Category: by Debra Bell

The best way to avoid a pile-up senior year is to start planning your child’s high school course of study in 8^th grade. You can start earlier, but I found I really didn’t have a good bead on my kids until they were finishing up middle school.

They’ll be fine if you start later—I only know now what is mission-critical in 8^th grade because my four kids are grown. I have enough distance to have some perspective and to pass those insights onto you. We missed the boat in multiple ways, and everyone at my end still turned out to be employable. So, kids do recover from our mess-ups. It’s good for their souls—helps them develop grit.

However, for those of you who don’t want to intentionally make mistakes, here’s an essential tip for that 8^th grade year:

1. Academically, the most important question to answer at the beginning of 8^th grade is How far do I think this child should get in math by the end of high school? The more advanced math courses your child completes, the more doors will open. Kids interested in engineering, science, medicine, or tech all should push to complete introductory calculus, (AP Calculus, ideally). Kids likely to head into the humanities or social sciences; English, pre-law, political science, history, teaching, etc. don’t have to get as far in math. Anything beyond Algebra 2 will work, though having advanced math on the transcript doesn’t hurt. It shows admissions offices that your kid is willing to challenge him or herself—colleges like that. (Try Statistics with the humanities loving kid instead.)
2. To fit calculus into the high school schedule, Algebra 1 should be completed and mastered then by the end of 8^th grade. Find a solid course and make time for your child to prioritize doing well, as Algebra 1 is the foundation of all other math classes. We took two years (7^th and 8^th) to finish Algebra 1 at our house. Nothing wrong with that. I’d put math first thing in the morning (if that is when your child is most alert) and make sure the time is protected. Have a plan ready for getting help when it is needed. If nothing else goes well in 8^th grade other than Algebra 1, I’d consider that a big win.
3.  Choose a math program you can stick with throughout. While the topics covered in an algebra, geometry, or calculus course are reasonably similar from program to program, the approach to teaching math varies widely and most kids are confused by this. We use University of Chicago Math at Aim Academy because it has so many real-world problems embedded into the program. This can take some getting used to for students coming from math curricula that take a more traditional approach.  Aim Academy math teachers, who are also homeschool parents, did a thorough review of popular math programs for homeschoolers and Chicago Math just makes the most sense for collegebound students. Kids are expected to complete a lot more math now in college than you probably did. And, it is taught more in line with the Chicago approach than a traditional one.

What to Do in 8th Grade, Part 2

Algebra 1: Not Just How But Why by Kathryn Gomes, M.Ed.

Math at Aim Academy

Part 2 (You can find Part 1 here.)

In Part 1, I made the case for math as the most important decision you will make with your collegebound 8^th grader. If your child might be heading into a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) field, then completing one year of calculus by the end of high school is important. To get that far, Algebra 1 should be completed in 8^th grade. Kids more likely to choose a field in the humanities or social sciences will be fine if they only complete Algebra 2 and some trigonometry, which can be covered in a geometry course (though, more math is always advantageous—and statistics for non-STEM minded kids is ideal).

There is another decision to make in 8^th grade that will pay huge benefits down the road: What foreign language your child will study in high school. Most colleges expect to see two years of the same foreign language on the high school transcript as an admissions requirement, and many states require this for high school graduation (Homeschool laws from state to state vary. Even if foreign language is not required where you live, it may be required by the college your child hopes to attend.) My kids all went to different schools, obtained different degrees, and all had a foreign language requirement.

Most colleges now make a foreign language part of their degree requirements. Students can often place out of this requirement if they have four years of the same foreign language in high school or they score high enough on a placement test. Your child will never regret any college credits or requirements he or she can knock off during high school. This is an essential strategy for graduating from college on time and controlling college costs. (My son Mike completed his final credits in French by hiring a tutor while studying abroad in Thailand by special permission from his university. It made for an interesting story but was stressful to figure out. Word to the wise: get those credits completed early.)

Fulfilling the foreign language requirement in high school is an easy place to save on college costs and time. The goal is to score high on that placement test, and that’s why starting the four-year sequence of a foreign language in 8^th grade is smart—there are so many other things to fit into the high school schedule. Completing the first year of the same foreign language by the end of 8^th grade relieves pressure down the line.

At Aim Academy, our teaching strategy is to give students a longer and slower approach to mastering essential skills and content—an excellent place to see this strategy is in our foreign language department. We have both Spanish and French classes starting in elementary. French 1 and Spanish 1 can both be completed in middle school, and students can take two years to complete the course material if they like. Just like with Algebra 1, taking time to master the introductory material for a foreign language makes all the higher-level courses so much easier!

We’ve also added American Sign Language recently and now offer ASL 1 and ASL 2. In the past, American Sign Language was not always accepted as fulfillment of the language requirement, but most schools have changed their policy. Here is a list of schools that accept American Sign Language.

One language that may not be accepted is Latin. Check the website of the schools your child might be interested in attending. The rationale is that Latin is not a modern language–no one is speaking it these days. The rise in foreign language requirements is because our kids are entering a global marketplace–the ability to speak a second (or even third) modern language adds versatility to your child’s resume. While Latin has many benefits, it doesn’t help in this regard. That’s why we chose a romance language–French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian–these all have Latin as their base but have the added benefit of being living languages, which my kids used then in their world travels and to differentiate themselves in the job market.

What to Do in 9th Grade, Part 1

Three BIG Reasons Kids Need to Learn a Foreign Language

Foreign Language Classes at Aim Academy

Read Part 1 and Part 2 here. Get your high school planning grid here.

Presuming you have committed to a high school math program and foreign language in 8^th grade, then here’s what I’d like to suggest as your no. 1 decision for 9^th grade:

Choose a class or curriculum that will teach your child to write well—even if your kid is possibly heading into a STEM-related field.

Collegebound kids will do a lot of writing as part of the admissions process and even more writing once they hit campus. AP exams require a lot of writing too, and those will be critical to earning college credits during high school (something your child will never regret.) Finally, writing well will set your child apart from most applicants—it’s not a common strength, unfortunately, among American teens.

Why start this early in high school? Because writing well takes practice and maturity. A writing-intensive program should be sustained throughout high school, and 9^th grade is when the groundwork is laid (if not sooner).

The first step is to learn the mechanics of writing well, followed by learning to think deeply and broadly as your teen matures (FYI, a reading-intensive program helps with the latter).

The target for your collegebound student?

By the beginning of the senior year, your teen can write compelling, thoughtful, and original essays that show his or her intellectual promise. Not only is this important for writing admissions essays, but more so, because writing well is a by-product of thinking well.

If you want to send your child out the door confident that she or he knows how to think critically and reflectively about ideas and issues, then run a writing-intensive program throughout high school. What’s the connection? Writing is a powerful learning tool. It forces us to perform complex cognitive tasks as we decide what to say and how to say it. Composing requires deep processing and that reinforces learning and triggers insights and connections. I’d so much rather ask students to write essays as a measure of what they know than take a test. Briefly recapping in a writing journal every day—here’s what I learned, for example—is also more powerful and enduring than traditional outlining. You want your kids to be mixing what they learn from others with what they think and ponder. We’re raising independent learners who will change the world, right? Not parrots.

What to Do in 9th Grade, Part 2

You might also like: How to Evaluate What Your Kids Write

Check out these writing-intensive classes for 9^th graders:

This is the fourth in a series of decisions to make for the collegebound student. See the previous mission-critical decisions here, here, and here. Grab your planning grid here.

Every decision you make about your academics, your extra-curriculars, your summer break, and where you work should set you up to attain the goals you have for yourself post high school.

Mom’s and Dad’s job: To support your ambitions, not determine them.

One thing a good coach doesn’t do is play the game for the team or drag a reluctant player through the motions.

With that framework in mind, let’s look at the second most important decision to make in 9^th grade (or whenever your child is ready to start assuming responsibilities for her or his high school career.)

As early as possible, determine the Advance Placement (AP) or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams your collegebound teen should start preparing for. Scoring high on these exams earns your child college credit at the lowest price possible and ticks off credits toward a degree early. Almost all universities and colleges in the U.S. award credit (without charging you for this). The score your child must earn, and the amount of credit received, will be listed on the school’s website.

Because top scores are so valuable in terms of college admissions, college credit, and scholarship consideration, the astute student will give herself or himself several years to master the content and skills on the target exams. That means taking classes or using curriculum in 9^th and 10^th grade that lay a solid foundation for the content and skills on the intended CLEP or AP exam.

For example, if your child might eventually sit for the AP U.S. History exam, complete a solid high school-level American history course in 9^th or 10^th grade, then take an AP U.S. History course in 11^th or 12^th, followed by the AP U.S. History exam. Use materials in both the high school history course and the AP course aligned with the AP U.S. History course description available on the CollegeBoard’s AP Central website.

You might also want to invest in a few study aids or a vocabulary program aligned with the exams your child is targeting—nothing too intense, just some fun resources that get your kid familiar with the terms and key concepts in a particular subject area—long, slow training is better than a short, fast (cramming) approach to mastering material. Quizlet or Brainscape Academy both provide online AP flashcards or you can purchase print versions from Barron’s on Amazon, as examples. Documentaries are another excellent resource for laying down fundamental understanding in a subject area—it’s always advantageous to get a broad global view of a subject before diving into the specifics.

CLEP exams are shorter and easier than AP exams—most are simply a computer-based series of multiple-choice questions—so any collegebound student can succeed on these. Students can retake the CLEP exams until they get their desired score, and exams are taken at your convenience at a local test center. You register online for the exam (bypassing negotiating with a local school official as you must to sit for an AP exam). CLEP exams can also be taken during college (that’s when my sons used them). So they are a great option if the goal is merely to earn college credit. Course descriptions for CLEP exams can be found here.

The AP exams are a much better choice for students seeking scholarship money. (Because they are more rigorous, decision-makers regard them as a better measure of a student’s academic promise.)

How many AP or CLEP exams should your teen take in high school? That number should be driven by your teen’s interest in the subject matter and her or his willingness to prepare for the exam. It is better to take a few and score high than a lot and score middling (the exception is CLEP exams taken to earn credit and not intended to be reported for college admissions.)

I highly recommend the AP English Language exam for ALL collegebound teens because preparing for that will help your child learn to write well (the no. 1 goal for 9^th grade). And that skill is going to come in handy in multiple places during the college admissions process! AP English Language will also help your child learn to read critically and expand her or his vocabulary—all skills measured on the SAT and ACT entrance exams, so prepping for this one exam covers several essential bases for you.

What to Do in 10th Grade, Part 1

Take a look at these foundational courses at Aim Academy for 9th and 10th graders and their corresponding AP course:

U.S. HISTORY	AP US HISTORY
INTRO TO US GOVERNMENT	AP US GOVERNMENT
INTRO TO ECONOMICS	AP MICROECONOMICS
PHYSICS	AP PHYSICS 1
PRE-CALCULUS W STATISTICS	AP CALCULUS
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE	AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
INTRO TO LITERATURE AND ACADEMIC WRITING	AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE
AMERICAN LITERATURE BRITISH LITERATURE	AP ENGLISH LITERATURE

Things are changing and the stakes are high.

Read the previous important articles in this series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

By 10^th grade, your teen will be at the tail end of early adolescence, and that is a very important milestone. While you can’t miss the physical changes occurring in your child during this season, just as dramatic are those you can’t see—the cognitive ones. Your child’s brain is exploding with new potential. He is acquiring complex and mature problem-solving and decision-making skills. She is developing a capacity for abstract thinking and psychological insight (about herself and others). Your teen is primed to become a sophisticated critical thinker and highly skilled expert in areas of strength and interest. Yah!

At the same time, your child’s emotional equilibrium is recalibrating and may frequently be out of whack. This roller coaster ride of feelings can be intense and unpredictable. Without some guardrails from parents and insight into what’s going on, your teen can be shell-shocked and distracted. Preparing for college may be the last thing on his or her mind. Uh-oh.

That’s why your No. 1 priority for 10^th grade is this:

Have your teens study how their brains are changing. Knowledge is power and this will help them leverage their newfound capacities for maximum impact rather than being at the mercy of their bodies’ unpredictable growth spurts. You can accomplish this in many ways: an introductory psychology course, a biology class focused on human development, a book, a video series, or a research project. Research shows that teems who understand how their brain works are better students. (Here’s a good article about this.)

There’s ample reason to take things very seriously.

Lifelong consequences are at stake. Your child’s adolescent brain is better suited for new learning than the adult brain—test this out by both taking up a new hobby, game, or interest—note how quickly he outpaces you. At the same time, what your teen invests in during the brain’s growth spurt will become hardwired and solidified—so choose wisely. Habits are forming. If your teen spends a lot of time practicing an instrument, she’ll be able to pick it back up again anytime later in life. However, if he is laying on the couch and playing video games, those neural networks are hardening into patterns that will be difficult to break.

All hands on deck.

You have a mission-critical role in this process: Be there, listen, engage, converse. Prioritize meaningful conversations. Ask good questions. Accept your teen’s crazy ideas and interests. Be chill if you don’t agree—kids evolve if they have room to do so. I found my teens were most open to conversation at inconvenient times—like after I’d gone to bed. I had to let go of my bedtime to be available. I also found my teens often opened up on a long drive. If you notice a certain context makes your teen more conversational, make that happen often. Study the material on the developing brain alongside your teen. You will probably find she is more open to your ideas if they originate from an outside source, like a textbook or lecturer.

Wait. What?

One more tip you can use: Teen brains are more motivated by rewards than adult brains. This is probably why teens enjoy competitive sports or join clubs with social action goals. They like short-term goals and the recognition that often accompanies them. You can use this insight to motivate your teen academically. It’s one reason my kids enjoyed AP testing—they wanted to earn that high score—and that motivated them to study deeply and extensively. I created incentives for my English students at our homeschool co-op by participating in the Scholastic Writing contest (Lili Serbicki does this at Aim Academy) and organized a competition for the top research paper and short story each year. By far and away, my kids and their friends did their best work and learned the most in subjects where a tangible reward they valued was the outcome.

Finally, the antidote for teenage risk-taking and impulsivity? Responsibility. This activates and stimulates the development of regions of the brain (like the cerebellum) that help us manage impulse-control. (Next time, decision no. 2 for 10^th grade will help you with this.)

Recommended Resources

Your Brain – a course of study for 13–18 years old from the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia

Learning How to Learn: A Guide for Kids and Teens by Barbara Oakley, PhD and others.

Relevant Aim Academy Classes