I was consulting with a homeschool parent about the age-old question, “How do you know it’s high school level?” She asked me how to tell whether “Movies as Literature” was a high school course. The more we talked about it, the more confident she became. Meanwhile, I was getting more and more excited about the curriculum she was asking about. Learning literature through watching movies??? How cool is that!
When I was looking it up online, I noticed that the description of the curriculum answered her question with ease. It says, “This complete, one-year high school English course uses classic movies on video to introduce and study the elements of literary analysis.”
That’s the easy way to tell if it is high school level – it tells you! And that’s the easy way to tell if it is a whole credit (whole year) course – it tells you!
I haven’t seen this product with my own eyes, but it looks like fun to me! If you haven’t seen it before, check it out!
Dear Lee, Thanks SO much for responding quickly. I have used Apologia before and most likely will go back to that. Thank you… I am ordering some Owl pellets to dissect until we get the Apologia curic. I am still trying to consider his English. I have heard nothing but GOOD about Sonlight. But my son doesn’t like to read. My oldest did, but not my youngest. lol So, I am still pondering that area. Most likely I will need to consult with you Lee. Take care, and again, thanks so much for your time.
Blessings,
~ Debbie In Alaska
Hi Debbie,
One comment about Sonlight…. they have a guarantee. I would go for it. What could it hurt? Because some non-readers end up loving it because the books are so good, you might end up converting your son into a book lover. I would try it! But if you buy, could you go through this link below, so they know that I referred you? I think the guarantee would help, since you have a feeling about Sonlight already. SONLIGHT
Anyway, I’m glad to help! When you want to set up an appointment, just send me an email or reply to any newsletter and we will set up a time for a phone call!
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One of the great things about homeschooling is that you can tailor your school to meet the needs and interests of your students. To do that, you need to think outside the box a little bit. Once you do that, all things are possible! Even speech and debate!
I have another question for you. Are there ways outside of a school setting to get a child involved in a debate club or with public speaking, other than in a church setting? I am looking for more of a debate setting where they will be forced to compose arguments and think on their feet, not just give a prepared speech.
~Judy
Speech and debate can be done in group settings with some of the following ideas and organizations:
American Legion Boys State
TeenPact
YMCA Youth & Government
National High School Mock Trial
Speeches as part of college scholarship applications; e.g. Veterans of Foreign Wars, Elks Club
Speeches as part of an adult group: Toastmasters
Speeches as part of regular activities: teaching a class to small or large groups
Debate with a local homeschool group; google your city, and the words “homeschool debate”
Develop a group of teens to discuss current events, perhaps all listening to the same talk radio show prior to meetings
You can also study about debate during the “down time” when not actively involved in a group. Some of the more popular programs include:
Practice can be achieved by regularly memorizing and presenting prepared speeches to friends and family. Perhaps weekly you could ask the student to memorize scripture, poetry, or famous speeches from the past.
Check out my profile on The Old Schoolhouse’s Speakers Bureau, and then ask you conference coordinator to invite me to come speak to your conference in 2010!
Diane asked me a question on my Facebook wall, “My daughter is going into the 9th grade and I am looking for a good language arts/grammar program. Do you have a recommendation as to where to look for one? Thanks.”
There are SO many good language arts and grammar programs out there, I can’t point to one and say “that’s it!” It also has so much to do with the curriculum being a good “fit” for your child. Having a good fit is much more important than having a fabulous curriculum that doesn’t fit! If you are completely stuck, check Cathy Duffy’s 100 top picks.
Homeschooling is an investment in your children, but it doesn’t mean it has to be a huge investment of money. When you want to have a course called “Bible” all you really need is a Bible. Count the hours you require of your high school students, and when you have 75-90 hours, call it a half credit class. If you count 120-180 hours, call it a one credit class.
If you would like some supplements to your Bible class, there are free resources available. My friend Michelle has a really fun blog, and she often lists free resources for homeschoolers. My favorite post was when she listed free curriculum for Bible study! These are great!
What’s up with the reading list? Online you can find lots of sites that will have a “Reading List for the College Bound.” They should not be used as a “to do” list, though. Every student will have a unique reading list that can reflect their unique abilities and interests.
Is the reading list an all inclusive list for a year?
~Angela in Alabama
Reading lists vary widely – depending on the child and how much the child loves to read. Some kids are doing well to read 6 books a year, and others may read 60. Because my own children are voracious readers, I chose to make a reading list that was broken down by a year at a time. In other words, you may want to have a reading list for freshman year, a different list for sophomore year, etc. When I child is “not so voracious” about books, then you probably want to have a single reading list for the entire high school period.
However you break it down, the reading list includes everything the child reads: reading for school (like Jane Austen), reading for pleasure (like Harry Potter), goofy stuff (acres and acres of chess books), professional reading (PC World Magazine) and books on tape (as long as you include the words “audio”). The list includes everything!
An “everything” list can be stressful when your child read a lot. Believe me, with a voracious reading you don’t need to include every single book they read for an entire high school period. You just want to get enough books on the list to say “well read voracious reader.” For that reason, if your child has forgotten to write in their book list for a few months, but they still have a ton of other books on the list, I wouldn’t worry about it.
The “everything” list can be helpful to a child who hates reading as well. A very small reading list for freshman year can indicate a possible area for improvement for the following year. It may start with a conversation like, “Honey, 6 books aren’t enough for me. What can we do to increase the number of books you read this coming year?” By keeping a reading list, even a very short reading list, you will be able to assess the situation and make some adjustments.
You can see an example of a reading list on my website here:
Those of you who use Sonlight Curriculum will recognize some of the books, but you can see that many other books are included as well. My reading list was just for my children, based on their interests. It included books they were required to read for school. It also included books they loved to read for fun. I didn’t include textbooks, because my children read SO much I didn’t need to fill out the list even more, but I know that some homeschoolers do include textbooks. My example of a reading list was for just one year, but the reading list included ALL their reading for an ENTIRE 12 month period and my kids are PROLIFIC readers. Your reading lists should not look the same – they should reflect your child.
I used the books in the reading list to make course descriptions. My course description would include the text they used, plus the books they read as a supplement, and the things they did for that class.
But again, my reading list isn’t meant to be a “to do list” but is just one child’s reading history. Your reading list should look completely different, and should represent your child’s reading history.
I hope that answers completely.
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In the city, there are lots of educational opportunities – some would say TOO MANY because we become overwhelmed with options. That’s not what it’s like for everyone, however. I have some ideas if your child has a urge to try speech and debate, but there are no other homeschoolers nearby.
Toastmasters has international meetings. You may be able to find a toastmasters group where you live, even if you are overseas.
You can look online for a speech and debate club. Here is one: http://www.psalt.com/
Or you may want to create your own homeschool course with the material on this site.
Or you could create a “deep thinker” using Understanding the Times and then practice debate skills during the summer, at summer camps.
I hope this helps
Do you have a homeschooling high school question? Send me anemail!
How do you get your child to appreciate literature?
If you decide to do without a formal literature analysis, then what can you do to teach literature appreciation – expecially in a reluctant reader?
I am wondering what you would recommend her to do for her literature. Should I just let her read what ever she wants or should I have her pick from a list of options. How much reading should I be requiring?
Sandy in Utah
Dear Sandy,
I used Sonlight curriculum, and I’ve heard that it’s wonderful for reluctant readers, because they will real great books without the pressure of dissecting stories. Here is a link to Sonlight.
It can help, with a reluctant reader, to choose books that are high quality but slightly BELOW reading level, to make it as easy to love great literature as possible. Reading aloud is important as well. Sometimes just reading the first couple of chapters aloud will get the child “hooked” and they’ll finish the book on their own.
Instead of teaching literary analysis through dissecting books, you can teach the literary terms through a writing program instead. We did “Learn to Write the Novel Way” one year, in my feeble attempt to teach literary analysis. The kids wrote their own novel that year (wrote too big a novel, actually, so the project lasted almost two years, which drove me crazy! LOL!) Learning things like setting, voice and character was a little easier through the writing program, and it didn’t slow down their enjoyment of reading. Here is a link to Learn to Write the Novel Way.
The question of “how much” reading can vary widely. For some kids, 5 books may be enough – and for others 50 is the right amount. Like other subjects, just making sure they are working at a reasonable pace, at their level, is much more important than the actual number of books. I hope that helps!
Like this blog? Send me a note and let me know! I love hearing from my readers, especially the ones who say nice thing! Leave me a comment or send me an email!
What do you need to cover in 11th grade English? Whatever it takes to read and write reasonably well, and score well on the college admission tests!
“Hi Lee. I enjoy reading your blog via The HomeScholar. I have a question for you — I’m concerned about whether I’m covering all that I need to for 11th grade English and wondering what I missed in the 10th grade. We used BJU for 9th grade English/Lit and the course was very thorough. This year we used Beautiful Feet American and World History and will finish the curriculum next year (it is a 2 year course). I used this curriculum for both history and literature along with some IEW writing and DVDs. Thanks for your time!”
~Cynthia in Raleigh, NC.
If you are trying to decide what to cover in high school English, it can vary SO much for each child, it’s hardly worth listing the important skills. Some kids are still struggling with spelling or grammar or writing skills. Other kids are doing very well, but simply need more information on how to write well. Other kids are good writers with a good vocabulary, and they need to just maintain and expand their skills. That’s why I can’t really tell you exactly what to cover, because it will vary at this stage.
Instead, think about a good general strategy. As long as your children are reading and writing at their level for a minimum of one hour per day, 5 days a week, for almost the whole school year, then you are providing a class that is a high school credit. English includes reading many kinds of things, writing many kinds of things, literature, composition, grammar, spelling, penmanship. I’m telling you that so you don’t do a whole HOUR of spelling plus a whole HOUR of reading plus a whole HOUR of grammar.
From your question, it looks like you are covering all the bases, and using some curriculum choices that match the needs of your children. If you identify a weakness, then cover it. At the same time, if they are reading and writing well, then it’s also effective to keep teaching at their level, providing practice throughout the whole year, for at least an hour a day.
“Thanks so much Lee. This is helpful and gives me peace to go on trying to meet the needs of our son/student, versus worrying about whether or not we are covering what the public highschool would cover. I enjoy your website and have found some helpful things in your blog also. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question!”
~Cynthia
I was fascinated by this opinion column in the Seattle Times today. Are you allowing yourself enough flexibility for delight-directed learning? Or are you putting your Enlgish credits in a box? Do you feel insecure because you aren’t really sure what “Language Arts 10″ means? And how many books do your children read each year in high school. Read it over for yourself, and see what you think.
“We should allow principals and teachers to select the curriculum that best fits the needs of their particular students.”
Some ideas for English credits that are listed in the article – these are currently taught in Seattle Public schools right now.
poetry,
speech,
creative writing,
expository writing,
journalism,
science fiction,
sports literature,
early American literature,
modern American literature,
social-issues literature,
African-American literature,
Shakespeare
literature and philosophy.
In the article, it talkd about a teacher is trying to include a class on literature of monsters, encouraging students to read these books:
Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,”
Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick,”
Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,”
Albert Camus’ “The Plague,”
and something from Edgar Allan Poe
What a great list of books, and what a fabulous idea for a class! Think of all the other “monster” books you could include! Phantom of the Opera…. War of the Worlds!
I always have trouble explaining what “Language Arts” means, and there is such a wide variety of what you can do with an English credit. So I love this quote from the article:
“But if someone asks what “LA 10″ means, “Right now I can’t tell them what it means,” says Cathy Thompson, Seattle Public Schools’ executive director of curriculum and instruction.
Did you notice how the schools only require two years of English? That’s not enough! It’s not enough for college, and it’s certainly not enough to learn how to read and write well. I can see why colleges express concern about the reading and writing ability of public school students.
It was interesting to see how many books they read in an English class. The article says, “Each year, students will read two novels chosen by the central office. There will be two more from a short list and further choices from a longer list.” Looks like 6 books in an average year for an average high school student.
What an interesting and helpful article! Feel free in your language arts choices. Don’t beat yourself up if your child only reads 6 books a year. Strive for better than public schools, of course, but don’t beat yourself up unnecessarily, either. I hope you find the article as encouraging as I did.
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I am still trying to consider his English. I have heard nothing but GOOD about Sonlight. But my son doesn’t like to read. My oldest did, but not my youngest. lol So, I am still pondering that area. Most likely I will need to consult with you Lee. Take care, and again, thanks so much for your time.
I enjoy your website and have found some helpful things in your blog also. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question!”
Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
