We have settled in to our new school year, and all is going smashingly! I have a 6th grader, a 5th grader, and a pre-kindergartener this year. I had some initial reservations because we are charging full speed ahead into the 'logic stage', and with that comes a greater work load along with some added subjects. As always, my kiddos continue to amaze me with their dedication and perserverence.
All of my curriculum choices seem to be spot on, with the exception of one. But what would school be in our home without a curriculum change or two? Here is what we have planned for this school year:
6th Grade
Art of Problem Solving Pre-Algebra- LOVE this curriculum! J-Straco finishes most lessons with comments like, "I am really smart!".
Logic of English Essentials- The best intensive phonogram study I have found for trying to get a child with dyslexia up to speed.
5th Grade
Math Mammoth- This is one of our favorite 'tried and true' curriculums. A perfect blend of asian math, mental math, and logical problem solving.
Natural Speller- Farm Boy is most definitely a natural speller, and this curriculum gives me the assurance that he can spell words at and above his grade level, with the flexibility to add vocabulary exercises into the mix.
Combined 5th and 6th Grade
Oh how I love having students close in age! I am able to combine the boys for the majority of our courses, which saves me an insane amount of planning and instruction time.
Lively Latin- I have slowed the pace down a bit on our Latin Study, because we have almost finished Big Book One, and I am still undecided on where we will go next.
Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding- May I just say that the multitude of science curriculum we have tried in the past, is to BFSU like an acorn is to a mighty oak tree? Seriously though, I am amazed at the brilliance of this curriculum. I am able to combine all three kids, with minimal adjustments. All the different disciplines of science are interwoven, so the children see how all branches of science are connected. It's pure and simple genius, I tell you!
Veritas Press Self Paced Online Course (Middle Ages, Renaissance and Reformation)- The boys and I were all leary of this curriculum after previewing a sample. Farm Boy, ever a realist, rolled his eyes and said, "Really mom? A talking sphynx?" However, once we finished the first week we could all see what an amazing curriculum this is. The boys learned so much about St. Augustine and we read excerpts from his 'Confessions' and 'City of God'. I really like how there is a lot of geography and literature tied into this history curriculum. Our coordinating literature choices for the semester will be "Beowulf", "King Arthur" and "The Hobbit", along with selections from "The Canterbury Tales", and many other books on the history of Christianity and the Bible.
The Art of Argument (Logic)- We just started this, haven't made it past the intro and background info, but the boys are excited about learning the different fallacies and how to 'argue like a philosopher'.
Elementary Koine Greek- This is our first year learning Greek, and we really like this curriculum. Very quick, yet straight forward.
Rod & Staff Grammer- We have used this for the last couple years with splendid results. It does get some criticism for being 'dry', but does grammar need to be exciting? It is another one that is quick and straight to the point, so no complaints from anyone here.
Music- Both boys are still moving forward with their respective instruments. Farm Boy is doing great on the piano, and has just learned how to play his favorite song, 'Fur Elise' by Beethoven.
J-Straco is still commited to his guitar and violin lessons. He enjoys giving concerts to anyone who will listen. Both boys are singing in the Junior Choir at church, and J-Straco started playing his guitar with our Praise Band. He looks so little up there, next to the adults, but loves it!
All three may be joining a drum group as well, so stay tuned....
Physical Education- All three kids spend a lot of time outside, climbing trees, swinging and running through the woods and cornfields. They also started swimming lessons this year, so we all spend a couple hours a week in the pool. The princess enjoys a pre-school story time, and I am trying to get us all more active in our local homeschool group. We enjoyed playtime at the park this week, and next week starts an art class which I think all three will enjoy.
Geography- I decided to focus on United States geography this year. We are using Veritas Press geography which has been well received. The boys get quite bit of world geography through our history curriculum.
Writing- We started the year with IEW Narnia based writing, but that died a quick death three weeks into the year. The boys were not happy with the idea of copying paragraphs written by others. Farm Boy, my very logical child, decided he wanted to work on writing something 'real' Something original. He decided to start with a book report on 'The Hobbit' and I forsee him doing more research based writing this year. J-Straco is my creative writer, and decided he wanted to make up some stories of his own. My goal for the year in writing is to steer them toward clear, engaging paragraphs, and editing skills.
The Princess is not technically old enough for kindergarten, but we are doing some kindergarten work at her own pace. We are beta-testing a new kindergarten curriculum from 'Logic of English', which I really like and recommend. We have been taking it slow, and she has been learning the six basic cursive strokes, and practicing hearing the different sounds in a word.
We have also been doing some pre-math work with cuisenaire rods, and she has gone through half of MEP math, reception year. My goal for the year is to develop a strong number sense, and work on number bonds up to ten. She also loves our weekly visits to the library, and finds a big stack of books at every visit.
My Goals for the year include learning Latin and Greek alongside the boys. I work through the same workbooks they do, so I can help them with any problems that may arise. I am also thinking a lot about going back to school for my Masters Degree in something education related. Either continuing with special education, or educational psychology. I am not sure when and if this will take shape, but it is fun to think about!
That is our year at a glance, I hope to update bi-monthly this year. We'll see.....
