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Help with future plans
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I feel drawn to SCM! I’ve looked consistently over the last few years at the site but never taken the plunge. This may be long but I need to give you all background. This is our 13th year of homeschooling. I’ve always done one or more of the following approaches: CM/unit study/Ruth Beechick. The longer we homeschool the more I have adopted CM’s ways in our home and have not been disappointed. I’m at a point with my younger children where I feel like I need to make a choice. I can’t decide what to do. I would like some feedback.
The two children I’m working with are currently 8 and 4 (almost 5). My 8 year old is a boy with vision issues that make many elements of CM hard but we are adapting and it is working. When he was 6 we started doing SWR, Right Start, and some elements of AO. Right Start did not work for him at all!!! He is currently using Practical Arithmetic orally and doing very well. We then did MFW 1st grade. Last year we did HOD Bigger and this year are using HOD Preparing. I am disappointed with Preparing overall. We like the literature (though I’m not crazy about CHOW) but he can not do any of it independently. I’ve been very disappointed with the Bible in it. Even the copywork I have to print out skipping every other line because he can not copy it from book to paper. We don’t use Rod and Staff but instead let copywork, narration and dictation be his LA.
My 4 year old is almost a prodigy (she plays on the piano what she hears her brother playing). She sat down yesterday and played Jingle Bells without me ever teaching her piano. She has already sounded out words but I would not say she is reading. I use Queen Homeschool LL for Little Ones with her. I have her writing her letters in sand. She already knows the sounds of all the letters (SWR) from listening to me work with her brother over the years.
SO, my plan was to continue with HOD, doing CTC next year. But, He is not ready to do this. I came up with a plan that I thought would work but now I don’t think it will. My plan was to do MFW Adventures next year with both of them letting my 4 year old do what she could and beefing it up for my 8 year old. HOD Bigger did not cover the events of Am. History just the people. He doesn’t have a good feel for Am. History. I was thinking if we did an overview of Am. History next year that would help in that area. Then after that we could start the four year history rotation using whatever I decide upon. That would put both of them perfectly aligned together until they both graduate, rotating though history every 4 years (and my now 4 year old could do MFW 1st when we are doing Creation to Christ or Greeks.
What is wrong with that idea? I borrowed a friends MFW Adv. and was shocked by how little meat there was in it. I was going to add SCM 106 Days of Creation to it but history wise there is very little! I think I’d be tweaking it to death if I did that. Which leads me back to SCM… What scares me about SCM? It’s the 6 year history cycle. If I start my oldest on the cycle next year or the year after, it doesn’t work out with graduation requirements for high school.
I would love help in deciphering which way I should head next year. I really like the looks of SCM. I love the Bible in MFW but dislike there literature selections (I don’t like Usborne type books or SOTW for ethical reasons). I really like the literature and poetry of HOD but dislike the lack of Biblical study. Above all, I want my children to walk away from our homeschool KNOWing the Bible, KNOWing why the believe what they believe, Loving the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, and be able to refute evolution and stand for Creation. Help!
If you’ve made it this far… thank you!
Polly: Do not despair! I am sure you will find the help you are looking for, these ladies are chock full of information! When I was stuck with wondeing what to do with my son (7yo) I prayed ALOT and little by little the Lord is revealing what works with Caleb. I am sure you have been praying too, I just want to encourage you. So that we may better help you would you (or anyone else) mind giving us the “regular” names of the programs you’ve tried? I know AO is Ambleside Online, CHOW is Children’s History of the World(?) and SOTW is Story of the World, but what are SWR, HOD and CTC? Iunderstand you wanting your children to understand the Creation side and where they REALLY came from, I would encourage you to consider doing your own type of Bible study with the children and not to expect it from curriculum. You are the only one who knows specifically what you want them to know about the Bible and you are the best one to teach it! Since we are to teach them as we walk by the way, in the morning and all day long, it will come! One thing that has really helped on the side of learning Biblical creation is listening to the Jonathan Park adventure series. I am sure your children will love it as much as we do. I don’t know how to link but you can go to Vision Forum.com and take a look at them. There are now six volumes and each one teaches God’s role/plan in creation and also the children in the story are good role models. They are portrayed as polite, respectful, obedient childfren. I hope you find the answers you need, you have come to the right place!
I successfully switched from SWR to All-About-Spelling and that has been much more user friendly for me and my kids (DD8 and DS5). I used AO, but found many of the selections to be too much.
I also decided a 6 year rotation was more to my liking. After all, I only ever had history in high school – 1 year of World history, 1/2 year of American history, 1/2 year of state history and then gov’t/econ. I’ve learned WAY more history in the few years we’ve homeschooled than I did in high school or college!
We now use SCM as our total framework. Currently – Module 3 (Matt – Acts & Ancient Rome) and use Mara Pratt’s American History Stories. DD hated This Country of Ours with me reading or on audio, but she can easily manage the Pratt stories on her own, though we have them on audio, too. We’re adding a Book of Centuries (world history) and a Book of Decades (US history)
We are doing Apologia’s Elem. Astronomy and Atelier Art as part of our co-op, but that finishes out our studies. DD8 takes piano and rides horses and DS5 takes golf lessons.
We focus a lot on character issues and chores, too.
I don’t know how helpful this is, but sometimes I find a glimpse of another’s school helpful.
Blessings,
Christie
I wish I could be more helpful, but have you looked into Tapestry of Grace or the Truthquest history guides? You could still use resources from this site and use CM methods.
I’ve looked at Tapestry but I just don’t like it. It’s too confusing and I don’t feel comfortable with there literature selections as they get older. I have looked at Truth Quest but it looks more like a book list and I guess I want something a little more structured than that.
Our whole family loves Jonathan Park (except my husband who is not a Christian)! We just finished the series that we borrowed from a friend. (They’ll be getting it for Christmas!)
I agree that Tapestry is just too much. I bought it twice b/c I liked the idea of all together, but SCM meets that requirement.
I at first wanted to change the 6 year cycle to 4, but upon further consideration thought why should I really? The 6 year cycle allows you to really dig into and know each time period. If you are worried about graduation requirements, couldn’t you add a side study on whatever he needs to do? For example, we are doing Module 6. Since she lists for geography Holling books I got the BF Guide to add into. Another thing is we just finished Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War books. I lumped them together in a big Unit study, if you will, on Civil War. So, I took her books and stretched a little into what works for us. I found some sheets online for free to print and add to our notebook. We did mapwork on the North and South. Talked about States because my goal is for my 9 year to know his States and Capitals at the end of this year. I got this cute book called Little Man in the Map to help them learn States and Capitals, and they can eventually label them both on a blank map. Next we are going to talk about The West and Cowboys and Indians. So, you could leave it and add onto for his requirements. A lot of moms I know with High schoolers count things for subjects that are stretching it but I dont see why they shouldnt count. In co-op I am leading a Dissection class for 4th and up. A 9th grader in our class, his mom, is counting this as a High School Biology requirement. She has him go home and do some lab reports on what he dissected.
We are new to CM this year. My kids are loving it, and I am too! It is so laid back along with being “involved” in learning at the same time! I could tell you all that we do in our HS, but everyone has their “own” way. My suggestion is to write out a list of subjects you want to cover then go to the suggested book find through grade level. Next, go look at them (on Amazon) one by one. I know it can be tedious…but I am so glad I did this! Check off the ones that interest you then narrow them down to first choice, second choice etc.. You might be able to use these books next year.
This is my thought on History. I battled with starting with Ancient History. I really wanted to do it the CM way. I just had a problem with learning about other gods, idols, etc.. So I went with Beautiful Feet’s American History with my 7 year old. He is pretty smart too. There is an article found on their website http://www.bfbooks.com under FAQ about Why Teach Am History First? This is of course not aligned with CM. We definately are absorbed in biblical teaching/learning throughout our HS. What I have added to our studies is the book, Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick. Which you may have already done. There are other books similiar to this that you may want to get. We do the Time Line and believe it or not my son understands that Am History is way after Creation/Ancient etc.. We put what we are learning in Am His on the correct place on the Time Line so he will know. We do a couple of other things for Biblical History.
I have a soon to be 5 yr old also. We use 1 LA Queen book also. I love SCM 106 Days of Creation. And looking forward to adding Genesis to Deuteronomy next year!
I certainly know it can be overwhelming at first! But, soon you will get in with the flow of things! Going to one of SCM seminars is a good idea too! I learned so much! Sonya is great!
I felt the same way about MFW and Tapestry as you! CM is not a “set” curriculum. So, it can be tailored to your needs using CM methods! Wonderful!!
If you would like to know any books or schedule that we have adapted, please let me know! I will be happy to email you!
God Bless!
You can see the Mara Pratt History Stories in full at http://www.mainlesson.com
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