Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments 12yo homeschooling curriculum

Hello all-
Forgive me if I am asking an already answered question but I didn't see anything specific in my search. I have just decided to take my 12yo DS (I hope that stands for "son"?) out of public school and home school him. He is in 7th grade in the GT program of one of the best school districts in the country. (In TX) Since 4th grade he has been treated for anxiety and gained 80lbs. Enough. I am taking him out tomorrow and need some quick ideas. Does anyone have a recommendation for a curriculum?
Also, I will be learning the lingo as I go! I am 52 years old and new to this form of community, and so very impressed and grateful. Yeah!

I'm no expert on this, but my gut tells me that taking time to chill and recover before actually implementing a curriculum would make sense. You both sound like you have been through a lot and deserve a bit of a break before starting your new venture.

Good Luck!

here are a coupla linky dinks

i have been doing research

http://www.calvertschool.org/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=CES1512&gclid=CMqFr7zh25UCFQGrGgod7RjYWg

http://www.rhlschool.com/english.htm

http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/index.cfm

http://www.kutasoftware.com/index.html

http://themathworksheetsite.com/

hope these help get you started

also let me know wht you think ...... i may be in your same boat very soon.

I applaud your decessesion!

Is he a kid who is highly self-motivated? Or is he going to need a lot of structure to get anything done?

There are a lot of ways to proceed, some as rigid as school-at-home and some very loosey-goosey. His personality and yours should determine where you fall on that spectrum.

I'd recommend taking a bit of time to get yourself organized and to give him a break. It's called deschooling, and it's a great idea to prevent your both going out of the frying pan and into the fire. Catch your breath. During the deschooling time, let him read, make stuff, think, daydream, watch educational TV and play educational video games, etc. for a while. (Do limit the amount of media time if you tend to go that direction...) You can then take a few weeks to figure things out and not just buy the first thing that comes along.

The first thing I would do after stocking up on books for the deschooling time is to figure out the laws for homeschooling in your state. They're all different, and you want to be sure you're not doing anything that will cause you grief.

The second thing I would do is surf the 'Net a bit and figure out what style of homeschooling appeals to you. Your style will probably evolve as you go along, but it's nice to have a starting point, in part because there is SO MUCH STUFF out there. Choosing to be an unschooler, for example, would drastically change the sorts of materials you'd consider. Not all need formal curriculum. I'm an eclectic secular homeschooler, which means that I can pick pretty much anything I want to use. This year, that means we're using no formal curriculum whatsoever for our DS7, though I could definitely use something if I chose to. I have lots of bits and pieces that I use--workbooks, library books, computer programs, websites, etc.--but we're not starting at point A and moving through to point Z in anything specific.

Does that mean I think this is what you should do, too? I have no idea! Your family's needs may be completely different from our family's needs, so your approach may be radically different. But I would tell you that the BEST advice I ever got about homeschooling was that you shouldn't plunk down a bunch of money on ANY curriculum the first year. You just don't know enough yet to know what to invest in. Dip a toe in, and starting with the cheapest curriculum isn't a bad idea, just so you don't waste a lot of money. Remember that most packaged curricula are made for ND kids, not GT ones. You're probably going to go through things pretty fast. That gets expensive. There are cheaper ways to get the same result...

Here are a couple of useful websites for figuring out how you want to approach homeschooling:

http://www.homeschooldiner.com/guide/intro/approaches.html
http://www.brightkidsathome.com/curriculum.html
http://www.hsc.org/144.html
http://www.midnightbeach.com/hs/Files.faq.html
http://www.hsncincy.com/creating_a_curriculum.html
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/homeschool_curricula.htm
http://www.uen.org/curriculumsearch/SearchResults.do;jsessionid=8CE9D01FA0B4144FD3A2351997210343

I strongly recommend poking around on these sites beyond the page I linked to here. They're very useful!

Once you're a bit further along, these are some sites that you might find useful, so I'll post them for you now. But this is really for later.

http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/index.html
http://www.smartteaching.org/blog/2008/08/100-essential-web-tools-for-homeschoolers/

Above all, don't feel rushed. I know it's hard not to, but consider the deschooling time a prep time for you and a mental health break for your DS. You need time to figure out what to do, and you don't have to marry the first curriculum you kiss.

Finally, CTY and EPGY courses come highly recommended. I'd look there for sure for a 12yo.

If I can help more, let me know. I know how scary it is to do what you're doing! But HSing can be a really good solution. At the very least, you've shown your son that you mean business. That's a good thing for him.

I like the guidelines from The Well-Trained Mind book. She details schedules and curriculum nicely. The website is really helpful for those who homeschool or afterschool. Use their forum for questions/schedules/what to do, etc. They are quick to answer.

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/

Here are some recommendations in curriculum for that age:
1) Algebra I and II - Foerster - Don't be roped into doing Saxon. I think it is a true contributor to getting kids to HATE math!
2) Geometry - Jacobs
3) History - Depends on topic he is to study.
US History - Some like to use History of US by Joy Hakim as an outline, adding to each chapter - chapter books, primary sources, etc. Jack Daws are good for that too.
I like the idea some do by making a binder with tabs for each chapter, which include essays, vocabulary, illustrations, songs, art, PowerPoint printouts, maps, etc. Most handmade by the student.
4) Language Arts -
Writing - Writing Strands - all levels - requires parental input or writing tutor to go over work. I like the idea of giving them a rubric to cover main points BEFORE they start writing, and then see how they did by matching performance to different levels on the rubric.
Vocabulary - Many programs here- Wordly Wise is popular, although another good one is Vocabulary from Classical Roots
Literature - I like providing books from the Great Books collections. These books were chosen by Adler in the fifties, in designing a Classical Education (which I lean toward). There is a list of books per grade level. They are true classics and can require some discussion and teaching from you or a tutor.
Grammar, Usage, Mechanics - Lots of stuff is used, Shurley Grammar, Easy Grammar are popular. There is also Editor in Chief which helps with proofreading, and they can do on the computer. Some visual kids can have trouble with grammar and learn better diagramming.
5) Science - I like Apologia Science. Start with biology and order the labs with them. There is dissecting involved, which homeschoolers typically LOVE!
6) Spanish/Foreign Language - Rosetta Stone most common and successful.
7) Art - Art in Focus is a common book
8) PE - maybe swimming? Since he's so overweight, you don't want to overdo his joints or pull muscles. If you can get him to lessons to learn the strokes then take him to practice before the lessons sometime...he'd shed the weight pretty quickly.


I'd stay away from boring curriculum like Saxon Math or ABeka. They are popular, but I think there is just SOOO much repetition. I think they are popular, because they require so little from the parents while they drill the kids into hating the subjects. There is evidence the kids DO LEARN with these programs...but drill them with any program and they'll learn...and they'll learn to hate the subject.

Make the learning as fun as you can, and he'll become hungry to do more. We (humans) like doing work that is pleasing, and will willingly return to it if it is. So the key is to get his input on what he likes or doesn't like and help him learn how he can make each subject where he likes it all. Then he'll excel.

If you plan on putting him back in public school next year, you'll need to Google your state standards of education for seventh grade. Then look up each subject, and cover each standard. If you don't meet them all, don't worry. I can tell you that my kids aren't taught each standard in school, so that should take the pressure off of any homeschooler...Good Luck!

Yes, my goal is just to do better than the school was doing. Sadly, that hasn't been hard...

Thank you. I am realizing that my husband and Conor's counselor are urging me to "not lose a day" because they are afraid that Conor will take advantage. I am going to trust myself on this one and do some healing. Thank you for your kindness.

Some people actually deschool until the child gets bored and starts asking for work. (With no TV or video games allowed whatsoever, this happens more quickly...) I'm not sure I'd go that long, but I do think you need at least a little time to get organized. It won't kill him to have a couple of weeks to himself. And you can make the start of school a bigger deal then. Have your own "back to school" celebration. It makes for a better transition, I think.

Hang in there. Know that like anything new, it isn't always easy at first to homeschool. But if you do your best to make it work, if you forgive yourself when it doesn't because things will NOT go perfectly (!), and if you're willing to make "course corrections" as you go along, you can come up with a surprisingly humane and stimulating schedule that works for your whole family. You included!

Wow. Talk about a lifeline! I will explore the resources you all offered, and I will keep you posted on choices and outcomes. Can't thank you enough for your insights, info, and support! I'll be back....

Thank you, thank you.

Hi --I'm new to this forum and also to Davidson. My DS9 was just accepted to DYS in August of this year. I can really relate to the discussion here regarding the 12 year old--including the weight gain and stress level.

My DS has been gradually accelerated in our public school system about 4 grades. He is now age nine and in 7th grade, 8th grade honors math (which he complains is too easy--science is too easy as well) and 4th grade PE. We have been working dilegently with the school to try to provide him more challenge, but are getting some very strong pushback and complete lack of understanding at this point. On top of that DS is very stressed in the middle school environment. To make a very long story short, we are now strongly investigating homeschooling (I am there, my husband is still getting there). I understand the deschooling concept and we plan to do that initially. However, our state/school district requires that you fill out a form that outlines what curriculum you plan to use for each subject area. How do you fill out this form and still "look around" for curriculum?

Also, I should mention that we already have some areas covered because my DS wanted more in certain areas. We are already doing the following:

Math - Art of Problem Solving (Intro to Algebra)
Music - private choir and piano
PE - Swim team
Spanish - private class
French - Rosetta Stone

So, I'm really looking for ideas in Science, English, Social Studies and Latin. My DS loves being in a class and interacting with others, so I would if possible like to provide him this at home. He is very out-going. Also, we have taken classes through Cty and they have been excellent, however, I'm not sure I want to pile on more on-line learning right away. Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Thanks!

Do you know how strictly your district actually expects you to follow your curriculum plan?

I ask because while our area asks for a plan, they do not ever check up to see if you're following it unless your child fails the proficiency exam (badly--like 28th percentile or something like that) -or- is failed by the homeschooling-friendly evaluator who examines your portfolio. (And which route you go is the parent's choice, not the district's.) For an HG+ child, failure seems like a REALLY remote possibility. We went the testing route, and the test seemed almost embarrassingly easy for DS7.

Some people in my area use the curriculum plan to plan their year. However, I'm very child-led/loosey-goosey about what we do, so I make up the plan at the last minute by naming the first book I find on our local library's website that looks relevant. The whole thing takes an hour. <shrug>

So I guess the first thing I'd find out from local homeschoolers is just how serious is the district about your having to stick to the plan and what you have to do to prove compliance. You may be worrying more than you need to.

If not, then I guess you a) start making curriculum decisions, and b) find out how hard it is to change a curriculum if you don't like what you started with.

Hi Kriston! Glad to see you chiming in! How does one go about finding local home-schoolers? I'm not sure that I know many (or any!) people in our school district that homeschool. And do you have to pay particular attention to your district's rules? (as opposed to the school district that is just down the road a bit.) There are many, many school districts in my neck of the woods. I might have to go outside of my school district to find another homeschooler?

An online search is a good start. Another way is to go where homeschoolers go--look for homeschool gym classes offered at local gyms or art classes for 10yos in the middle of the day.

As for which rules to follow, it's usually the school district you are in. Just your district's rules apply to you, I think. (But I am SOOOOOO not a legal expert on this!) An Internet search should help you here, too.

Oh, and also check out these:

http://www.homeschooldiner.com/index.html
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/eric/e543.html
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/on-line_support.htm
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/homeschool_curricula.htm
http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

They give help with curriculum, laws, and support groups. HTH.

Do you have a local college or community college that your son could audit a class in the above areas?

You may have a local homeschool co-op. Or want to start one.

I strongly reccomend you joing the YSP homeschool email listserve if you haven't already. I used to be on it, but it got too active, and eventually my DS12 got better and better served by his school system.

Smiles and Welcomes,
Grinity

This brings up another question I have been wondering about. When a younger student takes college level courses, do they have to audit them or can they get a grade? We have a community college near us as well as a a couple of state universities and a private university. Do I need to contact them to see what there policy is or is there a general way this is handled?

I saw in our local paper about a year ago that there was an 8 year old boy who took an Arabic language at the community college and recieved a "B". His mother took the course with him.

Is there a typical scenerio for this?

Julie

I think it's a school policy issue.

If you get problems from them with his going for credit, you might have the child audit one class to get a foot in the door. Then get the professor's buy-in. Lots more can happen if you have a member of the university (or two) going to bat for you, I think.

Policy can vary widely. One cc in my state has welcomed homeschoolers as young as ten with open arms. Another has had a strict age 16 only policy (unwritten, but "everyone" knows about it) which they enforce by making the younger candidates jump through hoops- an interview, a placement test, another interview, bizarre questions about how they will "make" older students feel comfortable with their presence and how they will deal with returning war vets who may have flashbacks in the classroom. All in all, it's a maze designed to encourage kids to give up and go home until they are 16.

Informal mentorship with a prof is a good way to establish relations with a school and allow your child to show his stuff. Then you have an advocate who will go to bat for him.

What about lab requirements when teaching high school chemistry, biology, physics? I have spoken to high schools about accepting my DD13 into advanced classes if she has learned these topics at home. They usually 'natter on about how important their coursework/ their lab work is to a student. Several high schools refused to accept online science courses at all (like CTY).

I would love to pull DD13 out of her current middle school, which seems to be becoming anti-intellectual; they recently pulled their academic awards because "it was always the same kids getting the awards". Instead they profusely award, with many hundreds of citations, citizenship and sports and leadership - but no academic awards until the very end of the year. No substituting academics for leadership either - "trust falls" for all, regardless of academic ability.

Back to the question - will high schools, and eventually colleges, accept your homeschooled adolescent if they haven't had laboratory based science?

Are most middle school classes lab based? I never had a lab class in middle school. I did take labs in high school.

There are ways to get lab experience when homeschooled. Most notably, many homeschooled high schoolers form co-ops to do lab work, or they arrange to take lab classes with college profs.

You can buy dissection kits for home use, slides, microscope, etc. I don't really think it's a big issue for middle school or high school. Online courses are very popular now and my son has taken several of the sciences without lab. I know he would enjoy the lab work, but I don't think his learning in those subjects has suffered without it.

Dissection is easy... in fact biology in general isn't too bad for home labs. Physics can be pricy and sometimes prohibitively so, but frequently they can be adapted (try www.topscience.org for some good home-friendly labs). The hardest ones to cover are the chemistry labs. Not just price and safety, but disposal of chemicals. That's quite a trick... Actually it can be a serious issue with public schools too, but presumably they have a disposal policy or a hazardous waste contractor...

If you just wanted "labs" and nevermind which ones, I'd go with biology. But for chemistry you might have a harder time. We're currently arranging something with a grad student at the local univ. to do some labs at the college as a group, and one of our moms is also arranging for a homeschool AP class to partner up with one of the local private schools after hours, to do their labs at the school with their teacher (paid of course). It's not the easiest thing in the world, but depending on what's around, you might find something good.

We had a series of geology hikes that beat out any in-school or in-home lab ever a couple years ago, led by a public school geology teacher and covering three counties over several weekends... We paid him rather well for that... actually I hate to even add up how much it cost! but it was worth every penny.

There is a middle school near us that has labs for Physical Science, but mostly, I am looking forward to high school science and worrying about that. Thank you for the replies - I can see that I can't do this all on my own and I will look for a local homeschooling group. There is a university nearby and I hope we can partner up with them for the labs.

It's hard to get the labs for a young child. I've been trying to find someone to teach science to DS8 in a real lab, but all the teachers have balked so far citing insurance reasons. However, there are a lot of resources for courses.

Open courseware is a great option. You can find a list of schools offering courses by going to wikipedia. Schools include MIT, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Tufts (all schools, including med. and vet schools), Utah, and more.

Of interest to those of you looking for credit, you might want to check out http://ocw.uci.edu/courses/highschool/courses.aspx (and I believe they have virtual labs - not the same thing, but still...).

Also, http://web.austin.utexas.edu/wlh/browse.cfm

DS is intersted in chemistry and there's good supplemental stuff here: http://cengagesites.com/newtexts/techcentral.cfm?cluster_id=1477&section=1&#head_1 and here http://owl.thomsonlearning.com/owl-c/register/owlmgr.cgi?Mode=4&BookGroupID=6QuickPrep The latter are general chemistry and organic chemistry reviews. We've looked at the gen. chem. prep, which is intended to ensure that the enrolled students all have the minimum chemistry background.

We've watched some of the Berkeley lectures here: http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details_new.php?seriesid=2008-D-11003&semesterid=2008-D They're 50 minute classes, but probably 20-30 minutes are announcements.

Oxford also has open courseware and virtual labs. You can find it by going from here: http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/vrchemistry/webcast/cartwright.htm

http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/it/ - (we've just been looking at chemistry, but you get the idea that if you search for open courseware, you can find full curriculum, sometimes with tests and quizzes online for practice and/or lecture notes.)

As for regular curriculum, we haven't used it but I looked at www.k12.com. Here's the yahoo group for k12 gifted: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K12Gifted/?yguid=354504176

We're not using K12, but I was tempted.