[Binders, spirals, composition books?]

I have one lefty kid that prefers a graph paper composition notebook for math, the other just uses a regular spiral.  I have a binder for each of them to store completed work.  That's pretty much it!  

[If you have used History Odyssey Level 2 for middle school.....]

I modified the writing assignments for my writing-phobic child.  

[What is your middle schooler reading this summer?]

12 year old:  Theodore Boone series, Sidekicked, just finished Under the Egg

 

10 year old:  Harry Potter-just finished 1 and started 2 as read alouds, Going to start The Genius Files on his own.  I hope.  

[Help me choose a biology course/text for dd12]

My 12 year old is going to be using RSO Biology 2.  I went through the whole book a few weeks ago and was really pleased with what I saw.  I think he is going to enjoy it.

[What are you using/planning for reading/lit for 6th grade?]

I will be using Bookshark Eastern Hemisphere (5) with my young 6th grader.

[Hakim's Story of Science as a History book]

I know that Build Your Library is planning an 8th grade curriculum with Story of Science. You can see her post here: http://buildyourlibrary.com/a-hint-of-whats-to-come-grade-8/It is supposed to be available in July. These are the books she finalized on at her Amazon store . I know that this is a little above your age group, but it may be a starting point ~ and shows that yes, some are using Story of Science as a spine.

I saw this recently and was so excited.  My older boy will absolutely love this!

[6th grade]

Planning for 6th with DS2, who is 10 now, will be 11 in August.  We will start 6th sometime over the summer.  He is a competitive tennis player, so I have to streamline our materials to give him afternoons free to train.  We have a good first year, but I am switching things up a bit for this coming year.

 

Math:  TT7  TT Pre Algebra

Science:  Elemental Earth & Astronomy for Logic  Bookshark 5

History:  SOTW2 (working on now) , then Bookshark 5 (Eastern Hemisphere)

 

Grammar:  Hake or Easy Grammar 6

Spelling:  Spelling Workout G&H

Vocabulary:  Vocabulary from Classical Roots A

Writing:  Not sure. Remedia Outlining and either WWS1, or W&R, or EIW7

Logic:  Mindbenders

Foreign Language:  DuoLingo Spanish and Greek Alphabet Code Cracker

Geography:  Discovering the World of Geography 

Art:  Meet the Masters

PE:  About a zillion hours of tennis and fitness training

 

Final Edits above. 

I decided on EIW7 for writing and Easy Grammar for grammar.  We started SOTW2 already and will work through it throughout the summer.  He wanted something "different" for history next, so we chose Bookshark's Eastern Hemisphere History/Reading and Science.  

I am really looking forward to this next year!

[Thoughts on Build Your Library]

I have not used it yet, but am planning on using their 7th grade plan with DS2 (after we finish Bookshark 5).  There is a facebook group called Build Your Library Families that is fairly active, and I know the author is a member here as well.  

[Am I overanalyzing the books in BookShark?]

 

 

 

(The idea of the books being "too mature" for some kids bugs me a little, because there's an implied "immature" for the kids who aren't ready for them. Being sensitive, or cognizant of the fact that the story is representing real children in mortal danger, is not the same as being immature.)

 

I was not only screening for things my child may find upsetting, but also subject matter that is not (IMO) appropriate for a 10 year old boy.  Relationships, stuff like that.  These cores, or whatever they are called have a suggested age range--the one we are using says ages 10-13.  So what is "appropriate" for someone's 12 or 13 year old, may not be something my 10 or 11 year old is ready for.  KWIM?  The beauty of what we do is that we can tweak away to our hearts content.  

[Am I overanalyzing the books in BookShark?]

Since this was our first experience with this curriculum, I just ordered the Instructor Guides for History & Science, the timeline book & figures and one or 2 other pieces directly from them.  If you know you are going to use all the components, including math, I think it is a 20% savings for the entire package.

 

 

[Am I overanalyzing the books in BookShark?]

I just ordered the Bookshark IG for 5 (Eastern Hemisphere). I went through the book list one by one, read reviews on Amazon, and crossed off the ones I thought were too "mature" or would bore by boy to tears.  Then I went to Thriftbooks.com and got 37 books for $124. (Yay, me!).  

I guess I am trying to say that you should feel free to "tweak" as needed and don't feel obligated to read every book on the list.

[5th grade reading list?]

This year, my fifth grader read (or i read with him):

 

The Cay

My Side of the Mountain

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Breaking Stalin's Nose

Chomp

Scat

Flush

Tuck Everlasting

Time Cat

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Fourteenth Goldfish

Lincoln, A Photobiography

The Last Musketeer

Belly Up

Poached

I Am Roberto Clemente

 

We are about to start The Toothpaste Millionaire.

 

 

 

[What are you doing for 7th grade?]

I think I have our plan almost set:

DS is 12. We will begin 7th grade whenever we finish the stuff we are working on now.

 

Math:  TT Algebra + Real World Algebra

 

Science:  RSO Biology 2

 

History:  History Odyssey Middle Ages with SOTW & Human Odyssey

 

Lit:  History based booklist to start, I would like to move into LL7 later in the year, but he is pretty against doing a formal lit study at this point.

 

Grammar:  Hake 8

 

Vocabulary:  Vocabulary Workshop C

 

Writing:  WWS1 (I think)

 

Latin:  Thinking of trying Latin for Children B.  Not sure how much he retained with Lively Latin this year.  (Our first year).

 

Geography:  Discovering the World of Geography 6/7, and 7/8

 

Art:  Meet the Masters

 

PE:  Tennis 

 

Logic:  Maybe Practical Critical Thinking (from CTC), Mindbenders

 

Well, DS had already started TT Algebra and History Odyssey Middle Ages.  When he finishes HO, my new plan is to use Bookshark 7 (World History 2), using the only half the readers/read alouds and then bring in LL7.  

[Bookshark Grade 8 (secular Sonlight core 100) is up for preview!]

I think it looks good!  I am adding it to my long range plan.  I like the variety of books and I already own History of US.

 

I just got Bookshark 5 for my 10 year old (History and science guides only, readers purchased on thriftbooks.com)  and then I will use 7 with half the books taken out to make room for Lightning Lit 7 with my 7th grader when he finishes HO Middle Ages.  We are looking forward to seeing Science 7--Conservation, Robotics & Technology.

[Please Tell Me About Reading Aloud... -- Updated in Original Post]

My boys (10 and 12) love read-alouds.  I don't see that stopping any time soon. (Yay!) I read at lunchtime, and then with each separately while they sit and soak in the bathtub. 

[If they like Percy Jackson....]

My Percy Jackson fan also likes The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch.

[Bookshark 5 History (Eastern Hemisphere) reviews?]

Just wanted to suggest Build Your Library Year 7, it's World Geography and the book selections are excellent.  Art and other hands-on activities are included but wouldn't need to be done.  It's secular literature based.

Funny you mention that, I am looking at that for the next year (or whenever we finish, since we go year round).  I thought it looked great!

[Bookshark 5 History (Eastern Hemisphere) reviews?]

Bumping--anyone?

[Bookshark 5 History (Eastern Hemisphere) reviews?]

Anyone?  I am thinking of using this to break up the history cycle.   My geography-obsessed younger one wants something "different" and liked the sample online.  

[Help me with dd's science for 7th, please]

Mom2Cs--did you just read from the text?  My younger kid, who has been a bit prickly about schoolwork of late, would enjoy the animal focus.  Is there a workbook or anything else you used with it?

[Life of Fred with TT]

DS1 just finished TT PreA, and is beginning Algebra 1.  We do LOF Pre A w/Biology once or twice a week, along with Zacarro's How to be a Problem Solving Genius.   He is a STEM-y kid, but he is Aspie/2e and has a very low frustration threshhold.  TT works well for him.  We just got our Iowa scores back and he scored in the 98th percentile in Math with a Post High school Grade equivalency. So we are sticking with the TT/LOF plan.  

:thumbup:

[Asynchronous development -- juvenile fiction]

My older boy likes books with "smart kid" heroes.  Some of his favorites are The Genius Files series, The Secret series (pseudonymous bosch), Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus books, The Puzzling World of Winston Breen, and Floors.  

[Talk to me about MBTP Literature Guides!! Please!]

I used The Hobbit and Greek Myths from the 11-13 curriculum, and Poetry, Tall Tales,The Cay, My Side of the Mountain, Hugo Cabret, and Lincoln from 9-11.  I would recommend them.  We didn't do every activity (we use other grammar and vocab), some of the assignments we did orally, and most of the books we did as read-alouds.  I liked them, the kids didn't complain too much and it broadened our horizons a bit in terms of lit selections.  

[Hake Grammar Question]

DS writes right in the book. I do make copies of the tests though.

[Childhood food quirks you've kept]

I love buttered noodles with cottage cheese.  My younger son enjoys this with me, as my husband and older kid look on in disgust.  

 

Cheerios can be eaten as a substitute for any meal.  DH does not get the whole cereal for dinner thing, but I don't get why he puts salt on his apples.