I need help!!! 8th Grader

[Scotch Pine Academy]

I am at the end of my rope! We can't seem to find a middle school English program that is challenging enough without being totally frustrating. We had tried many different curriculum and we are both losing hope. We just started SOS 8 English and it's NOT working. You have to answer just so, or else the problem is graded wrong. So another $70 down the drain. Please help me! I was thinking of trying Keystone Middle School English 8, hoping that would set him on a good path. He really wants something that he can be more independent with and feel as though he is making good progress.

Any advice would be very welcome!

[CynthiaOK]

Check out the Michael Clay Thompson programs (MCT). You can search the K-8 curriculum forum - there has been a LOT of discussion about it. I think there has been some discussion,also, here on the high school board.

[MIch elle]

SOS Spanish was the same way and drove me NUTS! I sent it back for a full refund.

What have you used for English in the past?

[CynthiaOK]

SOS Spanish was the same way and drove me NUTS! I sent it back for a full refund.

I wish I had thought of that! That is the most frustrating program. Rosetta Stone worked great on the computer, but SOS was so...touchy!

[Moira in MA]

What aspect of English are you having trouble with?

For writing, I really like Julie Bogart's Bravewriter materials. You may want to consider Help for high school -- it covers the material in Kidswrite Intermediate and the Expository Essay courses but in your own time rather than as 6 week online courses.

The material is written to the student and can be repeated multiple times.

You can see it at Bravewriter.com

HTH
~Moira

[creekland]

I like Hewitt's Lightning Lit 8... but I'm not an English guru. It works very well for this math/science inclined family.