bluebonnetgirl Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hello, I will likely be homescholing my soon to be 6th grade son this fall. He will be coming from a public school and is a "B" student in a rigorous public elementary school. I don't see him in a classical curriculum, he is not a great scholar, but he gets the job done. I would say that reading and engish are his best subjects, and math and social studies are his least favorite. I will be homeschooling him mainly to avoid the negaive social and moral influences of middle school. He is a very creative (and social) boy. He wants to be a graphic artist, animator, or film maker when he grows up, and I do think that he will be as it has been his passion for a long time. He is already doing a lot of this kind of work in his spare time he has his own youtube channel and is always making movies and comic books and thinking up new ideas for he and his friends to act out, though he is usually the director, set designer, editor, and producer. He loves the movies, and thinking of creative set designs and schticks for his own productions. If it involves creating, directing, drawing, stroy telling, he is all over it. I am thinking of either a combination of workbooks and computer based coursework for a "get it done" curriculum and then lots of artsy and creative outside the home classes (there are plenty here and I am not the least bit creative or artsy myself). Unless there is a great creative curriculum that would not take a lot out of me the mom. I have another child I am homeschooling, an autistic teenager that requires much one on one and my focused attention, so I need a very parent easy curriculum for my 6th grade boy. I don't thinlk I can combine them well. My younger is too talkative and has a tendency to boss or tease, and that behavior bothers my older like a mosquito flying about. Older is not thrilled about younger being homeschooled because he fears for his peace and I cannot say I blame him. We are Catholic and I'd like to expose him to a little more Catholic influence (especially with history), but not have it be overpowering or in every subject becasue that would be a turn off to him. Some of his curricullum will need to be fun, graphic, artsy, technologically savvy to keep his interest. He enjoys audio books, movies, graphic art, and does not seem to mind workbooks or computer learning. Any ideas from you much more experienced folks would be greatly appreciated. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 My son is very creative and needs time for his passions. Because of this I try to get curriculum that does not take up a great deal of time and that interests him. We use Bravewriter/Arrow for language arts and Life of Fred for math. History and science is mostly unschooled around here often taking the form of a movie or audiobook. He loves to listen to audiobooks while he works on the computer or is drawing so I try to get in some learning that way. His schooling takes only a few hours a day, the rest of the time he is free to pursue his passions. It is not my ideal but I have learned that I have to let some things go if I want to support his creativity. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 My daughter is very creative and is bored to death with workbook type curriculum. We use Sonlight for History (she can draw while I read-- and she loves the readers too!) although I am switching to TRISMS for next year-- it has lots of fine arts history incorporated (music, art, architecture) and I use Micheal Clay Thompson for LA -- it is quality but not workbookish. Apologia for science because it us user friendly (talks to you like a person not an encyclopedia) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Moving Beyond the Page is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdesigns Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I'll second Oak Meadow. My highly creative son loved the Oak Meadow middle school curriculum. They have wonderful assignment choices with each lesson, sometimes they are writing, sometimes they are more artistic. There are many times when they need to make a poster, or brochure, which would be great for a budding graphic designer. My son also wrote a lot of play and movie scripts about his history lessons (this was a choice often). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Oak Meadow immediately came to mind for me as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I have two middle school students using Oak Meadow this year. It sounds like it would be a good fit for your son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebonnetgirl Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Thanks everyone! Wow a lot of votes for Oak Meadow. How labor intensive is it for mom? Someone else recommended Moving Beyond the Page. How does it compare to Oak Meadow? Thank you! Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Thanks everyone! Wow a lot of votes for Oak Meadow. How labor intensive is it for mom? Someone else recommended Moving Beyond the Page. How does it compare to Oak Meadow? Thank you! Beth Well, first a disclaimer: I haven't actually used either Oak Meadow OR MBTP. However, I've looked at both quite closely and have even borrowed both from friends to get a better look when I was trying to decide what to use. MBTP is literature based. It uses lots of great books, IMO, and has hands-on activities, but overall it was still more worksheet based than my worksheet-phobic son would've liked. You need to add in your own math as well. My friends who use it really love the integrated science and history, and from what I hear the science kits that come with it are quite complete. Oak Meadow is more arts based, IMO. No worksheets (at least not in the younger grades I've looked at), good literature, and arts such as woodworking, playing the recorder, painting, knitting, etc. are an integral part of the curricula. Math is included in the program. Both programs are secular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 For a Catholic flair for history-only and especially since you said he's a good reader, you might look into the Catholic Textbook Project. (Adoremus Books has CTP books on sale for 20% off until 4/27 as part of their annual (after) Easter sale.) From Sea to Shining Sea is US History (grades 5-9) All Ye Lands is more of a Geography/World Cultures text (grades 6-9) My oldest is using Light to the Nations 1 this year. The reading level of the LttN books (there is a Volume 2 as well) are higher than the other two I linked - and if he likes one of the first two, you might consider using LttN in a later set of years. I don't use the TM or the workbook for the levels that have those. My daughter reads the text, some other material, does some mapwork, adds to a timeline, watches a movie or two, and writes a paper every other week. For output - no matter what you choose as a text - your son could draw political cartoons from an era, make a mini-movie of some event in history that interested him, or retell a story every so often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Thanks everyone! Wow a lot of votes for Oak Meadow. How labor intensive is it for mom? Someone else recommended Moving Beyond the Page. How does it compare to Oak Meadow? Thank you! Beth We used MBTP for many years and my son loved it. This year we tried it again (the 10-12 level), and it was a disaster. I am not sure if my son changed or the curriculum changed, but it felt very strict and time-consuming to him and not as creative as the previous levels felt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcara Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 For Catholic history, I second The Catholic Textbook Project (CTP) texts. We really enjoy them here. There is also RC History, which pulls in different history and literature stories. It uses the CTP texts for some of the levels. It's more involved than just using the textbook, but you may enjoy it. You can at least look at the site for book suggestions. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebonnetgirl Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 Super. Thank you for the recommendation of the Catholic Textbooks Project books. I see that Catholic Heritage Curricula sells these texts with lesson plans and a workbook. Are these worth it? Also which do you think is a better more engaging text: From Sea to Sing Sea or All Ye Lands? Finally, what do you all think of the Behold and See Science by CHC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I see that Catholic Heritage Curricula sells these texts with lesson plans and a workbook. Are these worth it? Finally, what do you all think of the Behold and See Science by CHC? I've never used the lessons plans or workbook. However, you wanted something that would be Good and Get 'er Done. With CTP, you don't need the workbook. Have him read. Have him give you some output (see previous post for ideas) every week or two. Talk about what he reads. I betcha that YOU will learn something. I always have. I've heard good things about some of the levels of Behold & See Science, but never used them myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebonnetgirl Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Another vote for MBTP. Can't say enough about it. I have an art loving 13 yr old girl. Sure there are *some* worksheets, but there is SO much more to it than that. And plenty of art thrown in the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Git it done with time left over for his own interests and computer based? Time4Learning or K12 Independent. Son 2 is also a creative fellow. He enjoys both of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebonnetgirl Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Is K12 independent the same content as the K12 virtual charter school that is public school at home? Thanks! Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 This was somewhat my son. We didn't use an art-based curriculum, but I just made sure to center some of his projects on his creativity. So for example, his history projects often included assignments that required him to write about a certain aspect of history as though he were a character in it. I wouldn't give him a set length or real specific guidelines, just let him go with it as much as he wanted. Another time, I had him design his own coat of arms. When we were studying ancient Egypt, he'd research the houses and then design his own. These are all things he loved to do and they fostered his creativity while learning. Oh, we also watched lots of good films that gave him a better understanding of an event or time in history. And then we would discuss the the parts of the film that he thought should have been done differently. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifra Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I cannot talk much about which academic curriculum you might want to use, but do you have The Klutz Book of Animation? That might be a good place to start if your son is talking of becoming an animator. I haven't used these, but Glencoe/McGraw Hill has a book for grades 6-8 called Introduction to Technology, which may have about the use of computers in the graphics/media world. For slightly older students there's Technology Interactions that includes chapters on industrial design and CAD (computer aided design). Rainbow Resource has a series of books from Insight Technical Education that you may want to look into. If he want to go into industrial design, he could try his hand at a kit like SmartLab Car Design Studio. A lot of graphic design is designing unique alphabet letters: Lettering in Crazy Cool Quirky Style from Klutz may be nice for a boy who wants graphic design. If you continue homeschooling into high school, on a forum on this bulletin board someone recommended Art in Focus as a way of integrating studio art, art history and world history into one year long course. Exploring Art, the middle school textbook in this series, has a bit of art history but it is mostly focused on studio art (producing artworks) and art appreciation. There is a bit in Exploring Art about graphic art and film, video and digital art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Both my boys are very creative. They make their own movies and plays, frequently write screenplays, make stop action animation, create lots of art and their own comic books, participate in dance, theater and choir. One is hoping to be a writer and the other wants to direct movies. They are hoping to start their own film company. We'll see.... Anyway, I can't say that I do much in their education that is geared towards that. Mostly I make sure that they are excellent writers, but we also have a strong focus on math and science. If they really want to pursue those careers then they are going to have to get into a competitive college, lol. Columbia film school isn't easy to get into, KWIM? One of the benefits of homeschooling for them is the efficiency. I know they are getting a challenging education that will prepare them well, and they have plenty of time to explore their interests. For example, today they were highly motivated and got done with their school by lunch time. That means they have over two hours to work on their stop motion movie before they go off to piano lessons and ballet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebonnetgirl Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 I just wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful feedback. I have a lot to investigate with all the great ideas. Thank you, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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