More High School questions/dilemma

[Tiffini]

I would like to discuss some thoughts with you and get some feedback from others that might help me think through some options. So many times in the past, I've gotten great help from you wise ladies.

My oldest is a 9th grader doing Rev to Rev with Extensions and beef-ups in other areas. My plan was to continue on through the guides as scheduled and beefing up as necessary. She has been doing the guides with her twin siblings who are in 7th grade now since Bigger Hearts (she was in 5th, the twins were in 3rd at the time we started with HOD). This has worked really well for our family and we couldn't be happier with the way things have gone since we switched to HOD years ago.

My concern and question now is with my high schooler. I am concerned about doing the Geography Guide with her in the 11th grade. Since there are no extensions included anymore, she would be doing the same level work as her younger twin siblings who would be in the 9th grade at the time. It just doesn't feel like that would be enough for her since she could easily be doing that guide now in her 9th grade year and we are talking a year and a half away from right now. She would really dislike doing the same level work that the twins are doing at that point without an extension package to add so much depth and difficulty to the studies, etc.

As I laid awake last night pondering all of this, I wondered if it would make sense for her to skip the MtMM guide next year and go straight in to the Geography Guide. Then she would be a year ahead of the twins and would be able to get all the high school guides in except the last one before she graduates. She could be doing the HS level work in the Geo guide in 10th grade rather than 11th grade. I'm already planning to have her do the Science from the Geography guide next year anyway.

BUT, my concern with this is that she would miss out on the last half of American History in MtMM AND in the last guide scheduled with HOD for high school. So, that would be a missing chunk which I was really looking forward to covering next year with her in MtMM. Second concern: She would be covering the first half of American History in her senior year AGAIN with the 3rd HOD HS guide - which she had just covered in her freshman year on a high school level. Too much repetition??

One option would be to have her fill in the missing info over the summer by reading the MtMM Extension pack and maybe a History textbook that covers that time period? My HS requirements for graduation state only 2 credits for American History which would definitely have covered already anyway.

OR Continue with Plan A and do the HOD guides as scheduled with Geography in 11th and World History in 12th and not have the overlap or the missing second half of American History to deal with. With this option, I just need reassurance that she will not be doing freshman work for her junior year. (Obviously, she will have science, lit, english, and math on her own level, so I'm just talking the subjects covered in the Guide).

I would love to hear your thoughts!! Please help me gain clarity!

[basesloaded]

I am interested in seeing these responses, too, so I am "bumping" in

[Tree House Academy]

MTMM will finish her Am History out and she really needs to use both Rev to Rev and MtMM to truly meet the Am History requirement for high school (it needs to cover the full span). A lot of what you do is going to depend on what state you live in and what your credit requirements are for that state. If she has to have 4 years of science, for instance, then you don't have any wiggle room. My state requires 3 years of Science, one of which my son did this year in Rev to Rev in 8th grade...so I have 4 years to get in 2 sciences for credit toward his college track diploma. That leaves me room to do an intro to Chemistry like MtMM schedules and worry about doing hs Chem I and Biology in future years. If you want help here, you may want to post what credits are required for your state and also what your daughter will have satisfied by the end of this year. Then others can take a look and give you some ideas.

[CrystalM]

Carrie just answered this in the Sneak Peek #2 thread for the Geography guide.

[8arrows]

Tiffani, you said, "This has worked really well for our family and we couldn't be happier with the way things have gone since we switched to HOD years ago."

I think we all tend to want throw out the baby with the bath water when we get to high school. I have graduated one and will graduate another this year. With that perspective, I will tell you what I am doing with my next "student" (dd 9th). She is doing REV2REV this year with 2 of her younger siblings. I am going to keep combining them as I can. I am often tempted to separate them, but I know THIS (combining) is working. I also do much better when everyone is on similar subjects just at different levels. I can tell you that my boys said my high school courses were harder than what they had at community college. That and their ACT scores assured me that we will be just fine. I did not do everything perfect with the older 2, and I will not do everything perfect with the next 6. However, all are doing well. Schedule for Elaine below:

9th (this year) REV2REV with Exploration Education with extensions and beef-ups
10th MTMM with beef-ups
11th Here is where my path has to differ from you for convenience. I will have Elaine go ahead and do world history to give the boys another year before hitting the high school guides. It will be easier for counting credits as my youngest (in this combining scenerio) is below the recommended age range. The boys will do something different for the year.
12th Geography guide All three will be back together. I may do Elaine's economics here as I would prefer she were a little older.

With this set up, I may have her do the Chemistry paces from PACWORKS along with MTMM and the CHEM 101 videos for an Intro to Chem credit and then have her do something else for science her senior year. Elaine will be graduated before the last guide is written, so for those of us who are not hitting the guides quite right anyway (since they are still being written), we have to look outside the box a little anyway (even if there were not younger siblings to consider).

[Tiffini]

I had typed up a long reply and my battery went dead and I lost it! Oh well. I wanted to thank you, Rebecca and Melissa, for replying. Melissa, I really appreciate your perspective having graduated two kids already and having a daughter in the exact situation as mine doing the guides with younger siblings. You are right about not changing a good thing. I am not thinking of changing things dramatically - definitely sticking with HOD! - but just wondering about moving a guide ahead. However, that would create issues with the History coverage, etc. When my dd has concerns (and she shares this fairly regularly) about doing the same books as her younger siblings, I remind her that even though it's the same books, she is learning from them on a much deeper level and I expect much more from her as far as her interaction with the material. I must remember that the same will be true in the future guides as well. In fact, I am learning so much from the books as a grown woman, so surely a teenager can learn plenty from them. As I continue to ponder, I am leaning more towards Plan A and just continuing in order. Not sure yet, but it helps to talk things through!

[Carrie]

Tiffini,

I think as I continue to share the sneak peeks for the upcoming guide, you'll be able to tell more clearly what you should do with your daughter. You do have two really great options, and both have their pros and cons.

One thing that did stand out to me a bit in your post was the fact that your older daughter shares some concerns about doing the same material as her younger siblings. While this is not a deal-breaker, if your daughter is sharing this more and more it could be something worth paying attention to as you make your decision about what is ahead for her. This could be an indication that she is ready for her own material. However, you will have to weigh how this would affect the rest of your family and whether it would be feasible for you time-wise too.

Blessings,
Carrie