So, if this is an option, why are we killing ourselves doing something harder?

[Veronica in VA]

This is a wonderful thread with so much to think about. All you ladies are amazing! After many years of worrying, looking at endless piles of curriculum, and spending way too much money, I realized that what works for us is what we started with way back when - Sonlight - with our own twist, of course. I love TWTM and have incorporated many of the ideas into our day, especially TWEM and the study of lit. I finally learned, though, that I don't have to let the curriculum take charge, we can schedule things our own way. If my dd really wants to learn more about the Great Depression, and spends extra time on that - hey, then we may have to skip or go through another period of history a little more quickly. If she wants to write a different ending for the book, rather than writing a research paper, maybe that is ok. Though I admit, I worry maybe we haven't done enough of the longer research papers. She will have gaps. But I have decided where I am ok with the gaps, and where I'm not. She is in 11th grade, and will probably graduate next December and there are a lot of things I wish we would have covered, but we won't have time to do it all. Like others said, think about the areas you feel are really important, and make sure you cover those. If you don't have time to hit the other areas thoroughly, that will be ok, because you did get to the things you considered most important.And if our kids someday blame us because their life was not enriched enough since they didn't learn about ____fill in the blanks, hand them a book. :D The most important thing I think we can do for our children is to teach them to find information and how to learn. And that is what we try to do.

 

Veronica

[Rhondabee]

Actually, that is the basis for the TRISMS curriculum.

 

 

 

asta

 

 

Actually, Trisms came to mine last night as I was getting ready for bed - too funny! I will get on the yahoo group and look around there later today.

 

Thanks for posting!

[Melissa in CA]

So much wisdom in one little thread! I have zero to add.

 

As I contemplate the high school Rhetoric years I feel faint. A secret part of me actually hopes that my son is not the type to adequately handle and learn with TOG's RH...[did I actually just say that? :lol:]...because mom is definitely frightened by the thought of teaching it! I have a very basic public school education that included only two classics "Moby Dick" and "Great Expectations." The thought of my son reading the GREAT Books and my having to actually discuss them with him...or *gasp* read them myself...scares the bajeebies out of me. :blink:

 

He is loving TOG's D level though....so I fear as we use it he will only get better at it. Perhaps I will too. I wonder how much he will enjoy history once he gets bogged down with the higher level maths and sciences though. That does worry me. He is average at math, can do it, but does not love it by any means. I see Algebra being a struggle for him. It's possible that I too will be searching for an easier, less time-consuming, history option then; for possibly the very same reasons as the OP.

 

I suppose I will cross that bridge when it comes...or fall into the water and drown! :w00t:

[PollyOR]

Bumping another awesome thread! Thanks to all who posted. :)

[Storm Bay]

So why do we pursue excellence? Because we're parents and we love our kids?

 

Do we pursue academic excellence? Yes -- but an excellence that reflects the child.

 

 

We do it because we're mean ;). Or so my dc would probably say. Thanks for this post of encouragement, plus all the other encouraging posters such as Jane, et al!!!

[Storm Bay]

My thoughts....each child is different. You do what is best for the child, and only you know your child! In a perfect world, all high schoolers would love history, and would crave doing the Great Books.

 

Ria

 

 

They'd also willingly show all their math work, spell well, be perky, cheerful & enthusiastic at all times, even at 14. Oh, yes, and they'd all love to write essays.

[Storm Bay]

Hugs.

Homeschooling is hard work. -Nan

 

 

For the parent as well as the dc, although they don't see it the same way, do they? I have no words of wisdom to add to these posts. My 14 yo has to do two things in order to start high school (adacemics are not an issue for her; attitude is).

 

1. Get all her work done on a daily basis (before anyone reassures me that there are times when that won't happen, dd doesn't do that more than once per week and then has to finish up on the weekends, so I'm looking for a big improvement, not perfection.)

 

2. Learn to write an essay without fighing me tooth and nail. She sees no point in this because she's going to major in biochem, and all that I've told her as to why has yet to convince her. I'm talking about a one page essay, btw.

Edited May 11, 2009 by Karin

[Storm Bay]

And the nice thing is that you can change the decisions you make if they don't seem to be working out the way you want them to.

 

I was psyched at being able to offer ds2 the "real" education his older sibs didn't get because I learned so much teaching them. I had his classical education all planned out. Well, ds2 nearly died in an online lit class, has nearly flunked two Latin 1 classes, and finally we just plain held him back a year.

 

And then we started to focus on who HE is -- and he is not the classical academic kid my older two are. He is an engineer who designs, builds, and flies kites. School is merely something he does because he has to -- so I try to challenge him but at the same time not drive him crazy. So he is NOT doing Latin 1 - AP Latin Vergil in three years like his sister, he is NOT going to do three AP classes simultaneously (along with three other online classes) like his brother. But he IS taking some programming classes, and he will probably graduate having taken calculus 1, 2, & 3 at the local college. He just doesn't do history or literature.

 

Enjoy the challenge of trying to sketch out your son's high school years -- and remain flexible so when some things don't work out, you change what you are doing to something that works! :001_smile:

 

 

Thanks for this. This is why my 14 yo is going to do a Grammar heavy English program in high school. She doesn't mind grammar, but hates literary analysis. We'll include some, Nan in Mass style so she's done it, of course, and essay writing beyond literary analysis, because she really has to learn to write essays.

 

We well be science-heavy, though. History will be a compromise between what I'd really like and what she'd prefer (no history), but better than hs. We'll use SWB's books for whichever years are out, and then figure out the rest. My second dd will do a lot of history, because she loves it, and less science.

 

Not sure about my ds's high school yet as he's only 8. We'll see if he's still totally into airplanes and building card houses (he wants to fly airliners & build card houses professionally like Bryan Berg does--at least he's taking a bread from building paper planes).

[Jenn in CA]

... The rather simplistic solution I've found, but it *really* works, is if you complain or fight me, you get to write another one. Announced calmly, nay, gleefully, and enforced cheerfully and promptly.

 

:D

[Amy in CO]

Something you might mention to your daughter about not writing essays because she plans to major in biochem... My dh was a physics major, and for physics had a to write a daily essay. It could be on any topic, minimum one page. His physics teacher didn't feel that the students had enough opportunity to practice their English skills, so he provided more.

[Kathie in VA]

On that note of 'writing'...

 

My dh majored Aerospace Engineering because he was good at math and hated writing... He quickly discovered that in order to make his points at work he needed to write well on his proposals, documention, etc. He writes often at work!

[Storm Bay]

... The rather simplistic solution I've found, but it *really* works, is if you complain or fight me, you get to write another one. Announced calmly, nay, gleefully, and enforced cheerfully and promptly.

 

:D

 

 

I've thought of this, but that would make my life even harder:glare: (the glare is directed at my dd about writing). This child is very challenging. Just having her do an outline is a huge ordeal. Removing consequences doesn't work. Grounding is futile when it comes to this. I have to grit my teeth and make her, and this can take a very long time! If I take away her swimming, the entire family pays because she has no physical outlet. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. I'm just waiting to see it;).

[Storm Bay]

Something you might mention to your daughter about not writing essays because she plans to major in biochem... My dh was a physics major, and for physics had a to write a daily essay. It could be on any topic, minimum one page. His physics teacher didn't feel that the students had enough opportunity to practice their English skills, so he provided more.

 

 

This is helpful ammunition. And that Physics teacher was right--my brother-the-physics Ph.D. wasn't the greatest in writing for a long time. He had to get papers published, but those aren't essays.

[Storm Bay]

On that note of 'writing'...

 

My dh majored Aerospace Engineering because he was good at math and hated writing... He quickly discovered that in order to make his points at work he needed to write well on his proposals, documention, etc. He writes often at work!

 

 

I've told her, but they're not technically essays. And she gives me a hard time about that writing, too. But it will happen because she's not allowed to graduate from high school unless she can write a paper, a lab report, documentation, and essay, etc. If she doesn't like my rules, she can go to ps (she doesn't want to.)

[AnitaMcC]

Bumping another awesome thread! Thanks to all who posted. :)

 

 

What is bumping?????

 

Anita

[Corraleno]

I think it would be helpful if SWB (or the collective hive-mind) could come up with "history questions" much like the generic literature questions that are in the logic stage lit section of WTM. General questions.

 

Or, maybe what we need are "history" questions that apply to different "genres" of history. For example, questions about wars - wouldn't those be different than questions about art? Or science? Or religion/worldview

 

Have you seen Kathryn Stout's Guides to History Plus? It provides general questions for history, world cultures, and geography, as well as specific questions for specific periods/events in history. Some examples:

 

General questions (applied to the study of any culture or time period):

 

Were there defined roles for men and women?

How did they view people from other cultures?

What did they wear? Compare the clothing of the rich or the rulers with that of the average person.

What was considered beautiful?

How/what/where did people learn?

(etc....there are many more questions)

 

Questions for specific events and time periods:

 

"There were a number of revolutions around the world between 1750 and 1917. Look at the ideologies of both the reigning power and the revolutionaries in several revolutions. What were the common conditions leading to revolution? Look at the consequences years after the revolt. If oppressive conditions occurred, explain why."

 

"Early America was made of individuals, families and small communities that considered America a place (geographically) but not an organization. What were some of the ideals that men shared that eventually led toward a uniting of the people?"

 

"Literacy was higher in America than in Europe. Why did so many colonists want their children to read?"

 

"Compare Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte. Look at personality, goals, strategies to gain power, tactics used to control people, and the final fate of each man."

 

"How did geography influence attitudes towards, and battles with, Russia?

 

The book includes pages and pages of questions, as well as lists of important people and topics to cover for each period. There is also an outline you can use to put together a unit on State History, suggestions for linking history to other subjects, and a long list of books (including historical fiction) and videos organized by theme (e.g. US History: Slavery & Reconstruction).

 

And it's cheap -- $11 for the ebook, $14 for the paper book, and it covers grades K-8!

 

I have all the Design-a-Study books, I think they're extremely useful for any homeschooler putting together their own curriculum. This is their website:

http://www.designastudy.com/products/1891975080.html

 

Jackie

[Kareni]

What is bumping?????

 

Anita

 

Bumping refers to the process of responding to a post so that it will move to the top of the board and, one hopes, garner some more attention.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[momee]

Bump :) This is such an excellent thread I thought I'd bump it for those who are newer to the boards. Just so you know though, ladies. It's better to start a new thread on the topic than add to an old one.