Enrolling in an AP English class can feel both exciting and intimidating. AP Language and AP Literature are great opportunities for students to leap into texts which contain interesting characters, beautiful language and important ideas. It also gives them a chance to explore those ideas in their own writing as they develop their analysis and argumentative skills and find their individual writing voice.
Of course, a primary reason parents choose AP courses for their high school students is to prepare them for the English Language and English Literature Advanced Placement Exams themselves. High-scoring students have the potential to earn college credit through taking these exams! If you earn an AP Exam score of 3 or higher, chances are you can receive credit, advanced placement or both from your college. For more on earning credit for your AP scores, check out this helpful resource from the College Board. My AP English Language and AP English Literature courses are both certified by the College Board, which means they are truly taught at an introductory college level and are strong, relevant preparation for the exams. It’s a confidence and maturity-building experience – and can earn college credit as well!
Back to that combination of excitement and intimidation: How do you know you are ready for an AP course? Is there any way to ensure you enter the AP classroom feeling comfortable and ready to sink your teeth into the texts?
Yes, absolutely!
Fortunately, there are very specific skillsets an AP teacher would love to see a student possess before they enter an AP English class. The printable resource included below has two parts: first I list the specific skills a student should strive to gain before an AP English course, and then I include a general “game plan” including specific classes which help to build those skills! The resource helps to plan from junior high; however, if you have a high school student who would love to join an AP course this fall but would like an additional “skills boost” I have a summer class which is especially geared to help: Introduction to Advanced Placement English Writing (summer session).
Happy planning! If you have any questions about AP courses, feel free to reach me at [email]lserbickiap@gmail.com[/email].
Be informed – Statistics show that approximately 50% of eligible adults don’t vote in many elections. One reason is that it takes work to be informed about the issues and candidates. Take the time to understand how the government works and research some key issues. Visit candidate websites or call them for clarification of their positions.
Ask if you can interview a local official. This can simply be a survey that you type up. Ask about topics that are important to you. Or, just stop by with a paper typed up with your position on an issue. Either way, you may be surprised at how much is accomplished through a face to face meeting. You can use this information to “be informed” (#1) about the candidate.
Attend a legislative session in your town, county, or state. This may take some extra time, but it demystifies the working of government. There are real people meeting and talking about issues that affect our lives. This will help students see that they too can become a legislator in the future.
Attend an event, activity, or protest to raise awareness of an issue. Peacefully protesting is an American tradition and freedom of speech is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Exercising your rights is important in a democratic republic and constructive when done with the right attitude toward others.
Pick an issue that is important to your family and write a letter to the editor of a news source. This is a traditional, but effective, way to share your ideas with others. It’s free, and most local news organizations will gladly print your well thought out ideas. You can try sending your letter to larger media outlets as well; they might just publish it! You could also write a letter to your state or federal representative. They record this data as a way to gauge public opinion.
Remember that apathy is the enemy of good government. As discouraging as government policies might be to us, we shouldn’t give up involvement. Show your children that you are willing to take the time to vote and be engaged. We don’t want to forsake our privilege of shaping the government. Our political future depends on us!
Everyone starts a new school year with high hopes and fresh resolve to make it a year of growth and accomplishment. Over the years I’ve seen many math students excel and others struggle to just get by. I’m a firm believer that habits and attitudes play a much bigger role in our accomplishments in the classroom than innate ability. Here are some concrete ways you can increase your odds of a fruitful and joyous year in math.
Get organized. Have your student set aside a specific shelf for math. It should house their textbook, notebook (not assorted pieces of loose leaf paper), graph paper, calculator, and everything else on those supplies lists. Some of you are thinking really, that’s her first tip? I know, it seems so obvious. Yet, very few high school students take the time to do this. Pick a notebook that can last you for the whole course or at least the semester. I’ve seen students skip over graphing problems because they didn’t want to go searching for graph paper. Print off a nice pile of this graph paper and have it hole punched and ready to go.
Line up help. I’ve done several posts on math tutors here and here. But the important point is if you know math might be a problem devise a plan ahead of time. Don’t wait until your student has struggled through 20 lessons and they finally admit they’re completely lost. A better approach is to pick an objective measurement. For example, any quiz grade below 70% and there’s going to be a one-hour review session with dad or an older sibling. Agreeing to this ahead of time lowers the stress involved with admitting they need help.
Be honest about weaknesses and shortcomings. If math didn’t go well last year it might be best to start with some review. Review helps all of us. In 10th and 11th grade I set aside the first six weeks of school to review for the SATs. My main goal was to get a great score and earn a scholarship. But a secondary benefit was that I reviewed lots of basic concepts before jumping into something new. In the end, I made up those 6 weeks because I was able to learn the new material more quickly.
Try these out and let me know how it goes. And if you want to ask about specific concerns or questions find me on Facebook! I love helping homeschool families figure out high school math.
Kathryn Gomes teaches SAT Math for Aim Academy. This post was originally published on her blog kathryngomes.com.
Greetings, I’m Susan Spivey and I love to talk about good books and great writers. When I’m not reading a book, talking about a book, or writing about a book, I bake! In all seriousness, I view teaching high school literature as not only a personal joy, but a privilege. Sharing the insights I have gained over the years about writers and their works is deeply satisfying. Too often students have been challenged to read stories, poems, and novels without having the tools to make sense of what they find within the pages. I strive to make the reading come alive and help students enjoy their journey through literature, not simply survive it. I structure my classes so students can respond to the reading in a variety of ways. In addition to class discussion, students have the opportunity to write, create art, act, and even sing their response to an assigned piece of writing. Having the ability to give perceptive feedback on literature is a skill all high school students need as they prepare for college. My goal is to help them attain it.
J.S., PA – February 19, 2016
Mrs. Spivey’s literature class challenged and equipped me for college in a way few other high school experiences did. The class, which I took at a homeschool co-op during my senior year, surveyed great Christian literature with a diverse and challenging reading list. Our class meetings were a chance for Mrs. Spivey to push her students to think critically about the material we read; she encouraged us to reevaluate our presuppositions and validated our thoughtful opinions, even when she didn’t share them. This open discussion stood in contrast to many high school classes that shielded authors from critique. Mrs. Spivey’s approach to in-class discussion helped prepare me for college literature and writing classes, where criticism of an author and their worldview is encouraged. Her love of literature was apparent in everything she did; from her enthusiasm in class to her warm invitations to continue discussions and reading outside of it, Mrs. Spivey was a hugely influential teacher who was instrumental in my decision to pursue English and writing as a part of my college and career.
Parent, PA – February 19, 2016
Susan Spivey does an excellent job of instilling the love of learning and literature into her students. I have had two children participate in her English/Literature classes, and even though they enjoyed reading before, Susan was able to unlock areas of interpretation that allowed them both to understand more fully what the authors are attempting to convey. Her writing assignments challenged them to think deeply and put into their own words portions of specific text. Susan also challenges her students by assigning projects that may not be in their particular strength. For example: Not only do the students write, but some assignments may require them to perform a dramatization or an art project. She realizes that not all the students have the same strengths, but she motivates them to branch out and try something new. Susan also wants each of her students to succeed and encourages them to use whatever gifts or abilities they have to do their best. Thank you, Susan, for using Literature to help my children to mature and flourish.
E. C. – May 15, 2017
I enjoyed reading many different kinds of writing from a wide array of authors and eras. I also enjoyed class discussion. Mrs. Spivey always made class time interesting and informative by providing direction where needed but also opening up time for discussion of our own perspectives and interpretations, allowing us to grow further. Mrs. Spivey is very passionate about what she teaches, which makes this course very fun. She asks engaging question and encourages the class to be readers that meditate on the works they read and analyze the contents. Mrs. Spivey is open to new perspectives form her students and never ignores or discounts a persons thoughts. This course taught me how to analyze a work of literature and form an extensive understanding of it. This course also gave many opportunities for practice of creating well-developed and detailed papers about a piece of literature. -American Literature Student
G. Beaumont – May 15, 2017
(Mrs. Spivey) has a vast knowledge of writing, is extremely friendly and kind, and super understanding. Not many teachers WANT their students to learn, they just want them to pass and be done with. I know she genuinely cared about how I did. Mrs. Spivey encouraged class participation and asked us open ended questions, which led to helpful explanations and wonderful discussion. I now have read multiple poems, essays, short stories, plays and understood them. I know how to dissect a poem and how to figure out what the author is trying to convey. I know how to write over ten page papers and keep them interesting! I can see how literature ties into art, science, politics, history and everyday life. I have learned to handle a workload and manage my time better. And lastly, I have learned what it is like to have a deadline (Oh and I had a wonderful teacher, I don’t think I could find a better one).
N.A. ~British Lit student
Mrs. Spivey encouraged class participation and asked us open ended questions, which led to helpful explanations and wonderful discussion. I now have read multiple poems, essays, short stories, plays and understood them. I know how to dissect a poem and how to figure out what the author is trying to convey. I know how to write lastly, I have learned what it is like to have a deadline (Oh and I over ten page papers and keep them interesting! I can see how literature ties into art, science, politics, history and everyday life. I have learned to handle a workload and manage my time better. And had a wonderful teacher, I don’t think I could find a better one).
W.Q. ~American Lit student
Mrs. Spivey explains the reading well in class and helped me to understand many things I wouldn’t have noticed or understood completely from the reading. Her corrections on assignments and essays are also helpful and clear. If I started to fall behind on submissions, she emailed me to ask if anything was wrong (which is helpful in getting me to get back on track). The feedback was great. It was clear and I knew exactly what I had done wrong, or what I had to improve.
The Power of Parental Influence in Uncertain Times
This is the second in several installments about navigating through the teenage years. In this post I would like to spend some time describing the culture our teenagers find themselves facing; and discuss how parents can both grieve the loss of our compliant naïve children and begin to rewire the brains of our confused adolescents.
It’s Really Scary Out There
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a pretty scary world out there. And it’s not just scary for you and me as adults, but it’s especially harrowing for our teenagers. We have created a world dripping with violence, drugs, and sex, and our children are right in the middle of it. For a moment, let’s delve into this culture of madness that our teens claim “we just don’t understand.”
The temptations begin with the culture of drugs and substance abuse. For teens, drugs provide a short term antidote for the pain of crazy emotions, raging hormones, and a bleak and uncertain future. Although the effects of this antidote are often short term, the eventual use can kill your child. Unfortunately the insanity of the teenage years, and a brain looking for short term pleasure without long term reasoning sees this as a pain free alternative.
Adding to this deadly sin is the potent enticement of adolescent sexuality. Powerful hormones, combined with a need for peer acceptance, curiosity, intimacy, a female desire to please and a male desire to dominate contribute to a brain filled with desire, with little thought for consequences. Our society has also become hypersexualized and kids (even younger than teens) have no way to process this information in a healthy way. These are only a few of the many evil temptations in the world. I could go on to mention violence, negative peer influences, and internet insanity, but I think you get the picture—the world is a scary place, especially to a naïve kid who has just left the comfort of playing with Legos and dolls.
What’s the Protection or the Antidote?
In the last blog post I mentioned that the adolescent brain is in a state of re-wiring; a pruning occurs which is eventually hardwired into the brain. Research shows that parental influence of both a good and bad behaviors has an enormous effect on adolescents. How we interact with our kids gets burned into that adolescent brain telling it how to act as an adult. Thus, as Michael Bradley states, “through the rewiring process, the sins of the parents becomes the insanity of the adolescent. Likewise, the wisdom of the parents can become the salvation of the teenager.”
For the next several paragraphs let’s take a look at this potent influence, and how we can use it to our advantage in training our teens.
First, as a parent we need to begin to grieve and leave behind the image of our sweet compliant child. Few of us are prepared for the emotional hurt which occurs when we lose the close, loving relationship that we had with our young children as they enter adolescence. Our own need for nurturing is often lost to a teen who is wrapped up in their own emotional struggles. So what is a parent to do? GRIEVE, and remember that this teenager in front of you didn’t kill your child, but IS your child, just reborn once again. Your job is to get to know this new person, and navigate the growing pains together. Keep your eyes open for the excitement of getting to know your new young adult. Focus on the good and show your child that you are in control of your own emotions. Above all exhibit some strength, and demonstrate to your child that you are there for her even when she is distant from you.
Next take a look at some of the ways in which you shape your child. Reinforcement is the primary tool of hard-wiring behaviors into your child. Reinforcement in simple terms is anything that increases behavior. Punishment, the opposite of reinforcement, is designed to decrease behavior. Although this is fairly straight forward and simple, it can get a bit confusing when we are talking about the adolescent brain, and that is because we have to add one more component to the mix—the teenage brain’s craving for new sources of stimulation. Adolescents CRAVE excitement, new experiences, and novelty. Think back to my discussion of scary environments. The reason that drugs, sex, and other undesirable behaviors are often appealing to adolescents is because of this constant need for brain stimulation. Now couple this with the fact that the reasoning portion of the brain is not fully developed, and you have a recipe for disaster. This is why adolescents often push their parent’s “buttons” in order to get a reaction from them. Your screaming at them can become addictive and act as positive reinforcement to them. In the world of the developing brain, what we think as negative can often be positive. So what is a parent to do in the face of this crazy behavior pattern? Actually the best strategy it is to give no reinforcement to the aggressive outburst and behavior. Go into shutdown mode and reinforce only the good behavior. This is where parenting can get really personal. It requires you to control your own needs and emotions and actually “walk the walk” of an adult role model.
Future Discussion
I would like to save the final few suggestions for the next installment. As a final discussion I would like to present some research on how important modeling or copying behavior is in training the adolescent brain and finally present ways to improve your teen’s respect towards you.
Bonnie Gonzalez has 36 years of experience as a counselor. She has taught high school and college classes and is now offering Intro to Psychology and AP Psychology courses through Aim Academy.
Reference material from Michael J. Bradley’s, Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy, Loving Your Kid Without Losing YourMind, Harbor Press: 2003.
