Courses Offered

All classes are offered through HIS Classes. For additional information about HIS Classes such as schedules, teachers, calendar, etc. click here.

Geography

This course will begin with an overview of the 5 themes of geography: location, physical and human characteristics of places, the relationship between the environment and humans, movement of people and products, and regions.  Basics of map types, map reading, using an atlas, and continent location will be covered.  Students will then “visit” each continent, learning about the people, location, climate, resources, languages, religions, government. Although a test will be given on each section, the focus will be hands on, literacy information. Critical to the study will be keeping outline maps up to date with learned information. News items related to countries studied will be discussed by students each week.  Google Earth will be used to view various locations via satellite; National Geographic Videos online will be viewed by students at home.   Library books, travel guides, additional internet sites, and Power Point presentations will be used to give a real understanding of each country or region. Note: The United States will not be covered as time is limited and United States Geography can usually be taken as a separate course. This course will be based on The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide curriculum from Geocreations, Ltd. No student textbook is used. Students will keep a geography binder containing  handouts, maps, noteworthy current events, and notes.   Internet access is required.

Reading Comprehension I and II

This course uses the text MCI (Making Connections Intervention) Gold Level, which is split between two years.  Students may begin with either part.  Course I teaches to identify Main Idea/Supporting Ideas, Compare /Contrast, and Cause/Effect.  In addition, a book chosen by teacher and parent will be read for a book report.  Course II covers the more abstract skills of Inference, Figurative Language, and Recognizing Viewpoint/Persuasion.  These students finish the year reading a novel as a class.  This curriculum has high interest stories that hold the students’ interests while giving excellent methods for learning comprehension skills. Students must be grouped by existing reading level/skills for the class to be successful.

Elementary Spelling

This class uses basic phonetic “spellings” and rules to show students how to approach words that they cannot spell by sight or have reversal issues with.  Students will also learn about their particular perceptual learning style (visual, auditory, tactical, kinesthetic) and how to best use it when doing their schoolwork.   Second semester, students will be given nonsense and multisyllable words in class; they will learn techniques for successfully taking sentence dictation and proofreading. These skills usually carry over to improvement in attacking unknown words when reading.  There will be no homework in this class; however, students will be asked to use the knowledge from class in writing for their other classes

Secondary Spelling/Phonics Improvement

Most older students will tell you that they learned phonics skills when they were younger.  However, many of these students do not understand the importance of those phonics skills for their reading nor how to use that knowledge in their classes now.  In this class, students will do a review of phonics rules; they will be shown the “system” within the language that serves as a basis for the spelling of words.  Students will also learn about their particular perceptual learning style (visual, auditory, tactical, kinesthetic) and how to best use it when doing their schoolwork.   Second semester, students will be given vocabulary words in class; these words will be either read or spelled by the student.  They will then write a sentence using the word.  This helps to incorporate the basic phonics reading and spelling skills into complex, unknown words.   There will be no homework in this class; however,  students will be asked to use the knowledge from class in writing for their other classes

Reading/Spelling Proficiency for Elementary Students

This class is to help home school moms who feel they need to “jump start” their child’s reading or to strengthen reading foundations before taking the child to a higher reading level.  Mrs. Garrett specializes in working with dyslexic students but has successfully taught students with all learning styles.  In this class students will be helped with weaknesses in reading decoding, sight word recognition, and comprehension.  When students are proficient in a skill in the input area (taking the printed word from the page to the child’s brain), they will begin output (putting words in the brain onto the page—spelling and writing).  Students will need an index card binder with cards as well as an Explode the Code and Beyond the Code book.  Curriculum used by the teacher will include Merrill Linguistic Readers, Modern Curriculum Press Phonics A/ B/ C, Discovering Phonics (Riverside Publishers),  Stairway to Reading, and word lists from Bob Jones University Press elementary spelling books.  When ready, students will read books chosen by their parents with teacher advice.

Switched on Schoolhouse Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra 2 or Geometry

This curriculum is recommended for “non-math” and “math-minded” students alike.  Mrs. Garrett has had great success using it with students who have previously had problems with other curriculums.  The curriculum requires each child to have the SOS computer program installed on his/her laptop, which will be used both at home and in class.  The student will progress at his/her own individual rate.  Students will work on lessons in class; the teacher will preview the upcoming lessons or quiz for each student.  Mrs. Garrett will be available during the week by phone or email to help if students are unable to do their homework; students must be willing to contact Mrs. Garrett for this program to work well.   A timetable for completing the course in the school year will be given to students.  However, there will be more emphasis on learning than on keeping exactly to the timeline.  Switched On Schoolhouse (SOS) CDs for each of the subjects can be ordered from Alpha Omega Publications for $75 each or they can be bought used at home school web sites. 2006 through 2010 editions may be used.

Switched on Schoolhouse Elementary Math

This curriculum is recommended for “non-math” and “math-minded” students alike.  Mrs. Garrett has had great success using it with students who have previously had problems with other curriculums.  The curriculum requires each child to have the SOS computer program installed on his/her laptop, which will be used both at home and in class.  The student will progress at his/her own individual rate.  Students will work on lessons in class; the teacher will preview the upcoming lessons or quiz for each student.  Mrs. Garrett will be available during the week by phone or email to help if students are unable to do their homework; students must be willing to contact Mrs. Garrett for this program to work well.   A timetable for completing the course in the school year will be given to students.  However, there will be more emphasis on learning than on keeping exactly to the timeline.  Switched On Schoolhouse (SOS) CDs for each of the subjects can be ordered from Alpha Omega Publications for $75 each or they can be bought used at home school websites. 2006 through 2010 editions may be used.

Noteable Lessons

piano lessons, tutoring in reading & math, geography