kathym Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I am real new to this and need some advice. My son is 9th grade for his curriculum I am using LIFEPAC Language Arts, History/Geography, Health. Saxon Algebra 1/2 (he is not getting the Algebra 1 at all had to move back a little) and Apologia for Biology. I know from my reading that there is a book list he must do? Can anyone tell me more about that . Also, I have a couple books I was going to have him do a lesson plan on, Romeo and Juliet, and a book calld Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson, MD ( it is a parable short story) I am unsure how many books they must do. He is not a fan of reading either so it is very hard to get him doing that. Pretty much I need help making sure I can give him as much as we can so we can get him through school. The public school was too much and he was failing. We live in Wichita Kansas . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachnut Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Welcome to homeschooling! If you're just starting this at the high school level, I understand how daunting it must feel. But the beauty of it is that you can completely tailor your son's education to his interests and learning styles. I'd highly suggest that if you haven't yet read "The Well-Trained Mind" (TWTM) by Susan Wise Bauer (which is what this online forum is based on), you should read it as soon as you can. It's the homeschooling bible for many of us and describes what classical education is and outlines what you should teach (and how to teach it) for grades K-12, w/ specific curriculum suggestions, including booklists. TWTM suggests an incredible amount of great books in many subjects, but particular in history/language arts, where the suggested books to read correlate to the period of history you're studying. (For example, my 9th grade DS is standing ancient-medieval history, so most of his literature this year is from that time period, such as the Iliad, Beowulf, etc.) You don't have to tie history/literature together, but it really deepens your understanding of the context behind the book (as well as the book itself) if you're studying the same historical time frame that you're reading about in your 9th grade English course. As for the booklist, there is no standard booklist that you have to have your high schooler read through, nor is there a minimum number he is required to read in a given year. But there are plenty of wonderful suggestions to choose from. In addition to the extensive list of books in TWTM, there are many great booklists available, including some good ones on the College Board website (www.collegeboard.com) if you're son is college-bound and other good lists at the American Library Association website (www.ala.org). But you can really pick any age-appropriate books (preferably *good* ones -- classics, award-winners, etc.) and have your son read them independently or together with you and then discuss them, write about them, do projects about them, etc. And, if your son doesn't really like to read, you might want to present him with a list of books you feel is appropriate and then let him pick which ones he wants to read and discuss. Even if you only make it through 3-4 good novels in one year, I would think that's a great start. To spark a love of reading, it always helps to tap into the interests of your child. So, in addition to requiring him to read a few *good* books (that you approve & he chooses), you can also encourage him just to read books (fiction and non-fiction) about things he loves -- war battles, motorcycles, soccer, medieval times, dogs, the history of rock music, whatever. Or try a variety of genres -- science fiction, mysteries, historical fiction, epics, etc. Just try to light a passion for reading. (It might not happen, but it's always worth a try.) Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 Agreeing with Beachnut: If you can have your son read 3 quality books this year, then discuss and/or write about them, you would be getting somewhere. For grade 9 last year, my oldest son and I did a literary analysis class on DVD for The Yearling. http://www.centerforlit.com/Materials/CC.aspx It was wonderful. That might be a good place to begin. The only other suggestion I have is regarding Shakespeare: my thought is that my son would probably have preferred MacBeth to Romeo & Juliet as his introduction to the bard. That may not be the case with your son, but I wanted to throw that out there. You have the basics covered; hopefully in his free time, your son can pursue and develop his own interests. Welcome to homeschooling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 I am real new to this and need some advice. My son is 9th grade for his curriculum I am using LIFEPAC Language Arts, History/Geography, Health. Saxon Algebra 1/2 (he is not getting the Algebra 1 at all had to move back a little) and Apologia for Biology. I know from my reading that there is a book list he must do? Can anyone tell me more about that . Also, I have a couple books I was going to have him do a lesson plan on, Romeo and Juliet, and a book calld Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson, MD ( it is a parable short story) I am unsure how many books they must do. He is not a fan of reading either so it is very hard to get him doing that. Pretty much I need help making sure I can give him as much as we can so we can get him through school. The public school was too much and he was failing. We live in Wichita Kansas . Well, there isn't an actual booklist that he must do. There are books that many people recommend, but there's nothing that says he must do them. Alpha Omega's Language Arts includes literature, and at least a couple of the Lifepacs are study guides for different works. You can add others if you think they're important, but your Alpha Omega will cover literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathym Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 :001_smile:Thank You for all the advice. I have been brainstorming and reading lots of things and was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. I guess I will just try to breath a little more and not stress so much on some things. Not easy when I would love to see my son succeed. He wants to go into the military when he is ready. If all goes well in the future my husband and I are thinking about taking our daughter (8yrs old, 3rd grade) out of school when she hits middle school, or sooner, until then we are working with her at home in the evenings on her math and reading as well. She loves to write and loves learning. My little sponge she is Again, thank you for all the support and advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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