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hudsonsinaf Posted - Mar 11 2014 : 4:44:53 PM
High all! We are starting to look into homeschool curriculums for middle and high school, and I am at a loss. I really need some feedback on what does and does not work. Right now we are using:
Math - Math u see (we will probably continue with that)
Science - Apologia (I have heard mix reviews on the upper levels)
English - Shurley English
History - Mystery of History
Spelling - All About Spelling
Bible - Veritas Press

Any suggestions?

~ Shannon

http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/
13   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
DandeeRose Posted - Jan 13 2016 : 05:51:41 AM
I will need to read thru all these comments. We are using Life of Fred for a bit in math. Isabelle is in 8th. We tried MUS and she struggled, I switched to Teaching Textbooks for math and like them, but she was getting bogged down. LoF seems to offer a different approach. She is doing Fractions and Decimals this semester and finishing off TT Pre-Alg with whatever time we have left. We will work through the 3 pre- algebra books (each has a second concept;physics, biology, and economics) next year. She certainly struggles in math like Matt and I did. If, after those 3 books, because I already have them, she is doing well with LoF we will continue using it.

Also, we are currently using Notgrass for history and LOVING it! It is thorough and fun.

Many Blessings- Alicia #5232
https://derbauernhofsite.wordpress.com

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DandeeRose Farmgirl Accessories and more!
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain."
GoddessintheGroove Posted - Jan 12 2016 : 7:55:17 PM
I have one graduated out :).
My son is in 8th grade, and we just started using Saxon Math this year. He loves it, I love it, and it works for us to do one lesson a day. We tried Math U See, and some others, this works best so far.

Just enrolled in Time4Writing for some additional writing practice. Other than that, we learn by doing (ei. essays for history, science, etc. Book reports).

Good luck!

FarmGirl Sister #2245
http://www.goddessinthegroove.com

"Women with opinions, pendants, & KitchenWitches...all in one."

Find me on INSTAGRAM! Goddess in the Groove
homespunlivin Posted - Sep 23 2015 : 8:08:25 PM
Hi farmgirls!
I am a veteran homeschool momma of 2 teens. I have homeschooled both since the beginning and all the way through graduating high school. :)
I used to post often many years ago before my family fell on really hard times and I had to give up the internet service. It is really nice to be back with you all again. My oldest graduated last year 2014 and my next will graduate 2016. We have used mostly Institute for Excellence in Writing, Apologia, MUS and Teaching Textbooks and various free sites and some Robinson curriculum cd's. Have you ever considered having your middle/high school kids take a CLEP test as a final test when they finish which ever subject they have studied? Or some just study for and take the CLEP/DANTES exams as their highschool curriculum.
They earn both high school and college credit at the same time. It would be an honors class on the high school transcript. There is a youtube video "College Out of the Box" that a homeschool mom posted and a helpful site is www.clepprep.tripod.com. It has free study guides and she also has a yahoo group. I wish I had known about this path sooner, but it is never too late to begin. I hope this helps some.

"Your braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - Christopher Robin
MagnoliaWhisper Posted - Mar 15 2014 : 7:34:15 PM
lol I will never use it ALL either Laurie... I forget some of the junk I have even...then when I find it and it's already past the time for my oldest I'm like awwwwe man! lol


http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com
Montrose Girl Posted - Mar 15 2014 : 6:31:49 PM
So far I have downloaded nothing but free stuff. All good for the early years, but not much for the middle upper, which is fine, because who knows what his interests will be or how we will have evolved by then. It is crazy exciting to see everything, but I probably how too much stuff I'll have to sort through it all to use. ha!

http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/
MagnoliaWhisper Posted - Mar 13 2014 : 6:51:09 PM
Easy Peasy and Ambleside online are both free and great.

Laurie.... my biggest suggestion is the same thing a friend told me... don't dump a bunch of money all in one place, till you figure out what works with your child. I like programs that offer you the first week for free so you can see if that works for your child or not. :) I really like heart of dakota, calvert, oak meadow and easy peasy.


http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com
DandeeRose Posted - Mar 13 2014 : 1:52:37 PM
I really like Teaching Text for Math for Isabelle. But math is a weakness for both of us, so it really seems to work. Aside from that we have just been trying out different things. Isabelle is using "JumpIn" for writing.

Many Blessings- Alicia #5232
http://themostlycrunchyfarmgirl/wordpress.com

www.simplyaroma.com/aliciawinkler 100% certified therapeutic grade essential oils
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DandeeRose Farmgirl Accessories and more!
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain."
Montrose Girl Posted - Mar 12 2014 : 7:29:40 PM
You ladies are so inspiring me. The only problem. My son is only 2 and we have a looonnnggg way to go before I have to worry about middle school. But I love reading about everyone adventures in homeschooling and am planning the early years with a lot of flexibility at this point, since his interests may change in the next few years.

Laurie

http://www.inntheorchardbnb.com/
sonshine4u Posted - Mar 12 2014 : 2:38:52 PM
We are doing Math-U-See, Apologia science, Latina Christiana and the Form series for Latin, for History and Civics in Jr. High we are using Notgrass "America the Beautiful" and "Uncle Sam and You," Rod and Staff grammar, Sonlight History books and readers, All About Spelling (looking into the new "Spelling You See"). I've probably forgotten a ton of stuff, but that's the basics. We do some co-op classes too.

Farmgirl Hugs!

~April
River Valley Farmgirls
Chapter Leader

~Playing in the Sonshine~
Ninibini Posted - Mar 12 2014 : 08:33:09 AM
Thanks, Shannon - I do remember looking at them when he was little (we started out with A Beka), but when we switched out of their curriculum, I completely forgot about it. I will have to revisit them, soon.

I also wanted to mention that we did use the Red Cross' CPR Book as the basis for our health and safety curriculum one year. It was excellent and really prepared him for the "what if's" as well as the "what to do's." :)

Good luck with everything! I know it can be quite daunting, but I have every confidence that you'll find exactly the right programs for your family. Hang in there! And I'm serious - I have a LOT of books and curriculum materials for you to tap into. Don't hesitate to ask!

Hugs -

Nini

Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!

hudsonsinaf Posted - Mar 12 2014 : 06:39:19 AM
Denise and Nini - thank you so much! I will definitely check into your suggestions and let you know what we have found and figured out! Nini - I have heard that Abeka's foreign language programs are more phonics based if you are interested.

~ Shannon

http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/
Ninibini Posted - Mar 12 2014 : 04:38:46 AM
Hi Shannon!

We, too, use Math U See and Apologia for science. I wouldn't change them for the world!

We did use Veritas' Omnibus for a few years for history, literature, etc., but then switched over to Angelicum's Great Books program for High School, and used Angelicum's National Geographic based geography lesson plans as well. I can't remember the other geography books we've used in the past, but I can find out for you, if you need me to. Anyhow, the books you will need to read in these programs can be very expensive. We originally saved money by either getting them from the library or buying many of them second hand (our son will probably use them again in college). Eventually we purchased a Kindle were able to purchase many of the books in electronic form through Amazon for free or for under $10!!! We saved a TON of money that way!

We also incorporated Christian Liberty's Grammar and Composition workbooks, Creative Writing workbook, and Sound Speech workbook into our English program (excellent - anything from Christian Liberty we have used was excellent - including history and literature, prior to Veritas and Angelicum!). This year, our son's English is focused on writing and editing, and we are supplementing his work with the Daily Grams program just to keep things fresh. We also used Wordly Wise for Vocabulary (and spelling) for many years through Sophomore year. Junior year, we're focusing on SAT preparation, so we're using their guide for vocabulary and spelling, as well as for various writing prompts. One thing I really like about using their writing prompts is that they have several actual college application essay questions, which are great exercises for what's coming this summer. One way we are covering his grammar lessons is through his personal editing of his writings and revisions. Every year he is required to do several lengthy essays, a couple of book reports, a research paper and a speech, too. His literature requirement is met through the Angelicum curriculum, and he does quite a bit of writing as well as verbal discussion of the readings.

I HIGHLY recommend Dave Ramsey's Homeschool Program for personal finance/economics. It's EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT. I think every student in high school should have to take this course. And it's not just for the kids - it's excellent for Mom and Dad, too. I recommend it for the whole family!

We attempted Angelicum's Ethics course, but man, was the book heady! We ended up discontinuing the course and used the Moral Life In Christ in the Didaches Series the following year - it was excellent!

We did study the tenets of Rhetoric for a semester, but I cannot for the life of me remember what program it was.. It may have been part of the Great Books program, I'm not sure. That information is in storage, but if you need it, let me know.

We used Memoria Press for French (myeh... didn't love it - thankfully, I had nine years of French in school!); also use Switched on Schoolhouse, but it's still not quite what I'd like.

We used Latina Christiana for Latin.

For foreign language, I was really tempted to use the Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur programs, but our private evaluator strongly discouraged it because they provide more of a conversational language education rather than a more structured, grammatically structured program, and it leaves students inadequately prepared for college foreign language classes. We have found that Switched on Schoolhouse is the same. I just have not found a satisfactory foreign language program out there, other than the Latina Christiana program. Also, please keep in mind that most colleges seek at least two consecutive years of a LIVING foreign language from their potential candidates. Latin would not meet that requirement, unless, of course it is desired by a potential college. Latin is, however, SO important, in my book, for a strong background in grammar, vocabulary and spelling (roots). I highly, highly recommend it.

We use Switched on Schoolhouse for computer, foreign language and health.

We use The Didache Series for theology and religion. We're Catholic, and this is the most comprehensive, excellent program. It encompasses everything from the Catechism and the Bible, the Church Fathers, Church history and historical figures, theology, ethics and morality, apologetics...you name it. We love it. If you prefer a more Protestant religious education, Veritas' Omnibus program really does incorporate an incredible religious education in their program - it, too, was excellent! If you don't want any type of religion incorporated into your children's education, I would still recommend finding some sort of Great Books program, especially if they are strong readers. My sister-in-law loves the Language Arts through Literature program, but I really don't have any experience with it. And I really did look into Sonlight's program when my son was younger - it looked wonderful and came highly recommended, but we opted for Omnibus in junior high and Angelicum for high school. Please be advised, the Omnibus and Angelicum programs include very heavy reading. Please email me if you would like more insight!

For P.E. you have a lot of options - there are team sports, archery, golfing, airsoft tactical gaming, weightlifting, gun safety and the shooting range and hunting, running, ballet, jazz, horseback riding, various exercise programs... SO many fun things for the kids to do that will meet that requirement!

For art history, we have started using the Sister Wendy videos, supplementing them with her books and our own activities. She is just such a wonderful teacher and really makes history and art come alive. I make up the tests myself.

For art, my son does various things. For example, he will sometimes do a project that coincides with what he is reading - a diorama or drawing, for example. He also been learning gardening, culinary arts, food preservation and safety with Mom!

He works full-time in the summer which covers his shop education. He has done construction, metal-working, soldering, landscaping, carpentry, pipefitting... He has used everything from small tools to heavy equipment! And through his employer, he has been certified for CPR, and has been participating in an on-going work safety program. He has been very blessed in this, indeed.

And I want to share with you that we have supplemented a lot of his courses with various videos, documentaries (which my son will pick apart after reading THE ancient books!), and free lectures either online through the colleges or on YouTube or on various channels through our Roku. If you ever feel overwhelmed, believe me, I've been there. But we live in an incredible age where you can find just about everything you need through the internet. It has enabled me to be extremely creative with our son's education, and truly helped me prepare to be a better teacher!

I hope this helps you a little! I am sure there are other things we've used that I can't remember right at the moment, but if you have anything specific you're looking for, please ask! In the meantime,

You know, I was just thinking: if you are looking for any of these books and materials, especially for high school, but even some middle school, I may have some of what you're looking for right here. If you're interested, we might be able to work something out! Just let me know!

Hugs -

Nini


Farmgirl Sister #1974

God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!

levisgrammy Posted - Mar 11 2014 : 5:48:58 PM
We used Saxon Math for the middle and upper grades.
ABeka for Science


Denise
Farmgirl Sister #43

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
Psalm 119:105

http://www.ladybugsandlilacs.blogspot.com/
http://www.torisgram.etsy.com

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