you had to arrive with a frosted cake and all of the decorating frostings, made to right consistency and colored, and in containers). She did very well juggling her school work with that, and even did school ahead or on Saturday to stay on schedule!! Other than the extreme amount of shortening laden dishes :) it was a very good experience and taught me that she needs activities, learns great life skills doing them, and if I stick to my guns about staying up with schoolwork, allows her to learn to prioritize! Who knew?

Not sure about Bob Jones w/o their dvds at only once a week. I would be tempted to do Rosetta Stone, with the one day a week to check pronunciation, etc., all the "out loud" work.

Karen, Yep, that is exactly what she does. She says she is studying while she reads. I'm so glad she is making efforts to understand the material, but...... it just takes so long. Which is fine for now, but she will have to find a way to speed things up for college. But she is 10th grade next year, so there is time! (But ds didn't speed up and is paying the price in college, that is why I'm worried about dd).