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Aggh! I'm in a muddle!
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Ok, I’m all worked up into a muddle, and need some help thinking through it!
Last year Delta (age 9) and Echo (age 7) did AO Year 2 and 1 respectively, with Foxtrot learning to read and doing some math. It has actually gone quite well (using audiobooks) – and I think they have done well – but I got pretty worn out at times.
I’ve been looking at next year… where Delta would be doing Year 3, Echo Year 2, and Foxtrot doing a Year 0.5 (and Golf hanging out) – and I’m just overwhelmed. Delta’s dyslexia makes it harder for him to be independent (only possible with audiobooks) – Echo would be similar. And I’d need to be finding some time for remediation in there too.
Family studies doesn’t work for us (Delta gets feeling bad – and if I’m having a bad health day – well that ends up causing nothing to get done….)
Also – I don’t see how it will get to a point in AO to them being able to read their own books – as they are so high level, and just keep getting higher level. I understand the point of listening to the high level books – but there really should be something at their reading level too….
Yet Delta enjoyed a lot from his last year. (And Echo enjoyed some things – not all….)
And I’m looking at something like “Easy Peasy” – and I like the simplicity to it all, and the independence – although I don’t like their history.
I get to wondering about doing Easy Peasy for the English, and some of the extra topics (computer, logic, physed) doing our Science with the Dr. Wile’s pilot project, Using the basic history plan from AO (and maybe a literature audiobook….), continue our RS Math and AAS for spelling, and maybe add in Writing with Ease? (Picture Study, etc from AO)….. – and try to setup what I can to be independent in the style of Easy Peasy….
Or do I try to make my own thing (but when I’ve tried to do that before, it ended up being heavier than AO….) I have the YC collection…..
Or maybe just say for this season that i need something really easy, and do something like Easy Peasy as is (with RS math and AAS….)
Help!!!!
I’m also considering doing AO as is…. or doing AO as is, but slowed down a bit to give more time for remediation….
I would always choose a season of easy/minimal prep. Then maybe when things get in a great groove add in having one extra thing done each day. No guilt! Work with your reality because nobody is living an ideal picture, we all have real life to deal with. ((HUGS))
Personally, I would focus first on the basic 4 Rs, which in your case will include extra work on reading, spelling, etc., and scale back on things like science, history, and literature (the areas which have all the tough living books to read). While I believe that history and literature are important, and as CM says, they give the brain ideas to digest, I think that students can get most of what they need in those areas in later years. Rather than limping along all the way to graduation, it would be more effective to solidify basic skills now, so they can handle more later. As many have said, even if you only got to AO year 7 or 8, you would still have a quality education.
As you said, you could do AO, just slower. Or, I would pick just one good ‘spine’ type world history book (we are enjoying Synge), one Canadian history book, and one good literature book at a time, and work through them at a comfortable pace, using audiobooks as needed. If you are doing the Science in the Days of Creation program (which is now available for purchase, by the way, if you want to recommend to others), you could skip the science living books for this year, or just pick one. The Christian Liberty Nature Readers would kill two birds with one stone, giving some science while also providing an excellent resource for reading practice. Add in some good free reading at a level that they can handle, and you are good. A few things done well, even if they are easier, will be of greater benefit than a lot of things done poorly or not at all because you all run out of time and energy. More time on reading lots of free reading type books at the right reading level will bring their reading skills along further than slogging through material that is too hard.
I’ve been working on planning years 1, 2, and 3, using ideas from AO, SCM and MA, relying on many Yesterday’s Classics and History Heritage books so let me know if you want any details about the books I’ve pre-read and chosen so far.
Joanne
Personally, I would focus first on the basic 4 Rs, which in your case will include extra work on reading, spelling, etc., and scale back on things like science, history, and literature (the areas which have all the tough living books to read).
Yes, that is what I’ve been thinking…. except that is the part that Delta likes best. So I don’t want to be like the PS system – pulling him out of all the things he enjoys to do remedial reading…. You know what I mean? And although I really hope that I can get him reading to a good level, from the dyslexic homeschool boards I’m on, I know that it may (or may not) take years, or may not ever happen….
Also – I need to specify a plan for Science and Social….
I heard that “Science in the Creation Week” pilot has been released as “Science in the Beginning” – but I thought only in Canada, Australia, and the UK. I think it isn’t available in the US yet. Still waiting for the non-competition clause Apologia has against Dr. Wile to expire. I’ve heard rumours that might happen around August 15th – but it is against the agreement for him to say when it will happen…. So I haven’t been bragging up the program to anyone yet… That said – it is good!
Anyway – I’m still jumping around a bit on what to do. I’m trying to work out details, and I keep jumping around but I’m thinking something like….
(for Delta)
(Religion) – Scriptures – for Delta – Discovering the Scriptures BofM grades 4-7 (and maybe we can buy grades 1-3 for Echo….?). Also scripture memory box…
Reading
– Remediation – I’m expecting “Reading Reflex” in the mailbox – hoping to find something helpful in there…. or possibly continue with “Dancing Bears” or ??? (This will require me…)
– Practice – simpler but (hopefully) living books – maybe the Easy-Peasy selections or something from YC?
– literature – one of the Year 3 AO books, read along with the audiobook. maybe read a page or so from each and let him choose? or do Jungle Book so that he can finish his cub badge requirement for the Reader Badge?
Writing
– Continue AAS (requires me)
– Possibly start Writing with Ease level 1? (that would include copywork…..) (requires me)
‘rithmatic – Continue RightStart. Practice sheet (and any worksheets) without me. lesson and games with me. Timez Attack without me….
Science – Science in the Creation Week pilot (now Science in the Beginning) [could do as family…. would need to decide]
History – Delta is loving the AO history – so probably do the Our Island Story and Child’s History of the World as scheduled on AO, along with some Canadian History – maybe not all I’d planned though – probably Story of Canada (Marsh) and the Canadian Minutes… and possibly the book on Natives that I’ve added to our “Year 2” after Delta finished Yr 2….
Geography – feel we should do something – isn’t there an online site somewhere that does something like map drills???
Did you see that there is a 20% discount code for Discover the Scriptures right now? I’m looking at picking up some of their products I’m missing. The code is sun13 . Not sure how long it is running for yet – I put an email in to Rochelle to ask and haven’t heard back.
Oh, I didn’t know that! THANKS! We get a GST credit tomorrow, so maybe I can squeeze a bit of money out of that to buy it!
I tried AO with my son. The books were too hard. I was frustrated. I switched to using the SCM suggestions for 1-3 for our current time period. They are MUCH more suited to that age group. IMO The reading material at AO is very prohibitive to getting an independent reader very early. When I switched to the more age appropriate SCM reading material he took off reading and even read some of the 4-6 books too. He could easily handle the AO books now, but I doubt he would be if I had kept reading everything to him.
I originally scheduled SCM books like an AO schedule for my children.
You could still keep each child in a different time period to have them reading different books. Just a thought.
Something that might help you… or not, is that CM did not have her classes studying different time periods in history. They were all studying the same thing at the same time. So, to simplify things, you could do the combining for the kiddos so you read the family part to them – which could be some of the books that your son really enjoyed, and then get him an age appropriate reader that ties in with that period. Just a thought…
Des, life is crazy right now with multiple houseguests, but I’ll PM you when I have a chance in a few days. If you haven’t heard from me in a week, feel free to remind me!
Joanne
I would appreciate your list too Joanne. Thanks
I’m still going back and forth a bit – but I think I’m feeling a bit better. I’m just thrown into a million decisions that I though I had all settled…. sigh.
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