anyone changing things up next semester and want to share plans?

[Halcyon]

We are changing things up a bit for our 8th grader and our 5th grader (more for the 8th). Here are our plans:

 

DS13

Math: Algebra 2 Wilson Hill--continuing

Science: Life Science with Mom-continuing

Latin-dropping in favor of a semester of Java programming

English: Shakespeare's Sonnets and Tragedies with Online G3

Critical Thinking with Online G3

American Government with Online G3

American History "Light" (this wont' go on his transcript, but we will continue to read, watch movies and discuss)

 

DS10

Math: continue Beast Academy

Latin: continue Henle

Science: start Plato science

English: WTM Creative Writing Online

Literature: he wants to focus on books in the fantasy genre, so any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Julie Smith]

25? days ago Eldest started using Duolingo for French, and is loving it. And now that he doesn't earn computer time by attending his math circle, he earns it from Duolingo. Every time he completes a new skill and has his tree golden he gets an hour of time. 

 

 

[Tumbatoo]

We're going to drop Life of Fred PreAlgebra and try the online Art of Problem solving class instead. I feel a little torn on this since I know he'll backtrack a little, but it's a different method. I think ds was getting distracted with the story and not focusing enough on the math.

[Halcyon]

We're going to drop Life of Fred PreAlgebra and try the online Art of Problem solving class instead. I feel a little torn on this since I know he'll backtrack a little, but it's a different method. I think ds was getting distracted with the story and not focusing enough on the math.

 

 

that's a BIG change! Good luck!

[TracyP]

We are dropping almost everything and taking a long baby break. We will continue math (always, lol) and reading lessons for the little ones, but will have no other formal school.

 

I'm a little nervous because we have never taken a break like this. However, I'm also really looking forward to the time to cuddle with a new baby, read lots of good books, and just chill with the kids - play more board games, get back into doing tea time, watch some good movies/documentaries. Time is slipping away so quickly and I am starting to feel the pressure of high school looming ahead for my oldest... It might be pregnancy hormones talking, but right now I'm looking forward to setting aside the teacher hat and just being mom for a little bit.

[Tess in the Burbs]

Ds has changed math programs multiple times this fall. He is doing a "solidifying algebra" class with Landry this spring. It takes this away from me completely. He had done 3 chapters of geometry, but he is fine with this choice. Basically keeps him busy with something.

[FloridaLisa]

Not too much changing though we'll finish American history in Feburary-ish and pick up science. Still looking for what to use. I want something like Apologia elementary but maybe more fascinating?   We did Exploration Education 2 years ago and that spoiled us for fun hands-on science. But I really need an open-an-go book with some excellent hand-on activities that stretch the lesson and not my patience. :)

 

 

[hollyhock]

I've changed a lot for my oldest. We quit MEP math after 9A and went to Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1. There just wasn't enough instruction in MEP. We're doing some backtracking but I really want him to have a solid understanding. We also quit CTGE 8 and all the outlining and rewriting because he was really good at it and wanted to move on, so now he's working through The Lively Art of Writing.

 

I'm also adding in some MM6 for my 11yo, again because MEP lacks instruction and I don't want him to have the same issues his older brother is now having.

[EmilyGF]

My older two (barely 9 and almost 11) are going to take a class at Athena's for the first time, though not the same one (these two tend towards competitiveness, with the younger stopping trying whenever big brother starts competing). We're looking at skipping Christmas break and just taking a February baby break in our main curriculum. Otherwise, everything is going smoothly for the most part.

 

Emily

[MEmama]

We are planning to add in Latin. DS is very excited. I'm wondering where the time will come from.

 

We've been covering early modern world history, but in January we are switching to a modern American focus. Most of the semester will be covering the world wars, getting as far to current as want (we have space in next year's plans to "finish up"). We will slow it down some and add in a lot more documentaries and extra reading, plus different types of writing and following bunny trails as they come up.

 

Everything else will stay mostly the same. If he finishes algebra early, I'll have him take an online introduction to geometry.

[Kristie in Florida]

Another baby break coming up here. We will almost be done with our curriculum then because we started so early so we will be switching to fun stuff that is TBA.

[CardinalAlt]

I've been feeling very ambivalent about homeschooling, probably mostly because of the newborn twins - wow, tiredness! After some introspection, I think it's mostly about not getting much time to really enjoy it with older DD anymore and some nervousness that we're not doing enough in LA. So it's mostly a schedule switch, trying to find 45 ish minutes each night when my husband is home, to go over the day's math and get her going on the next day's LA, where we'll be trying MBTP lit units for the first time, starting with Little House in the Big Woods.

 

DD8

Switching to: MBTP 8-10 lit units

Already: Grammar Island and other great books

Beast Academy 3C and on

Scientists in the Field monthly units with note booking

American Girl history units with lapbooking

Odds and ends like art, coding, Spanish

 

DS4

Adding: Kidable monthly seasonal crafts

Trying out Reading Eggs

Already: Great picture books, with seasonal theme, living math, etc.

Lots of Lego time

*Eventually* try to add in HWT and then c-rod activities

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I feel like all I'm ever doing is overhauling things.  LOL.  I finally feel like our RHYTHM is on track, now I'm tweaking materials/subjects.  

 

Math- all is well.  

History- moving audio book to breakfast time and related read-alouds will move into the kids' book baskets to be read independently.  Just not enough time in the day right now for me to be getting these done, but I still want them done.  So they'll read and narrate to me.  

Science- Similar to history, I'm shifting a lot of reading over to them.  

 

Langage Arts- The biggest change is that our French (our main LA language) will be through a correspondence school.  I'm going to give this a try for a year to see if it leaves me feeling less like I'm juggling a dozen eggs all the time.  I still teach the lessons, but now it should be (I hope!) open-and-go instead of mom-made.  This covers grammar, spelling and conjugation

 

English LA- continuing with Apples and Pears as well as our Writer's Workshop approach using Most Wonderful Writing Lessons

 

German- I hope to add in one half Pimsleur lesson per day at lunch or snack.  This will be on top of the duolingo and Memrise we are currently using.  

 

 

 

 

[MomatHWTK]

I used something very structured for first semester of high school in order to 'get my feet wet' and see what keeping records/transcript was like.  It costs a bit of $ and is up for renewal in January.  I already have other materials that cover most of those same topics so I may just decide to go it alone for second semester, following the same format as far as scheduling and study topics. I am at least going to give it a try before I renew my subscription.   DS will be thrilled.  

[Jackie]

Our biggest change is a scheduling/organization change. I use a lot of materials that aren't scripted and put together my own history and science, for the most part, and it was too much to keep up small amounts of lots of different subjects. Starting in January, we're going to pick just four subjects per quarter and immerse ourselves, then switch. Science is DD's biggest love, so we're pretty science-heave these two quarters.

 

January-March:

- Spanish: immersion trip to Honduras for a month, DuoLingo, Salsa Spanish, Spanish picture books

- Science: Covering rocks and minerals and crystals, and then moving on to life science using BFSU and Linda Allison's Blood and Guts

- History: Ancient China and Ancient India

- DD's Choice: Chemistry: Ellen McHenry's The Elements, a Candy Chemistry kit, other bits and pieces

 

April-June:

- Spanish: same as above, minus the trip, might have to start looking for a tutor

- Handwriting/Typing: New American Cursive, no idea for typing

- Science: Plants unit with material from BFSU 1&2 and maybe the ASK Seeds Kit

- DD's choice: ?

[ScoutTN]

Dd will finish IEW mid semester, so I am thinking we will go with Maxwell's School Composition from there on. We will add typing for her in January.

 

I may up the amount of writing she does, requiring more output in history and science.

[tmstranger]

I'm thinking of changing spelling and adding in some logic and Spanish.  We started Spanish last week and the kids are thrilled with it.  Still deciding on the logic and spelling materials. 

 

I'm definitely making some changes for next YEAR, but for now, it is too expensive to change what I want to change.  :)

 

[UCF612]

I plan to add a morning basket type thing including music, art, memory work, and dabbling in poetry/Shakespeare. I'd also like to get better about doing regular history, science and Spanish. In going to start AAS with my youngest and work more on his writing. I'm planning to switch to Spelling by Sound and Structure with my oldest who is a more natural speller and has requested more independent spelling.

[vaquitita]

I feel like all I'm ever doing is overhauling things. LOL. I finally feel like our RHYTHM is on track, now I'm tweaking materials/subjects.

I feel the same. I've rehauled our daily rhythym so many times. Trying to find a balance. The days go better when I set the pace for the day, but at the same time I need the older two to start working more independently. For awhile they started with doing all their independent stuff first and we did with mom stuff during nap time, but we are all ready to be DONE by then. Then we went to a very scripted day, group and with mom stuff interspersed with independent work, but then they relied in me to tell them what next all day.

 

I'm going to try giving them two lists. On the left MY schedule for the day, group and with mom stuff. On the right their list, with the understanding that between breakfast and lunch if they aren't doing something with me, they have to work on that list.

 

I'm also implementing a rewards system. Anyone who starts in their list before breakfast gets 5 extra screen min. Doing chores without being reminded, also 5, getting thru the morning with a good attitude 10. Interrupting someone else's lesson loses you 5.

 

Math has been going OK. Science and history are going well.

Eta: simplifying our LA made me realize how hard I'm still having to work at the Singapore shuffle. I'm tired of it. We're going back to MUS. It's straight forward, no parts to manage, and the workload is light enough we can actually have time for the fun stuff. Math games, beast academy, etc.

 

LA is where my trouble area. AAR is going good. But AAS, CTGE, hwot... Not going well. For my 8yo I'm going through drop AAS, CTGE and hwot (she's finished the letter instruction), continue AAR and add in spelling you see level B. And I think that will be it. Unless I decide to add in a blackbird & CO lit guide every now and then.

 

For my 10yo I think I'm going to switch him to LLATL. At the beginning of the year I was going to use the old version of this alongside CTGE, but ended up not; using hwot and AAS instead. Now I'm looking at the newer version with workbook. I didn't really look at the workbook before, now I see that it's written to the student and makes this mostly independent. Just looking at the TM, it looked very mom driven. I think this could work well for him. He's a reluctant writer and a dry workbook has not helped. Other than his physical writing stamina is better. I think the variety of the lessons will appeal to him. I already own the TM, so we are going to give it a trial for a couple weeks. If it's a bust, we'll just go back to CTGE for the rest of this year with no harm done. But I'm hoping it goes well and we make the switch.

 

Eta: fixed typos and to clarify something

Edited December 29, 2015 by vaquitita

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

Oldest dd will be finish her general science book this month and will be starting earth science in January.  I plan to pick a text this week.  Everything else should stay the same.

Edited December 6, 2015 by Lisa in the UP of MI

[Peaceful Isle]

I just changed my ds writing from WWE to Jump In writing. It is a much better fit. Everything else is working out great for now.

I am hoping to add in a few other extra curricular lessons for my girls coming January as well. ( art, violin, maybe some sport or something)

Edited December 6, 2015 by Peacefulisle

[Tawlas]

I'm easing my dd9 into more independent work.  She's going to do multi-digit multiplication and all of division through MUS.  I'll still do parts of Math Mammoth 4 with her though, for more depth and breadth.  I think we'll be done REWARDS intermediate by the end of January.  I'm hoping she'll be up for a little more independent reading at that point.

 

DS6 is almost done Math Mammoth 1B.  I wasn't expecting that back in September! I *think* we'll continue on with 2A, maybe with some LOF thrown in?  I don't know, he was discussing multiplication with DD9 today like he knew what he was talking about, so I guess second grade math shouldn't be a big deal.  It just makes me uneasy lol.  

 

The only one who isn't getting any changes is DS8.  Except I need to find him some regular cursive copywork since he finished the last of his cursive instruction. He seems to moving along tickety boo otherwise.  Gotta love that!

 

No major changes in their group work.  CAP Fable is going as well as expected, they seem to really like the diagramming in FLL3.  Science has it's boring moments but I guess it can't be all smoke and fizz lol.  And I'm enjoying the Canadian History study I've put together, with SOTW3 interspersed as appropriate.  I've just had to drop Latin back, but considering it's SLL, it's not a big deal anyhow.

[Aurelia]

I kind of planned this year to change at the semester, but this is what we have:

 

Math: SYRWTL Maths 2 (finishing book 1 next week)

Science: Ellen McHenry Botany (finishing Elements in a week or so)

Writing: either Adventures in Fantasy, or a mish-mash of things like Maxwell's Composition and Writing Magic

Geography: nothing separate. Finishing Mapping the World with Art before January (I hope). 

 

Spelling, history, handwriting and literature are staying the same.

 

Before we get started with all the new semester's stuff, we're going to do unit studies of the first couple of Harry Potter books to ramp up after Christmas break.

[Pen]

We also need to do something different for math. Both of these directions in the posts below are possible directions for us too. Any more feedback on how these changes are going?

 

We're going to drop Life of Fred PreAlgebra and try the online Art of Problem solving class instead. I feel a little torn on this since I know he'll backtrack a little, but it's a different method. I think ds was getting distracted with the story and not focusing enough on the math.

 

 

I've changed a lot for my oldest. We quit MEP math after 9A and went to Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1. There just wasn't enough instruction in MEP. We're doing some backtracking but I really want him to have a solid understanding. We also quit CTGE 8 and all the outlining and rewriting because he was really good at it and wanted to move on, so now he's working through The Lively Art of Writing.

 

I'm also adding in some MM6 for my 11yo, again because MEP lacks instruction and I don't want him to have the same issues his older brother is now having.

[Heidi]

Yes, I'm changing things up, but I don't know to what yet. I feel like we are doing busy work again; too much school. I'll post when I figure it out. I think we'll have a light December and enjoy the season. My babies are growing up too fast!

[hollyhock]

We also need to do something different for math. Both of these directions in the posts below are possible directions for us too. Any more feedback on how these changes are going?

 

So far so good but we're only nearing the end of chapter two. Anything specific you want to know?

[ondreeuh]

DS 14 will keep the same schedule. We're trying to add some math supplements, but we'll see what that looks like.

 

DS 7 is almost done with his main math book. I think we'll do BA 3 and then move on to MIF 4. I don't know how long BA will take, but it doesn't seem like long.

 

He is doing Calvert 3 and will finish up the first semester by next week. He is about done with their geography and mythology. I am dropping their social studies and he is just doing the Famous Americans right now. We will start CHOW with their guide and workbook in January. I have cut back on their reading work pages and am focusing more on MBtP. Once we finish the 7-9 books (January?) we will start 8-10 and I will use that for our LA. So I guess we will just be using Calvert 3 for science, spelling, grammar, and composition.

 

 

[Jess4879]

We are going to be implementing an earlier rising/start time.  Right now the kids are up around 7 or 7:30 and they play, do chores, eat breakfast and we start at 9.  It's a very slow start morning.  I have found it harder to get things done with three kids in the rotation, so I am going to start waking the kids at 7, breakfast at 7:30 and starting school at 8am and seeing if it helps.

 

I have also decided to allow myself two years to complete MoH vol. 1.  We were trying to keep up with the recommended pace, but I felt like we were always just grazing a topic and the kids weren't really engaging.  So I've given myself permission to slow down (which is actually quite difficult for me!  lol) .

 

 

[Runningmom80]

Well, we skipped SM 5, and DS jumped into Jousting Armadillos yesterday, so I'm sure next semester will be spent figuring out how to correct this. :lol:

[Pen]

So far so good but we're only nearing the end of chapter two. Anything specific you want to know?

 

 

I  am not sure how to express what I want to know.  Is it engaging? Does good learning and retention seem to come from it? Is it user friendly? Is he managing it independently? Does the instruction in it seem to be good--and is it enough or do you need to supplement with either you instructing or from other programs?

 

Does it have a way to do more problems if one needs more work in an area and to move on more quickly if one does not?

 

Is it possible to "trick" the system so that it appears that progress is being made, but for that to be illusory?  My ds is very good at doing that if it is possible...

 

In the prealgebra 1st sample lecture TT said something like that in the history of number development the word for hand (five fingers) came to mean five, and also seemed to indicate that because there are ten fingers, number systems are in base 10.  Maybe I understood that wrong and others would correct my misunderstanding. But a lot of ancient number systems were not base 10, and while another post on this did reveal that there could be some languages where "five" and "hand" were the same, it does not seem to be something definite.  I am worried that I cannot trust the information in TT to be accurate. ????  I would like to be able to like it, because the format of being computer based, but without need for internet connection may be just what we need.

[hollyhock]

Well, keep in mind that we are only using the textbook, not the CD's. So I'm afraid I won't be able to answer all your questions. And maybe you should start another thread addressing long-time TT users because I have so little experience! Someone else will know more than me. :)

 

That said, I think it's engaging. The text is full of humour, which is nice. I am really hoping good learning and retention come from it. I can tell you that although my son has gone through MEP Year 7-9, which is supposed to cover Algebra 1 and some Geometry, 3 weeks of this book has taught him more about negative numbers and fractions than the last three years did, and he is getting a lot of practice. He is using it mostly independently. I mark his work when he is done and then he goes back and reworks the problems he missed. This is usually sufficient but occasionally there are things I need to help instruct him on. I don't think that's because the text is lacking at all. He's always needed more explanation than texts provide or a different way of hearing something explained.

 

With the book, you could certainly move on quickly if you needed to. You can skip lessons or just give chapter tests to see where you need to be. As far as extra problems for review, I am not aware of anything like that from just using the text.

[quietchapel]

Yes, we are. I realized we were essentially doubling up on several subjects, and that I do better when we do fewer subjects more in-depth. I am just re-organizing things to address all that .

 

For example, we have been using R&S English. It is excellent, but I feel like not an efficient use of time since we're also doing Latin. So, my ( not very well thought-out) plan is to continue Grammar Recitation and then work on the concepts within the context of each kid's reading, writing, and copywork.

 

Math is great, no changes needed there. We're doing R&S spelling, also great.

 

I think we'll just do history as a family. Once I sat down to write our what we've already covered this year I realized we do way more history than I thought and that it happens rather organically.

 

I've also finally let go. If we basically follow our routine and get reading, spelling, Latin, writing, math, and a read aloud done, I am content it's enough. Finally. Only took six years of homeschooling!

[swellmomma]

THe main change for us is that I will be ordering Global village school for my youngest, and possibly my 6th grader (after I see what it is like for 2nd grader).  It is right up dd8s alley, it was either that or waldorf again, and I am not home enough to make waldorf work anymore.  

For teens, 2nd semester will be crammed full, this term they were too lazy in their work and now they have to double down to get it all done by June.

[....]

1.  Oldest is adding Writing with Skill 2 for the remainder of the school year.  We may not get through all of it, but I'm realizing that her younger brother is churning out more quality writing than she is.  *gasp*

 

2.  I planned out the rest of our biology labs - we'll be doing all the dissections and the genetics lab from Froguts, collecting/identifying monocots/dicot flower/leaves/seeds at the park and working through Ellen McHenry's Cells.  I even bought some plastic cell models.  I'm also going to go over a DNA and RNA model with the 7th grader.  We are dropping Holt's Biology textbook.  My 2 kinesthetic learners just do. not. learn....from textbooks.   :svengo:  They were bored out of their minds, looked at me like I was crazy and knew all kinds of stuff that wasn't even in the text.  *awkward*

 

3.  I'm adding in spelling for the older kids.  Yes, shocking and humiliating as it is...   :glare:  We're going to continue with Sequential Spelling Level 4 and finish through Level 7.  It was a mistake for me to drop spelling a couple of years ago. 

[Heidi]

For my two oldest I'm going from a 4-day school week to a 3-day school week. I'm slowing down our writing curriculum progression because they've mastered it, so why work on it so often? And slowing down science because they will finish their curriculum easy before the end of the school year. They are just ahead in a lot of areas. I'm not really sure where to go from here to challenge them appropriately. 3 days gives them more time to pursue their interests. They write, read, play, and create in their spare time. I think that is valuable.

[Garga]

(this wont' go on his transcript, but we will continue to read, watch movies and discuss)

 

 

Wait...what? What does it mean that it "won't go on his transcript." Are we supposed to be doing transcripts for 8th graders? My guy is in 8th grade and I didn't think I'd need to do one until 9th?

 

Or are you hoping he'll be done high school a year early and maybe this 8th grade year counts as 9th in the end?

 

Please let me know what you mean about a transcript in 8th grade so I don't panic.

[Garga]

This is the first year where I don't feel the need to change anything. Sigh of relief! Hopefully, I won't suddenly want to change things in the dark, cold month of February, but for now, we're happy with everything. A first for us, after 9 years of this homeschooling gig.

[againstthegrain]

DS8:

Singapore Math 3 - continuing in 3B

Pentime 3 - continuing

SOTW Vol. 1 - continuing, should be done by end of Feb though

Reading - living books continued.... will be reading second semester:

-The Cricket in Times Square

-Everything on a Waffle

-The Whipping Boy

-The Hundred Dresses

-Farmer Boy

Apologia Zoology 2 - adding

IEW Ancient History - will revisit in late Spring

 

 

DD5:

Continuing beginning early reader books aloud to mastery (finished Bob books and many many scholastic phonic readers)

Apologia Astronomy - continuing

Singapore Math 1 - continuing onto 1B

SOTW Vol. 1 - continuing, should be done by end of Feb though

Adding Pentime 1 book 2 in late Spring

--may revisit teaching a child to read lessons as we get to more complicated reading rules if needed

 

 

When we finish up SOTW 1 we will be doing some state studies and presidental studies the kids want to do until the end of the year. We will start SOTW 2 next fall.

Edited December 12, 2015 by againstthegrain

[CardinalAlt]

I've been feeling very ambivalent about homeschooling, probably mostly because of the newborn twins - wow, tiredness! After some introspection, I think it's mostly about not getting much time to really enjoy it with older DD anymore and some nervousness that we're not doing enough in LA. So it's mostly a schedule switch, trying to find 45 ish minutes each night when my husband is home, to go over the day's math and get her going on the next day's LA, where we'll be trying MBTP lit units for the first time, starting with Little House in the Big Woods.

 

Just need a place to celebrate, so far making our homeschool day "harder" is actually making life much easier!  I admit it, I really don't feel like doing school with DD8 after dinner - I just want to get kids in bed and be done!  But when we do it, I feel like I'm seeing the fun, sweet sides of her personality that get a little lost when we're not one-on-one, when she's bickering with her younger brother, I'm distracted with other kids, etc.  I'm enjoying the time with her, and somehow that seems to spill into her attitude (or my perception of it) the next day.

 

I kind of thought she might object to the late school time, or to the slight increase in workload...  But she's loving it!  Maybe partly because it goes with more one-on-one time, partly because it means getting to go to bed a little later than her brother, which feels like a privilege.  She's even taking my correction of things like her grammar in stride!  Correcting and working through math is much easier when I'm more consistent, daily v. every couple of days... And the conversations around science and the MBTP lit unit are pretty fun - interactions I've missed with all the baby busyness.

 

Starting the day's work the night before also means she can get herself started whenever the next morning, so I'm able to relax about her tendency to start slow in the morning...

[Esse Quam Videri]

So much change coming for us as well.

 

We will finish SOTW 3 and then dive deeper into Early American with George Washington's World and lots of living books, as well as some really fun projects. We will make butter, cross stitch samplers, whittle arrows, sew bonnets, and build forts.

 

Dd11 will transition into AoPS Pre-A, take her first bravewriter online course, and start some ACT prep work. I'm watching her begin to really take charge of her own education and she's getting so excited :-)

 

Ds9 will switch from MM back to SM 5 and ditch almost everything else to work on writing his nonfiction books.He will also start more serious work in French.

 

Dd7 will finally go in for dyslexia evals... In the meantime, I ordered Barton 1 to begin. We will keep plugging away with AAS and SM1.

 

The biggest shift is coming for me I think... Feeling so much PEACE about our schooling and where everyone is at.

Edited December 11, 2015 by mofbethany

[Another Lynn]

I may need to add something for writing for 12yo dd.  We were mostly writing across the curriculum, but I think it should be more of a separate focus next semester.  Just not sure what to do. 

[alisoncooks]

We'll be streamlining a few things.  I have to have ACL & meniscus surgery soon, so I hope that doesn't derail us too badly.

1. I believe we'll drop CLE Reading & go with mommy-suggested novels.  Also want that to free up time to finish REWARDS Intermediate.
2. Writing - I think we'll do a fun writing book (comic book writing) instead of the dysfunctional hodgepodge we were doing...

I think everything else should be good to continue as is!

[jewellsmommy]

Wait...what? What does it mean that it "won't go on his transcript." Are we supposed to be doing transcripts for 8th graders? My guy is in 8th grade and I didn't think I'd need to do one until 9th?

 

Or are you hoping he'll be done high school a year early and maybe this 8th grade year counts as 9th in the end?

 

Please let me know what you mean about a transcript in 8th grade so I don't panic.

 

I'm obviously not Halcyon,  :tongue_smilie: But if you are doing anything in 8th that is traditionally a highschool course (that won't be repeated in highschool) then you should track it for transcript. The only thing we are doing that for is Alg 1 and Latin. Some people count physical science or earth science, I don't. 

[FO4UR]

I always overhaul things in January.  

 

I'm getting serious about science.  (Where did the fall GO???)  This is just me deciding that we actually need to USE what we HAVE.  Science is getting more love in our weekly schedule.

 

I'm tweaking spelling again for my dyslexic.

 

I'm getting serious about writing for my 5th grader...again...using what we have...more time on our schedule.

 

 

Getting serious about the Silent Reading Hour?  Yep.

 

 

 

 

 

[My3girls]

Dd13 will be done with Figuratively Speaking and Analytical Grammar (finally). We're going to start The Lively Art of Writing and a study on The Hobit and Lord of the Rings.

 

I'm going to get serious about science with the younger girls. We've totally slacked off this semester and have a lot to catch up on, unfortunately.

 

We're dropping the Intelligo World Geography. The girls hate it so it's not getting done. We're just going to use Usborne's Encylopedia of World Geography, Horrible Geography books, documentaries and Google maps for the rest of the year.

[umsami]

MM has been pure torture with my 5th grader, so we're going to try CLE.  He'll still finish up BA 4th and 5A...and I'm hoping 5B may show up before the end of summer (might be wishful thinking).

 

DD and DS1 will continue with MM.

 

Wordsmith Apprentice has been a big win for DS1 and DS2, so we'll finish that.  I may add in some CLE LA, but I'm not sure.  I ordered one light unit for each to try.

 

I am hating AAR.  DS1 is hating AAR.  He loved 100EZ, and I'm wondering if switching was a bad idea.  I'd really love to make it through, but it is painful for both of us.  Those darn fluency sheets are torture for us both.

[Seeking Squirrels]

We are changing math. We are switching from Right Start C to Singapore 2. She had already done about 5 weeks worth at the end of last year so I'm just going to start us where we left off, even though that's backing us up. I think she'll go through it quickly. It's really just to make sure there are no gaps. She's doing BA3a and so far is keeping up easily and it's all she wants to do. (She does place in 3rd grade math and got an 80% on the 2nd grade end-of-year test at the beginning of the year. But I worry about skipping anything.)

 

I think we need to make changes to LA, but I'm still not sure how. EM 6-trait writing is taxing her (her fine motor skills are behind, SPD). I probably should have done the 1st grade one for less writing. I've started scribing for her but damage is done and she freaks out when I pull it out now (as in complete meltdown, nothing will get done for at *least* 30 min). AAS is going fine, no change there. EM grammar and punctuation is fine, though she finds it boring. I'm considering just dropping both EM books and just giving her copywork for now to build up her writing endurance.  Anyone have any advice on this?

 

We dropped Adventures in America earlier in the year and focused on geography and a few read-alouds, but we've picked it back up again and we're doing an extra day's worth each week to catch up. I'd like to be ready to give ancients a go next year.

 

I got AAR pre-reading for my 3yo who wants to learn, so we may be starting that if she wants.

[Cake and Pi]

I'm planning (another) overhaul on our weekly schedule.

 

Moving pre-Ker temporarily into Teach Your Child to Read in 100 EZ Lessons, but when the slow-down hits around lesson 75-85 I'll probably switch him back to OPGTR again. 

 

Adding spelling for my 2nd grader.  Maybe for my Ker as well.  Right now we have Spelling Power -- I have NO IDEA what that's going to be like.

 

Still waffling about regarding cursive.  My 2nd grader really wants to start, but I didn't learn cursive in school and I'm just not looking forward to teaching it.

 

We just finished FLL1 and will move on to FLL2.

 

I picked up the kindle version of the McGuffy's Readers and I'm excited to have the kids do some stuff out of them.

 

I'm still not happy with Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding... but I haven't found anything I like better yet either.

 

All else is going well.

[IsabelC]

Kudos to those who are managing to home school through pregnancies, babies and toddlers.

Mr. 12 has finished MM6B, and I decided to move him onto ICE-EM 7 (Australian text used in some schools). For the first time I am trusting him to work more independently, including checking his own answers except when I give him a test. I'll be interested to see how this goes. Dh said I should cut the answer key out of the text and check son's work myself, but I am hoping that he will appreciate being trusted and live up to the new expectations.

We aren't planning any other major changes with the resources we're using, but we're having a change in focus. This year we have been prioritizing math, but now that the kids have all made amazing progress and are (more or less) where we'd like them to be, the goal is to let the math keeping chugging along and do a major push to 'catch up' up in grammar, spelling and writing. (Not that we haven't been doing any this year; we have, of course, but I want to do it more intensively with more specific objectives.)

Edited December 29, 2015 by IsabelC

[scbusf]

We took a break most of last semester for various reasons.  So we are getting serious next week:

 

All together:

History - Books from All Through the Ages (We'll start Beautiful Feet Early American History once I gather all the books)

Science - BFSU

Grammar - MCT's Grammar Island

World Geography - free note booking pages and a National Geographic Kids Atlas

 

DS9:

Continue Beast Academy

Start IEW SWI-A

Literature - Selections from Reading Roadmaps

 

DD8:

Continue McRuffy Math

Start IEW PAL - Part 2 of Writing

Literature - Selections from Reading Roadmaps

 

DD5:

Continue Horizons Math

Start IEW PAL - Writing