SandKsmama Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I was sure I had seen a thread like this before on here, but nothing I'm searching is coming up with anything, so.... My daughter will be 9th grade next year, and I'm weighing my options. She is definitely not a textbook kind of girl. We had talked about Where the Brook and River Meet, but she thinks she's pretty "done" with Anne of Green Gables, and isn't sure she wants to spend a whole year on that. SO, looking for other non-textbook options:-) We have used MFW for the last 5 years, so that's one obvious choice. What else is out there that might be a contender? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jibaker103 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Beautiful Feet for history/literature and Trail Guide to World or U.S. History for Geography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 What about Beautiful Feet Books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in VA Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I guess it's kind of a textbook, but we use Omnibus. I think of it as more of a study guide to the books. It's excellent and we are very happy with it. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 TRISMS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love2Smile Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I am seriously considering BF, I have seen the Ancients guide and it looks wonderful! But then again, not sure if im going with textbooks or not to keep it simple. Our homeschool has not been taken too seriously this year by my 9th grader, I may have her do ACE, just because she needs to learn the facts etc...and I can't do much about her teenage angst's right now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 One possibily I am looking at includes Fran Rutherford's Questions for the Thinker. There is more information on them here: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99623 They are available here: http://www.emmanuelbooks.com/product_detail.cfm?ID=1977&OID=4138 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 You can look at Teaching Company lectures for a variety of subjects. There are video programs for math like videotext and chalkdust. There is TWEM for literature/history. There is a bio written by a homeschooling mother which is a series of questions that one has to find the answers to and labs. There is MODG's natural history syllabus, which doesn't use textbooks. Foreign language can be done via immersion or an audio program (call it "conversational whatever" if there isn't a written element). You can make your own courses using Idiot or Dummy guides for a spine (those aren't too textbooky). You should heavily suppliment if you do that, though. There are lots of other ways to make your own non-textbook courses, too. There is lots of information on the board on non-textbook courses but it tends to be listed under individual subjects or names of programs. -Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myra Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Hmm...what we often do for subjects is purchase a textbook to be our outline for the course. For example, I look at the American History history textbook's table of contents to make sure we cover all the "topics" that are "required" as high school knowledge as we study along in American history that year. I then find as many novels, movies, primary sources, internet sites, Teaching Company DVDs, etc. that could explore to learn about the topics. We then often return to the textbook and read the chapter as a final review for the topic. We often "go off' on learning excursions on topics that we really find interesting spending more time on those topics and, likewise, we "cut short" some of the topics that drag us down, too, by just hitting them briefly and going on. I think you'll find that most of us supplement the textbook/curriculum in many different ways - just not read the chapter, do the end-of-chapter questions and move on to the next chapter! And what we use for textbooks, sometimes, isn't a traditional school text. For example, this year we're reading "Sophie's World" as our text for philosophy! Myra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Well, maybe Sonlight? Or Notgrass, or Truthquest, combined with other resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Ambleside Online, non text book, free, great old literature, rigorous standards. Also there are various yahoo groups to help. I know there is a bit more work than open and go programmes, but i find i tweak those anyway, so i might as well have a looser programme in the first place! Willow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 I love the Tapestry of Grace literature recommendations. It may not make sense to buy TOG just for literature, but the recommendations are excellent and the teacher info/discussion questions are helpful. I think it is a great spine for high school literature. I have used TOG lit recommendations for many years. I don't follow it exactly, but mix and match. I also teach chronologically, so TOG is an extra help there. Because I teach high school English co-op classes, TOG is a safety net for me -- especially for 20th century lit, when so many novels have themes or elements that are dicey (at best). Hope this is helpful! :001_smile: ~Brigid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Non-textbook programs for high school I was sure I had seen a thread like this before on here, but nothing I'm searching is coming up with anything, so.... Perhaps one of these was the thread which you saw ... How about a thread on fun studies you've done with your teen? or Unit studies approach for high school? I tagged those threads and this one with the tag of unit studies. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kisa in CA Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Have you seen MFW high school? I saw it at the convention last year and it was amazing. I wouldn't overlook it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Here's an older post that specifically addresses Biology: Any suggestions for living books for Biology? Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Oh, I forgot...KONOS History of the World would be non-textbook based. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Have you ever read "The Well-Trained Mind"? That's another option. Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna A. Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Have you ever read "The Well-Trained Mind"? That's another option. Kathy Or Teaching the Trivium by the Bluedorn's.... http://www.triviumpursuit.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandKsmama Posted January 18, 2010 Author Share Posted January 18, 2010 Thanks guys! Good suggestions! I'll look through them all - I really want/need something that either tells me or her what to do every day (I'm wayyy too scatterbrained to pull stuff together myself, especially next year with a toddler running around plus my 2 other kiddos to teach!). Does anyone know if there are samples of the Konos high school anywhere (I absolutely HATE their website, btw - it bothers me every time I look at it)? Hmm, still mulling things over....I'd like to have a "short list" by our homeschool convention in late May, then my dd and I can go around and look them over in person. I'd like her input, and then I can decide what will work best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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