For various reasons, the scale has tipped to algebra 2 this year over geometry for this year. Dd has done some geometry, and will finish it the next year. She did well with Foerster Algebra 1, and we hope to do Derek Owens Precalculus after geometry. My two thoughts: Foerster Algebra 2, Kolbe honors. Dd wants to be more familiar with her TI84 she got from an older sib, and this is scheduled. She did well with Foerster Algebra 1, and I really like the solutions videos from MWB. I like the idea of the Kolbe syllabus because I want her to cover algebra 2 before she takes the SAT next year, rather than the 12 school months a lot of students need to do the whole book. Since she won't need a whole year for geometry, we may go back and pick up some of the parts Kolbe skips before starting precalc. Derek Owens Honors self grading. This seems like the obvious choice because we plan to use his Precalculus. She did well with his prealgebra and physical science a few years ago, but we have run into problems when she has too many screen-based classes, and she does have a couple already this year. I also sent an inquiry if the self-grading option was still available several days ago, but haven't heard back. I assume this is as easy as contacting the bookkeeper, though, right? A con for this is no solutions videos, which does keep us from butting heads sometimes. Other options we should consider? I like the Chalkdust videos, but they are very long and I'm not sure dd would go for it. I'd be watching and teaching them if she didn't get it from the book. MWB is kind of like that for us, but the videos are shorter and she usually gets what she needs from the book. And the videos are much less expensive, even compared with the Cool Math Guy version. I do have her do the examples on the board with me.

Since I'm still waiting for WHA to open their schedule for this fall, I've had a chance to look around for alternative online classes. Kolbe caught my eye since they use Foerster for Algebra II. (WHA uses Dolciani.) Before looking into online classes for this kid, I was planning on using Foerster, although Dolciani is obviously a perfectly acceptable alternative. Their 9th grade English class focuses on "intensive composition." "The goal of this course is to help students write well-formed expository, persuasive and compare/contrast essays." The whole first paragraph of the Course Description sounds wonderful for my writing-phobic-but-needs-to-get-over-it dd#1. (Not so thrilled with the vocab study, but I'm okay with it.) Has anyone taken either of these classes? Do you have a review you can share? Any teacher you feel strongly about (pro or con)? I see where some have taken Biology with Kolbe, but not so much the other online classes. I'm seriously pondering doing one (or both) of these since (over WHA) for a variety of reasons. But, I'd like to hear from someone who has used them first.

Quick Background: I've been homeschooling for 15+ years, and I've burned out. Actually, I've probably been burned out for several years, because we've gone from TOG, to unschooling to basically no schooling. *sigh* It doesn't help that I have a very strong willed 10yr that turns everything school related into a battle if it isn't "fun." I've been seriously considering putting DS in public school just so that he gets SOME kind of education and structure. So, he's 10yrs old and technically 5th grade. But although bright, he's behind where he could/should be (based on his abilities), because of our lack of regular schooling, esp in math. On top of that, we've recently converted to Catholicism, and I'd like to use homeschooling to help us continue to learn about our new faith. I need an open and go curriculum. I don't mind it teacher involvment, but I need to be able to just open up a schedule and do what it says. I'm usually a "tweaker" and have been mixing and matching curriculum forever. I've been using TOG since before there was a Classic version, so I'd say I'm sort of a eclectic CMer. :lol: I'm just so tired of trying to figure out a schedule for every little thing. I'm looking at Kolbe, CHC and MODG. Any suggestion about which one might be a good fit? I'll prolly stick with our Math and Science program. If possible, I'd like a curriculum where the different subjects tie in together... so that our Lit Books match the same time frame as History, which matches Geography, etc. KWIM? Do any of these three do that? I'm not looking for rigorous at this point, just something easy to implement, that will help him catch up and move forward, and help us get back on track. Thanks!!!

So, it looks like I'm going back to grad school for some additional credentialing next year- 18 months. I also work evenings. I don't see any problem with keeping dd moving forward in most subjects fairly independently if I have a plan. Please give me feedback on some of the programs below to see if they might fit our needs. She'll be a sixth grader-ish, but reads at a high school level and does well with reading comprehension and basic literary analysis. She's a proficient writer, but not writing full essays yet. I like things that are laid out weekly- like CAP's stuff. I need something kind of "open and go" for literature/ language arts. The transition to a high school program is kind of awkward if you want to use full texts and not get into adult topics. We don't like a lot religious instruction in our curriculum. I know what I want to do the year after next- I just need to get her there (feedback welcome): Excellence in Literature, but I think we need another year for it to truly independent for her. What I know we're doing: Writing & Rhetoric 4 & 5. She'll be writing essays by the middle of the year. As an interesting aside, we inadvertently lined up CAP W&R with our history. We started Book 1 in the spring of 4th grade, and Books 2 and 3 are mostly ancient myths and stories. Book 4 appears to cover material from the Middle Ages. Drawing Sentences and maybe Language Mechanic (and CAP's Latin Alive and Memoria Press First Start French 2, so I think we're covered for Writing, Grammar and Mechanics instruction). We'll have a few lessons in Figuratively Speaking left at the beginning of the year. I'm interested in 8's Treasured Conversations but I'm not really sure what level it's best suited for. It looks fairly independent. What I'm considering: Lightning Lit 8 (we'll spin through 7 this spring probably). It's already driving me slightly crazy- four chapters a week for Tom Sawyer? I'm not sure about To Kill a Mockingbird for a younger student, and we'll probably finish it in a 1/2 a year. I do like the selections in the Bloom book, though. Kolbe's Junior High Literature: I can't really see samples of the student workbook. How deep are the "comprehension questions". I'm sort of allergic to the checking-your-reading shallow kind. Memoria Press Grade Seven: (As You Like It, Wind in the Willows, Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, and Poetry & Short Stories Anthology). I think their discussion runs a little shallow sometimes, but since this is out-of-level it might work. Since none of the books are particularly religious, I think it would okay for us. (I have the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe set from 4th grade and thought the allegory was a little heavy-handed). Writing my own. If I started now, I would be able to put together a check-the-box program for next year, but the idea makes me tired. :o) Is there something out there I've missed? Thanks!

Kolbe announced today that their Advanced Honours Biology class has received the green flag from College Board for the AP designation. http://kolbe.org/news/ap-biology-course/ YEAH! I'm a happy camper! PA homeschoolers didn't work for us, as my kid truly need direct interaction with a teacher, not asynchronous interaction. Here's the link to the class description http://kolbe.org/online-courses/course-offerings/2014-15-school-year/high-school/online-science-courses/wcs-bio-ap/ The class meets twice a week, for an hour each time. Monday and Thursday, 6h25 -7h25 pm Eastern time. (yea it's a bit late, but it allows the West Coast to take part) My son is taking this class btw.

Online Academy Open House Join us for an Open House Webinar Please join Megan Lengyel, our Online Academy Director, tomorrow evening (May 6) at 8 pm Eastern (5 pm Pacific) for an open house. Come and see a short presentation, meet the Online Academy staff, and ask questions about the Online Academy. Megan will be hosting open house webinars once per month through August. For more information please go to our website. The webinar will be hosted using Adobe Connect, the same software we use to host our live online academy courses. To attend, go to: https://kolbe.adobeconnect.com/onlineacademywebinar/ If you have never attended an Adobe Connect webinar, you can prepare yourself by going through the following: Test your connection: https://kolbe.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm Get a quick overview of Adobe Connect: https://getconnect.adobeconnect.com/_a88792760/gswcm/ ========== Note from Cleo I'm just passing this info along. Even though I talk a lot about Kolbe, I am not employed by them. I'm a volunteer tech helper, and a happy parent.

I am hoping someone can help me out. I signed up my dd for Kolbe Academy this year using their 9th grade plans. We decided to go with the Intro to Physics and Chemistry course that uses Prentice Hall Physical Science Concepts in Action. It is basically like a physical science course. She did not have physical science in junior high so we thought it would be good preparation for the more advanced science courses. I am trying to get ideas for activities, projects, etc that we can do to round out her credit for this course. In Kolbe's lesson plans they assign assessment questions from the text, but I want to come up with something that is a little more interesting and interactive. The experiment suggestions in the text are not helpful because so many items are needed to complete them that we don't have. Interestingly, we enrolled in Kolbe 2 weeks ago and my dd has already read the entire textbook for this course. She just sat down and read it cover to cover, when she is really interested in something she just cannot stop! Anyway, I am looking for any suggestions for science kits, projects, websites, videos, anything fun that would go with physical science. I have a very creative kid so I am looking for something more out of the box. Also, if anyone has any ideas for what I could assign her to receive credit for physical science. She has read the book, but I need her to do a little bit more work than that and Kolbe requires samples of work completed to receive credit.

After waiting forever for Classiquest to come out with their logic stage Earth Science & Astronomy, I'm leaning toward giving dd#2 Holt's Earth Science & using Kolbe's lesson plans. Here's my question -- if I get their lesson plans, do I need the CD-ROM? What does the CD-ROM give me? Any details? (I know about the online option that is cheaper, but am not interested in going in that direction.) Anyone use Kolbe's plans that can help shed some light?

Have any of you used Kolbe Academy (and their lesson plans) for an accelerated learner? I am considering using their 8th grade plans for my son who will be in 6th grade next year. We will not use their plans for Math, however. I am interested in having someone else lay out the plans for me next year with essay writing prompts and testing included. I notice that I can use Science for the 8/9th grade level and I can start with Henle Latin as well. I am hoping that their History lesson plans include essay writing prompts. Also, I plan to supplement with primary source documents for US History. My other thought is to use the Christ the King (World History) high school level lesson plans. Either way I will include Teaching Company DVD's to supplement. Kolbe has recommended the Junior High Literature program as well. Any experience with that? (DS is taking Lightning Lit 8 with Online G3 this semester. I wish that class included writing. I understand why it doesn't, but we could use that component!) This year we are using Teaching Company DVD's and high school and intro. to college level texts. However, I do not have any testing included. Frankly, I do not have time to write my own tests. I need pre-written essay prompts so that I can focus on helping him to grow in his academic writing. He has a very strong writing voice already but can use help in the academic writing arena. I would like the essays to tie into his learning in other subjects and involve critical thinking, not just narration. We are not interested in transcripts at this point and I do not plan to graduate my son early. I just need work that will be both challenging and prepare him for studying and test-taking. He would learn a great deal if I simply let him read all day but his personality is such that he will be better off in the long run if we continue to develop good study habits now. (This is something we have discussed and DS has acknowledged for himself.) He may end up attending the local high school in a few years. The door is open for him to homeschool all the way through high school, though.:001_smile: If Kolbe doesn't work out I will likely be asking more questions on how to pull this together without losing my mind. We will be getting his EXPLORE results in a couple of weeks and I am hoping that will help nail down the academic level of challenge he needs. My son needs a little nudge once and awhile to tackle challenging work. Right now I am not certain if I am challenging at the right level. I really want a way to test comprehension, thinking skills, etc. I also have a DS working pretty much at grade level and am considering Kolbe for him, too. He would be doing grade 5 next year. He is content checking off boxes and I sometimes think I am under-challenging him. I am hoping to give him things to think about and not just regurgitate. Does Kolbe provide that? To give you a fuller picture, I am also blessed with a beautiful toddler DD! Thanks for reading and for any insights you have to offer.

Should I order the Kolbe tests & plans to use with PH's physical science next year? Is it worth the money?

I am looking at Kolbe for parts of high school without fully enrolling. I am drawn to using the English/Lit/ History sequence all the way through. I wonder how that looks on a transcript. I haven't studied it in depth but it looks like you would basically end up with 3 years of world history and then one year of modern. I would tack on a government/econ credit there at some point. Is that okay? Would colleges think that was too much world history? It seems pretty unusual to spend so much time on the ancients (though I think it looks great :). This looks like a good fit for us but I am always nervous to deviate much from the standard sequence. Any other thoughts on Kolbe history? Thanks, Marie

Would you this for your 9th and 10th grader? We have settled on combining them for LLfromLotR, but I'd like to add in Kolbe 11. dh says that's too much literature. :confused: :svengo: I think they would complement very well. I don't know that I'd get the Kolbe plans for lit 11, but I would want the books because I think they will be used in the units in LLfromLotR. I would like the history plans with the books though unless a previous user can convince me they aren't worth the additional $45. I'm willing to be convinced.:) If our history sequence matters, next will be world history and then American history. TIA!