10th grade plan

[choirfarm]

First of all this is what he is taking this year as a 9th grader and his grades 1st semester:
19th Century world History- A (TOG)
English I- A (TOG, Vocabulit, IEW, AG)
Introductory Logic- A+ ( Doing Intermediate this semester)
Apologia Chemistry A-
Chalkdust Geometry A-
SOS Spanish I B-

To be honest, he is struggling with Spanish and trying to figure it out on his own. I can't help. If he were in school with a real teacher, then I have no doubt he would make an A. I feel bad about his GPA.

So next year for 10th I have
20th Century World Histoy (TOG)
English II (TOG, Vocabulit, IEW: Elegant Essay & Adv Comm, AG:season 3
Chalkdust Algebra II
Apologia Physics
AP Statistics- Teaching Co course, lost of books, online free course, study guide, etc.
Spanish- ?? Continue with SOS Spanish I (HE is just starting unit 5 right now) and move into SOS Spanish II???

Now, he CAN take CC courses next year if I want him to. He would only be 15, though. There is a fabulous Spanish teacher there and some friends had their children take it as Seniors and they did well.

I sort of feel like he needs an outside class with someone else. IF, the co-op offers Physics next year (It was offered last year and the co-op director who is a science professor Letourneau taught it!) then I will have him do that. If not, what should I outsource? Should I not do IEW and have him do a writing course online somewhere?

He loves computers and I've seen some online courses for programming.

What do you think?

Christine

[Rebecca VA]

Will the 9th-grade grades you posted will be on his transcript? If so, you might want to think twice about having him continue on with Spanish this year. You need to protect his transcript. That B- could keep him out of a really competitive school.

Perhaps he could go to a CC Spanish class this summer to get his first year of Spanish in, and he could make an A there. There are even some online Spanish classes.

My own child is thriving with her online Latin class. It's fun for her, and it keeps her moving along in a subject that is easy to get stuck in.

[creekland]

I agree with the previous poster. I've heard some less than great things about SOS Spanish and it wouldn't seem fair to mess up a transcript with a less than stellar curriculum.

Otherwise yes, colleges like to see an outside course (or more) since it gives them a feel for what grades a student can make outside of parental grading.

[choirfarm]

If I don't include Spanish, then it only looks like he is taking 5 classes. In a way, I would like him to continue doing it as it would give him some exposure before taking a CC class. I could change to some other kind of class. He works really fast. Introductory Logic only took him until the end of October and then we did half of the Argumentation Teaching Company tapes to fill time. He is taking the ch 8 test in Chalkdust this week, so if he keeps up this pace he will be through with it in April. So he could possibly do a year course this semester that I could put on the transcript, but what?? It would need to be a light course, I would think.

Christine

[choirfarm]

When we did a search on the college board site and plugged in small school, in this region with math or computer majors this was the list that came out: Abilene Christian University, Baylor ( he would be a third generation on dad's side and I graduated from there as well), Dallas Baptist University, Harding University, LeTourneau ( 15 minutes from home, will take classes there his jr and sr year), Oklahoma City University, Oral Roberts, Southwestern Oklahoma State, University Mary Hardin-Baylor, University of Tulsa and Rice. Rice is the only "competetive" one and he even said, I can't get in there so why even try. Yet, I think he is on track to be a National Merit scholar, so I told him it couldn't hurt, though honestly, I'm betting it will be Baylor. But we haven't really investigated any yet.

Christine

[Jackie in AR]

If I don't include Spanish, then it only looks like he is taking 5 classes.

Have you thought about counting the work you've listed as *English* as more than one credit? If he is doing all of the TOG literature as written, that is definitely a credit by itself. When you add in separate writing, grammar, and vocabulary programs, that seems to be overkill for just one credit per year.

[creekland]

So he could possibly do a year course this semester that I could put on the transcript, but what?? It would need to be a light course, I would think.

Christine

How about art history, some sort of music, or high school level health? Mine have all of those on their transcript - shows diversity in the education if nothing else. He could keep doing the Spanish for the exposure, but just don't have it count - or list it as pass/fail.

I'm curious as to how Baylor came up as a small school? I thought it was larger.

[choirfarm]

Well, he takes piano and participates in competitions. I've looked at the Greenburg (sp?) music courses in Teaching Company. That is a thought. Health..I had it on his schedule in 11th grade so he and his brother could do it together (He would be 9th.) Plus it would be easy when he would be taking tons of AP courses. But I may re-think that. Thanks everyone. Any other thoughts?

Christine

Baylor is 12,000. I think he put under 15,000. Baylor didn't feel large to me.