X-post: Anybody here teaching a 6th grader & 9th and/or 10th grader?

[ereks mom]

Just wondering if you do any subjects together, and how you handle scheduling, particularly if you are the type who prefers to teach (math, especially), rather than having the students do most things independently?

[MtnTeaching]

Not quite the same years, 6th and 8th, but recently we found out that my 6th dd is dyslexic, so teaching her will be a bit different this year.

 

In the past, we've done several subjects together, this year, it will be just a few like World History, geography, music and art appreciation. I've been wondering how I'm going to schedule this. Yesterday, I put together a schedule that looks absolutely ridiculous. If I do this one, I will be running back and forth "like a chicken with my head cut off" (as my grandmother would have said).:001_huh:

 

Then I remembered something I read on another thread where the teacher meets with each child one-on-one for an hour and a half to go over their work, discuss reading and assignments, teaching anything that needs to be taught. I think this would be a nice focused time to deal with those subjects that they can be more independent with the rest of the time.

 

As far as math, that system we have down better than the rest. My 8th ds does Chalkdust, but still needs some time spent discussing and going over problems. My dd does MUS and needs a LOT of hand holding and review. First subject of the morning, I have ds listen to the CD lecture on our main tv (hooked to a home computer my dh set up) while I'm in the classroom with dd. Then once I feel she's working well on her assignment, I'll wonder out to sit and discuss any questions ds has. I like having them doing the math at the same time, it seems to work for us, but I'm also not the sole educator in this subject.

 

Good luck! I've got to go tear up this crazy schedule I put together and start over.:001_smile:

[Rhondabee]

Just wondering if you do any subjects together, and how you handle scheduling, particularly if you are the type who prefers to teach (math, especially), rather than having the students do most things independently?

 

My boys were 6th and 9th grades last year, and I didn't keep them together for anything except Read-Aloud time, and Memory Work (we did the IEW memory work for most of the year after lunch, but before Read-Aloud).

 

Though my boys do get along quite well as brothers, they don't do well "competing" against each other, and they don't do well having the same school assignment. The younger one is now taller & bulkier than the older one if that tells you anything. It's a delicate balance of testosterone that is unique to our house. ;) Probably won't apply to your situation - LOL!

 

I ended up "teaching" the younger one, and using things like Saxon with Art Reed's teaching DVD's for the older one. He does the Apologia on his own pretty much. History and lit they both read on their own (their readings were not coordinated), and then we discussed (not "all together" ala TOG, just one-on-one).

 

Last year I didn't use MFW, we did Ancients, and I planned everything out for them.

 

Oh - for scheduling - I had a really tight schedule planned every day. They never followed it. LOL!! Does that count? Mad Jenny Flint had her schedule listed, and I tweaked her schedule and worked in my 6th grader around that one. Actually, I tweaked that schedule every two weeks or so until it was completely unrecognizable. Still, I always seem to do better borrowing things from someone else.

Edited July 24, 2010 by Rhondabee

[Night Elf]

Just wondering if you do any subjects together, and how you handle scheduling, particularly if you are the type who prefers to teach (math, especially), rather than having the students do most things independently?

 

The only program my 7th and 9th grader is sharing is Write Shop. I created a schedule that is a happy medium between their 1-year and 2-year programs. Mostly, I was scheduling it for my 9th grader and am just plugging my 7th grader into it as well.

 

Edited to add: oh, did you mean what kind of schedule do I have for all our subjects? I start with one and work with them until they reach a point where they need to do something independently, and then I start with the next one. Sometimes I'm going back and forth between them, but mostly one finishes and just does something else, usually non-school related, until I'm ready to sit with them again. I end up working about 5 hours a day with them, combined time, not 5 hours each. Yikes!

Edited July 24, 2010 by Night Elf

[AngieW in Texas]

I did history and readaloud with all my kids together through 3rd/6th/8th. Then I split my oldest off for high school and ran my two younger girls together for history and readaloud for 4th/7th. They were together for readalouds for 5th/8th and 6th/9th, but that was it. While they were covering the same time period for history those two years, they didn't have history together.

 

I had my two older girls do literature together last year for 9th/11th using Windows to the World.

 

Now they are all separate.

[momtotkbb]

I will have a 1st; 6th and 9th grader this year. The current plan (always subject to change) is to do Bible, mapping, some science and geography readings together w/ the 6th and 9th. I am also doing a vocabulary program that I will give 6th grader the option to tag along and we'll do some writing assignments together --although I have different expectations for both. Last year we did nothing together except for a read aloud so I'm looking forward to doing somethings together. Both my 6th and 9th grader though have separate core programs that they work in for each subject --they just wanted to do some combining. Science is what I'm really looking forward to ---ds is advanced in that area and dd is a little so we're covering some of the same topics which will make experiments more fun to work together.

 

I do spend at least 1.5-2 hours a day though working 1-1 w/ each one --so my school day runs from 9:30-5 they just aren't always all together or schooling that whole time.

[Quiver0f10]

I will have 7th, 9th and 10th this year ( as well as 12th, 4th, 2nd and K lol)

 

I teach the 7th, 9th and 10th graders vocab, latin, grammar and writing togegther. Last year we did our TOG discussion together and I will do some of it together this year but plan a separate time with my 10th grader.

 

They do math independently but we use a Saxon DVD program once they hit Algebra 1/2.

 

My 9th and 10th graders are pretty much in the same courses for everything so they do work/study together and we go over answers, tests etc together as a group.

 

As far as scheduling, the older kids do science and math and any other independent work while I work one on one with my younger kids. Once the younger ones are finished with me the older ones and I sit down and go through the group subjects.

Edited July 24, 2010 by Quiver0f10