Skip Aesop for 8th grader?

[Hidden Jewel]

My daughter is going into 8th grade. She is a natural writer and speller. She also has a good grammar foundation. I have been looking at the samples for Aesop and it seems that that would be too easy for her as she has no trouble with the subject matter that it says Aesop covers.

Would it work to start her in Homer A or should I get the Older Beginners book and skip the Aesop lessons?

I know the Older Beginner book can be completed in 22 weeks. How many weeks does it generally take to go through the regular Homer course?

Thanks.

[Hidden Jewel]

Also, how essential is the Instructor Guide?

[Carolyn]

I would recommend using the Older Beginners books with her. The regular Homer workbooks are set up to take 40 weeks to work through Homer, whereas the Older Beginner books go through it and Aesop (and you can skim or skip those three lessons) in 22 weeks.

The instructor's guide is optional. The weekly schedule and model are in both the student workbook and the instructor's guide. What the IG has that the SW does not is an answer key - parsing and diagramming, mostly. If you are strong in those areas, you could probably do quite well without the IG.

Carolyn

[Hidden Jewel]

Thanks.