5th Grade... Need help

[lovinmomma]

I'm beginning to research 5th grade curriculum for when I plan to bring my daughter home. I've been out of the homeschool loop for a couple of years and have NO idea where to start. I work 2-3 night shifts per week, so I need for at least a subject or 2 to allow her to be somewhat independent while I'm sleeping 1 or 2 days per week. I need suggestions for ALL subject areas. When we were homeschooling before we did MM, TOG, BFSU, and AAS.

[SilverMoon]

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Edited June 17, 2022 by SilverMoon

[abacus2]

Math Mammoth would still be a good choice. Printing out the answer key and having her check her own work as she goes can help make it more independent.

Rod and Staff Spelling is easy to implement and largely independent.

Essentials in Writing is a DVD based writing and grammar program that my kids have done well with so far.

A Sonlight 4-day Core could work with your schedule, especially if she is able to read some of the intended read-alouds or history books herself.

 

ETA:

Home Art Studio DVDs are wonderful. It goes through fifth grade so you might want to start with third or fourth to leave more art for next year if you plan to keep her home.

BFSU should still work as long as you plan science lessons around your schedule.

 

[TarynB]

My DS prefers working independently. (He's introverted, self-motivated and loves working from a weekly checklist.)  To give you even more curriculum ideas, here's what he used in 5th grade that I feel good about recommending:

• Math Mammoth
• IEW SWI-B for writing - we watched the DVDs together once a week or once every 2 weeks, approx. 30 min. each time, depending on the lesson, and then he worked independently - I just checked his papers and helped him revise
• Hake Grammar
• Wordly Wise 3000 vocabulary workbook
• Lit was nothing formal, just a list of good books from which he could choose, followed by brief, informal discussions but not for every book
• WTM-ish history using an encyclopedia (Kingfisher) and K12 Human Odyssey for additional reading  (K12 HO saved me from struggling to find supplemental books at our small library for every topic)
• Elemental Science for the logic stage, encyclopedia-based and WTM-inspired, very open and go
• Sheppard Software for geography
• Visual Link Spanish offers free trials
• For art & music appreciation, DS liked watching DVDs such as Sister Wendy and Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts

[2_girls_mommy]

My 5th grader did a very WTM year last year.

 

She did:

Rod and Staff math, English, and spelling.  Much of these can be done independently

 

WTM style history, using the 2nd edition's instructions.  I found it easier to manage than the 3rd edition.  I did have to take her to the library once a week for research materials and help bounce ideas with her on her writing.  But once the initial teaching of how to do the different steps was finished, she could do much of the week's work on her own with this, with just checking in with me: reading, outlining, timelining (word? LOL,) reading, and writing. 

 

Classical House of Learning Lit gave her a literature schedule and worksheets that she could do a lot on her own.  I did discussion and dictation with her once a week or so.

 

Spanish for Children.  She did this pretty independently w/the videos and online pronunciation files.

 

Latin: I do teach once a week for an hour, then she has daily workbook work with it to do on her own.  She was in First Form last year.  I often had to have the T.M. on hand to look something up for her or answer questions.    But there are videos for this.  Some could do it w/just the video lessons.  We do both.  We watch the video together.  Then I teach it to her and others in a co-op class.  I find it is too complicated to do on her own as far as teaching goes.

 

Science: a mix.  I like to do this together with both of my kids.  But I did buy her Memoria Press 5th grade science materials which are pretty much read and do the workbooks.  She could have done that on her own (and did some weeks.) But we did a lot together outside of that.  She also took a co-op class that had weekly homework that she did on her own throughout the week.  I just like to do a variety of things for science.  But there were days she was working on her own.  I could have scheduled that for the days I needed to rest if I were you.

[Aurelia]

You might look at All In One Homeschool, since it's made to do mostly independently. Here's a link to their 5th grade reading/writing/misc skills. Personally, I like the looks of their science. Galore Park also publishes materials that can be used mostly independently. We use CLE math, and it's primarily independent, also. 

 

This is our lineup:

CLE Math 500

Apples & Pears (spelling - very teacher-dependent)

Wordsmith Apprentice 

Further Up and Further In (designed as a unit study, using mostly for literature)

Easy Grammar/Daily Grams 5 (mostly independent)

CHOW/SOTW4

WP Equine Science/Galore Park Junior Science 3

 

[lovinmomma]

Thank you so much for the ideas!!! Yes, my hope is to have a schedule for her to follow and assign the "mom" subjects during times that I'm available. I'm also wondering if Teaching Textbooks or that online math that teaches Singapore (can't remember the name) may be a good idea so that it takes a subject somewhat off of my hands. I do still have MM.

[OneStepAtATime]

Wordly Wise 3000 is available on line and can sometimes be purchased through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op at a greatly reduced rate.  It is essentially the same as the workbook and the child can do it independently on the computer.  Parents can track how they are doing on-line.

 

I agree that Math Mammoth is a good program.  Also Teaching Textbooks is great for independent math since the lessons are on DVD.  TT is about a grade behind public school grade designations and has a lot of review at the beginning of each grade level so you would need to test to see which level to get.  Assessment Tests are available for free on their site.   For days when you need sleep or working on other things, or your child is not grasping something in MM, popping in the DVD for Teaching Textbooks really can be great (It gave my kids some "fun" math time they could do independently and helped them feel like they were in control of their learning while still making that learning enjoyable).  It tracks all your grades and any problem the child misses they can watch a video to explain how to do that specific problem.  You can go back and see which problems were missed and whether they watched the explanation video or tried the problem again.

 

Type to Learn 4 is a great typing program your child can use completely independently.  You can order that at a reduced rate through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op.  You may need to adjust w.p.m. down some at first so the child is working on accuracy, not speed (the co-op does it for you).  If they focus only or primarily on speed, then finger placement, posture and accurate typing go out the window and it actually ends up taking much longer to learn to type.  W.P.M. requirements can be readjusted back up as they get better at accurate typing.  The format is kid-friendly.  Typing Pal is also a good program (co-op frequently has sales on this, too).

 

Check out Super Charged Science E-science.  It is supposed to be pretty independent.  Aurora Lipper, a NASA scientist, does the instructing through videos.  

 

Easy Grammar and Daily Grams might work for independent grammar instruction.  It makes grammar pretty easy to understand.

 

My kids are really enjoying Simply Music for learning keyboarding and they do it independently.  I also ordered that through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op and it is a lifetime access for not very much.

[OneStepAtATime]

Also, Time for Learning may work.  I found that some of the material was well done and some was just downright pathetic, but it worked well as a supplement and on days when I just didn't have time to teach.  

[lovinmomma]

Wordly Wise 3000 is available on line and can sometimes be purchased through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op at a greatly reduced rate.  It is essentially the same as the workbook and the child can do it independently on the computer.  Parents can track how they are doing on-line.

 

I agree that Math Mammoth is a good program.  Also Teaching Textbooks is great for independent math since the lessons are on DVD.  TT is about a grade behind public school grade designations and has a lot of review at the beginning of each grade level so you would need to test to see which level to get.  Assessment Tests are available for free on their site.   For days when you need sleep or working on other things, or your child is not grasping something in MM, popping in the DVD for Teaching Textbooks really can be great (It gave my kids some "fun" math time they could do independently and helped them feel like they were in control of their learning while still making that learning enjoyable).  It tracks all your grades and any problem the child misses they can watch a video to explain how to do that specific problem.  You can go back and see which problems were missed and whether they watched the explanation video or tried the problem again.

 

Type to Learn 4 is a great typing program your child can use completely independently.  You can order that at a reduced rate through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op.  You may need to adjust w.p.m. down some at first so the child is working on accuracy, not speed (the co-op does it for you).  If they focus only or primarily on speed, then finger placement, posture and accurate typing go out the window and it actually ends up taking much longer to learn to type.  W.P.M. requirements can be readjusted back up as they get better at accurate typing.  The format is kid-friendly.  Typing Pal is also a good program (co-op frequently has sales on this, too).

 

Check out Super Charged Science E-science.  It is supposed to be pretty independent.  Aurora Lipper, a NASA scientist, does the instructing through videos.  

 

Easy Grammar and Daily Grams might work for independent grammar instruction.  It makes grammar pretty easy to understand.

 

My kids are really enjoying Simply Music for learning keyboarding and they do it independently.  I also ordered that through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op and it is a lifetime access for not very much.

Thank you so much. Great suggestions! I will check them out.