Kfamily Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 (edited) I have had a really weird year. I have been off task as the teacher almost all year. We have accomplished school but I have changed my mind way too many times!:D I think I have been trying to find my overall approach. My younger dd has moved quickly academically and my older dd is just, well, getting older. Sooo, anyway I threw all the rules and convention out the window. I am going to make a list of major goals I need to work on with both girls and focus on this and only let a few curriculum choices affect this. I just keep getting trapped when I let the curricululm choices and the chronological history with literature matching it rule our days. I really want to bring back some joy into our school days. We are about to start two units-one is with Anne of Green Gables (the annotated version) and add In the Days of Queen Victoria and some poetry from this era just because we really want to. It will not fit our history! I could wait until next year when it would fit but we will be working on so many other things then that it wouldn't be the same. My second unit will cover the ancients in a simpler way. We will read from The Story of Mankind and add The Children's Homer and Archimedes and the Door of Science. These are books I meant for us to read but when we covered the ancients last. They were too much for her so this is how I'm getting them in. This unit is to satisfy my need to keep things in order but to get to the history dd really wants to get to. By the beginning of 7th we will be ready to start history with The Story of Europe, The Story of England and the Story of France. She is soo excited to use these older books to study this time period in history. She wants to start now! I guess I thought that since things will have to heat up by 9th for sure that we could be a little unconventional and use books she loves and add to it the study skills and writing skills she will need for high school. We will be using Chalkdust for Pre-algebra and Algebra I for 7th and 8th, Classical Writing and still continue with Latin and French so I'm not going wildly off track. I just realized that History and Literature were the two subjects I could play with as long as the study skills and writing skills were added to it. Has anyone else gone off track for a little while just to have more fun added in? We will start with the ancients again in 9th and we will be continuing to work on our first chain of history and should finish it by the end of 7th. Edited March 28, 2009 by Kfamily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 and probably much of next year. We haven't thrown out all the curriculum (though I sometimes would like to!) but I am using it more as a resource, and like you, putting goals first. We are just taking our time enjoying whatever subject matter seems to float our boat (so to speak). If we end up on a tangent so be it. I am not going to reign in just to follow curriculum or get through some book. Don't get me wrong, we still do math curriculum and work on grammar and writing, I'm just not pushing to get through it so much. Instead of having an agenda of material to work through, I am focusing on goals and meeting them. If they are learning, making progress, and enjoying our schooling that's all I care about. It has made me much more relaxed. And, guess what? They are retaining more! I'm facing middle school with my oldest, so I figure these next couple years are my last chance to just throw convention out the window! Shannon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfamily Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 It feels really balanced to have dd work hard on things she needs to using books and subjects she loves. We are also doing botany next year and while I plan on older dd to learn to dig deeper and write her first real paper on a science topic and learn to write science reports well, I also love,love,love that she and younger dd are both excited to plant a small garden. We are also going to order some caterpillars and watch them turn into butterflies. I plan on the girls planting some flowers in the front that butterflies are attracted to as well. I am really getting excited about all of our plans! They grow up too quickly.:angelsad2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 YES, YES, YES!!! A THOUSAND TIMES YES! :hurray::hurray::hurray: We have done it every year without intending to, and now I see it as a good thing. We will be starting school on Monday with the goal of finishing up Botany (something they love), backing off on history, and doing more "fun" things in Math to solidify the basics (multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction). This is the time of year we back off, maybe do a unit study, and enjoy our time together more. Way to go Mom! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I completely agree!!! I am constantly changing things up and my DC are little, I can only imagine that I will be the same way when they are older too. Go for it, sounds wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela&4boys Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 YES!!! I skimmed the pp, so forgive me if I'm being repetitive. I know that some subjects just have to be done, but imho, unconventional methods are sometimes best! Winston Grammar is one example and such a refreshing change without compromising academic quality. My 11yo is`also enjoying Life of Fred. If there's anything that makes school a drag, it's the mundane and after all, aren't we likely to retain more if we enjoy it? For me, variation is key. I have found that when I mix things up from day-to-day within a subject, my guys are eager to know what's next. For example, in science, I've planned our week to look something like this: M - Read from Christian Kid's Explore Biology (engaging text) and discuss. (They love to hear themselves talk. ) Write out memory lists on ringed index cards. (11yo only) T - Choose a library book from book basket associated with topic. (Thanks MFW!) and do a related page from Enchanted Learning or other source. W - Read related pages in internet linked encyclopedia and/or search topic on internet Th -Do an experiment or activity. I have started to implement more delight-directed learning within our homeschool and frankly, it's a happier place for mama and dc. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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