Transcript Question: Assigning 1 full credit each for Literature and Composition

[Forgiven]

I've been searching not only on this board, but on the internet at large, for an answer to my specific question. Maybe I'm searching with the wrong words, so if this has been discussed, a link to the thread would be appreciated.

We no longer do Classical Conversations, but my daughter did the Challenge 1 class for her 9th grade year. According to CC, we should give one credit for American Literature and one credit for Composition, but everywhere else I look, it's 1 credit for the two combined. I'm not sure if they recommend doing it differently due to the course load (My daughter read all the books, participated in discussions, and wrote every paper required). She read a total of 18 novels as well as numerous short stories and poems and wrote twelve essays (Essays included multiple steps -- used Lost Tools of Writing).

As far as the amount of time it took for her to complete all of this work, it was a lot of time, and when I look at it that way, I do see it as 1 credit each (2 total credits), but I don't want her transcripts to look padded or inflated.

Has anyone had to deal with this? What would your recommendation be?

Thanks!

Angie

[Mom0012]

It definitely sounds like it was two credits worth of work. My dd has taken many years of GB type classes with a couple of different teachers and giving multiple credits always seems to be recommended. Sometimes I have done that and sometimes I haven’t. I step back and look at my dd’s overall transcript and think about what she invested in the class to determine what credits I will record. 

For example, in the class my dd took this last year, I believe it is recommended to award 1 credit in literature, 1 credit for composition and one credit for history. It was a very heavy class and I think that is completely justified. However, I only awarded the lit and history credit because my dd’s Transcript is going to start to look unbelievable if I awarded an extra composition credit every year she took one of these classes. On the other hand, it has been a great way for her to earn some of her history credits.

For my son’s transcript, I think I gave him a creative writing credit to fill in as an elective because he had taken a number of years of these classes as well. I didn’t give him an extra composition credit every year because I didn’t feel like it truly reflected the work he had done. I didn’t give him an extra history credit each year because he also took a straight American history, world history classes, but I did award him an extra credit for Román/Greek History as a culmination of a number of years of Omni classes. I felt that that credit was very legitimately earned and reflected his work as a student.

Edited June 10, 2019 by Mom0012

[Forgiven]

Thank you, Mom0012! I appreciate your explanation and examples of your kids' situations. This helps a lot.

[Lori D.]

If going with just 1 credit, you could very legitimately call it "Honors English" to reflect the rigorous workload.

As a side note -- it looks like several of the books are of late elementary level (Best Christmas Pageant Ever; Johnny Tremain; Sign of the Beaver; Witch of Blackbird Pond), so that would encourage me, personally, to lean more towards counting it as 1 credit, but as an Honors credit for the higher amount of books read/discussed and for doing 12 essays. JMO! 🙂

Edited June 10, 2019 by Lori D.

[Forgiven]

Lori, thanks! Those lower level books are one of the numerous reasons we stopped doing cc. 😉  I am considering this.

[Lori D.]

11 minutes ago, Forgiven said:

Lori, thanks! Those lower level books are one of the numerous reasons we stopped doing cc. 😉  I am considering this.

Just an aside on using lower level books in middle/high school. I think there are definitely reasons to use lower-than-grade level books -- even high quality picture books! -- in older grades, and even high school:
- they can be useful History supplement to the historical times
- they can be gentle introductions into tough topics, followed up with higher reading level 
- they can be good for students who are just starting to do formal literature study/literary analysis, or who are "late bloomers" in being able to discuss/analyze literature

That said, when we used lower level books in high school, I was NOT counting those books as part of the credit -- totally using the books as additional support or supplement, or as a gentle introduction, or just for fun. 😉

Whatever you decide on counting credits for your transcript, I'm sure it will be well-considered and a good decision for your family. 😁 Warmest regards, Lori D.