How much say do you give your high schooler

[Luanne]

when it comes to what they learn? There are certain subjects that do need to be covered whether or not they want to or not, but do you let them have some input in what you use to cover those subjects? Do you let them choose electives? If your student isn't good at making decisions, do you just make the decision for them? I think that is what I am going to have to do.

[Amy in TX]

:lurk5:

[Willow]

My dd 18 chose all her courses, and ran them past me. We worked out a timetable together.

 

ds 13 wants me to choose, but he has a year to go and may change his mind.

 

DD chose 3 languages, Japanese, French and Italian, Video-text maths, Apologia science, ballet, music, creative writing (she was published...short story...at 14) a reading course, she chose what she wanted to read, and ended up doing mostly English classics, all Shakespeare, Dickens, Orwel, some other books as well. some vocab, and Latin/Greek roots. She also did some bits of history, and a major study on Japan, history, geog. (to go with the language course)

 

BUT where I live we don't need to worry about credits. I might not have been so relaxed if we had to do that. She is at college now.

[LoriM]

when it comes to what they learn? There are certain subjects that do need to be covered whether or not they want to or not, but do you let them have some input in what you use to cover those subjects? Do you let them choose electives? If your student isn't good at making decisions, do you just make the decision for them? I think that is what I am going to have to do.

 

It was a process of several years for us. Originally, I created a syllabus, made specific assignments, and even gave them daily checklists. (3rd and 7th grades) I continued that habit with my younger dd for all of her elementary school work.

 

At the end of 7th grade, I sat down with my older dd (and subsequently my younger dd) and asked her what she'd like to accomplish in high school. Math every year, science every year, history every year, English every year (to include literature and writing)...but after that, what? More Latin? A modern language? Speech/Drama? Extra science? She told me she always wanted to study music history and art history (so we did that every year), as well as a foreign language. She wanted plenty of time for "free reading" and she wanted credit for it. GRIN. Things like that...So, I wrote the syllabus again, but with her total buy-in for what she was studying.

 

When my older dd hit 9th grade, I still wrote the syllabus, and told her what subjects were "next." I showed her on our list of coursework she and I had developed together why she needed to take these courses now, as foundations for the advanced coursework she was planning later. But I also left more flexibility in the assignments. She chose what to focus her history study during a period on, depending on what interested her, and then she'd choose and write her paper. In science, I gave her several tools to demonstrate competence (experiments, papers, assessments, presentations), and she chose what worked for her. In math, she completely self-assessed and self-corrected, and monitored when (and if) she needed "tutoring" from me, based on her own comprehension of the material; she just worked through the book.

 

By 10th grade, I had her write the syllabus. By then, she'd seen what it took to dissect a book's content page into 36 weeks of work, and she'd also figured out what a "normal" week looked like for her. I reviewed her syllabus, and pointed out specific areas she needed to spend a little more or a little less time on...but for the most part, she did the work.

 

By 11th and 12th grades, she handled all her home study courses, while beautifully navigating a fulltime courseload at the community college. She still submitted work to me, asked me for help with editing occasionally, had me call out Spanish vocabulary words to quiz her or look over her math homework when she was stuck. But she was essentially a self-motivated learner, and my role switched to guidance counselor. :) I scheduled in testing, and helped with test prep and nerves.

 

I told her when she met with her advisor last week that she is graduating in December with 129 total credits (126 required) *after* changing her major only because her guidance counselor was a genius. GRIN!

 

Lori

[Faithr]

I sit down with them and talk about what their plans are and how they want to proceed. So far all three teens have their eyes on college so we look at what is necessary to graduate from high school in our state and what colleges might look for. Then each year we piece together what to do that year. It depends on what outside classes are available and where their interests lie and how they want to tackle core stuff they need to do. So I guess it is collaborative with the teens having lots of input.

[kpupg]

A lot and a little. Faithr did basically the same thing we did, and she calls it a lot of input; I call it only a little input, but maybe that's just my pessimistic outlook LOL.

 

DS14 and I sat down about a year ago and talked of his life aspirations. He's saying he wants to be a mathematician, or possibly a physicist, so we talked about how that means he'll be in college for many years getting advanced degrees.

 

We looked at college admissions websites and reviewed the requirements for incoming students at several varying places, noting commonalities and differences. We also reviewed our state statutes for high school level.

 

DS made a list of the coursework he needs to complete to meet all the applicable requirements. Then we talked about electives and he didn't have much to say about those at that time.

 

We just recently reviewed that list and talked about what he'll be studying this school year, his 9th grade. He had little to say about selecting the courses, but then he knows why he has to study all of those things, too. It's for his future, he knows why he has to take each course, so he seems good with it.

 

You asked a question that sounds like you were asking whether the student gets to choose the curriculum. For us, no. I won't say never, but looking ahead, I just don't see putting that fully into the student's hands. I might give them a choice of A or B, and I am always open to constructive suggestions/requests from the student, but I would never say "look around the big wide world and find something."

 

As for the student not making a decision -- we haven't reached the point where that's really possible yet. DS still has a mountain of requirements to work on before he really has a lot of freedom to make significant free choices.

 

HTH,

Karen

[Storm Bay]

My 14 yo is just about to start her freshman/gr 9 year. She got to choose which aspect of art she's going to do for her elective, which is painting. She also got to choose some of her Geometry based on what we already own. In addition, she got to choose between the 2 foreign languages we already have resources to (budget has to be kept) and chose both.

 

She wants to major in science, so she doesn't get to choose the basic sciences she has to take, nor did I let her choose her texts for at least the first 2 years. As the years progress, she will get more of a choice. I'm making her take art because she has talent, but won't make her do more than one elective course in it. I'm also going to have her do a one semester course in her sophomore year on music theory, history and appreciation (more of a survey course). But by the time her junior year rolls around, she'll definitely get more of a voice because she'll be 16 and in her transition years between homeschool and college/university.

 

I do bear her interests, etc, in mind when choosing books for literary analysis, etc, though. We can't have equally strong focus in every area and still have a balanced life. She swims competitively and will be swimming for the local ps team this fall/winter. She doesn't have to do that, but does have to swim for Phys Ed because she's good at it (and she likes it), it's close and it's affordable, but I would have let her just swim at the B&G club if she didn't want to swim for the high school or if she wasn't very good at it yet.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Limited choices such as:

 

1) Would you like science A, science B, or science C (3 different TYPES of science; 2 methods)

2) Would you like this elective or that one?

3) What would you like for a second elective?

4) P.E. is an hour a day but you can do whatever physical activity you'd like.

5) For this class, we can use method A, B, or C; do you have a preference?

[KAR120C]

DS14 and I sat down about a year ago and talked of his life aspirations. He's saying he wants to be a mathematician, or possibly a physicist, so we talked about how that means he'll be in college for many years getting advanced degrees.

 

We looked at college admissions websites and reviewed the requirements for incoming students at several varying places, noting commonalities and differences. We also reviewed our state statutes for high school level.

With the caveat (to him) that while he's certain he knows what he wants, he's also young... and I reserve the right to veto overspecialization in the interests of keeping his options reasonably open. (And I have a quiet little suspicion about where he might change his mind in a few years... but I could be wrong)

[TravelingChris]

Basically what Pamela H. said- limited choices. SOmetimes my children have a choice of how they get a specific subject too- like biology. She could have done it at co-op or CC but chose to do it at home. Once that was decided, we could have used a video program or online progrma but chose to use a modified dvd program (some dvd some text some real labs). I haven't given mine choices about how much they would do but then they all had a goal of getting into good schools so they knew the drill and didn't complain. In fact, my only complainer is my youngest so we will se what I will do there. SHe is a seventh grader this year so its a transition year.

[AnitaMcC]

when it comes to what they learn? There are certain subjects that do need to be covered whether or not they want to or not, but do you let them have some input in what you use to cover those subjects? Do you let them choose electives? If your student isn't good at making decisions, do you just make the decision for them? I think that is what I am going to have to do.

 

 

It depends on what my kids career goals are. They must do the states minimum requirements for graduation and then we go from there. So here are the minimum of what we require our kids to do for high school:

 

4 yrs English (English 9, English 10, 1 yr of CC courses or 2 more years of high school their pick of choices).

4 yrs Math (Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Precalculus)

3 yrs Science (including one yr of a life science, rest their choice)

4 yrs Social Studies (1 yr World History, 1/2 yr of human geography, 1 yr U.S. History, 1/2 yr U.S. government are required... then they can free pick for 1 yrs worth).

 

1/2 yr of computer fundamentals

1/2 yr of health

1/2 yr of consumer education/economics

2-4 yrs of foreign language (their choice)

1/2 yr of drivers education

3 yrs of phys ed (their choice of what activities they do)

 

Rest is up to them pretty much. Dd will focus on music courses as she wants to major in music, Ds #1 will focuse on more math and science and computer courses as he wants to be an astrophysic major. Dh and I have final say on the curriculum the kids will use, but we try to let the twins have a say.

[Moni]

If your student isn't good at making decisions, do you just make the decision for them?.

 

Yes.

 

:seeya: