I wish!
I'm farther along than I was a month or so ago in my last lesson planning post. Here are the subjects we have to cover due to our state laws: math, language arts (the laws are not specific, so I guess I can gear towards individual needs for spelling, grammar, writing, reading, and higher level things like analyzing literature), science, social studies/history, art, music, physical education, and health. The umbrella school I get my state reviews through requires some sort of religious studies every year, which is good because we do lots of those. :)
I'm going to try to break it down by child, although there will be repetition especially in history and science:
12yo (turning 13 in late Nov.) (remember she has LDs which greatly impact what I can get through with her):
Her goal: cement down more basics, find some creative outlets, keep mind on work when we're together so that I can get through it and move on to next kid
Language Arts: shooting for daily spelling/word study (a great need of hers) through one lesson per day of Apples and Pears Spelling and one lesson of Megawords. We are also still using Michael Clay Thompson's Town Level Series with her - here and there as I can get to it. She is allowed and encouraged to watch her sisters' CLAA videos (more on that later) and read over their lessons. Readers include Sonlight 5 readers and read alouds, other selections relevant to our World Cultures study, and her own choices (lots of Nancy Drew, etc). For someone with dylsexia and frequent eye strain I'm just thrilled she enjoys reading at all!!
Math: She just finished Life of Fred Fractions and is working through Key to Fractions 1-4 as a review. LOF Decimals and Percents is next. She ground to a halt in the middle of Teaching Textbooks 7 but that is not totally off the table yet. :)
Social Studies/History: Sonlight's Core 5, although I'm not doing the World Book exercises which is sort of the "spine" for the whole thing. There's no real *product* here that she is producing...just reading and more than occasional discussions with me. I'm debating whether that's OK. Honestly with the LDs I think her plate is loaded already...but I still get that nagging Reading Is Not Enough!! feeling.
Science: Ummmm....
Physical Education: She'll have weekly roller skating lessons and I've signed everyone up for the President's Challenge fitness program. Now to keep up with that and create some activities for her. She is injury prone, so it's hard (e.g. yesterday she walked about 25 minutes with me and by the end she was limping because of a foot issue)
Art: Another ummm...I think I want to buy Seton's fifth(?) grade sacred art history book. 12yo has natural art talent, though, and I don't want it to go to waste. So maybe a real course?? Here's a question for you, how do you all keep up with these little "ideas" and "possible to-dos" you have, for instance: buying this one book, remembering you want to discuss a new family rule idea, reviewing division with one kid and a frequent memory work mistake with another? Curious what works for others (since I'm doing nothin' LOL): scrap of paper? computer list? Calendar? Other?
Music: more hymn memorization (gotta figure out how to organize/present this - hopefully there'll be a "scheduling post" coming up), we have a piano-like keyboard that I'd like to get her using on a regular basis, possibly a CLAA music course.
Religion: reading over 11yo's CLAA Catechism 1 work. Sister has to memorize it, 12yo *seriously* struggles with anything memory-wise, so is not *in* the class. I just have her read stuff and we discuss. Saints biographies correlating with Sonlight 5. Going to start doing a page or two daily of Seton 7 Religion for Young Catholics also. And prayer memorization, we have gotten away from that (need to make a list of prayers - suggestions? What do your kids know at 11-13yo?). A daily repetition at the dinner table can do wonders for us! I also want to have the Liturgy of the Hours (or similar) in our routine, even if it is just the kids listening while they are eating breakfast or something...
Health: We finished Care and Keeping of You. I think I want to move on to The Joyful Mysteries of Life. Then maybe a library book or two on other topics? Hmmmm...
Other: some Latin will be absorbed through her listening in to CLAA courses and also the Caesar's English book from Michael Clay Thompson (linked above). She's also taking an Improv course with a local homeschooling group in a few weeks
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
On to the 10yo (turning 11 in November):
Her goal: keep plugging along, learn that success comes with hard work and good habits
Language Arts: CLAA's Grammar 1 (it's really a Latin course, but it is also teaching grammar), readers/read alouds from SL Core 5, I feel like something is missing here...
Math: TT 5, although she is reading LOF Fractions and LOF Decimals and Percents "for fun" (she's not yet doing the math in them, just reading the stories). We need to brush up on long division and 3+ digit times 3+ digit multiplication
Science: see above for 12yo ;-) (Possibly the CLAA's World Geography which is supposed to have earth science in it...this may also fit under history/SS below) (Hey...I just realized this might fit in really well with our world cultures study this year...)
Social Studies/History: for right now, Core 5's World Culture's study like the 12yo. I may add CLAA's World Chronology
Phys. Ed.: Soccer, roller skating, possible swimming lessons (this girl CANNOT float and teaching her to swim has been an exercise in frustration for all of us), signed her up for the President's Challenge fitness program
Art/Music: See above w/ 12yo...but maybe notsomuch on the real art lessons, lol
Health: Finishing up Care and Keeping of You ...maybe some library books...it's hard to find "health" book suitable for kids that I actually agree with!
Religion: CLAA's Catechism 1. Probably have her read through Seton Religion 5. Prayer memorization/LOTH as above
Other: CLAA's Grammar 1 teaches Latin
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~
The 7yo (8 in Feb):
Her goal: stay on task, complete her small chunks of assignment before slipping away into parts unknown
math - TT3, watching 5yo's CLAA Petty School math videos and learning the memory work
language arts - she probably needs a spelling book at this point. I think she *knows* how to spell for the most part, but doesn't want to get things wrong. A little program may give her some confidence. She reads very well, and will read library books chosen to compliment the World Cultures study. Watching CLAA videos with 5yo.
science - at the least, animal studies that go along with world cultures unit
social studies/history - library books (world cultures study)
art - ? , art history study with older girls maybe? (now, the problem isn't that there are too few things out there, the problem for us is 3 fold: 1.I think typical "arts and crafts" is a waste of time -fine if they do it on their own but I'm not going to *teach* it, 2. there are too many programs out there and I don't know which ones are truly good and do-able as a 7yo, and 3. even if I picked something, I have to schedule it in and DO IT. There's only so much of me to go around.)
music - she's at a good age to start our piano work, hopefully I can fit that in (see above note on art!), hymn study
physical education - soccer, roller skating, President's Challenge physical fitness program
health - Abeka's 2nd grade Health book is on our shelves somewhere... (although you gotta love the chapter on "milk is the perfect food!" that I have to read to my anaphylactically dairy allergic kid... *eye rolling*
Religion - she listens in to our CLAA Catechism 1 discussions. This is also her sacrament year so our parish will be mailing us the CCD books to use. I'm sure she can read them in a week and pass the tests. ;-)
other - ??
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Last but not least, the 5yo! (turns 6 in May)
Her goal: (more like my goal) not to forget her! She is SO SMART and I need to let her shine - give her hard stuff but try to make it fun since she's only 5.
math - CLAA Petty School Arithmetic
language arts - CLAA Petty School Reading. Shereads pretty well already, and will read library books chosen to compliment the World Cultures study.
science - at the least, animal studies that go along with world cultures unit
social studies/history - library books
art - see 7yo
music - hymn study, and ??
physical education - soccer, President's Challenge physical fitness program
health - Horizon's K Health workbook
Religion - learning prayers, and she's around when we have discussions with older girls.
other
-------------------------------
Now, I guess this looks OK. EXCEPT, it's only paper. Or not even paper - cyberpaper! I don't know how to translate this into our family dynamic and actually have it HAPPEN. Dh gets a few days off in a little bit and hopefully we can spend some time answering that question. That would be a miracle.
Am I forgetting anything major?
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by! I love hearing from you