Help! Just starting out

[Guest momluvs4kidz]

I'll be posting this in the other grade levels, also, but will be having a particularly hard time with my high schooler. Oh how I wish I had found this book/method sooner!:( I have a very very very unmotivated almost 17yo, does anyone have any general suggestions on how to start into WTM ways, with never having done it before? She was in public school ulp through middle of 10th grade.

Thanks,

Linda

[mcconnellboys]

I think WTM talks about starting in the middle, or bringing an older child into the mix. If she's tremendously unmotivated, and maybe behind, to boot, then I think I'd start her in SOTW (maybe even on tape), teach her to outline from it, and slowly begin adding in additional readings for her, keeping them below grade level and simpler until she gets interested and more motivated to read the more indepth works. Ditto for the literature. I'd try to tie it into SOTW, perhaps going with a lot of mythology and folklore for the ancients period and start getting her to narrate back the plots, then maybe begin to discuss what many of the figures in mythology were meant to represent, etc. And finally move her into putting these ideas into writing. There are a number of sources available to provide help with writing the basic 5 paragraph essay.

 

For the basics, I'd use some of the online testing available and drop her back to whatever level I thought I'd need to in math and grammar, adding in either spelling or vocab work, depending on what level she operates with words. I'd move her into Writing Strands, unless she has difficulty putting words on paper, in which case I might suggest the WriteShop series to get her started. And there are lots of other good writing programs out there, as well.

 

For science, I'd probably suggest an online class; there are many options. If that isn't possible, then I would probably suggest either BJU Press, or Apologia, depending on what you want to do. There are other good programs available, as well.

 

Does she know how to type? I'd get her covered in this basic skill before moving on further. If that's covered, I'd maybe choose a fun elective for her rather than beginning something more difficult, such as a foreign language or logic, until she gets more in a groove with her basics.

 

I'd maybe get her into a current events type of mode, watching certain news programs daily and reading from a couple of different papers, then comparing the viewpoints presented by each. Or do a home ec class with her, teaching her basic mending, shopping, cooking and cleaning skills, if she still needs those. Or perhaps give this a consumerism slant and focus on the economics of spending with her, covering bigger ticket items, such as houses and cars, furniture, etc.

 

I'm assuming her basic driving skills are already covered by this time? If not, I'd get those covered. So I suppose at this point I'd mix in more practical things with the academic, in order to make sure she's ready to move on in the not too distant future.

 

Regena

[Karen in CO]

She is 17. Is she in 11th grade? What has she taken so far? What classes is she currently studying? What has she taken in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades? Is college in her future? If it is, you need to look at her transcript and see what she needs to meet minimum requirements for college. Has she taken the SAT or ACT yet? If she has, did it show weaknesses in a particular area? How much math has she had? How is her writing? Has she had foreign languages? Is she interested in Anything?

 

I am full of questions today. :o It will all be okay, but you need a good assessment of where you and where you want to be. At 17, there is a limited amount you can do, but you can still do some good.