Feedback...9th grade

[mmasc]

My first HSer, and this credit thing is throwing me for a loop! I would like some feedback on this schedule. I’d like to keep it doable (not a super motivated ds!) but not way too light. Here’s what we have:

algebra 1 (1 credit)

apologia biology w/labs (1 credit)

IEW SWI-C and Progeny Press Intro to Poetry, and The Hobbit w/ guide (will add more lit after finishing these) (1 credit)

cultural geography (1 credit)

personal finance (0.5 credit)

mango languages Spanish  

how can I make the Spanish at least 0.5, if not 1 credit? Is there any intro book to add to it to make it count? (No Spanish background here.)

When I look at the texts, they seem like a lot of work and will definitely keep him busy,  but when I look at the *credits*, it seems way too light! 

ETA: he loves art, but I don’t know what to do for it to be a credit. I’ve also thought of maybe doing something logic as a half credit for the semester after finance since it’s only half?? (He hasn’t had logic of any kind yet)

Edited August 12, 2019 by mmasc
More info

[Miss Tick]

For Spanish i think you need a grammar component. Are you trying to keep it free? Your library probably had some "learn Spanish" books you could preview (and use), or you could get forum suggestions for books you could buy used. He might benefit from a quick run through Getting Started with Spanish to set a foundation. 

Another free Spanish resource that you might look at is Destinos on the Annenburg Learner site. It is a telenovela format with comprehension questions and quizzes graded online.  After doing that you could take a run through the similar program on the BBC called Mi Vida Loca. That one is a quick skim, so better for review after the topics have been studied elsewhere.

 

[Farrar]

If you have an iPad, you could try Breaking the Barrier Spanish, which is an etextbook. I think maybe have have other formats now too. Or you could do Middlebury Interactive (with or without the teacher support). You could get an online tutor and call it something like "Conversational Spanish." You could do an online class... other people may have other suggestions.

For art... it's so open. Honestly, as long as he's working the requisite number of hours on art, then I think you should give a credit. Right now, this schedule doesn't have any electives, and I think it probably should. You say he likes art. Create an art credit. There are tons of online options for free or cheap through things like Udemy and Skillshare. Tons more of paid ones. I know the guy who does The Animation Course has a drawing class now that's supposed to be good. But there' are many, many more. Or you could look locally for a class. I think the class itself doesn't need to fulfill some specific credit  requirement. Instead, get classes, online tutorials, local workshops - whatever - in order to keep him motivated and working and expanding his art skills. And then set aside the requisite time in addition to that in order to make it become a credit. Don't worry about tests or anything. 

[mmasc]

I’ll look into these Spanish suggestions. Thank you both! Yes, I’d like to keep it inexpensive just because some of his other things are online/outsourced. I’d like for him to enjoy it (mango seems fun) but learn enough to count. If I add GSWS, would that make up a credit?

@Farrar thank you for the art info (and encouragement!) for him to just do things and enjoy it. So, if he does roughly 180 hours of art (any combo of things), then I count it as an ‘art’ credit? It doesn’t have to be some art book/study/etc??? TY!

[Lori D.]

1.0 credit = English (Writing = IEW + Lit = choice of books & guides)
1.0 credit = Math: Algebra
1.0 credit = Science: Biology (Apologia)
1.0 credit = Social Studies: Geography
__ credit = Spanish (Mango + ____?)
0.5 credit = Elective: Personal Finance
? 0.5 credit = Logic ?
? 1.0 credit = Fine Arts: Art ?
 

1 hour ago, mmasc said:

My first HSer, and this credit thing is throwing me for a loop! I would like some feedback on this schedule. I’d like to keep it doable (not a super motivated ds!) but not way too light...

That is a fine overall goal for 9th grade, to make that transition into high school go smoothly. 🙂 

My thoughts on your specific line-up:

English credit
I'd suggest getting a more solid plan in place, as you're likely to drift here and not get much done without your planned list of books and guides. Does DS have a genre of books he's especially interested in (then you could plan on classic fantasy, or sci-fi, or epics, or realistic, or...). Here is a list of classics by genre. Or select titles that would be a good fit from a college-bound reading list (see here, or here). If no big interests, then perhaps you might skim the book lists of "intro to Lit" programs or typical 9th grade Lit. programs for book ideas (Excellence in Lit; Essentials in Lit; Illuminating Lit; BJU Fundamentals in Lit. Or just go with one of those program. Or, if he's enjoying The Hobbit, you might consider doing  the 1-year Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings, a gentle intro to formal literature program.

Spanish credit
Mango is a nice supplement, but I'd really recommend looking for a classroom + teacher, or a local tutor for regular meetings, with a textbook, to actually learn a foreign language and move forward in the language if you do not have any skills in that language yourself to be able to DIY. Does your local public/private/charter high school allow homeschool students to take just 1-2 classes? You might try that route first. Another option would be to wait a year to start a foreign language, and next spring jump on one of the online classes as soon as registration opens -- that would give you time to solicit recommendations from people on these boards.

Art credit
I'd suggest looking around for a good local art instructor and weekly class so DS can get some quality input and guidance in this area, since it is of interest to him. You could flesh out the art credit with some art appreciation, maybe through a Teaching Company Great Courses series (Art Across the Ages; History of European Art; Masterworks of American Art) -- often these can be checked out of your local library for free. Or maybe the Sister Wendy DVDs (used they are not too expensive) and read through her accompanying big book of The History of Painting.

[Farrar]

Just now, mmasc said:

I’ll look into these Spanish suggestions. Thank you both! Yes, I’d like to keep it inexpensive just because some of his other things are online/outsourced. I’d like for him to enjoy it (mango seems fun) but learn enough to count. If I add GSWS, would that make up a credit?

@Farrar thank you for the art info (and encouragement!) for him to just do things and enjoy it. So, if he does roughly 180 hours of art (any combo of things), then I count it as an ‘art’ credit? It doesn’t have to be some art book/study/etc??? TY!

As far as I'm concerned, yes. If he does the requisite hours for art, count it. If you want to keep it cheap, there are a lot of cheap or free video tutorials. There are also Outschool classes for art and those are going to be cheap but with a real teacher. I don't know what sort of art he does, but if you're concerned that he's just going to use that time to doodle his name in crazy fonts surrounded by dragons or something in the margins of his math work, then you can add a lot more structure to it. You could sit down and do some research with him about what might work. When my kids are embarking on an elective like this, I tend to look for free video series, Great Courses, MOOC's, etc. and then send them a list of links. Also, I sometimes look at books. There are art books with specific exercises to do. You could have him look at some options like that. Then we go over them together and they say what looks appealing. For something as broad as "art," I'd want to get a sense of what he might want to do before doing any legwork though.

Then, again, if you think he needs more structure or if for your peace of mind, you need more, you can make a checklist of things he has to do. Things like, learn a new skill or complete the exercises in such and such a book, create a piece to submit to a contest, create a piece in a new medium, etc. etc.

[mmasc]

These are great ideas and tips. I’ll try to answer questions. 

@Lori D. his only real literary interest is poetry, which is why I’m going with PP Intro to Poetry. I actually heavily researched this lit topic and found that and The Hobbit guide based on your recs in an older thread! I was originally going to use Essentials in Literature, but he seemed so uninterested (but would do it), that I decided to try a different route using things he might enjoy. He used EIL for 7th, so we’re familiar with it, but I just wanted him excited about literature and not so meh. I do see how I’ll need a solid plan in place with him though, so after poetry and The Hobbit (we’re going to use Garlic Press), I’ll probably move onto one of your suggestions above for more structure. Or maybe Windows to the World...not sure yet but he’s definitely not super independent and some of these looked way too independent for him to do *well*. 

Re: outsourcing. We’re in yet another new town 😞 so I’m currently scouting out our available resources. I’m currently working to find an art class outside of the home. Definitely no to the charter/public/etc in this school district as they strictly DON’T allow any of that. 

@Farrar re:art. He enjoys art, but definitely is a hobby. He’s honestly not gifted in drawing or painting, but had an art class last year in public school that was actually fantastic...working with lots of mediums, art appreciation, the full works! It was daily, so very good with a good teacher. He mostly likes to draw, shade, color with pencils kind of stuff. But yeah, if I say ‘explore your art interests’ it’ll be what you said...doodling his name or whatever, or ‘I don’t know what to do’😂. 

[BusyMom5]

I'm keeping my 9th graders year light, too.  For electives we are going to try to get a full credit of Personal Finance using some free printablable books from the Actuary Foundation. (I forget the exact name).  I am teaching it at co-op so we will be doing lots of activities, extra books and guest speakers.  My other electives are possibly PE and health.  I've used Oak Meadow health and its s great course worth a full credit.  We may skip around and just do .5 credits.  PE is just adding up hours.  My goal is 6 to 7 credits- 4 core plus 2 credits of electives, possibly 3 depending on what interests she takes.  

[kbutton]

Part of art can be appreciation--if you have access to local galleries or museums (especially if they are free), you can maybe learn about different styles or techniques and then make up an art scavenger hunt to find objects or paintings that fit those parameters. If you have something super local and inexpensive, you can visit the museum differently each time you go--once maybe on a hunt, another time with a docent-led tour, another time focusing on a specific kind of art, etc. It would give each visit a focus and let you absorb a concept at a time.

[deerforest]

I recommend Homeschool Spanish Academy. I find the prices quite reasonable and they can provide a full high school curriculum with a Spanish speaker in Guatemala. I'm fluent so I teach my daughter, but I intentionally use HSA a year behind just as review. It gives my daughter great conversational practice, and she loves it. My daughter was also born in Guatemala (we're an adoptive family) so she learns a lot about Guatemalan culture too that she wouldn't get anywhere else.