Silver_Kitten Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 This is my first year building a curriculum. I've found some good things, some really horrible things and just plain lost on other things. I'm looking to build a better sixth grade curriculum. Just found this forum and plan on looking in to the book. A lot of my questions have been answered just looking through the forums and then others have just brought more questions and confusion. My daughter is 10 and just started enjoying reading. This year we are using Learning Language Arts through Literature Purple for Language Arts. It's okay, but I would like more writing and grammar. So I've been looking at SO many different programs my head spins. Adding a separate literature program. Math we started out with a school text book, but that was boring and a bit fast for my daughter. I picked up Life of Fred Fractions and she is enjoying it. I have read that many do not see it as a complete curriculum. I'm not sure where I stand on it. Thinking of continuing using LOF, and maybe something else. History we started out using AO LIFEPAC, she didn't mind it, but it too went quicker than she enjoyed. We switched to All American History Part 1, she sort of enjoys it. Looking in to History Odyssey Modern level 1 for next year and moving to Ancients level 2 for Seventh grade. Still unsure about this. Science we started with a school text and my daughter did not get anything out of it. I got her Great Science Adventures, for lack of finding something else that she might like. Started looking at Real Science 4 Kids, but not sure how I would start it with her. Would two books for a year and do them Seventh and Eighth grades, than find something for high school? My daughter wants to learn Japanese and I've been looking in to different programs for that. Art and music have always been lacking, so I've been looking in to Artistic Pursuits and Meet the Great Composers. All for the lack of knowledge. We are also working on typing since my daughter hasn't liked writing. That will continue. As I said, I've been looking around and got really lost and confused. Even this year has been a huge trial and error time for us. Thank you for taking the time to read all this, if you have any suggestions I'm all :bigear:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver_Kitten Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Really, no sugesstions? Should I have asked all seperate threads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I loved The Well Trained Mind. My kids are younger and this is our first year and we are enjoying Susan Wise Bauer's First Language Lessons and Writing With Ease. We got WWE mostly to learn how to do narrations and we are going at a lower level for the narration practice. I definitely suggest looking at those! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Wizards Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 My DD is in 5th this year, so I haven't figured everything out for next year yet. We're secular homeschoolers, so your choices might be different if you want a religious slant. Here are some of my plans for next year: Language Arts: continue with Growing with Grammar and possibly Winning with Writing (we're just starting level 5 right now, so I'm not sure if I'm going to like it yet). I'm thinking of doing Lightning Literature 7 next year, but not sure yet. Math: I personally don't think LOF Fractions is a complete full year program. We use Math Mammoth, so we will continue with MM 6. Science: This year I'm using Elemental Science Biology for the Grammar stage and think it's a decent program. However, even if they have an Earth Logic stage next year ready, I don't think I'll use it due to the neutral stance the author takes on certain subjects. We will probably be turning to a Textbook for Science next year.....either CPO, Holt, or Science Explorer, but not sure which. I'm not a big fan of RS4K personally, but I know that many others like it. Atelier Art is pretty good but expensive. I like having the videos available to do the teaching. History: Pandia Press' History Odyssey seems like a pretty solid program and I am considering starting Ancients Level 2 next year. I am also considering using K12's History (is it Odyssey as well? I can't remember right now) as I've heard that the books are very engaging. I personally wouldn't do HO Level 1 - I had the Ancients and decided that it was easier to just do SOTW with the activity guide. However, HO level 2 seems worthwhile to me. So there are my thoughts for what they're worth. I think maybe you packed quite a bit into your initial post and people weren't really sure what you were asking? I know all of the choices can be overwhelming, but maybe focus on one subject at a time and try to find what works, then move on to the next subject. Good luck to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 We tried LLATL too, this year. I came to the same conclusion: It's okay, but weak, very weak, in writing and grammar. The book studies are disjointed. We dropped it and are finding a good pace with these: Writing Strands Harvey Grammar (with the optional workbook) Word Roots Moving Beyond The Page literature units I especially love the last. It's everything I expected from LLATL with the questions, discussions, and language arts-related work and adds in the bonus of projects and history/science/social studies research in order to understand the book setting more. We've picked book studies based on what he might like to read, but at 12 none of the lit guides have been over or underwhelming for him though we've run the gammut from the 8-10 curriculum to the 11-13. We're using LoF Pre-algebra, but in conjunction with Math U See. The two fit hand in hand and the dvd for MUS helps to explain topics a little better in LoF. I'm not willing to give up the MUS because of the practice it gives but adding in LoF gives the week a little bit of a lift. For science we're using Noeo. I like the fact that it uses living books instead of one textbook and is flexible with experiments and scheduling. We've done all of level 2 and each year just gets better and better. Ds wants to continue level 3 with physics, but unfortunately it's not out yet. Are you artsy at all? Artistic Pursuits is currently gathering dust on my shelf. Ds wasn't into drawing and we did most of the book but it was a struggle some days. I need to sign him up for an art class at our community center. I think he'd like it better. We liked History Odyssey. Ds is finishing up Ancients level 2 next week and it required quite a bit more from him than SotW. There's a lot of learning to outline and write papers toward the end. I bought the Creek Edge Press for Medieval times so we'll be trying that starting in Dec, but if they don't work out we'll be going back to HO. They do look promising, though, especially since there's no required text and he can use what we already have or the library carries. I can't help on the Japanese. :) We've got different language requirements here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver_Kitten Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Thank you all. I was wondering if I did just put too much out there in the post. I shall remember for next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I would get a copy of The Well Trained Mind...It answers so many questions about what curriculum to use and why...If you don't want to buy a copy, you can probably check your library for it...I must warn you though, I first checked it out of the library and then ordered a copy for myself because I found it to be too helpful to only read once and take back to the library ;)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macpuffins Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I would get a copy of The Well Trained Mind...It answers so many questions about what curriculum to use and why...If you don't want to buy a copy, you can probably check your library for it...I must warn you though, I first checked it out of the library and then ordered a copy for myself because I found it to be too helpful to only read once and take back to the library ;)... :iagree: :bigear: I found TWTM really solidified my reasoning to want to HS my *as then unborn child* and gave me the courage to start feeling out curricula that *speak* to me as a geeky, math-o-phile, word nerdy, sci-fi-loving, Christian Left Momma! MissB is now 33 months, and I already have some things laying in wait. Even if those things aren't her primary source for those subjects, they can easily be used to augment whatever else is used. As I see her grow, mature, and interact with her surroundings, I learn more about her learning style, and that will help me nail down more items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I would get a copy of The Well Trained Mind...It answers so many questions about what curriculum to use and why...If you don't want to buy a copy, you can probably check your library for it...I must warn you though, I first checked it out of the library and then ordered a copy for myself because I found it to be too helpful to only read once and take back to the library ;)... Lol I even bought the original publication as well as the current! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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