I'm feeling that our HS is disjointed. How have others combined with more than histor

[Strawberry Queen]

My dd's are 7 and 5. I'm frustrated with our school day because everything seems so separate. Dd5 listens in on history and science, but everything else is each child at their own thing. I know that math needs to be at their own level, as well as grammar, but there is no thread that joins each subject together.

 

I'm doing nursery rhyme pockets with 5yo and 7yo wants to do them too, but she has her own work that she needs to do. Has anyone combined with more that history and science?

 

How does it work? I'm generally happy with the materials we're using. I guess I'm trying to figure out a way to use them differently.

[Colleen in NS]

My dd's are 7 and 5. I'm frustrated with our school day because everything seems so separate. Dd5 listens in on history and science, but everything else is each child at their own thing. I know that math needs to be at their own level, as well as grammar, but there is no thread that joins each subject together.

 

I'm doing nursery rhyme pockets with 5yo and 7yo wants to do them too, but she has her own work that she needs to do. Has anyone combined with more that history and science?

 

How does it work? I'm generally happy with the materials we're using. I guess I'm trying to figure out a way to use them differently.

 

In the morning, I tutor the 9yo in his individual skill work like math, grammar, writing, memory work (I used to combine, but my kids memorize at different rates, so it got frustrating for 9yo), Latin - then send him off to work his math problems, fill out Latin sheet, read his literature book by himself. Then I tutor the 7yo (who plays while I tutor 9yo, but catches a lot from listening) in her skill work. None of their skill work can be combined because they are not on the same levels. But I combine history, science, art, music, and reading aloud, all in the evening hours. We read from SOTW, do a science experiment, read the science book together. So they are getting the same information, but I can still work on the individual narration skills during that time. While one is narrating history to me, the other is drawing a picture to go with her upcoming narration. Then they switch.

 

So, basic skills are individualized in the morning, content is combined later. But even in content areas, I have to help them with individual skills. But it's the most efficient way I can think of. The content areas are the thread woven through the skills. I use as few materials as possible for the content areas, and I use each item in as many ways as possible. I try to find an "anchor" that will be useful for both kids. Like SOTW. Or the Physics for Children book. We all do the science experiment, read the same part of the science encyclopedia, then write individual narrations. Each kid's narration will have different requirements, but they are narrating from the same experiment or book.

 

Art - we do the same art project or drawing lesson. I just gear what I'm saying in the drawing lesson to each child - what I know they can and can't do. Their drawings and projects will use individual skills, but they come from the same lesson or project.

 

Music - dh teaches them piano from the same book. He takes them through the same lesson, but has each kid practice according to his ability. One kid might have to play the piece five times, the other kid might have to do it three times. I just find it much easier, with all I have to juggle, to use as few materials as possible, and make those materials work efficiently to give the kids what they need. But the key for me is the content areas are the thread, and I teach individual skills through these.

 

You'll understand this - I liken it to: If I had to choose one, should I buy flour or should I buy cornmeal. I would buy the flour because it's more versatile - I can get more variety of baked goods out of it. But flour is the thread.

 

Maybe you could use the nursery rhyme pockets as part of a family read aloud time. Have that be part of your family literature study.

 

If you want more details, let me know. I'm really tired right now (why am I talking about flour and cornmeal in this post?? LOL) and feel like I'm starting to ramble! :)

 

One more thought - maybe if you posted what you use for each child for each subject, someone could help you see where you could combine and find a thread.

[Strawberry Queen]

I think part of my angst might just be the problem of a long winter. I want to change something, or do something different with what I have because there's still snow outside. We haven't been outside (for walks etc) since before Christmas. It's been way too cold. sigh.

 

Note to self: I should probably leave all curriculum decisions until spring:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for your input Colleen. I know that what I'm doing is fine, it's just that I'm still trying to figure out what I want my end point to be, and if what we are doing right now is the path to that end point.

 

I was even mulling over the reasons for learning how to diagram sentences at supper last night.(how sad is that???) The reason did surface-that I want them to have a better way of knowing that a sentence is wrong other than "it doesn't sound right" being how I got through university.

 

Anyhow, I should get back to history. Colouring pictures of the black death awaits!!!

[Colleen in NS]

I think part of my angst might just be the problem of a long winter. I want to change something, or do something different with what I have because there's still snow outside. We haven't been outside (for walks etc) since before Christmas. It's been way too cold. sigh.

 

OH! Well in that case, you should go rearrange your living room furniture, or better yet, see if you can reconfigure rooms in your house. That's what I do when I get bored, cooped up in winter, and need a change, LOL!

 

But y'know, there is nothing wrong with thinking about diagraming at suppertime, either. Just think - with being cooped up, you'll get all this thinking and considering done, and when it's warm enough for you to get out and garden, you'll feel refreshed because you have all sorts of new plans made up for when you start school again. Why, I just (finally - I've been meaning to do this for months) got all my Writing Without Fear notes typed up. It seems ridiculous to take all those notes, only to turn around and type them up - winter boredom plays a factor, but I also couldn't stop mulling it over in my mind. The act of typing it up, rearranging ideas so that they made more sense to me, and cleaning it all up into my own thoughts, helped clarify more of the writing process for me. I know there will come a time when I won't need to struggle through these questions anymore, but for now, this is what my thinking life consists of - "Do I use Kingfisher or SOTW for outlining? Do I do the 4th grade R&S writing exercises or not? Should I try to read, outline, and rewrite from an outline myself to see what it's like?"

 

Oh the things we obsess about, LOL!!

[Strawberry Queen]

I have to agree about the obsessing part:) I've been reading the logic stage of wtm just to see where we're going and if I want to go there. Anyhow, it has me considering math again. Will I be able to teach SM as it gets more complex? Is it going to be enough for my dd? Should I supplement with another program?

 

Ahhhh!

 

I *love* SM. My dd is basically doing just fine (although she couldn't subtract today because it was horizontal-but I think the root cause is that she had to do it without me sitting beside her). Anyhow, I guess I'm just pondering everything and wondering if I want to go to the logical end point of wtm or stop off somewhere along the way?

 

My problem is that I don't care if my kids go to college. I don't have this driving force inside saying that I will have failed my kids if they don't go to college. If they want to go that's fine, but boy is it expensive. Are they going to be better people for spending x amount of $$? Are they going to serve God better by going?

 

Those are my background thoughts. I do think that they can be well educated and *not* go to college. Just because they don't go to college (if that's their choice) doesn't mean that their brain will be pushed into neutral.

But I am going on a bit....

 

I guess what I really want is that fairytale homeschool. The one where lessons are learned effortlessly, we have lots of time to cuddle on the couch, my house stays in some semblance of order, the time we spend together is so good that we want to do school all the time, and the homeschool where I can also get *my* things done (like sewing). I know it doesn't exist but every now and then I wonder???:D

 

 

Oh and BTW on the subject of MFW-from what I remember it's pretty US based isn't it? We're Canadian so that won't work so well. (if I'm remembering correctly) but thanks for the response:)

[Colleen in NS]

My problem is that I don't care if my kids go to college. I don't have this driving force inside saying that I will have failed my kids if they don't go to college. If they want to go that's fine, but boy is it expensive. Are they going to be better people for spending x amount of $$? Are they going to serve God better by going?

 

Those are my background thoughts. I do think that they can be well educated and *not* go to college. Just because they don't go to college (if that's their choice) doesn't mean that their brain will be pushed into neutral.

But I am going on a bit....

 

I think I gave up my fairytale image of homeschooling a year or so ago...LOL! But I still obsess about my schedule - trying desperately to fit in things I want to do - I'm constantly changing it around. So I obsess on.

 

One more thing - one big reason I like WTM is the fact that I can train my kids to think clearly (through all the helps in there like logic, outlining, narration, reading, rhetoric training, etc. etc. etc.), whether or not they go to to college. I didn't go to college myself, but I was not *really* prepared to go, even if I'd wanted to (which is probably partly why I decided not to go). I would have floundered because my mind was not trained to think clearly. I am only now just learning to think more clearly for myself instead of just parroting opinions. That's why I obsess over how to do outlining and the millions of other things I worry about! :)

 

Anyway, I hope you find that thread for your family homeschool. It's there, and it's meant for years, not just this year, and I'm sure you'll find it. You've got a great heritage. :)