RainbowSprinkles Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 This will be our 4th year of homeschooling and every year I struggle to find the "perfect" programs for science and history. Usually we stick with whatever program I picked for the first 6-10 weeks and then we chuck it out the window. Then we'll just read books depending on the historical period that we are in for history and we'll watch intetesting documentaries. Does anyone not worry about using a formal curriculum in the grammar/logic years? Would we be ok without following someone else's plan if we just read about topics that interestes us no matter what we "should" be doing? I don't even want to think about the science experiments that I would love to do, but usually never get to. Has anyone been there, done that? How did it turn out? Where your dc just fine and ready for something more formal in high school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 This will be our 4th year of homeschooling and every year I struggle to find the "perfect" programs for science and history. Usually we stick with whatever program I picked for the first 6-10 weeks and then we chuck it out the window. Then we'll just read books depending on the historical period that we are in for history and we'll watch intetesting documentaries. Does anyone not worry about using a formal curriculum in the grammar/logic years? Would we be ok without following someone else's plan if we just read about topics that interestes us no matter what we "should" be doing? I don't even want to think about the science experiments that I would love to do, but usually never get to. Has anyone been there, done that? How did it turn out? Where your dc just fine and ready for something more formal in high school? We did that. For high school I started formal studies and then dumped them. They took too much away from the skills AND were proving to be less efficient ways to amass literacy in the content areas. Formal content area studies have NOT proven to be helpful for many families unless they are prepping for a VERY specific text, of the type that there are published guides for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 I would be very hesitant to push a child into high school science with no formal science instruction - but that's just me. Have you tried something like Ellen McHenry for science? I can't express my love enough for that program! Seriously. It isn't experiment heavy; but it IS activity based. Every chapter has several activities/crafts to reinforce the lesson. Oh and the lessons... oh my. They are amusing and written to the student. Just the right mix of humor and a TON of information! I'm the wrong person to answer the question as it pertains to history - we tend to be more STEM focused and history isn't a favorite here so we will probably continue on with a standard textbook "do the next thing" in that subject. It's a subject I wrestle with constantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) This will be our 4th year of homeschooling and every year I struggle to find the "perfect" programs for science and history. Usually we stick with whatever program I picked for the first 6-10 weeks and then we chuck it out the window. Then we'll just read books depending on the historical period that we are in for history and we'll watch intetesting documentaries. Does anyone not worry about using a formal curriculum in the grammar/logic years? Would we be ok without following someone else's plan if we just read about topics that interestes us no matter what we "should" be doing? I don't even want to think about the science experiments that I would love to do, but usually never get to. Has anyone been there, done that? How did it turn out? Where your dc just fine and ready for something more formal in high school? That is precisely what we do. My kids read, read, read whole books on science and history topics that interest them. (this is not haphazard here and there, but 30-60 mins (depends on the age) every day, every yr from 3rd-7th/8th grade for each subject) Depending on the child, they start w/high school science credits in 8th or 9th and at that pt, we do switch to textbooks for science. If you search the board, you'll find this topic discussed many times. I have had people deride my approach and inform me that there is no way it will adequately prepare them and that they will not develop scientific understanding. ;) Somehow I have managed to raise a chemical engineer who graduated near the top of his college class and have a rising 11th grader that is planning a physics/astrophysics career (and at this pt has already completed 5 high school science credits (one in 8th and 2 each in 9th and 10th) :001_smile: Somehow, it doesn't quite mesh w/not preparing them. ;) (FWIW, my oldest ds's first textbook was physical science in 8th and in hindsight it was unnecessary and we do not do physical science any more. My rising 11th grader did Plato science (all 3 middle school courses) in 7th and high school physics in 8th.) Just choose quality books and they will be definitely be prepared for high school level material. HTH Edited June 15, 2012 by 8FillTheHeart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) I think it's fine. It sounds like it is the best fit for your family.:) We use a formal science program, but lately my ds9 has become fascinated by volcanoes. So tomorrow we are reading books about volcanoes and making an "erupting volcano." I am planning on following a more interest-led style in our schooling. Edited June 15, 2012 by freeindeed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 That is precisely what we do. My kids read, read, read whole books on science and history topics that interest them. (this is not haphazard here and there, but 30-60 mins (depends on the age) every day, every yr from 3rd-7th/8th grade for each subject) Depending on the child, they start w/high school science credits in 8th or 9th and at that pt, we do switch to textbooks for science. If you search the board, you'll find this topic discussed many times. I have had people deride my approach and inform me that there is no way it will adequately prepare them and that they will not develop scientific understanding. ;) Somehow I have managed to raise a chemical engineer who graduated near the top of his college class and have a rising 11th grader that is planning a physics/astrophysics career (and at this pt has already completed 5 high school science credits (one in 8th and 2 each in 9th and 10th) :001_smile: Somehow, it doesn't quite mesh w/not preparing them. ;) (FWIW, my oldest ds's first textbook was physical science in 8th and in hindsight it was unnecessary and we do not do physical science any more. My rising 11th grader did Plato science (all 3 middle school courses) in 7th and high school physics in 8th.) Just choose quality books and they will be definitely be prepared for high school level material. HTH This is so encouragering!!! Thank you so much! My ds7 is very interest in science, my dd10 somewhat. It's good to know that even with a more relaxed approach, dc will still persue a science degree. For history, do you keep a timeline at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 I think it's fine. It sounds like it is the best fit for your family.:) We use a formal science program, but lately my ds9 has become fascinated by volcanoes. So tomorrow we are reading books about volcanoes and making an "erupting volcano." I am planning on following a more interest-led style in our schooling. Yes, I was thinking little units thrown in here and there based on their interests would be so much more fun. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 8FillTheHeart, another question. Do you pick the books you have them read during your daily 30-60 minutes or do you let them choose? Do you try to stick to the same historical period and science topic for a whole year or do you read across all periods and topics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 We'll be doing relaxed, interest led history and science (for the most part) this year, and I am very much looking forward to it. Science: My plan is to approach science for 2012-13 in the ways I see my children learning best. 1. Living books on a variety of topics; 2. Documentaries (which they both LOVE); 3. Hands-on. So each week, while I won't dictate the topic, they need to read something or have it read to them, watch a documentary and write/narrate/draw a reaction to it; and complete a hands-on project/experiment, or continue work on an ongoing project, and log it in some way. History: My kids are more interested in cultures right now than history, so we will be loosely (NOT as organized as actual unit studies which always fizzle out in our home) learning about cultures, meaning that I will pick a few books that might interest them/let them pick out books that interest them, focus some of our literature around cultures, expose them to music and art from each region we cover, and maybe have them watch some movies and/or documentaries. If they want to take it deeper than that, fine. If not, fine. I will want some sort of documentation here and there, or at least narrations! I will also be reading to them either once a week from K12's Human Odyssey OR one chapter daily from the Oxford University Press' World in Ancient Times set. Haven't quite nailed that down. Again, if they get interested in something in history, and want to follow rabbit trails, good. If not, at least they are being exposed to history! We've never been terribly good at following a set plan for either science or history, so I figured that once we have our basics done (reading, writing, math), we could be a little more loose with the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 People can say whatever they want about Art Robinson and his curriculum as a whole, but, HIS kids didn't do any formal science until after they finished calculus, and all went on to become science majors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 8FillTheHeart, another question. Do you pick the books you have them read during your daily 30-60 minutes or do you let them choose? Do you try to stick to the same historical period and science topic for a whole year or do you read across all periods and topics? I am pretty sure that this thread has an explanation of how we do things: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173293&highlight=interest+led HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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