No Language Arts Curricula? Am I missing something?

[Paige]

In light of the relaxed homeschooling thread, I've reconsidered my plan for DS. I'm 99% sure he'll be coming home from school within a few weeks. In the past, we had been using different things for spelling, grammar, writing, handwriting, punctuation, vocabulary, literature, and...pretty much everything. No wonder we were overwhelmed. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm thinking that maybe I can do all of LA and most of history/social studies via reading and writing assignments. He is an older 5th grader who has an excellent knowledge of how to spell and punctuate most anything and his grammar is solid. He struggles with putting it all together, however. My plan is to pick a book list for the year that covers a variety of genres and topics. He will have daily reading time, we will meet to discuss the books and he will have to do some oral reading, then I will give him daily writing assignments that include summaries, research papers, essays, narratives, poems, and short fiction, which would relate to the books. We will then go through and spend focused time editing for spelling, grammar, punctuation, word choice, structure, voice, and handwriting. He will by typing some to work on that too. And that will be all we do.

 

Am I missing something, or can I really cover it all through reading, discussion, writing, and editing? He will do math, science, arts, and foreign languages separately.

 

I know some people mentioned doing something like this in that other thread, but it was so big. I wanted to discuss that idea more because I think it could really change our atmosphere at home and maybe he would learn more this way too.

[txmommyofboys]

Thats what we do for the most part. I do supplement with some workbooks and stuff, but its mainly reading and journaling for my 4th grader

[walkermamaof4]

I wonder if IEW would help you to accomplish this? There has been that IEW thread going recently that makes me think it might be advantageous to you.

[Paige]

I wonder if IEW would help you to accomplish this? There has been that IEW thread going recently that makes me think it might be advantageous to you.

 

I usually avoid all IEW conversations. When I looked into it, it seemed so expensive and complicated.

[jar7709]

We do this, for the most part. Have you looked into Bravewriter/The Writer's Jungle? It gave me a lot of confidence and reassurance toward striking out on my own with my LA-loving, wordy children.

[Jim]

I usually avoid all IEW conversations. When I looked into it, it seemed so expensive and complicated.

 

I'm can't count the number of times I've read that but reading it does not make it true. For $30 you can try Fix-It, which will last several years. Combined with a couple other reference manuals you could get started. If you don't like it either after an inital review or after using it for years, they will refund 100% of the purchase price and covering shipping to boot.

 

Their writing products cost more but can be used for many years and over multiple students, especially if you combine it with other subjects. Also, the resale value of their products is strong and they support a board dedicated to that. Having watched if for a couple years I'd say recouping up to 75% of your investment is reasonable. So given the ability to return it if it does not fit your needs, the ability to use it over a long period of time, and its resale value I don't believe it's expensive at all.

 

 

 

Jim

[Susie in MS]

You may be interested in reading You Can Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick. She shows you how you can school without curricula.

[BibleBeltCatholicMom]

We do formal grammar only every few years. We studies it a couple of times in elementary and we're studying it in 8th. Mostly, we rely on reading really good lit, editing, and foreign language study.

[birchbark]

I also would recommend Ruth Beechick. She advocates doing LA just the way you described. In addition to the book recommended above, her Homeschool Answer Book and The Language Wars have valuable info on how to teach and get everything covered. They are not long or hard reads, esp if you stick to the LA portions.

[Pen]

In light of the relaxed homeschooling thread, I've reconsidered my plan for DS. I'm 99% sure he'll be coming home from school within a few weeks. In the past, we had been using different things for spelling, grammar, writing, handwriting, punctuation, vocabulary, literature, and...pretty much everything. No wonder we were overwhelmed. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm thinking that maybe I can do all of LA and most of history/social studies via reading and writing assignments. He is an older 5th grader who has an excellent knowledge of how to spell and punctuate most anything and his grammar is solid. He struggles with putting it all together, however. My plan is to pick a book list for the year that covers a variety of genres and topics. He will have daily reading time, we will meet to discuss the books and he will have to do some oral reading, then I will give him daily writing assignments that include summaries, research papers, essays, narratives, poems, and short fiction, which would relate to the books. We will then go through and spend focused time editing for spelling, grammar, punctuation, word choice, structure, voice, and handwriting. He will by typing some to work on that too. And that will be all we do.

 

Am I missing something, or can I really cover it all through reading, discussion, writing, and editing? He will do math, science, arts, and foreign languages separately.

 

I know some people mentioned doing something like this in that other thread, but it was so big. I wanted to discuss that idea more because I think it could really change our atmosphere at home and maybe he would learn more this way too.

 

 

What you suggest sounds like enough. Maybe too much. Though it is hard to know how much each day you intend to ask him to do. Can he do essays and research papers?--I think few 5th graders have that skill very well as yet.

 

I'd also caution about not making the reading become disliked because of too much written work imposed on it. Otherwise, I think it sounds like a good and very full LA plan, and if you don't mean to do so much that it is (still going to be) overwhelming (but just in a new way) could be a wonderful way to do LA for the year. It is pretty much what I mainly have started doing this year, but I'm pleased if I can get a few good sentences, maybe paragraphs daily, working up toward more. An essay seems like it is still pretty far off as a goal.

Edited September 20, 2012 by Pen

[Paige]

Thanks for all the input! It is scary to go off the books, but I think we'll like it. I'll see if my library has any of the books that were suggested.

 

I don't expect him to do all of that writing every day. He might work on the same essay for a few weeks, then do a week with a couple paragraphs and poems, maybe one day will be writing and the next few will be editing...I'm going to make an effort to set the timer for him so that we don't overdo it. I don't think we'll have time for writing assignments for every book, but I want to be sure we have discussion for every book. He does not know how to do research papers, but he's done a couple of essays. He isn't proficient yet, but he's making progress. I'd like him to do at least 1 short paper this year with research involved and practicing internal citation, note taking, and documentation.