kailuamom Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 For the past 3 years we have used Calvert and I got used to them doing everything for me. Now I am going back to putting it all together myself (now with 3!) and I am a bit nervous! For those of you who are pros at this :001_smile:, would you mind taking a look at what I have put together so far? Comments and/or advice would be greatly appreciated! Nothing is set in stone (well, except Latin Prep and RS4K since I already bought those! lol). Why do I feel like, although the list is long, I am still missing things?? Maybe that is just always the case... DD (11) Language Arts: Analytical Grammar...or Voyages…or Ridgewood Grammar or... (this is an area where I am still waffling!) Writing Strands 4 Didax Editing, grades 6-8 Vocabulary from Classical Roots 6 and A Everyday Spelling, grade 7 For reading, the following books, with study guides (Garlic Press when available): Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, The Hobbit, Midwife’s Apprentice, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Math Teaching Textbooks 7 Singapore Math 6A, 6B and Challenging Word Problems 5 Science Real Science 4 Kids – Level 1 Chemistry History SOTW 3 Latin Latin Prep - Galore Park French Still deciding on this one…maybe First Start French? Logic Mind Benders DD (8 soon) Language Arts: FLL 3 Just Write 3 Vocabulary from Classical Roots 4 Everyday Spelling, grade 4 Didax Editing, grades 3-4 For reading, the following books, with study guides: Island of the Blue Dolphins, Little House in the Big Woods, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 Steck-Vaughn Non-fiction Reading Comprehension (for extra practice) Handwriting - cursive Math Singapore Math 3A/3B with Challenging Word Problems 3 Science Real Science 4 Kids – Level 1 Chemistry History & Geography SOTW 3 Map Skills for Today 4 - Traveling Near & Far Latin ?? (I think Latin Prep will be too much for her) French Still deciding on this one…maybe Ecoutez! Parlez! Or just listen with her sister? Logic Mind Benders DS (5 soon) Language Arts: OPGTR Spelling Workout A Handwriting FLL BOB books, various others Math Singapore 1B, 2A Science Singapore Science (He’ll also sit in on the experiments, etc., from RS4K with his sisters) History & Geography SOTW 1 Map Skills for Today 1 - Finding Your Way French Still deciding on this one…maybe some Ecoutez! Parlez! if we get it? Logic Mind Benders Beginners 1 (to be like big sisters!) And all of this as DS (1) wreaks havoc around us. :tongue_smilie: Thank you in advance for any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 anyone...:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I think your plan looks great! Latin for you 8yo: you're right, Latin Prep may very well be too much for her. You could always have her work on just memorizing the Latin vocab. in LP (and even the paradigms, as well) this year. Then she would have a little head start on starting Latin Prep next year. And if your 1yo is anything like my youngest was at that age... she'll probably make sure you don't get to half of the stuff on your list anyway! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 It looks good on paper--do you feel confident that you can implement everything? One area that's easy to fall short on is forgetting how long it takes to do things, especially if you want to go deeper into some subjects instead of shallow and wide. Your kids are similar in age to mine, and some of your stuff just seems like a lot to me. For example, Teaching Textbooks 7 AND Singapore Math. Since you are looking for feedback, my suggestion would be to sit down and figure out exactly how long everything will take, whether you want to do it every day or M-W-F, etc., and if you have enough time in the day /school year to accomplish it all. HTH--good luck with your planning! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I think it looks good! That would probably be too much for my dd4, but it is easy enough to change as needed at that age. I agree that Latin Prep would probably be too much for a soon-to-be eight year old. I use Latin Prep with dd10 and Lively Latin with dd8. DD10 also uses First Start French and that is going very well. The only things I would keep in mind (not necessarily add to the schedule): Art Art Appreciation Music Music Appreciation Physical Education Read Alouds Additional Reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I think it looks like too much, at least for the younger two. DD (8 soon) Language Arts: Not too bad, many people do only grammar or editing on any particular day. I also would only do the study guides or the reading comp, at least during any one time. Do a book with the study guide, then for the next couple of weeks do the reading comp. Science Real Science 4 Kids – Level 1 Chemistry Is she ready for this level? Is it going to be too hard? Latin and French Are you thinking about starting two languages next year? One should be enough, at least I'd wait and see how the first is going and start the 2nd in January. DS (5 soon) Language Arts: OPGTR should be the main focus, is he almost done? I'd wait to start spelling after this. And even FLL, peace hill press says to start at lesson 140. Science For K, isn't one science enough? I would think, for your sake, expiraments with his sisters and books from the library would be more then enough. But I also don't think science should be a workbook for a K. History & Geography Do you really want to start him on his own rotation now? If you just waited until he was almost 7 (not late at all) he could start over with the ancients with his sisters. For this year just read some american history books so he is on the same page as the two olders. And maybe not enough for the older... DD (11) Language Arts: Looks good, but I would also require more free reading then just the 7 books on your list. Math Do you need two maths? Do you feel confident about that time being used here instead of on something else-art or music, or more reading or.....??? History SOTW 3- she has less here then your 8 year old. Again it is probably okay, but is that the way you want your time split? Latin and French I can't really tell, but again are you starting two languages this year? I think you should ask yourself some questions about what you are expecting of each kid, and what each kid will be needing from you. Do you feel like it is important to start ramping things up with your oldest who is in middle school? Or is it more important to be spending that time and energy with your 4yo? Or do you feel it is more important to keep the older two working together? Are there things they need to work on? Do you want to add music or art or health or bible or something the kids want? How long of a school day do you think a K or 3rd grader or 6th grader should have? I don't expect that my answers will all work for you, but maybe thinking through some of these questions will help you feel better about what you have planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 Well, I'm no pro but I can give a few comments on your 8 yr old. I've been putting together my 8 yr olds studies. I'd suggest Lively Latin if you really want to do Latin. Lively Latin also covers grammar for us. I agree with the poster who thought maybe starting one language and then adding another the next year would be a good idea. I'm not familiar w/all the LA choices you've picked--we do have Vocab from Classical Roots and it's ok but a bit dry. We're also doing RS4K Chem 1. Do you have plans for more science? I keep hearing how RS4K only lasts 10 weeks. It looks like a good plan overall! Don't be afraid to modify things to fit your kid's needs better as you go along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 It looks good on paper--do you feel confident that you can implement everything? One area that's easy to fall short on is forgetting how long it takes to do things, especially if you want to go deeper into some subjects instead of shallow and wide. Your kids are similar in age to mine, and some of your stuff just seems like a lot to me. For example, Teaching Textbooks 7 AND Singapore Math. Since you are looking for feedback, my suggestion would be to sit down and figure out exactly how long everything will take, whether you want to do it every day or M-W-F, etc., and if you have enough time in the day /school year to accomplish it all. HTH--good luck with your planning! :001_smile: You bring up good points. I may be biting off more than my kids can chew, so to speak. I will have to look at it all long range and see if I need to snip here and there. Thanks so much for your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 I think your plan looks great! Latin for you 8yo: you're right, Latin Prep may very well be too much for her. You could always have her work on just memorizing the Latin vocab. in LP (and even the paradigms, as well) this year. Then she would have a little head start on starting Latin Prep next year. :tongue_smilie: Good idea -- it seems most people agree that trying to do two languages is too much at 8, so maybe just a little intro to one or the other would be best. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 I think it looks good! That would probably be too much for my dd4, but it is easy enough to change as needed at that age. I agree that Latin Prep would probably be too much for a soon-to-be eight year old. I use Latin Prep with dd10 and Lively Latin with dd8. DD10 also uses First Start French and that is going very well. The only things I would keep in mind (not necessarily add to the schedule): Art Art Appreciation Music Music Appreciation Physical Education Read Alouds Additional Reading It does seem like a lot for ds, but he is already into some of it and he REALLY likes to do whatever his sisters are doing. We just take longer to do most of it. As for the other subject, I didn't list it, but both girls take piano and they read ALL the time. So, extra reading will be a given. I do like the idea of more read-alouds, especially for my ds. We do CDs a lot in the car, too. We are lucky as far as art -- we live near DC and plan to take advantage of all the museums this year! Thanks for your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 You have given me so much to think about! :001_smile: Truly -- everyone's comments have really helped me to start thinking of the big picture -- I had spent so much time trying to figure out each program that I was losing sight of any grand sheme. I do have to really try to sit and logistically plan what we need to accomplish and what I want to accomplish! I like your idea of rotating the lit guides and the reading comp. And I am starting to think maybe two languages may be a bit much, but I was planning on doing them very slowly, no real rush with them. As far as ds, the only reason he would do Singapore science and the experiments with his sisters is because I know he will insist. lol He is doing Singapore Science now (only a page or two here and there) and he won't pass up experiments! I will also think about waiting to start him formally on SOTW -- maybe he can just listen along with the older two this year. My oldest is a great reader and a strong writer. This year is more of a "cement" the basics year -- she is *technically* a "6th grader" this fall (per ps) but she already completed grade 6 in Calvert. So, my husband and I were thinking it would be a good time to continue on at a good pace where she excels, but maybe amp it up a bit where she is not as strong. She is not so hot in math, so that was the thinking behind TT and Singapore -- I have heard mixed reviews about TT but she really likes the way it lays out the problems and explains them. I just was thinking we may need more review? For history I figured she would read a lot more of SOTW's supplementary books than her sister. Again, thanks for giving me such good questions to ponder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 Well, I'm no pro but I can give a few comments on your 8 yr old. I've been putting together my 8 yr olds studies. I'd suggest Lively Latin if you really want to do Latin. Lively Latin also covers grammar for us. I agree with the poster who thought maybe starting one language and then adding another the next year would be a good idea. I'm not familiar w/all the LA choices you've picked--we do have Vocab from Classical Roots and it's ok but a bit dry. We're also doing RS4K Chem 1. Do you have plans for more science? I keep hearing how RS4K only lasts 10 weeks. It looks like a good plan overall! Don't be afraid to modify things to fit your kid's needs better as you go along. I am not sure what to do about the RS4K only lasting 10 weeks. I figured that out only after I bought it. Sigh... I think we may try NOEO science again -- I had purchased the Physics 1 a couple of years back and it didn't click. Maybe it will now and I can modify it for all three. Thanks for your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcyM Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 I can't jump in about your oldest, but I do have 8, 6 and 5 yos. Your 8 yo's schedule looks full, but doable. If you do both languages, I would stagger them. Wait 8-12 weeks before starting the second. Your 5 yo's plans seem very advanced for a 4, not quite 5 yo. Spelling and FLL aren't necessary (or recommended) in K. Can he really do that math? My son turned 5 at the beginning of May. Granted, he is developmentally behind, but he is working on letter recognition, letter sounds, counting to 100, identifying numbers, cutting, pasting, etc. Most of his "school" will be sitting in my lap with books. He won't even pick up a pencil this year. It's hard to imagine a brand new 5 yo doing all of what you listed. He must be a precocious boy! Most of all - doing it yourself will give you a huge sense of accomplishment and control. Picking your own materials allows you to have enthusiasm for what you picked, and knowing it's a good fit for your family. It's a leap of faith but one that is well worth it. I wish you the very best this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 Your 5 yo's plans seem very advanced for a 4, not quite 5 yo. Spelling and FLL aren't necessary (or recommended) in K. Can he really do that math? My son turned 5 at the beginning of May. Granted, he is developmentally behind, but he is working on letter recognition, letter sounds, counting to 100, identifying numbers, cutting, pasting, etc. Most of his "school" will be sitting in my lap with books. He won't even pick up a pencil this year. It's hard to imagine a brand new 5 yo doing all of what you listed. He must be a precocious boy! That's him! lol He literally wants one of every workbook/text that his older sisters have. It may take him longer to get through them, but if he is motivated he goes for it! He is about half way through OPGTR and reading BOB books, he's in ETC 2 right now and in the middle of Singapore 1A. He just recently begged for his own Spelling Workout and, while he can't do it all independently, he wants to try. I may wait on FLL 1/2 after hearing all your suggestions, but I may have to at least start it when he sees that dd8 is doing FLL3! Thanks for your input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titus.Two.Five Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 DD (11) Language Arts: Grammar Writing Vocabulary Spelling (only if really needed) Reading Math Teaching Textbooks 7 Singapore Math 6A, 6B and Challenging Word Problems 5 Science Real Science 4 Kids – Level 1 Chemistry History SOTW 3 Latin Latin Prep - Galore Park Logic Mind Benders DD (8 soon) Language Arts: FLL 3 Spelling Reading (use narration for comprehension) Handwriting - cursive Math Singapore Math 3A/3B with Challenging Word Problems 3 Science Real Science 4 Kids – Level 1 Chemistry History & Geography SOTW 3 Latin ?? (I think Latin Prep will be too much for her) DS (5 soon) Language Arts: OPGTR Handwriting BOB books, various others Math Singapore 1B, 2A The above is what *I* would do, of course, YMMV. ;) I am all for keeping things as simple as possible, and prioritizing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 8, 2008 Author Share Posted July 8, 2008 The above is what *I* would do, of course, YMMV. ;)I am all for keeping things as simple as possible, and prioritizing. Thanks for words of wisdom, LivingLearningLoving! I want to say...I have truly benefited from all of comments and advice that I have gotten through this thread. It has made me think things through from a different perspective. :) I really appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 French in Action And most of the texts for these courses I have found very inexpensive used. It says for all ages so maybe you could use it for all 3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lux Et Veritas Academy Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 I am glad that you have the museums.. because I was thinking "where is the art and the cooking and the fun stuff....Looks like a great schedule to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 Thanks, Lizzie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kailuamom Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 I am glad that you have the museums.. because I was thinking "where is the art and the cooking and the fun stuff....Looks like a great schedule to me. Yes, I have been focusing on the other subjects because one of the reasons we are so behind with finishing up this year is because we have been doing so many museums and field trips. :) We just moved here last year and it hasn't gotten old yet. lol Thanks for looking it over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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