To say the least, Laurianna’s 10th grade year has been short from boring. The words to more accurately describe it would be exhausting, emotional, challenging, and growing among a slew of other words. The highlight has been starting to drive and subject-wise her favorite was history. 

The year started out fairly normal, but as Laurianna’s health went completely out of whack and the doctor’s visits started, we were scrambling to adjust her daily schedule to accommodate her exhaustion and inability to focus during the day. It didn’t matter how much sleep she had or didn’t have, one day she would be great and another completely opposite. What started with a tick bit has turned into a variety of other issues as well that no one can quite figure out at this point. She put subjects aside for a time in order to focus more attention on a few key ones: history, literature, and science, and still has a two subjects to finish 100%. 

As of the end of her 10th grade year, Laurianna has earned a total of 20.5 credits toward her high school diploma. While we did bulk up her course load the first few years (and she still has two years left of school), I’m honestly thankful we did based on her health. In the upcoming two years we are focusing more on dual credit classes and upcoming college visits and entrance exams – yikes! I cannot believe we are already at this point! She attended our annual homeschool convention with me this year to check out the college fair and sit in on some SAT and scholarship sessions – HOW IS SHE THIS OLD??

Our 10th Grade Year Plan

Credits earned: 7

• History: Exploring America from Notgrass (1 credit) 
• Government: Constitutional Literacy (1 credit) – almost completed
• Math:  Geometry, Teaching Textbooks (1 credit)
• Science:  Chemistry from Apologia (1 credit)
• Literature: American Literature (1 credit) – I am putting together our own program this year, loosely based on books from our history program and also the American Lit program from Excellence in Literature. See our American Literature reading list HERE. 
• Foreign Language:  – Visual Latin year 1 (1 credit) and Fluenz Spanish (finishing up year 2 of Spanish after the major issues we had with our program last year) – almost completed
• Art: Artistic Pursuits Book 1 – The Elements of Art and Composition (1 credit)
• Drivers Ed: Through DriversEd. No credit, but a license would be the ultimate goal. :)
• Student Planner – to track her assignments and work completed

US History with Notgrass

Last year we made the switch to Notgrass in history and we have LOVED it. We don’t use all the components of the program (literature and Bible credits). Although the program offers two additional credits that can be earned through the year (literature and Bible), we decided not to do those. Personally I didn’t feel the literature component was as strong and detailed as the program we have used in the past several years. 

The hands-on projects are ones that Laurianna loves, especially when she can add in her own twist of creativity. Her favorite (and most time consuming) project this year was a children’s book. She decided to create one based on the ABCs of George Washington – and it turned out adorable!! She wrote and illustrated the entire thing – and I LOVED it. :) 

This was one subject we decided to do as a co-op class this year so the kids could also take a big field trip together to Charleston, SC in the spring. She had three other friends in her class and they got together once a week to review the lessons and cover some additional topics. 

Officially she has completed all of her history and government classes for high school – yay! 

Literature

There was a LOT of reading this year and we did something a little different. We used the format of the American Lit program from Excellence in Literature (we’ve used their program for two years prior) and mixed some of the books suggested in their guide with a few other choices and lined up the time periods with what the kids were studying in history together. 

Overall it went great! I was a little nervous at first, but watching a corresponding movie with each unit was also a fun ending to each of the 600+ word essays the kids had to write. Typically for each book read (there were eight books on their American Literature list this year), the kids had three papers due: an author profile (learning about the author, time period, and influences), an approach paper (looking at a specific time period or breaking down important parts and characters of the book), and then a 600+ word essay using one of two provided essay prompts. 

This group of kids is one I have been working with for the past three years and it’s been so much fun seeing their growth and hearing their thoughts and ideas as they dig into literature and various themes. Sadly, this was our last year together since many of them have now met their lit requirements and will be taking dual credit classes next year. 

Chemistry

This year we again worked in a small group setting with two other families on chemistry. The mom teaching them is super sweet and always came up with fun ideas for the kids to work on during class. 

Chemistry may not have been her favorite subject (especially since more numbers/math), but this is the year that Laurianna made the decision to pursue nursing (hopefully pediatric), so there will be much more science in her future! 

Math

No exciting pictures. This was one area Laurianna had to put aside every now and then when her concentration was struggling, especially since it required a lot of focus on her part. :) Next year we are looking at Pre-Cacl and possibly a statistics class at our local community college. 

Government/Constitutional Literacy

Laurianna is almost completely through this class as it was one of the ones we put aside temporarily when she wasn’t feeling well. I do plan to share a full review of the Constitutional Literacy program (and we really do love it). It’s one I think would also be great in a co-op setting as it would bring up some great discussion. 

Art

Laurianna is a very creative girl, so art isn’t as much of a subject as just plain enjoyable for her. Thankfully it’s one area that doesn’t require a lot of energy and she can rest and relax by sketching or drawing. 

Using Artistic Pursuits Book 1 was a great fit for her this year for sure. She has a definite love in this area! 

Driving!!

In just a few short months Laurianna will officially be a licensed driver! We are car shopping already and she is working hard to save more money toward her purchase and insurance and all the other good things that come along with car ownership! She is about 2/3 of the way through her DriversEd class (online) and has driven all of the required hours for our state. I do have to say it’s rather handy and will be so even more in the upcoming year! 

Swim Team

Laurianna’s swim season ended a little early (November instead of end of February), which was very difficult for her. Swimming is definitely a time to decompress for her but it became something she struggled with physically when her health went out of whack. Ironically, in some of our more recent doctor’s visits, the recommendation has been 45 minute sessions 4-5 times a week and also water therapy, so at this point it is full on summer league for her! 

All that said, the last few weeks have been spent looking at classes that Laurianna can take at our local community college this upcoming year – specifically ones that will transfer over into several different colleges when she pursues nursing. Because she hasn’t taken her PSAT yet, she will be taking entrance exams, which does make her a little nervous, but I’m sure she will do fine! 

This summer she is also working through College Prep Genius to get ready for both the SAT and the PSAT this year. 

Other Year-end Reviews

 

The first few weeks of the school year I’ll be honest – they were rough. McKenna has done well the last two years working at her own pace and getting work done, but the first couple weeks were tough. While I had suggestions on how she could best manage her time/subjects, she was way overthinking some of the things and putting herself through much more work than she needed to. Once she settled into a good groove though, she was flying! 

Her favorite subjects overall were science and literature. Both were ones we did together with friends (I have a sneaky suspicion that is one of the main reasons). McKenna is very outgoing and loves to be interacting with others. One of the highlights of her year was attending Teach Them Diligently in Atlanta with some friends of ours – and being able to hang out all weekend with a group of kids. 

This year she has learned to play the ukulele, started working as a sports photographers assistant (earning money is always nice), and also learning how to play the piano (she is practicing herself and wants to be on the youth worship team this upcoming year). 

You can see all of our 8th grade curriculum choices in this post here, but below is a quick peek and then a brief look at how the different subjects/programs worked for her. 

The 8th Grade Year Plan

Credits earned: 5.5

• History: American History
• Math: Algebra 1 from Teaching Textbooks (1 credit)
• Science:  Physical Science from Exploration Education (1 credit)
• Literature: Introduction to Literature (1 credit) – see reading list here
• Writing Reference: Excellence in Literature – Handbook for Writers
• Spelling: All About Spelling Levels 6
• Foreign Language:  Visual Latin from Compass Classroom (1 credit)
• Geography: North Star Geography (1 credit) and Wondermaps
• Electives: Archaeology and Fossils from Masterbooks (1/2 credit total)
• Student Planner – to track her assignments and work completed

Although McKenna is in the 8th grade, we opted to let her try earning a few high school credits over the course of the year – and she did great! Getting into a good groove was hard the first little bit, but once she figured out a routine that worked for her, she stuck with that and owned it. 

Literature/Writing

This one definitely one of McKenna’s favorite classes. Her literature load involved reading one book per month (you can see her literature list here). While some of the books may not have been on her “must read” pile, she kept up (and ahead). 

Each of the units involved writing three papers, some a bit shorter than others: an author profile, an approach paper, and then an essay, typically around 500+ words. Although she balked at the longer papers first, hers ended up much beyond that word limit. Overall her writing capabilities have exceeded what I even imagined (such a great surprise!!). I definitely credit WriteShop in prepping her the last few years for these assignments. 

And – being able to take a field trip during our Shakespeare unit was so much fun!! Incidentally, this book is a FABULOUS resource for teaching Shakespeare to kids.

Earned: 1 credit.

She also finished level 6 of All About Spelling. 

Science 

For eight months we met with a small group of other students to work on the lab part of physical science (once a week). While McKenna worked on the reading and other work during the week, building the hands-on projects, they would get together to review the projects and test their theories (we used this same program with Laurianna and loved it).  Earned: 1 credit.

McKenna also worked through two smaller science books from Masterbooks: Archaeology and Fossils.  Earned: 1/2 credit combined. 

Latin

So, no pictures to share from this subject, but overall McKenna loved Visual Latin and will continue with the second level next year. One of the things she mentioned is how it has helped her in various subjects (science). 

Geography 

Maps aren’t necessarily McKenna’s favorite thing, but this girl is nothing but thorough while studying North Star Geography. She definitely loved the hands-on aspect for each of the units, including a salt dough map of our state and so many other great projects. 

Math

Math is definitely not McKenna’s favorite class. At all. It isn’t the program we are using, Teaching Textbooks, and definitely appreciates it, she just isn’t a fan of Algebra. Period. Next year she will be moving on to Geometry. 

Swim

Swimming is one of McKenna’s favorite things and she grew so much this year in this area. Their team had new coaches this year, which pushed her in ways she didn’t always like, but she discovered new strokes to love and pursue and figured out that hard work definitely pay off. We are definitely considering the long term swimming in the fall again and she is currently swimming in a summer league. 

Other Year-end Reviews

 

This homeschool year with Laurianna hasn’t quite gone according to plan, which has been a little hard on both her and myself (definitely more her though). I mentioned a few months ago that she has been dealing with some health issues thanks to a tick bite almost two years ago. That has in turn meant a lot of changes in our home, both physically and academically. 

Prior to our Christmas break she was becoming extremely fatigued and it was difficult for her to get all of her work done, so we had to slow down in some areas to help her out. Over the last bit we have been trying some different avenues to help her feel better and have a lot of doctor’s visits in the future and will keep you posted. If anything, I am most thankful at this time that we homeschool and have the flexibility in her schedule to adjust things and timing. 

10th Grade Curriculum Choices

Credits to earn: 7

• History: Exploring America from Notgrass (1 credit) 
• Government: Constitutional Literacy (1 credit)
• Math:  Geometry, Teaching Textbooks (1 credit)
• Science:  Chemistry from Apologia (1 credit)
• Literature: American Literature (1 credit) – I am putting together our own program this year, loosely based on books from our history program and also the American Lit program from Excellence in Literature. See our American Literature reading list HERE. 
• Foreign Language:  – Visual Latin year 1 (1 credit) and Fluenz Spanish (finishing up year 2 of Spanish after the major issues we had with our program last year)
• Art: Artistic Pursuits Book 1 – The Elements of Art and Composition (1 credit)
• Drivers Ed: Through DriversEd. No credit, but a license would be the ultimate goal. :)
• Student Planner – to track her assignments and work completed

Overall, Laurianna has been keeping up grades in her core subjects have excelled: chemistry, literature, history, math, and Latin and slowing down in art (she tends to focus on this when she is resting more). Art and history are her two favorite subjects this year. 

Co-op – Three of her classes meet once a week in a co-op setting (literature, history, and chemistry) for 1-2 hours, although she is responsible for the bulk of the work during the week at home. The group setting has been wonderful for feedback from her peers and in two of the classes also having a different mom giving helps is great too! :) 

History – History is definitely one of her favorite subjects. The focus this year has been American history and we’ve been able to include several field trips to go along with the period of history we are studying. We have a few more trips planned for the last half of the year (warm weather would be nice!). It has been fun seeing the various artistic avenues she has been exploring for history as well: writing a small children’s book, designing flyers, and a range of other projects. 

Math – We are definitely thankful to be using Teaching Textbooks for geometry this year. Math is never a favorite, per se, but any way we can make it easier and more enjoyable is wonderful – and Teaching Textbook does that! 

Chemistry – Although this may not be a favorite subject, but with friends (and fun hands-on ways to learn), it is definitely easier. This year has definitely confirmed for her the course she wants to pursue for college. We’ve sat down with a friend and been talking about colleges for nursing degrees – and here it begins! 

Latin – Visual Latin has been a great fit this year for her as well and we will definitely plan to continue with a second year next year. She has finished up her second year of Spanish and we are determining if she will do a third year as well. 

Art – Even though she is focusing on her core subjects, art is one subject she is able to work on when she is resting – and truthfully it helps her unwind as well. 

Government/Constitutional Literacy – This class has been one we have slowed down on because we know we can continue it through the summer if necessary. While we love it, it was more of an elective this year rather than a core program and was one we needed to put aside when needed. At this point she should be halfway through the program, but we are about 1/4 of the way through instead. 

Literature – Lots of reading (and maybe some books that are on the dry side – in the kids opinions, at least). One thing I love about this class is we have tied in the books with the periods in history the kids are studying and we celebrate the end of a book (and the corresponding papers) with watching a period movie or one that goes along with the book we are reading. A few of the books have surprised Laurianna – she really enjoyed Uncle Tom’s Cabin – and she has been doing great keeping up with the three papers due each month for each book read. 

Swim Team – With her fatigue, swim team had to be pulled from her daily schedule. This was really hard for her because it was something she definitely enjoyed, but she physically could not keep up with the demands – which has been difficult emotionally for her. She knows that long term it will work out and she is looking forward to summer swim team, but knows that right now she needs to focus on resting and getting her health back to a more “normal” range. 

Drivers Ed – Laurianna also started DRIVING! Ack! You all – I feel for my parents and how that must have been for them so many years ago. There is something rather nerve wracking having your child behind the wheel and not having physical control (maybe that’s just my issue alone – cough). I know this is an area that as our kids get older we are ‘releasing’ them – but oy, it’s hard! The first few trips were a bit challenging, but there will definitely be some huge perks when she finally does have her license later this summer and I’m not opposed to those! 

That’s it so far! How has your year going?

Click any of the images below to see our homeschool picks for the current school year. You’ll also find links to past years choices in each post.