High school math OnTheRoad

C18 uses Math-U-See for Algebra2, but when we go on a road trip, he takes a break from Steve Demme's videos and workbook, and instead uses his free Khan Academy account to watch videos and do online math exercises.

Our road trips are usually 2-4 weeks in length. Homeschool continues on the road, though most subjects, like math, happen differently.

With four kids in the van, every cubic inch of space counts. Our family is more comfortable along the ride if we minimize the stuff we bring, so even three math books and a DVD usually get left at home. His iPad and my wireless hot spot are already coming with, so C17 doesn't need any extra supplies for math. 

For about 45-60 minutes each day of roadschooling, usually on a boring stretch of highway, he can get in some math practice and pick up where he left off with Math-U-See when we return home.

Last Fall he was still wrapping up Algebra 1 when the school year began, so he needed a new plan to cram Geometry into three months. In order to be ready for the SAT on May 4, we agreed he must begin Algebra 2 the first of January. With no time to waste, he used Khan Academy to complete Geometry, and I only added two "math lab" sessions at the kitchen table each week.

Our most recent week-long road schooling session was in DC, and he spent most of the van ride each way and the little kids' nap time each day to watch Geometry videos and answer online math problems on Khan Academy.

For our next road trip, he'll simply take a Math-U-See break and schedule 45-60 minutes each day on the road to continue reviewing Algebra 1 and 2 skills online. 

PSAT just two months away

It's hard to believe August is already here. I'm looking at our calendar and many weekends are already booked through the fall. How did we get so busy? One event that is on the calendar is the PSAT for my 16-year-olds.

PSAT/NMSQT test dates for the next two years are:

• 2014: Wednesday, October 15 and Saturday, October 18
• 2015: Wednesday, October 14 and Saturday, October 17

The PSAT is offered only in October, and since it's inexpensive and easy to find a testing location, it's a test my big boys will take. Some families skip this practice version of the SAT, but my plan is to have the boys take it and then evaluate what they need in orders to prepare for the big test. 

Info for homeschoolers on the College Board site

C16's SAT vocabulary practice 

Khan Academy free SAT prep

I'll let you know how it goes!

C16's 9th grade curriculum 2013-2014

Wrapping up our fourth year of homeschooling, I finally feel ready to share our homeschool curriculum choices and my position on different topics. I didn't want to lead anyone astray before! The truth is that every family is different and the beauty of homeschooling is that we don't all have to agree on the same curriculum, schedules, etc.

C16 has worked hard to get on track to complete high school in 3 more years and begin university studies. For example. In 2010-2011 he completed Gamma, Delta and Epsilon levels of Math-U-See. 

Science - Elemental Science: Biology for the Logic Stage He will take the final test of this 36-week biology program tomorrow. Though it is written for the 6th grade, the author shares ways to make it work for younger and older grades. I beefed up this program to make sure he can earn a high school credit for Biology. 

History, Geography, Literature - Tapestry of Grace We're starting week 22 of Year 2 on Monday. We're a little "off" a normal schedule because I found out about Tapestry of Grace during the middle of a school year and switched. We continued through the summer and will begin Year 3 in late-September. He does the Dialectic assignments and will move to Rhetoric in Year 3. There are so many reasons why I enjoy TOG and would recommend it highly, but I'll just share one feature here: it's so easy to adjust a child's level and workload within the program. You buy the curriculum per 9-week-long or year-long unit, and all four levels (Lower Grammar K-3, Upper Grammar 3-6, Dialectic 6-9 and Rhetoric 9-12) are included. This year he is completing each Government (at the Rhetoric level) and Fine Art. Next year I will probably add in the Writing assignments, or perhaps start incorporating IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing). 

Math - He is currently on Lesson 24 of Math-U-See Algebra and, while higher level maths are a challenge for him, he only wants to use this program. Steve Demme is a great teacher! He watches the video for a lesson then we both use the teacher guide book when he has questions. 

Writing - This one was our biggest struggle, but each month is easier than the last. He is working through Voyages in English (I bought the program used from a friend) and completes loads of writing assignments for other subjects, like Tapestry of Grace and Biology.

 

Our 2013-2014 curriculum for a 16-year-old playing catch up

Wrapping up our fourth year of homeschooling, I finally feel ready to share our homeschool curriculum choices and my position on different topics. I didn't want to lead anyone astray before! The truth is that every family is different and the beauty of homeschooling is that we don't all have to agree on the same curriculum, schedules, etc.

My dear son N16 is catching up to his same-age peers and I couldn't be more grateful for our right to homeschool. Though some days are tough, I stand by my decision to homeschool him, with no regrets. This was the right move for him. 

He's all over the map with his "grade level" and when someone asks him what grade he's in, it takes him a moment to think before he finally just answers "9th."

I'm not claiming that this is is the exact program I would recommend for any and every 9th grade boy, I'm just sharing what works for him in hopes that it will encourage others who have kids with "special needs."

Science - Elemental Science: Biology for the Logic Stage We're almost through with this 36-week biology program. Though it is written for the 6th grade, the author shares ways to make it work for younger and older grades. I have been very happy with this simple program and I'm glad I bought the teacher guide and two of the consumable Student Guides (for N16 and his twin brother, C16). Each week there is a hands-on experiment or demonstration. Next year we will study earth science and Astronomy; I'm not sure if we will stick with Elemental Science or try another program. I'd love your input!

Why I Don't Loathe Standardized Testing

The words "standardized testing" can fill any mom with dread, but, now that we are homeschoolers, I don't think the big bad end-of-grade tests must be so cringe-worthy!

It seems in traditional schools that end-of-grade tests are the hottest topic for teachers all year long. All. Year. Long. Oh, how I don't envy those teachers!

For me, it's just not a big deal.

I'm paraphrasing here, but C16 shared with me after a homeschool conference session that he attended without me something that made me say "aha!" The speaker compared standardized testing in traditional schools to "the tail wagging the dog" instead of "the dog wagging its tail." Now that analogy makes a lot of sense to me and I agree whole-heartedly.

1. I don't let it consume me, my students or my school.
   Testing takes a couple hours a day for one week a year and that's it. In previous years I had them practice with an inexpensive test prep workbook, but I don't think they need to do that every year.
2. In my state I get to choose the test we take (Iowa Test so far), when we take it (usually July but this year they took it in April) and what grade level to test at.
3. My kids need to learn how to take a test... how to fill in a bubble sheet, how to pace themselves, how to skip a problem that is tricky and come back to it later, how to make a best guess when unsure of an answer... because testing, whether we like it or not, is part of life.
4. I don't want my kids to hate tests... to be afraid of them... to think they aren't good at tests... because, well, why make something miserable when it can be tackled with confidence?
5. I enjoy seeing their progress day to day, year to year, by working alongside them in their schooling, but it's also nice to get an annual core card to see how we are doing.
   I'll admit that I look forward to getting those score sheets back in the mail each year.
6. Test results might reveal strengths and weaknesses that I might overlook.I expected the first round of tests to reveal that my boys were were strongest in science and math, but it turns out that, while they do fine in those subjects, they're rock stars at vocabulary. I don't think my boys and I would have noticed just how much they excel at that one subject if it hadn't been pointed out to me. Spelling, however... well, it's a good thing we discovered All About Spelling to help with that subject!

The PSAT will be on our calendar for October, then the SAT is soon to follow. Drivers license tests will be coming shortly as well. I want to prepare my kids to take an occasional test, but it does not take over our homeschool. 

Testing is not the most important part of my homeschool, but it does matter a little. 

What are your thoughts on standardized tests?

What we're doing for Math

The subject we get asked the most questions about is definitely Math. Let me share what we'e using for Math curriculum at the moment:

C16 is continuing down the Math-U-See path with great results. Every once in a while I show him another curriculum that friends are excied about (like Khan Academy or Teaching Textbooks), but he is content with this program by Steve Demme. This is his fourth year of using Mth-U-See; four years ago we started with Gamma (typically a 3rd grade level) and he quickly got caught up to his same-age peers. He's on the 23rd chapter now. When he completes this level, he'll take a pause before beginning Algebra II or Geometry, and probably will join his twin in some math games.

The only trouble with Math-U-See is that we don't take a DVD player with us on the road, so when traveling I take the Teacher's Guide book.

N16 had started Math-U-See Pre-Algebra, but I just got too frustrated guiding him through problems with so many steps (ones where you use all sorts of operations and he often got mixed up). I still am a fan of Math-U-See Pre-Algebra, so I thought that maybe after another year of maturing and mastering basic math concepts he could try it again. If it doesn't work for us when I make a second attempt in the fall, we'll come up with a new plan for math.

What about math? Part 2

Rather than jumping right in to a math curriculum, I recommend to newbie homeschoolers that they first take a break to show their children that math can be fun and relevant. 

Then.... When you're ready..l have them take a no-pressure placement test like this one from Math-U-See or another program. 

When my should-have-been 7th graders took this test, it became loud and clear to me that they needed to go back to the 3rd grade level, Gamma, and catch up. Math is sequential and if you don't know the basics, like multiplication, life for mom and student is going to be very, very difficult. 

One of the good things about Math-U-See is that the levels are labeled with the Greek alphabet, so my 13-year-old struggling learners didn't have to see "3rd grade" on their books. Even if they had, I would have just explained that if they go back and review the lower levels, math in general will be much easier for them. Now we're in our 4th year of homeschooling and C16 has completed Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Pre-Algebra and more than half of Algebra. 

If you're worried about blowing the budget by purchasing so many levels, consider investing in a program with a strong resale value (like Math-U-See) or using a free curriculum like the Khan Academy. 

SAT Prep Part 2 - Khan Academy & The College Board

I'm just starting to poke around the Internet for the best SAT and ACT prep resources for C16, a ninth grader. How excited I am to have stumbled upon this: Khan Academy has partnered with The College Board to offer FREE practice tests and other prep resources for SAT.

Have you tried Khan Academy yet?

Oh and don't forget, my SAT flash card giveaway is still open for entries!

Baseball-infused math lessons for all ages

If you made me declare a "type" for our homeschool style, I'd say eclectic. We use (and love!) Tapestry of Grace, which I guess is a combo of Classical and Unit Study. Then we take breaks here and there and use a Unit Study (like we did in February for the Olympics, and a few years ago for a two month focus on all things baseball.

This year N16 and C16 won't have time to divein to a baseball unit study completely, but we will infuse baseball in our homeschool here and there.

I'm trying something different with N16 this year instead of continuing his Math-U-See Pre Algebra studies, and piecing together my own practical math curriculum. Starting next week we will try these three free math lessons from The Baseball Hall of Fame:

Geometry: Circling The Bases
There's an elementary and a middle school version of this lesson, and we'll post about the middle school plan after we complete it.

Statistics: Batter Up
This one has a high school level, as well as elementary and middle school.

Economics: The Business of Baseball
Economics is a topic that I only enjoy teaching when it relates directly to something the boys are interested in, and here's a lesson for all school ages that we'll use soon.

We won't do the videoconferencing or a field trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year, but their free curriculum still has great ideas for multiple-day lessons. Add a link to your baseball posts here!

An InLinkz Link-up

SAT prep part 1 (with a little GIVEAWAY!!!) (giveaway ended)

Until C16, my 9th grader, takes the PSAT in October, there isn't much that I feel is urgent to work on for SAT prep. He's continuing his math studies as usual, of course, and I did order just one thing... a few months ago I bought a box set of SAT vocabulary flash cards from Amazon (I buy everything but bananas there these days!).

For a visual learner like C16, these silly comics help him remember the vocabulary words, even if some of the graphics and sayings are a stretch. It's working for him! This week is a review week, so he's taking the 60 flash cards he has worked on so far and refreshing his memory. I'm so happy with how well he has retained the words and definitions, at a pace of 10 flash cards a week. 

This box is OnTheRoad-friendly, which is one of the features I enjoy the most. C16 usually keeps the box in the van door pocket so he can practice them when I'm driving. All in all, I enjoy this product and am glad I bought it. I think you'll like it too, if you have a student preparing for the PSAT or SAT...

Hands down, the best place for homeschoolers to "shop"

Drum roll, please...

And the best place for homeschooler to "shop" is...

A place with the world's greatest return policy...

A place where someone is eager to help if you need it...

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Okay...

I've kept you waiting long enough...

What about math?

Four years ago when we began homeschooling I wasn't sure of which math program to choose. My kids hated math, probably because they were so far behind. So, I made this declaration to my newly-adopted pre-teen sons:

"For the first month we won't touch a single math textbook."

During our first month we focused on finding our spot, exploring different homeschool options and showing our kids that school can be fun. 

As far as math was concerned, here are some of the things we tried that went well:

We read "living math" books, like The Adventures of  Penrose the Mathematical Cat.