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Working on grade 6/7 for next year.


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I have two kids -grades 5/6. Both are doing TOG Year 3 dialectic level. We have not done the history questions written out (they do the Lit though). I give them to them and they have to know them for discussion and they take the test. Next year, we will do Year 4 but with the "workbook."

 

 

We are on MCT Town level this year. I expect to do Voyage level next year. If we don't finish SWR for spelling, we will finish it off next year.

 

I am unsure with writing. We are doing Paragraph Town now but I do supplement with some of the assignments from TOG. I still like IEW better than anything else (Andrew is so funny) but doing both both PT and IEW would seem overkill. My youngest hates writing for most part and my oldest loves to write but HATES to do anything assigned or have any kind of parameters.

 

We are doing LFC level A this year. My daughter (6th) hates it and my son (5th) loves it. It's our second year on this level but we should finish this year. I don't know whether to go to Level B or look for something more on a middle school level.

 

in Math, my 6th grader is on Singapore 5B now. She would be done with 6A by end of year. Next year, she will finish 6B and do LIFE of Fred Pre-Algebra for rest of year. My 5th grader is almost done with 6A/Life of Fred Pre-Algebra Biology and will likely finish 6B and Life of Fred Pre-Algebra Economics or whatever the new volume is called. He will start Algebra 1 next year. I am not sure whether to do Life of Fred Algebra (he loves Fred and MCT) or do Lial's (I own a copy) or something else. He is very, very bright.

 

We will finish Orbiting w/Logic this year. My son loved this series as well as mindbenders. My DD could care less. I have no idea what to do next. Critical Thinking? Fallacy Detective?

 

We are doing The Elements/Carbon Chemistry and Middle School Inquiry in Action this year and Prentice Hall Anatomy. We have logic level earth science last year and I don't see any thing much in life science or physics that they haven't covered yet. We are Theistic evolutionist so I don't really want to do Apologia. I have Exploring the Way Life Works and think they are both ready for it. I am also interested in CPO's Foundations of Physical Science (not the middle school level but the next one up). I think both are ready for it. Here's my condumdrum. My son (the younger one) could easily handle both sciences at once. He lives for science. I am not so sure about my daughter. Intellectually, she can handle it but she has a lot of attitude and hates everything that has to do with school. She wants to major in Zoology though and does well with science, especially biological ones. So do I do one science or both sciences or have one child do one while the other does two?

 

I have no idea for Art. We should finish I Can do All Things this year. My DD does tons of crafts (knits, jewelry making, latch hook). Both are decent at drawing but it's not an interest. Both are also naturally talented in music but they don't have the desire to study an instrument so we just do music appreciation.

 

By now, you've probably noticed a trend. My oldest hates pretty much everything. She sees no value in anything we do unless it involves buying her something. She is gifted but an underachiever (too many years of being the star pupil in public school) and mostly just interested in preteen interests like shopping, music, and talking about herself. She does do her assignments but she will cut corners, say she read and not read, cheat if she thinks she will get away with it, do bare minimum, etc. Overall, I think most of it is typical logic stage attitude. My son loves pretty much everything except writing and he also struggles with time management and organizational skills (it's not natural for him). He CAN write, he just doesn't like it and needs some hand holding through the prewriting stages to get started.

Edited by AuntPol
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I would definitely look into Art of Problem Solving for your DS.

 

I'm not sure which two sciences you are referring to. Are you thinking of doing CPO Foundations in Physical Science and Exploring the Way Life WOrks? I would have DS do both if that is what he wants and give DD the choice.

 

With writing, have you listened to SWB's MP3s. She talks about creative writers actually being reluctant writers when it comes to expository writing. SWB says to tell her she has to do expository writing for X amt of time each day and then she can creatively write all she wants. I think I would just move into MCT VOyage and supplement with the aspects of IEW that you like. MCT Voyage is primarily writing across the curriculum, it's not separate writing assignments so it is a part of history, science, and literature.

 

I have no idea about art or logic as we're behind you there. We're just doing art along w/ history. My boys take pottery classes and the oldest takes cartooning so I call it done.

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Essay Voyage is stellar, stellar writing instruction. We've used Island-Voyage now, and it's probably my favorite book out of those three levels, hands-down. I wouldn't hesitate to use it for your sole writing instruction for a year.

 

One of the reasons we have stuck with Fred for algebra on up is the books take less than a school year to complete, giving dd time to explore even more areas of math. I think she's got her finger in three different pots, so to speak, currently, and she'll finish up her current Fred book in just two weeks after our break, so she'll add a different third 'pot' at that point.

 

Logic - we went w/ Critical Thinking this year after Mindbenders and the Orbiting w/ Logic series. Dd has been doing the class through onlineg3, which has been great for both of us - she gets to have discussions, and I don't have to try to facilitate a course that is really geared to be done in a group.

 

I would pick just one science, tbh. We doubled up on science this year, with good reasoning, etc., but as we reach the middle of the year, I'm wishing that I had found a different way.

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Thanks ladies.

 

Captuhura- can you tell me more about Art of Problem Solving. Is it math? Logic?

 

I think I may do the one science: Exploring the Way Life Works w/digital frog this and the Physical Science the next year. This leaves us with a slightly lighter scheduled day for all the darn field trips we end up doing.

 

I'm hoping that Life of Fred:Algebra is enough because it will give us to work on writing skills and handle the rigor of TOG. I just read all these posts about it being supplementary and not rigorous enough and then doubt myself.

 

I have thought about Critical Thinking but do agree that it's best in a group. Would two kids and mom be a group? I can add dad too if need be. I can't afford two kids in that online class. I've offered to facilitate a group and I've put feelers out but my homeschool friends here are apparantly not interested in logic. Fallacy Detective and Thinking Toolbox appeal to me but the abortion discussions, etc put me off

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Art of Problem SOlving (AoPS) is a math course. You can buy the books and work at your own pace or take it as an online course. I think it is billed to mathy kids. I actually haven't seen it. My friend bought and is quite infatuated with it. Several here at WTM will do a "regular" Alg1 course and then do AoPS as a second Alg1 course, especially w/ kids how hit Alg1 early and need some time before moving on. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think DC works through the problems first, then he explains them so it's more of a discovery approach rather than open up, spoon it in, regurgitate. I know how math your DS is, I can see him enjoying AoPS and it might be a little challenge for him which is always a good thing. 8-)

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We are doing LFC level A this year. My daughter (6th) hates it and my son (5th) loves it. It's our second year on this level but we should finish this year. I don't know whether to go to Level B or look for something more on a middle school level.

 

I would recommend going on to level B next. Putting them in a harder level just because they're older won't help them learn it any faster.

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