REv to REv as spine for high school

[deltagal]

Several of us have posted back and forth about Rev to Rev for our high schoolers. As we're getting closer (2 weeks in fact) I still want to use Rev to Rev as our spine, but I feel a need for this particular child to include some more challenging reads. But I'm not sure exactly how/where? If anyone else has looked at this or done something similar would you suggest adding a higher level history spine in addition to George Washington's World (which I'm very excited about), or swapping some extension books, or simply focusing on higher-level literature? Or eliminating the state study and adding? This particular child is HUNGRY for understanding and knowing not just history, but the bigger picture - ideas, thoughts, influences. He could easily handle college-level material, which is why I'm floundering a bit here. He doesn't know this period of history welll, so I do think that Rev to Rev will be wonderful in helping him get it nailed down, but we don't have much time left before college. If you have thoughts feel from to send me to them as a PM

[8arrows]

My daughter (14 year old Freshman) is reading BJU American history and literature alongside HOD REV2REV. We will complete half of each book this year and half next year. I don't worry about lining everything up. It is the same time period and that is good enough for us. She is currently reading The Scarlet Letter as well. School is going well and we are enjoying our days. She does do the regularly scheduled extensions as well. There are only two parts of HOD she is not doing. She is doing Rod and Staff 7 for Bible. We do still do the Apologia book. Also, she is doing IEW SICC C with an older brother instead of the HOD writing. It was just easier for me. I don't think there has been anything she hasn't enjoyed yet. She didn't want to make the headband, but once she got started, she got into it and made and gave it to her little sister. I am having her do all of the projects because she is talented in the art department, and she can monitor her two younger brothers as they complete the program and give them art pointers that I can't. I would be inclined to pick and choose if she was not sharing with her younger brothers due to her age and the fact that she has a private art teacher. Her favorite part of REV2REV is the science. We have had some great character discussions concerning the characters in Calico Captive. Is that the type of information you are looking for?

[deltagal]

Thank you 8arrows. Yes, that's what I'm looking for. I thought I remembered that you were using BJU as an additional spine. How much more time does the BJU text take? Does she read out of it every day or weekly? How many books do you have her reading in literature this year? And what are you reading? Do you have her doing any additional written work in conjunction with the extensions? Thanks for your time on this.

[davisfam7]

Hey Florence,

My 16 yo son and 14 yo daughter did Rev to Rev with extensions last school year. We added 5,000 Year Leap, The Federalist Papers and Ken Burns Civil War Documentary when we hit that time period. My 16 yo, who was 15 at the time, was not a big reader until last year. I would let him take rabbit trails when he hit a topic that really interested him. He would pick out library books and investigate whatever topic it was further. My 14 yo daughter sounds a lot like your son. She has been doing highschool level work since 6th grade, so my expectations for her are higher because I know she can handle the work. She also used the BJU history book and just tried to match us whatever she was studying in Rev to Rev with the BJU book. This seemed to work really well for her. Hope that helps some.

[8arrows]

Florence, I haven't really timed it out because she seems to be getting through her work in a reasonable time. Since we are only doing half the book, I assign reading 2-3 times a week. We don't do any of the worksheets or extra activities, but she does do the questions (orally with the literature, written with the history) and the tests. On the final review before the test, she only does the questions. She can review the terms listed on her own. To assign the BJU I just look at how much time they allow for the chapter and double that since we are only doing 1/2 of the book. I did the BJU with her older brothers, so I am familiar with it and already had it. The HOD books really flesh out the time period and add life and excitement to the school days. I consider HOD her main program and the BJU an add-on, so the HOD work gets done first. We are really enjoying our year. She reads from whatever book I pick most days and I have a two page spread I made up for her to fill out about the book. She fills that out for the extensions books as well instead of the activities listed. She does love to read, so she does not really consider reading part of school. Literature and grammar are the easiest for me to teach, so I feel very confident creating my own pages for her. I read or have recently read all the books I assign to her, so we just discuss them on the way to violin or after the younger children have gone to bed. I don't have all her books picked out for the year yet. I know she will read Uncle Tom's Cabin, Pride and Prejudice, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and A Tale of Two Cities. She hasn't read the Hobbit yet, and I would like her to read that as well. I will probably have her read a couple along with her brother to save me time as well. We are also going to use the 5,000 Year Leap.

[deltagal]

The HOD books really flesh out the time period and add life and excitement to the school days. I consider HOD her main program and the BJU an add-on, so the HOD work gets done first.

Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! This is what HOD does so well. Helps you grasp the period and adds delight to the day. Well said. We just need a little more depth for this particular high-school sophomore to put the icing on the cake.

So, she is doing the state study and The Signers?

[8arrows]

Florence, Yes, she is. Neither one of those takes her very long, and they have actually been big hits at our house. The Signers has been one of my favorite books.

[deltagal]

Florence, Yes, she is. Neither one of those takes her very long, and they have actually been big hits at our house. The Signers has been one of my favorite books.

Yes, I think a directed study on the Declaration of Independence would be very worthwhile. I've just been mulling over whether it would be good to up the reading level of the resource used for a high-schooler to something like this http://www.amazon.com/Signers-Declarati ... 0925279455

[Carrie]

Florence,

I intended to get to your email today, so I'll just post my thoughts here instead. The ladies have given you some wonderful suggestions to ponder on ways to "up" the level in Rev2Rev if desired, without letting the additions take over your child's day.

The BJU text spread over 2 years, done just as suggested in this thread, is definitely one way to do this. I'm so grateful to all the wonderful ladies who take time to share their wisdom on this board. It makes high school with HOD a shared journey!

Another option that could be considered would be spreading A Patriot's History of the U.S. out over two years. The reading in A Patriot's History is more dense and is also from a conservative viewpoint, making it is another option. My oldest son read the first half of it last year as part of his tour through early American history. He had already used almost all of the resources scheduled in Rev2Rev previously, which left me looking for something else for U.S. history for his 10th grade year! I wished it wasn't that way, but alas it is was!

He did like A Patriot's History of the U.S., but the readings are best scheduled in smaller chunks. So, this is just one more option to consider.

I would definitely not drop the extension readings, as they are designed to serve a different purpose than the readings your child will be doing for "formal" literature study. I think it is so important not to lose the "reading for pleasure" aspect of high school, by making everything that is read so challenging. This is the beauty of the extension pack readings. They are the "pleasure" part of reading about a historical time period that makes that period come to life.

I don't wish to imply that these readings are easy, or filled with a sanitized view of history, as they definitely deal with many different issues and add a fuller picture to the history spines. So, the extensions are also an integral part of the curriculum for an older student, as the readings shed more light on various viewpoints and perspectives and really get the kiddos thinking!

Of course, your child will also be reading classic literature for his formal literature credit, but a balance of both types of reading is so important!

I also wish to clarify that not all students who are in high school will need to add an additional spine to Rev2Rev to make it suit them. This will definitely depend on the student!

Blessings,
Carrie

[deltagal]

I would definitely not drop the extension readings, as they are designed to serve a different purpose than the readings your child will be doing for "formal" literature study. I think it is so important not to lose the "reading for pleasure" aspect of high school, by making everything that is read so challenging. This is the beauty of the extension pack readings. They are the "pleasure" part of reading about a historical time period that makes that period come to life.

I don't wish to imply that these readings are easy, or filled with a sanitized view of history, as they definitely deal with many different issues and add a fuller picture to the history spines. So, the extensions are also an integral part of the curriculum for an older student, as the readings shed more light on various viewpoints and perspectives and really get the kiddos thinking!

Of course, your child will also be reading classic literature for his formal literature credit, but a balance of both types of reading is so important!

I also wish to clarify that not all students who are in high school will need to add an additional spine to Rev2Rev to make it suit them. This will definitely depend on the student!

Thank you Carrie. You said well why we still "cling" to HOD. My son has commented often during his RTR journey how engaging and enlightening the extension reading have been. And I also want to reiterate that I also don't think an additional spine is necessary for all in high-school. In fact, I'm quite certain my next child will not need or desire it, but my oldest is my historian and he wants "more." I think based on your comments and those of the previous posters I'm simply going to add a denser spine to go alongside the existing readings. I think that will do it. Now, I need to make some decisions on literature.... thank you all again. I think I'll place that Rev to Rev order tomorrow : )