If I Get to Homeschool Next Year

[AggieMama]

There is a slight possiblity that I will get to homeschool next year. A lot of things would need to happen for that to take place though. Right now we are looking at DD going into 2nd going to a charter across town and DD going into 1st staying at her current school, unless she is accepted into the charter school. I just wanted to throw some ideas off of ya'll and see if I'm on the right track for next year if by some miracle we get to homeschool.

 

Background Info: DD1 has had trouble "adhering" to the ridiculously high behavior standards of school. The school says she might have a sensory processing disorder, so she has accommodation for breaks and figiting. This week DD1 was told she could not have her library book in class anymore because she was reading it instead of doing her class work. DD1 is also in therapy for these issues. She is very bright and loves to learn and read if it is her idea. DD2 is much easier. She is a good student and learns quickly and enjoys learning.

 

Thoughts for next year:

Combined - SOTW 1 with activity guide, Galloping the Globe, Building Blocks of Science Book 2 with labs, Biology study (interest lead), Nature Reader Book 1 and 2, WWE1, FLL 1, American Heritage Girls, piano, swimming, lots of play time (planning to be finished with school by noon other than independent reading)

 

2nd grade - SM 2, Beast Academy 2, Mathematical Reasoning D, AAR 3, AAS 1&2, Writing Strands 2, Easy Grammar Grade 2, Reading List from Memoria Press, Sonlight, MENSA list

 

1st grade- SM 1, Miquon Math, Mathematical Reasoning B, Saxon Phonics 1 (we already own), Reading List from Memoria Oress, Sonlight, and MENSA

 

I know I would want to start language and BIble at some point, but I just want to start with this. I was thinks about rotating math programs and maybe working 4 days a week throughout the year. I'm not sure level are appropriate for 2nd grade because DD1 works above grade level but is afraid of what it says on the book if it's above her current grade level.

[silver]

I see that you have 3 math curriculum for each child and that you are doubling up on grammar and writing for your 2nd grader. Unless your kids really enjoy math, you probably would want at most one main curriculum with maybe one thing used as a supplement. And FLL/WWE is plenty for grammar and writing, especially if you do narrations with SOTW.

[coastalfam]

I think combining them in a Sonlight core would be so fun! I would personally start with core A, if you go that route. They are the perfect ages for that. I used Sonlight my first year homeschooling, and I loved it. For simplicity, you could get a Sonlight science program to combine them as well, and still have time to do interest led science. 1st and 2nd grade are so perfect for letting the kids interests lead in many areas. :) I use Singapore Math my first year homeschooling, and found it was just about too complicated for me to pick up having not also been through the earlier levels (I started when my son was in 2nd grade), and it was really confusing for my son who had not been taught in that way before we homeschooled. I don't know if other families experience that who don't start with SM from the beginning. Just thought I would mention. Beast Academy is really fun, but lacks in manipulatives, and is very intense and can be difficult to understand, in my opinion. It works great as a supplement in our house to go deeper with certain subjects, and to just enjoy the comic for things I don't want to go deeper with. We use MUS, and I think a nice thing about a simple "backbone" curriculum like that (I think SM could qualify, too, I'm unfamiliar with Mathematical Reasoning) is it gets done because it is clear, simply laid out, and easy for the kids to understand, and then we have time for other math games and activities of our choice. I like the idea of doing FLL together, and certainly WWE if they are truly on the same level for that. Another program that I really like that is along the lines of FLL and WWE is English Lessons Through Literature, which is like FLL + WWE combined together. Less juggling. Your list is really, really full, even if you pare it down significantly, to expect to be done by lunch, so keep that in mind. My early elementary kids need breaks, and so we dedicate the mornings to Math and LA, and content areas in the afternoon. Luckily, at lease with a program like Sonlight combined together, it will not take up a huge amount of time, it is incredibly enjoyably, and the kids are often able to play or draw while books get read. And some books can be saved for bedtime stories. :)  We use SOTW and the activity guide now, which also is wonderful, especially as my kids ar too far apart to share a Sonlight core. I supplement with lots of books from the library to make it as "Sonlight-y" as possible. It sounds like you are really excited about the idea of homeschooling. I hope you get the chance!