Jessie's 9th Grade Plan

I think I've finally settled on our curriculum for the upcoming 9th grade year.

English 9 - 1 credit

• CW Herodotus and part of CW Advanced Poetry
• R&S English 9/10 Book 1
• Word Within the Word 2

Geometry - 1 credit

• Geometry by Jurgensen, Brown, and Jurgensen (if I can find the resources)

History - 1 credit

• Spielvogel's Western Civilization
• Bauer's The History of the Ancient World
• Noble's The Foundations of Western Civilization (appropriate lectures)
• miscellaneous resources to be determined

World Literature 1 - 1 credit

• The Well Educated Mind by Bauer
• ancient book list still to be determined
• various Vandiver lectures and portions of Great Authors of the Western Literary Tradition

Biology - 1 credit

• BJU Biology 4th Edition

Foreign Language (Latin 2 or 3?, Spanish 1) - 2 credits

• Latin Alive 3
• BJU Spanish 1

Physical Education - 1 credit

• logged time exercising

Total of 8 credits

Goals for Henry's PreK

My goals for Henry are probably the most vague, but I find it better to simply adjust day by day and work at his pace than to worry about being able to do a certain amount by the end of the year.

Letters / Phonics

• Continue improving letter recognition skills with various games and activities.
• Begin phonics after Christmas when ready

Math Skills

• Continue improving letter recognition skills with various games and activities.
• Continue to improve counting skills
• Sort objects based on size, shape, color, or thickness
• Continue improving identification of basic shapes
• Identify and create patterns

Writing and fine motor skills

• Begin work on writing skills with a combination of tracing, coloring, and mazes.
• Learn to write his name
• Continue improve skill with scissors
• Increase fine motor control with various activities

Listening skills

• Continue increasing attention span for reading.

Other goals include continuing to work on playing nicely with his siblings and just plain spending more time and having fun together to enjoy this stage.

Curriculum Expenditures and Savings 2012

Money is tighter this year, so I've had to lower my budget and look a lot harder for used curriculum than the last two years.  As with every year, reusing curriculum for the younger students and relying heavily on the library are the two biggest savers in the budget.  I also decided to shift gears in Jessie's literature and move from Omnibus back to Teaching the Classics this year for several reasons which I'll detail in a later post.  We're in well under our $750 budget leaving plenty of room for extra supplies for science and history that I don't track in as much detail.

Curriculum List for 2012-2013
Language Arts

• CW Diogenes Chreia - $29.95 (Sale $22.47 - Savings $7.48, 25%)
• CW Intermediate Poetry - $22.95 (Sale $17.21 - Savings $5.74, 25%)
• Rod & Staff English 8 Student and Teacher - $42.00 ($25.00 Used - Savings $17.00, 40%)
• Literature
• Teaching the Classics (already own)
• Teaching the Classics Worldview Supplement - $49.00 (Bought new)
• Word Within a Word 1 Student and Teacher - $30.00 ($12.00 Used - Savings $18.00 60%)

Math

• Foerster's Algebra 1 (student, teacher, solutions) - $156.41 ($15.00 Used - Savings $141.41, 90%) 

History

Science

• BJU Physical Science Student, Teacher, CD, Labs, Tests, Key 4th edition - $181.50 (Teacher set $27.50 Used, Student text $24.99, Student Lab $18, Test Answer Key $9)($79.49 Used - Savings $102.01 56%)
• Physical Science Lab Kit - $203.95 ($147.47 after discount and piecing together just what I need - Savings $56.48 28%)

Electives

• Latin Alive 2 Bundle - $155.25 ($80 Used - Savings $75.25 48%)
• Elementary Greek 3 set - $48.50 (Bought new)
• Building Thinking Skills 3 Verbal - $29.99 ($9 Used - Savings 70%)
• Traditional Logic 1 Teacher, Student, DVD - $63.95 ($45 Used - Savings $18.95, 30%)
• Traditional Logic 2 Teacher, Student, DVD - $63.95 ($44 Used - Savings $19.95, 31%)

OTHER GRADES

• Latin for Children C DVDs - $51.75 (Bought new)
• Story of the World 4 Text - $13.25 ($12.90 New - Savings $0.35, 3%)
• Rescue & Redeem by Withrow - $8.15 (Bought new)

Total Cost:  $1150.55
Total Spent:  $666.94
Total Savings $483.61, 42%

Goals for the Next Year Part 2 - 6th Grade

Goals for Violet's 6th Grade

Math

Solidify math facts	Continue math drill with a combination of Flashmaster, flashcards, and other methods.
Improve problem solving skills	Complete Singapore level 6 and CWP series
Solidify basic computation skills and concepts of fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios	Complete Singapore level 6 and supplement as needed with other resources.
Solidify basic geometry skills with triangles, rectangles, and parallelograms and learn basics of circles	Complete Singapore level 6 and supplement as needed

Language Arts - Reading/Literature

Improve reading comprehension and narration	Continue assigning selections of literature daily with oral narration. Have her jot down a list of facts for more difficult selections. Write up model narrations, compare her narration against the model, and discuss differences.
Introduce basic literary analysis	Use teaching the classics methods to complete story charts and add basic discussion of some selections this year.

Language Arts - Writing

Improve paragraph writing skills.	Complete second part of CW Homer and writing lessons in Rod & Staff 6
Learn to write stories out of chronological order	Taught in CW Homer
Improve outlining and summarizing skills	Complete weekly outlining and summaries of history and science topics. Write book reports or plot summaries of literature selections.
Improve writing style.	Taught in CW Homer and apply to other writing across curriculum.

Language Arts - Grammar & Spelling

Finish up spelling skills	Complete SWO H.
Solidify 8 parts of speech and basic diagramming skills.	Complete Rod & Staff 6 and grammar exercises in Homer.
Introduce more advanced grammar concepts

History

Finish timeline.	Add HTTA figures weekly as related to reading.
Cover historical events through modern times	Read resources recommended in TruthQuest AOR 2 and 3.
Expand study of history beyond basic facts and stories.	Have weekly history discussion of either TruthQuest commentary or a selected history topic.

Science

Introduce the basics of chemistry and ecology	Complete God's Design for Chemistry and Ecology series.
Increase interest in science.	Complete as many hands on activities as possible. Have available supplementary library books on topics. Require 1 science related library book choice each week.

Latin & Greek

Continue to build Latin vocabulary and grammar concepts.	Complete Latin for Children level C.
Improve translation skills.	Work through level C history reader.
Learn Greek alphabet.	Complete Greek Alphabet Code Cracker.
Introduce basic Greek vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.	Complete Elementary Greek 1.

Logic

Improve ciritical thinking and reasoning skills.

Complete Critical Thinking Books 1 and 2 and the remaining portion of Building Thinking Skills Level 2.

Goals for Next Year Part 1 - 8th Grade

It's been a few years, since I have taken the time to formally sit down and write out our goals for the year.  Over that time, I've just kept a list in the back of my mind  for each of the kids and chosen curriculum that I believed would help us meet those goals.  Because we reuse curriculum from one child to the next, it's easy to say this child needs to do x,y,and z next year from the curriculum on our shelf and forget that within that each program there are portions that will need more focus or may require a bit of tweaking or supplementing to meet the needs of each particular child.  This is my attempt to step back and assess what we need to work on academically for the next year and how we will accomplish that with our current curriculum.

Goals for Jessie's 8th Grade

Math

Solid grounding in basic algebra

Complete Foerster's Algebra I and supplement with NEM 2 and/or Alcumus as needed for challenge or additional practice

Language Arts - Reading/Literature

Increase critical thinking of literature	Focus on a few works at a slower pace with more depth of discussion than last year.  Continue reading a second tract of books at a faster pace with a focus on 1 or 2 literary elements.
Review basic literary analysis and increase depth of discussion	Watch Teaching the Classics videos this summer. Work farther down the Socratic list of questions to increase depth.
Introduce worldview analysis and apply to literary selections	Work through Teaching the Classics worldview supplement and then apply questions to literature selections.  Place books in context by using research and writing skills learned previously in CW Diogenes Maxim.

Language Arts - Writing

Continue to build outlining and notetaking skills	Have weekly outlining selections for history.  Continue notetaking in BJU with physical science text.  Practice taking oral notes using a combination of Sunday sermons, Latin Alive DVDs, and possibly Traditional Logic DVDs.
Continue to refine summarizing skills	Write summaries for history of various lengths.  Write plot summaries for some literature selections.
Build essay developing skills	Work through Classical Writing Diognes Chreia.
Apply essay skills across curriculum.	Write some 5 paragraph essays related to history topics. Write literary essays covering specific Socratic questions from Teaching the Classics or discussing a theme for a specific work.

Language Arts - Vocabulary & Grammar

Increase exposure to roots and verbal analysis.	Complete exercises in The Word Within the Word Volume 1 and Building Thinking Skills 3 Verbal.
Solidify understanding of grammar concepts and diagramming and apply to more complex sentences with multiple phrases and/or clauses.	Complete exercises in R&S 8 as well as grammar exercises in CW Chreia.

History

Finish timeline through modern time.	Add HTTA figures weekly as encountered in reading.
Continue to asses the effect of worldview on history.	Discuss TruthQuest commentary.  Research the beliefs of select historical figures to determine the effect on their choices and actions.
Support opinions with facts, quotes, examples, etc.	Develop a few short thesis during the year in place of summaries and then support the thesis using the skills learn in CW.  Complete a few TruthQuest writing prompts.

Science

Exposure to topics related to physics and review of chemistry.	Complete BJU Physical Science.
Learn basic lab safety techniques.	Complete as many labs as feasible from BJU.
Learn to write basic lab reports.	Complete lab write ups for the majority of labs.

Latin & Greek

Increase mastery of languages.	Review Latin and Greek vocabulary and grammar over the summer.  Progress through Latin Alive 2 and Elementary Greek 3 start in the fall.
Continue to build vocabulary and grammartical knowledge.
Continue building translation skills and appreciation of language.

Logic

To improve critical thinking and reasoning skills.	Work through Traditional Logic 1 and at least part of 2.
To identify faulty assumptions.
To distinguish between valid and invalid arguments.

Curriculum Shopping for 2012-2013

Saving money on curriculum has become more difficult as the kids have gotten older, but last year we spent far more than I care to remember on curriculum.  This year I'm hoping to scale back our expeditures as much as is feasible either by buying used, purchasing items on sale, or using the library.  But first, I need a price list to do some comparison shopping.

Jessie's 8th Grade


Language Arts

• CW Diogenes Chreia - $29.95
• CW Intermediate Poetry - $22.95
• Rod & Staff English 8 Student and Teacher - $42.00
• Omnibus 3 Student and Teacher CD - $100
• Omnibus 3 Primary Books - $84.51 
• 1984 by Orwell
• Abraham Lincoln:  Speeches and Writings by Fehrenbacher 
• The Anti-Federalist Papaers by Ketcham
• The Communist Manifesto by Engels
• The Federalist Papers
• The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerland
• Mein Kampf by Hitler
• Of Plymouth Plantation by Bradford
• The Pilgrim's Progress by Bunyan
• Reflections on the Revolution in France by Burke
• The Social Contract by Cranston
• A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Stowe
• The Westminster Confession of Faith
• Omnibus 3 Secondary Books - $112.47 
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Twain
• Animal Farm by Orwell
• The Autobiography of Charles G. Finney by Finney
• Benjamin Franklin:  The Autobiography and Other Writings by Franklin
• Christianity and Liberalism by Machen
• Death of a Salesman by Miller
• Frankenstein by Shelley
• Gulliver's Travels by Swift
• How Should We Then Live by Schaeffer
• The Killer Angels by Shaara
• Little Women by Alcott
• The New Foxe's Book of Martyrs
• Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway
• Postmodern Times by Veith
• Pride and Prejudice by Austen
• Word Within a Word 1 Student and Teacher - $30.00

Math

• Foerster's Algebra 1 (student, teacher, solutions) - $156.41   

History

• Critical Thinking in U.S. History: Reconstruction to Progressivism - $23.99
• Critical Thinking in U.S. History: Spanish-American War to Vietnam War- $23.99

Science

• BJU Physical Science Student, Teacher, CD, Labs, Tests, Key 4th edition - $181.50
• Physical Science Lab Kit - $203.95

Electives

• Latin Alive 2 Bundle - $155.25
• Elementary Greek 3 set - $49.99
• Building Thinking Skills 3 Verbal - $29.99
• Traditional Logic 1 Teacher, Student, DVD - $63.95

OTHER GRADES

• Latin for Children C DVDs - $48.95 

Total Cost:  $1359.85

My final goal is to spend close to half that much.

Planning for 2012-13

Getting a curriculum list together for the upcoming year has proven much easier than last year.  Jessie and I sat down and discussed the new curriculum that we began in 7th grade; and while she likes some programs more than others, she's overall happy with our choices.  Violet and Benny and both doing well with their current curriculum; so while I may tweak our programs to better fit their needs, I don't see any need for major changes.  Here's our current plan for the upcoming year:

Jessie's 8th Grade:

• MATH - Foerster's Algebra I
• LA - Rod & Staff 8, Word Within a Word 1, Classical Writing Chreia & Intermediate Poetry, Omnibus 3
• HISTORY - TruthQuest AOR 2 (finish) and 3 (I do need to raise my expectations for output, but the curriculum itself is working)
• SCIENCE - BJU Physical Science
• FOREIGN LANGUAGE - Latin Alive 2, Elementary Greek 3
• LOGIC - Traditional Logic 1

Violet's 6th Grade:

• MATH - Singapore 6
• LA - Rod and Staff 6, SWO H, Classical Writing Homer & Poetry for Beginners, lots of library books with a shift from narration to discussion
• HISTORY - same as above
• SCIENCE - God's Design for Chemistry and Ecology
• FOREIGN LANGUAGE - LfC C, Elementary Greek 1
• LOGIC - Building Thinking Skills 2, ???

Benny's 3rd Grade:

• MATH - Singapore 3 and Miquon Yellow/Purple
• LA - Rod and Staff 3, SWO C (finish) and D, Classical Writing Aesop w/ copywork and dictation, lots of library books with a shift to reading and narrating
• HISTORY - TruthQuest AHYS 2 and 3
• SCIENCE - God's Design for Chemistry and Ecology
• LOGIC - Building Thinking Skills 1, ???

Henry's PreK:

• letters and phonics as able
• math and number games
• lots and lots of library books
• basic skills:  cutting, coloring, sorting, etc.

Art of Argument assignments

One of our logic selections for the year is Art of Argument by Classical Academic Press. Since we're going to alternate it with Critical Thinking in US History, I decided to just put together an assignment list rather than a schedule, so we would have more flexibility on the number of lessons each week.

7th grade science decision

Options for 7th grade:

1.  God's Design and complete the Physical World series
Pros: 

• Fun - Jessie's really had a lot of fun with the chemistry books this spring, so I'm sure she would enjoy these as well. 
• Multiple ages - I could combine the girls and either let Benny tag along or set up some parallel reading for him.  Jessie could also complete the challenge sections to bump up the difficulty a bit.
• New Content - Physics is one area of science that she has not covered yet.

Cons:

• If I go this route for 7th, then I'm at a loss of what we would do for 8th.  Following this up with physical science would be somewhat redundant
• Jessie has really enjoyed doing some science independent from her siblings this year.

2.  Apologia General
Pros:

• Independence - Since it's written to the student, Jessie could complete the program independently.
• Coop option - This is what our local coop uses, so I would have the choice of letting the labs be completed at home or in a class setting.
• Textbook learning - Normally I steer away from textbooks, but at some point Jessie is going to need to learn from one so it's definitely something I want to practice at some point.

Cons:

• Duplication of content - Modules 5-8 would duplicate topics from earth science this year.  Modules 9 and 11-15 look to duplicate the topics from the human anatomy and physiology book that she completed this fall.
• Set up - I personally wish that they had broken the text up into two columns per page which would be easier to read.

3.  Apologia Physical
Pros:

• Independent
• Coop option
• Textbook learning
• New Content - the physics portion of the text would all be new information for her

Cons:

• Duplication of content - It looks like the first 8 modules covering atoms, the atmosphere, and weather would duplication topics from this year's chemistry and earth science.
• Set up - same as above

BJU Life Science
Pros:

• Fairly independent - These are designed for classroom use, so I would expect to need to do some level of teaching or at least discussing to cover the content.
• More depth - Comparing the sequence of BJU to Apologia there is definitely more depth of coverage this route.
• Textbook learning
• DVDs available - I could get help teaching if I needed
• Some overlap of topics from this year but there of plenty of other material that does not overlap

Cons:

• Classroom oriented - As with any classroom oriented curriculum some of the ideas will not work as well in a home setting
• Cost of lab equipment - To complete the labs at home I will need to purchase a microscope, slides, and some dissection supplies
• No coop availability - No lab partners or class interaction

For once, I actually gave Jessie some input.  She wasn't thrilled about the Apologia books.  She liked the looks of BJU and the broader scope and sequence and thought the idea of dissecting was "cool".  Comparing the cost of lab equipment versus the cost of coop classes, it is actually cheaper over the long term to buy the lab equipment and only have to repurchase consumable supplies for subsequent student.  In the end I was leaning towards BJU anyway because I thought she needed to cover life science with more depth again before hitting biology in 9th.  I can always let her tag along with the GD books next year like she's doing this year in earth science or have her do them over the summer for fun.

Another decision down...  YEAH!!

Looking Ahead to 7th Grade

Usually I'm all set for next year and working on buying used curriculum by now, but somehow 7th grade seems HUGE to me.  It means I've completed over half of my oldest's schooling and have 6 years left to make sure she's prepared for college (assuming, of course, that she's not taking community college classes the last year or two which might be a possibility).  Before I've always focused on one year at a time.  Now, no matter what subject it is, I find myself looking at a longer sequence of this for 7th, would put that in 8th, that in 9th, etc. up to 12th grade.  I'm certain that if Jessie were in public or private school she would be in honors level classes at this point, so I want to make sure there's enough challenge in the material to mirror those level classes.  In the end, I still have to stay within a reasonable budget as well, which seems much harder this year for some reason.  Still I've got to make some decisions.  Here I hope is a starting point.

LANGUAGE ARTS

• Grammar:  Rod & Staff 7 (This is going well.  I see no need to make changes.)
• Vocabulary:  VFCR B and C (A is just so-so, but I haven't found a better option yet.)
• Writing:  CW Diogenes Maxim and Intermediate Poetry (We struggle some with CW since writing is not my strongest area, but I really think it's worth the effort.)
• Literature:  Omnibus II (This would be a huge change for us.  We've always used the library and had a more relaxed approach, but Jessie is my strongest in LA.  It would be a challenge but also an opportunity to grow assuming I can manage the cost of it.)

MATH

• Foerster's Algebra (I'm a little worried about this one.  From what I've read, she should be able to go from Singapore 6A straight into algebra.  She does very well with math, so I wanted a challenging program.  This one, at least, I've already found used, so hopefully I'll feel better about it after it arrives and I look through it.)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

• Latin is still up for debate.
• Elementary Greek 2 (This has been a nice intro at a pace that isn't too overwhelming.)

HISTORY

• TruthQuest AOR1 and part of AOR2 (I feel like we're finally hitting our stride with this program.  We just did American the first time through so the European history will be new to us.)

SCIENCE

• Still in a quandry on this one, but currently leaning to BJU Life Science

OTHER

• Logic:  Thinking Toolbox and Art of Argument (While she could handle Traditional Logic, I don't see having the funds for the DVDs.  Plus if we actually do Omnibus + BJU life +Foersters+everything else, I feel like we need to lighten up somewhere.)
• That leaves art and music still to be decided.

Then, of course, there's the final unanswered question.  If we do all of this, do I have enough time for the necessary preparation, teaching, and discussion for Jessie while still keeping up with the younger 3?  That one I don't have an answer for at this point.  Outside classes at the coop would decrease my time, but I don't really like their curriculum choices of Saxon, Apologia, Latina Christiana, etc.  Why should I pay for a class that uses materials designed to help a parent teach their own kids?  If I pay for a class, I want it to use something I'm not comfortable in teaching from myself.  There are DVD options for algebra and BJU, but they are pricy.  There are online classes for Diogenes, but just flipping through it so far it doesn't look that hard to implement with a bit of time on my part.  Maybe I should work on the 5th and 2nd grader first.  It's bound to be so much easier.

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.

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

• ??

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
• ??

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
• ??

Looking Ahead...

At the end of December I always try to take a look ahead to the upcoming school year so I can start looking for used curricula. Based on what is working for us this year, here's a list of what I'm considering for the upcoming year with a 6th, 4th, 1st, and 2yo. Green is already decided. Green italics need to be purchased, and orange are still up in the air at this point.

Jessie's 6th grade

Math: Singapore 6A and 6B US edition with IP and CWP
Spelling: finish SWO H; Vocabulary from Classical Roots A??
Grammar: R&S 6
Writing: CW Homer B and CW Poetry for Beginners B
Reading: assigned reading with more of an emphasis on discussion over narration
History: Middle Age, Renaissance, and Reformation
Science: possibly more God's Design or Apologia General or Apologia Anatomy
Latin: LfC C without the DVDs this time since the updated ones won't be out
Greek: ??
Logic: Critical Thinking Books 1 & 2 or Fallacy Detective and Thinking Toolbox
Art: ??
Music: ??

Violet's 4th Grade

Math: Singapore 4A and 4B US edition with IP and CWP
Spelling: finish SWO F and start G
Grammar: R&S 4
Writing: CW Aesop B and dictation
Reading: assigned reading with narration
History: Middle Age, Renaissance, and Reformation
Science: God's Design Heaven and Earth set may sub Apologia Astronomy for Universe book
Latin: finish LfC A
Logic: start BTS 2 and Mind Benders A2-A4
Art: ??
Music: ??

Benny's 1st Grade

Math: Singapore 1B with Miquon Red with maybe some 2A and Blue
Spelling: SWO A and B
Handwriting: copywork
Reading: Read alouds with Mom, start narration
History: Middle Age, Renaissance, and Reformation
Science: God's Design Heaven and Earth set may sub Apologia Astronomy for Universe book
CT: BTS 1, VPSB 2, some Mind Benders or DooRiddles ??
Art: ??
Music: Classical Kids tapes

Henry Time

Nothing formal other than I want to start a reading time with him each day.

Time to Gear Up for Another Year, A Master To Do List

My school cabinet looks like a tornado hit. I have stacks of library books for ancient history all over my house. The curriculum I purchased from the convention Saturday is still sitting in the trunk of my van, and I really can't see the surface of my desk. It's not that I haven't started making plans for next year rather I've been working on different subjects here and there in more of a piecemeal fashion so that I'm beginning to have trouble remembering what I've done versus what still needs to be completed. To organize my chaos and unclutter my mind from a mishmash of to do lists, I thought I would put my master to do list here on the blog where it can't get lost. Items still to be done will be marked in red. Completed items are green, and purple items are in progress.

DECISIONS

• Still need to decide about music for next year
• Still need to decide if I'm going to have Violet do Latin next year. (I'm not thrilled at the thought of using Prima Latina, but I didn't find anything I like better at the convention)

PURCHASING

• Purchased but waiting to receive: LfC B Mastery Bundle, The Story of the Greeks, 3rd edition, Usborne History of the Ancient World, and Usborne Encyclopedia of Planet Earth
  
• Still to be purchased: Singapore Math IP 5A and 5B (want to double check list against books on shelf one last time before ordering to make sure I have what I think I have) and Apologia Human Body book which has not yet been published
  

LEGAL

• Copy the standardized test results to send in to the county.
• Print and complete the Notice of Intent for the next school year
• Create and print curriculum description to be submitted (Rough descriptions complete, need to finalize)
  
• Mail it all in to the county

ORGANIZING

• Clean out school baskets and cabinet
  
• Check general supplies and make a list of what is needed
• Purchase supplies
  
• Put new school books in baskets
• Make a new MOTH schedule
• Assemble my planner

ASSIGNMENT SHEETS

• For Jessie: Grammar, Spelling, Math, Word Problems, Latin and Logic (Grammar complete)
  
• For Violet: Grammar, Spelling, Math, Word Problems, and Critical Thinking (Grammar complete)
• For Benny: Math and Critical Thinking

LESSON PLANS

• For Jessie: CW Homer plans
  
• <>For Jessie: poetry memorization list
• For Jessie: create, preread, and roughly schedule <>literature list (Listened to Tuck Everlasting in van Saturday. Put on list.)
  
• For Violet: CW Aesop plans
• For Violet: poetry memorization list
• For Violet: create, preread, and roughly schedule literature list
• For Benny: Read aloud idea list
• For girls: Need to correlate art with history plans using drawing books and choose art history resources
  
• For all: Biblical history plans (Reading schedule for OT complete with notes on timeline figures and maps. Still need to find blank maps and fill in activities for OT. NT still to be completed.)
  
• For all: Ancient history plans (Have first two weeks complete. Begun working on Near East and Ancient Egypt.)
  
• For all: Science plans: Put together earth science lessons and labs
  

That's a lot of red. Maybe I'll clean the school cabinet or finish up the legal stuff today and tomorrow just so I can start marking some things in green.

We have a DECISION!!!

For the past several days, I've been trying to tackle the conundrum of what to do about history next year. I wanted to study Biblical history alongside of our ancient history schedule, but every time I tried to put together a framework it just didn't work. Either the Biblical history took too much time and pushed us way over in the numbers of weeks scheduled, or I felt like I was trying to cram so much into one week when we covered Biblical history that the kids would not be able to retain anything. After several failures and lots of prayers, I'm finally excited about our schedule for next year, and I feel like God has really directed me into a schedule that will work best for our family. The results: a two track history program for the upcoming year. We'll use our timelines to tie everything together for the bigger picture of to show the overlap between civilizations.

For ancient civilizations, I've divided up the year into one 13 week term and two 12 week terms. Term 1 is Middle Eastern history focused on all the civilizations mentioned in the Bible with an emphasis on Egypt. Term 2 is ancient Greece, and term 3 is ancient Rome. If I get the time we may tack on a quick 4 week study of other ancient cultures at the end. I have TruthQuest guides in route to cover Egypt, Greece, and Rome. For spines, I know Jessie will use The Story of the Greeks and The Story of the Romans by Guerber with the added benefit that I can use the schedules available from Ambleside to avoid starting from scratch. I'm undecided about using The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Payne or piecing that section together a different way. I'll make a final decision there when the guides arrive. For Violet, I'm leaning toward using the Famous Men series to cover Greece and Rome and will definitely piece together the first term. I'll have to decide how to fit Benny in each week once I start looking at the resources.

For our second track, we'll be studying Biblical history at a more in-depth level. We'll spend 25 weeks studying Old Testament history. Jessie will be using Bible readings based on The Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament(which I picked up used at a local curriculum sale) while Violet and Benny read the corresponding stories using Egermeier's Bible Story Book. I just have to plan out a 12 week study for Jessie to cover the New Testament history. To get a bigger picture of the overall Bible, the girls will also be reading What the Bible is All About for Young Explorers by Graham. I've already pieced together a weekly schedule for the Old Testament to coordinate the kids into covering roughly the same material each week.

I still have a lot of work to do, and some days I look longingly at my three week sample of TOG wishing that most of the planning was already done for me; however, in my heart I believe that this is the course that God is directing us so I'm trusting it will all come together in the end.

Mid Year Status Check

It's hard to believe that another school year is already halfway over. I really don't know where all the time goes. Anyway, I couldn't think of a better way to spend an absolutely frigid day than to look ahead and see if we are on track to spend more time outside whenever spring arrives. The lightest squares are complete. The medium ones are partially completed, and the rest is our remaining work. Basically everything is supposed to be completed through week 21. Here's a look at Jessie's year so far...






Looks like we're a few lessons ahead in math. Grammar, spelling, Latin, and science are all on track. Critical thinking is only behind because Jessie wanted to try the A3 Mindbenders book again by herself after needing my help with several of the puzzles the first time through. She finished A3 for the second time this week and has plenty of time left for A4. I did skip one CW lesson because we were a bit behind. We may come back to it later. No surprise we're a bit behind in history, and I still have several weeks of history and science planning left to accomplish. For the most part, it looks like we're right on track.

Here's Violet's year...
So Singapore math, grammar, spelling, critical thinking, and science are all on track. I knew we were behind in the CWP book. I'm not sure why we're two weeks behind in Miquon. I'm sure we can double up somewhere. Then of course there's history. One of these year's I may actually stay on track for that. Still it's nice to see how much we have accomplished so far (and of course take a sneak peek at the end while dreaming of warmer temperatures).

Thinking about next year, part 3

It's been a rocky week since Christmas, and a lot of what I had hoped to get done has fallen by the wayside. Henry started getting sick the day after Christmas. In nice to see the fever gone and have him back to nursing again. It will be nice to get a good night's sleep again and have him back in his own bed instead of sharing the sofa bed. Benny also managed to catch whatever Henry had. He's stilling running a fever but is feeling much better as well. Back to thinking about next year.

Latin

Jessie has loved Latin for Children A this year so we'll continue with B for her next year. I don't think Violet will be ready for A in the fall for 3rd grade. I'm not sure whether to wait another year or start with a different program and then switch.

Logic

Jessie's been doing some of the MindBenders already. If we finish A4 this year, then we could do a couple of the level B books next year. I also want to look at the Red Herring books to see if we want to use those as well next year.

Science

We have Apologia Botany that I would like to work on over the summer with the girls. We could also do Zoology 3 next year, but Jessie's already done a lot of this during first grade. Topics I'd like to cover with Jessie include the human body, earth science and some basic physics and chemistry experiments. I guess I'll need to look around and do some research. I also need to decide if I want to keep her combined with Violet for one or two more years.

Art and Music

I have no ideas here at the present time. I need to look and see what else my library has available. I'd like to try to start some art appreciation to coincide with our history studies next year.

Beyond that there's always geography and other languages. It will give me something to think about after I nail down the rest of the subjects.

Thinking about next year, part 2

History:

For the past two years, we have truly enjoyed using the TruthQuest American History for Young Student set. I'm certainly no history buff, but there were several topics in there about which I knew absolutely nothing. It's been fun learning alongside of the kids. What to do for history next year is a conundrum that I have no answer for as of yet. It's the question that's been stirring around in the back of my mind ever since I wrote part 1 of this series back on the 8th. (Hence the lack of blogging over the past couple of weeks. It's hard to blog when your mind keeps wandering off topic.) TheTruthQuest guides for Ancient Egypt/Greece and Ancient Rome are recommended for grades 5-12. I'll have a 5th, a 3rd, a K, and a toddler. I did look at the guide briefly last summer at our state convention. While I was impressed with the number of topics in the Ancient Egypt section. There seemed to be several topics without book recommendations. So I'm been contemplating my options over the past week or so and have narrowed my choices down to 3 basic options.

1. Do history a la TWTM for Jessie. I could use SOTW with Violet and Benny and just make changes to the portions of the text that I disagree with or I could go with the recommendations in the 1st edition and use the Usborne Encyclopedia with supplemental books. I guess it will come down to what the new suggestions for logic stage history will be when the 3rd edition comes out in a couple of months.

2. Switch to TOG. Of all the history programs I've seen, this one comes closest to how I want to do history. On the positive side, it has things planned out for me so I wouldn't have as much planning and reading to do. The biggest downside is that my library doesn't have a lot of the books listed on the bookshelf. I have also perused the 3 week sample of ancient Egypt. I'm sad to say that even using the supplemental book list, the number of books available at our library is appallingly small. Yes, I know that I can look for other books in the same section and substitute, but then I am back to prereading books and trying to choose appropriate material. That doesn't even consider that question of whether or not it would be in our budget to buy even just the program itself much less any additional books like the spines that I might need.

3. Go back to where I started, the CCH website by Christine Miller. Jessie and I used several of her choices during first grade from her 1st and 2nd grade ancient history selections. I skipped some of the books that I thought were too advanced at the time. There are additional suggestion for older children which I could use with Jessie. Violet should be able to handle most of the selections. I would just have to find a way to keep history light and fun for Benny, probably by focusing on more hands on projects. The other plus is that I still have my original 1st grade schedule to work off so I don't have to start completely from scratch.