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8th and 6th grade plans, revised see Post #1


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I am planning for next year.

Ds 13 4/5 8th grade

Math: TT geometry with Foerster algebra review

English: WHA online writing FOEW

Speech 1 at co-op

History: America the Beautiful with American lit

Science: Hewitt Conceptual Physics

Bible: Read

PE: martial arts 2x a week

Boy Scout every Monday

Latin: second half of Henle Latin 1

Music: who knows? He is having this whole year break after piano and guitar with Dad

Maybe great composer study with Great Course?

Compter: Java (started now)

 

Ds 11 2/3. 6th grade

Math: Finish last 1/3 of Dolciani PreAlgebra and do 2/3 of TT algebra 1

English: R&S English 7

Some online writing class Attuneup, onlineg3 Fiction writing, or Potter's School???

History: America the Beautiful with American lit

Science: Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab at co-op

Latin: second half of Henle 1

Computer science

PE: martial arts 2x a week

Boy Scout, every Monday

Co-op: twice a month, art, gym, science

Music: who knows?

Edited by JadeOrchidSong
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Looks good.  we are doing 8th and 6th this year.  

 

For your 8th grader, I'm glad to see a strong Science.  We are doing a light Science this year after a strong start last year, and he has lost the momentum. Had I played my cards right, he could have been taking Honors Biology to be ready for AP Biology in 9th. One thing you may want to consider beefing up depending on his future career course is Math.  I don't know if TT is really enough.  I would not try to finish LLfLOTR because honestly, life is busy. 

 

Your 6th grade plan looks extremely strong. I'm guessing this is a type A and also academically strong student.  I can't think of any ideas there except of course, don't overdo it.  Maybe consider keeping writing more low key instead of outsourcing...unless that makes it fun!   :o) Same comment regarding LOTR...I wouldn't bother finishing.  

 

Oh, one more comment, this is the year your 8th grader will likely start growing a foot, eat like a horse and have hormones..the more martial arts you can squeeze in the better.  My boy swims 2 hours per day, 5 days per week and burns hundreds of calories, and sleeps wonderfully and wakes up happy.  The more organized exercise the better...just mentioning that in case you can budget for more time at the DoJo, DoJang...etc.

Edited by Calming Tea
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Calming Tea,

They will start LLfLOR in a week. That is why I said "Finish LLfLOR". They will be more than half way done if we do not do all the comprehension questions and focus more on lit discussion with reduced or not much writing.

Ds11's Latin and math are much stronger than ds13 and he has a great memory. He is over half way done with Dolciani Prealgebra and has been doing TT algebra 1 once a week (per his request because it is easier than his own Dolciani PreAlgebra, so he sees it as a light math day.).

I will rethink online writing. Ds13's writing class now is weak. He is taking Apologia physical science with a class now. He doesn't want to do biology next year since it is harder work and also I would like him to take it in 9th grade. I still don't know how to implement Hewitt Conceptual Science yet. His grandpa may meet with him every other week to help. The Chinese will be on the lighter side. We will do it twice a week.

We have been doing martial arts class twice a week since Juen 1. They hate all team sports and this is the only thing they LOVE. We are very thankful to find this class. Since October, dh and I do it with the adult class right after their class.

You are so right about the growth, ds13 grew 1 inch in a month! He is much taller than I now. Voice is deep and pimples and hormones all over his face. Haha..... Ds11 (brand new 11!) eats as much as 2 adults!

Edited by JadeOrchidSong
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...personally, I would not start something now that will need to be finished next year. If the kids were little, no big deal.... 8th grade is a very key year, and I wouldn't want my kid to be messing with finishing stuff while working on the challenging course load. In 8th grade you need to teach them to keep their own planner, check off their own work, meet deadlines, study, use flashcards, outline their own books....and my 8th grader really wants to be out of the house a little, be involved with his own passions and pursuits.  My own 8th grader, while somewhat clueless as most boys are, has really surprised me in that this is the first year he is asking about college, and has a true forward-looking perspective.  He would go nuts if I had asked him to finish last year's stuff.  As it is, he's bummed that I didn't let him start official high school a year early. :)

 

You may find that your son will find a niche somewhere next year with one of his own passions or pursuits and has a little less time around the house..if he doesn't then you may need to help him pursue those other things....idk....to me it seems like next year is next year and this year is this year.  Is there any way you can do the LOTR thing double speed to make it finished by next year?  

 

 

 

 

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Oh, as to Biology, this it the number one thing I regret about this year. If your son can do Biology in 8th, that's fine, because then he will be prepared to take an AP Biology in 9th or 10th.  Many online schools such as Potter's require a year of regular Biology before a year of AP Biology. 

 

Also my son really got used to the pace, workload, flashcards, notes, and syllabus of his Apologia Physical Science course in 7th.  He had a lot of momentum that is now lost.  Although at first he thought it would be nice to do an easy Science year with Calvert, it's more like he thinks it has been one big waste (and this is coming from a child who loves to learn for learning's sake...)....

 

I would not want to go on and on with my opinions and am probably reaching the limit of what you want to hear...haha...but honestly I would sit on that decision for a while before purchasing because it cannot hurt to do Biology in 8th.  Also, many states and cover/umbrella schools allow you to count certain 8th grade courses as high school credit.  If your state does allow that, then it really really can't hurt. 

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Calming Tea,

What you said makes a lot of sense to me. I will consider biology for him then, especially when I don't really how he can study science at home if I don't know it much. It is highly likely I will follow your advice and let him do biology in the local class. The bio teacher comes highly recommended any way!

A member here is finishing LLfLOR, which her dc did in one semester. I might consider letting my boys finish LLfLOR in the early summer, like end of June instead of making it go in to the fall semester. Thanks for the good advice.

We just bought Java from Homeschool Buyers. They can do it on their own.

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