What curriculum would you use for this child

[Quiver0f10]

He is going to be in 10th and doesn't like to read. It takes him forever to read a book because, according to him, it's boring. He can read and I have had him read aloud many times, just to check LOL.

 

I have purchases Notgrass Exploring World History for him and my heart sank when I looked at the lit books. I would love for him to read the books and envision us having great discusssions and all that, but reality is he will most likely only get through half of them. We use Axploring America this year and he really enjoyed the textbook part, but read maybe half the assigned books.

 

He is the type of kid who works well on his own and plows through his school work. He loves textbooks and has asked for textbooks rather than lit based. I figured notgrass was a good compromise, but now I am wondering if I should choose something that is a better fit for him.

 

We are using BJU for english next year and thier english is usually half year of grammar and half year of lit. I had planned to stretch his english out to a year by doing in 3 days a week. Now I am thinking just use the english as meant and have him use their lit in the spring.

 

I could have him use their history too, which he has used in the past and enjoyed and this would allow him to work through it at his pace. But then part of me is thinking that forcing him to use the Notgrass and read the lit books would be good for him. I feel like I am always letting the kids slide with their work and my goal this year is to be more firm with them in their school work load.

 

So, wwyd?

[SnowWhite]

I'd use BJU history and save the Notgrass for another student a different year. Or you could sneakily read some of the lit aloud and require him to sit in on it

[Nan in Mass]

Is he an engineering-type person? I think what I did would depend on what other talents he has.

[asta]

I would suggest using TRISMS. All of the readings are excerpts within the curriculum itself, and fit well with the personality you are describing. Additionally, the style of research and writing is college preparatory.

 

I originally bought their middle school program for my child but will not be buying their high school program; my child has actually turned into a reader as a result of being given "bits". I never formally followed the entire program (I used the worksheets and the general idea), but I found it to be solid.

 

The company is revamping their website to make it interactive so that you can see their lesson plans more clearly. It is a religion-neutral program that people add their own beliefs to as desired.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

asta

[Tammyla]

I'd consider those textbooks. Use what works, works for me. I've become a regular at the libraries CD book section. If I can't get them to read them...I find listening to some spark an interest with mine.

[Veronica in VA]

You could still use Notgrass since you have it. Just don't do all the reading. Pick the books you really want him to concentrate on, and don't worry about the rest. As someone else suggested, you could also have him listen to some of the books on audio. We used Notgrass American History, and didn't get to everything. We also used Lightning Lit, but for some of the Notgrass books dd listened to the audio version on her mp3. This worked very well for books that had a lot of dialect in them, such as Uncle Tom's Cabin.

 

HTH,

 

Veronica

[Plaid Dad]

What are his plans for after high school? At this age, I would be taking that into consideration.

 

If he is likely to go to college, I'd work on getting him to read more copiously and more quickly. If that meant using textbooks, that's what I'd go with, perhaps supplementing with audio books.

 

If he doesn't plan to go to college, I might compromise and let him watch at least some video-based history lectures from the Teaching Company. Many of these are available through public library systems and also go on sale regularly. They also have good literature lectures that might give him a little insight into why other people find all those "boring" books exciting!

 

But the bottom line is that not everyone finds that same subjects engaging. I love literature; my brother has no interest whatsoever in it. I'm a writer and teacher; he sells insurance. Fwiw, he probably earns more in one year than I have in my entire working life. But we're both happy with our lives. Different strokes and all that.

 

So I would make sure he had the basics down, but if a literature-based curriculum is a stumbling block for him and he has no future plans that make that kind of background important, I'd probably let him follow his inclinations at this point.

[Quiver0f10]

He is thinking of Medical school, but wants to do research or go into something along the lines of CSI. He has great grades and is basically stright A, he just reads excructiating slow. I am probably going to do some sort speed reading course with him this summer. I have thought of having his eyes checked and possible vision therapy as now that we are going through this with my 8 yo, I am wondering if this son has some vision issues too.

[Quiver0f10]

 

The company is revamping their website to make it interactive so that you can see their lesson plans more clearly. It is a religion-neutral program that people add their own beliefs to as desired.

 

I found thier web site utterly confusing LOL. Maybe once they get it updated I can try again.

[summer]

I can read a segment just fine. But when it comes to the volume of a whole book..I am sunk. No one ever knew that about me. I was always in the accelerate/GT track in school. I could figure out a book just by listening to the discussions at school. I was also very good with the language to explain things...when I really never read the book.

 

My guess is that he has a learning disability that was never DX'd. I had testing toward the end of college and found out I had dyslexia. Dyslexia is not what you think..it is just a learning disability of reading. It is not the myth of just people inverting letters. In fact, inverting letters is normal developmentally earlier on in learning how to read. People with dyslexia often have very immature reading skills. This is made even worse by the pushing of what is thought to be "grade level" reading. I remember that first big chapter book at school that was particularly big. I could not do it. I gave up reading after that. I learned how inferior I was watching everyone else happily reading.

 

No need to take him to specialists for testing..it won't change what you do next. It can, however, get him extra help in college. BUT....I would highly recommend letting him do something that involves books he can listen to on tape. The library has a very large amount of these books usually available for download. I am sure he will be relieved to hear he has this option.

[Quiver0f10]

 

My guess is that he has a learning disability that was never DX'd. I had testing toward the end of college and found out I had dyslexia.

 

We are in the process of having our 8 yo diagnosed for dyslexia so I guess the possbility is there. My 14 yo reads well when he does, so I didn't think it fit him. I will have to give this more thought.

[Ruth in Canada]

I'd test for a learning disability. Everyone in DH's family loves to read--except a sister. She's discovered books on tape--and is really enjoying them. However, she finds ready very tedious and won't read for pleasure. In hindsight, someone should have tested her for a learning disability. She's just as bright as the rest of the family, she had a good educational background and lots of encouragement. I think there's a glitch that makes reading harder for her. Had she had some help, it's possible that she would have done better in school and procrastinated less about going to university.

[Mama Bear]

He is thinking of Medical school, but wants to do research or go into something along the lines of CSI. He has great grades and is basically stright A, he just reads excructiating slow. I am probably going to do some sort speed reading course with him this summer. I have thought of having his eyes checked and possible vision therapy as now that we are going through this with my 8 yo, I am wondering if this son has some vision issues too.

 

Do get his vision checked. Med school requires vast amts of reading -- the kids' dad is a reluctant reader w/ untreated vision issues and this complicated things for him, though a determined person (he was) can still get through well and rank high in their class. I can't tell you how much he (and I) wished that his parents had just taken his vision seriously instead of ignoring the recs made by people who knew what they were talking about.

 

If his vision checks out, go for the speed reading thing -- it can only help him.

 

Blessings to you and yours. :)

[gardenschooler]

I'd do the BJU Lit, since you're getting HomeSat anyway. It does do a good job of teaching lit, and they recommend reading some whole books each year in addition to the text. They have guides for a few of them, and the rest are the final unit in the book. 10th has Romeo and Juliet as the final unit, but they also sell a guide to Julius Caesar, Great Expectations, and a few others. Another good thing about the BJU Lit is that they have tests that are not only recall - but just having the tests ensures he has to actually read the text!

 

I'd shoot for at least 2-3 in the first semester while he's doing the English semester, and the same for the second semester. But I'd only make a few of these 'heavy duty' - I'd try to find some books that he'd be interested in that would snag him. I would guess P&P wouldn't do it! I like Nan's idea of going with science fiction for her ds, or what about war? Adventure? There are plenty of good books out there for him to read, but that Notgrass list doesn't look that intriguing to me - especially if I were a teenaged boy that wasn't fond of reading. I'd also definitely go with audio for the harder ones, and try to organize a lit guide for some accountability on his reading.

 

And I'd go with BJU World History. I've got the 2nd ed. you can have, if you decide to go that route. I'm sure that's the one they use w/HomeSat. I'm going to buy the new edition to use as one of my spines. I wonder if you can stretch it out using HomeSat, and not do it all in one year? That way you'd have time to enhance it, use some movies, etc. I used it as a 2-year World History course for my oldest, and it worked out very well. But it's a lot to do in one year.

[Quiver0f10]

Thanks for the replies. I am going to switch to BJU for history and lit with him and also look into having him tested for a learning disability as well as his vision.

[In The Great White North]

Summer - what made you think to get tested in college?

 

Quiver - if he can read, what is the reason for testing?

 

I have an older ds who says he just doesn't like to read (except for computer manuals which he can read just fine) and so we've "downsized" to a history textbook instead of Great Books he never got into. It would never have occurred to me to test him for dyslexia or anything else. What clues could I be missing here?

[Chris in VA]

Just a quick thought

 

Some kids have dyslexia, but have learned to compensate and therefore function pretty well--but their reading requires a lot of effort, and so they rarely find it pleasurable. My dh thinks maybe he has it, even though the man is extremely well-read and does now read for pleasure. He feels he compensated as a child. He does read slowly. He had to learn to read more quickly when he was in seminary and postgrad or he'd never have gotten thru the tomes they assigned.

 

There's some research that talks about how people who are good readers make pictures in their minds as they read--it's as if the text disappears and the "movie" begins. I know some who read very well that look at me like I'm a Martian when I mention this research, and some who nod their heads vigorously in agreement. Reading is a weird skill, and there's still a lot of research to be done in the field!

[Quiver0f10]

Just a quick thought

 

Some kids have dyslexia, but have learned to compensate and therefore function pretty well--but their reading requires a lot of effort, and so they rarely find it pleasurable. My dh thinks maybe he has it, even though the man is extremely well-read and does now read for pleasure. He feels he compensated as a child. He does read slowly. He had to learn to read more quickly when he was in seminary and postgrad or he'd never have gotten thru the tomes they assigned.

 

This is what I am wondering about. I really don't think he is dyslexic, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.