Is it ok to do NO literature in 9th grade, or would that look too unusual?

[HappyGrace]

I'm new at this :)

 

I thought we'd do a full-year of high school level grammar (a "wrap-up" year), Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop (level D or E) and half-year of writing. Do we need to add in lit the first semester too, or is this enough?

 

Dd has a pretty full plate in other areas for next yr and has done quite a bit of lit already. She got a lit credit this yr in 8th grade, so I'm not sure if that's good that she already got that so we don't need to do it next yr, or bad because it would look like she's not stepping things up next yr.

[Ellie]

At the high school level, it is assumed that each year of *English* includes literature and composition, with grammar thrown in for good measure. :-) 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

What I've generally seen in high school is more emphasis on analytical reading and writing and less on grammar and vocab than early years. Grammar and vocab still have a place, but they become more of a tool and less of a goal in and of themselves.

The reading can be literature (fiction and poetry) or more non fiction (like essays and speeches). But in general there is movement toward reading and thinking about what it meant and the choices the author took to get his point a cross or to elicit a certain reaction from the reader.

If the plate is pretty full it doesn't have to mean dozens of novels. It could be short stories and essays. Windows to the World uses short stories (one syllabus for W2W adds two novels and a play).

On the topic of high school credits before ninth grade, there are some good discussions in the pinned threads at the top of the high school board. There are a few different approaches to this. But most tend to only count credits early when there is a general consensus of the content that makes up a high school level class (so for example algebra or foreign language). It becomes stickier in subjects like English and history/social studies.

[Shelly in VA]

If the plate is pretty full it doesn't have to mean dozens of novels. It could be short stories and essays. Windows to the World uses short stories (one syllabus for W2W adds two novels and a play).

 

Both my teens enjoyed Windows to the World, and they felt like they learned a lot. Ds (now 17) still lists one of the short story selections as one of his favorite high school reads.

[HappyGrace]

OK, looks like we'll need some lit then-thanks!

 

The lit she did this yr was a high school lit in co-op, so I will ask for sure if it would count but I assume it would.

 

I love those stickies and they help a lot, thanks!

[regentrude]

OK, looks like we'll need some lit then-thanks!

 

The lit she did this yr was a high school lit in co-op, so I will ask for sure if it would count but I assume it would.

 

Usually, of coursework taken before 9th grade, only math and maybe foreign language classes "count' for high school. Some colleges specifically want to see only the coursework of the past last four years, and people who want to include earlier credits specify so on the transcript.

The topic of earlier credits comes up fairly often on this board; while there are different views, I have not encountered anybody who would count literature or history from before 9th grade for high school credit - even if the studies were high school "level" (whatever that means)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

My kids both took the same intro to lit class in coop when they were in grades 9 & 8. I count the class for the then 9th grader but not for the 8th grader.

The same for their history work that year. They did the same challenging modern history readings but only one gets the credit.

I told the younger ds that he was just going to have a better 8th grade year than his brother. He didn't repeat the same work as a ninth grader but rather moved on to the next stage.

I'm willing to count math at algebra and above and foreign lang but I feel that lit and history credits early would call the whole transcript into question. (If there was a recognized outside source like AP results or a college online class I would consider it. Otherwise it's just a good solid 8th grade course. )

[Crimson Wife]

Walch Poetry & Prose Toolbook can be done once per week and would make a good complement to the programs mentioned in your OP: http://walch.com/Walch-Toolbook-Series-Prose-and-Poetry.html

[PeterPan]

I'd take Ellie's thought one step further and point out that "english 9" on their transcript does not have to represent 200 hours worth of work.  ;)  It's 1 credit/unit total, so make the total amount of work sane.  You CAN'T get everything done that you can dream up, so don't be perfectionist about this.  You HAVE to cut.  You look at the total amount of sane time to spend for 1 credit/unit (120-180 hours MAX), then CHOP till what you're thinking fits into that.  

 

If your lit ideas don't fit in that time frame, flood them over to history, remembering to trim history to a sensible amount. 

 

Lee Binz is doing another one of her free workshops.  Here's the link, in case you're not signed up.  Her workshops are fast, fun, and AWESOME.  You'll leave pepped up and totally having your brain wrapped around your transcript plans.  Seriously, you'll rethink how you approach everything and for the BETTER.  She's calm, sane, and she'll help you feel more calm and sane.  :)

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[HappyGrace]

Thanks, everyone-I didn't realize that it was just math and language that count from 8th grade.

 

I'm going to do the Binz webinar and get her book too-thank you!

[Crimson Wife]

It's not that unusual for students to start the high school science sequence in 8th in order to free up more slots for advanced courses in 11th & 12th. Could be done before 8th but the student would have to be accelerated enough in math to be in the proper co-requisites for chemistry & physics.

I haven't decided yet whether DD will take high school biology in 8th or an elective course (she's doing Mr. Q Advanced Chem this year in 6th and will do either Hewitt Conceptual Physics or Singapore Physics Matters next year in 7th). If we do decide to have her take high school biology in 8th, I'd most likely sign her up for either single-course enrollment with Kolbe or one of the local UC a-g approved courses. I'd also have her take the SAT 2 test as an end-of-course exam to verify the completion of a H.S. level science course.

[In The Great White North]

 

 

I'm willing to count math at algebra and above and foreign lang but I feel that lit and history credits early would call the whole transcript into question. (If there was a recognized outside source like AP results or a college online class I would consider it. Otherwise it's just a good solid 8th grade course. ) 

 

 

 

Thanks, everyone-I didn't realize that it was just math and language that count from 8th grade

 

 

I wouldn't make this assumption.  Some schools specify "last four years".  I have a vague memory of one school specifying "last three years".  

 

You don't really need to put algebra I or German I from 8th grade on the transcript. Adcoms can figure out that a student who has geometry and algebra II on their transcript probably did algebra I at some point too and that the German II was probably preceded by German I.

[Kareni]

Is it ok to do NO literature in 9th grade ...

 

 

Here is what my daughter did for English:

 

9th:
World Literature from 1700 to 2000 (0.5 credits)
Literature: Fantasy (0.5 credits)
Literature: Greek Plays (0.25 credits)

10th:
College Preparatory Essay Writing (0.5 credits)
Literature: Middle English (0.25 credits)

11th:
WR 121: Comp. - Intro. to Argument (0.5 credits)
WR 122: Comp. - Style and Argument (0.5 credits)
ENG 109: Survey of World Literature (0.5 credits)

12th:
ENG 215: Latino/a Literature (0.5 credits)
ENG 250: Intro. to Folklore & Mythology (0.5 credits)
WR 123: Composition - Research (0.5 credits)

 

 

Some of these were done at home, others at a homeschooling resource center and still others at the local community college.  As you can see, some of my daughter's years were heavier in Literature, others were heavier in writing (and one year only had 0.75 credits while another year had 1.25 credits).  Had my daughter taken one whole year of literature or of writing, it would not have bothered me.

 

Regards,

Kareni