Dilemma for 9th grade please look and comment thanks

[Jeana]

Here is what I am contemplating:

 

MFW: Ancients and Lit

Literary Langugae Lessons for Lord of the Rings

Apologia Biology online

Lial's Introductory Algebra

Analytical Grammar

Rosetta Stone Spanish

Fallacy Detective

Student Writing Intensive C this summer and next summer.

 

I really like the look of MFW but he is keen on doing LLLFLOTR. I am afraid that it will be to much. Am I missing anything? What would you change and why? Also, what would you add and why?

 

Thanks ladies!

 

Jeana

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Here is what I am contemplating:

 

MFW: Ancients and Lit

Literary Langugae Lessons for Lord of the Rings

Apologia Biology online

Lial's Introductory Algebra

Analytical Grammar

Rosetta Stone Spanish

Fallacy Detective

Student Writing Intensive C this summer and next summer.

 

I really like the look of MFW but he is keen on doing LLLFLOTR. I am afraid that it will be to much. Am I missing anything? What would you change and why? Also, what would you add and why?

 

Thanks ladies!

 

Jeana

 

Jeana, I would also think it would be too much, but my oldest is just in 7th this year. We are doing LLftLotR orally this year AND next year for my 7th and 5th graders.

 

I am reading The Fellowship as a read aloud to go with our ancient history this year. We are also doing the first 5 unit studies. We started with the 5th one on epics to gain understanding about what epics are. Then we started at the beginning of the study. At the end of a chapter in LotR, my kids call out the answers to the fill in the blank synopsis. We read the notes.... this is where the literary lesson comes in, and we answer many of the comprehension questions orally to practice answering in complete sentences with supporting details.

 

Next year we will do the same kind of thing, but we'll finish Vols. 2-3 with the medieval type books and unit studies.

 

 

If you broke up the study into two years (ancients and medieval) maybe that would help.

 

HTH

[Savermom]

I don't know anything about MFW, but my ds used Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings last year (8th grade). There was quite a bit of writing involved since we did not do any orally. I could not imagine using it dually with another lit program without a considerable amount of modification.

 

Is it the lit program he is interested in or more the books themselves? Perhaps he would be happy just reading them for fun along side your ancients study.

[Jeana]

Thank you for your input. I have a terrible confession to make. My son has never done a research paper or a whole lot of writing for that matter. He is very knowledgeable in his subject areas and uses good words and sentences but applying the grammar to the paragraphs is where he comes unstuck. He can talk forever about his history, sience, and books that he has read but to put it correctly on paper is another story. That is why I began SWI - C. Then he goes and breaks his right scaphoid bone in his hand which makes him useless with his hand for writing or typing for 8 weeks. Now we are about to begin High School very unprepared for this very important part of his next four years. Very unsure as to what I should do.

 

Back to the above topic. I thought of doing the lit analysis with LotR orally except for the vocabulary and let him choose between the two programs writing assignments for lit. as to which he would like to persue. What do you think about that or is that going to still be too much? Thanks again.

 

Jeana

[bugs]

Back to the above topic. I thought of doing the lit analysis with LotR orally except for the vocabulary and let him choose between the two programs writing assignments for lit. as to which he would like to persue. What do you think about that or is that going to still be too much? Thanks again.

 

Jeana

 

This is close to what my children do. I don't have them do much (if any) of the writing assignments because they do plenty of writing with our Classical Writing and history narratives, etc. The kids love this story so it is a gentle introduction to literature. So, I don't think you have too much if you follow your plan above.

[Murphy101]

I think two programs is too much.

LLfromLotR does have lots of writing OPTIONS, but you don't have to do every writing assignment it suggests. Also, not all the writing suggestions are full 5 paragraph essays, several are mini essays, stories, or poetry. In fact, I strongly suggest you NOT do them all. Even 1/3 of the them would still be a decent amount of writing. I select from the writing suggestions based on interest in topic and over all course load for that week.

[Jeana]

Thanks guys for your opinions and I will take each into consideration.

 

Jeana

[Julie in MN]

MFW: Ancients and Lit

Literary Langugae Lessons for Lord of the Rings

Analytical Grammar

Student Writing Intensive C this summer and next summer.

Hi Jeana,

My problem is not that you have two English programs... but that you have FOUR (or at least 3.5)!

 

*IF* you use MFW's AHL for English, your son will learn to write essays during 9th grade, both more formal argumentative essays and more informal topical essays. He'll also have grammar topics within his literature & essay assignments. Then there will be some weeks in the middle where writing is more relaxed, where he writes his own psalms and proverb stories & such.

 

Then in 10th grade, if he does WHL he will have even more writing assignments, including a lengthy research report, and more grammar.

 

There is also room in AHL to add your own outside reading. There is a check-box for that on the grid each day. My ds is in a boys' book club, so he reads those books for the additional reading box. You could do LOTR there, and when you get to an English assignment you could evaluate whether your ds needs the extra LOTR assignment (maybe during those more relaxed middle weeks of AHL when he's just writing his own psalms & such), or he could sub it for something in AHL that he doesn't need or doesn't care for (e.g. the Iliad is somewhat optional in AHL and not as essential as the Odyssey).

 

Personally, I would start with one primary English program and then add where that program suggests additions or where you see a need.

 

Julie

[Jeana]

Hello Julie. Thanks for that. So, would you recommend me to use the following:

 

MFW: Ancients and Lit

LLLOLOTR

 

And would you recommend that I drop the following:

SWI-C

Analytical Grammar

 

He has done Grammar every year and has done really. He has finished 8th grade BJU. It is just the application that is the problem. Do you feel like the instruction will be enough for a child that hasn't done a lot of writing? Thanks so much for you help!

 

Jeana

[Jeana]

If he only did SWI-C during the summer just to help him to grow in this area would you still think that was to much? Also, I am not good with writing either so I have trouble giving a grade and even grading the paper. I desperately need to find someone to read and grade his papers for the next four years. I was in Advanced grammar and Lit in high school and have written many papers and speeches. However, I too have ALWAYS struggled with application for some reason.

 

Thank you again,

 

Jeana

[Julie in MN]

Jeana,

Yes, I think you could fit in LLLOTR if you really want to. My ds fits in his book club, so I know about fitting in outside reading with AHL. Of course, it's easier to just do AHL :)

 

As for the grammar, I really like the parts where some of the AHL essays have students review grammar concepts and then *find* them in the student's own work and see if the student wants to change them. Excellent real-life use of grammar. By 11th grade, MFW does a whole Easy Grammar review book. So I wouldn't add grammar unless you find in his essays that he is totally out there. Instead, I'd just train him in the areas you see a need, maybe one grammar issue at a time so you don't discourage his writing.

 

As for SWI, you could do that some summer if you see a need, but personally I don't like IEW for students who don't really, really need to get away from dick-n-jane sentences or get away from copying the encyclopedia (my particular dd's problem) or another specific need. But that's a personal preference.

 

Julie

 

P.S. You might try the writing board on this forum or the MFW high school yahoo group to get some initial feedback on his writing?

[Jeana]

Julie, I can't thank you enough for putting it into perspective for me. This helps me a lot.

 

Jeana