WEST BROOKE CURRICULUM
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About
    • Reviews
    • Newsletters
    • Shipping & Policies
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Free Resources
  • Grade
    • Jr. Kindergarten/PreK
    • Kindergarten
    • 1st Grade
    • 2nd Grade
    • 3rd Grade
    • 4th Grade
    • Ancient History Family Curriculum
    • Geo-Tour, Family Curriculum Grades 3-8
    • 5th Grade
    • 6th Grade
    • 7th Grade
    • 7th/8th Grade
    • 8th Grade- Returning Student
    • 8th Grade- New Student
  • High School
    • (9th) American History High School
    • (10th) World History High School
    • (11th) Economics/Government & 20th Century History
    • 12th Grade
    • High School Single Classes
    • High School Electives
  • Subjects
    • Math >
      • Apologia Math
      • Consumer/Business Math
      • Math books & Manipulatives
      • MCP Math
      • Saxon math
    • Reading
    • Language Arts Books
    • History/Social Studies Books
    • Science Books
    • Art Classes & Books
    • Supplements
    • Unit Studies
  • Special Needs
  • Digital Goods PDF
  • Publisher
    • DK Books
    • Easy Grammar
    • Evan-Moor Workbooks
    • HMH School Supply
    • Home Science Tools
    • Memoria Press Guides
    • SAVVAS Homeschool Bundles
    • Usborne Books
    • WTM Supplies
  • Contact Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Affiliate Links
West Brooke Curriculum is changing over to being supported by Affiliate Links. You can buy your Lesson Plans in print or as a Download from this website. Some books you can still purchase from this website that will be Drop Shipped from the publisher directly to you. The other books you will need for your grade level you may use the Affiliate Links to purchase. When you click on an Affiliate Link or Ad you will be directed to another website to make your purchases. A list of the books you need for your Grade Level will be posted at the top of that page. Your use of the Affiliate Links help support the running of this website which is costly to run. Your support is appreciated. 
Can I make payments?
You can choose Paypal Credit when you checkout using paypal option.
You can choose Pay in 4 when you checkout using paypal option- 
 pay for your purchases in four simple interest-free payments.

The Klarna app does work on my site; Klarna allows you to spread the cost of your purchase into 4-interest free installments that are charged from your card every two weeks (according to their website on 8/5/20). You would need to set up an account with Klarna and then shop through the app to my site.
Note: West Brooke Curriculum is not affiliated with Klarna.
Is West Brooke Curriculum a school?
No. I provide manuals to guide you through the year and the curriculum to go along with it. As the parent you are responsible for your child's education. The manual also provides a nice portfolio for the school year, if you keep it dated, record the books your child reads on the manual all throughout the school year, and keep the student's work you will be all set for end-of-year evaluation when that time comes.
I have my students in an online Public School program, how do I switch to WBC?
If your student is taking his online courses full-time, he is actually considered a public school student. You will need to send in a letter of intent to your school board (or whatever paperwork your state requires) that you are going to homeschool. You will probably have to notify his online school as well. Once you are withdrawn then you can homeschool using West Brooke Curriculum or whatever materials you choose. Some online programs have a homeschooling option where you can just pick and choose some of the classes to do whenever you want to do them, you would need to be registered as a homeschooler to take advantage of that
.
I am new to homeschooling, How do I get started?
Every state has different homeschooling laws. First find out what your state requires by doing a google search or calling HSLDA. Follow the law to withdraw your student from public school or online public school programs.

If your child has never been in public school; you can just begin, and then check the law to find out at what age you have to let the school board know- if even required in your state.

Purchase your homeschooling materials and begin. Keep a portfolio of the student's work for future review; my Manuals help with the record keeping. If you are not using one of my Manuals then record activities on a calendar and keep student's work and reading/textbook lists.

A year from now, or by a certain date you will need to comply with what your state requires, either testing or evaluation. You would turn in the results to the school board.

Keep a copy of any correspondence with the school board, have them date and sign they received on your copy for your files.

Can I use one manual for multiple children?
Yes. If you have children that are close in age, choose one manual that you think would work. Probably for the oldest child. Purchase math at each grade level, you may need to purchase grammar, phonics, handwriting or spelling at each child's level. Adjust writing assignments for younger children. You may need to read history/science out-loud to younger children. This will take a tremendous load off of the teacher to teach close-age children together. You might find this very feasible to continue through elementary grades, even at middle school, and possibly high school. At some point as they grow older you may see the need to have each one at his own grade level material; you will know when.
Do you sell subjects singly?
Some, Most of the Science can be bought as a stand alone class.
Kindergarten Basic (phonics, reading, and math only)
Language Arts Level 1 and 2
Single High School Classes
Who grades the student's work?
The parent of the child grades the student's work. Keep all of your child's work or a selection of it for your portfolio. Record the books your child reads for the school year; there is a place on the manual to post these. 
How do I use the English and Bible Grading sheets provided for 8th and up?
For the English or Bible Grade record sheets - Basically you record one grade per week; you have at least 20 spaces per item/ you will need only 18 unless you add in an additional grade; use one sheet per semester. If you want to do it differently you can just print out multiple copies of the forms. You do not need to grade every single paper; you need about one grade per week per item: vocabulary, Grammar, Writing, you can grade several pages and then average the scores and then post this grade on your grade record sheet. Or just pick one page per topic to grade. For Bible - you are just giving a grade for participation- did they study for all the meetings/mags = A, only studied for 1/2 of the meetings= C, didn't study at all = F.

Writing Grade sheet- are used one box at a time just to help you score a written assignment, you can keep them all together and just date the box and title the assignment in it, or you can cut them out and staple them to the written assignment. The scores are the highest you can get in each category, so if the paper does not have perfect punctuation for example and they missed 3 items, then they would get 10-3 = 7 pts in that category. When you have went through each category, add up the points and that is your score.- make as many copies as you need.

Discussion/speech- same way as above, some of the assignments you may wish to just make a discussion instead of a paper. Or you have a discussion over science or history and you would like to score their knowledge on the topic you then use one of these- make as many copies as you need.
Do I need to be under an umbrella/private school in order to use your program?
No. You can be registered with your state. Follow their requirements for attendance and evaluations. Many states simply require a year-end evaluation by a certified teacher. She will review the student's portfolio, fill out a form and then you will need to turn in a copy to your school board. I suggest keeping a copy of this for your own records and get the person that you turn it in to to sign and date your copy that they received it. Some states will allow you to mail it in; if you do, mail certified or with a signature. Know what
your state requires.
Do you know of any Private Umbrella Schools I can use with your program?
Yes. Here are a few:
Vitarete Academy- Florida Umbrella School
​Alderwood Academy- Florida Umbrella School

Home Life Academy- all states can use but all states must still be under jurisdiction of state except for: Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado- these states this school is registered as a private school.
New System School- according to website available in several states
NARHS
Signing up with an umbrella school does not guarantee that their diploma will be accepted by another school. If preparing to go to a Career school or College find out from them what will be accepted or call HSLDA. If Dual-Enrolling in a community college or career school during high school you will probably need to remain a 'Homeschooler' and not a 'Private School' student in order for the state to pay for their education before graduation, but, you should check with the schools for sure to find out. Many colleges accept & encourage homeschool students to attend, everyone is required to take an entrance test.

Can I donate my used textbooks for another family in need when I am done for the school year?
Yes. Please contact wbc.infoalley@gmail.com first to let us know what textbooks you are donating. Items need to be in clean/good condition for use by another family. No used workbooks that are written in will be accepted. The donating family will be responsible for shipping charges to West Brooke Curriculum. Donated textbooks will be listed on the Bargain Book page for $1 each with an acknowledgement of your family's donation; the $1 is so that it can be listed in the store and so that it does pickup some shipping charge that will partially pay for shipping. Items will be available at a first come- first serve basis. Items on the Bargain Book page will vary. 
Thank you in advance to taking into consideration other families.
What about High School and Graduation?
You can still do this on your own; keep a portfolio for each year of high school, write a transcript for each school year, and issue a diploma when your child has met your requirements or your state's requirements. Many states do not state how many credits a home schooled student has to earn for high school, some do. Know your states laws.  Or at this point you may wish to be under an umbrella school that you can turn grades in to, you will have to meet their graduation requirements, they will write your transcripts for you, keep records, and issue a diploma. You may also choose to prep for the GED in your senior year and take the test to finalize your schooling. Read my newsletter on High School and Graduation for more information. 
As Homeschoolers are we mandated to follow the graduation requirements of the public schools in our state?

It will all depend what you are under:
1) registered with your state: follow your state laws, if they do not stipulate specific graduation requirements then it is up to the parent (most states do not). Most parents go by what their children are planning on doing after high school. If your child is going to any type of additional schooling: trade school, community college, certificate classes, etc. then it is best to plan your high school classes by what that school requires for entry.
  
2) registered with an umbrella school and not under state: meet the requirements of the school

If going by #1 above and your state does not have it specifically mentioned in the law then you can get a general idea from HSLDA:

Generally speaking (and remember that customization is one of the advantages of homeschooling—so this is just an example!), a well-rounded high school program would include these core academic courses:
  • 4 years of English
  • 2–4 years of Math
  • 2–4 years of Science
  • 2–4 years of History
  • at least 2 years of a Foreign Language
Be sure to check your state homeschooling regulations for any applicable high school requirements. The HSLDA brochure, A Guide for Homeshcooling through High School, provides course suggestions for each subject area. Three back issues of the HSLDA high school email newsletters deal with the topic of high school graduation requirements: High School Graduation Requirements—Part I, High School Graduation Requirements—Part II, and Requirements for High School Graduation?.

Please note this IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, for legal advice contact HSLDA.

What if our Theocratic Schedule does not match what you have scheduled?
Use that line on your manual as a guide/goal for the week. Don't try to move all of that around, that would be unnecessary work for you. You can place a Theocratic Schedule that works for your family's meeting and service schedule in a place where all can access it until they are used to the routine. Use the schedule on your manual as a place to check it off that it has been completed; this will remain as part of your portfolio records- you will be showing that these tasks got done that week, the actual day of the week you did them is unimportant.
What if the work scheduled is not enough for my child?
You can do several things. My manuals are intended to include a lot of reading, this is why the reading lists are so long. Please make sure your student is reading many of the titles on the list. Add in the suggested supplements. Add in the tests for Story of the World. Add movies that would correspond. Allow your child to do additional research on the internet. You could move at a faster pace and have your student complete their mandatory schooling early. This works well for those who homeschool year-round. You could also add in electives such as music, art, career prep type classes. Make sure your student is doing all of the meeting preparation. Or, you could put in extra time in the ministry, or join LDC.
What if the work scheduled is too much for my child?
Slow down, go at the pace the child can handle. Choose which writing assignments the child has to complete for the week and stick to those. Work the schedule from top to bottom checking the items off as you go. Pick up on the next day where you left off and continue to the bottom of the list and then onto the next column at the top stopping where you need to. Continue with this until you make it to the end. 
What books have you read on homeschooling in general that helped you in the early years?
Homeschooling on a Shoestring by Melissa Morgan
Create your own Unit Study by Valarie Bendt
Unit Study Ideas by Valarie Bendt
Homeschool Burnout by R & D Moore
Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debora Bell
A Charlotte Mason Education By Catherine Levison
More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison
Home Education by Charlotte Mason
Homeschooling the Middle Years by Shari Henry
The Procrastinating Child by R.Emmett
The Simplicity of Homeschooling by Vicky Goodchild
Homeschooling the Teen Years by Cafi Cohen
Well-Trained Mind A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer


How do you count credits for High School?
Read Evaluation of High School Credits by HSLDA.ORG
Basically one high school textbook/class = 1 credit

One high school textbook/class that is only one semester = 1/2 credit
Self- Designed courses you can track hours: One credit is approximately 80-150 hours of work. One-half credit course would be 40-75 hours (depending on the school you consult).
You will need to grade the work and keep records of those grade. You do not have to grade every page and every problem. You could grade only tests or quizzes or chapter reviews. You could choose one page per week to grade. 
How do I grade a page of work or a test?
Mark all the ones that are wrong. Then subtract that from the total on the page this will give you the number correct. 
Divide the number correct by the total on the page. 
For example: Lucy got 12 out of a total of 15 right: 12 /15 = 0.80 = 80 %  = 80 B-


Simple Grading Scale:                                                GPA Grading Scale:
A = 92–100                                                                4.0   A = 93-100
B = 84–91                                                                 3.7    A- = 90-92

C = 76–83                                                                 3.25  B+ = 87.89
D = 67–75                                                                 3.0    B  = 83-86
                                                                                2.75  B- = 80.82
                                                                                2.5    C+ = 77-79
                                                                                2.25   C  = 73-76
                                                                                2.0     C- = 70-72
                                                                                          D = 60-69  (no grade below 70 earns a credit)

Read: Lets Calculate Grade Point Average by HSLDA.ORG
                                                                                
Do I have to grade every single page?
No. You will wear yourself out! You need an average score for English, Math, Science, History each week. You can pick one paper/item per class to grade and use that. Teaching Textbooks provides the grades. MCP math- you could just check off the work was done (like teachers checking off homework or classwork done) and then grade the reviews/quizzes/or tests for a score. Did they read this week? A No reading? F. Grade one vocabulary and one grammar page and average the scores. Did they discuss history and science with you and comprehend what they were learning about? A or B, if they did a notebooking paper or took notes or took a test then you can score that.
How can I complete Grade 11 and 12 at the same time?
Purchase the Grade 11 program- it is packed with credits.
You will need to add one English credit at least, suggestions: add British Literature guide and include suggested reading and films from that guide. OR earn a credit called Classics and Composition (see next question). OR for a Senior English project- write a novel! Check out the electives link in My Amazon Store for two references.
Math -either do just one credit for math for the two years or do a standard math such as Algebra or Geometry and Business math.
Science - choose just one science, or PAC integrated chemistry/physics complete program according to the publishers is worth two credits
Highly recommend taking the elective Personal Finance by Dave Ramsey before graduation.
Don't graduate too early and lose out on free career training, homeschooling students often qualify for free classes at your local Vo-Tech. Once they graduate the classes are no longer free.
What is the quickest way to earn a credit in English (Literature)?
Classics and Composition -If you have a child who loves to read, the fastest way to earn one credit in English/Literature is to have them read 12 novels at high school, young adult, or adult level. They must write 12 two-page book reports; one for each book. If you would like the credit to be specific, then pick all American Literature (American Authors) or British Literature (British Authors) or World Literature (Authors from all over the world). Grade each book report for an average grade, check for summary, fluency, coherence, grammar, spelling, proper introduction, and conclusion. 
What is the quickest way to earn a credit in High school from a High School textbook?
All tests method. Have student read and or review information in the chapter and then take the test. If they pass it, move on to the next chapter, if not, repeat, looking more in depth into the chapter. Grade all tests for an average. 
How do I find my Homeschooling State law?
HSLDA.org puts out a legal analysis on each state. You can also try searching for it in a search engine online.
I filled out a contact form and haven't heard back from you, why?
Some contact forms have been filled out with only an email address and no phone number. There have been times where there was a typo in the email address and therefore have no way of contacting you. To avoid this leave both your email address and a phone #. If you leave a cell # I can at least text you. If you haven't heard back from me in one or two business days, fill out the contact form again leaving both an email address and phone #.
Is your curriculum similar to what the students are learning in Public School?
While I do not try to follow the Public School outline, I used a typical course of study outline to generally outline each grade and also compared to what other homeschooling curriculum's are doing in each grade. As homeschooling we are not trying to compete with Public School. If you are planning on putting your kids back in public school and therefore want something more closely related to what they are doing in public school, I do drop ship curriculum from Pearson and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Can I use a voucher to pay for my school books?
Possibly. Please NOTE I do not get involved with communicating with your school/county/voucher program/charter school. Many of these voucher programs will not allow anything religious. Some parents have been successful in purchasing at least their book supplies from WBC as most of these are solely secular. How to do this? Some schools are willing to buy directly from my website the secular books for the program of your choice. Then you can buy on your own WBC Lesson Plans/Manuals and any other related materials not of a secular nature from my website- you will likely not be reimbursed for the Lesson Plans/Manual. 
Any suggestions for children with autism?
Book: Disconnected Kids by Robert Melillo
Thanks for the information Mindy Herd!
​
Are there any special books etc you would recommend for a child with learning disabilities?
Answered by my witness friend who is a librarian; Yvonne:
Learning Disabilities A to Z by Corinne Smith may help narrow it down. If it is dyslexia, The Dyslexia Checklist by Sandra Reif may be useful for strategies.....but really it all depends on what the problem is.
Is the Geo-Tour a supplement or is it a curriculum in itself?
It is a curriculum all by itself, you would just add math and the writing level needed (and science for grade 7 & 8). You would replace one year of graded WBC curriculum for this and then pick up with the next grade the student would be in the following year.  If you are a family who likes to do a lot of school work then yes it could be used as a supplement along with one of the grade curriculum from WBC. Or if you are using as a supplement along with a grade it could be stretched out longer than a school year until completed. 
I bought the PDF manual and now it isn't downloading.
Some computers come with Ad Blockers or you may have installed Ad Blocker. This can stop unknown files and websites from opening additional pages. If you find that when you get the link to a download from WBC and can not open it check your Ad Blocker to make sure that it will allow WBC to open new pages. If you have bought a download and still can not seem to access the link page please email your order number to wbc.infoalley@gmail.com to request an emailed copy. We will also follow up all PDF purchases with an emailed PDF attachment within 1-2 business days.
Cookies Policy:
This website is hosted by Weebly. Weebly uses cookies to analyze website traffic.
This website uses affiliate links which helps support this site. Commission is earned when you click through the affiliate links on this website.
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use:
Click here to read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About
    • Reviews
    • Newsletters
    • Shipping & Policies
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Free Resources
  • Grade
    • Jr. Kindergarten/PreK
    • Kindergarten
    • 1st Grade
    • 2nd Grade
    • 3rd Grade
    • 4th Grade
    • Ancient History Family Curriculum
    • Geo-Tour, Family Curriculum Grades 3-8
    • 5th Grade
    • 6th Grade
    • 7th Grade
    • 7th/8th Grade
    • 8th Grade- Returning Student
    • 8th Grade- New Student
  • High School
    • (9th) American History High School
    • (10th) World History High School
    • (11th) Economics/Government & 20th Century History
    • 12th Grade
    • High School Single Classes
    • High School Electives
  • Subjects
    • Math >
      • Apologia Math
      • Consumer/Business Math
      • Math books & Manipulatives
      • MCP Math
      • Saxon math
    • Reading
    • Language Arts Books
    • History/Social Studies Books
    • Science Books
    • Art Classes & Books
    • Supplements
    • Unit Studies
  • Special Needs
  • Digital Goods PDF
  • Publisher
    • DK Books
    • Easy Grammar
    • Evan-Moor Workbooks
    • HMH School Supply
    • Home Science Tools
    • Memoria Press Guides
    • SAVVAS Homeschool Bundles
    • Usborne Books
    • WTM Supplies
  • Contact Form