Abeka Curriculum in High School

Question:
Are there any fellow Abeka users out there? This is our first year using Abeka and we are swamped. We are doing 9th grade - any suggestions on tailoring this down to a more manageable load would be appreciated. We are in our fifth year of homeschooling so we are not neebies just new to Abeka.

Answer:
I am also a veteran homeschooler (this is our eleventh year). We have used ABeka from the beginning, but I learned early on that you MUST tailor the material to your situation. My 10th grader is doing ABeka biology (a college level text), World History, World Literature, and Algebra II. I chose Bob Jones grammar because it emphasizes writing in other formats besides just reports, also it is a half year course so it leaves more time for creative writing assignments(I use Writing Strands for these. My children love them!) ABeka is very demanding, but choosing selectively from assignments and allowing the kids to come up with their own delight-directed projects based on the material covered has made it both creative for the kids and not as demanding on us all.

I think the main thing to remember is that it is your homeschool. You have the right as the instructor to pick and choose, what you want to cover and how thoroughly. Also including your ninth grader will be a plus, because allowing them some input in their education makes it truly their own. ABeka has never disappointed me with its content or academic quality, either which is a great advantage. Not all homeschool materials are of as high a quality. The key is to use the material instead of letting the material use you.