Please share your experiences with AP English Language/Literature courses

[Imprimis]

I would like to hear your experiences (good and bad!) with AP English Language and/or AP English Literature courses your highschoolers have completed.

 

I know there are several options out there now for online and distance learning. Which would you recommend and why?

 

Are there any that you feel were disappointing or not worth the cost?

 

My daughter is a rising junior and I'm trying to finalize our plans for next year.

[MomsintheGarden]

You will probably get some great reviews of actual courses, but my dd successfully studied for both of these exams at home. She used a combination of the following things, with which I helped her plan and schedule.

 

- She read carefully selected classic literature, nonfiction for the English Language exam, and fiction for the English Literature exam. She also read background info on each work.

- She wrote essays using the past-used free response questions on the College Board website.

- She studied from a couple of exam prep books for each exam to learn literary terms and practice for the multiple-choice questions.

 

I read and critiqued her essays. This approach would work if you have a student who enjoys self-studying for things and have the time to help them with the essays. It was a fair amount of work to plan, but I was glad for the experience as I can use it for our younger children.

 

Blessings,

GardenMom

[LynnG in Arizona]

My daughter just completed the AP Literature class through Pennsylvania Homeschoolers this year. She took Mrs. Green. Both of us were extremely pleased with the class. It was rigorous without being overwhelming. They covered a nice amount of classic literature, often in some depth.

 

And we just learned that my dd received a 5 on the AP test, so the class obviously did a very nice job preparing her! :)

 

I personally do not like grading my children's writing once they get to a certain age. Every critique is often felt personally, and I don't have a good scope of what to correct . . . sometimes I "nitpick", and other times I let things slide when I shouldn't. So for me, this class was a Godsend.

 

HTH.

[snowbeltmom]

 

- She read carefully selected classic literature, nonfiction for the English Language exam, and fiction for the English Literature exam. She also read background info on each work.

- She wrote essays using the past-used free response questions on the College Board website.

- She studied from a couple of exam prep books for each exam to learn literary terms and practice for the multiple-choice questions.

 

 

How did you go about choosing the nonfiction selections for the English Language exam? What test prep book(s) would you recommend?

[Imprimis]

Thanks, GardenMom and Lynn.

 

Lynn---did your daughter take the AP English Language course and exam before AP Literature? My daughter would rather jump right to Literature, but I keep seeing recommendations to complete AP English Language first.

 

GardenMom---did you follow any of the sample syllabi from the College Board site?

 

Right now I'm leaning toward having her take a course (once I decide on one!) rather than self-studying, but I'm looking at all the options.

[abbeyej]

Lynn---did your daughter take the AP English Language course and exam before AP Literature? My daughter would rather jump right to Literature, but I keep seeing recommendations to complete AP English Language first.

 

I'm curious about this recommendation. My school didn't even offer the Language course/test, so I took Lit in 10th grade (5) and Lang in 11th (4 -- but I had done *nothing* to prepare, at all, even a little)... I'm considering having ds and his friend work on one of the exams the year after this, and I'd be curious to read more about the logic of doing Language first...

[LynnG in Arizona]

No, my daughter did not do AP English Language first, but she did take several years of Potter's School English, which undoubtedly helped prepare her beautifully for the AP English Literature class. :)

[8filltheheart]

Since this is not one of the APs we are taking, I am unsure if this is one of the courses that has been revamped. If not, I purchased one Duke's AP English manuals (w/o going and looking I'm not sure if it is the lit or composition course......it included a lot of lit selections though) and for the price, I think it has lots of practical info. (no answers though)

 

https://tipstore.tip.duke.edu/apmanuals.asp?productID=4

[MomsintheGarden]

How did you go about choosing the nonfiction selections for the English Language exam? What test prep book(s) would you recommend?

Dd picked the nonfiction books with my help. She had already done WTM-style rhetoric level history and lit in 7th-10th (kept her on track with her older brother), and she wanted something different. She chose Darwin's Black Box, which is full of all types of persuasive writing. She also chose several C.S. Lewis nonfiction books, such as Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and Surprised by Joy. I think there were others but we can't remember.

 

We like the Cliff's and Barron's prep books for the Language and Literature. There is a separate book for each test from each publisher. They complement each other well. Cliff's has an excellent glossary that was a great quick review of literature/rhetoric terms.

 

HTH,

GardenMom

[MomsintheGarden]

Thanks, GardenMom and Lynn.

 

Lynn---did your daughter take the AP English Language course and exam before AP Literature? My daughter would rather jump right to Literature, but I keep seeing recommendations to complete AP English Language first.

 

GardenMom---did you follow any of the sample syllabi from the College Board site?

 

Right now I'm leaning toward having her take a course (once I decide on one!) rather than self-studying, but I'm looking at all the options.

We found that the rhetoric terms studied for AP Lang are a subset of the lit terms used in AP Lit, so dd was glad to have done Lang first. Many high schools that offer both teach Lang to 11th graders and Lit to 12th graders. Dd thought the skills she learned for Lang were very valuable, especially those she practiced for the synthesis essay. That said, you could go either way and be absolutely fine.

 

I did not follow any syllabi from the CB site, but I did a lot of searching and perusing the many syllabi posted on the internet by AP teachers. There is a wealth of info out there.

 

I also joined the AP English teacher's forum and asked if a book dd wanted to use for AP Lit was ok. The book was C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces. Several teachers kindly answered my question by saying that they thought it was a good book to use for the "write about a book of your own choosing" essay IF it fit the topic. Dd ended up using TWHF for her essay and it worked well. She studied several others but just loves C.S. Lewis.

 

Here is a link for you. It's a compilation of what books have been suggested in the choose your book essay for AP Lit exams since 1971, including what years. It is a great resource! Remember that just because a book is not listed does not mean that it will not work. If in doubt, as the teachers on the forum.

 

http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/AP/APtitles.html

 

HTH,

GardenMom

[Imprimis]

 

Here is a link for you. It's a compilation of what books have been suggested in the choose your book essay for AP Lit exams since 1971, including what years. It is a great resource! Remember that just because a book is not listed does not mean that it will not work. If in doubt, as the teachers on the forum.

 

http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/AP/APtitles.html

 

HTH,

GardenMom

 

Great link!

 

Thanks so much for all the helpful information.