Homeschool World Forum

[Plymrocker]

This is urgent now, and I am SO torn, on this one! I have been going back and forth for weeks, and can't make a decision I am SURE of. So I am hoping I will get some knowledgeable guidance here from any of you, for this BIG decision I need to make right away. I would so appreciate to helpful replies, experiences and college-prep experts, if there are any.

I've been working hard on laying out my daughter's 4 year high school plan. She begins high (home)school this year. I am very torn between these two courses for Language Arts:

ROD & STAFF:
9/ A Time To Heal
9/ Communicating Effectively Book 1
10/ Communicating Effectively Book 2
11/ Perspectives of Life
12/ Perspectives of Truth

OR

LIFEPAC[/u]:
Complete Sets
9-12

[u]Things you should know:
* She has been 1 grade level ahead in Language Arts, so she actually is finishing Grade Level 9
* She has experience with both. Used LifePac & enjoyed, until this past year (grade level 9), when we switched to Rod & Staff > Communicating Effectively-Book 1. She has really struggled with the grammar. She liked LifePac better.
**She is definitely college bound. Her strong interests lie in politics. She dreams of getting into Harvard AND Princeton. We need a rigorous college prep plan. She has long-term life goals, but she is 14. But she is passionate and serious about her plans/politics/American History.

Why I am torn:
* She did DO better with Lifepac...
* .....but, with Rod & Staff, she can stay at the grade level ahead (starting 10th), because she wants to finish LA early, and focus on Journalism her 12th year.
* I want to be sure LifePac is really college-prepatory, considering her field of interest.
*A friend who is a teacher, says we should try to not do much Christian based LA (like Rod & Staff), because colleges prefer traditional courses when reviewing transcripts.

I would LOVE your insight!! I hope to hear from anyone soon!
~Laura

[hscoach]

You might want to try calling Lee Binz of thehomescholar.com. She offers free 10 minute phone consultations every Wednesday afternoon. She is definitely a college-prep expert and she might have an opinion about whether Rod and Staff or Lifepac would be better. Here is the link with the hours you can call.

http://www.thehomescholar.com/free-homeschool-consulting.php
_________________
Laura L. Barth
http://www.freehomeschooladvice.com

[Plymrocker]

Yes, I missed that by a day, at the time. BUT.....my daughter finally did say a few things that made the choice clearer. She misses the style of LifePac, and thinks she really followed it all a lot easier. Rod & Staff really does word things very oddly. Even their sentences for grammar are a little unusual. So, we're going back to LifePac, and we feel good about the choice now.

Thanks for your suggestion. : )