[Planning for next year: Post 1st grade plans here]

 

• SWO A
  
• FLL
  
• SOTW 2 w/AG
  
• Singapore 2A/2B
  
• WTM guidelines for earth science/space
  
• Hopefully I'll have him doing some independent reading of chapter books along with read alouds.
  
• Possibly Minimus
  

 

[Tell me about Explode the Code]

My son taught himself how to read phonetically at a very early age so I hadn't bothered with any phonics or reading instruction and then thought that might be a mistake. I added ETC a few months ago and love it. It really is an excellent supplement or pre-spelling program.

[Curriculum Planning For Next Year]

Wow! Excellent stuff. I'm a big fan of the planning aspect of homeschooling too. Its addictive. But I can see that there are also other very compelling reasons (besides just liking it) to start planning for next year before the summer starts. Thanks for your great responses!

[Curriculum Planning For Next Year]

I notice that many people are doing curriculum/lesson planning for fall. Is this because you really, really like planning or does this mean that I shouldn't expect to have time to do it over the summer? This is our first year and I was thinking I could wait and work on it over the summer, no prob, but now I'm wondering. Help a girl out?

[Reading / Writing help]

I'm not really sure, but my instinct says that it couldn't hurt to test and it could hurt to wait so in the absence of a compelling reason not to then I'd probably do it. Testing doesn't automatically imply that you think something is wrong. Just that you don't know.

[Do you use camps?]

My dd has been doing a theater camp for the last 3 years and she loves it. Its 3 weeks in the summer.

[What spelling book have you found works well for your DC?]

We're using SWO and I am starting to notice an improvement in my daughter's spelling in her work. She's always done well on the tests but then didn't seem to carry it over before. I'm wondering if part of it is getting away from the "guess and go" spelling she was taught to do in school.

 

I like SWO and will stick with it.

[Story of the World]

I'm doing a chapter a week with my 5yo. No test. No activities except for an occasional coloring page. He's just not into crafts right now but he loves the story and the mapwork.

 

I've been doing 2 chapters a week with my 8yo trying to get her working closer to the rotation schedule but we're slowing down now that we're doing Greece and Rome because there's a lot of great supplemental reading and the subject really interests her. She does do the quizzes.

[What do you use for history?]

We're using SOTW for the first rotation but I'm really leaning toward a living books second and third rotation.

[What do you use for LA?]

We also use ETC and SWO