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6th grade planning thread or what worked or didn't work


Mom28kds
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Can someone help me find the 6th grade thread of things that worked or didn't work? Or the 6th planning thread. I'm sure one hasn't been started yet for next year so I'm fine with last years thread. I just can't locate it. I'm wanting to see what worked and didn't work for people so I can begin to look through things for next year. TIA

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I have had 3 kids go through 6th grade.

 

Math: Horizons 6

English: Either Rod and Staff 6 or Climbing to Good English 6

Writing: IEW or Jump In

History/Lit: Sonlight or Tapestry of Grace

Science: Prentice Hall Science Explorer Earth Science

 

Those are the main subjects. There's lots of good out there.

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Well, we're halfway through 6th grade, so take this with a grain of salt, LOL.

 

One thing that has *really* worked for us:

Mastering Essential Math Skills - prior to this we'd done Math Mammoth, and DD was just feeling bogged down with, as she says, "five hundred ways to do a problem."  She has really gotten a confidence boost from this straight-forward, basic approach. (I keep my MM files on hand and supplement on rare occasions that I find it necessary.)  Where before we were falling more and more behind, I feel pretty confident that we'll be able to do an online pre-algebra next year for 7th (maybe Mr. D or Chalkdust)...which is where I wanted her to be.  (So, lots of lost ground made up in a short amount of time.)

 

 

Edited to correct the name of the program I'm raving about. :001_rolleyes:

Edited by alisoncooks
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Math:​ Rod and Staff/ Khan academy (my kids love earning badges/ it reviews/ teaches math through videos)

English: Rod and Staff 5 or6 / Finish Intermediate Language Lessons (Or do this in one year- which is what I am doing this year!)

​Spelling: Rod and Staff 6- or move on to level 7 if ready for focusing on Latin/ Greek roots.

​I love Rod and Staff can you tell-lol

 

History: Notgrass- Choose between From Adam to Us / America the Beautiful/ or Uncle Sam and Me

​Science: Read through BF The History of Science, plus pick either Apologia or JH Tiner books of choice for extra topical studies.

 

 

I hope you find what you love this year!

 

Brenda

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Math --R&S 6 (or R&S 7 if advanced) and Khan Academy for kicks

 

Grammar/Writing -- Warriner's 7 done slowly (finish it next year) and the guidelines in SWB's writing audios

 

Spelling -- R&S 6 or 7, depends on the child.  

 

History -- AO year 4 or 5 or 6 (uses Genevieve Foster books and SoTW 4 as a spine) OR SL's Eastern Hemisphere core (with changes as needed)

 

Lit--see AO 4, 5, 6 and/or SL

 

Science --  AO year 4, 5, or 6, or Sonlight science or God's Design --do what parts work for you.  

 

Latin -- GSWL, or Latin Book One by Scott and Horn (free on Yahoo)

 

 

Edited by Zoo Keeper
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I'm on my 3rd 6th grader. What's worked for us:

 

MEP 7 math

TT

LLATL Tan (R&S English 5 has also worked for 6th grade but not the 6 book)

Narrations and outlines for writing

God's design science

SOTW

Logic lift-off

 

I did a search so that I could link more planning threads about 6th grade and for some reason I couldn't find any. Not sure why.

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I'd also like to read a good planning thread for sixth grade.

We're returning to homeschool next year after 3 years in public school. My oldest will be a sixth grader, so this is my first go around with this age.

Here's what I'm thinking:

WWS1
Grammar for WTM (is there an accepted acronym for this?)

Mosdos Pearl

Vocabulary from Classical Roots
HO 2: Middle Ages (heavily modified, so just mapping, reading KFH, and creating a timeline)
AoPS Prealgebra
Science the WTM way RSO Physics I (follow along with brother) and CPO Life Science

The Basics of Critical Thinking

 

Hmm we will take things slow, but my goal for this year is to teach him HOW to learn, HOW to study. I'm going to show him how to properly take notes and review them. 

Edited by librarymama
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I'm on my 3rd 6th grader. What's worked for us:

 

MEP 7 math

TT

LLATL Tan (R&S English 5 has also worked for 6th grade but not the 6 book)

Narrations and outlines for writing

God's design science

SOTW

Logic lift-off

 

I did a search so that I could link more planning threads about 6th grade and for some reason I couldn't find any. Not sure why.

 

Thanks! I couldn't find anything either. I figured I just didn't know the correct words to search, haha

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Thanks! I couldn't find anything either. I figured I just didn't know the correct words to search, haha

 

I know there are some - I'm pretty sure I replied to the one last year, but it's nowhere, not even when I look through my content. So it's not you. Unless it's you AND me. :D

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My oldest is in 6th grade, here's what's working for him this year:

 

Beast Academy 3&4

Brave Writer Arrows and Partnership Writing (we do these as a family)

He's also taking a couple BW classes; this month the arrow book club, he's also signed up for the spring movie club

And the BW 'lifestyle' poetry, free writing, etc

Write On (one project a week)

Spelling You See level G

Evan Moore daily science

TOPS electricity and magnetism

Beautiful Feet California history

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I have had two do 6th. Mdd is in 8th right now, so it wasn't super long ago. They did:

 

R&S math (wherever they were,) 

R&S English (wherever they were.) 

R&S spelling (wherever they were.) 

Memoria Press  Latin-  First or Second Form by 6th grade, depending on when we started. 

WTM syle history/lit/writing: straight from WTM logic stage history section- geography coloring books, binders divided with all of the tabs, timeline books to fill out, outlining and summarizing

for lit selections: I like the blog Classical House of Learning Literature. At times I have used the full printed out lesson plans and worksheets. Other times, just the books as reading list.

Science: I like all kinds of things here to fit the WTM cycles whenever possible. My kids have always taken science at co-op and done the experiments there, but we have filled in with books I like at home too like from MP. At co-op they have used a variety of texts like Apologia and Prentice Hall as spines. But I have always made sure we were roughly following the WTM cycles 

One took a semester off of science to participate in a Robotics team as science in 6th grade. That was great. The other was younger that year, but followed along. 

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DD is currently halfway through 6th.  

 

What is working so far:

 

Bravewriter Faltering Ownership

Singapore Math 6A and 6B

Time Travel Math (done in conjunction with DS)

MCT Voyage level

CAP Writing & Rhetoric Level 5

Vincent's Starry Night and Other Stories for Art History/Appreciation

 

Things we are struggling with:

 

Science, History

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What worked for us:

 

CLE math

English Lessons Through Literature

Sentence Composing for Middle School

McHenry science (Botany, The Brain)

Drawing with Children

Theory Time: Fundamentals (music theory)

 

We did homemade state history that year, so I can't recommend a curriculum for that.

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My dd is half way through sixth. 

 

Math: Saxon 8/7 and just starting Jousting Armadillos

Writing: Jump In (very slowly)

Typing/Spelling: Touch Type Read and Spell (I highly recommend for dyslexics and struggling spellers.)

History: Human Odyssey and literature

Science: RSO Biology 2

French: French in Action and Duolingo

Grammar: Evan Moore daily grammar practice

Geography: Online games

Art: Artelier 

 

It looks like a lot when I write it out, but we don't do it all every day. 

 

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DD is currently halfway through 6th.  

 

What is working so far:

 

Bravewriter Faltering Ownership

Singapore Math 6A and 6B

Time Travel Math (done in conjunction with DS)

MCT Voyage level

CAP Writing & Rhetoric Level 5

Vincent's Starry Night and Other Stories for Art History/Appreciation

 

Things we are struggling with:

 

Science, History

 

Science and History is what I'm struggling with as well :)

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Current 6th grader

Saxon 7/6

Mystery of history (through coop)

BJU English 6

Various literature books to go with MOH through coop

An astronomy unit (can't recall publisher just now)

Genetics kit from Amazon and fleshed out with books

Art and music at coop

Latin word roots at coop

Geography unit from simply Charlotte mason

Worldly wise

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I'm on my second 6 grader but I'm sad to say I don't remember what I used for my first, it was only a couple of years but that depends on what year I count as 6th and that is too much hassle to figure out (besides the point they are polar opposites).

 

edited on 2/4- added Lit; changed Science and History from Mom-made to curriculum- still aiming for her interests but I need things open and go-- we'll add on as we are able.

 

I've started tentatively planning her year next year---

 

Math- Saxon 7/6

 

 Beowulf's Language Arts (writing, grammar, & read alouds) 

 

Apples and Pears Spelling D- move onto Megawords

 

Lit- Journey Through Bookland (I need her to practice reading harder books but in little bits)- I'll also give her some free reading time and have a shelf for her to pick from

 

History- Brittish History using Galore Park Jr. History Book 3 + supplements as we are able

 

Science- CHC's Behold and See 6+ once a week nature study

Edited by soror
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My DS will be in 6th next year.  Most of his subjects will just be a continuation of what is working well for us now.  

 

Math: Saxon 8/7

Science: Guest Hollow Kitchen Chemistry with my high school DD, plus some other chemistry resources

History: All-American History Vol. 1, plus a reading list 

English: Finish WWS 1 (we've been working through at a little more than half speed), R&S English 7

Languages: Second Form Latin, Elementary Greek 2, Hopefully Breaking the Barrier French 2 (right now we are way behind on French 1) 

Home Ec together with high school DD.

Continue piano and guitar lessons.  

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Dd1 is 6th this year. We've had a crazy-busy year (again. *sigh*) but overall what's worked:

 

Mosdos Press Lit, K12 HO, Ellen J. McHenry, WWS 1, R&S Grammar 7

 

Haven't been all that thrilled with our other things. I think I need to go back to things that worked that I took a break from for whatever reason, like old version of Wordly Wise and I'm thinking a better Japanese curriculum is in order. Or maybe it was a consistency issue this year. I was also happy enough with Dolciani but Dd found it a bit dry. Holt Science is also starting to bore. This might also be me ready for something new or the pre-Feb doldrums. 

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Dd11 is 6th grade this year. She is doing:

 

Beast Academy 5

Writing and Rhetoric book 5

Touch type read and spell

CHOLL modern literature

Sotw4

Build Your Library Darwin and Evolution (fall)

The Science of Climate Change (spring)

Duolingo Spanish

Sculpture class at the local art center (fall)

Drawing class at the local art center (spring)

 

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

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  • 2 weeks later...

My plan for next year:

Reading Comp - MGHT w/ novel lists

Spelling - MGHT Spelling

Grammar - Our Mother Tongue? Write Source 6 with some sentence diagramming

Writing - Creative Writer Bk 1 for the 1st semester & assignments based off of MGHLA (personal narratives, compare/contrast, etc) for the 2nd semester. Research papers will be assigned from science, history, & civics or WWS or Write Source Grade 6.  I'm considering putting my only thing together with a hodge podge of those three books.  It's a work in progress...

Math - AoPS Pre-algebra

Science - Apologia General Science

History - History Revealed (Ancient Civilizations)

Foreign Language - Spanish. We're starting a formal Spanish curriculum next year. We'll be using McGraw Hill Spanish Beginning Grammar.

Art - Local art class

Music - either continue with concert band or switch to guitar

PE - Hiking/Backpacking/Wilderness Survival, swimming, tennis, softball, basketball, soccer, & regular calisthenics

Independent Studies - Cake Decorating (I'm not really sure what this is going to look like, but she really wants to do it.) After a trial run for the last half of the third nine weeks, I'm nixing this. Making it part of "school" is zapping the fun out even though I'm as hands-off and non-grade-y as I'd be if it was completely on her own. 

Speech - co-op class

Logic - The Fallacy Detective & It Couldn't Just Happen

Introduction to Communication: Instead of trying to figure up and plan out separate speech, separate computer, separate logic, etc classes, I'm combining it under one umbrella. We'll be working with oral communication/public speaking, listening skills, digital communication (typing, media), logic, & debate. The resources that we'll be using are: The Fallacy Detective, It Couldn't Just Happen, The Case for Creation for Kids, The Case for Christmas, & the communication section in her Write Source textbook.

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I'm still working out next year for Ds11, but this is where I'm at right now:

Math: Jacobs Algebra
Science: Chemistry - Ellen McHenry's chemistry units, MEL chemistry, and a Thames and Kosmos chemistry set

AAS: finish 5, start 6
English: Maybe Grammar for the WTM? He is doing R & S 6 this year. I like it, but I think I want to do R & S 7 later.
Spanish: Continue our sloooow slog through So You Really Want to Learn Spanish.
Latin: Continue Latin for Children


We are going to be studying the 20th century. I'm going to use a variety of resources to design a history, lit, writing, and geography year plan. I'll know better in a month or two which resources I'm going to use.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Language Arts: Spelling Power, R&S English (finish 2nd half of 5), a couple of literature guides (MP and Glencoe),

and a booklist that ties into Early American history, notebooking (mostly for history)

Math: MM6, LOF

Latin: First Form

History & Geography: Story of the 13 Colonies and Great Republic (MP), Famous Men of Rome (MP), Geography I (MP)

Science: Physics (RSO & AIG)

Bible: Christian Studies III (MP), Training Hearts & Teaching Minds

Karate

 

He will probably pick an elective from FLVS and we may be joining 4-h but I'm not sure yet.

 

Edited by ChocolateCake
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Entering year 3 of homeschooling this fall, and I finally sort-of feel like I have my feet under me in terms of how to plan. Namely: I'm no longer biting off more than any of us can chew.


 


Things I've learned this year:


-My 2 kids are way too different to have class together. We'll still do morning time together, and they'll do the same grammar program, but for history and science I'm separating them, along with all the other subjects they've always done separately.


-If I plan 36 weeks, they won't finish till the end of July. Depending on the subject, they each may take up to 50% longer to complete the assigned work than I anticipate they will. (Some of this is foot-dragging, some of it is sincerely not understanding the assignments.) This year, I'm only planning 32 weeks of activities, but I'm guessing they'll take 36-38 weeks to complete them.


 


6th might be the last year I homeschool DD, as she's expressed interest in the nearby performing arts charter that begins in 7th. Not sure what exactly she would perform, though ;) we'll see. I'd prefer her to stay home, but I want her to feel like she has legitimate choices about her education.


 


-Logic: Fallacy Detective and Thinking Toolbox.


-Math: Saxon 65 (3x/wk) and Life of Fred Fractions and Decimals & Percents (2x/wk. She's not a Fred fan anymore. "It's too hard." She's not an intuitive learner and much prefers explicit teaching. On the other hand, problem-solving is such an important skill that I don't want to give up on Fred.)


-Science: BFSU vol. 2


-English: AAS 6 and 7, Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, WTM 7th grade reading list, WWS 1, typing lessons at typingclub.com


-History: SOTW 3 with horrible histories and kingfisher as supplements. OR, if The Story of Civ comes out with a Volume 3 we might do that.


-Japanese class and art class thru co-op


 


During morning time, we'll use Keeping On With Latin, keep learning more Chinese flashcards (remembr.it), keep reading the narrative books of the Bible (Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings), do read-alouds of their choice, and... whatever else strikes my fancy!


 


Oh and exercise! Before it got cold, we were really having fun with Couch to 5k. The minute the weather perks up a bit I want to get back into it, and I'm dragging them along no matter what.


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Halfway through 6th and we’re feeling like we’re on a pretty even keel:

 

English: finished up CLE language arts 500 series, then moved on to Caesars English.

 

Copywork from the Bible.

 

Selected novels and historical fiction.

 

Math: VideoText Algebra (this was loaned to us, I don’t even know if it’s available anymore.)

 

IEW Linguistics through Poetry memorization (co-op class)

 

Latina Christiana

 

Notgrass America the Beautiful (we spent two years on this)

 

Apologia Chemistry and Physics (co-op Class)

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 1/12/2018 at 6:32 PM, alisoncooks said:

On the Mastering Essential Math Skills-- Did you just buy the book https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Essential-Math-Skills-Grades/dp/0966621115?  Which level did you use?  We have done Math Mammoth since 1st and will be going into 6th next year and I think we need a change.   

 

Well, we're halfway through 6th grade, so take this with a grain of salt, LOL.

 

One thing that has *really* worked for us:

Mastering Essential Math Skills - prior to this we'd done Math Mammoth, and DD was just feeling bogged down with, as she says, "five hundred ways to do a problem."  She has really gotten a confidence boost from this straight-forward, basic approach. (I keep my MM files on hand and supplement on rare occasions that I find it necessary.)  Where before we were falling more and more behind, I feel pretty confident that we'll be able to do an online pre-algebra next year for 7th (maybe Mr. D or Chalkdust)...which is where I wanted her to be.  (So, lots of lost ground made up in a short amount of time.)

 

 

Edited to correct the name of the program I'm raving about. :001_rolleyes:

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/27/2018 at 5:18 PM, egao_gakari said:

Entering year 3 of homeschooling this fall, and I finally sort-of feel like I have my feet under me in terms of how to plan. Namely: I'm no longer biting off more than any of us can chew.

Things I've learned this year:

-My 2 kids are way too different to have class together. We'll still do morning time together, and they'll do the same grammar program, but for history and science I'm separating them, along with all the other subjects they've always done separately.

-If I plan 36 weeks, they won't finish till the end of July. Depending on the subject, they each may take up to 50% longer to complete the assigned work than I anticipate they will. (Some of this is foot-dragging, some of it is sincerely not understanding the assignments.) This year, I'm only planning 32 weeks of activities, but I'm guessing they'll take 36-38 weeks to complete them.

6th might be the last year I homeschool DD, as she's expressed interest in the nearby performing arts charter that begins in 7th. Not sure what exactly she would perform, though ? we'll see. I'd prefer her to stay home, but I want her to feel like she has legitimate choices about her education.

-Logic: Fallacy Detective and Thinking Toolbox.
-Math: Saxon 65 (3x/wk) and Life of Fred Fractions and Decimals & Percents (2x/wk. She's not a Fred fan anymore. "It's too hard." She's not an intuitive learner and much prefers explicit teaching. On the other hand, problem-solving is such an important skill that I don't want to give up on Fred.)
-Science: BFSU vol. 2
-English: AAS 6 and 7, Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, WTM 7th grade reading list, WWS 1, typing lessons at typingclub.com
-History: SOTW 3 with horrible histories and kingfisher as supplements. OR, if The Story of Civ comes out with a Volume 3 we might do that. Adding a few resources for a unit on the Revolution and Consitution. Also, I may invest in the Add-a-Century Timeline.
-Japanese class and art class thru co-op She doesn't like the kids in Japanese class, so I'll teach her by herself.

During morning time, we'll use Keeping On With Latin, keep learning more Chinese flashcards (remembr.it), keep reading the narrative books of the Bible (Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings), do read-alouds of their choice, and... whatever else strikes my fancy! I'm giving up on Chinese for them. Read-alouds I'm planning for this year: The Screwtape Letters, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Johnny Tremain, Bloody Jack.

Oh and exercise! Before it got cold, we were really having fun with Couch to 5k. The minute the weather perks up a bit I want to get back into it, and I'm dragging them along no matter what. She wants to try track, so I'm going to contact the school department and see if she could participate.

 

 

 

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