10th Grade English


When people ask about homeschooling they often wonder; do your children have to take tests, what about socialization, and how do you teach all of those hard subjects?

I will answer two of the questions briefly and give an example for the last.

In Wisconsin the children do not need to take tests. I have given them because I wanted to know how Emma was doing, but it was not for the State. She just took the granddaddy of tests two weeks ago, the ACT.

Keeping up with academics is not really a problem homeschoolers face. It's quite the opposite. They are doing very well.

If you have read this blog for a little while you see that Emma is not suffering in the socialization dept.

Her way of learning is different from the average bear...
but she has friends and activities and is learning...and I couldn't be happier. (and I don't think she could either...well if she got to quit Latin she would be happier)

So how do I teach all of those hard subjects?

Now that Emma is in High School, I get a little help.

Emma used a DVD program (MUS) for Geometry this year. It went beautifully.

She goes to Chemistry once a week at a young woman's home with five other students.
I couldn't be happier with this! I have Emma signed up for Biology with this same young woman next year.

Correcting English papers was also an area that I felt the need for some help.
It's hard to know how picky to be.

So Emma is enrolled in an online English course thru The Potter's School.
She has done very well on the papers so far...but we are not really impressed with the whole on-line situation for her. We will not do this again next year, but I have a woman in mind who is willing to correct Emma's essays.

So that is how it goes. I find help where I need it. I get to choose the exact books that Emma reads for Great Books and History. And I get to make her do Latin every day :o)

Below is an example of the Emma's writing. I am posting this because I thought you might like to see an example of a 10th grader student's writing. This would have been helpful to me.

The assignment was to write a descriptive paper; three paragraphs; use as many references to your senses as you can.

Here is what Emma turned in last night:

As a spring rain falls, the grass in the yard exudes a color green only grass can attain. The yellow slide turns even brighter as the warm sun reflects off of it. The ice in the sandbox melts away, revealing shovels and toys thought to be lost. The pine trees look fresh and the maple trees are on the brink of revealing their leaves. Birds are hopping around the yard, searching for worms that suddenly appear in the springtime. Squirrels bound across the grass and onto the fence, scampering playfully away from each other, like children playing a game of tag. Cute, brown bunnies hop about; never on a mission, they seem to emerge from their homes merely for our pleasure. A lone butterfly floats about the yard, just out of reach of the children's fingers. The sky is cloudless and a perfect shade of blue.


Opening the back door, an abundance of cheery noises reach the ear. Neighborhood children laughing, a cardinal singing proudly, and the buzzing of a bee searching out a flower can all be heard. The wind blows gently through the pines, while they rustle softly in contentment. The clothespins sway and click as an easy breeze flows through the yard. Stepping on the rocks, a loud crunching disturbs the peace and a robin quickly flutters off the ground into a tree. A lawnmower can be heard rumbling off in the distance.

Walking on the lush green grass is like walking on a soft shag carpet, a delight to the toes. The soft, radiating sun can be felt beating down, making everything hot to the touch. A light breeze seems heavenly on a balmy spring day, and a stronger wind brings goose bumps to warm skin. Climbing the jungle gym you can experience rough wood on soft hands, the smooth metal on the monkey bars, and the bumpy ride down the plastic slide. In the sandbox, the cool, damp sand squishes between the toes. A sprinkler spins around the yard, refreshing anyone who comes into its path. Springtime has come and is eagerly welcomed in my backyard.

Okay...gotta run...

Slept like a baby.
Woke up a few times, crying.

Not really.

The bed felt cloud-like.

Still I have to adjust a little...plus Katie made an appearence and stirred things up.

But I have great hope.

I will sleep through the night again...someday.

Soon!

Off to make breakfast.

Encourage one another,
Donna

p.s. Give yourself a brownie point if you made it all the way through this very long blog-post!