Thursday, July 29, 2010

Planning Progress

Every year I try to get as much planning done before school as possible. Usually by now I have all the core subjects planned and am at least halfway through history and science. Sadly this year I'm nowhere close to my normal level. I don't even have all of my curriculum for the year yet due to a few last minute changes in plan. Here's where I am currently:

Math:
  • Jessie's schedule is completed and printed. (8/4)
  • Violet's schedule is completed awaiting printing. (printed 8/6, not creating CWP schedule so we can review adjust pace as needed)
  • Benny's schedule is still tbd.

Language Arts:
  • Jessie's schedule for grammar and spelling are completed and printed.
  • Jessie's literature list and schedule for Homer still to be completed. (Homer completed 8/3, models printed 8/8)
  • Violet's schedule for grammar completed awaiting printing. (printed 8/6)
  • Violet's spelling schedule, literature list, and Aesop plans are still to be completed. (spelling completed/printed 8/6; Aesop completed/printed 8/8)
  • For Benny, I still need a read-aloud list and am awaiting the arrival of his Explode the Code workbooks. I'm not worried about lesson plans for phonics or handwriting.

Foreign Language:
  • Jessie's schedule for Latin and Greek both still needs to be completed. (8/3)
  • Need to create tests for Jessie's Latin curriculum. )completed and printed 8/8)
  • For Violet, I need to print out my LFC A schedule as a base although we may alter it and take more than one week for lessons if needed. (printed 8/6)
  • Need to print tests and extra worksheets for LFC A. (printed 8/8)

Logic:
  • Jessie's schedule for Critical Thinking Book 1 is completed and printed. (8/3)
  • Violet's schedule for Building Thinking Skills 2 and the MindBenders A series needs printing. (printed 8/6)
  • For Benny, I need to figure out what we accomplished last year and which books we want to use this year from our shelves. (Found stopping places.) 8/4

History:
  • I have an overall rough list of topics to cover each week for TruthQuest Middle Ages. Still need to complete a rough list for the Renaissance guide and check availability of library resources.
  • For Jessie, I have the first week started and have read some additional books for later weeks, but I still have a long way to go. (2 weeks planned, 3rd week started 8/4)
  • For Violet and Benny, I have 6 weeks of lessons with additional reading and activities scheduled. I need to copy maps and coloring pages yet, and schedule the remaining weeks. (8 weeks planned and list of activities pages to scan written. 8/4)

Science:
  • For Jessie, I have schedule Apologia anatomy through lesson 5 and created vocabulary crosswords for lessons 1-4. I still need to make tests and complete plans for the remaining lessons.
  • For all the kids, I have a schedule for God's Design Our Universe with correlated activities. I've typed up all of the questions, a few lab speculations sheets, and added a few diagrams to make a notebook for the girls. I've created and printed out booklets to complete a lapbook for Benny. I have a rough list of which constellations to study each month and have started creating some constellation cards. That leaves astronomy almost finished. I'm going to see how the first few weeks go (particularly with Benny and the lapbook) before I start making plans for the next book in the series.

Music and Art:
  • No planning done here yet.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Hound of Ulster by Sutcliffe - Book 19, 52 in 52

It has been a few months since I last posted a book review. Honestly between finishing school and gardening, I haven't had much reading time. Hopefully that will change over the next few weeks as the garden slows down, and we get back into the rhythm of school.

The Hound of Ulster by Rosemary Sutcliff

The Hound of Ulster is based on the Cuchulain Saga of the Celtic tribes. Cuchulain goes before the King Conor to ask to be granted the arms of manhood so that he may be the one to fulfill the prophesy that the boy who takes up his manhood on that day will become the greatest warrior in Ireland. To win Emer as his wife, he travels to study the arts of war with Skatha and wins great honor in battle while serving her. Returning home, he takes Emer from her father's home by force and continues to take up any challenge placed before him until he earns the title, the Champion of Ireland. Cuchulain is portrayed as a brilliant warrior with a fiery temper, always ready for adventure and battle and willing to go looking for them when they do not come to him. He is not faithful to his wife Emer while he is away, but always returns home to her after his adventures. When Mauve of Connacht leads her host into war against Ulster, it is Cuchulain that holds them off with only his chariot driver by his side. His success is bittersweet when he is forced to slay Ferdia, who during his years with Skatha, was as close to him as a brother. Still he turns away Mauve the first time and comes to face her again years later even though he has received many signs that he will not return from this battle.

The Hound of Ulster would make an excellent read for ages 14 and up as a part of a study of Celtic tribes. It would also make an excellent resource to use for comparison and contrast with a version of Beowulf. Although I saw many similarities in the warriors themselves, the Celtic story is filled with much more fantastical feats of magic, superhuman strength, and mythical elements than the last version of the Germanic Anglo-Saxon tale of Beowulf I read earlier in the month.
I plan to shelve it for our next round of Middle Ages history when Jessie is a bit more mature due to the bloody battle, infidelity, and elements of druid magic it contains as well as the simple fact that she will be more able to better analyze and compare the text in a few years.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Benny's 1st Grade Year

Bible

  • Egermeier's Bible Story book (This will be a repeat from last year, but we'll do some narration/discussion to go along with it.)

Language Arts

  • PHONICS: Phonics Pathways
  • SPELLING: Spelling Workout A by MCP maybe B
  • WRITING: copywork
  • READING: daily reading with narration, but list is still to be determined

Math

  • Primary Math 1A and 1B by Singapore Math
  • Miquon Math Orange and Red

History

  • TruthQuest Middle Ages and Renaissance order for Story of the World, Volume 2 Middle Ages with activities from the activity guide and lots of library books

Science

  • God's Design Heaven & Earth series by Answers in Genesis

Critical Thinking

  • Building Thinking Skills Primary (finish)
  • Visual Perceptual Skill Building 2
  • maybe a few DooRiddles books

Art

  • 1-2-3 Draw books by Levin

Music

  • ??

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Violet's 4th Grade Line Up

Bible

  • The Hidden Treasure of Philippians by Wheeler for 12 weeks
  • remainder of the year is still to be decided

Language Arts

  • GRAMMAR: Rod & Staff English 4
  • SPELLING: Spelling Workout F by MCP
  • WRITING: Classical Writing Aesop B
  • READING: daily reading with narration, but list is still to be determined

Math

  • Primary Math 4A and 4B by Singapore Math

History

  • TruthQuest Middle Ages and Renaissance book with Story of the World, Volume 2 Middle Ages, Our Island Story, Famous Men books and lots of library resources

Science

  • God's Design Heaven & Earth series by Answers in Genesis

Foreign Language

  • LATIN: Latin for Children A

Critical Thinking

  • Building Thinking Skills Book 2
  • Mind Benders A2-A4 books

Art

  • ??

Music

  • Piano Lessons
  • ??

Monday, July 12, 2010

Jessie's 6th Grade Line Up

Bible

  • The Hidden Treasures in Philippian by Wheeler for 12 weeks
  • still need to decide for the remainder of the year

Language Arts

  • GRAMMAR: Rod & Staff Progressing With Courage, English 6
  • SPELLING: Spelling Workout H by MCP
  • VOCABULARY: Vocabulary From Classical Roots A (start in Jan.)
  • WRITING: Classical Writing Homer B
  • READING: definitely more analysis with Teaching the Classics this year, but I'm still working on the actual book list
Math
  • Primary Math 6A and 6B by Singapore Math

History

  • TruthQuest Middle Ages w/ Story of the Middle Ages, Trial and Triumph, and lots of library books
  • TruthQuest Renaissance, Reformation, & Exploration w/ Story of the Renaissance and Reformation and lots of library books

Science

  • Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology w/ The Body Book
  • either God's Design for Heaven and Earth books for earth science or Apologia General for second half of the year

Foreign Language

  • LATIN: Latin for Children C
  • GREEK: Greek Code Cracker and Elementary Greek 1

Logic

  • Critical Thinking Books 1 and 2

Art

  • ??

Music

  • Piano Lessons
  • ??

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

WW: Summer days with Jessie and Henry

Creating new songs together. In this case the lyrics are simply Elmo's world repeated over and over.
Inventing new games like having Jessie sing "Rock a Bye Baby" while swinging him back and forth

and ending with spectacular flops on the sofa