6th grade feedback

[mysticmomma]

Science: Mr. Q earth, chemistry and physics. We are blowing through a chapter a day with open book tests on Fridays. I don't expect deep, and know it is "light." I am hoping for discussions, finding interests and just a broad overview. She will also do a nature study and engineering club.

 

Social Studies: Election unit study, state studies and US history. History using The Complete Book of US History, Children's Encyclopedia of American History, Heroes of American History, Outline of US History and various literature. Tween Tribune for current events.

 

Health: Human body book

 

Art: 2-3 projects per week designed by me and focused on their interests. Little theory, mostly hands on.

 

Music... No clue

 

Logic: count down, then lift off.

 

Math: Math Mammoth through 6B. This will take us to the end of April. I can't decide if we should do something before starting 7A since there will be summer break only 1 month after starting.

 

Spelling: We are remediation. She does 2 lessons per week and will finish half of 6 by finished not the year. I will have her work through summer to finish 6.

 

Reading Comprehension: EM Comprehension 6

 

Grammar: Harcourt Language Arts. She has had very little grammar exposure and I thought doing this before ELTL would help her.

 

Writing... Undecided. Looking at Brave Writer Online (possibly too pricy) and Write at Home. I also have "It Fell From the Sky Middle School Writing Prompts" that looks promising for my reluctant writer. I will be doing ELTL with my younger two, and wonder how that would fit and if I should drop anything in its place.

 

Feedback please.

Edited July 29, 2016 by mysticmomma

[TKDmom]

What are you using for the election unit study? I've been thinking about doing some government/election things, since that's all we hear on the news,and I'm embarrassed at how much I've forgotten about how the process works.   :blink:

 

I bought W&R books 2-4 to use with my 6th grader, but now I'm rethinking. I just want to do a Bravewriter lifestyle with everyone, have them write regularly, and give feedback. 

 

Your plan looks thorough. Is reading comprehension an issue? That's the only thing that stood out to me. I have an intense dislike for reading comprehension questions. I much prefer narration and discussion.

 

 

I think I'm turning into an unschooler. I've definitely been relaxed with my 3rd kid.   :blushing:  But here's my 6th grade plan for comparison:

 

History: Complete Book of US History, lots of field trips (we will be in VA) and documentaries 

Science: Astronomy--using various book I've pulled together

Math: Singapore through 5B, some 6A if I'm lucky.

Grammar: MCT Town level

Spelling: studied dictation using Spelling Wisdom

Literature: Books of his choice from the Outside of a Dog reading list

Latin: finish Latina Christiana, start First Form Latin

Writing: W&R or Bravewriter

 

 

ETA: I used WTMA Prep for Expository Writing last year for ds12. He loved it. He's a reluctant writer, but he agreed (with a smile) to EW1 through WTMA for 7th grade.

 

Edited July 29, 2016 by TKDmom

[mysticmomma]

I'm planning on having her do 1 passage a week for the reading comprehension. I don't know if it's an issue or not. Sometimes it seems like it is, but it could be laziness or disinterest. With her free reading, she can never seem to tell me anything about the book. If she does well I will not make her continue.

 

This is our first year moving beyond spelling/LA and math as formal subjects. She had a desire to attend high school, so I want to expose her to as much as I can before we get there.

 

It's always been very important to me that lack of math not hold her back from sciences she is interested in. We did a NASA engineering club that she absolutely loved. Hence the focus on math.

 

We are using Amanda Bennett unit studies on government and 2016 election.

[ScoutTN]

The Maestros wrote a nice book on the electoral college. Can't remember the title right now.

[J&JMom]

I am doing a quarter-long study of civics with my 8th grader.  I am using Glencoe Civic's Today as a spine  (Chapters 1-11, Constitution and Federal Government) and supplementing with:  Kid's Guide to Governments series (4 volumes: World, National, State and Local) from the library, Crash Course and Brainpop videos, and playing "The Presidential" board game as well as watching election coverage. Should be fun. 

Links to resources:

Civics Today online support site:  http://www.glencoe.com/apps/studycentral/0078746310/core_content.html

Kids Guide books:https://amzn.com/1432927132

Crash Course Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOfse2ncvffeelTrqvhrz8H

The Presidential Game:  https://amzn.com/B0091NR19A

 

Project ideas:  Research the line of succession  Label who sits where during the State of the Union address, and others I haven't thought or researched yet. 

Edited July 29, 2016 by J&JMom

[Sahamamama]

The Maestros wrote a nice book on the electoral college. Can't remember the title right now.

 

The Voice of the People: American Democracy in Action. It's OOP, but available on Amazon.

 

[Sahamamama]

Science: Mr. Q earth, chemistry and physics. We are blowing through a chapter a day with open book tests on Fridays. I don't expect deep, and know it is "light." I am hoping for discussions, finding interests and just a broad overview. She will also do a nature study and engineering club.

 

I think that is a perfectly fine approach to Science for 6th grade. We are doing Chemistry & Physics, too! And we're keeping it on the lighter side of things, as well. In your case, with nature study and engineering club (and the human body book you have listed for Health), that is "enough" Science for 6th grade, IMO. :)

 

Social Studies: Election unit study, state studies and US history. History using The Complete Book of US History, Children's Encyclopedia of American History, Heroes of American History, Outline of US History and various literature. Tween Tribune for current events.

 

That all looks good: American Government + State Studies + Map Work (??) + American History + Related Literature + Current Events.

 

Health: Human body book

 

We've been learning about "Puberty, Human Sexuality, and How Babies Form" this summer with all three girls. Interesting conversations! They were all so grossed about about male anatomy, LOL. I wanted to say, "Some day, you may be glad about all that," but decided against it.

 

Art: 2-3 projects per week designed by me and focused on their interests. Little theory, mostly hands on.

 

Okay. I'll drop my girls off at your house for Art, and you can drop yours off at my house for Nap Time. ;) 'Cuz that's what I do well. Art? Um....

 

Music... No clue

 

No clue here, either, but we have enjoyed Composer Study with materials from Zeezok Publishing. We get the book (so the girls can read it on their own), the CD to listen to as a group (because that way we can also hear the music), and then I print off some pages from Meet the Great Composers (Hinson) and some coloring pages from Color the Classics. We also listen to the CDs from those last two resources. I was surprised at how much adding this in about twice a month put something calm and peaceful and beautiful into our journey. It's been nice.

Logic: count down, then lift off.

 

We're not even doing Logic for 6th. I figure that living with me as their mother is training enough in logical fallacies.

 

Math: Math Mammoth through 6B. This will take us to the end of April. I can't decide if we should do something before starting 7A since there will be summer break only 1 month after starting.

 

Key to...? Patty Paper Geometry? Khan Academy? Or perhaps one of Math Mammoth's topical books or "real life" books, if there is an area that needs a bit more work?

 

Spelling: We are remediation. She does 2 lessons per week and will finish half of 6 by finished not the year. I will have her work through summer to finish 6.

 

Reading Comprehension: EM Comprehension 6

 

Grammar: Harcourt Language Arts. She has had very little grammar exposure and I thought doing this before ELTL would help her.

 

Writing... Undecided. Looking at Brave Writer Online (possibly too pricy) and Write at Home. I also have "It Fell From the Sky Middle School Writing Prompts" that looks promising for my reluctant writer. I will be doing ELTL with my younger two, and wonder how that would fit and if I should drop anything in its place.

 

Your English line-up looks good, if either EM RC6 or Harcourt includes vocabulary building. We're using Wordly Wise for this because the girls all love it, but anything that systematically builds academic vocabulary is good at this stage, IMO.

 

Feedback please.

 

Composition: Have you looked at WWE/WWS for 6th grader? WWE 4 would be gentle, incremental, and would certainly build writing skills and stamina. We never did Level 4, since we stretched out Levels 1-3 over 1st through 4th grades (and added in other things). My oldest did about 1/3 of WWS 1 this year, with other writing assignments, and she did well with it. But we went at a very slow, methodical pace, believe me! I wouldn't have wanted to try to push a 5th grader through all of that in a year! And she still needed some help from time to time.

 

Hmm... reluctant writers.... Well, I'm not much help with that, honestly, because all of mine love to write. I think that Bravewriter might work for you, though. If you have questions, maybe you could PM Farrar and others here who have used BW. To save money, could you get the materials and work through them with your daughter, instead of signing up for the online course(s)? Yeah, those are pricey.

 

I'm looking forward to 6th grade, believe it or not! This is the most excited about 6th grade I've ever been in my life! It was NOT fun for me when I went through it, so this is my redo. :) I get to go to 6th grade again! Woohoo!

 

Edited July 29, 2016 by Sahamamama

[Farrar]

If she's a reluctant writer and the BW approaches appeal to you, I'd try doing Partnership Writing or possibly Faltering Ownership if you think she's ready. Way cheaper than a BW class. Partnership Writing is lots of fun - lots of projects that feel "light" but can lead to a lot of sneaky writing - writing that's happening when the kid doesn't realize how much writing is going to end up going into something (or that you won't realize at first). Faltering Ownership has more formal writing beginnings and a few of the more sneaky writing type practice. It's less obviously fun but more solidly middle school.

 

If she's eventually headed to public school in the nearish future, you might combine it with something super basic and workbooky for writing like Wordsmith or Evan Moor 6 Trait Daily Writing. Though - you have a lot of LA components so I'd definitely alternate if you do something like that and not try to do it all at once. Agreed with the above suggestion that reading comp is a potential place to cut if LA gets too bulky, though, again, if she wants to go to school, I see why you threw it in there. 

[mysticmomma]

We will be alternating some LA twice a week. Harcourt one day and EM another day. When I'm satisfied with her reading comprehension, I will drop it.

 

Everyone has asked for more art, so I am trying to be deliberate about it this year. It's going to take priority instead of a back seat.

[Farrar]

Some of the BW project books have a lot of writing-art tie ins. Partnership Writing has several that can turn pretty artsy. Maybe you can kill two birds with one stone.