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Help Me Plan 6th Grade


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I have a few ideas about next year but I am always open to suggestions.

 

Grammar - Analytical Grammar, maybe? and Drawing Sentences

 

Writing - Writing With Skill 1 or IEW or CAP Writing and Rhetoric Books 4 & 5 or Writeshop Jr. E or MCT Paragraph Town and Building Poems

 

Spelling - Spelling Workout F & G possibly

 

Math - Saxon or AOPS Volume 1 & 2 with Alcumus

 

Geography - North Star Geography

 

Latin-?

 

French- continue with our current French book

 

History - History Odyssey as our spine with SOTW 1 and numerous other books

 

Science - Middle School Chemistry from American Chemical Society 

 

Vocabulary - Wordly Wise 6 and Vocabulary from Classical Roots A

 

Logic - The Fallacy Detective and chess

 

 

Computer Science - W3 Schools

 

Fine Arts - She will continue her dance classes and start a musical instrument this summer. My partner is an art teacher so luckily that is covered.

 

She is not a willing writer but does well when I allow her to type. We did very little writing this year and I am a bit nervous about pushing forward to something more demanding because I think she needs more of the basics. I think we will go more quickly than I have planned for science and math since those are her strong suits. I really like this look of History Odyssey today but I am wondering how strong it really is as a full history curriculum. This will be our very first year doing Latin soI am not sure where to start. I also have a 1st grader I am planning to integrate with her for science, geography, and history.

Edited by JusDelen
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We have liked Latin for Children.

 

I think Analytical Grammar includes diagramming, so you wouldn't need the Drawing Sentences book. I'm not 100% certain though.

 

Following this thread for the writing suggestions. :-)

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Have you seen the 6th grade planning thread?

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/635467-2017-2018-6th-grade-planning-thread/

 

For math, am I reading right that are you planning on doing the AOPS competition prep books (or Saxon)? I'm not there yet (we'll probably be starting AOPS Pre-Algebra in the fall), so I have no idea how that would work, just that it's an uncommon choice. 

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Have you seen the 6th grade planning thread?

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/635467-2017-2018-6th-grade-planning-thread/

 

For math, am I reading right that are you planning on doing the AOPS competition prep books (or Saxon)? I'm not there yet (we'll probably be starting AOPS Pre-Algebra in the fall), so I have no idea how that would work, just that it's an uncommon choice. 

 

Yes, AOPS for math. She is great at math and is always looking for a new challenge. She already understands upper-level concepts that reach beyond pre-algebra so I figured why not?If we are wrong, we can always back up and fix problem spots before going forward.

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Yes, AOPS for math. She is great at math and is always looking for a new challenge. She already understands upper-level concepts that reach beyond pre-algebra so I figured why not?

 

 

I don't know why not - it just seems like everyone just does the next book in the series and maybe the competition math books on the side. It might be great - I have no clue.

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Middle School Chemistry is great... but it probably won't take you all year. You might do Ellen McHenry's The Elements or maybe read The Disappearing Spoon together or something. Or just do a different unit.

 

I agree with the above advice to do either history or geography. Or, if you're going to some something for geography on the side, okay, but unless you have a kid who just adores schoolwork, works fast, and needs to do what would be "too much" for most kids, then don't. Most people feel HO is definitely very full.

 

I think you're a bit all over the place with language arts. Depending on what you choose, you don't additionally need more programs for vocabulary, grammar and spelling. However, you do need literature. However, "reading books" would be fine as a literature choice. I don't mean to imply you need a program.

 

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My first impression is that looks like a lot. Like I'm not sure my average 6th graders could have gotten that done reliably week after week.

 

Pick one grammar and just go with it.

 

Pick one writing and just go with it. If you are happy with all those choices I would dig up the samples and discuss them all with the child and let them help you decide.

 

I don't see literature. You don't need an actual literature program for this age. Just read high quality books and discuss them. If you really want to add lit terms you might dabble in Figuratively Speaking. Veritas Press lit lists are my personal favorite. There's also the 1000 Good Books list.

 

I'd pick either a full history course *or* a full geography course. Northstar is used as a full high school credit and isn't one of those light geography tidbits on the side sort of program. I'm assuming this is a strong/advanced student based on the courses you've listed, so I can't really see SOTW 1 working. It's the most juvenile of the series and just right for my 6 year old this year. My more average 6th graders would have been offended to have it assigned in 6th. Maybe consider Build Your Library grade 7 which is a geography year (includes lit).

 

If you're already studying French, adding Latin, and reading good literature, studying separate vocab curricula will be redundant. I'd drop vocab as a separate subject.

 

For Latin we really liked the materials from Classical Academic Press. If this is an advanced student I'd skip LFC and start with Latin Alive book 1. The teacher isn't as entertaining (silly) as the LFC teacher, but the course itself is higher interest. I do recommend making an extra form of drill for your DC, flashcards, chanting, just whatever works best for that kid. Those reminders aren't built into the curriculum.

 

I remember using Middle School Chemistry with my older kids. They really liked it. You might look at Guesthollow's free chemistry schedule for extra ideas.

 

She is advanced in everything but writing. I think it still comes from a lack of trying and not knowing how to organize things. She would rather not do anything writing wise so picking one of those curriculums is kind of hard because I honestly do not know what to go with. 

 

For literature, I am assigning books that relate to what we are studying in history or science. I am concerned about her not knowing the elements of literature butI have not seen a curriculum that did just that so I am going to try and pick books that illustrate them and talk about them then.

 

I am still trying to decide which grammar to go with. We did Jr AG this year and I loved how quick and straightforward the lessons are. I read that there is a curriculum in between but it was done on video. I try not use technology for her studies because of her ADHD.

 

I wouldn't mind dropping vocab because we do word of the day on top of Wordly Wise 5 now but she actually enjoys it with English from the Roots Up.

 

I was thinking of using SOTW 1 for her again because we are also schooling a 1st grader. I was planning to have her read the stories aloud to the little and supplement with my college world history textbooks and other activities found in History Odyssey. I have been looking at the samples for a while and think they are awesome but need a little tweaking. 

 

We are planning to start her high school credits in subjects where we feel that she can handle it. So North Star seemed like an easy start for that. We have already gone through 4 continents in depth this year. I am not done reading through it yet. If the writing portions appear too hard for her, we will switch to the two-year plan and take it slowly as she builds the skill and let her have it again in 10th.

 

I am still on the fence about the Latin. We were going to start this year but I felt overwhelmed by it because I do not speak it but can understand bits of it from learning Spanish and French. I need something that will be easy for me to teach.

 

Thanks for the science suggestion. Formal science as been a bust for us this year. Luckily, she did have a pretty good foundation and it is repetitive so I was not too worried. We do need to get back to it though. I will definitely check out Guesthollow.

Edited by JusDelen
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I don't know why not - it just seems like everyone just does the next book in the series and maybe the competition math books on the side. It might be great - I have no clue.

 

Competition math ones were the first ones written and were supplements to a standard curriculum. It's a great plan for someone who is up for challenge but not necessarily the full curriculum and/or needs to stay on pace for other reasons. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I can only comment on a few things. The only writing program I have experience with is WWS. I really like it, but was never actually able to have the time to work through it until this year with my 9th grader. It is going really well with her, but of course she's much older. We always did other things for writing instead before this. So I don't have experience doing it with someone so young.  But you could move slowly through instead of doing it all in one year. I plan on starting it with my 8th grader next year. If it takes her two years that would be ok. But I would like her to be at least halfway through. 

 

I haven't used HO, so can't comment too much. But I will say reading SOTW1 to both of your kids should be fine. 1 is the most young of them all, but I still read a huge variety of books to both of my kids from below and above their levels, and both still get a lot out of it. So if you are reading it to your 1st grader, I would still have the older sit through it. 

 

Latin, I start 6th graders in First Form. I teach at co-op, and can't do all levels every year. I usually have two classes going at once. If I didn't have a First Form starting that year, I would put a 6th grader into LCI. There is plenty there and it is very enjoyable especially if you are reading Famous Men of Rome alongside. Which by the way, with an ancients year and doing Latin, no matter what you choose for Latin, I would say choose FMOR as one of your read alouds this year. So much good info there, and an enjoyable read. It is always my Latin kids' favorite part of class when I read from it. 

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