Which Subject to Skip?

[Sandragood1]

If a child is fully engaged with a course load of only four classes, what do you let go? I guess I'm sort of processing this here, but I'm interested in opinions.

 

This year (9th grade) Dd is taking TT Algebra, BJU French 1, WTMA Biology, and Debra Bell's AIM Academy Intro to Lit and Academic Writing. She is just barely holding her own, meaning some weeks are ok and some are too heavy. She feels down about it sometimes.

 

In planning for next year, given only four slots, what do I skip? TT Geometry and French II are a given. She really, really wants to take Ancient History and WTMA is the only course I have found. But. It will be challenging for her (I may be able to get her some accommodations).

 

So do I drop the science or the English? I wanted her to do WTMA for a WWS catch-up class in prep for Rhetoric. I could just sign her up for English 10 at the local co-op or for a writing or literature class there. She enjoys literature ( no idea where that came from).

 

For science I had planned on WTMA Chemistry using labs from an unschool-y co-op. Now WTMA includes labs and I think it will be too much. I could put her in a Physical Science course at a co-op. It's new but should be good and not too challenging.

 

FYI I outsource everything or nothing. Mixing doesn't work at our house. She relishes the time with other kids (IRL or online) so we are outsourcing it all. We are lucky to have a number of good options.

 

Thank you for you opinions.

[kiana]

I would not skip English any year of high school because of how many universities require 4 years of English for admission, as well as writing skills being so foundational for pretty much anything. 

[Daria]

Can you push one off to the summer, or do a full credit asynchronous course over 6 months, and then move on to another, or find easier online courses?  I'd explore all of those before I just skipped a subject. 

Otherwise I'd skip science this year, and then social science next year, and foreign language the final year so she ends up with 4 years of Math and English, and 3 years of everything else.

[chiguirre]

I'd do history over the summer using a light book so that you have a standard looking transcript.

[Lori D.]

TOTALLY agree with the previous posters:

- Kiana nailed it with the fact that 4 years of English is non-negociable.

- Chiguirre has a great suggestion of doing summer school at home this summer to catch up.

- Daria has a great suggestion for the next 3 years of how to juggle your credits to keep it less stressful.

 

 

Just adding:

 

1. As your DD gets more experience under her belt and matures, she will very likely get faster and better at juggling everything with online classes, esp. if this is her first year of doing it.

 

2. All online classes from all different providers is likely so breaking up every day of the week for DD with a goofy schedule to have to meet, that it may be making everything take SO much longer -- just as DD starts to get in the groove of doing assignments for one thing, she has to drop it to show up online for a totally different subject. If she does not mentally switch gears fast, this is going to add exponentially to the amount of time getting through both classes and at-home assignments. I'd look hard at finding ways to move this into some sort of block scheduling, or way of re-organizing this scattered approach to learning to HELP DD. -- Just making an assumption here about how your DD may work best, and ignore if this is not the case. ;)

 

3. Students really have to accomplish an average of 5 credits per year of high school to meet the minimum requirements for possible future college admission, as well as high school graduation requirements.

Hard reality:

If doing all online classes does not allow you to meet this minimum, and DD is not able to adjust to the workload of all online classes, then it's time to compromise whether you and/or DD like it or not, and you'll just HAVE to make the compromise work. Try 2 classes online and 3 at home. Find 2 classes that meet on the same 2 days a week, so Mon/Wed, or Tues/Thur can be your online class focus days, and the other 3 days of the week you can "block schedule" and focus on the 3 at-home classes. Or go with 5 classes all at home and look for some out of the box thinking and compromises to make that a workable option.

 

A radical suggestion:

Do a 5th year of high school to complete all required courses (esp. if she is needing accomodations, that suggests some LDs, which might reduce stress on ALL of you by getting that documented so that a 5th year of high school would NOT be odd on college applications). Then she can take 4-5 classes a year without stressing and accomplish 20-24 credits by the end of the 5th year.

 

Other possible compromises:

- go for easier online classes (WTMA is rigorous/high volume of reading/writing; is that a good match for DD? or for all subjects?)

- stop all online classes, do school at home, and fill social need with extracurriculars

- if doing a mix of at home and online, look for local outsourcing or supports:

(homeschool co-op)

(do one class at a local public/private high school)

(possible university model school -- at school 3 days / homeschool 2 days)

(hire a tutor to one-on-one teach her)

 

Esp. if you end up having to switch to school all at home, look into lots of extracurricular involvements for social time. Cutting and pasting a list of extracurriculars from a past thread below. Extracurriculars can be a great way to "double-dip" -- socialization, develop great leadership/responsibility skills that are looked for on college applications, AND cover some of your hours towards a credit as a type of partial outsourcing! ;)

 

BEST of luck as you plan out next year, and the rest of high school, and in finding what works best for your family! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

Music Extracurricular

- private lesson providers (instrument or voice) and participation in recitals

- homeschool co-ops offering music/drama/performance-based classes and end-of-year performances

- some private, public or charter schools allow participation in their band/orchestra

- join a community youth band/orchestra/choir

- look into community classes or organizations for folk music, folk dancing, etc.

- community youth theater groups (example: Christian Youth Theater)

- class offerings of your local Parks & Rec department

- participation in a church choir, worship team, bell ringing group, etc.

- many large churches have special Christmas musical performances opportunities for youth

 

Fine Arts/Writing:

- attend student matinee showings of theater productions, concerts, etc.

- field trips to art museum, glass-blowing studio, pottery studio...

- art from a private lesson provider

- homeschool co-op offering fine arts classes

- Parks & Rec classes: arts and crafts, jewelry-making, print-making, etc.

- student writes articles for publishing in a local newspaper

- student writes own blog

- participate in NaNoWriMo

 

Sports/Athletic/Outdoor

- club sports (AYSO, Bobbysoxers, Little League, Pop Warner, etc…)

- swim team

- NYS sports teams

- YMCA sports teams

- public, private or charter middle / high schools allow participation on their sports teams

- Parks & Rec classes

- after school bowling league

- weekly homeschool group PE day

- private classes/studios: martial arts, dance, fencing, horseback riding, gymnastics, cheerleading...

- Orienteering

- Geocaching or Letterboxing

- family or local group for weekend hiking / running / biking / tennis / etc.

- weekend "pick up" games at the park or gym of basketball, ultimate frisbee, etc.

 

National Groups, with local branches

- 4-H (not just animals! -- archery, public speaking; rockets…)

- Scouting

- Math Olympiad group

- National Forensics League (speech/debate)

- STOA (Christian speech & debate)
- National Christian Forensics and Communication Association

- Christian Communicators of America 

- DECA (high school business-career oriented)
- FIRST Robotics (high school robotic team competition)
- National Science Bowl (middle school/high school knowledge competition)

- Youth & Government (model legislation program)

- TEEN Pact (government and the political process; Christian)

- Junior State of America (civics and politics)
- National Model United Nations or Model United Nations (mock U.N. session)
- Teen Court, Youth Court, Mock Trial (mock judicial)

- Future Farmers of America

 

Community Opportunities

- community historical recreation group

- Community Gardens

- volunteer student tutor to young strudents at local library

- volunteer work with an animal shelter, food bank, or other group of interest

- after school clubs at local middle/high school: chess, robotics, book club, etc.

- homeschool geography bee, spelling bee, etc.

- summer programs for teens, offered through your local University or Community College

- join an air soft and/or paintball group and go out on the weekends

- organize monthly ballroom dances for teens at a local church or hall 

- host a bi-weekly club at your house for DC and friends: book discussion, jewelry-making, cooking...

- teen works a part time job, or starts own cottage business

 

High School Military Cadet Groups

- Civil Air Patrol  (ages 12-18)
- U.S. Naval Sea Cadets (ages 11-17)
- Junior ROTC (grades 9-12)
- U.S. Army Junior ROTC

 

Past Threads with lots of ideas:

Low income people and extracurriculars

Finding extra-curricular

What extracurricular activities for the high school years?

What kinds of extra activities for high schoolers?

DS is so, so lonely

 

 

 

[Sandragood1]

Thank you all for your ideas. I had a talk with dd last night. While she is very interested in Ancient History, she wants to take five classes next year and preserve a chance of attending a 4 year college directly after high school ( as opposed to the local cc).

 

She suggested just listening to the SWB book on Ancient History over the year and not making it a class. This really lightens her workload.

 

Schedule-wise, the co-op French class is M/W. She does TT M-F. I try to schedule classes so they are not all on the same days so she doesn't have back to back classes.

 

Socially: She sees her friends very little bc they are so busy so we have filled more of her time with extracurriculars. She has 2 scouting groups, 4-H, and music lessons.

[wapiti]

FWIW, throwing in my two inexperienced cents:  I would count the music lessons as a fine art credit, 1/2 or 1 at most, depending on how much time and effort it consumes.

 

I'm afraid I missed something above - I'm not sure how there is time for extracurriculars if she doesn't have enough time for core courses.  Of the other extracurriculars, I would weigh time cost vs benefit (especially, what personal development she is getting out of the ECs besides social time), and consider cutting one or two of the three different scouting/4H activities.  Obviously that may be an undesirable and punitive way to look at this, but IMO the core courses have priority.  Maybe that priority would provide motivation for managing the workload in order to keep the ECs.

 

Third, I'd wonder what the source of the struggle is and whether that should be considered sooner rather than later, for her benefit.  For example, even if the trouble is simply that the chosen courses are especially difficult, maybe there's a role for some personal guidance in planning/time management/efficiency.

[GoodGrief]

I haven't read all the replies.

 

I would do math in the summer as an intensive (since you are using TT, and it is not dependent on a school's schedule), and consider adding an elective.  Continue lang arts/science/foreign lang and add a social science in the fall.  Perhaps pick up math again for a couple months in Dec/Jan, when other courses are on break.

 

I do think you may be making it harder by using the online classes in your situation, but I understand why you have made that choice.

[MomOfABunch]

I've struggled with this too. It can be hard in our crazy busy household to make enough time for DS1 to get his work done. We've settled into a block schedule that is working pretty well. Roughly, we have 3 semesters, but it's not exact. If history takes until February, literature will wait and go into the summer, for example. I have found that 4 academic classes going at a time is good for right now. Arabic we spread over all 3 semesters, so it's very slow and steady (we're deep into grammar and diagramming sentences - often it takes a week to really understand 1 lesson). So, next year will look like this:

 

Fall:

AP Computer Science

History

 

Spring:

Literature

Review for AP CS exam

(Possibly begin Bio if review is going really well)

 

Summer:

Biology

 

All Year:

Math

Rhetoric with WTM Academy

Arabic (spread over all 3 semesters)

 

I really, really, really wanted to make history and lit from WTM Academy work. But it just won't; the schedule is too rigid.

HTH

[Sandragood1]

Thank you for the additional replies.

 

Maybe I need to look at a three semester year. That is a good idea which I have avoided due to my need for a break. We worked through summer once or twice and I absolutely was running on empty, heart and soul, before we hit Thanksgiving the following year. But perhaps with only one homeschooling student it might work. This summer is already scheduled for a two week summer camp with the cousins and a local, four week arts program. It's possible the art program could get dropped if she doesn't get her preferred classes.

 

I strongly believe that social skills are important and that my extremely introverted kids need social activities. Now, if there were kids available to just hang out, we would not need so much extra happening. I would prefer fewer scout groups but since Venturing meets at our house it isn't much time commitment.

[Lori D.]

Thank you for the additional replies.

 

Maybe I need to look at a three semester year. That is a good idea which I have avoided due to my need for a break. We worked through summer once or twice and I absolutely was running on empty, heart and soul, before we hit Thanksgiving the following year. 

 

Since you already know from past experience how vital breaks are, keep a very sharp eye out on scheduling through the summer. I'd make sure to include 3-4 weeks "buffer" both at the end of this school year AND before the start of next to still have time off. 

 

You can try out the 3-semester idea just for this year to catch up. You don't have to commit to this idea for ALL of high school. DD might really surge ahead next year in abilities, and you wouldn't need a third semester for catch up at that point. :)

 

Just take it one step at a time, and make adjustments as needed. I know we all want to have a 4-year plan all filled in before high school even starts, but really, all plans should be made in pencil and revisited every 6 months or so, just because our students' abilities, needs, and goals keep changing so much all through high school. :)

 

 

For example, for this summer, since you just need to catch up History:

- 3.5 to 4 hours/day x 5 days/week = 17.5-20 hours/week

- 17.5 to 20 hours/week x 7 weeks = 120-140 hours

- and 120 hours (light) to 150 hours (average) =  1 credit

 

You can break up the daily schedule into 3 parts so it doesn't feel so long. For example:

- 2 to 2.5 hours = readings (textbook, primary source documents, hist. fiction, biog., etc.)

- 0.5 to 1 hour = documentaries/Teaching Company videos, etc. (maybe watch in the evenings together!)

- 0.5 to 1 hour = writing, projects, etc.

[kiana]

You can try having your summer be the most fun/engaging/optional of what you're doing -- something that doesn't really seem like schoolwork.

 

For example, punt history to the summer, doing the "listening" that you were considering doing, read some extra books that are engaging -- not necessarily "deep critical thinking" level books, but just books that go along with ancient history and she enjoys -- have her do some sort of term project -- poof.

 

 

[MomOfABunch]

Thank you for the additional replies.

 

Maybe I need to look at a three semester year. That is a good idea which I have avoided due to my need for a break. We worked through summer once or twice and I absolutely was running on empty, heart and soul, before we hit Thanksgiving the following year. But perhaps with only one homeschooling student it might work. This summer is already scheduled for a two week summer camp with the cousins and a local, four week arts program. It's possible the art program could get dropped if she doesn't get her preferred classes.

 

 

I strongly believe that social skills are important and that my extremely introverted kids need social activities. Now, if there were kids available to just hang out, we would not need so much extra happening. I would prefer fewer scout groups but since Venturing meets at our house it isn't much time commitment.

Since we go all year, I take days or weeks off when they're needed. The summer class is always something that's all or mostly independent AND it's just for DS1. The others don't need to work through the summer (yet!). I just have to check him to make sure he is getting it done, so it's not very involved for me.

 

Arabic does goes all year, but we do it together a few times a week and there is a religious component to it. My DHs' native language is Arabic. We would do this even if the kids went to B&M school.

 

Also, Lori is right, if you did try 3 semesters, you wouldn't have to do it every year.

[MerryAtHope]

Thank you all for your ideas. I had a talk with dd last night. While she is very interested in Ancient History, she wants to take five classes next year and preserve a chance of attending a 4 year college directly after high school ( as opposed to the local cc).

 

My oldest did this--he took only the 4 major classes (history, science, math, English) and no foreign language his freshman year. He also had 2 semesters of fine arts credit, a keyboarding semester, and PE, so ended up with 6 credits overall. I'd look to her extras and see what can be turned into credit to round out this year, then let her try the 5 major classes next year. Doing one of them lighter (like history with mainly listening) can help. He was able to do 5 major classes other years...maybe she will too, or you'll find adjustments that will help it to work. 

 

One thing that really helped here was to use workboxes--it helped him to keep on track and work steadily at each subject.

 

Honestly, starting at the CC can be a positive thing too (reduce costs those first two years, reduce the amount of change that all happens at once, getting used to working at the college level while still at home/added support etc....) So, I wouldn't rule that out--it can be a good option.