Can you help me with a reading plan/curric for my 5th grader?

[anewday]

I'm new around here but have been homeschooling for 5 years. I'm a CM/classical hser (who, truth be told, sometimes has no idea what that looks like but aims for it anyway ;)). I'm loving all the great info I'm getting on this board and excited to be here.

 

That all said and outta the way, I'm in the middle of planning out my oldest dd's schoolwork for next year (grade 5). I'm pretty set except for reading/comprehension/vocab.

 

We've done Rod and Staff Bible Nurture series up until this year (with tweaking towards a more CM learning model as opposed to lots of Q&A/worktext stuff). I've absolutely loved all she has learned about the Bible, particularly OT, in this endeavor but am planning to switch gears next year. I'm considering having her do CLP Bible and go with another reading plan.

 

I have several books I'm planning to pull together that will cover some middle ages history (using Sonlight's list, and a smattering of recommendations from other hsers I know) and good children's literature. The struggle I'm having is how to pull it together so it will work. So we'll cover most if not all of what I want to plan for her to read. And I won't miss something in the process (ha).

 

So ideally, I'd like a CM method to the reading (narration, dictation etc) but don't feel I can really pull it together enough to make it work on my own. There are plenty of great books and booklists to pour over, but implementing the plan is another story altogether.

 

Any thoughts on this? Suggestions?

 

As for other subjects, this is what I am planning:

 

Latin (Latina Christiana)

Math (R&S 5)

Bible (possibly CLP)

Spelling (Spelling Power)

English (R&S 5 including composition assignments)

History (SOTW2)

Science (Exploring Creation with Zoology 2/Fullbright ...cont. from this year)

Music (Piano)

Art (no clue)

 

Should I be adding a separate vocab program and then just focus on comprehension for what we do for reading? I'm a little leary of moving away from all my R&S "thoroughness" but know I'm not wanting to have her do all her literature/prose etc. reading from one book....

 

Help? :D:rolleyes:

[Sue G in PA]

I go back and forth as to whether or not to use a reading "program" and have decided it depends on the kid. I'm not using one consistently this year although we have tried Drawn Into the Heart of Reading (Heart of Dakota). It's a good program and you can choose which books to read (there are 9 genres covered). Love the whole book approach. I really like the idea of just having them read for the sheer pleasure of it and then discussing the book informally (one of my dc gets really upset when they think I'm "grilling" them about their book, but he is the same one who can't tell me detail one about the book!). Charlotte Mason's website (one of them, can't remember which) had some great, creative suggestions for "narrations" and I got some more from this board (the old board). Basically, you have a bunch of very creative ways to "narrate" the book (anything from writing a narration to making a map of the setting, writing a letter to the main character, an email to a relative telling him/her about the book, making a poster to advertise the book). Put the ideas on a small slip of paper and inside a jar. When dc is finished the book, have them draw from the jar and do what it says to "narrate" the book. Haven't done this consistently either, but it was fun. Also include a slip that says, "no narration" as a surprise! With my dd11 (7th grade next year), we are doing Lightning Literature 7 as a formal program.

[Alana in Canada]

Do you have a spreadsheet program?

 

Works has one. You can also use "Tables" in wrod--and do it on a horizontal page set up.

 

Enter in the sotw chapers--including sections. Then, if there's something else you'll use consistently, like Gueber/Miller or Chow, enter in the corresponding chapters. Then start adding in your other books. Chapter 31(a): Biography of Columbus.

 

When that's done, you'll know how to schedule the other books.

 

As for what you want the child to do with the books--will narrations be enough? Do you want book reports? Do you want to analyse them for plot? Character? Setting? Make up a list--or find one--and then plan which you want to do with what book.

 

Kathryn Stout's materials may be a good guide for this kind of thing.

[MIch elle]

It's not CM style but we combine CLE reading with CM style reading of whole books through out the year. CLE reading grades 4-8 are only 15 weeks/gr. It includes reading and poetry into one reader and 5 workbooks and covers SO much: reading comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking, lit. analysis and more. I highly recommend it!

 

Join the CLE yahoo group to see samples.

[anewday]

I go back and forth as to whether or not to use a reading "program" and have decided it depends on the kid. I'm not using one consistently this year although we have tried Drawn Into the Heart of Reading (Heart of Dakota). It's a good program and you can choose which books to read (there are 9 genres covered). Love the whole book approach. I really like the idea of just having them read for the sheer pleasure of it and then discussing the book informally (one of my dc gets really upset when they think I'm "grilling" them about their book, but he is the same one who can't tell me detail one about the book!). Charlotte Mason's website (one of them, can't remember which) had some great, creative suggestions for "narrations" and I got some more from this board (the old board). Basically, you have a bunch of very creative ways to "narrate" the book (anything from writing a narration to making a map of the setting, writing a letter to the main character, an email to a relative telling him/her about the book, making a poster to advertise the book). Put the ideas on a small slip of paper and inside a jar. When dc is finished the book, have them draw from the jar and do what it says to "narrate" the book. Haven't done this consistently either, but it was fun. Also include a slip that says, "no narration" as a surprise! With my dd11 (7th grade next year), we are doing Lightning Literature 7 as a formal program.

 

 

Great ideas! This is the heart of what I want to do....but having a plan to follow keeps me more on task with it...otherwise I'm afraid I'm less likely to get it done. :o

 

I'll check out a few of the programs you mentioned too...

[anewday]

Do you have a spreadsheet program?

 

Works has one. You can also use "Tables" in wrod--and do it on a horizontal page set up.

 

Enter in the sotw chapers--including sections. Then, if there's something else you'll use consistently, like Gueber/Miller or Chow, enter in the corresponding chapters. Then start adding in your other books. Chapter 31(a): Biography of Columbus.

 

When that's done, you'll know how to schedule the other books.

 

As for what you want the child to do with the books--will narrations be enough? Do you want book reports? Do you want to analyse them for plot? Character? Setting? Make up a list--or find one--and then plan which you want to do with what book.

 

Kathryn Stout's materials may be a good guide for this kind of thing.

 

I do have Excel and Word and can plan out the books corresponding to the SOTW chapters (we use Guerber too :)).

 

Going to check on Ms. Stout...whoever she is. LOL

 

Thanks! :)

[anewday]

It's not CM style but we combine CLE reading with CM style reading of whole books through out the year. CLE reading grades 4-8 are only 15 weeks/gr. It includes reading and poetry into one reader and 5 workbooks and covers SO much: reading comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking, lit. analysis and more. I highly recommend it!

 

Join the CLE yahoo group to see samples.

 

CLE sounds similar to R&S in how they put their program together. R&S has poetry and reading in one book. I haven't seen the book yet but am wondering if the reading selections are just selections instead of whole books. I like the whole book approach which is one reason we're moving away from R&S at this point.

 

I'll check out CLE though! Thank ya!:)

[anewday]

Bumping. :)

[Wendy in ME]

This is my plan for 5th and 6th next year. We basically follow an LCC schedule so what that means for our reading is that we are choosing 4 books to really dig into and read very slowly. For this, I will use some of the VP guides to go with what we are planning to read for our actual literature class. These books are in addition to what they will read as a part of History Odyssey Middle Ages. I really want them to view reading as an enjoyable way to learn and spend time so we don't really do more than a quick "so what did you read about today" type of discussion for all of the other books that they read. Our planned books for next year are: The Hobbit, The Dangerous Journey, Rolf the Viking, and The Adventures of Robin Hood. We are planning 4 Ten week quarters next year because we take Fridays off so I can work. This will mean one book per quarter.

[Laura Corin]

Our weekly schedule and current curriculum are in my siggy - Calvin ('C') is my 5th grader.

 

For the history, this is an example of how I spreadsheet history. This is to correspond with SOTW3, but you can get the idea. I also use a lot of SL books:

 

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pTosgrz1wWzUJDkSbJskHEw

 

Best wishes

 

Laura