Cheryl B in VA
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Posts posted by Cheryl B in VA
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I am giving the short answer right now and can answer more fully later. Basically, I look at the books for my 13 yos and 10 yos and choose which ones they can handle. Sometimes a book scheduled for one week is way too long to finish in that time so if I select that book I plan a reading schedule for two or three weeks. My oldest son, now 16, had no problem reading all the books scheduled. As always, tailor the curriculum to the child, not the other way around.
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If it was possible to buy more time so the kids could do all their schoolwork and all the free activities they want to do then I would spend all the money doing that.
A personal trainer to get me off my big fat butt. Oh, the PT could work with the kids, too.
Laptops for myself and each kiddo.
We are blessed to be able to buy pretty much all the curricula I choose and pay for private music lessons. Two of the boys also have football right now and basketball in the winter. If money were an issue then unexpected windfalls would probably go to those extracurriculars.
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DS 16:
PA homeschoolers AP US History 1 credit
British Literature in a homeschool class that meets once a week 1 credit
Functions/Trig at the public school 1 credit
Explorers Bible study with brother .5 credit
Introductory and Intermediate Logic by Nance DVD course 1 credit
Composition using IEW High School Essay Intensive, SWI C, The Elegant Essay, junior year research paper 1 credit
Music History/Appreciation .5 credit
DS 13:
Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1
Finish Biblioplan 3 and go on to 4
English: Analytical Grammar season 3, IEW SWI B, Word Roots B1, CLE Reading 8, lit analysis of Tom Sawyer and one other book
Exploring Creation with General Science with a class that meets twice a month
Explorers Bible study with big brother
Total Health
Thinking Toolbox and Fallacy Detective
Computer Science homeschool class
Guitar Lessons
Football in the fall, basketball in the winter
DS turning 10 in Sept. in 4th grade:
Math ACE Paces 5th grade
History with big brother
Science - mom-created study of animals, insects, plants
Language Arts: Growing with Grammar 4, All About Spelling continue with level 3 then move into level 4, Wordly Wise 3000, IEW Fables...
U.S. Geography using Trail Guide and other resources
Bible for Children book 2 (if it is released!)
Mindbenders A1/A2
Piano lessons
Football in the fall, basketball in the winter
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1...yeah I reached 50!
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First son used algebra 2 but when I put him in public school the following year there were topics on the SOL (standards of learning) test that were not covered in TT. It is a wonderful program and a perfect fit for some learners and that is why my second son will be using it for high school math. I believe that if you use TT for all your high school math all of the topics will eventually be covered.
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Sonlight takes the guess work out of the purchase by giving such a thorough description and they already selected the best microscope for a high school biology student.
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I have read both editions probably cover to cover and then every summer I read sections that pertain to the next year. I always find tidbits of info pertinent to the upcoming school year. I will buy the third edition as well.
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We take advantage of summer camps, missions trips, vacation with extended family, out of twon family visiting, PS friends being available during the day, etc. We were supposed to continue with history through the summer but there have only been a couple of weeks when the boys have all been here to do that. Last week my middle son had his best friend in the universe (their words) stay with us for two nights. He only lives 40 minutes away but we have to travel I95 to see him and you never know what the traffic will be like. They had not seen each other since Jan.
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The colored pencils are used to color maps or history notebook pages every day. We are also way into the wall maps, atlases and globe.
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I just tried posting on the FS board and was told I need at least 50 posts. Seeing how close I am. Guess I am only posting on Vegsource.
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I am putting together a study of every living creature for my 4th grader next year (except human body, we did that this year). This plus all the book resources I have will be awesome!
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I have been exploring a website that I found in a links list on someones's blog (a poster here). There are a bunch of FREE lapbooks, FREE notebook pages, literature units, and more! It is going to take me a while to figure out what I want to use for next year from here. Enjoy!
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I still think it is just too much reading if I want him to read some of the historical fiction also.
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I wanted to do Lightening Literature with ds next year but I think it will be way too much with also doing history readings. I want to expose him to literature terminology before high school, though, so I looked into CLE. It just clicked with me that with only having to do CLE a few times per week that it might be a perfect fit. Here is the entire LA schedule I am considering:
CLE 8th grade reading 3x/wk
Analytical Grammar year 3 2x/wk
Word Roots B1 2x/wk (I have B2 but that would move this subject up to 4x/wk)
IEW SWI B in a class I am teaching, moving on to SWI B CC when ready
Historical Fiction with history program - can get a couple of study guides to enhance
It just seems that Lightening Lit has some difficult reading that ds is not ready for. Also, it is hard for him to read two books at once which is what he would be doing because of the history readers.
I think this a good decision - I just need some reassurance.
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This is not recent but my own personal experience as a music major. I only auditioned at one state university, had horrible SAT scores and only 2 years of science. If the music school wants the student after hearing an audition they will fight for that student's admission. Thankfully that is what happened in my case. It was a mid-level state university. I do not think I would have gotten into a top state university but I didn't want to try to anyway.
If she wants to major in music I say spend the senior year with a good music teacher and audition for community music programs. That looks more impressive to the music department.
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Staci,
Please share how you do CC Foundations on your own. I have been considering this since members of my support group raved about the program. I don't want to travel to something weekly, though, nor pay the tuition. Thanks!
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I do not assign homework per say. As someone else said, all that day's assignments must be done before computer time, XBox, or going to a friend's house. For us another factor is outside activities. August through beginning of November my 8th grader will have foorball practice three nights a week from 6-8. That means he has to eat dinner at 5:00, get his gear on, go to practice, get home about 8:30 and then take a shower. You don't need to compare your child with PS kids. If you think his workload will accomplish the learning needed then there is no need to add more work.
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The first editions of Biblioplan do not include SOTW. The first cycle that I went through in history I was a year ahead of SOTW releases and used the first editions of Biblioplan. Now I am using the second editions. I am currently using BP3 and the publication dates are 2002,2005. The second editions also include a page assigning sections of MOH to weeks in Biblioplan but MOH is not on the actual schedules.
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My 13 yods has ADHD. In 4th grade most math curricula switch from workbooks to textbooks. This means that a student has to do a lot of back and forth between the textbook and their own notebook and make sure all of their numbers line up. For the second issue, there are many different sizes of grid paper online to make sure that in an addition problem the ones column is in line, the tens column, etc. But the first issue was a biggie for my highly distractible son. If he is having a bad focus day, even with the help of medication, transferring problems into a notebook would more than double his time spent on math. There are several curricula that use workbooks through 8th grade. We have found success with ACE Paces (Accelerated Christian Education). There are 12 Paces, or booklets, per grade level with a test in every Pace. The student feels great accomplishment when they finish a booklet and get to begin the next. There is also plenty of review throughout the program without compromising practice on a new concept.
The next two recommendations I have not used yet but, being his teacher since birth, believe that they are a match for him. Next year he will be using Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1. I spent a lot of time reviewing different algebra programs and reading the high school message board to narrow down choices that he could be successful with. When he interacted with a sample lesson online I knew, and so did he, that Teaching Textbooks would be a perfect match. Some videos or online tutorials go back and forth between seeing a teacher and a math problem. Some even have the teacher in an inset while the problem sample is being shown. With Teaching Textbooks the teacher is talking through the problem and your visual focus is on the problem being worked out on the screen. Guess what that means? Less distractions for the highly distractible. Even though there has been controversy about this curricula not being challenging enough, I am very confident that if we go through precalculus all concepts will be covered.
My last suggestion deals with handwriting. I used Handwirting Without Tears with this son but at 13 his writing is atrocious. HWT is an outstanding program, my 9yods has wonderful handwriting. With Conner, though, a handwriting program for older student intervention is needed. I had been considering Callirobics for over a year when I met the author, Liora Laufer, at a dyslexia conference in which I was exhibiting (Usborne Books). After seeing many before and after samples and talking with her extensively, I bought her program for ages 7-14. I plan on using it when Conner returns home from camp in two weeks. His handwriting can only improve but I am eager to see how much it improves.
Thank you, Susan, for requesting input. When the new edition is released it will join the first two in my library of resources.
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All About Spelling is the best and easiest to use spelling program I have seen. My oldest is about the same age as yours, Susan, so I have seen a lot of spelling programs. I wish AAS had been out when teaching my second son spelling. I am in level 3 right now with my 9yos and it not only has him spelling well, but it has also helped this struggling reader decipher words via syllables. I cannot recommend it enough.
For my high schooler, I used two different Teaching Co. lectures this year. He watched the DVD lectures for Ancient History and listened to the audio lectures for The Illiad. Students can practice note taking skills while listening to college professors speak on the subject they are studying.
The newest curriculum company that I am impressed with is Classical Academic Press. I used the Bible for Children with my 3rd grader this year and it was perfect for him. Their other products are worth looking into and I keep eyeing them but cannot use them right now.
One that you will find at convention that has been awesome is Analytical Grammar. My 13yos enjoys parsing and diagramming! While doing AG he was able to understand how to use clauses in his writing as he went through IEW. A perfect fit.
Thank you for your continued ministry to the homeschool community, Susan.
Can we talk PSAT and National Merit Scholarships?
in High School and Self-Education Board
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