Even though we have been doing this for a while, this year looks different. I will have only one at home, and this presents challenges and opportunities. his dd likes her solitude. She is quite happy in her room, with her books, music, and school stuff around her. I also like the quiet. So we both need to motivate each other to step out:) Here is what we have planned for the year. Can you tell me your thoughts?
Math – Teaching Textbooks pre-algebra X3days/wk. Khan Academy online drill once a week and Ko’s Journey online once per week.
Science – Exploration Education physical science for the most part. Finishing off an Oceanography unit in September and adding in a short unit on cells/systems as required – likely in June. EE is set up as a 5 day/wk program but I am thinking 3 days Also the storybook of science and the storybook of animals which will cover a couple of years. I just want her to read and narrate these- some written, some oral.
History – TruthQuest commentary/middle ages and the TQ notebooking pages. Novels from SCM and I also have Mystery of History audio which she can listen to in the car or wherever. My problem here is too MANY books. I have 24 novels we would love to get through, some a bit twaddly, but she wants to read them, most on topic and theme. I don’t quite know how to thin it down..
Geography – Book of Discovery by Synge- divided up and she will do narrations every couple of chapters. Also MapTrek maps as they integrate with the history.
Language Arts- Writers Jungle which incorporates different activities daily, like freewriting, communication game etc. Winston Grammar and My Spelling Wkbook which is based on The Writing Road to Reading, mostly for review(and because she likes workbooks, lol) Also Bravewriter novel studies. One per semester. Because she has so many books to read I am just going to ask her to do a written synopsis at the end of each book and do 3 or 4 novel studies with her.Grammar of Poetry -once a week or so? Also daily copywork, just a few minutes in the morning. Not all of this every day but something every day- for about 45 minutes.
Spanish – The Easy Spanish and then Rosetta Stone- I am going to do this with her!
Art – Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain – again, one for both of us together.
Nature Studies – lots of free time for walks etc, and we have Queen Homeschools Discovering Nature series for The Parables of Nature. Looks interesting but may not be her thing, we will see.
Bible is from Hewitt Homeschool, called I dare you and uses How to Be your Own Selfish Pig among other things.
Health is also from Hewitt- uses a 2 day/week syllabus and the Total Health book with an Anatomy coloring book.
PE is required but we live close to the beach, have dogs to walk and she takes horseback riding lessons once a week so I am not too worried about that.
phew, looks like a lot written in one space..maybe I have bitten off more than we can chew but being as there is just her and I here this year, I know we can get a lot done. Wish I could allow myself to let some of the literature go..she is a voracious reader though, so perhaps thats OK?
