Math and advanced composition ?

[Night Elf]

My dd17 and I are trying to figure out the last classes she needs to meet the CPC requirements.

For math, she has taken Alg. 1, Geom., and Alg 2. She needs an advanced math class as her 4th class. We are looking at online samples. We've looked at Saxon, Thinkwell, Teaching Textbooks, and Chalkdust. We couldn't find samples of BJU pre-calc online. We're also trying to decide if there is a difference between Adv. Math and preCalc.

For advanced composition, I have no clue what to get. We have a grammar book called Our Mother Tongue. We looked at Writeshop II and it looked way too easy to be considered adv. comp.

What recommendations do you have for these two subjects? We would prefer secular materials but are willing to manage religious content so long as it is not the main focus of the program.

Thanks!

[Kareni]

I'm not sure what CPC is ....

One possibility for an advanced math class is Statistics. My daughter took this last year through Pennsylvania Homeschoolers, and we were very pleased. The class is taught by Carole Matheny who posts here as Blue Hen.

The link for more information is here (http://www.aphomeschoolers.com/).

PA Homeschoolers also offers AP English Language and AP English Literature though I have no personal experience with those subjects.

Regards,
Kareni

[Linda in TX]

Saxon's Advanced Math is pre-calc. But I really don't have any other answers.

Linda

[Jenn in CA]

I also don't know what CPC is, but...

Saxon Advanced Math would be pre-calculus. Advanced Math would come after Alg. 2. That's what we used and it worked well for us.

Advanced Comp could be a Rhetoric course. It could also just be a continuation of whatever you were doing for composition, but longer papers.

Have you used IEW? The The Student Writing Intensive (SWI) and Student Writing Intensive Continuation Course (SWICC) level C would definitely be advanced comp IMO.

[Night Elf]

I'm not sure what CPC is ....

Sorry, I've been talking about it all morning with various people. My brain hurts. It's College Prep Curriculum. I don't know about other states, but it's a list of classes required by Georgia universities for admission purposes. All the public and private schools follow this core program and add in other classes to fulfill a 4-yr. high school transcript. I figured we could go for just the CPC and not worry about everything else, although she does have many other classes from her 2 years in public school. As long as my dd17 has these core classes, she can apply to colleges. She needs:

4 maths including Alg. 1, Geom., Alg. 2, and one adv. math
4 language arts
3 sciences
3 social sciences
2 foreign languages

[Night Elf]

I should clarify my dd's situation, if anyone is still reading. :)

Claire was in public school through 10th grade. She started homeschooling in 11th grade with Keystone because she only ever knew traditional school. She hated it though and didn't do well. She only completed 1 Fine Arts credit, .5 American Government, and .5 Environmental Science. She doesn't have any other school work because she has really had a difficult time getting into the homeschool routine. There were other issues as well, but they are irrelevant at this point.

I don't want her to do a scope & sequence like at the local high school. If we wanted that, we would have left her in school. In my contact with Georgia State University, they are only interested in the grades and credits for the College Prep Curriculum. And we have to provide a portfolio of any classes she takes outside any accredited agency.

Therefore, she isn't currently taking any coursework. I haven't yet looked at IEW for her. I did give it a try for my son about 2 years ago though, when he was in 5th grade.

So here I sit, getting more and more confused. I'm researching right now because she is finally ready to finish her diploma. And in the state of Georgia, I can give her a non-accredited diploma based on whatever requirements I choose. I do not have to follow the public high school plans. Thank goodness!

[Susan C.]

What math did she use for Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2?

[Night Elf]

What math did she use for Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2?

public high school. She took Algebra 1 in 9th grade, and Algebra 2 plus Geometry in 10th grade. I don't know what textbook they used.

[LynnG in Hawaii]

The Potter's School (Pottersschool.org) has an excellent on-line class called Advanced Composition. One of my daughters has completed the course, and another is taking it now. It is quite rigorous but really improves writing skills!

HTH.

[Jann in TX]

Saxon Advanced Math is difficult to transition into since Saxon has its own method/wording that is taught in the Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 texts.. Also much of the first half of Advanced Math is Geometry.

Look for a Pre-Calc course which is College Algebra and Trig. Statistics may be another option. We are using Chalkdust's Pre-Calc (actually the Larson text with Dr Mosley videos by Houghton Mifflin--cheaper this way).

I also like Pre-Calc by Margaret Lial (text, student solution manual and DVTs--video lessons)

Jann

[Susan C.]

public high school. She took Algebra 1 in 9th grade, and Algebra 2 plus Geometry in 10th grade. I don't know what textbook they used.

I used Teaching Textbooks, BJU, and Chalkdust Algebra 2 in combination for precalculus for our son. Can you tell we were having a hard time finding a fit? Teaching Textbooks has spiral learning, where you learn a concept, then do it and also review everything else you have learned so far in more problems. You do this every day. The last day my son did TT he came down the stairs, frustrated, saying he was trying to learn a difficult trig. concept, and also had log and functions review. It does keep you current, but both of my kids can only do one math thing at a time. There are also things in TT Precalc. that usually are in Algebra 2.

We also did BJU. You have to get the dvds, have to. It isn't quite as comprehensive as Chalkdust, but covers a lot of the concepts on a lighter level. There are aggravations watching tapes of a live class from several years ago, but it gets the job done. You just have to make up your mind to watch one tape a day, and not worry about not getting to the homework (the teacher is a bit slow paced). There are also mistakes on the printed materials, so you have to make sure your dd tells you what they are. We had a test where my ds missed 5 questions, but 4 of them were errors on the key. Unless your dd is a math whiz, tell her not to take calculus after this, my ds did, it was a disaster! He should have taken Precalculus again at college first!

We used Chalkdust Algebra 2 (called Intermediate Algebra, a rigorous Algebra 2) when we had our fill of the other two..... I looked at Chalkdust Precalc. at a fair, it is a college book, is rigorous, and could easily take over a year to complete. Chalkdust also sells trig. and college algebra separately, if your dd isn't going into a math major, she could do one of those.

HTH!