Python Programming

OK, homeschool mom confession time!  Sometimes I bite off more than I can chew.  I know, I know, it is something I am working on.  BUT, in my defense there are just so many amazing curriculum out there and not enough time, or kids, in this house anymore to use them all.

In this case though, I bit off more than my child could choose!   CompuScholar Python Programming was just that tempting! 

And still is...when my 8th grader is a bit more ready for it!  (There is a reason we should heed age recommendations sometimes, ladies!)

Like all moms, I profess my kid is a genius.  And he is in many areas.  But while he loves all things computer, programming at this level was just a bit more than he was ready for.

Python is one of the most popular basic computer programming languages. Python Programming, a one semester course, is a great subscription that takes you through multiple, well designed lessons, to teach basic programming.  It requires no software installation to your computer and does not have your child running willy nilly through the vast internet world!  The student writes their coding on Python's online engine, something I greatly appreciate.  Each video lesson works through a specific learning objective and then there is a time for your child to take a quiz and complete a corresponding project.  Luckily for you, the projects and quizzes are auto graded!

My son began this as a new 8th grader and did well on his own for the first few lessons, really enjoying the activities.  Unfortunately for him, I am NOT a computer lover and was having him do the lessons on his own,  That worked well until he got stuck and needed my help.  um.....  nope, I had no clue!  We were able to push through with the help of a fellow homeschool mom (it takes a village, ya'll) but after that he was discouraged, not happy with my lack of knowledge, and finally asked if he and dad could just start over.

So...that is the plan!  Huge praise that as a homeschooling family we have the freedom to know when to stop and regroup and have the freedom to know what is best for our children.  I KNOW with a little age and maturity on him, Python Programming will be a great program for Colby and be a nice addition to his transcript for a Computer Science credit.

It is well organized, affordable, and let's face it, the wave of the future.  Computers are not going away, ya'll- time to learn to  better use them!  And yes, I am speaking to myself!

Topics Covered:

Printing and User Input

Data types and variables

Logical expressions and flow control

Debugging skills

Lists and Loops

Working with numbers, dates and strings

Writing and using functions

Simple Object-Oriented Programming

...and more!

Python Programming is also a part of Timberdoodle's 11th grade curriculum kit.

 

 

Medical Investigation 101

Homeschooling for the most part has been fairly easy for us.  After all, I have been teaching our four kiddos for over 23 years!  I plug in reading, writing, math, science and history to our schedule and off we go!  

The hard part?  Electives!  All our kids are quite different and therefore have quite different ideas of what an elective should look like.  Sometimes I let them chose and sometimes something catches my eye to try.

 

Such was the case with Medical Investigation 101, given to us by Timberdoodle Co to review.  I mean, just the name sounds cool, right?

 

 

Medical Investigation 101 is comprised of a 247 page Student book, student work text, and teacher's edition.  The subtitle- "A Book to Inspire Your Interest in Medicine and How Doctors Think" gives you a good idea of what this book is really about.

 

The book begins discussing the medical field and introduces many vocabulary words by talking about various kinds of doctors.  It mentions some of the challenges of the medical profession (should be required reading for any current doctors) and encourages the reader to explore the world of medicine on their own.  It then turns to medical complaints by the presenting of "patients", giving patient backgrounds, symptoms and such, and encouraging problem solving skills using the background information they have provided to diagnose the patient.  As you proceed, more medical information is provided such as the role of blood, food-borne illnesses and common conditions including diabetes, respiratory illnesses and heart attacks.  You can think of it as a mini science lesson!

 

The accompanying student workbook begins with a good amount of vocabulary review and then has corresponding pages to each medical case.  After taking notes on each patient, further activities include vocabulary, fill in the blanks and matching activities, and word puzzles.  Do not let the graphics fool you though, this is not fluff and will challenge a high schooler to use their brains a bit! 

The teacher's edition is basically the workbook with the answers filled in (thank you!), but also has a short summary of each chapter to help you as a teacher keep up.

OK, every mom wants their child to be a doctor, right? ;)  But this is not only a neat way to introduce the world of medicine to your student in a fun way, but also to challenge their problem solving.  We often tell our kids they need to think outside the box, and that, I believe, is most certainly true in the medical world! 

So yes, if your child is even the bit interested in medicine you will want to grab this set!  It is also a great way to expose them to more areas in medicine than most of us are familiar with.  I am a firm believer in our kids would have more choices deciding their chosen career if they actually KNEW what choices were out there!  But even if you have a kiddo who does not long to be a doctor- this is a great elective offered in a fun, non threatening way that will challenge their problem solving skills.

Medical Investigations 101 can be found in the 11th grade curriculum kit offered by Timberdoodle, or ordered separately.  I would recommend it for 8th grade and up.

Apologia's Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition Review

I am going to admit to you that I have never been a huge fan of health curriculum.  The same old "brush your teeth, get enough sleep, and don't forget to use deodorant" gets old and redundant year after year, and quite frankly seems a bit silly to me.  But of course, when Apologia Educational Ministries came out with their new high school curriculum, Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition by Doctor Laura Chase, I was intrigued.  It is Apologia so I figured it had to be worth looking into.  I was right!

We received the Health and Nutrition Basic Set to review which includes the textbook and student notebook. Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition is a 441 page hard back text book full of full color illustrations.  It is composed of 15 Modules and is intended for a full year study of health and nutrition.  Each module is broken into sections divided by On Your Own questions, which are meant to help review what the student just read.  The answers to the On Your Own questions are supplied at the end of each module.  Sprinkled throughout the reading are Think About This sections that delve in a little deeper with fun or interesting facts.  Think of them as commercial breaks.  You will also find Projects, (think of them as the "experiments") throughout the readings, allowing the student to think about or even work out the information they are learning.

Modules include-

• Who Am I and Why Does Health Matter?
• Physical Influences on Thoughts and Feelings
• Mental and Emotional Stability
• Interpersonal Harmony
• Treasuring Your Senses
• Processing Nourishment and Hydration
• Food Science I- Macronutrients
• Food Science II- Micronutrients
• Let's Look at What You Eat
• Delivering the Oxygen
• Let's Move
• You're Stronger Than You Look
• At War With Infection
• Peace in Difficult Times
• The Gift of Reproduction

 

The accompanying student notebook is loaded with amazing stuff and is an integral part of this program.  You can purchase additional student notebooks if you have more than one student using the program. Each module has a place for note taking, places where the book module questions can be answered, places to complete the projects, and study guides to fill out for test preparation.  Exams for each module are found in the back of the student notebook, and the answers can be accessed from the books extra site.  Most important in my opinion is the Suggested Daily Schedule found in the student notebook.  Assignments are listed to be completed three days a week for 32 weeks.  This includes the readings, On Your Own sections, projects, study guides and exams.  If you decide to work though the program daily, it can be completed in a semester.

Apologia also offers a free activity book, Whole-Health: God's Design for Your Body, Mind, and Soul, that you can download to enhance your learning.

Please note- Apologia is a Christian based vendor.  Because health can address some hot topics, this is one of the many things I appreciate about this curriculum.  From their FAQs concerning this program-

We have worked hard to provide information in both medical and Christian terms so that

controversy may be minimal. We do not openly support any one main view because we recognize

that each family has the right to decide what is right for its family members.

How We Used It and What We Thought-
Ok, I still may think most health curriculum is a bit silly, but not this one!  WOW! Because of our recent cross country move and crazy transition we are only three weeks in, none the less it is still a WOW! I am impressed, and yes, we are still currently using this as a high school health credit for Salem, my 16 year old 11th grader.  It is well laid out and easy for him to follow alone, so he just checks the suggested schedule and completes the assignments on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

Taking notes is something fairly new to my son, so I am thrilled that the student notebook has a dedicated space for that, and he is thrilled that all other work can be done in the same notebook.  Organization is important to him and so not having multiple composition books for one subject makes him happy.

I love that Apologia chose to begin the study with intriguing subject matter and projects that would appeal to a teenager.  One of the first things discussed is personalities and then you take a temperament test.  This we did together, as it asks to have someone confirm your results. We were so interested in Salem's results that we decided the whole family should take the test.  Trust me when I say it can prompt some pretty interesting family discussions!

While we are clearly not at the end of this study, I do want to address the last chapter on Reproduction for just a moment.  Let me be clear in saying this is intended for a mature teen.  Reproduction is discussed honestly and with pictures of the male and female reproduction systems.  Virginity, pornography and STDs are also discussed.  This may be a chapter you choose to work through with your teenager if you are uncomfortable with them doing it alone.

Also from their FAQs-

We also want to make sure that parents are aware that we respectfully cover other issues such

as drug abuse, pornography, and the act of marriage. We live in a culture polluted by sexual

dysfunction. It is our intent to tell the truth to teens about the beauty of married sex, the developing

baby, and being parents. We want to warn them about the dalliance into immodesty, pornography,

and casual sexual activity. This is why we have stated that mature students should take this course.

Parents have every right, and we support their decision, to skip certain materials in the book. 

 
I did think I could use this curriculum with both of my boys at one time since our second son is a 6th grader and reads at a high level.  That being said, we did the first week together, reading out loud, and then chose to allow our 11th grader to continue without his younger brother.  While I have no doubt the younger brother would have gotten some things out of the information, much of it was over his head.  It is because of that and some of the material in The Gift of Reproduction module, that I recommend you sticking with this program for your high schoolers only.  

Honestly, it is no surprise to me that we love and will continue to use Exploring Creation with Health and Nutrition for the rest of the school year.  Apologia Educational Ministries is a wonderful homeschooling resource and has never let us down!
 

What Is It with Chemistry?

Seriously, ya'll!  Chemistry is hard.  Hard to learn, maybe harder to teach.  I do not know how I got through Chemistry in high school.  I must have had a terribly gracious teacher.  Or maybe just one that did NOT want to be stuck with me in class again.

So yes, here I am teaching Chemistry.  For the third time.  To a different child, mind you, not the same one three times!  My older girls managed to squeak by, but I really wanted my oldest son to "get it", not just sneak by. 

HA!

We worked with a Chemistry program the whole first semester which left me exhausted and him frustrated and on top of it all- there was no "getting it."  At all.

I knew we needed to regroup and try something new, so when Timberdoodle offered to let me review Chemistry 101, I jumped at the chance.  I will admit this program passed through my house before, but I just had never had the chance to explore it.

We are on lesson four and I am thrilled, my son is happier, and we are BOTH "getting it!"

Before I get ahead of myself, let's talk about the details.

Chemistry 101 is one of three DVD sets in the Christian based 101 Science Series.  Others include Biology and Physics.  Intended for ages 15 and older, this 4 disk set has 18 lessons divided into four sections as well as a Guidebook and Accreditation guide that you can print off for reference.  Each video runs 20-40 minutes long.  Sections include-

• The Road to the Periodic Table
• Chemistry Essentials
• Meet the Elements
• The Future

There is a chapter that you print out to correspond with each video.  There are discussion questions at the end of each lesson, as well as a quiz. 

 

With each lesson comes a lesson plan of sorts that shows target hours for each part, a place to write your actual time spent, and a place for the teacher to sign off when completed.

 

Additional activities include:  extra reading and research ideas as well as labs (which can also be viewed in the videos)   If you spend two weeks on each lesson with their suggested schedule, you can easily fulfill a high school science credit.

Our thoughts and experiences-
As I said, we had already done Chemistry for a semester and covered the main chapters we felt were important.  We are now using Chemistry 101 as a  fill in the gaps program since we only need a second semester.  We are covering all the chapters, but at a more accelerated pace.

It has been a perfect fit.  Since my son is an auditory learner, he has fully enjoyed the videos and is understanding them well.  He likes the history aspect of the program, such as information on the pioneers of Chemistry, not just the math and equation parts.  He has also said numerous times, this makes sense now.

Because he also has a chapter to read with each lesson, I know his learning is being reinforced.

For our purposes we have structured our week in this manner-

• Monday- Watch Video
• Tuesday- Read chapter
• Wednesday- Do Discussion questions
• Thursday- Take Quiz
• Friday- Do experiments

I like that there is a check sheet for us to follow, and in each chapter there are sidebars of extra, what I would call "fun facts/tidbits" of information.  I think when you can catch a student's interest with neat things, they are more likely to stay tuned into the meat of the information.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this course as I am a textbook kind of gal, but I knew we were desperate and needed a change.  I wish I had not waited as long as I did to introduce this program into to our school, and look forward to using it again with our last child.

Well written, well organized and well done!  Chemistry 101 is a winner in our book!
 
Blessings,

*Timberdoodle includes Chemistry 101 in their 10 grade curriculum kit!

Homeschool Christmas Giveaway- High School Bundle!

We have had so much excitement over our Elementary Bundle Giveaway (you can still enter to win that as well!), that we decided to do TWO more bundles.  Today is a high school bundle.  Pop back in on Friday for a bonus Middle School Bundle!

Same rules as Monday-

There are TWO THREE different bundles you can win!

You can enter to win all, but we will make sure to award TWO THREE different people as the winners.

You supply your address, and I will ship it to you for FREE.  It is our gift to you!

We would love for you to share this post, and visit and like our Family, Faith and Fridays FB page, but none of that is mandatory.

This giveaway is open to US shipping address only!

If you leave a comment, PLEASE make sure you leave a way for us to reach you if you are the winner!!

Homeschool High School Bundle

Beric the Briton Audio CD (This is a family favorite!!)
Getting Started with French
Traditional Logic from Memoria Press
Sculpture Technique Construct (ARTistic Pursuits)
Sculpture Technique Model (ARTistic Pursuits)
The Power in Your Hands- Writing Nonfiction in High School (you are going to LOVE this!)
Once Upon a Time in Latin- Derivatives 1from Laurelwood Books
Patriotic Penmanship from Laurelwood Books

Who wants to win?  Enter the rafflecopter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings,

Hablo Ingles? - Middlebury Interactive Languages: A Schoolhouse Review Crew Review

Stick around this blog long enough and you will get to know me pretty quickly.  I am, after all, pretty much an open book who shares more than she should sometimes.  And there are some things I am pretty passionate about.  Big things like my family and my faith, down to little things like organization and well, let's just get it out there- the Spanish language.

So yes, when I had the opportunity to review High School Spanish 1 for grades 9th-12th from  Middlebury Interactive Languages program, I jumped in quickly.  Might as well add another Spanish program to my list of obsessions, I mean passions, right?

We have actually done Middlebury before, but at the time concentrated on the younger age program. But this time around I really needed a workable high school program.  You know, one that fulfills a high school foreign language requirement, while actually teaching your high schooler something. Oh, and throw in the need for it to allow the child to be pretty independent and not reliant on a mom who is not bi-lingual by any stretch of the imagination.  Just saying.

Middlebury does offer multiple levels of Spanish instruction, including several levels for high schoolers.  You can choose Spanish 1. Spanish 2, Spanish 3 or High School Spanish 1 Fluency or High School Spanish 2 Fluency.  By completing a full year of each level you can count it as a full foreign language credit on those high school transcripts.  (And yes, most colleges require two years of a foreign language).  Additional languages offered are French, Chinese, and German.

The program is fairly easy to use.  You just log into your child's account and go!  There is a left sidebar that shows your progression through each level so you can see what you still have to do for that session.  Each time a lesson is completed it is checked off to allow you to quickly find where you are at.  I know that when you are accessing a teacher led course things are a bit different and even have a lesson assigned to each day on a calendar, but for our use, we proceeded at our own pace. That usually equates to about four lessons a week for are high school freshman.  There are 90 lessons per semester.

As you click through slides you will work through a myriad of different activities.  One one slide you may hear a Spanish conversation and then be asked to fill in the blanks, while on another you may hear sentences and then repeat what you have heard,  recording yourself.   Some slides are fill in the blanks with vocabulary, while others have you answer questions in Spanish.  There are even sections that teach geography and culture of Spanish speaking areas.  If you make a mistake on any of the activities, you will have the opportunity to go back and try again.  Tests are scattered throughout the lessons for you to be able to record your child's progress.

What do we think?
Elementary and middle school foreign language programs are easy to find.  High School levels, not so much. So I am thrilled to have access to a program that is available to all ages and levels of learning.

I also love that the activities cover the spectrum of learning styles.  My auditory learner just does better when he can hear things being said out loud.  By using reading, speaking, listening, and writing, your child WILL pick up something, no matter their learning style!

I do love that the program forces you to repeat things out loud and record your own voice.  My son, however, does not.  He feels silly.  I keep reminding him that if he was in school he would have to participate out loud in a class so it could be worse.

One part of the course we have struggled with is the writing portion.  We struggled with this at the lower level as well.  For a child who struggles with spelling in English, spelling correctly in Spanish is a challenge. There is no credit for getting close. If you misspell something, including accents and other Spanish marks used in writing, it will be counted wrong.  This can often be frustrating when you have to use special keys to place those accent marks in the correct places.  It is something we are just trying to push through.

On a whole, Middlebury Interactive Languages is a good fit for our family.  I love that it allows us some flexibility while maintaining a high standard level that allows us to count it as a high school level foreign language credit.  That's what we need!

How Then Should I Teach?

Welcome back to another month of our Homeschooling High School Blog Hop!  Last month we talked about teaching Language Arts, so up this week is How Am I Going to Teach High School?

In thinking about my years of answering questions about our homeschooling experiences, this is the one question I seem to answer the most often.  Well, maybe after that whole socialization silliness.  It strikes me as funny as well, because quite frankly it is something I really never even thought about.  I guess in a way I figured that if God had brought us this far, He had a plan.  Good thing, since at the time, I did not.

Now, having one college graduate and one senior in high school who already has 23 college credits to her name, I can firmly and with with great confidence tell you that you CAN do this!  You can teach high school.

Here's how!

You are learning too!  For the most part, most of us do not start homeschooling in high school.  Because you start at a younger age by far, you are learning right along side your child as you teach them the basics.  You learn as they learn and therefore you will have the background you need to teach most subjects.

Most subjects are not as hard as you think they are.  Yes, Biology and advanced math seemed hard when we were in high school, but that is because we were in high school.  Most of us have a few more years on us now and are more than capable of handling more difficult subjects.

You do not have to be an expert.  Why?  Because there are experts out there and most are very willing to help out if asked.  Really!  Did you know some people really love dissecting frogs? I am not one of them, but I know people who think it is cool and love being asked to do so with a group of young people.

You do not have to like everything.  Nor does your child.  But somethings do have to be taught and learned.  Once you make a tentative four year plan for your highschooler, determine those classes that you just do not think you can stomach and figure out a plan B.  It may be that you just have to tough it out for a season, but it also may be that an alternative route will present itself.  Be willing to think outside the box and even get your teen's opinion on the subject.  Their creativity can often help you out here.  Keep in mind, that in some cases, life experience can be used for credits if meticulous records have been kept.

There are other ways to take a class.  Yes, it is your job to see that your child learns, but that does not mean you have to teach them every subject.  In fact, sometimes it is a good thing for them to get outside instruction.  Both of my girls have taken numerous classes online from a Christian college.  Not only have we saved time and money by doing so, but they have been exposed to college level classes taught by some pretty amazing teachers and experts in their particular fields.

Peers are sometimes a good thing.  Gasp, I know, right?  But this is where sometimes a local co-op experience can be a great thing if it is a good co-op.  Kids learn from each other, They can challenge each other.  And sometimes their discussions can help each other grow.  Team that up with a good teacher or moderator, and peers can often be the thing that helps something click in your child's head.  I have seen it happen and it is an amazing thing.  It is no wonder college professor rely so heavily on class discussions.  They know the power of peer learning.

The bottom line is that you are capable of teaching your teen!  Just as your teen is capable of learning from you.  As the saying goes, if God called you to it, He will lead you through it!  I have confidence in you!

See how others are walking this road-

• Chareen at Every Bed of Roses shares Overcoming the fear of homeschooling in the Highschool Years
• Gena over at I Choose Joy! shares her thoughts on How Will I Teach. . . Homeschool High School Biology?
• Lisa at Golden Grasses shares Making it Happen: Homeschooling Your High School Super Hero
• Kym at Homeschool Coffee Break on How Do I Even Teach That?
• Wendy at Life at Rossmont shares insights on Help! How Do I Teach High School Math?!
• Erica at Be The One on Homeschooling High School: Tackling The Challenge
• Leah from As we Walk Along the Road shares Help! I Can't Homeschool High School: Facing Your Homeschooling High School Fears 

Linking with friends!

Blessings,

High School Transcript Help and Giveaway

If you homeschool a child, get ready- you are going to have to prepare a high school transcript.  It may not be today or even this year, but trust me it is coming.  And unfortunately it weighs on the hearts of many homeschooling parents.  Sometimes years in advance.  Trust me, I know! It creates questions like:

• What information do I include?
• How do I make it look professional?
• Will a college take one look at it and laugh?
• How do you even make a chart on the computer?

All valid and real thoughts!

The first time I made a transcript was ugly.  As a matter of fact, after several pitiful attempts, I relegated the task to our then state homeschooling group for a pretty hefty fee.  The problem was that it look a long time to enter the information, an even longer time to get it in the mail, and I had to fight with them every step of the way.  They knew how they wanted it to look and I knew how I wanted it to look, and unfortunately those were not the same things.  I finally got mostly what I asked for, but it was a long, painful process.

Fast forward to four years later and I was determined I was not going to go that route again.  Praise the Lord for His perfect timing and a friend who told me that the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has a transcript maker, Fast Transcripts, on their website that seemed user friendly.  I hopped on, played around a little, and was convinced that this was definitely a better option!

Lucky for you and for me, they take the work out of transcript making and offer it an affordable cost.  Plus, once you are done, all you have to do is hit print!  I am one happy homeschooling mamma!

And what about the colleges?  Well, one just accepted my second daughter using the transcript we made two weeks ago!  And I heard no laughter- except for our giddy celebration dance!

So how does it work?
Fast Transcripts allows homeschooling parents to generate a transcript that is GPA error free.  The cost is $16.00 or $12.00 for HSLDA members.  You can print it immediately on your own or for $20.00 have it sent to you printed on high quality, secure watermarked paper.

The first section you will fill out is a general student identification area with information such as student name, contact information, and graduation date.

The second section is academic information.  There are four years to fill out so it is recommended that if your student has taken classes prior to their freshman year that count towards their high school credits, you add them in the freshman year area with an asterisk that can then explain in the miscellaneous section below.  The greatest part about this section is that as you begin to type there is a quick drop down menu that will pop up with subjects beginning with the letter you first typed.  LOVE IT!  I cannot tell you all how much time this saves you.  Again, trust me!  You will also put the grade and credit hours here.

The next part is the cumulative summary that shows the hours completed and the GPA, which is automatically generated for you.  A life saver.

A grading scale is listed next which can be adjusted to your liking or hidden completely if you wish to not have it on your transcript.

The final section is a miscellaneous section in which you can add any additional notes, include college hours earned, list awards and clubs, or add any explanation you feel may need to be added to the class information you previously listed.  Fast Transcripts does recommended that you provide an additional page of awards and activities.

There is then a place for you to add an electronic signature.

Save it, preview it, and print!  It is that easy!

The other feature that I would draw your attention to is on the far right hand side of the page.  For your reference are three tabs- one for general high school recommended course work, general college prep, and rigorous college prep.  Not only can these remind you of areas your child might have completed, but they are great reference points for those of you just beginning this journey.

In addition, there is a FAQ page that addresses many questions you might have.

Fast Transcripts provides a 30 day trial for you to enter your courses, begin to organize in a way that makes you happy, and generate a GPA for your child.  You will not be able to print the transcript with the trial, but this is a great way to get familiar with the software and see what you think.

If you are looking for a pain-free transcript service, I highly recommend Fast Transcripts.  This easy, low cost service makes generating a professional-looking transcript fast and easy.

Fast Transcripts has graciously offered to giveaway a 1 Year License for a Single Student.  By leaving a comment here for us, you will be entered into a random drawing to be held next Wednesday!

Blessings,

7 Easy Steps to Writing a High School Transcript- Review

You have little ones still nursing and toddlers hanging on your legs all day.  You might have a middle schooler busy with sports or a high schooler just learning to drive.  No matter where you are in your homeschoolling journey, trust me, the end of the road is just around the corner.

And college may be calling the name of many of your kids.  Love this quote about colleges from the book-

It pays to know where you are applying and what they will want. (p.18)

But first things first- the high school transcript.

Let me pass you a bag so you can breathe in and out and regain composure.  Take a minute- I will wait.  Because I have been there once already and headed back down that path again now.  And then two more times are still waiting.

Let me assure you right now- YOU CAN DO THIS!  Building a high school transcript is not that hard.  Especially when you have resources like 7 Easy Steps to writing a High School Transcript at your fingertips!  We fumbled our way through the first one and for that reason, were so excited to be offered a chance to read the new ebook written by Jenni Stahlmann and Jody Hagarman.  With 9 kids between them, these two friends have made your work a whole lot easier in this easy to read,  43 page ebook.  Let me tell you how it is setup!

• Know Your Requirements- Most states require approximately 18-26 credits for graduation, but you need to know the specific requirements of the state you reside in.   Jenni and Jody do a super job walking through what the bascic credits should look like and direct you to resources for state specifics, along with some wise words about foreign language requirements.  A handy worksheet area is also presented for you to use.

• What is a Credit- In this chapter questions like How many high school credits equal a college credit and how many days and hours are required are answered.

• Calculating GPA- It should be easy, but it is not always.  Follow the examples and you are on your way!

• Basic Transcript Layout- By dividing your transcript into three sections, Jenni and Jody show you exactly what a solid transcript can look like.

• Course Description- The pros of good solid class descriptions and what they look like.

• Rubrics- If you do not know what a rubric is- here is the best description I have seen and WHY they are so important for your children to understand.

• The High School Portfolio- Not all colleges require or even desire a student portfolio, but the authors give a quick overview of what one should look like if you desire to include one.

That's it.  Really.  In 7 pretty simple chapters, Jenni and Jody walk you through the writing of a transcript.  Can it be that easy?  Yes!  I know we moms want to do our best to help our children compete with other highschoolers and get into the college of their choice.  I get it.  But I would also caution you to not make a mountain out of a molehill.  Do your college research, read this book, create a solid transcript, and rest easy that the rest is in the hands of God.

7 Easy Steps to Writing a High School Transcript can be purchased for $9.95.

Authors Jenni and Jody blog weekly at www.jenniandjody.com and speak across the country.  They also host a weekly radio show in Florida called Parenting on Purpose.

You can also find Jenni and Jody-

http://sarasotatalkradio.com/parenting-on-purpose/

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You Want Me to Teach High School?

Welcome back!  Yesterday we talked about choices for our 2nd and 7th grader, so let's move right into 11th grade!

High School

The name alone puts fear into many homeschooling moms, I know.

I understand.

It did for me at first.  And then I had one graduate, successfully getting into the college of her choice and make straight A's, except that B in the dreaded Greek class.  And who is going to graduate a semester early in December, after only 2.5 years of college.

I figured we did not mess her up too badly, and so surely I could do it again, and again two more times!

We also learned a few things along the way. About making college decisions, going away to college, going back again, and even about coming home.

We have said a lot of prayers and we have made a few changes along the way.

So here is what is going on in our current high schooler's life, Riley, currently in 11th grade-



History- Civics and American Government from Sonlight

             * We have it, it has worked for us in the past and so we will continue with it again.

Writing- Institute for Excellence in Writing -Advanced Communications Series and The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation.  She will also continue to use Wordly Wise for vocabulary

Math- Math U See's Stewardship (consumer math)
           * This is the only year we use Math U See, but I really like that this program teaches basic life math skills and uses a journal and devotional.

Bible- Apologia's I Don't Have Enough Strength to be an Atheist
           *I have been waiting to use this with a kiddo after reading it myself.

Science- Apologia's Marine Biology
               *We allow our child to choose what they will study for their fourth science.  Therefore our landlocked child is studying about the ocean.  Makes perfect sense, right?

And then here is where we get a bit crazy...

Our daughter just successfully completed her first online college class (dual credit) English Comp 2.  She had placed out of English Comp. 1.

In September she will be taking British Lit 1, Visual Communications and Speech all for dual credit.
She will take four additional dual credit classes in the spring as well as attempt to CLEP four classes, thus completing her freshman year of college as well as her junior year of high school.

For the record, and in case you were wondering if she ever had time for anything else outside of class, YES!  She loves theater and is quite a happy kiddo!

Riley is on the far left, in the bright green!

High school can be challenging, but it can be done!

Tomorrow is our last day together for this amazing Blog Hop!  Hope to see ya back, but until then, check out what some friends are chatting about...

Marcy @ Ben and Me Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures Jenn @ Treasuring Life's Blessings Dusty @ To the Moon and Back Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning Rebekah @ There Will Be a $5 Charge for Whining  Gena @ I Choose Joy!
And don't forget about the BIG GIVEAWAY!!

Blessings,

         

High School Must Reads

So we have talked about our little kid books as well as our middle school favorites and now is the time for some high school must-reads in our family.  I want to start by sharing each of my girls' favorite books and then share a few series that they love.

Keep in mind this is a pleasure reading list.  Our kids have pretty intense reading lists for 9th-12th grade and there you will find all the "classics," from A Scarlet Letter to To Kill a Mockingbird.  And some of those they even enjoyed!  But this list - just think curled up in a hammock or by a fire reading for just the fun and pleasure of it!

The 20 year old's favorite book is by far The Hiding Place.  Don't ask me why, and yes, it was on her required reading list.  I think it is a sad book.  She thinks it is convicting and is worth reading several times a year.  Seriously.

The 16 year old's favorite book is actually on our middle school list, Surviving the Applewhites, and she does not care who knows it.  She too reads this one over and over again.  When I made her pick a more "mature" book, she begrudgingly said any of the series below.

Some other favorites include:

Sherlock Holmes - This is also another favorite of my oldest.  Who doesn't like a good mystery?

The Inkheart Series - For a slightly more mature audience (it does contain some mild language), this series is one of the 16 year old's favorite.  She loves fantasy, but if that bothers you, let this one go. (Ashton does not like this series)

The Percy Jackson series -  Yes, this contains lots of mythology so be forewarned.  I feel at this older age, my kids are able to discern between fact and fiction, filtering books through their Christian worldview, but I know not everyone agrees with that philosophy.  Again, just be forewarned if mythology concerns you this is not the series for you.

Lord of the Rings series - I know many kids have seen the movies, but have they read the books?  If not, now is a good time to get started.  I would say the same thing about the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Let me also add two books that I think are must reads for every highschooler from a mom and teacher point of view, High School Prep Genius and Victus Study Skills.

We found High School Prep Genius as a review and I highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about  going to college.  It covers a lot of information in a quick and easy style.  I figure as long as our teens are filling their days with reading, they should at least cover a few that are "real world" application books.

Victus Study Skills was also a review item that I loved.  While you will need to get the student workbook in addition to the guide, I assure you it is worth it.  Both my 12 year old and 16 year old learned a lot about themselves and their study habits as well as ways to improve those habits.  As they get older, those skills will be needed more and more so now is a good chance to slip in that information.

Beginning on Wednesday, fellow Crew members are sharing their favorite high school reading lists, so make sure you come back to follow the link to the carnival.  I always add to our list after reading someone else's!

Blessings,

 

TOS CREW Review- Progeny Press

Reading Literature books and answering questions pertaining to them are not new things to my kiddos.  It is just one of the easiest ways to check for reading comprehension.  But when I heard that Progeny Press had interactive Literature Guides I jumped at the chance to try them out.  For my 5th grade son we chose The Golden Goblet Study Guide recommended for 5-8th graders, and for my 9th grade daughter, what else, but The Hobbit Study Guide, recommended for 9-12th graders.  Progeny Press also offers titles for younger elementary children.


The guides we choose, as well as over 100 more offered at Progeny Press are available in an easy download to your computer.  Well, easy for the 9th grader who did her own download.  Mom, that would be me, messed up The Golden Goblet download, but luckily a quick email to Nathan at Progeny Press got us started again and we were able to correctly download the Interactive Study Guide as well as the separate Answer Key and suggested pre-reading activities.  Each guide begins with a synopsis of the book and an About the Author section.  Then for each assigned reading you are directed read the corresponding chapters and answer the questions.

 

 

 

Set in Ancient Egypt, The Golden Goblet, written by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a delightful book about a boy named Ranofer who longs to be a goldsmith like his father.  Unfortunately for him, his mean spirited brother Gebu stands in his way until Ranofer discovers a secret surrounding a golden goblet.  The adventure is a good one and is sure to keep  your child interested in reading the book.   The Golden Goblet Study Guide begins with a vocabulary worksheet and crossword puzzle and then proceeds to questions.  Three to four chapters are covered with each lesson.  There is space for your child to answer directly on your computer underneath each question, as well as a print option.  Even though my son is not a proficient typist (note to self- get the boy a typing program!), he really enjoyed this feature.  Just remember to teach your child to hit the save button BEFORE he closes the guide.  Just saying!

 

Of course, most everyone is familiar with The Hobbit, written by JRR Tolkien.  Bilbo Baggins, some friends and a band of dwarfs join together on a quest to middle earth to recover a treasure that has been stolen. The Hobbit Study Guide is presented in a similar manner as The Golden Goblet, obviously just geared for a slightly older audience.  I like that this guide, as well as The Golden Goblet, varies in how it tests the facts and concepts learned- from vocabulary  and some multiple choice "just the facts" kind of questions, to thought provoking essay questions.  Each section of The Hobbit Study Guide ends with a section called Dig Deeper that has your student use the Bible as a springboard to answer some pretty deep questions.  Even with as much Bible background and knowledge as my daughter has, the Dig Deeper sections stumped her a few times and really made her stretch her thinking.  They are also wonderful conversation starters between parent and child.

 Each of the Progeny Press Literary Guides can take 8-10 weeks to complete, covering 1 section per week.  They do recommend that you have your child read the entire book to begin with, but we chose not to, but instead only read the assigned chapters for that week, for fear of not remembering the smalls details.  One of the glories of homeschooling is finding what works for your child and then go for it.

 

Our thoughts-

I really like these guides!  Admittedly they are very different from what we are use to, yet neither of my kids had any trouble transitioning to a new way.  My son especially prefers this to what we have been doing and we are going to continue on through the summer with another one of his choice.  There are some great Middle School oldies but goodies as well as some we did not recognize to choose from. 

I love the mission statement of Progeny Press-

"To teach our children to think clearly, to understand literature, and to rely on the scripture for truth and values, and enjoy themselves while they do it!"

 

I love that owners Michael and Rebecca Gilleland are dedicated to teaching Classic literature from a Godly perspective.  There is a bunch of junk out there and it is nice to know that this company is devoted to helping you as a parent weed that junk out, while still providing books that have cultural relevancy.

 

I would recommend you look through the list of books for your child's age range and chose the four or five that interest your child the most and enjoy a year of strong, comprehensive Literary study!

 

 

Pricing-

The Hobbit-

$21.99 Printed Booklet
$18.99 CD
$18.99 Instant Download

 

The Golden Goblet-

$18.99 Printed Booklet

$16.99 CD

$16.99 Instant Download

*Books are also available at Progeny Press!

Fellow CREW read other titles from Progeny Press.  Click on the banner to read what they had to say!