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“What’s the Big Idea” for students who are normally in grade 7 and 8 (ages 11 to 13) has a specific purpose—to develop essen-tial academic skills in young adolescents. Reading, taking notes, outlining, summarizing, logic, writing formats, grammar, edit-ing, memorization and recitation, Bible study,...all these skills are specifically taught and practiced in this comprehensive, two level program. You simply add your own Math, Science, Second Language, Art, Music, etc.

The student manual is organized in a series of specific instructions over a 120 day period. Why 120 days? We feel that in a course like this the student will stand a better chance at success if he is scheduled for a four day school week with the fifth day to be used for “catch up” or supplementary activities. It also provides extra time for reading, memory work, composition, or just simple “think time”. Specific writing assignments are designated for evaluation and are spaced in such a way as to allow valuable feedback. This will both encourage the student and help him to improve. The other great aspect of this course is that the writing assignments

are frequently taken from work the student is doing in other areas such as literature and history. Also in the student manual are note-taking pages of English Composition, History, and Bible. These pages will help the student develop good organizational skills as well as the ability to get the most out his reading. In addition, a supplementary reading list, poems and space to plan daily work in other subjects make this a valuable learn-ing and organizational tool.

Average number of hours: 2+ hours daily with readings outside of “school time”.

Evaluation: Level 1: Written assignments, notebooks, and various recitations and readings

Level 2: Written assignments, poetry study, Bible passage summaries and various recitations and readings.

Tuition: $175.00/ Year (Books are extra - see lists below)

“What’s The Big Idea?” Level One Book List

Jensen’s Format Writing $24.95 People of the Anc. World:

Greece, Rome, & Mesopotamia $38.85 Editor in Chief B1 $18.95 or

Growing with Grammar 7 $34.95 Fallacy Detective $24.95 Tales of Ancient Egypt $7.50 The Shadow Hawk $14.95 Hittite Warrior $15.95 Around the World in 80 Days $7.95 Victory on the Walls $14.95 Tales of the Greek Heroes $7.50 Island of the Blue Dolphins $9.99 The Children’s Homer $14.95 Theras and His Town $16.95 Archimedes and the Door of Science $15.95 The Hobbit $10.99 Ben Hur $9.95 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry $8.99 Quintus $9.95 Eagle of the Ninth $12.95 Polycarp, The Crown of Fire $7.95 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer $7.50 Big Idea Level 1 Manual $55.00

“What’s The Big Idea?” Level Two Book List

Jensen’s Format Writing $24.95 Trial and Triumph $23.95 Editor in Chief C1 $19.95 The Thinking Toolbox $24.95 The Grammar of Poetry (Stud. & T) $34.90 Men of Iron $10.95 Cue for Treason $19.95 Durer: Artist of the Reformation $13.95 Coronation of Glory $14.50 The Refugees $14.95 Pilgrim’s Progress $9.99 Handel (Sower Series ) $9.95 Johnny Tremain $9.95 The Scarlet Pimpernel $8.99 A Tale of Two Cities (abridged) $7.50 Underground to Canada $8.99 Carry On, Mr. Bowditch $9.95 Watership Down $18.99 The Cay $7.99 The Hiding Place $9.99 Utopia $13.95 Big Idea Level 2 Manual $55.00

“David is sure enjoying working through 2nd year of What’s the Big Idea?. I love the way the program is laid out, the independence that it helps creat, and the way you have incorporated the English writing skills learned in Format Writing with writing book reports. David is blossoming with this program and taking total ownership of his schoolwork. The last month or so is the first time since I have started home schooling (19+ years) that I actually have nothing to do except for a few minutes spent going over some of his work and doing logic to-gether. And writing the book of Romans must be getting to him. This morning he sighed and said, “I love the book of Romans”.

Thanks for making our home schooling experience so stress free but rich and meaningful at the same time.”

Elizabeth Witten—