9th grade must have's??

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  • my3boys
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    This coming Fall will be our first year in the high school arena.  Are there any books/studies that you have used and never regretted, or wish you would’ve used??  We have four years, but these last two have gone by so fast I feel as if I really need a good solid plan for these last ones. Here are some of my thoughts/plans…..

    *condensing Module 2 & 3 for my anti-Ancients ds

    *getting him over some mathematical humps and would like to

    *incorporate Lightening Lit, but not completely sure

    *oral narrations are pretty solid (still need some work, I’m sure) but his written need a little more guidance in the way of constructing paragraphs, etc., I have Writer’s Inc, Jensen’s Format Writing (or something like that)

    *SW is a must along w/ Book of Mottoes.

    *I have some plans for Bible/private devotions and books I’d like him to read OR we’ll use the SCM guide for Bible and he’ll use Discovering Doctrine as he has been.  Either way, I have some ideas for extra reading for him.

    Other than the basics: Math (probably TT OR MUS), Science (physical or biology, extra nature studies), family subjects (different ideas for that, too), music/sports/life skills/foreign lang. what have you done that has helped to place a student into high school and not as if they are still in junior high?? If that makes sense…

    my3boys
    Participant

    bump

    blue j
    Participant

    Putting some of the work in their hands, so to speak. By that I mean, allowing them to divide up their time to get some of the work done. For my current two high schoolers, I have the younger one breaking up her reading for her personal history and her “other” reading on her own – this I eased into for her and now is her “normal” in regard to schooling.  I tell her how much to get done in a week, and she breaks it up.  For my older one, I’ve had her do the above plus she is scheduling her geography that is more in depth on her own.  She has the guide, and she can follow that, but  she’s doing it over the last trimester and a half rather than the full year. At any rate, this means that my girls need to have everything accomplished before Saturday night.  If not, then they get to spend Sunday afternoon and Monday evening doing work that should have been done while the rest of us are enjoying some family time. This has only happened occasionally.

    Shakespeare, IMHO is a *MUST*.  I enjoy The Bard anyway, but it is very helpful to have some of his plays under their belt before heading to college and wrestling with them in an analytic light.

    If your son hasn’t done poetry, the technical side of it, that, too, is a must.

    Foreign language &/or Latin if he’s not started that.  Honestly, Latin is almost more important as it is helpful when dealing with many languages.  Take it in small bits.

    Don’t be tempted to let the Book of Centuries get set to the side. We’ve gotten in a bad habit of this here lately, and it shows.  This week will be spent adding to our BoC and getting caught up which includes informal discussion of the entries as we add them as that seems to help to lock those pieces in their proper place when we do that.

    HTH,

    ~jacqleene

    my3boys
    Participant

    Thank you Jacqleene, that is very helpful. 

    We have just started a Shakespeare but we are using Lamb’s Tales (I think that’s the title), he’s not that interested but will listen in and discuss with us.  He’s obedient enought to read on his own and discuss, as well.  Plus, he is of the mindset that if it’s good for him, he’ll do it, LOL.

    We have begun Getting Started w/ Latin, but are going to add in English From the Roots Up. Good idea??

    Spanish will be added also.  He does add to his BOC almost weekly.

    He reads poetry and listens to his brothers, but has not done the technical side of it.  (He is not crazy about poetry either, but will read it.)

    What I haven’t done is have him do what work he hasn’t finished (which isn’t much) on the weekends…I will be doing that.  Thanks so much for the extra help.

    Misty
    Participant

    My3boys – I also have 1 going into high school this year and the 1st thing we did this year already was sit and really talk about his interests(both personal and acedimic but also career), we also did some online questions that helped put his thoughts into career “jobs”.  Those tests showed what we already knew for his career path but we wanted to be sure nothing came up we didn’t think of.  We have also meet with a women who helps you plan the 4 years based on the childs long term career goals so not only are you doing what you want but you are shaping there years to get them either started with college credits, or at least on the track to there job of choice.  He also has done 1 informational interview and has one tonight.  (Proud mom here)

    We also are making sure we have economics in this year and logic.  Trying to get some of the need to’s for high school done in a deeper way in 9th so he can then in the following years just tag along with us as he goes.  Meaning he will do some more indepth art and music study to be sure we can give a full credit overall for high school.

    Those are my thoughts so far along with reading some of the well known important books.  Things you always hear about like you mentioned Shakespeare, To Kill a Mockingbird, .. those old but true titles.

    Good luck this is tricky and we are planning now as well.

    Misty
    Participant

    Oh we are doing Latin as well as ASL for forgein language.

    my3boys
    Participant

    Thanks Misty.  That is very helpful.

    Where can I find the test you spoke of for their possible career choice??  That may be helpful to him.  He has an idea of what he wants to do, but I’m wondering if this choice will mean much more math than he is willing to do. Not that he doesn’t like math, but it’s probably not his strongest skill, but he can work on that if what he wants to do actually requires it.

    I do have someone to sit with and plan out our years but I come here for more than I feel this person can offer, especially when I’m looking for a CM perspective.

    What is an informational interview??

    Thanks so much, this has been very helpful to me.

    Misty
    Participant

    Here is the website – creditsbeforecollege.com – and go to resources and links.  This is where I got my information.

    The Informational Interviews – they are meeting with people in professions that you might be looking to go into.  With my meeting Cheri (from above website) she said to call professions he’s most interested in and then ask to set up one of these interviews.  Only ask for 20 minutes of the persons time and go like it’s a “real” interview.  Prepare 20 plus of the most important questions you would want to know about this job.  Example- what education was needed, what is starting salary, what is your day like, even the simiple ones like how do you have to dress, how much time do you put in a day…  You get the idea.  That way they can come out and see what they thought the job was all about and what from someone who is actually doing it, it is really all about.

    Like my son is mechanical.  He thought he’d just do cars.  She said why settle for cars, 1st off it would be lowest paying job for that type of skill.  What about engineer, or aviation mechanic?  Got him thinking bigger and out fo the box.  So yesterday he meet with a friend of ours who is an engineer (makes parts for cars & works with the desingers of making pop-cans) and today he meets with an aviation mechanic (friend of a friend).  It makes him see what the real job is and if it’s still something that interests him and if it does where does his schooling need to go from here on out?  

    Yes the CM thing is important and that’s what I love about this site too.  Though I do balance some of other types of learning based on my child’s interests and how I can best educate them in those areas.

    Let me know if you have other questions.  This is such a wonderful journey going into HS and I feel the Lord really working in me personally to make it the best 4 years I have left with them.  I may not get it all right but at least my heart is where it belongs – in building the best children I can with Him who gives me strength.

    Misty
    Participant

    Oh also, if you google informational interview questions you will get sites and sites of places with questions.  It was a total class in doing that, and picking ones that would be best asked for my son and the jobs he’s looking at.

    my3boys
    Participant

    Great information, Misty!  Thank you!!

    And, I get what your saying about CM, balance, interests, etc.  It can all work together.

    I really appreciate this forum and what I have gathered in the last few hours of posting/reading.  Great info!!

     

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