blessed2fosteradopt Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Hi: I am new here and thank those who answered my previous post. I am strongly considering HS my son for 5th grade next year. He has gone to private Christian school since K4 and although I really love the school, he has a lot of focus issues and organizational skills. I think he could really thrive at home. He has been using BJU and Saxon 6/5 this year. He is an "okay" reader - he doesn't enjoy reading out loud (we are currently reading The Pilgrim's Progress) and does well on Spelling tests but only because of his rote memory. His writing is always filled with spelling errors. His writing skills seem average from what I can tell for a 4th grader but he really has not had much practice and he does not enjoy putting thought to paper. He struggles with this on tests where he has to come up with a written answer. He does an average job in Social Studies and Science. He is an all around A/B student with a C here and there. He does well in Bible. It is his favorite subject. With that said, can you give me suggestions as to what curricula you think would be good for him and that he would enjoy? Also, I would like something that is easy to teach as we are just embarking on this journey. Blessings, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I'd continue the math and Bible, since they clearly work for him. Ask him if he likes the science and wants to continue or try something different. BJU science is very good, comes with kits to make it easy to implement, and is a well-liked choice around here. (I use the BJU science, math, and have done some of the Bible and english, oh and the music.) For the social studies, my guess is you'd have more fun trying something different there, but again ask him. If he really likes it and wants to continue... You could add some SL books from cores 3 and 4 to make it come more alive. As far as the spelling, I have a teacher friend who teaches 4th gr and says the same thing about her kids using BJU, that their spelling is dreadful. I decided to use Spell to Write and Read (SWR) with my dd, and it would probably turn around your ds pretty quickly. Spelling is such a foundational skill. Improving it will make his writing more comfortable, and my guess is it will make him a more confident reader. SWR won't seem babyish but will rebuild his foundation and give big leaps pretty quickly. For writing, I'd suggest an imitation-based program, since he's not a confident speller and not enjoying writing. Writing Tales 2 would be PERFECT for him. I've been teaching a WT2 co-op class with 3rd-6th graders and the kids LOVE it. He'll write the first draft by hand and the 2nd draft you can type. Does he type yet? That would be something to work on. Typing Instructor Deluxe is only $10 at Timberdoodle and a lot of fun. And this might seem crazy, but I have my dd doing the Calvert spelling cd on computer. It's fun and has her doing enough typing that she's getting much faster. It would be another way to sneak in spelling and improve his typing at the same time. Hope you have a terrific year bringing home your son! :) PS. The BJU science kits are through http://www.homesciencetools.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 One of the first things I would do is use Rewards Intermediate or Rewards Secondary with him to improve his reading level. These are very easy programs to use because they are scripted and they are extremely efficient at teaching multi-syllable word attack skills. Raising his level of reading will help with comprehension of science and social studies texts (and also make those subjects easier for him). You need a Teacher's Guide and a student workbook to do these programs (about $100 total with shipping). If you buy two workbooks, you can resell on the swap board for about half price. Improving vocabulary also helps with comprehension. I really like the WordSmart CDs, but they are pretty expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I would agree that continuing the BJU things that work is a good idea. You could look at DITHOR (Drawn into the Heart of Reading) for reading. We enjoy that program a great deal. I also agree with not liking BJU spelling. SWR is good. If spelling is a struggle you might look at MegaWords. We are seeing much improvement with that program. Christian Liberty Press has a decent spelling program too if you like the workbook style. BJU science is awesome in my opinion. We are liking BJU math here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 What I would suggest is picking up a book or two on curricula from the bookstore or library. I like Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp and of course The Well-Trained Mind, I would also suggest ordering a catalog from Rainbow Resource Center. The first discusses various schools of thought and gives a breakdown of what a child would learn in a given year. The second discusses the Classical method of schooling and how to do it. The third is a HUGE catalog with reviews for a good percentage of the curricula. These will help you figure out what your son would like and how you would like to teach him. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alana in Canada Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Before you start choosing specific curricula it is a good idea to know at least 2 things: 1) The learning style of your child 2) the approach you want to take. Most of us here are following the WTM or Latin approach: a focus on core subjects with structured curriculuum and structured time to our days. That may or may not work for you and you child. The resources Mrs. Mungo talked about will help you sort it out. But that still leaves which curricula wide open. One of the best resources for figuring out your son's learning style and how to match it with curricula AND your homeschooling approach is Cathy Duffy's "100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum" I highly recommend it to all new homeschoolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BizyPenguin Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 I also like Mrs. Mungo's recommendations and I also recommend the "100 best..." by Cathy Duffy. I have a 5th grader and if you visit my blog and click on the "Homeschool" tab you can see what we're using. I also have some thorough "Curriculum Reviews" on my blog and if you check out my "Favorite Places" tab you'll get some links for more great catalogs and information which may help you as you begin your journey. The parents on this board are also a wonderful and very knowledgeable bunch, so don't hesitate to ask any question that you have. I can guarantee you that somewhere here has "been there done that!" ;) All the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessed2fosteradopt Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 Your advice and encouragement is very much appreciated. I do have TWTM and I am devouring it, however, I am going to add the other suggestions to my reading list and StacyTea, I am on my way to your blog right now! :) Bless you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.