<p>If your daughter isn’t a native speaker, I think that argues even more strongly for taking the honors course if it won’t overwhelm her. From both the educational and a college-admissions perspectives, she needs/ought to learn to be the best writer in English that she can, and she’s likely to get more of that in the honors class. (Plus, perhaps a better teacher and better peer support.) For a nonnative speaker in a challenging English class, a B is a great grade, and sends all the right messages. </p>
<p>I agree, too, that if she wants to qualify for a competitive college, she should plan on taking AP English. She will be better prepared for that if she starts in the honor track now. Frankly, I think she would be better off on paper if she took the most challenging English courses available and got B, B, B+ her next three years, than if she took regular English and got A, A, then B in AP English. Also, you should check on the requirements for AP English – at my kids’ school, I’m not certain that kids in non-honors 11th grade English classes were eligible.</p>
<p>Remember, at the end of the day her English writing ability is the one thing the college admissions people get to judge directly for themselves, by reading her essays. Her goal should be to get to the point where she can write a great essay, to show confidence, and maybe to show steady improvement in English. That is going to be 100 times more important than a B vs. A in her sophomore year (and whether she takes honors or regular English then).</p>