Is this rigorous, average, or lame for a 7th grade schedule?

[rookie]

First Form Latin 1

 

MUS Pre-Alg

 

Classical Writing Aesop/Homer for Older Beginners

 

Harvey Grammar

 

Apologia General Science, local coop science class too

 

Lit Study

 

Teaching Company World History + Amer History for high school:with workbook and lots of fiction + non-fiction reading

 

CLAA Geography on-line course

 

Mavis-Beacon typing

 

Rosetta Stone Spanish 2

 

First Start French 1

 

Speech & Debate

 

Volleyball + biking

 

Monthly composer study + 4 live operas

 

Art history reading and sketching

 

PLEASE CRITIQUE AND TELL ME IF WE ARE MISSING SOMETHING

[Ester Maria]

My only objection is Rosetta Stone. :D The rest seems "normal" to me, though you didn't give specifics of what you're doing for literature, speech, debate, etc.

[SBP]

That's about what we're doing, except that you're doing way more in the way of languages! We're just doing Latin this year. The only thing that might be missing is logic, but it seems like a pretty full schedule without it, frankly.

 

Good luck to you :)

 

SBP

[rookie]

Ester Maria -

 

Oh, tell me about your issue with Rosetta Stone. What would you use?

 

Literature: DD/13 has been working her way through several Austen and Bronte books and now LOTR. We are considering which study guides to use for these.

 

We also follow all of the reading suggestions in WTM/SOTW and then some.

Edited August 20, 2010 by rookie

[rookie]

That's about what we're doing, except that you're doing way more in the way of languages! We're just doing Latin this year. The only thing that might be missing is logic, but it seems like a pretty full schedule without it, frankly.

 

Good luck to you :)

 

SBP

 

any logic recs?

[Ester Maria]

Oh, tell me about your issue with Rosetta Stone. What would you use?

I'm really tempted to say something as nasty as "Anything which is not Rosetta Stone." :D I have a really bad opinion about that method (and an awesome opinion about people who are in charge of its marketing:lol:, since they managed to sell a truly bad thing to SO MANY people and convince them it's good!), but I allow the possibility that it works for somebody.

 

Since you're doing Spanish, I don't know what I'd be using as we don't do Spanish, but I'd look for a program with explicit grammar study (with exercises and all - boring, I know, but very useful), or at least very good conversational approach, and if you already have RS you can use it as a supplement - but I wouldn't use it as my main source for a course.

[rookie]

I'm really tempted to say something as nasty as "Anything which is not Rosetta Stone." :D I have a really bad opinion about that method (and an awesome opinion about people who are in charge of its marketing:lol:, since they managed to sell a truly bad thing to SO MANY people and convince them it's good!), but I allow the possibility that it works for somebody.

 

Since you're doing Spanish, I don't know what I'd be using as we don't do Spanish, but I'd look for a program with explicit grammar study (with exercises and all - boring, I know, but very useful), or at least very good conversational approach, and if you already have RS you can use it as a supplement - but I wouldn't use it as my main source for a course.

 

 

Thank you. We do need the grammar component for Spanish. I will look into it.

[TechWife]

any logic recs?

If she is doing speech & debate then that will take care of the logic.

[mcconnellboys]

I have been told that RS has now added a grammar and writing component to their homeschool studies.... Is that not the case?

[Renee in NC]

More than what we are doing!:D

 

My ds is doing:

 

FLVS Beginning Spanish

FLVS Science 2 Advanced

FLVS World Geography

Lightning Lit 7

R & S English

R & S Math

Building Thinking Skills 2

MegaWords 1-4

Spell to Write and Read

 

My ds is dyslexic, though, and we are still working on remediation.

[lauracolumbus]

I'd say it looks ambitious compared to my ds 7th grade. We are just studying Latin and a tiny bit of Greek. But we're also doing two co-ops.

 

Laura

[elegantlion]

First Form Latin 1

 

MUS Pre-Alg

 

Classical Writing Aesop/Homer for Older Beginners

 

Harvey Grammar

 

Apologia General Science, local coop science class too

 

Lit Study

 

Teaching Company World History + Amer History for high school:with workbook and lots of fiction + non-fiction reading

 

CLAA Geography on-line course

 

Mavis-Beacon typing

 

Rosetta Stone Spanish 2

 

First Start French 1

 

Speech & Debate

 

Volleyball + biking

 

Monthly composer study + 4 live operas

 

Art history reading and sketching

 

PLEASE CRITIQUE AND TELL ME IF WE ARE MISSING SOMETHING

 

Honestly, I think it may be a little heavy depending upon the working level of your dc.

 

3 language, 2 history courses (counting geography), & 2 science courses sounds a little heavy to me. I'm assuming speech and debate, volleyball will be outside classes? And what do you plan to use for lit study? Pull from your history? Also have you worked with Classical Writing before? It can take some time.

 

Now this all could be standard for your dc and not be overwhelming. I would keep an eye and be willing to drop something from the language, history, or science if necessary.

 

Here's what we're doing this year for 7th as comparison.

 

Latin Alive I

LOF Beginning Algebra

WWE & other writing ala WTM, Megawords, informal grammar workbook

Lit study (read and discuss about 7 books)

Asian Studies (history)

Earth Science

Asian Art (1st semester), Music (2nd semester)

Art of Argument (finish unit 2) then Philosophy for Kids

Irasshai Japanese

New Testament Religious studies

PE: - hiking & TaiChi

[Rebecca VA]

It looks scattered to me, with too many courses. My mantra these days is "streamlined." My 8th grader will be taking a few carefully-selected (but intense) courses in order to focus her energies on ballet. Gone are the days of lots of different classes and activities.

 

How about one math, one social studies, one science, one grammar/comp, one literature, one foreign language, and one fine arts? Speech and debate will probably take up an increasingly large amount of time, and you may find that you've just got too much going on.

[rookie]

It looks scattered to me, with too many courses. My mantra these days is "streamlined." My 8th grader will be taking a few carefully-selected (but intense) courses in order to focus her energies on ballet. Gone are the days of lots of different classes and activities.

 

How about one math, one social studies, one science, one grammar/comp, one literature, one foreign language, and one fine arts? Speech and debate will probably take up an increasingly large amount of time, and you may find that you've just got too much going on.

 

 

I would love it if you would share your 8th grade plans.

[EKS]

I would say that it is heavy on languages (as I'm sure you know) and light on math and history.

[Rebecca VA]

Well, I'm doing this at the risk of being laughed off the boards. She's doing Omnibus I, Wheelock's Latin II, Math Without Borders Geometry, and Runkle Geography (through Potter's School), as well as (possibly) a Veritas Press online Composition I class.

 

The reason I might be laughed at is because she has never been a reader or a history enthusiast. The thought of heavy philosophy or theology would be enough to send her screaming from the room. But somehow Omnibus has captured her imagination in a big way. We are pre-reading six books for next year's online classes (primary and secondary), and she's loving every bit of it, enthusiastically answering every question and doing some deep thinking. She actually has the big Omnibus volume up in her room, and she reads and re-reads the commentary on the books we're studying.

 

All of this would have amazed me just a couple of months ago. Maybe she was just on the cusp of a developmental leap and I caught her on the more mature side of it? Or maybe it's that the friends whom she most highly respects are all doing Omnibus? Whatever.

 

Anyway, Omnibus I covers history and literature as well as theology.

 

Wheelock's Latin II (through Lukeion, an online classics provider) is a continuation of her Latin studies from last year.

 

Math Without Borders Geometry (which we'll get to in another month, as soon as she finishes up Foerster's Algebra I) looks really good.

 

I signed her up for Runkle's Geography before we made the switch to Omnibus, but I think she'll enjoy it. It's a little light to be considered a full science course, but I'm so focused on making sure she has a joyful year and she succeeds with Omnibus that I'm letting heavy science go for right now.

 

I've asked her if she wants to do the Veritas Press online Composition I class. She's likely to agree, since she loves to write. It would be fun for her, not a burden.

 

She will also take Youth Choir, Bright Lights (a girls' discipleship group), and lots of ballet. I've promised not to sign her up for another thing.

 

Hope this helps!

[rookie]

I would say that it is heavy on languages (as I'm sure you know) and light on math and history.

 

The languages are her choices.

 

What else should I be doing for math? I thought 7th grade was pre-algebra - what am I missing?

 

We really do a lot of history work and have always been history intense. I decided to be a little more "fun" this year but we will read tons, research, write, draw, attend lectures, etc., for history.

[EKS]

The languages are her choices.

 

What else should I be doing for math? I thought 7th grade was pre-algebra - what am I missing?

 

We really do a lot of history work and have always been history intense. I decided to be a little more "fun" this year but we will read tons, research, write, draw, attend lectures, etc., for history.

 

IMO, MUS is on the lighter side of rigorous. But you're right, 7th grade typically is prealgebra.

 

As for history--we have the TC high school history lectures and while they're somewhat entertaining, I wouldn't use them as a spine. But I completely understand about going lighter on certain subjects in order to concentrate on other subjects--we will be doing this ourselves in math and Latin this year.

[Caitilin]

I don't know. :)

 

Ours is:

 

Saxon Algebra 1/2

 

MCTLA Voyage level

 

Everyday Spelling 7

 

Lightning Lit 7, plus additional reading

 

Wheelock Latin (second year at a relaxed pace) (co-op, but I am the teacher)

 

French

 

All American History II (co-op)

 

Mapping the World with Art (co-op)

 

Critical Thinking I

 

Oak Meadow Physical Science

 

Philosophy for Young Thinkers 7--Human Configurations

 

Civics

[RENEEinVA]

Wow! Latin, Spanish, and French? This looks rigorous to me. I say go for it! School will never be boring. :)

[2cents]

I'm really tempted to say something as nasty as "Anything which is not Rosetta Stone." :D I have a really bad opinion about that method (and an awesome opinion about people who are in charge of its marketing:lol:, since they managed to sell a truly bad thing to SO MANY people and convince them it's good!), but I allow the possibility that it works for somebody.

 

Since you're doing Spanish, I don't know what I'd be using as we don't do Spanish, but I'd look for a program with explicit grammar study (with exercises and all - boring, I know, but very useful), or at least very good conversational approach, and if you already have RS you can use it as a supplement - but I wouldn't use it as my main source for a course.

 

I agree! We tried RS for Latin and it was horrible. We spent more time trying to guess at what we were supposed to be doing than actually learning something. I tried a free RS for Spanish at the library and it was the same thing. I tried Powerglide Jr and didn't like it either. My faves are the Spanish programs from University of Northern Arizona that are on Discovery Streaming and FL Virtual School. I would only do a language for school that taught the grammar.

[AngieW in Texas]

It looks pretty heavy to me.

 

Three languages is quite a load, but I can see doing it with a kid who's interested. I certainly wouldn't try that with a kid who was fighting me on it.

 

You're doing a LOT for history/geography too. I'd drop one of the three things unless your dd is especially interested in it and really wants to do all three.

 

Typing, debate, music, and art all at the same time seems a bit much. If you're doing one semester of each, then that seems reasonable. If you're doing all four year-round, I think that's a bit much. I can see doing one or two of them year-round, but I definitely would do the others just one semester each. The ones I'd choose to do year-round would be the ones my dd was most interested in.

 

foreign language - First Form Latin 1, Rosetta Stone Spanish 2, First Start French 1,

math - MUS Pre-Alg

English - Classical Writing Aesop/Homer for Older Beginners, Harvey Grammar, Lit Study

science - Apologia General Science, local coop science class too

history - Teaching Company World History + Amer History for high school:with workbook and lots of fiction + non-fiction reading, CLAA Geography on-line course

elective - Mavis-Beacon typing, Speech & Debate, Monthly composer study + 4 live operas, Art history reading and sketching

p.e. - Volleyball + biking

[angela in ohio]

It looks liek a good average 7th grade year, except with extra languages.

 

I would drop one of the modern languages and replace it with a formal logic program. I would also probably pick one from American or World history.

[cbollin]

I have been told that RS has now added a grammar and writing component to their homeschool studies.... Is that not the case?

 

 

Version 3 has grammar and writing.

There are ways to use the audio companion CD and the print out of the scripts to do more writing. I know MFW's high school credit plans have ideas for kicking it up a notch for that.

 

The version 3 milestones are good for practicing dialogue. Reminds me so much of my college courses.

 

I wouldn't use RS for Latin. ;) It just isn't designed for the reasons that people study Latin.

 

The immersion method without much translation is what my college professors used. I know in high school I had one French teacher who was textbook and translation, but we couldn't talk when we got to France that summer. Then a year later I took French from the high school teacher and she was more in immersion method and I learned more. So, when my Italian professor did all immersion, I liked it. And was able to study abroad in Italy one summer.

 

lots of ways to do jr. high and high school languages.

 

-crystal

[Heather in VA]

It looks scattered to me, with too many courses. My mantra these days is "streamlined." My 8th grader will be taking a few carefully-selected (but intense) courses in order to focus her energies on ballet. Gone are the days of lots of different classes and activities.

 

How about one math, one social studies, one science, one grammar/comp, one literature, one foreign language, and one fine arts? Speech and debate will probably take up an increasingly large amount of time, and you may find that you've just got too much going on.

 

:iagree:

 

Too much going on to do anything really well.

[johnandtinagilbert]

Math: I'd suggest finishing MUS pre-alg and alg1 in one year. After going from MUS alg to another alg. course, I discovered there many things not covered in MUS. You might also consider Life of Fred as a compliment to MUS.

 

Even though she requested such, I'd say 3 language is a lot and may prove confusing.

 

I don't know how much the science co-op is doing, but Apologia Gen Sci is a lot of reading (only minor experimentation, though), so I'd really consider this as you determine her sciences.

 

I think 2 Teaching Company history courses will be a lot, and I'd also be careful that they're not super boring for a 7th grader. Depending on the course (I'm not familiar with those 2) the lecture style might be a bit much for a 7th grader.

 

I'd say HEAVY to answer your original question and I'd encourage some easy logic like Fallacy Detective and Art of Argument to enhance the speech and debate. Our local speech and debate person suggests logic along with s/d to his pupils.