bigrockfarmwv
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Posts posted by bigrockfarmwv
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This is from Beautiful Feet Books and listed for primary grades - http://bfbooks.com/Literature-Packs/Around-the-World
I am going to use their geography curriculum with my 8 year old this summer - http://bfbooks.com/Literature-Packs/Geography-Through-Literature-Packs
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Lots of great advice given here.
Our situation is similar, in that our homeschooled kids are isolated because we live pretty rural, and NY does not allow integration within the public school for extracurricular activities.
Different, obviously, in that we are not dealing with a long term residency in another country, neither is there a language barrier.
That said, I do have to disagree a bit with some of the points made regarding travel distances.
My best friend lives only an hour away. Our husbands are besties, our children are besties, even our dogs LOVE each other. But we really only get to hang out a couple of times a year.
An hour is far. That's two hours of just travel time. It's really difficult to form, and maintain, friendships that are meaningful, when a large distance is involved.
Obviously it can be done. But the reality is, despite the fact that our kids have been best friends since the womb, during their formative teen years, they're not going to really be able to hang out.
Anyways, the point I'm getting at is that I've seen a number of home schooled kids in our church that have gotten lost in their teen years, if they were not part of a good, local peer group.
By that point, the ps kids have their cliques and the hs kids are seen as outsiders.
It can be quite isolating.
And again, those long distance groups are great and all, but I'd seek peer groups that are a little closer to home.
Just my own .02!
We are in the same boat, except that we are living in very rural WV. I feel the isolation daily. We are doing ok now (my son is 8) but I worry about how it's all going to work out as he moves into his teens. He has two buddies now (one who is down the road and one lives 45 minutes away) and I hope with all my heart that these friendships remain stable.
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Hello! We will use:
BYL (level 3) which will cover Early Modern American history, science & literature.
McRuffy Math - level 3
Spelling Workout - level C
Language Arts -still deciding:
Grammar Galaxy
Fix-It Grammar
CAP WOL
CAP W&R
Writing Tales
Wordly Wise
Tossing around Latin but I'm not sure if I want to go there yet.
This summer we will also be doing the BFB Geography Through Literature.
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My 3rd grade DS is also 7yo but with a November birthday. We're doing LOE D right now and his reading abilities are improving but he too won't pick up a book to read and loves read alouds. We're going to move on to LOE Essentials when we finish Foundations but that may not be a good option for you since your DS doesn't like LOE. What I have done with all of mine - and most definitely will do with DS as well - is work on one LA thing at a time. My typical sequence is first reading well. We do nothing but phonics/reading until they're reading at a Magic Treehouse level. Since I've used LOE with the younger two that does include some spelling,grammar, and writing but my focus is on reading. My DD10 has just recently started to read at the level I want so I'm pushing the spelling a little more. With my older two I moved to working on spelling (with Spelling Powerer), writing (with IEW), then last was Grammar (IEW Fix-It). It took until they were in 5th and 7th grades to have all the components added in. My oldest hates LA (except reading which she loves) so it took longer to get her there. With my younger two I think writing will be the last thing I add. For my DS especially I will probably stick with copywork and oral narration until he's around 5th grade. He likes narrating and I'm sure having to write would be akin to torture in his opinion. So for now, I'll just encourage whatever attempts he makes on his own (labeling things, captions for drawings, lists).
2ndgenhomeschooler ~
Thank you for your input!! You may have just helped me simplify my thought process. Yesterday morning, I told myself to calm down and take it one step at a time - get the reading down pat, etc, etc. By last night, I felt like he was missing everything and had a freakout. Sometimes, I get caught up in the "what if he has to go to public school and he can't write a sentence" mode and that causes anxiety and curriculum shopping. I need to learn to trust myself.
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What draws you to each of the programs you're thinking about?
HomeAgain ~
Bravewriter, MCT & Writing Tales feel like they are teaching without teaching. Quick and painless, but still have some zest. I'll be blunt - I do not like to write because I'm not confident in my writing and am worried that I won't be able to guide my son. (I consider it a form of torture....along with meal planning. LOL.) That being said, the mentioned curriculums feel like they won't overwhelm me.
CLE - I have no idea what is drawing me to it. Looks like it would get the job done without much pain??
Beautiful Feet & Trail Guide to Learning are simply because I want more books...haha! My son loves history.
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Hi All,
I need help-trying to work on our curriculum for next year - 3rd grade!! I have a 7 year old son (December birthday) who is currently what I call 2nd grade level. I don't think he is above or below "grade" level.
Our current day is BYL 2, LOE Book C (which he doesn't like) - so I switched to ETC Book 2, HWOT and McRuffy Math Grade 2. (As a side note, I am trying to do one lesson a week of LOE because I have both C & D.) He is reading but not picking up a book on his own type of reading. He loves read alouds!! I am fearful of venturing too far from BYL because I love her book lists....but am intrigued by Beautiful Feet and Trail Guide to Learning.
I am trying to figure out what to do for next year - grammar, spelling, and writing. Spelling is not clicking with him yet (considering Apples & Pears or Spellwell). We have not done much writing except copywork. I am leaning towards CLE Grammar and Bravewriter Arrows (that match up with BYL books) or Writing Tales. BUT I like the thought of MCT Island. I am wearing myself out thinking about this. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Stacy
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Hello,
In my search for a science curriculum, I came across Science Excursion. Has anyone used this? Any thoughts? I will have a first grader next year and am trying to find something that works for us. I keep tossing up ES and RSO but neither really feel like what I want at this point.
I appreciate any info, thoughts, etc!!
Thanks!
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So far the plan is
Language arts - Dictation Day By Day, copy work, continuing our slow move through GrammarLand, and any readers and read alouds that suit us.
Math- MEP
Science - undecided still. Maybe BFSU? We may just do Catestrophic Science since it's chronological to fit in with SoTW.
History - SoTW
Art - Artistic Pursuits & Meet The Masters
Music - continuing composer studies, hopefully adding an instrument
Logic - various games and continuing chess
Language - SSL and Duolingo Spanish.
HomeAgain,
Do you have a website or more info on Catastrophic Science? I am searching for a science curriculum for next year and nothing seems to be fitting the bill. Thanks!!
Books like My Side of the Mountain
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
We loved "Tucket's Travels" by Gary Paulsen.
Other favorites:
"The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg" by Rodman Philbrick
"Soldier Bear" by Bibi Dumon Tak
"Chickadee" by Louise Erdich
"Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo