Category: thoughts

Plan, already edited since photo

I’m getting things together this year. I didn’t last year, because I was hugely pregnant with Perry and then dealing with a newborn with failure to thrive. I finally started actually encouraging schoolwork around March. They all did just fine anyway, of course. (The only thing they really need me to remind them to do is arithmetic, the study of which really does benefit from regular exposure.)

I’m going to have a sheet of paper each week with the bones of what we’ll be doing up where everyone can see. That was useful when Faith and Abby were my middle graders, so I think it will be the same for Gil, Trix and Glo. It’s fun to check things off!

I ended up getting an older used copy of Oak Meadow Year 5 for Gilbert for a song. He liked OM4 when we did it for a month or so, and would have liked to continue (but it was too much prep for me, with two babies at the time.) The Oak Meadow levels, especially in the older editions, don’t correspond to grades as much as ranges, so I doubt he’ll feel babied by Year 5 as a seventh grader. He really wanted American History, and that’s the middle grade year for it. He should be able to do most of it by himself with a little help from me.

Homeschool Connections are going to be where Faith and Abby are. We signed up for the unlimited recorded lectures, and I’m asking them to listen to the American History so Gilbert and I can discuss it with them.

Dorothy is so close to reading. I got her a Brain Quest Kindergarten workbook, just so she could have something, but honestly those things are so writing centered it’s mostly useless. I think actually Gloria nd Trixie will enjoy “teaching” her with it and that will be the value. In the meantime, the phonics section is okay and it has loads of stickers. As Dorothy’s fine motor skills progress she’ll be able to do more in the book, but right now she would be so frustrated and saddened to try and fail that I’m not even attempting it. It’s always been strange to me that the general approach to reading is to teach writing at the same time, when you needn’t. I got her a bunch of little wooden letters which we’ll Montessori it up with.

I think Trixie and Gloria will wander through ancient history and culture of Greece and Rome this year. That’s really great for all the subjects. And everyone will be doing nature study, and also whatever they want, because I’m really bad at interrupting them when they are doing something valuable to impose what I want them to do. But they like it, when I do. Amazing, they like my input and care, me being their mom.

Goodness what a meandering post.

Peregrine inspects Gilbert’s new math book

I don’t think any of these kids really need me to push them into academics. I make people learn to read and after that I tend to be hands off. However, we do go on high-tide runs a few times a year where we Do All The Structured Things! This is one of those times. Also, even though we live in no reporting or oversight Oklahoma, I do like to have things to show that are schooly for any nosy Nellies that I might need to appease. The State has an alarming history of overreach that seems to be getting worse. Even if the agency in question has no legal right to inquire into our particulars they won’t let that stop them. We were maliciously reported to DHS once, over ten years ago, and even though it was all shown to be ridiculous the worker led with, “Now, we know you homeschool, and that’s not necessarily against the law, but…”

So you’ll forgive me if I’m a bit skittish.

Gilbert is almost done with Saxon Math 5/4. If he were 10, I’d be hesitant to outright skip a book. But he’s 12, and I think he’ll do fine. He has aced 5/4, frankly, and I think 6/5 would bore him with the repetition. Looking at the placement test Saxon has on their site (which they say is not for current Saxon students, but they don’t say why) he will have no trouble going right into 7/6.

He’ll be done with 7/6 by next May. Then it gets a little confusing – which next, 8/7 or Algebra 1/2? I have spent quite some time trying to figure out what will come next, since we’re using older books. I still haven’t figured it out. But as Scarlett says, I won’t worry about that today. I’ll worry about that tomorrow. I am inclined to go to Algebra 1/2, third edition. This page has a great rundown of the difference between 8/7 and 1/2.

As for the other kids, hmm. Faith and Abby sort of want to know how to do algebra. And sort of don’t. So that means they don’t do anything. Fair enough. Bede does whatever he wants, math wise, like he does everything else. I honestly have no idea where he sits in terms of arithmetic knowledge, but I know he’s able to add, subtract, multiply and divide with no trouble, which he learned, somehow. So he’s good.

Trixie needs a bit of nudging. I was considering Life of Fred for her, and I may yet, but she’ll do very well with a more straightforward method too. She is the sort of person who gets ground down easily, so we’ll go slow. Any work done daily is more than none. I’m leaning towards Beast Academy for her.

Gloria will be working through Teaching Textbooks 3, the paper version only. Per my previous advice there is no emphasis on structure for her yet, at age 9. I just want her to be comfortable with the ideas. And Life of Fred too.

Dorothy gets continued number awareness and games. Clementine and Perry are below compulsory education age for another few years yet, so.

Dorothy is super interested in learning to read, so I cracked out the Starfall set. She was delighted with an entire set of books just for her use.
Posted by Intagrate Lite

I’ve tried American History with the kids at least three times. We never get very far before rabbit-trailing into the high grasses. But this will be the year! I just know it! We’ll finally connect everything into one cohesive chronology. It will be done! I’m going to nudge Gilbert, Faith and Abby along with me by gum.

Gilbert will be reading

 Everything You Need To Ace American History In One Big Fat Notebook.

Faith and Abby will be reading

 America: The Last Best Hope.

I spent a good hour looking at other AmHist books but finally came back to these, because I already own them. I considered, and discarded, the following:

• From Sea to Shining Sea. Pros: Well written, Catholic viewpoint. Cons: Too expensive, seems to meander a bit, only goes to mid 20th Century as far as I can tell.
• Lands of Hope and Promise (same publisher as above.)  Pros: Really well written! Again, Catholic viewpoint. Same cons as above too, though this one goes a bit further chronologically.
• Oak Meadow American History. This one I may come back to and get – it’s not a text, it’s a study guide or course outline of sorts. Sample pages here. Pro: I love Oak Meadow! Cons: My kids have mixed feelings about Oak Meadow. Also, expensive.
• Various high school texts. Pros: Cheap, if buying used. Cons: Ugh, so hard to read with the flashy sidebars and tiny print! So boring! So oddly biased! So hand-hold-y but vague! Bleh.

Now, all that and let’s see how far we get. Maybe I’ll get the ALBH on audiobook. We’ll see.