Yes, this is a pre-packaged unit study. And I'm ditching the notes. I asked my older son what he liked about the whole study and he said he loved reading the library books and my younger son likes the pictures in those books. But we all hate the notes for various reasons. So that's the first to go. :) I just liked the way this particular unit study moved slower through history so we could cover everything more thoroughly. My biggest issue is NOT piling material on them that they are too young to grasp! :/

I already had A Beka's grade 4 text and I'm thinking about using that as a spine and going from there. Thank you!! :)

I am trying to figure out what exactly would be "age appropriate" for 7 & 9 yr old boys?? I feel like this is kind of a vague question, though. Lol This past week we started our first ever unit study ("A New World of Adventures") and it's targeted for grades 4-8 so I have to adapt it for younger ages, or at least I've made the attempt. :/ The main focus is early American history (because that's what we all love, lol) but all of the "notes" (which are supposed to be read to the students) seem to be over everyone's head. I want this to be a fun experience that involves a lot of learning...the kind of "fun" where kids don't realize they are learning. ;) Anyway, if anyone has ANY advice to offer, I'd really appreciate it.

Can someone give me any guidance on what is taught in 5th grade English as far as writing is concerned? I have two different English curriculums (BJU & A Beka) with different writing programs in them. One expects the student to write about 6 different essays (we're talking the full 5 paragraph essay) by the end of the year. My son is just now forming paragraphs correctly and I don't want to rush him, nor do I want him to be "behind." But...IS there a set standard for what is acceptable in each grade?? I was in high school before I learned this stuff, so I am thinking this age is a little young. Obviously, some would disagree. :) I have him writing about specific topics in a daily journal, but I just read an article that says this doesn't help at all in creative writing development. So...I thought that before I completely warped my child, I'd ask here. :D LOL

LOL...We are actually doing BJU English 3 and while he IS doing well at it, (according to the end-of-chapter assessment he took yesterday...he only missed 1) he still hangs his shoulders and sighs every time he does his English. :/ And some days it's simply agonizing to get any work done and then it takes him FOREVER. Before yesterday, I thought it was maybe too much for him and/or that he wasn't learning anything, but I was wrong. I am still planning on making some adjustments, though.

It's funny you say this because last night as I was almost completely asleep, this idea popped into my head. Lol

While adjusting to the new school term, I'm starting to notice that my 7 yr old son (who reads on at least a 4th grade level) would rather burn a workbook than look at it and cringes everytime I have him write something. Lol He would rather curl up in a corner and read a book, be on a stage, imitate someone's voice, etc. I'm sure you get my point. :) He has a few subjects he enjoys doing, but grammar is just not one of them. I don't want to make it hard for him or make him hate grammar before he even learns how to construct a good paragraph. I've been looking at Learning Language Arts Through Literature, but I don't like it. So I need help from someone who can help me think outside the box. I don't know how to teach grammar through literature. Period. I grew up in the public school system and my older son seems to be doing well with traditional programs. So I'm trying to get myself out of the "workbook" frame of mind. I know the benefits of reading are significant, but...how do you know the student is learning the grammar?? This is still new to me and I don't have a very good grasp of the concept. If anyone could point me to any websites or give me any direction, I would REALLY appreciate it! :)

And... I forgot to mention this before submitting the reply... One thing I noticed while comparing the BJU Reading and A Beka reading, it seems like BJU goes into "overkill" mode with Language Arts. They have reading workbooks that go along with the reading and it covers the same stuff covered in the A Beka Language Arts workbooks. AND because of that, my older student had gotten to where he didn't like reading. So we ditched BJU reading and as of today, we're starting on A Beka, which we're both excited about. :) Lol Another thing that always bugged me about the BJU reading was when it came time to do the workbook pages, the answers could not be found in the text!! I would even go through there looking for the answers and I couldn't find them after reading the story numerous times! So that led to more frustration...

Amy, thank you so much for your input!! I'm seriously leaning toward doing A Beka all across the board. So I would LOVE to talk to your sister if she does the same thing. There are questions I have about stuff that's covered. Yesterday I went to a curriculum library that has a lot of A Beka stuff and some BJU. I was able to finally get my hands on an English BJU textbook and...wow! I was so disappointed! So yeah, I'll be sticking with A Beka. :)

Yeah, I like that about A Beka's English, too. And that's one thing that bothers me about BJU's English. From the sample I've seen, it doesn't look like the BJU provides much practice on grammar. BUT it doesn't seem like A Beka is very strong in writing. Or maybe grades 3-5 are still too young for much writing. I don't know. When my oldest son was in public schools (grade 2), he was "taught" (and I use that word loosely) how to write essays and other things but I felt like he was expected to do too much. Anyway, we use BJU in history, and spelling for both kids and really like it. And we use A Beka in health and science and love those as well. :) My older student has been doing the A Beka English this year and he's done well in it. And honestly, I'd rather have "overkill" in the grammar and occasionally decrease the amount of questions on a section instead of paying an arm and a leg for one child's English curriculum and not feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

Next year will be our second year homeschooling. I have been using A Beka and BJU this year and I'm trying to figure out what to do next year in English, reading, and Spelling. This year for my 8 yr old, I used BJU in reading and spelling and A Beka in English. However, I wasn't able to obtain any extra books other than the answer guide book, so I don't have any "help." Obviously, that's a negative. And we LOVED the BJU Reading and Spelling BUT I don't know anything about the A Beka Reading or Spelling. So I don't know if those two would be better or worse than the BJU. And I have used one grade level of the A Beka English and I'm not very familiar with the BJU English. :) Background info: My student has strong reading and spelling skills. He LOVES historical fiction and it seems like this year's BJU reading book has quite a bit in it. I don't know if it's just this year's book or if it's a BJU thing. My question for any homeschooling veterans out there is this... What comparisons and advice can you give me between these two programs? I am also a big advocate of strong reading skills and writing. But it doesn't look like the A Beka English has much of a writing focus going into the Language B book. And, granted, the only thing I've been able to look at is the full table of contents on christianbook.com.

If nothing else, this program will be THOROUGH! We started using it and had to ditch it midstream because it moved too slow for my son (who I THOUGHT needed ALL of the practice), but he caught on rather quickly and it wasn't all necessary. But honestly, you can't go wrong with the prices and the quality of the curriculum! For your situation, I would start at the 4th grade level and let them work through it. Personally, I'd rather them do too much and then do a reinforcement in the 5th grade book instead of starting on the 5th grade book. They need a firm foundation at this stage.

What workbooks would you recommend? I think this is a great idea...

After reading all of these responses, I found a book that has a learning style assessment. There is a part for the student to fill out and a part for the parent to do. And according to his responses, he is more of a visual learner than an auditory one. I've had a feeling this was the case for a few weeks. So I'm going to stop having him read out loud. I'll either read to him or see if he can handle reading on his own now. His attention span is about 2 centimeters long which is why he couldn't handle reading silently on his own in the first place. And I KNOW he has a good memory because a few weeks ago I had him read a Frog and Toad book (silently and to himself) and I gave him a nice notebook and a good pen and told him to read the book and write down everything he could remember AFTER he read the book. He basically re-wrote the book verbatim! That was the first sign that maybe he's a visual learner. And I also think Merry is write about articulating thoughts. When he tells a story verbally, he stops and stutters a lot and tries to tell a story "just right." He's a bit of a perfectionist. :) And also when I was his age and in school, I was TERRIBLE at reading comprehension unless the book was something I chose to read. Fortunately, most of what my son has had to read has been interesting to him. When I was his age, I think I mad C's in reading all the time even though I was reading several grade levels above my own. But something about reading comprehension assignments was very detrimental to me. :) I could tell what all the story was about, but it always seemed like the questions I was asked had NOTHING to do with the story! Lol But if someone had given me a notebook and a nice pen, (my son and I both like notebooks and pens, LOL) I could give a report on every single detail that happened in a 500+ page novel. I may have him do that for his little stories he reads in his textbook...

Okay. Thank you for your help. Sometimes he can remember things REALLY well. I'm trying to find the pattern, but I haven't yet. His second reading curriculum involves more pictures. I thought that would help him visualize things more. And it's helped some. Monday I think I'm going to give him a printed list of questions and let him look up the answers in the text.

I haven't tried that yet. I'll do that. Also, I've noticed that if he has the questions in print he does a lot better. So that was going to be my next thing to try. And I've been wondering if it's okay to let them look in the text for the answers. I always got in trouble for doing that, but I wasn't homeschooled. And this is our first year homeschooling. I just want him to remember what he reads...

I am having some issues with reading with my 8 yr old son. We've already changed curriculum once this year. He says he loves to read and I have let him find his own books, but he doesn't remember anything he reads! I have had him read out loud and quietly to himself. He says he learns better by hearing, but I will ask him comprehension questions after every page he reads and he can't answer them. We are using the BJU reading for his level of reading and I read it with him and listen to him read and we try to discuss the story but it's like he doesn't listen to what he reads. He says he does, but he can't talk about anything that goes on in the story because he doesn't remember it. I'm starting to worry that he's going to fall behind or that I'm doing something wrong or that maybe I need to drop him down a grade level in reading.

Thank you so much! I had been trying to think of ways to do stuff like spelling and grammar without using books, but I couldn't think of anything. I'm trying to think of ways to make it through this year and not cause anyone any trauma...

I really appreciate all of the responses from everyone. I'm going to address everyone separately because there were comments and/or questions that I had from each post. Mom2TheTeam: I have also been told that this is common for boys around this age. But then I get terrified when I see grown men still suffering from a short attention span. LOL! When the summer started, I started stockpiling little prizes for both of my boys. I've already told them about those things and I've told them that if they get their work done in a reasonable amount of time. My 6 yr old doesn't have issues with inattentiveness surprisingly. I've gotten better at the frustration, but I always try not to show it. Sometimes I fail and sometimes I don't. :/ asmall: I'm looking up that music. My son LOVES classical music! And you did give me another idea. When he was a baby, he would only go to sleep (without a fight) if he could listen to his little Baby Einstein CD. lol Thank you for your suggestion! WishboneDawn: Thank you for your insightful comments. I'm a lot better now at being supportive and patient. But I still have my days. :) My son is ADD and I'm OCD. Does anyone else think God has a sense of humor?! Lol But I guess the joke is on me. :/ Lol My husband was also diagnosed as "borderline ADD" when he was a child and I've read that ADD (ADHD...whatever it's called these days...) is passed from the father's side. And earlier when I said he took forever to do his work, I mean he would take several (4-5) hours to do ONE subject. Also, I don't leave him alone to do his work. I have another child to teach and their desks are in the corner of the living room so I can stay with them both at the same time. While sitting down, they will have their backs to eachother. And I was planning on having him take breaks after finishing an assignment or section on a page or something and letting him go run around outside or go build something. He loves building. :) And I tried the sticker charts... They worked at first as an incentive, then he was staring into space again... Again, thank you for your advice. My biggest fear is that he won't learn anything because he's SO forgetful! I probably sound like a horrible parent. I don't ever call him names or criticize him, but I am impatient a lot. Tomorrow I'm going to our public library and checking out every ADD/ADHD book I can find relating to kids. Lol OhElizabeth: Wow, you were so fast and brief that I think a hundred questions popped up in my head! Lol! Okay, not literally. First, what will ditching the workbooks accomplish? And what is the SN/LC forum? And what evaluation are you referring to? When I had him evaluated for ADD, the dr. had me fill out paperwork which asked questions (most of which were "no") and the dr and I sat in an examination room for about 5-10 minutes and he went off of my judgement and diagnosed my son as "borderline inattentive." I didn't like the fact that my opinion held so much weight in a medical decision that later caused a prescription for a controlled substance. What exactly is processing speed? You caused me to remember something he got in trouble for at school this past year. He missed a problem on a math sheet... He had the right ANSWER, but he missed it because he didn't show his work. I thought that was a little ridiculous. I asked him why he missed it and he said, "Because I didn't show my work." The child can do double digit addition in his head, but that didn't matter to the teacher. Is that what you're referring to?? Lol I just want my son to learn what he's supposed to... I don't care how he does it. But I don't think he needs to take several hours to finish one task and that's how it's been. I mean, I would be satisfied with just one hour for a worksheet! And while we're on the subject of books... You advised me to get rid of the workbooks... I think this is a unique situation. My son is obviously a boy who learns better through hands-on activities. But he LOVES to read, LOVES history and gets SO excited when he gets new school books and gets to do work out of them. However, looking at the books and doing all of the work is two different things. :) He enjoys going to the library and picking out books (about Abraham Lincoln, for example, his favorite historical figure) that he is SO excited about. But... a week later, he hasn't read a page of the book. To remedy that issue, I am planning on reading to him or having him read out loud. He stays on task better if he reads out loud.

I have an 8 yr old son who is exceptionally intelligent. We homeschooled a two years ago and then moved to another school district. He always took FOREVER to get his schoolwork done and the frustration took everything out of me so I ended up caving in and putting him back in the public school system. All of his teachers have always remarked about how intelligent he is but they said he doesn't want to apply himself, nor does he stay focused on his school work. I have always had this same issue and I don't know what to do!!! This past school year, I had him evaluated for ADHD and the doctor diagnosed him as "borderline inattentive." He prescribed some medicine, but I would not use it because 1) I will NOT medicate my child unless it's a life or death issue and 2) I read horrible information and it has awful side effects. And it wasn't even manufactured to treat this issue. The school year hasn't even started and I'm already frustrated again. We're homeschooling again this year because his teachers say offensive things to him and it really hurts his feelings (and angers me). So I've tried to find more hands on things for curriculum, but he still has to do things like read, do spelling, language arts, etc. And he is not hyper, ill-behaved, crazy, and he does NOT have any sugar or any caffeine, nor is he allowed to sit and watch TV. He will sit down to work on a single worksheet and five minutes later, he's staring into open space. I've had him do a couple pages out of a workbook over the summer to keep his mind sharp. And anytime he's done school work at home, I've always put him in a corner where NOTHING can distract him and I can't do laundry or cleaning or anything (nobody can say a word within hearing distance) because he gets distracted and stares across the room or just at the wall! And then he'll say he doesn't understand the directions. This has been an ongoing thing. I haven't been very sympathetic, however. I don't know if I should go easy on him or if he's just trying his best to get out of doing his work. However, he's going into the third grade and I've been looking through some of his books and if he doesn't start applying himself, then he won't be able to do any work. I'm not sure if this is a clear act of disobedience or if there really is an issue. When I was a kid, if my teacher ever caught me daydreaming, I got in BIG trouble! Lol! :) Does anyone have any ideas to either improve his focus or any advice on anything else here?? :/

Yeah, he's always done pretty well at handwriting which I consider a blessing because I've always had horrible penmanship! LOL! Does anyone have any suggestions for about how long we should go before switching to notebook paper from the writing paper with the dots and lines on it? Or does it matter? I'm not too rigid in handwriting. I know every person has their own style and, as long as it's legible, I'm not too concerned.

Thank you. I was also wondering if maybe he could get by without needing separate work just for handwriting. And if I do go ahead with something, I think I'll do the R&S and keep it simple. :) Thank you for your help!

I actually found Donna Young's site last night by accident (before I posted my question on here). I am liking the idea of storing everything on the computer, but I also don't want to have to carry my computer with me all of the time. So we'll see. And I think I'm going to plan out a month ahead just for the first month because we'll still be reviewing. But afterwards, I think I'm going to only go a week out. But I'm going to figure out something else for doing a yearly plan as kind of an estimate to see when we should finish certain subjects. We're planning on doing a unit study after we finish science so that's one of the main reasons why I'm wanting to look at the whole year.

Over the summer, I taught my 8 yr old son how to write in cursive. I thought it would be a struggle (which is why I started him in the summer) but he caught on REALLY quick! However, I'm unsure about what to do for penmanship curriculum during the year. Okay, maybe "clueless" fits my description more. :) And this will be my first time homeschooling both children ( 6 and 8 yr old boys). So I have one brushing up on his manuscript writing and one improving/learning cursive. I am using Rod and Staff for most of our curriculum, including the younger child's handwriting. But I'm having a problem finding cursive handwriting work to last all year long... Is there a reason for this?? Am I asking too much by looking for something that will last all year?? Lol HELP!!!! :)

Thank you all for your help!!! :) I'm probably going to take bits and pieces of everything that everyone said. It's going to take me probably through the first year to figure out how I will plan for lessons long term. I need to figure out what "works" for me, and right now I don't know what that is. Lol So for the time being, I'm taking your advice you all so generously provided. :) Thanks!