What should I use for Literature supplement?

[Robin]

Hi Carrie,
I just had a question about what to supplement my boys with for Literature. The 3 boys are all doing Rev to Rev as 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. They are all following the HOD sequence as they are doing HS. Should I have a different supplemental Literature for each one or all the same. I see for the new Geography guide you are using BJU Literature. Should I just follow the BJU sequence for Literature. Do they need to have Am. Lit. and Brit. Lit. to graduate or just "some" Lit.? For example, should I put the 9th grader in 9th grade BJU Lit., the 10th in 10th, etc. or should they be following what time frame they are studying? Brit. Lit. seems a bit steep for any of them since they started last year with Res to Ref and did DITHOR. Am. Lit. seems do-able for all, but then the 9th grader would be going in reverse of the BJU sequence--if that matters at all...? I also have ABEKA 9th-11th Lit. on hand, which my grown boys did, but doesn't seem as nicely planned out.
Anyone else's opinion or insight is greatly appreciated also!
Thank you,
Robin

currently using: LHFHG, Beyond, Preparing, Cr to Ch, Res to Ref, and Rev to Rev.

[8arrows]

I would personally keep mine together if they were all in HS. I did that with my 2 oldest boys. It worked well. In our state we need 4 English credits. Most English credits include grammar, literature, and writing. However, in our state, it isn't stated what the literature needs to be. If that is the case in your state, I think you could just use the new geography guide English components for all three. If you do need specific types of literature, I might look at Window to the World (We like this one, but it is literary analysis, so it may be too much like DITHOR or the new guide to be of help to you.) or Learning Language Arts Through Literature (I think there are 2 HS ones.) If you used one of those, you might use Easy Grammar Ultimate alongside. The Abeka books would certainly work if you like them (I would choose just one for all three students.). You could add the whole books that Carrie suggests (if you desired). Usually we aren't supposed to discuss other curriculum on the HOD board, but they have graciously given wiggle room until the high school guides are done as we all have various requirements to meet for graduation. If this post is not is alignment with board policy, please delete.

[deltagal]

Just chiming in here. I too have found it beneficial as I have had more than one move into high school to combine instruction for English. We do all our grammar, word study and writing instruction together. I do have them in different literature programs, but the methodology for all of them is the same. It is a lot of fun! In fact, it is these types of experiences that have made the high school years more enjoyable for all of us.

[Robin]

Thank you so much for the input--I'm still looking at other things I have used for the older kids and not definately decided yet on any certain path just yet-- except the fact that they are all staying with HOD for the main guide. Has anyone used "The Exciting World of Creative Writing" that is suggested for RevtRev for HS kids? I guess I'm just nervous they are not going to have enough under their belt for college entry... If the rest of the HS guides were done I wouldn't think twice about moving them to those, but none of them have had US History yet. I also have to supplement in the government portion and economics for now--until the rest of the guides come out. I just love opening the guides and getting school done. That's the best part of the guides IMO!
Robin

[8arrows]

It sounds like you have been down this path already with older children. What did you use with them? Did you like it? I have graduated two that have gone on to be complimented on their writing by college professors. They both also clepped an English exam with an essay. They did have some IEW background. What I mainly did with my two oldest when they were young was use a writing journal once a week. Then I would just ask things like, "What stronger verb could we use here?" How can we combine these two sentences? How can you better describe what happened here? Etc. In high school, I mainly worked with the 5 paragraph essay with them in the same way. It just is not as hard as we sometimes make it. You write the intro and then in the last sentence or so tell (without saying point 1, point 2, point 3) the three subjects you are going to address. Use a paragraph to discuss each one, and then close it out with a wrap-up final paragraph. I would just look for a resource you liked to teach the 5 paragraph essay, or you could just look up some information online and teach it yourself. Then, just assign essays over the books you are covering. I had my older boys pick out something that was prevalent in the book we studies. One book might use a lot of characterization, so the 5 paragraph essay might discuss the characterization of three of the main characters. Another book might be strong on setting. Pick three settings and write about how they impact the book or how they reveal the author's worldview. I do think we just make it too hard sometimes. All that to say, they may have more writing under their belts than you think. I hear you about the advantage of open and go!!! However, for now, we have to go about graduating our children with a little creativity. At least we can do it in good company! I wish I could give you a review on the writing book you asked about, but I combined my daughter that is high school age in that guide with her older brother for writing. I will focus on the younger brothers' writing next year (besides, of course, what I naturally do).

[Carrie]

Robin,

Since your kiddos did DITHR last year, I would be inclined to have them all do the BJU grade 9 scheduled in the World Geography guide. This is a good transition from DITHR into high school level literature. Depending on what their plans are after high school, if your kiddos are going to college, you would want to look at what the college requirements are for entrance as far as literature goes to make sure you're getting that covered by graduation for your oldest for sure right now.

BJU American Lit. is quite a step up from the grades 9 and 10 BJU Lit., so I wouldn't recommend jumping into American Lit. This is why I'd be inclined to recommend following the World Geography's plan for lit. instead.

As far as grammar goes, I'd lean toward doing Rod and Staff. It would be good if they were all in English 7, but depending on what you've done in this area in the past that may not be possible. So, I'd recommend doing Rod and Staff at whatever level fits them best.

As far as composition goes, did you do the composition that was in CTC and RTR with your students? If so, they've already had a good foundation laid there with Write with the Best I and Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons. So, you could definitely use the Exciting World of Creative Writing if desired. Otherwise, you could instead do Essentials in Writing Grade 10 as scheduled in the World Geography guide.

If you did decide to use the language arts from the World Geography guide, you could just follow the language arts path through the high school guides just borrowing each year's plan from the next high school guide in line. If, instead, you only borrowed the BJU Lit./real books from the World Geography guide, then you could continue with the comp. plan/grammar plan in the HOD guide you're currently using each year. This would work as well, because your older child would get The Exciting World of Creative Writing this year and then Write with the Best II for his senior year. If he's done Write with the Best I and Medieval History-Based Writing his 9th and 10th grade years, this would make a good composition path. If he's done something else for comp., we can talk about how that changes things.

So, if you get a chance to pop back and share what your kiddos, especially your older child, have had for comp./grammar/lit. thus far for high school that would be great. It would also help to know what your high school kiddos' potential post-high school plans are.

On a sidenote, there is nothing wrong with Abeka lit., however when comparing it to BJU I don't see the same level of richness and critical thinking in Abeka's lit. that is so prevalent in BJU's high school lit. This is why we selected BJU's lit. over Abeka's. I see that Cathy Duffy also selected BJU's high school level lit. for inclusion in her new Top 101 Picks for similar reasons, so I guess I'm not alone in my thought on that.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Robin]

Melissa and Carrie,
Thank you for getting back to me! I'll try to answer questions from both of you in one reply...

The two oldest boys (21 and 19) used Abeka and did not enjoy it, but did it. The oldest girl (18) is still working through My Father's World. I never switched her to HOD as she was cruising through on her own and doing CLEPS through College Plus!. We just finished up a little over 2 yr. of officially using HOD. Hurray! The 9th and 10th grade boys are mine and the 11th grade boy is a cousin that has learning problems. This is his first yr. homeschooling and was previously in public school until then. (Which, by the way, HOD has saved that kid's educational life!) So, the 9th and 10th did the Medieval Writing--it was too hard for the 11th so we have been using 6th grade Sonlight to go along with the timeframe and learning ability. ( I'm terrible at making up my own curriculum--which is why I love HOD. It does sound so simple to do, but is very overwhelming for me as we have a large dairy farm and 10 children. ) The 9th is half-way through R&S 6 and the 10th just finished R&S 6. The 11th is half-way through R&S 4. At this point none of them plan to go to a 4 yr. university, but are planning on Tech. School for Agriculture, Auto Mechanic, etc. I have all the books from CtC and RtR to pull from and the guides.

The reality of the whole situation is this: the oldest is the farthest behind and the youngest is the farthest ahead as far as Lit. and Comp. go.

I completely agree with you on the Abeka versus BJU. Although I am a little biased since BJU is where I went to college...

I also want all the boys to do the Logic from the World Geography guide.

Hopefully this helps to understand the situation a little more clearly.

Thank you again!
Robin

[Carrie]

Robin,

Thanks that does help so much! I think based on what you've shared that you could easily follow the writing scheduled in each guide that you are using. So, your 9th and 10th graders could do The Exciting World of Creative Writing this year and then do Write with the Best Vol. II the next year with MTMM. I would just keep going with your grammar daily at this point, as Rev2Rev and MTMM both schedule daily grammar. Or, even if you end up with half-speed grammar, you're still doing well as Rod and Staff is so thorough.

I would be inclined to use the BJU Lit. and novels from the World Geography Guide for your 9th and 10th graders for lit. this year (and for your 11th grader if that child can handle it). However, you could also consider doing one more year of DITHR with all three high schoolers (since your 11th grader that you're schooling struggles some). Plus, if your 9th-10th graders haven't done all of the highest level of DITHR yet that would work for them too. You could just choose higher level books to use with DITHR. If you did go the DITHR route, you may want to choose American literature books to make sure you hit that, since you won't get to the final high school guides which will schedule American Lit. Then, the following year, when they are in MTMM they could for sure do the World Geography guide's literature portion.

Since your kiddos aren't seeming to be headed to a 4 year college post high school, we have a bit more wiggle room in how we cover literature. However, we still want a strong approach to language arts. I think either of these plans above would do that.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Robin]

Thank you Carrie!
This helps so much to have peace about what to do. Is it possible to do DITHR with the 11th (stuggling student) for 2 more yrs.? He does only half-speed English, which is getting easier. In light of that, he is unable to do any of the writing assignments in the Write With the Best 1. I have been trying to use the Sonlight for Comp., but am getting nowhere because he just doesn't know enough grammar to apply it to anything in writing. He is doing awesome with his oral and written narrations, which is what I have been focusing on instead of the Comp. skills from a given book. (This boy was also in Special Ed. classes the whole time he was in PS.) I would think by the end of the R&S 4 he will be able to do the Write With the Best 1. Should I just continue on in the same sequence as the guides suggest?

Now for the 9th and 10th graders... They are just about in the exact work the whole way around. The 9th grader is gaining on the 10th and will probably pass him. Could they just graduate together, since the 9th takes less time to do his work and does extra on most days. I think I will do one more year of DITHR with them both for this year and continue with the writing from the guide they are in. Is it possible to do 2 yrs with them even though they don't stuggle? Or would that not challenge them enough? I just hate to use other supplements as the guides are so easy for the boys to follow and use on their own! I'm afraid if I try to do some from another guide they will skip over things and not be as efficient with their work as they are now. But I will make myself do the Geo. guide Lit. with them if you think that will challenge them and move them forward more than doing DITHR again.

Thank you again for all your input and direction--from the guides and the forums!!
Robin