Very independent HSer

[Homeschooling Again]

We began HSing my DS (11 turning 12 so 6th grade) again full-time about 2 months ago after he had been very sick, which toook him out of PS for 6 weeks. After a couple of weeks of slowly easing him into a full-day school schedule again (and a vacation which seemed to have broke the rut of his gi problems), we were able to put him on a full-time schedule.

 

I work outside the home three days a week, but my husband works from home, however he's not able to HS DS all day because he is working. (He keeps an eye on him to ensure he's working.)

 

I want to get a sense from others how their days are structured with their 6th graders. Three days a week DS is essentially on his own. A typical daily assignment looks like this:

 

Math: One lesson from Math Mammoth 6-A worktext (PS math didn't take him very far, so I just started him on 6A rather than 6B). He reads through the lesson himself and completes the work.

 

History: Read new 2-page entry in Kingfisher Encyclopedia's Middle Ages section, write 7 facts, fill in a map (from Uncle Josh's blackline maps). Or, if we're on a topic I feel needs more focus I may have him read a chapter in a supplemental book and complete questions. For example, we're exploring the development of the Islamic Empire, so he' reading The Story of Islam chapter by chapter and answering the book's questions.

 

Spelling: Complete the next lesson from Spelling Workout F.

 

Reading: Read a chapter from the book he's chosen (from a list) to read. (I'm thinking about changing this to read for an hour.)

 

Science: DH works on the next lesson from Memoria Press' What's that Bird with DS.

 

Latin: Recite 3X the lesson from the textbook, complete the next workbook page, and spend 20 minutes going through flashcards. (He's on FFL.)

 

Before I leave for work in the morning or when I get home, I check his work from the day before and if it appears he's making a lot of mistakes, say, in the history assignment, I'll make a note for him to go back over it to answer the questions more completely or whatever the case may be, in addition to his new assignment. If I find that he seems to be struggling with the math concept, I'll bring a copy of the problem assignment as well as the new assignment with me to work and call him on my lunch hour when I'll give him a verbal lesson over the phone.

 

On my two days off, we full-time HS together. Those are the days when we begin a new Latin lesson and I'll take him through some drills in addition to the new lesson. Also those are the days we begin a new writing assignment in WWS or when we do Day Four of an assignment because he usually needs help on that. We also do poetry on my days off as well as critical thinking  (I use Critical Thinking from The Critical Thinking Co.). I am planning on reintroducing formal grammar (we used to do this when I part-time HSed him, but he seems to have forgotten a lot and I need to figure out how to re-teach what he's already learned, I'm being a little lazy about this because he's learning some grammar through Latin).

 

His learning at this point is heavily independent and reliant upon workbooks and self-instruction. I'm concerned that he may only be getting a superficial education. I'd love to know how others who are HSing FT with 6th graders arrange their days and how their kids are taught and how they learn.

[bethben]

My ds in 7 th grade does a couple of online classes and a BJU DVD science class. Last year was almost the same. He is fairly independent and comes to me with a few random questions throughout the day. He's being pushed to the best of his ability and I can focus on other things.

 

Beth

[Guest]

Use MP's Grammar Recitation starting with book 1. It was designed to complement their Latin programs. The rest...WOW! What an amazing guy you have there! I wish my olders were doing as well.

[Reefgazer]

My daughter is in 6th grade and just this past year, I realized how independent she really is.  Our days go something like this:

Math:  She bangs out a lesson a day in Saxon (usually without my help); the following day, I sit with her to review any questions she has missed.

 

Latin:  I am learning with her, so we watch the video lesson together and then each work independently on our workbook and compare answers to the answer key.  We quiz each other on declensions. vocab, and conjugations.

 

Science:  I assign readings for each week and then we do a lab together at the end of the week.

 

History:  Lots of reading and workbook activity, which she does on her own and then we meet at the end of the week to discuss.  Essay writing on the current history topic, which we discuss as-needed during the week.

 

French:  Outsourced to a tutor. 

 

Equine Science:  Assigned at the beginning of the week, and I check her work at the end of the week.

 

Language Arts:  We meet everyday to review readings, writing, vocabulary, grammar.