I'm Having Anxiety!

by Kristi
(Wi.)

My daughter is in 10th grade and we are on our 5th day of home schooling, but I'm having anxiety! My head is spinning with all the options for curriculum. I research on-line and I went to my first homeschool meeting last night and still I don't feel I know what to choose.

First, can anyone tell me exactly what subjects I have to cover in 10th grade? For example...English...what exactly is covered in this grade? What about history, science (is it earth science in 10th??) Math is easy for now. My daughter has a hard time with numbers so I'm doing a basic math review...multiplication, division, money, etc. What about health? Is it required? What is good reading for 10th? Is social studies part of history? Is language arts part of English?

I am looking for a list telling me exactly what I need to cover subject by subject and in some type of order. I am also looking to borrow as much as I can from the library or view on-line. Can I get Sonlight books or Saxon math from the library? I can't find it in the library catalog.

My daughter wants to go to college so I'd like to stay close to H.S. curriculum. She is an excellent reader and loves art and photography. She is interested in psychology. She struggles understanding numbers. If anyone can help me to tell me what to do I would be ever so grateful. Aren't there 4 or 5 books that will cover the basics???? HELP!!!

Diane's Reply to I'm Having Anxiety!

First of all, congratulations on your decision to homeschool! You and your daughter are on the right path.

Now, take a deep breath and relax! You've only just begun! Get a copy of "The Teenage Liberation Handbook" and read it aloud with your daughter. It will only take you a couple of days to complete and is filled with helpful suggestions. Just do from the book what you feel is comfortable at this point.

To answer your first question...in Wisconsin, we are required to cover six subjects: reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health. You may find this Scope and Sequence from BJU Press helpful. They cover Biology in 10th grade science and Algebra 2 in Math. They have literature, writing and grammar, and vocabulary books available to purchase if you choose. They even have foreign languages and electives available. But, you will see from their chart what is covered in each grade.

We got many of the great literature books Sonlight recommends from our library. I don't think, however, you will find textbooks there (like Saxon or Math-U-See). Because of her psychology interest, ask your local university what they recommend she read or study while in high school.

Because your daughter is planning to attend college, I recommend you find out what the requirements are for her to be accepted at her school of choice. Every college is different. The public high school's graduation requirements don't even coincide with college application requirements. But, you will be ahead of the game! Contact a few of the colleges she may be interested in and ask what their entrance requirements are. You have plenty of time to cover what's required before she graduates.

Please keep us informed on how you and she do!