Logic stage for high school

[txchick]

My son turned 15 today. He's Not ready for retoric stage...We have 3 more years to homeschool him, possibly 4.

 

We didn't classically educate him and he's had a lot of unschooling. He can read, of course, type and write...but has had little actual formal writing. he's into Music and plays guitar but not interested in Music history. He's in Pre algebra using Teaching Textbooks..and we are happy with that.

 

So if I wanted to give him 3 good years of classical education yet not be too teacher intensive. what are your recommendations. Secular is fine as well as Christian publishers.

 

We have apologia physical science..but he's not at all into it.. we have some other curricula..so its not like we have nothing here...I just cannot seem to peak his interest in learning or reading much. He has no learning disabilities..but he took forever to learn to read.:glare:

 

I read a post that SWB commented about using logic stage for struggling kids..through high school...so Im very curious.

[lllll]

see below

Edited April 28, 2009 by ksva

[Rhondabee]

I read a post that SWB commented about using logic stage for struggling kids..through high school...so Im very curious.

 

The tape I have by SWB labeled "Great Books: Literature as History" is quite old (SOTW 3 was in the works), but she most definitely states that if you have an older child that has not been introduced to the Great Books and Classical Ed through a program like the Logic Stage suggestions in WTM, that you should probably follow those suggestions for your high school program. And, she pointed out that the books on the 6-8th lists are usually read in high school.

 

And, see this quote:

 

A student who is just beginning classical education may not be ready to tackle a full Great Books list. If your older student is overwhelmed by the idea of reading Aristotle or John Locke, we have two suggestions:

 

1) Save the study of the Ancients for the final high school year. Although this is not ideal, it allows a student who is still "catching up" to become more comfortable with reading classic works before encountering some of the more unfamiliar literature. And when you do tackle Homer, Plato, and Aristotle, look for some of the excellent "books on tape" versions of these works (Sir Derek Jacobi recently performed the Odyssey on an audiobook published by HighBridge Co., available from most bookstores.) Use these audiobooks as introductions to the print versions; have your student listen to them first, and then read the texts.

 

2) For the study of literature from 400-present, use the lists we suggest for grades 6-8 (pp.342-352 of The Well-Trained Mind). These lists contain classic literature as well as a few abridgements; among other texts, sixth graders read the beginning of the Inferno and a Shakespeare play; seventh graders read Gulliver's Travels and "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"; eighth graders read Stevenson, Wells, and Shaw. Use the abridgements on these lists (retellings of Beowulf, Chaucer, de Cervantes, and so on) as springboards into the study of the original works themselves. After your student is familiar with the storyline of Beowulf or The Faerie Queen, he will be less intimidated by the classic stories themselves. And challenge your high school student to try a few works off the high school list as the year progresses

 

You can find the whole article here:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/starting.php

 

Best wishes~

[Carol in Cal.]

You might look at Writer's Jungle, and then Help for High School.

 

WJ is how to establish a writing lifestyle, and it might really suit the sort of semi-unschooling that you've done up until now and help you transition into writing in an engaging way. I would recommend using it and the logic stage literature writing instructions in TWTM for the first year or so, and then transition to the Help for High School instruction in specific genres. WJ has an excellent section on how to start at your specific child's level, and where to go from there.

[Veronica in VA]

I second the Writer's Jungle and Help for High School. The woman who wrote those also has online classes, and both of my dc enjoyed them. I would aim for a mix of the logic and rhetoric book lists in the Well Trained Mind. My son has loved Beowulf and even Dante's Inferno. It amazes me that those books would appeal to a not very academic minded boy, but he loves them. Sci-fi is also an option if your son likes that genre. There have been some posts on good sci-fi lit, so you might look for them. I would recommend looking at the posts tagged Nan's words of wisdom. She has homeschooled two boys and has used the WTM book lists very successfully. They have incorporated projects and drawing as well as writing into their schedule. I have found her posts really helpful.

 

I know some children don't like Apologia. My daughter loves it as she says it almost seems like a story. She actually curls up in a chair to read her chemistry book - lol! But there are lots of options out there. Conceptual Physics, Intergrated Physics and Chemistry, etc.

 

Veronica

[Peela]

I would consider some books on tape, and also reading aloud with him so as to share the experience of reading a more difficult classic than what he (and possibly you) are generally used to. I am reading Ivanhoe to my kids at the moment and although it took us a bit to get into it, we love it now and its our favourite part of the day. If you want to interest him, it might help to do some things with him so you can help him push through those difficult bits.

My son loved the Ancients for all the battles and wars (though there are plenty later as well, the Iliad just appealed to his masculinity!).

I would do an overview of history, adding in some easy and some more meaty literature- but you might have to do the more difficult literature with him.

 

However, my own feeling is that if he has been unschooled and you are waiting for him to be inspired....most of us have found our kids need an external discipline, they need to be "forced" one way or another, to do more difficult work. I dont think even my compliant student would voluntarily choose to study most of what we do, and my boy certainly wouldn't. But given no choice- only some flexibility as to how it is carried out, schedules, sometimes a choice of books here and there etc- their lives are enriched and they are no longer intimidated by more difficult language and skills. A classical education, or any more rigorous one, is usually won by hard work, and inspiration is only a small part of the whole story. When you don't feel like it, you still do it.

[EKS]

He has no learning disabilities..but he took forever to learn to read.:glare:

 

If he took forever to learn to read with adequate instruction then it is quite possible that he does have a learning disability. This is a sign of dyslexia and difficulties with writing usually persist after reading has been conquered. How is his oral reading? Can he read high school level material fluently (say at 150 words per minute with few errors)? Not being able to do this is a big sign of dyslexia in older kids who can read silently with reasonable comprehension. Anyway, if you're interested in persuing this, the book Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz is a good place to get started.

[4wildberrys]

Why don't you look at My Father's World high school programs. They sound like they would fit the bill for you---yet not be as hard-core as a traditional WTM program. MFW is Classical---but more relaxed than WTM. The high school programs are written TO the student to teach independence---and include teaching writing. You meet with the student on a weekly basis. :001_smile:

[txchick]

I'll check into these options as soon as I get home from work today.:auto: