??

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Lolly]

You know something? I am not listening to the Joneses. I don't know what the colleges will think. My personal opinion is that the world has gone slightly insane. I agree with your assessment. Since when has the vast majority of kids been advanced? I truly see no purpose in completing a full year or two of your college credits before you get there. In ps, every single child I know who goes to hs is taking honors courses. How is that possible? You know what, one parent was complaining at the end of the one semester honors chemistry class that the class had done only TWO labs. Some honors class. I listen to what these advanced classes are doing/covering in ps and homeschool. Guess what, they are the same exact things my kids are covering in their basic BJU classes out of a box. :001_huh:

 

That said, only one of my kids is receiving credit for Biology in 10th. One of them received it in 8th (so that she was taking it at the same time as big sis). One is taking it in 9th. Not sure when ds will hit it. The child taking Biology in 9th probably won't be taking Chemistry in 10th to allow her to take it at the same time as little brother. (Those dvd's are expensive to rent!) Who knows what we will be studying for science next year. i may sling all 4 into something odd.:D

[lisak]

I am a lot like you in that I do not have an accelerated student. She studies on her level with the curriculum that fits her style. It took years to find the fit, so we will not change it now. She will probably go to college, but not as a math or science major. She will probably major in art and dabble in English. So with that in mind, it is okay for her to be using Physical Science in grade 9. I'm excited that it looks like she will make it through the book this year. General Science took two years. It's okay that she is learning from Lightening Literature Grade 8. Most of those books are high school level books in other curriculums.

 

I'm not worrying about the other families and what they are teaching. I was before we began this school year. But now, we are in a groove and she is learning.

 

Good Luck with your Journey,

Lisa

[Grace is Sufficient]

Shari,

 

I'm sure you know this, but you have to take some of what you read on these boards with a grain of salt...

 

First, remember that not every kid is the same, and the best education is the one that works for him, not the one that everyone else is bragging about.

 

Second, ask yourself... wouldn't you be quicker to post about your students' successes and the areas in which they excel than about the areas where they are just so... average?

 

I have two kids (10th and 11th) both homeschooled all the way through (except for a disastrous few months in a private school for one of them and some outsourced classes in high school.) They are both bright, but frankly, lazy. My high flying expectations from homeschooling them have been gradually brought lower and lower. At this point, I think they'll both get an above average education, but that speaks more to how poor average is than anything else. The fact that they can both read well, have a pretty good grasp of grammar and punctuation and can write comprehensibly, and do math at a high school (not college, not AP) level, puts them ahead of the majority of the other 10th/11th graders in this country.

 

I didn't homeschool only for academics, though. (Please forgive me if what follows sounds like bragging... if it is, I'm bragging on the benefits of homeschooling, or at least on God's grace, not on my kids or especially my own inadequate attempts at parenting.) My kids have never even considered any kind of substance abuse; they have no interest in 'pop culture'; their closest relationships are still within the family; both will stand up for what they think is right in the face of what is popular; and I could go on.

 

We have some serious struggles because both have major issues with OCD, but I don't think homeschooling has hurt that at all.

 

The boxed curricula you mentioned provide a very good college prep education. (Ivy league -- maybe not, but so what?)

 

HTH

Debbie

[Lizzie in Ma]

:D

Now, heading into the high school years, after years of struggling with my oldest, we are using a complete boxed curriculum.

 

While I am really glad we stuck with the WTM approach for 1-7, it never really did work well for her. And I admit, I mourned a bit for each book I put away when we realized it would not work for her anymore.

 

We began all BJU for 8th with the dvds this year and she has never been happier. Hard though it is for me to fathom, she thrives on the structure and textbook approach and has chosen to do high school in this manner.

 

While I watch my dear friend, who we have paralleled all these years, add in a course at the high school for her 9th grader, and has them writing in all subjects and working on weekends and into the night, I wonder if our new boxed curriculum is enough and why we are not doing more. And then I look at how happy our daughter is and how well she is doing and treasure each positive comment and "hey Mom, look what I just learned", and I know we will be just fine.

 

As far as I know, BJU is rigorous and for us, it is going to stand alone.

[outtamyshell]

If you think the HS board is discouraging, stay away from the college board! Some kids are so well accomplished. It's very impressive, and I find it inspiring. But what works for other kids isn't always what my kid needs.

 

DD will graduate this year with 30 hours of college credit. That sounds good and impressive. It's easy to fall back on that so people won't be too critical of our decision to homeschool. But that's not really what's important to me. She's made a lot of progress in figuring out who she is and what's important to her. We've learned a lot about our strengths and weakness (She's an auditory learner and should never take an online class, we are both a little ADD). We've filled in some of the gaps that public hs would not have addressed (basic science). And she's been allowed to pursue some of her interests (reading some good/great books). We have both experienced what it's like to blaize your own trail rather than just following what everyone else does.

 

Since academics is the primary reason we decided to homeschool, it's easy to ask at the end of Senior year... Did DD get a better academic education than she would have at the public school? Probably not. But it was tailored to her/our needs. We took adavantage of the best resources available to us each year. Each class/program we used had gaps. And our own skill sets had gaps. But we did our best each year, and I'm considering it a success. The non-acadmic things we've learned (organization, motivation, finding and using resources, picking ourselves up by the bootstraps, etc.) are priceless to me.

 

I am a single mom working full-time. Some on these boards discouraged me from homeschooling at all. So when we struggled, I stayed away from here entirely. Boxed curriculum wasn't an option for us since we started homeschooling sophmore year in high school. DD was talented in some areas, and seriously lacking in others. We've just taken one year at a time and found the best educational options available for her each year. I'm sure there are plenty of boxed programs that I would have loved to follow from beginning to end, but we started in the middle. And as for honors... there's no telling what counts as honors at different schools. I marked college courses as honors on DD's transcript. But that doesn't mean they were harder than her other courses. All grading is subjective anyway.

 

In the end, we're all just parents loving our kids and doing our best to meet their needs each year. You are the only one who really knows what your kids need. But you might find ideas and inspiration from others.

 

I do hope you find encouragement here and in real life.

Edited February 4, 2010 by outtamyshell

[Pam L in Mid Tenn]

I have average kids. Maybe they are below average. In some ways they are above average. We use a lot of BJU textbooks. I don't buy the whole boxed thing from BJU and sort of "do" BJU "my" way.

 

We've had so much sickness this year. (Right now ds12 is headed back to bed for second day in a row.) Having regular textbooks has been the thing that has saved our year!! MANY days have been spent ONLY reading those books.

 

I was just thinking yesterday that.... "I wish I had money to buy LifePacs for the boys for the rest of this year." YES .... right now, in half a heart beat I'd put some of my students ONLY filling in the blanks for the rest of the year!!!!!!!!

 

Everyone here has problems. Everyone here has glowing, wonderful , successful learning ventures. Some people post about problems, some people post about what's great.

 

I've posted about my 17yog being VERY sick this year. I've posted about how I feel her senior year is a failure because of sickness (compared to the high WTM bar :) ).... I did not post that she is starting her own art tutoring business, nor about her art commissions that she's made money from, nor about her NaNoWriMo novel. I have not posted about the essay she turned in yesterday which confirmed to me that we've reached our homeschool goals with this child!

 

Another thing. Remember that WTM promotes EXCELLENCE in education. The boards are naturally going to attract those moms that ARE achieving excellence, as well as, moms like me that ASPIRE to reach excellence in our homes.

 

Keep reading. And post about how your boxed curriculum is the best for your family!

[AnitaMcC]

I totally get it that homeschooling allows those special kids who can really 'fly high' the freedom to do so, but since when is everyone ready for accelerated coursework?

 

I write this as I have been losing sleep for the past week wondering if I am short changing my ds in his education. What I see in his future is nothing like what I see on this board. The Great Books education I had planned for when he was in K has not come to pass. We have not done Latin and never will. It will be plenty challenging to complete a standard (i.e. public school) college prep sequence here on time with traditional material.

 

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

 

No not all students who are college-bound need to take AP courses. Colleges do not expect all their student to be accelerated or AP students from high school. Majority of students in many colleges are student who are "regular" in academics. IMO, it is only in the competitive career fields do students need to compete by doing AP courses in high school but not totally. I think it really depends on the career path a person is intending to take.

 

For my Ds#1 who wants to be an astrophysicist... yes accelerated and AP courses are almost a must. But if he couldn't handle such challenging level of courses, then chances are he wouldn't be wanting to be an astrophysicist.

 

But for my Dd who wants to be a professional musician.. she has no need to do advanced math/sciences. But she will need to be competitive in music and solid in other areas like English, Humanities, etc. But math she does not need to do calculus, organic chemistry, AP physics, etc. If she was going into medical field or some other math/science oriented field then that is different.

 

And even so... going into math/science oriented field does not mean a high schooler has to do any honors or AP level courses in high school. I didn't, I just did regular courses all through high school. For math I only took two years of algebra and a year of geometry, for science I did biology and chemistry. That is it. I took four year of English (including one semester of college composition, one semester of American literature). I took a variety of courses. I took two years of German, a year of bookkeeping, a year of business management, US History, Civics, Economics, 2 yrs of PE, 4 yrs of band. There were a few other courses here and there. No honors or AP courses. I did not go to college right away. I joined the Navy and trained in avionics. When I got out, I started at CC for electronics. Then I transfered to University of Illinois for bioengineering (a highly competitive program of only about 50 students at a time). I worked in a bioengineering dept at a V.A. hospital while attending college. It wasn't easy for me but I did it. I didn't finish the program due to getting pregnant with twins and landing on bedrest at 20 weeks. I did things at my level at the time and it worked for me.

 

So yes taking "regular" level courses in high school works just fine for college-bound students.

[8filltheheart]

Honestly, the more I read on the high school boards, the more discouraged I become. :001_huh:

 

I have an upcoming 7th grader and am beginning to plan in earnest for keeping him home through high school. This is an average student, a bit lazy at times, perfectly capable but certainly not in the accelerated, AP across the board category.

 

On this board, it seems that everyone has a student working "ahead" in at least one area, and usually two or three or more. A standard boxed curriculum -- BJU, Abeka (both of which have excellent reputations) -- with a traditional sequence just doesn't seem acceptable. I was particularly struck by this yesterday when someone commented that Physical Science (a traditional 9th grade course for what? 20 years or more?) was not really what colleges wanted to see on a high school transcript. Huh? :confused:

 

I totally get it that homeschooling allows those special kids who can really 'fly high' the freedom to do so, but since when is everyone ready for accelerated coursework?

 

I write this as I have been losing sleep for the past week wondering if I am short changing my ds in his education. What I see in his future is nothing like what I see on this board. The Great Books education I had planned for when he was in K has not come to pass. We have not done Latin and never will. It will be plenty challenging to complete a standard (i.e. public school) college prep sequence here on time with traditional material.

 

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

 

I think you answered your own question in your post. BJU and Abeka are far from classical education so they are not going to get much posting. There are pre-fab packages that are classical that are accessible to the average student. (Kolbe Academy is an example)

 

My 10th grader is slightly advanced, but in a completely average way. ;) She will be taking at least one AP course next yr and either dual enrolling or taking 2-3 AP courses her senior yr.

 

FWIW, my kids have never mastered Latin either. However, I have paid attention to what makes kids competitive applicants and complete physical science and alg 1 prior to high school b/c it is more the norm. (the uni my ds applied to did not want to see physical science for high school science for their engineering applicants, for example). My younger kids will all complete 4 yrs of a foreign lang b/c 3 is the minimum here, etc.

 

On the other side, my senior this yr won't even be applying to a 4 yr university b/c I know his course load is not competitive enough nor are his grades. He will be attending a CC for the next 2 yrs. Here satisfactory completion of an AA automatically admits you to a state uni.

 

Ultimately, their courses/grades/etc do affect which universities will accept them, offer them scholarships, etc. So, the short answer to your question is yes they will be able to be admitted to colleges. The long answer is that it depends on which ones you are referring to.

[LanaTron]

Take heart! You are not the only one with regular children. Mine are below and at grade level for most things, only my ds in Algebra in 8th is slightly above (although some think that's right on target). My ds will be using LL8, and GWG 7 (or 8 if it's out) in 9th grade. And he's just now learning to master writing a paragraph. My dd won't do algebra until at least 9th grade. None of this is due to LDs, it's just how things have come together for us.

 

I was thinking the other day about the fact that years ago, 9th grade was actually junior high for many school districts. There was k-6, then 7-9, then high school was 10-12. That is more what my school is looking like.

 

Most likely, we will not take any AP courses. We won't do SAT testing until 11th or 12th grade. We will do a few CC courses, but that's so they can get the hang of college, not to be terribly advanced. They most likely will go to cc for a couple of years, and I can forsee that it might happen that some of mine either choose not to go to college, but start working right off the bat, or only get an AA degree. I do aim for 4-year college in my teaching, but I don't think that path is right for everyone.

 

I have tried to get my children to be more advanced than they are, but it always ends up with frustration on my part and misery on theirs. I am re-learning what I knew when they were little: focus on the child, not all the advice. I have to do what works for us, and trust that the rest will fall into place.

[4wildberrys]

:iagree: Just remember what board you are on----there is SO much pressure here for accelerated work/college work in high school etc.---it can be really daunting and discouraging if you have average/normal students. I mean---there is promotion all the time for college math textbooks, college science textbooks, etc----and my thought is why?? Why do college work in high school---what is wrong with just enjoying your education? There most definitely ARE students who are ready for this challenge----but honestly--NOT the vast majority, homeschooled or not! I too get tired of the constant pushing for MORE, more more or the feeling that if little Johny is not doing Calc by Chalkdust in 10th grade I have somehow failed as a homeschool mother. We are very happy with things like Math U See for math and Sonlight for history and even Ace for science---gasp! I don't see why boxed BJU is not adequate---especially if your kids are learning and progressing. It's just that anything boxed here is pretty much looked down on---especially if it is 'only' at high school or grade level :tongue_smilie:

 

SO---like a pp said----don't worry about keeping up with the Homeschool Jones's---especially on this board. There is a lot of good info and advice given here----but also a lot of info and advice that will make your head spin if you have normal students working at normal levels. And I don't believe for a minute that colleges want MORE than Physical Science in high school. Since when?

[Guest Katia]

Shari,

 

I have been homeschooling for 16 years and my oldest two have graduated and gone on to college....youngest is 12th this year.

 

My philosophy is: Do high school while in high school and do college when you get to college.

 

My oldest ds was on the computer all day and all night. School work? Yeah, right. Ha. He liked to read, so read through all of BJU's lit texts but didn't do any questions, tests, papers, etc. Papers? HA! He would.not.write. Period. In high school he read through the BJU Biology text (once again, notice 'read through'). But, because of his computer interest, he was really interested in upper level maths and he loved ABeka 7th and 8th texts. After that, I couldn't seem to find a math to keep his interest....so.....

 

at 15yo we sent him to a math class at the community college. Now, I have bragging rights and can say, "My 15yo is taking classes at the community college" which sounds really......really......like he is Wow smart.....but see, it was only in math. So, the next semester he took two classes and decided that he liked the fact that he was earning college credits in "easy" (his words) classes. For 11th and 12th grades, he took all cc classes, which once again makes him sound...'advanced', but really.....he wouldn't do any work here at home and since cc seemed to be working for him......

 

And honestly, I have looked at what they did/do at the cc and it's what I would call normal high school level. I can't believe the kids get college credits for it, and I can't believe it transfers to colleges, but it does.

 

So, sometimes on these boards when *I* talk about my ds that did cc concurrently with high school, I'm sure it can sound intimidating, but.....it you looked at the papers he wrote for these college classes, the the other work he did, etc. and then compared it with BJU....believe me, BJU is miles and miles ahead.

 

Your kids will be fine. More than ready for college if you use BJU or ABeka. Or even (gasp!) ACE. Really!

 

My oldest dd didn't take any outside classes and just did a variety of publishers high school texts here at home. Neither she nor I wanted to deal with AP classes, SAT2s, or community college classes. High school work was challenging enough for her, and I knew from experience that what she was doing was more advanced than what they teach up at the community college anyway.... She was accepted into all five colleges she applied to.

 

I think a lot of people on this board make it seem like getting a child accepted into college is a difficult thing. Well, the work we have to do as parents (acting as high school 'counselors') filling out all the paperwork and writing letters of recommendation, etc. is a PITA, but the kids are almost always accepted into the colleges they apply to. My kids have applied to, let's see, maybe 10 different colleges, and they have all accepted them. And only my older ds took those cc classes....my youngers only did regular high school texts. No AP or anything else.

 

Believe me; boxed curriculum is FINE. If it works for your dc and they score even average on ACT or SAT, it will work for college admittance.

 

ETA: and both my dds did Physical Science in 9th grade...and one used Rainbow Science! It was still accepted.

Edited February 4, 2010 by Katia

[Miss Marple]

traditional sequence just doesn't seem acceptable. I was particularly struck by this yesterday when someone commented that Physical Science (a traditional 9th grade course for what? 20 years or more?) was not really what colleges wanted to see on a high school transcript. Huh?

 

My answer:

As far as whether it would be appropriate, that will depend on the college. Most colleges will require 3 high school sciences with labs.

That is where there may be a problem...because many colleges do not want to see physical science as a high school course.

 

Again, I would reiterate that it depends on the college/university. Admissions to university and competition in scholarships have become much more competitive than it was when I went to college. In fact, at that time, one only needed 1 lab science in high school in order to go to my state university. My eyes were opened when my oldest was applying for scholarships and admission. Because he was going into a math/science oriented field, the competition was fierce. A physical science course in 9th - used as one of the 3 labs sciences required - would not have been enough. As a bonus 4th class, it would have been fine. If a student is looking at a liberal arts education, it probably won't matter.

 

FWIW, the BJU courses we've used are quite rigorous, IMO. I don't use boxed curricula at this time not because it isn't rigorous enough, but because it doesn't fulfill the goals I want for my kids by graduation. If it works for you, by all means do it.

 

We also utilize concurrent enrollment here because it makes my life easier. I have found that as my boys get older, they would rather have me be mom and not so much teacher. They work better for someone else. Our local university is certainly not a "rigorous" place - I would consider it more honors high school level for the freshman level courses my boys take. I don't consider my boys "gifted" except perhaps in math (but not ds#3) and the privilege of bragging rights doesn't enter into my decision to enroll them concurrently. It meets a need, the boys are capable, and it is funded by our state :D.

 

For me, the idea of using a boxed curriculum would be similar to enrolling them in a public/private school. If I was only concerned that they get the "high school education", I'd do that. But I wanted something different and that is only accomplished through a less traditional sequence and utilization of a variety of courses in less traditional settings.

 

This board is full of people who do things differently. You'll find plenty of folks with whom you can relate.

[Robin in DFW]

;)

 

I say this because I have been feeling like I am shortchanging my dc...

 

We have been going on college visits. And guess what? There are ALL kinds of students there! Below average, average and the "honors college" types.

 

Just look at the requirements of most univeristies...they expect the students to have completed a certain amount of coursework. It is not over the top AP everything or else!!! They expect a decent score on their SAT/ACT but nothing outrageous.

 

My dd will be going to a local university upon her graduation from our homeschool. She has been offered $$$ to play soccer and this uni is one of her top choices. She does some coursework at home, some through Keystone. Nothing special, just regular courses. She might take a CC class or two next year for courses I CAN NOT do at home. No big deal. All she has to do is score adequately on her SAT and submit her transcript. It has everything and probably a little more than what a local ps student has.

 

I agree with the poster that said "high school is for taking high school courses" and "college is for college". I don't understand why there is such a push to have the kids halfway through college before they ever get there! I don't live in an area where hs students can attend CC for free, so that appeal is not there for us.

 

My oldest went to ps and took ALL AP courses. Other than a few credits towards her basic coursework at college, it did not get her scholarships or anything. What enabled her to get scholarship offers (from several schools she ended up not attending) was her SAT score. And that score was not even extremely high, but apparently high enough.

 

All this to say...

 

If a student, accelerated or average or below average, wants to attend college, they can. AND...they can go into a math or science field even if they have not had advanced courses throughout high school.

 

My dd will only have through Pre-Cal and Physics when she graduates. She wants to major in Biology. If she wants it she can achieve it....with or without a great books, classical education...and just being average.

 

Robin

[AnitaMcC]

My philosophy is: Do high school while in high school and do college when you get to college.

 

 

See I am having a hard time with my Ds#1 (9th grade) on this. He does not want to do high school level courses. In his mind high school is a waste of time. He wants to do college now and skip high school. But he is not a typical teen!!!!! He has been wanting to be an astrophysicist since he was 9yrs old....

 

In 6th grade my son was studying science at the college level of basic courses. No way can I challenge him using high school science now that he is in high school. Same with math. Last year in 8th grade his algebra 1 teacher told me that Ds could easily complete all the high school level math courses in one year.. algebra 1, algebra 2, geometry, precalculus. So why would I make him drag these out over high school and not allow him to do them at his pace. Why not let him take college level courses starting in 9th grade if he is easily capable?

 

Now my Dd, Ds#1 twin sister, is another story. She will not be taking college courses in core courses before 11th grade. She is talented in music and is very bright student. But she is very happy to do high school in high school. She does want to take college courses here and there... for music. But so far we are waiting.

[Susan C.]

Ds who is a live at home sophomore college student announced last night that he did twice as much work while in our homeschool than he is doing at college..... but also stated that college may be easier because of the ground we covered, and that he is familiar with his subjects. We didn't do classical, we did mostly boxed curriculum with some whole books added in.

 

And, high school in high school, and college in college is our motto :)

[Jugglin'5]

We use boxed curriculum (BJU dvds for math and BJU texts in co-op) because I want to focus my personal teaching efforts in other areas - Latin, Classical Writing, Omnibus, etc. We tried many other things before BJU (LOF, Singapore, etc) but they are all doing well with BJU this year, and they all like it, and are still somewhat challneged. It is not the most rigorous math we could have chosen, but for our purposes it is rigorous enough. My son may want to go into engineering, so I will probably make some kind of change for him when he gets to pre-calc and calc (and maybe for my liberal-arts-leaning, yet math competent daughters). I also have them in biology rather than phys. sci. their freshman year, because one or two of their preferred universities prefer it that way. :) BUT, the boxed curriculum definitely has a part in our plan. We will probably use it for a modern language, too.

 

I have decided over the last year that I am going to try to make sure everyone gets through Calc. I by starting Algebra in 8th, and four years of science starting with biology, but I am not going to stress about APs, unless maybe the Latin AP. I am not trying to get them in Ivy League schools, though. We are looking at a few good state schools and a few selective, though not super-selective, private schools. They will need to get at least partial scholarships to go, though. I think it all depends on your goals.

[Robin in DFW]

I DO, wholeheartedly, think using BJU or whatever boxed curriculum or online program you choose will give your child a very good education.

 

Does anyone really think BJU or Abeka or Keystone or ____________ (you fill in the blank) sat down one day and said, "Let's make an inferior homeschool boxed curriculum so homeschooled kids have a hard time making it to college." I don't think so.

[Cynful]

I couldn't quote everyone, but I wanted to say thanks to Shari and others for their posts. I feel better having read this thread. I've been frantic lately trying to plan out our high school years and making sure they get to a certain level that it takes the joy out of it.

[Nan in Mass]

Shari, this thread has lots of people speaking up about how normal their children are:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68058&highlight=normal

And this article might be comforting:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/01/13/admissions

 

Many people here don't do boxed curriculum not because they aren't good enough but because they need to customize their children's education or because they themselves had a bad experience with textbooks. In general, this probably isn't the best site to find information about how well just doing a complete boxed curriculum works. Not that it isn't welcoming to all sorts of homeschoolers. It just began as a site to help people who were trying to implement The Well Trained Mind, so it tends not to have very many people who are doing just boxed curriculum. Many of the posts are how-do-we-catch-up or we-tried-this-and-it-didn't-work posts, especially the math and writing ones.

 

-Nan

Edited February 4, 2010 by Nan in Mass
welcoming LOL not unwelcoming

[Jane in NC]

The OP brought two discussion points to the table: boxed curricula and so called "average" students. I fail to see the logical connection between these two things. (I'm probably missing something here, usually am.)

 

It seems to me that boxed curricula work for certain personalities (either teacher or student) but not necessarily for all. We have had great success and so much fun with TWTM. I cannot imagine replacing Great Books with something in a box. (Maybe Great Books come in boxes, too?) But not everyone may be as keen on WTM methodologies as we are.

 

I also feel that some students are just ready for more than traditional high school. I was. I skipped a year of high school and began attending college at age 17. If a student is ready to move on to the next level, should a parent hold him back? I don't think so. But this does not mean that every student should be forced to accelerate. That is an unrealistic expectation which I don't see here on the boards. Parents here have children who are all over the map.

 

Jane

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[MicheleinMN]

Shari,

My eldest son is graduating this year. He only has one year of Spanish for high school, and is taking a basic math course for his senior year because after 2 years of algebra 1 and year of geometry, I could not drag him through an algebra 2 course. This is a kid who is definitely dyslexic, but now reads well and can discuss what he reads. He writes well, in that his thoughts are in order, but he needs an editor for spelling and punctuation. He's very creative and great with hands-on things. I don't often post about him here because I know that some people would find what he did for high school work unacceptable. I do post and ask questions concerning my next child. Dd is advanced in a few subjects and a very diligent student. Ds is a great kid, but definitely not my star-student kid.

 

HTH

[Mommyfaithe]

Honestly, the more I read on the high school boards, the more discouraged I become. :001_huh:

 

I have an upcoming 7th grader and am beginning to plan in earnest for keeping him home through high school. This is an average student, a bit lazy at times, perfectly capable but certainly not in the accelerated, AP across the board category.

 

On this board, it seems that everyone has a student working "ahead" in at least one area, and usually two or three or more. A standard boxed curriculum -- BJU, Abeka (both of which have excellent reputations) -- with a traditional sequence just doesn't seem acceptable. I was particularly struck by this yesterday when someone commented that Physical Science (a traditional 9th grade course for what? 20 years or more?) was not really what colleges wanted to see on a high school transcript. Huh? :confused:

 

I totally get it that homeschooling allows those special kids who can really 'fly high' the freedom to do so, but since when is everyone ready for accelerated coursework?

 

I write this as I have been losing sleep for the past week wondering if I am short changing my ds in his education. What I see in his future is nothing like what I see on this board. The Great Books education I had planned for when he was in K has not come to pass. We have not done Latin and never will. It will be plenty challenging to complete a standard (i.e. public school) college prep sequence here on time with traditional material.

 

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

 

Shari...I have regular...grade level kids. They are not willing to hunker down and spend 10 hours a day in their books...and I am not sure I want them to...There I said it. I think there is more to education than AP classes and burning out before your feet even hit the floor.

 

CC is just fine for my kids at !*nor even 19...if that is when they are ready...And from experience...by that time they are ready..

 

So far...1 dd graduated Summa Cum Laude with BA in Graphic Design and Web tech. w/ a minor in business...

 

DD 2 left CC with a 4.0 GPA and went on to her dream school accepted into a very small nutrition program. She didn't read until she was 7...never wrote an essay until 11th grade and this is the one who took lots of humanities courses at the CC for "fun!"

 

Ds is at CC now. he started at 18 after working almost full time for his dad's HVAC business for the last 2 years of High School. He is doing well in college and taking all the hard classes...and somehow getting A's and B's (Chemistry, Calculus, Engineering etc.)

 

Next ds is academically gifted...I have no plans of graduating him early. We may do a CC class or 2 for 12th grade...but this kid has life skills that he needs to learn....like how to fix a flat, jump start a car, run a business, balance a checkbook etc. I feel those skills are best learned at home and taught by mom and dad.

 

The rest of the kids will probably follow the same line...CC at 18...then off to College at 20. Somehow 20 seems mature enough to keep them out of trouble.

 

Also, remember...what you see in 7th grade really has no reflection on what you will se in 10th or 11th. AND no one is handing out homeschool crowns for those of us who graduate our kids earlier than anyone else. Every kid is different...and every family is different. We need to not compare and follow our hearts to do what is right for our family and our child...even our average Joe's are not so average once they get out there with the strong foundation we have set for them...even if it doesn't seem that way from our perch.

 

Relax and enjoy these few short years that you have left with your son. They go by way too fast....

 

~~Faithe

 

ETA: as far as boxed curricula...if it works for you...use it. i like to pick and choose...but only because I tailor make my curriculum for our family each year depending on what grades and kids I am still teaching....I think some boxed curr. are more advanced than others. I used boxed sets for Math, LA and Science...and then am a bit more free flowy with Hx, Lit, etc.

 

HTH....

Edited February 5, 2010 by Mommyfaithe

[Mommyfaithe]

You know something? I am not listening to the Joneses. I don't know what the colleges will think. My personal opinion is that the world has gone slightly insane. I agree with your assessment. Since when has the vast majority of kids been advanced? I truly see no purpose in completing a full year or two of your college credits before you get there. In ps, every single child I know who goes to hs is taking honors courses. How is that possible? You know what, one parent was complaining at the end of the one semester honors chemistry class that the class had done only TWO labs. Some honors class. I listen to what these advanced classes are doing/covering in ps and homeschool. Guess what, they are the same exact things my kids are covering in their basic BJU classes out of a box. :001_huh:

 

That said, only one of my kids is receiving credit for Biology in 10th. One of them received it in 8th (so that she was taking it at the same time as big sis). One is taking it in 9th. Not sure when ds will hit it. The child taking Biology in 9th probably won't be taking Chemistry in 10th to allow her to take it at the same time as little brother. (Those dvd's are expensive to rent!) Who knows what we will be studying for science next year. i may sling all 4 into something odd.:D

 

:iagree: I am right there with you...like totally!

[lovemykids]

I couldn't quote everyone, but I wanted to say thanks to Shari and others for their posts. I feel better having read this thread. I've been frantic lately trying to plan out our high school years and making sure they get to a certain level that it takes the joy out of it.

 

So true! I felt that same way, very recently. Then I sat down with older dd and had a talk with her about future plans, mainly about science and careers choices, (I didn’t feel we were advancing enough). She surprised me by saying that she doesn’t want to graduate early, she also chose Apologia science (over a more advanced science curriculum and sequence). I could override her choice, but why not let her just enjoy high school!? She “may†be able to take “Advanced†Chemistry, if she still wants too by then. We may do CC or testing out of certain classes, but we will figure that out later.

She also turned her nose up at the Latin curriculum I had selected for next year; she would rather focus on Spanish instead, and possibly even learn French eventually. I am determined to “do†Latin, but we are going to take it very slow with Getting Started with Latin and then reassess our feelings.

My oldest dd also LOVES Sonlight, so we will always include the SL books, even if we don’t continue with the cores. But we just might continue with SL, and GASP! use SL for high school. The horrors, the unthinkable, it cannot possibly be enough, whatever, there are plenty of happy SL families with kids in college right now. :D

We are going to relax a bit and enjoy school while we try and focus on what we feel is more important. Sigh of relief here. CM suddenly seems to apply to our family again, and I am much more excited about the options….(not that we are completely abandoning WTM either);)

[Thea]

Honestly, the more I read on the high school boards, the more discouraged I become. :001_huh:

 

I have an upcoming 7th grader and am beginning to plan in earnest for keeping him home through high school. This is an average student, a bit lazy at times, perfectly capable but certainly not in the accelerated, AP across the board category.

 

On this board, it seems that everyone has a student working "ahead" in at least one area, and usually two or three or more. A standard boxed curriculum -- BJU, Abeka (both of which have excellent reputations) -- with a traditional sequence just doesn't seem acceptable. I was particularly struck by this yesterday when someone commented that Physical Science (a traditional 9th grade course for what? 20 years or more?) was not really what colleges wanted to see on a high school transcript. Huh? :confused:

 

I totally get it that homeschooling allows those special kids who can really 'fly high' the freedom to do so, but since when is everyone ready for accelerated coursework?

 

I write this as I have been losing sleep for the past week wondering if I am short changing my ds in his education. What I see in his future is nothing like what I see on this board. The Great Books education I had planned for when he was in K has not come to pass. We have not done Latin and never will. It will be plenty challenging to complete a standard (i.e. public school) college prep sequence here on time with traditional material.

 

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

 

 

I haven't read the thread, but I do hear you. My oldest struggles and has to work *hard* in her college prep classes.

 

She did Physical Science for 9th. She may only get in three years of math (alg1,2 and geom). She loves literature, but some of the more difficult books are very hard for her. I'm using SL for high school and am completely ok with it. :)

 

It's OK. Truly.

[Guest KaciMI]

We do BJU, Apologia and Teaching Textbooks. I don't push the classics. My daughter is two years ahead, my son is two years behind. I try not to push them. To me, the important thing is that they enjoy learning, not dread it. As far as what Colleges are looking for, that changes on a daily basis. Consider your son is learning more at home than he would at public school. I read often how children retain what they're learning at home so much more than public/private school kids.

 

I try to match our curriculum with the kid's personalities, but often it boils down to what 'I' want to work with.

 

PS: My son hates reading. I find movies to replace some of the things I'd would have had him read. Not a Classical Education, but he is going to have an idea of what some of these great books are about. If he bulks about having to watch one, I show him the book and give him a choice... guess which one he chooses!

Edited February 5, 2010 by KaciMI

[lovemykids]

Even if we do use SL for high school, or another boxed (or “easyâ€) curriculum, we will add in select Great Books. I feel they are important, but not enough to base a complete study around them. LCC's or even WTM's great book schedule is just not going to fly with my oldest dd. I am coming to terms with that, it’s going to be fine. ;)

[Charles Wallace]

Honestly, the more I read on the high school boards, the more discouraged I become. :001_huh:

 

I have an upcoming 7th grader and am beginning to plan in earnest for keeping him home through high school. This is an average student, a bit lazy at times, perfectly capable but certainly not in the accelerated, AP across the board category.

 

On this board, it seems that everyone has a student working "ahead" in at least one area, and usually two or three or more. A standard boxed curriculum -- BJU, Abeka (both of which have excellent reputations) -- with a traditional sequence just doesn't seem acceptable. I was particularly struck by this yesterday when someone commented that Physical Science (a traditional 9th grade course for what? 20 years or more?) was not really what colleges wanted to see on a high school transcript. Huh? :confused:

 

I totally get it that homeschooling allows those special kids who can really 'fly high' the freedom to do so, but since when is everyone ready for accelerated coursework?

 

I write this as I have been losing sleep for the past week wondering if I am short changing my ds in his education. What I see in his future is nothing like what I see on this board. The Great Books education I had planned for when he was in K has not come to pass. We have not done Latin and never will. It will be plenty challenging to complete a standard (i.e. public school) college prep sequence here on time with traditional material.

 

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

 

I'm a parent of an irregular child using nontraditional materials not at grade level, so I'm possibly not the person you wanted to hear from.

 

That said, though, there's a commonsense answer for your question, Shari, and it has to do not with homeschooling kids being suuuupper geeniuzzes (I suspect there are homeschooling geniuses in about the same proportion as with the rest of the human population), but rather with the nature of homeschooling itself.

 

In our house, for example, we homeschool basically every day. We take it easy on Saturdays and Sundays, but even then, we usually end up doing something school-related: listening to a Great Courses lecture in the car on the way to the store, going to see a museum, visiting the library or the zoo...you get the picture.

 

Just simple math suggests that it wouldn't take long for a child to be "accelerated," given that PS meets for 180 days/year and our homeschool meets (basically) 315 days/year. (I'm assuming that there will be at least 50 days lost to illness, lassitude, schedules, or grandparents.)

 

Does that help??

[Charles Wallace]

The fact that they can both read well, have a pretty good grasp of grammar and punctuation and can write comprehensibly, and do math at a high school (not college, not AP) level, puts them ahead of the majority of the other 10th/11th graders in this country.

 

 

:iagree:

[lovemykids]

I'm a parent of an irregular child using nontraditional materials not at grade level, so I'm possibly not the person you wanted to hear from.

 

That said, though, there's a commonsense answer for your question, Shari, and it has to do not with homeschooling kids being suuuupper geeniuzzes (I suspect there are homeschooling geniuses in about the same proportion as with the rest of the human population), but rather with the nature of homeschooling itself.

 

In our house, for example, we homeschool basically every day. We take it easy on Saturdays and Sundays, but even then, we usually end up doing something school-related: listening to a Great Courses lecture in the car on the way to the store, going to see a museum, visiting the library or the zoo...you get the picture.

 

Just simple math suggests that it wouldn't take long for a child to be "accelerated," given that PS meets for 180 days/year and our homeschool meets (basically) 315 days/year. (I'm assuming that there will be at least 50 days lost to illness, lassitude, schedules, or grandparents.)

 

Does that help??

:iagree: There are simply more opportunities for acceleration, although some children resist every step. That's fine too; they are most likely still ahead of their PS peers. :001_huh:

 

Even grade level homeschool material is pretty advanced. (as someone mentioned) I have heard of children doing all boxed Abeka, across the board, and when they transferred into PS for high school, they were in honors classes.

Edited February 5, 2010 by lovemykids

[NCMom]

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

 

You will find plenty of these kids in most home school support groups. At least, I always have. :001_smile: This is a classical education forum, so going a traditional-one-publisher-textbook route is not going to be as prevalent here, though I'm sure there are plenty of people here who do it.

 

Fwiw, I have mostly average children, working mostly at grade level. I feel that my job is to make sure that my children work to their potential and are given the means to shine in whatever areas they are talented in (as best I can). To compare myself or my children with others is usually not profitable unless the "bar" I have set really is too high or too low and I need to adjust expectations accordingly.

 

I highly enjoy reading about very motivated students and parents on here. It helps me think outside the box! ;)

 

 

Georgia

[lllll]

:iagree: There are simply more opportunities for acceleration, although some children resist every step. That's fine too; they are most likely still ahead of their PS peers. :001_huh:

 

Even grade level homeschool material is pretty advanced. (as someone mentioned) I have heard of children doing all boxed Abeka, across the board, and when they transferred into PS for high school, they were in honors classes.

 

You know, that's a good point. What happens to a kid when they 'resist' the hard work in ps's? For my oldest ds, the answer was that they just shoved him on through the system however they could. His resistance continued and he learned very little.

 

For our next 5 hs'ed kids, however, their attempts at 'resisting' the learning process were futile. It's not as easy to pull that off with your very determined Mom demanding that this work be completed (that would be me, btw ;)), as it is with an exhausted teacher in an overcrowded classroom. Thus, the appearance of 'acceleration' - for some, anyway.

 

With our own 5 hs'ed dc, the two oldest began WTM in their mid-teens. The younger 3 began at the same time at a much younger age. If you only take into account their ages, the younger 3 could appear accelerated and the older 2 could appear slower. But the fact is, the only real difference is the age at which they began. They've all done the same work - just at different ages.

 

FWIW

[homeschoolally]

This ? reminded me of something that was very reassuring to me on this issue. I either heard it at a conference or read it in one of his books, but Mike Farris said that the majority of the successful kids they have at Patrick Henry College were educated using 'boxed' curriculums through HS. He also said that even though he loves the idea of classical education, and Patrick Henry calls itself classical, that his own kids weren't educated classically because it is just too much work for a mom with lots of kids.

 

If you aren't familiar with it, Patrick Henry is often referred to as 'Harvard for Christians' and Mike Farris is its founder. Even if your worldview doesn't line up with the vision of Patrick Henry College, I think the fact that their academics are challenging is pretty well accepted.

 

Hope this may help reassure you as well! I completely know where you're coming from.

[mommy25]

Honestly, the more I read on the high school boards, the more discouraged I become. :001_huh:

 

I have an upcoming 7th grader and am beginning to plan in earnest for keeping him home through high school. This is an average student, a bit lazy at times, perfectly capable but certainly not in the accelerated, AP across the board category.

 

On this board, it seems that everyone has a student working "ahead" in at least one area, and usually two or three or more. A standard boxed curriculum -- BJU, Abeka (both of which have excellent reputations) -- with a traditional sequence just doesn't seem acceptable. I was particularly struck by this yesterday when someone commented that Physical Science (a traditional 9th grade course for what? 20 years or more?) was not really what colleges wanted to see on a high school transcript. Huh? :confused:

 

I totally get it that homeschooling allows those special kids who can really 'fly high' the freedom to do so, but since when is everyone ready for accelerated coursework?

 

I write this as I have been losing sleep for the past week wondering if I am short changing my ds in his education. What I see in his future is nothing like what I see on this board. The Great Books education I had planned for when he was in K has not come to pass. We have not done Latin and never will. It will be plenty challenging to complete a standard (i.e. public school) college prep sequence here on time with traditional material.

 

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

 

Hi Shari! I do not have any advice for you but wanted to let you know that you are not alone!!! I am in the SAME situation you describe. Okay, so now I will go and read the responses....or should I?? :D

[TravelingChris]

One statistic you may want to know is that although there are many homeschoolers who choose to homeschool for reasons other than academics, the ones who choose to homeschool because of academics often have children who are not getting satisfactory education at a Brick and mortar school. Why_ maybe because the kid is gifted or has special needs. Some fairly recent studies of gifted children found that 50% of them are being homeschooled. I believe that the proportion of children with special needs of any kind (including medical) who are homeschooling is higher than the proportion of average kids.

 

In my two classes at co-op, I had a total of 12 kids. So far, I know that 1 child had a brain injury that still affects her, one had cancer at a younger age adn suffers from lingering effects of the chemotherapy, one had nonstop headache for 7 months (my dd) and still has frequent medical issues, and another had a kidney transplant and has ongoing medical issues with that. I don't know if any of the other eight have any medical issues. These are simply the ones I was told about by the child themselves or by the parent. I actually suspect that at least one additional child has a chronic medical issue but haven't had the opportunity to ask the parent yet. Just those 4 make the proportion of kids with major medical issues now or earlier to be 33%.

 

WHat I am saying by all this is that while average kids occur with great frequency in homeschooling, non-average kids who are behind, ahead or just differently abled, occur much more frequently in homeschooling arenas than in regular schools.

[BarbinTN]

Hi,

I am pretty much a lurker here although I had to respond to this post! This is our story verbatim. I have been worried, embarassed to tell people what I use and quite humbled to accept that I can't do it ALL with 4 kids in school. However, I am learning to be grateful for BJU. I can actually be a wife and a mother now whereas before I was only a homeschool teacher. I have confidence in BJU when I see the different elements of classical education intertwined in this "boxed" curricula such as dictation, writing across the board in all subjects, math concepts taught not just formulas and so on. My kids also tell me what they have learned and want to show me on the DVD whether it be a worm dissection, cotton field etc.

 

I appreciate you sharing this. Terri Maxwell of MOTH has several "textbook" articles on her Titus2 website that are encouraging.

 

Blessings,

Barb

[Joanne]

My 2 9th graders (one my son and one a bonus student) are using an eclectic mix of 9th grade material: Abeka and Bob Jones included.

 

They are both wonderfully average. :D

[Guest KaciMI]

Maybe it is time for SWB to write a new book... 'Classical-lite'. For those moms who are tired, and for those children who are less incline to carry a Classical load. It certainly would help us. My daughter loves school ** and my son hates it. It is rare for all siblings to love the Classical route.

 

** By the way, how many of your kids dropped way off in their studies once they discovered the opposite sex? My daughter is so different now, so 'totally teen'.

[homeschoolally]

Maybe it is time for SWB to write a new book... 'Classical-lite'. For those moms who are tired, and for those children who are less incline to carry a Classical load. It certainly would help us. My daughter loves school ** and my son hates it. It is rare for all siblings to love the Classical route.

 

QUOTE]

 

 

:iagree: I think there is a great market for this! Wish I had enough experience to write it. Some of us are able to take WTM and adjust it to meet our kid's needs, but I'm sure there are tons of moms out there who were overwhelmed by it and gave up on the idea of classical ed quickly. This is a great idea.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Night Elf]

On this board, it seems that everyone has a student working "ahead" in at least one area, and usually two or three or more.

 

I don't post on this board really, but I do like reading it. I have 2 children in high school and 1 child in middle school. None of them are exceptionally advanced. I would call them bright average students working at grade level.

 

A standard boxed curriculum -- BJU, Abeka (both of which have excellent reputations) -- with a traditional sequence just doesn't seem acceptable.

 

This mentality is seen on the K-8 board as well. I don't let this bother me as these boards are supposed to be for families following WTM or a similar educational method.

 

I was particularly struck by this yesterday when someone commented that Physical Science (a traditional 9th grade course for what? 20 years or more?) was not really what colleges wanted to see on a high school transcript. Huh? :confused:

 

Our high schools have students taking 4 years of social sciences, and 9th graders are usually registered in Geography. My son is doing 9th grade Geography right now. Our state universities ask only for US Studies, World Studies, and a subject elective such as Economics and Government. This means that all public school high school graduates will have 4 years of Social Sciences on their transcripts. I suggest you look at admissions requirements for the colleges your children may consider. It could help you plan your high school program.

 

I totally get it that homeschooling allows those special kids who can really 'fly high' the freedom to do so, but since when is everyone ready for accelerated coursework?

 

It's like this on the K-8 board as well. I've always considered classical education to expect a child to work ahead because they've started earlier and have been doing more than the average students in public schools. But then I see the poor moms who seem distraught when their children aren't doing as well as others on these boards. However, the advice usually given to this type of concern is to let the children work at his/her ability. So don't judge an entire board by some outstanding students.

 

I write this as I have been losing sleep for the past week wondering if I am short changing my ds in his education.

 

I am not short changing my children by using a correspondence program. I've homeschooled for 9 years and have learned I'm simply not disciplined enough to get my children ready for college without an outside program. I've been a great homeschool mom so far and they are, and will be in the case of my middle school grade child, ready for the 9th grade level of high school work.

 

We have not done Latin and never will. It will be plenty challenging to complete a standard (i.e. public school) college prep sequence here on time with traditional material.

 

We attemped Latin, Spanish, and French at different times. None of them stuck. As high schoolers, they'll do the required foreign language work just like any average high schooler in our state. Colleges ask for 2 years in the same language. My son is thinking about Japanese because he loves anime and video games so much. Thank goodness it's offered by Keystone. :tongue_smilie:

 

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

 

My children are not in college yet, but I am positive they will be ready for college when the time comes. Dd17 has 5 courses left to complete with Keystone National High School to complete her graduation requirements. She's applied to 3 colleges and has met the requirements for each one. Her pending acceptance status is simply waiting for her final high school transcript. She earned the minimum SAT score that the colleges require, but it certainly wasn't a stellar score. Colleges require a high school GPA of at least 3.0.

 

Yes, we traditional and average homeschoolers are around and our children are getting into colleges. It's fine to go above and beyond the average expectations, but I don't see negligence in following the traditional pace many of us are familiar with.

[Mommyfaithe]

 

We are going to relax a bit and enjoy school while we try and focus on what we feel is more important. Sigh of relief here. CM suddenly seems to apply to our family again, and I am much more excited about the options….(not that we are completely abandoning WTM either);)

 

I try to match our curriculum with the kid's personalities, but often it boils down to what 'I' want to work with.

 

PS: My son hates reading. I find movies to replace some of the things I'd would have had him read. Not a Classical Education, but he is going to have an idea of what some of these great books are about. If he bulks about having to watch one, I show him the book and give him a choice... guess which one he chooses!

 

I think these are key to the long ride....:001_smile: To relax a bit and enjoy the time you have with your kids. Get them ready for the long ride of life, but form lasting bonds and bridges with them. There is so much more to homeschooling than academic acceleration or college at 14. There are relationships...with each other...with the Lord, with books, with other adults in their lives and especially the child finding out who they are and who they were made to be without someone else (the school, peers, well meaning outsiders...not so well meaning outsiders) telling them who they should be.

I found my CM kids gravitate back to CM in Highschool and it is a lovely feel. I think CM would have used movies and films if they were available in her time. Something about WATCHING Shakespeare is so much more satisfying than READING Shakespeare. I think she would have loved travel films and science films and the history channel would have rocked her socks!

 

JMH...CM...O

~~Faithe

[iammommy]

Your ds will do fine. What's the saying? Believe half of what you hear and even less of what you read? I'm sure there are plenty of accelerarted students here, but there are also plenty of good old average students. It is statistically impossible for every child to be accelerated, or AP material, unless AP has ben dumbed down since I was in high school.

 

Pick a curriculum you and your ds enjoy and have fun with it. Many of the boxed curricula are just fine. He will be getting WAY more than a typical public school education.

 

We're planning on using Oak Meadow throughout my ds's education. No, he's not advanced. He is a good solid average student, but not an eager student. LOL And I am not gonig to go crazy supplementing. Stick with what YOU feel is best, and try not to let the path others are taking on this Board stress you.

 

Nan

 

 

Honestly, the more I read on the high school boards, the more discouraged I become. :001_huh:

 

I have an upcoming 7th grader and am beginning to plan in earnest for keeping him home through high school. This is an average student, a bit lazy at times, perfectly capable but certainly not in the accelerated, AP across the board category.

 

On this board, it seems that everyone has a student working "ahead" in at least one area, and usually two or three or more. A standard boxed curriculum -- BJU, Abeka (both of which have excellent reputations) -- with a traditional sequence just doesn't seem acceptable. I was particularly struck by this yesterday when someone commented that Physical Science (a traditional 9th grade course for what? 20 years or more?) was not really what colleges wanted to see on a high school transcript. Huh? :confused:

 

I totally get it that homeschooling allows those special kids who can really 'fly high' the freedom to do so, but since when is everyone ready for accelerated coursework?

 

I write this as I have been losing sleep for the past week wondering if I am short changing my ds in his education. What I see in his future is nothing like what I see on this board. The Great Books education I had planned for when he was in K has not come to pass. We have not done Latin and never will. It will be plenty challenging to complete a standard (i.e. public school) college prep sequence here on time with traditional material.

 

I just wanted to hear from others out there who have a 'regular' kid at home, who are using traditional materials at grade level, and are turning out well educated, college-bound students. :rant:

[melmichigan]

I wouldn't be discouraged, every child is different. I would however be informed. Michigan for example, is enacting the new Merit Curriculum for High School Graduation Requirements for the class of 2011. While homeschoolers don't have to follow these requirements our children must then compete with other students who will have met them. They are considered some of the best and most rigorous in the nation. (Their quotes, not mine. ;)) Some of their requirements are pretty specific.

 

Every child is different and I don't feel I could ever compare my child/children to each other, let alone someone elses child. I relish their individuality, that is one of the reasons we homeschool, to meet their individual needs, whatever they may be.

[oujisan]

I feel the same way when I read the high school and college boards and it is NOT just the well trained mind boards. Since I haven't been able to find one for average high school students, I have quit reading them. It was too discouraging. My son is average and I'm just about positive he is dyslexic, but we don't have an official diagnosis. He is waaaay behind in language arts and average at everything else. He does not test well and he doesn't care about his grades. He is happy just to scrape by with a "C". On the plus side, he doesn't totally hate learning and has asked to switch to year round schooling without any breaks because he is happy with the routine he has created.

 

Like someone else said, he spends all his free time on the computer and will not write. No matter what writing program we have tried, getting him to write is sheer torture and often unsuccessful. He finds both the physical act of writing and composition to be too difficult. He will most likely work in the computer field and is currently teaching himself Visual Basic programming. He tells me it is really easy and that I should learn it. Will he ever learn to write a five paragraph essay or a term paper? I hope so and I keep trying new programs, but I'm beginning to doubt it. On the plus side, our local community college offers really remedial language arts classes that he could take when he starts college if he still hasn't learned to write.

 

One thing I found very discouraging at the beginning of the year is that after I talked to many people on different boards, I purchased Hewitt's Conceptual Physics (high school level) because everyone said it was the easiest physics program out there and neither of us understood it at all. So we are obviously too "stupid" to understand the easiest physics program available. :001_rolleyes: I never took more than biology in high school and didn't need to take physics or chemistry in college, so I took earth based sciences since they actually interest me.

 

Don't give up. I think boxed curriculum or textbooks are just fine. We use an assortment of things in my constant quest to find materials my son will enjoy so that he will retain the information. I have considered ACE on several occasions, just so we would have some sort of written proof that he does schoolwork, but since we are not Christian, I don't think it would work for us.

[melmichigan]

WHat I am saying by all this is that while average kids occur with great frequency in homeschooling, non-average kids who are behind, ahead or just differently abled, occur much more frequently in homeschooling arenas than in regular schools.

 

:iagree: And even those numbers are rising. The "picture" of homeschooling is changing.

[tofuscramble]

My kids are all over the place. I couldn't use a single grade boxed curriculum for them. My eldest is *at least* 2 yrs behind in math than his age grade, my middle son is 4 years ahead in math than his age grade and my little one has been reading for over two years now but yet can't write! All of them are really asynchronous like that. The super genius' and accelerated learners around here don't bother me at all but I am always baffled as to how other peoples kids seem to be on one solid grade level for everything? I don't have a clue how to level my kids out by college and highschool.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

My kids are all over the place. I couldn't use a single grade boxed curriculum for them. My eldest is *at least* 2 yrs behind in math than his age grade, my middle son is 4 years ahead in math than his age grade and my little one has been reading for over two years now but yet can't write! All of them are really asynchronous like that. The super genius' and accelerated learners around here don't bother me at all but I am always baffled as to how other peoples kids seem to be on one solid grade level for everything? I don't have a clue how to level my kids out by college and highschool.

You don't have to level them out for high school or college, they take the classes that are at their level.