Changing out any curriculum after the new year?

[~Victoria~]

We are pretty happy with our set up this year, but I bought a science workbook the other day to add to our routine. Our current science is great, but an exercise more in reading that science information. Here's what we do that has worked so far

Math: MUS Beta w/MM topic books added in

Readers: Free and Treadwell

Phonics: AAS 2

History: SOTW 1 w/narration, copy work , color pages, and map work

Science: CLP Nature Reader 1 w/narration, copy work, and drawing

Recorder: 9 Note Recorder

Extra: TypingClub.com

 

We were going to do a lot more with sotw, but listening to the audio and then doing work from the activity guide has been perfect. I had great plans for composer studies and art studies and that has not panned out.

[SarahW]

When I planned this year I planned a Semester 1 and a Semester 2. So I'm looking at wrapping up Semester 1, and pulling together my stuff for Semester 2. Most of the changes are "elective" sort of things. We did some Geography this semester, and next semester we'll start learning the Greek alphabet. That sort of thing. It makes me feel a little excited, like a breath of fresh air. And I get to use some of the holiday sales.

 

I'll probably get February doldrums anyways....

[SnMomof7]

I'm adding typing, front runner is Typing Tutor Platinum.

[Aurelia]

I was hoping to start Oak Meadow's Ancient Civ and English after New Year's Day but it looks like it will be more like February (at least) before we finish SOTW and FUFI. Science is even further behind. I think we'll end up dropping the current curriculum (Equine Science) back to once a week and going ahead with my mishmash of anatomy and neurology. I'm still torn over whether to start it with the other new curricula, or go ahead and begin in January.

 

DD desperately wants to get back to tumbling, but that will be mid-January or February before she'll be released to do that, most likely. She fractured her ankle right before Thanksgiving, and it's put a severe cramp in her physical activity, since she did tumbling and horseback riding and neither of those can really be done in a cast. 

 

DH wants DD to learn computer programming, but I have less than zero interest in teaching it, and he hasn't come up with any plans on his own. 

 

Everything else: Phonetic Zoo, Treasured Conversations, Key to..., Khan Academy, and GSWL are going swimmingly. 

[bluedarling]

I switch something every year mid-way, and my kids say it drives them nuts!  I do it for them, since there's always something that isn't working!  But they feel like I switched curriculum like underwear. (sigh)  Oh, well.  This is my last year, and yes, I'm still doing it despite their comments.

 

ds17  and ds 15 we just added Alg II on top of geometry, because MUS geometry was very easy, and they really need Alg II for their DE next year. 

   also, dropping IEW because OYAN is taking too much time to do both (IEW almost complete anyway...just a research paper I'm dropping)

ds17 dropping a credit next semester because above math change is slowing him way down (2 weeks in)

dd13 switching math from MUS to ps textbook (Holt) to prepare her for entry to school system (it was either MUS algebra or Holt 8th grade math...her choice...to prepare her for Algebra next year at ps)

dd13 and dd9   switched science textbook from old Science Explorer to Science Fusion (for online components, tests), switching geography from Holt textbook to mixed resources for 50 state study (the current textbook doesn't cover the states...so I had to switch resources...does that count?  planned switch, I suppose)

 

I think I've only switched everything one year...but the kids just know I switched things often.  They don't seem to remember why!  I've always felt I had good reasons for the changes.  They wish I had just stuck with one curriculum all along (that would NEVER have worked for my different learners!)   Someday maybe they'll homeschool....then they'll see why!

[weintz8]

My 6 year old blew threw 1st grade so we are looking at starting some new stuff.   I'm trying to decide if I want to finish all of OPGtTR or just jump into Sonlight LA 2.  There placement test says he is ready for 2 so I'm not sure that we need to finish all of OPGtTR.  Some with math.  He has 20 more lessons in Saxon 1 but I'm just giving him the worksheets without teaching the lessons because he already knows how to do what they are asking so I'm thinking we should just jump into CLE 201 when we start school after break.

 

Not much is changing for DD.  She is finishing up Prima Latina and we will continue working through GSWL.  She is also finishing a maps workbook and will be filling the time with Word Roots and Inference Jones from the Critical Thinking Company.

 

 

[73349]

Nothing big. We finished MindUP and are moving into Lollipop Logic starting today, and his PE class starts in January.

[alisoncooks]

We are doing some dropping/adding/switching.

 

We were doing CLE LA until just recently but got overwhelmed because we were adding to it. I'm dropping all those extras and just keeping CLE LA and Reading for LA. No extra phonics, no extra spelling.

 

We're also going to start VP's Legends & Leagues, as well as read from the Core Knowledge/Needs to Know books.

[mama25angels]

I don't know, im thinking!

[lea1]

Our school year runs from Jan through Dec and we are getting ready to start 4th grade. 

 

We will keep our CLE Math, AAS, IEW (writing) and SOTW, which are working very well. 

 

We will switch from FLL to CLE LA for grammar because we would have had to switch after FLL4 anyway.  When they start 5th grade, we will be finished with SOTW1-4 and ready to move to something else and I know there will be other changes (introducing more logic) so I decided to make the grammar change this year.  Hopefully CLE LA will work for us so we won't have to change grammar when they are going into 5th grade next year.

 

We are adding CLE Reading.  I am still debating whether we will continue with GSWL or switch to Lively Latin...or some other path altogether.  I have both and we are somewhere around lesson 48 in GSWL  It is going well so we should probably just stick with it but I have been researching different Latin programs, trying to plan a path to high school Latin for us.

 

I am also adding a daily geography worksheet of some sort to help them learm/memorize countries/capitals and states/capitals and a daily sheet from one of the critical thinking books, as a lead up to the WTM logic recommendations for 5th grade.

 

I think that is about it.

[freesia]

Ds 14 switched Spanish to BJU Spanish I online. It is more his learning style, and takes me out of the equation for planning and keeping him on track. So excited about that!

[Chrysalis Academy]

We're wrapping some things up, changing some things, and starting some new things.  Dd12 just asked me this morning if she could have one day a week during "writing time" to pursue creative writing projects - she has a lot of story ideas but doesn't feel like she has enough time in the day to pursue them.  Check.  I'll even give her more than one day a week if she's on a roll!  ;)  She does academic writing across the curriculum, so I'm fine with slowing down on our writing program to make more room for her own projects.  She also is hoping to start a film club with some friends, and hopefully will be picking up with the Digitial Filmmaking class from Compass Classroom.  We've totallly changed our lit plans for the rest of the year, and we're going to add in Movies as Literature at a leisurely pace.

[Soror]

I *think* I'm starting dd with Sentence Family this spring and along with some more formal writing, perhaps WWE, I'm not certain yet. I really look at ds' schedule 6 weeks at a time and there are changes throughout the year. For the New Year we'll be finishing up BA4C by March and Treasured Conversations will likely be finished around that time, hopefully 4D will be releasing around then and we'll finish up Narrative 2 for writing. I'm not decided if we'll be staying on Astronomy for awhile or not, I have Geology and Physics also on our list for the year. We'll be continuing on with our study of American History.

[CardinalAlt]

Code.org had a few free 20 hour courses on coding, and I think Khan, which I see in your sig, has a few as well. My 7 year old needs a little help with code.org, but I bet a 10 year old could be pretty independent...

 

I was hoping to start Oak Meadow's Ancient Civ and English after New Year's Day but it looks like it will be more like February (at least) before we finish SOTW and FUFI. Science is even further behind. I think we'll end up dropping the current curriculum (Equine Science) back to once a week and going ahead with my mishmash of anatomy and neurology. I'm still torn over whether to start it with the other new curricula, or go ahead and begin in January.

 

DD desperately wants to get back to tumbling, but that will be mid-January or February before she'll be released to do that, most likely. She fractured her ankle right before Thanksgiving, and it's put a severe cramp in her physical activity, since she did tumbling and horseback riding and neither of those can really be done in a cast.

 

DH wants DD to learn computer programming, but I have less than zero interest in teaching it, and he hasn't come up with any plans on his own.

 

Everything else: Phonetic Zoo, Treasured Conversations, Key to..., Khan Academy, and GSWL are going swimmingly.

[CardinalAlt]

I'm giving up on Spanish - unless my husband who's bilingual wants to pick up the ball on that one. Trading it for coding at code.org! That I can be a bigger help with.

 

Just started RS4K Chemistry - since I tend to like lean programs that we can flesh out with various rabbit trails, I'm liking it so far. Other than that, we're mostly staying the course, just adjusting the schedule a little, trying to get her to do a couple things like cursive practice a little more independently.

 

I am feeling a little tempted by CLE language arts, spelling that would not be mom intensive. But DD is not a natural speller, and doesn't really gravitate toward workbooks, so probably not a good fit. Anyone know of computer based spelling good for a non-natural speller?

[ScoutTN]

I am adding in The Young Peacemaker for our morning time.

Dd is getting all the books for WP Equine Science for Christmas. Not sure if she will begin in January or wait until summer. it is independent work, so the only big issue is time in the day to do it.

 

Happy with everything else. :)

[Susan in TN]

We are having a better-than-average year, as evidenced by the fact that we are not behind in/given up on science. :D Dd12 is switching from Singapore Primary to Math Mammoth. I just realized she is supposed to be working through The Fallacy Detective. Oops. Better get on that.

[Shahrazad]

We're keeping some things that have been really working and switching some others. When the year started, my son was barely verbal and had extreme difficulty understanding anything outside of math (which he didn't need instruction for and would just figure out by looking at the patterns). He's made enormous progress and made it clear he's ready for more but I'm trying to follow his interests more and set aside any particular ideas I had about what he should do.

 

We're keeping AAR, MEP, and SM but are finishing up so will soon be moving up a level in AAR and MEP and switching to MM1. We're dropping OM and I've bought BYL to try out because the topics are things that are currently interesting to him and he's kind of been independently learning about the topics covered there. I'm also incorporating some unit studies on areas that he is especially interested in and we'll be adding an additional science program at his request.

[WahM]

Nope! And I'm so glad!

[3girls4me]

We are leaving CLE LA and heading back to R&S for levels 2 and 4. Also dropping CLE reading 1. Switching to BJU reading 3.

[KeriJ]

We are leaving CLE LA and heading back to R&S for levels 2 and 4. Also dropping CLE reading 1. Switching to BJU reading 3.

 

I'd love to hear why since I've considered doing the opposite. :)

[3girls4me]

I'd love to hear why since I've considered doing the opposite. :)

For the level 1 language arts and reading, it was too easy and too phonics based and I didn't like all the "markings." Nor did my dd.

We switched my older to CLE to have spelling, handwriting and grammar altogether and so she could be more independent, but I've found that she isn't retaining much and I really just like Rod and Staff better. I feel like it's more thorough.

That being said, I am very pleased with CLE reading 4 and plan to use 5 next year. I also plan to go back to CLE with my younger dd for reading at level 3 next year. Just not language arts. And for what it's worth, I think CLE is great. We use their math and bible too. The LA just isn't a fit for my kids.