Help! Need recommendations for hs curriculum

[GMB]

I need help! I am in the second year of homeschool and the first year of classical education with Dd14. She is super bright, but not self-motivated to move diligently through daily assignments. She gets bogged down in History Odyssey Ancients Level Three. She does not like the statement of the assignments and finds the repetitious nature of reading and summarizing extremely boring. Yet she likes the tone of the spine text. Of 195 lessons, she is in the early 60's. Reading The Illiad was not a problem, but completing the attendant worksheets was huge source of complaint.

What should I do this year? How will I know what to eliminate?

 

What curriculum should I use next year for Middle Ages? While Christians, we don't want anything that includes Bible, Church history, or theology as an academic course. We ascribe to the WTM advice to address these topics outside of graded academic pursuits.

 

Can a novice like me fly by the seat of the pants next year? Meaning - can I use our current spine text (New History of the World) and select books from history and literature reading lists?

 

I just realized that I have been choosing curricula to satisfy my personal insecurities (ie, they absolve me of determining expected assignments and enable me to feel successful as we check off assignments completed). Yet my daughter is an out-of-the-box thinker and I think that drove her desire to be homeschooled. I guess I need to think outside the box to pick her curriculum.

 

Here's what we're using this year

 

HO Ancients, Level III

Apologia Biology (labs with local hs group)

Jacobs' Elementary Algebra

Traditional Logic

Strunk and White and Warriner for grammar

Guitar

Horseback riding lessons/walking/exercising

Girl Scouts

 

Proposed Plan for next year:

 

Medieval History/Lit/geography????

Apologia Chemistry (labs with local HS group)

Jacobs's Geometry

Wheelock's Latin I

Worldview or Art

Guitar

Horseback riding lessons/walking/exercising

Girl Scouts

 

Thanks for any shared wisdom.

Gina

[nykatie]

My daughter is similar -- what's worked for us is Omnibus, which has more thoughtful assignments than some of the more workbook style programs. Also, I have at times assigned research papers based on a topic she's already reading about on her own to capture some of her inherent energy and guide it into a form for which I can actually give her a grade. We bought Homeschool Tracker this year, and that's been very helpful in satisfying my need to keep tabs on what everyone is doing, and in allowing her the flexibility to veer off the curriculum a bit. Hope that helps!

[Negin]

My daughter is similar -- what's worked for us is Omnibus, which has more thoughtful assignments than some of the more workbook style programs.

Is this religious and do you have a link for it?

Thanks.

[regentrude]

She does not like the statement of the assignments and finds the repetitious nature of reading and summarizing extremely boring. Yet she likes the tone of the spine text. Of 195 lessons, she is in the early 60's. Reading The Illiad was not a problem, but completing the attendant worksheets was huge source of complaint.

Can a novice like me fly by the seat of the pants next year? Meaning - can I use our current spine text (New History of the World) and select books from history and literature reading lists?

 

 

That's what I have been doing. I do not believe in worksheets.

For ancients, we are using a spine and the WTM reading suggestions. We supplement with lectures form the teaching company, and I have DD chose her own topics for writing assignments.

I intend to do the same with Medieval/Renaissance next year. I want her to her read widely, discuss the reading with me, do some background reading, write about topics that she noticed as interesting while reading - I don't think it is necessary to follow a prescribed curriculum with canned assignments.

[Stacia]

Is this religious and do you have a link for it?

 

http://www.veritaspress.com/products.asp?dept=1071 (You can click on each grade level starting in 7th to view Omnibus for each grade.)

 

Yes, it is religious.

 

Is there something out there similar to Omnibus but secular???

[GMB]

That's what I have been doing. I do not believe in worksheets.

For ancients, we are using a spine and the WTM reading suggestions. We supplement with lectures form the teaching company, and I have DD chose her own topics for writing assignments.

I intend to do the same with Medieval/Renaissance next year. I want her to her read widely, discuss the reading with me, do some background reading, write about topics that she noticed as interesting while reading - I don't think it is necessary to follow a prescribed curriculum with canned assignments.

 

Regentrude:

 

You articulated the epiphany I experienced yesterday! I opened up WTM and selected readings from the Medieval/Renaissance period. Next I selected chapters from our current spine text (New History of the World) that cover the period. The most interesting part of my experience occurred when my DD stepped in and made suggestions:tongue_smilie:.

 

I was so inspired that I have given her the option to stop using the current study guide (History Odyssey Ancients). Instead, I'll let her read the spine text, and move through the remaining books on the reading list.

 

Why did it take me from September to January before I realized that "canned assignments" were draining the life out of her study?