High School Curriculum

[mcmadbrishawn]

Hello All,
I have been reviewing all the different message boards on this issue, but still have a few questions of my own. Let me give you a little bit of background information. This is our third year homeschooling. We have an 8th, 6th, and 2nd grader. We were introduced to HOD by a friend of ours who used the program and loved it. I started my 8th and 6th grader (then 6th and 4th) in Preparing. Last year we completed Creation, and this year we are almost finished with Resurrection. My oldest daughter will begin high school next year. I have to admit that I'm a planner and with all of this still being so new to me I'm just not sure what to do with her. She is a struggling learner so it has worked for us to have her a couple of books behind. Do I just skip Revival and Missions and start the Geography Guide? I'm scared it will be way too much for her. If we do Revival how do I figure out what high school credits that fulfills? Does it even fit into what she needs for high school? ( I know that is a lot of questions) I just do not know where to go with her. I love the way HOD is organized. It is just so easy and I always know the books and information my kids learn are going to be biblically sound. Thank you for providing this wonderful opportunity for our family.

[Carrie]

Hello! Thanks so much for your patience in hearing back from me! I'm so glad that you have gotten a chance to use and enjoy HOD for several years. It sounds like your kiddos are progressing well.

From what you've shared, and keeping in mind that your daughter is a bit of a struggling learner who has found a good fit with HOD, I'd be inclined to just stay the course with her into high school. So, I would lean toward her continuing on into Rev2Rev and then into MTMM for her freshman and sophomore years of high school. Then, she would complete the World Geography guide as a junior and the World History Guide as a senior. This would work for her as far as accumulating needed credits in American history, Geography, and World History.

If you followed this sequence, you would need to add some to the government already included in Rev2Rev to earn government credit in that guide. You would also need to add some to the economics already included in MTMM to earn economics credit in that guide. Here are posts on how to do that for both of those guides.
Rev2Rev: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11256&p=81762
MTMM: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11286&p=81879#p81879

As far as the science goes in Rev2Rev, you will be set for a full credit in Physical Science with lab simply by using the Advanced Version scheduled in Rev2Rev. She can also claim a full credit in literature by doing DITHR, Rod and Staff grammar, and the Exciting World of Creative Writing as scheduled in Rev2Rev. Just be sure to challenge her book-wise with titles in the 7/8 Girl Pack (if she can handle those titles).

The Bible study in Rev2Rev is not credit worthy unless you add to it, so I'd lean toward adding something for Biblical Worldview to the study already included in Rev2Rev. Here is a link to a post that explains ways to beef up the Bible portion for credit if desired: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8208&p=59715

It also would not take much to add enough to Rev2Rev to award a semester of credit in Fine Arts for the composer study. There is quite a bit there already! The link above mentions possible ways to do that. If your daughter is challenged in learning, I'd lean more toward just either additional listening to the great composers (logging additional time that way) or reading one extra book on the composers like either the Spiritual Lives or the Great Composers or The Gift of Music (but not both). I would also forego the papers, as she will have her entire lapbook of the composers and all that goes with that to show for credit.

Then, you would just need to be sure that you have your daughter's math covered for credit.

Last, you could consider whether to slowly begin a foreign lanugage, doing half a credit a year over 4 years of high school to earn two full credits in the same foreign language by graduation. This is the plan we will be encouraging through our guides. So, this is something else to consider. It would not be hard to borrow this from the World Geography guide. Otherwise, you can easily wait until later to begin this option.

Blessings,
Carrie

[mcmadbrishawn]

Hello again,
I have finally had a chance to review your response. I have a few questions and I want to make sure I understand everything as I try and finalize our 9th grade schedule. I have decided to not skip ahead. We are going to use R2R.

In regards to a full English credit: If we do DITHR (7-8 girl pack), the creative writing program, dictation, poetry and Rod and Staff English she would have one literature course right? I was unsure if it would be a literature credit or just an English credit.

My daughter plays the violin. Could we use her practice time and lesson time along with R2R's music appreciation for a half or full credit of fine arts?

My major confusion has to do with the history credits. If we complete every lesson in R2R (We do skip the history project often because we seem to run out of time) what history credit will that give us? It sounds like it could be U.S. history or government or both. I understand that we need to add books like 5,000 Year Leap, The Federalist Papers, and read the Constitution in order to get a full government credit. So, if we add these government books what history credits will we have? Boy, I hope this makes since.

I think that covers my questions for now. I know that you do attend some home school conferences. We would love to see you in Wichita, KS if you ever have the time. Thanks again for providing such a wonderful curriculum for my family. It is so nice to having to worry about the books and subjects my family will be covering. Many blessings to you!!!

Shawna

[Carrie]

Shawna,

Since a credit in English is composed of literature, composition, vocab., and grammar; you could claim a full credit in English on your daughter's transcript. Or, if you prefer to list the English credit separately, you could claim .5 credit in literature and .5 credit in composition (with grammar). Either way will work, it is just two different ways to list credit.

As far as music appreciation goes, I would lean toward adding a bit to make the composer/music appreciation course equal .5 credit (which is equal to approximately 70 hours) and award .5 in music appreciation. You'd have about 52 hours logged already just in the composer study as written). So, adding a once a week listening session to classical music all year, or adding one of the books about the composers that I mentioned (i.e. Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers or The Gift of Music would work to add the remaining hours). Then, in addition to that you could award .5 credit in music performance or something similar for violin (once there is 70 hours or so logged there).

Typically one full credit in fine arts is needed at some point during a student's high school years, so this would take care of that area for your daughter. If it took her several years to log enough hours to award credit for the violin, you would just award the credit for violin in the year she has finally accumulated enough hours.

If you complete the history in Revival to Revolution's history, you can award a minimum of .5 credit up to a full credit in U.S. history (early American up to 1900) depending on how much of the history part of the guide you do each day. If you add to the government foundation already found in Rev2Rev, then you can earn .5 credit in government as well.

Blessings,
Carrie