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Let's Talk: Planning for NEXT year
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I know I’m not the only one who starts planning the next year around this time of year. So let’s chat! What are you looking at for next year’s learning? Do you have new students coming up? Are you graduating any students? Are there areas where you are looking at new curricula/materials?
I’ll share mine later on but right now I hear a little baby waking up so I’m off to snuggle. 🙂 Have a lovely day!
This year was my first full year of school with a 1st grader. Next year I will have a 2nd grade, Kinder (turns 5 next month) and a toddler. I am excited to start planning, this is what I have for now
<b>Kindergartener only</b>
100 easy lessons-learning to read
copywork-letter formation
MUS-primer (he will fly through this, he loves numbers)
<b>Second Grade onl</b>y
History- modern times (module 6)
personal devotional- 2-3x a week outside of family Bible time
Geography- visits to north america
science- finishing up 106 days of creation studies that we started this year
shakespere- Midsummer nights dream (this is a new subject for year 2)
free reading daily
math facts practice
read aloud- 2 days a week to me, 2 days to little sister
math- looks like she will be finishing MUS alpha and starting beta
copywork- practicing the cursive she is learning this year
<b>Family Studies all togethe</b>r
Bible- I think I’ll start with psalms and proverbs
literature- haven’t decided what books yet- I’m thinking chronicles of Narnia
scripture memory
artist-3 of them
composer- 3 of tgem
hymn- 6-8 hymn for the year
art time- I think I will schedule a 30 min block to just let them explore different mediums, nothing formal
nature study
poetry- 1 poet
habits- 2-3 habits for the year, LDTR
THe Kindergartener will be allowed to join in for any of the 2nd graders history/geography stuff but I won’t require it this year. He will have his 45-60 min of school and then will be free to go play until we finish up.
I start planning about this time of year, too.
This year, we are doing SCM Ancient Egypt. We are loving it. I have 2 in school, ages 6 and 8 and two younger ones. The simplicity of the SCM guide has been amazing.
For next year, I didn’t want to spend another year on ancient history since we read through the first SOTW a couple of years ago, so I’ve been looking at Medieval to Reformation times. I’ve been planning on skipping up to SCM’s Medieval times guide, but the Bible with that is the Epistles and I’d really like to do the life of Christ. But just yesterday I thought of doing MFW’s Rome to Reformation study. So, now I have that to toss around. (If anyone has experience with that study, I’d love to hear about it!) Whichever way we go for History, I plan to use Visits to…. for geography.
My 8 year old has been doing LLATL this year. I think I’ll switch to Using Language Well next year. I’d like to add typing for him and maybe music theory.
I haven’t decided yet if I’ll start anything official for #3. He’ll be 5. I’ve always started kindergarten at 4 or 5 (really regret starting at 4) but I just haven’t decided what to do yet. If I do start him, I think I’ll change my learning to read curriculum. I’ve used The Reading Lesson for the older boys, but they always get really bored with it and I quit part way through. So I’m thinking of finding something different for that.
But truthfully, the idea of adding a 3rd while the older two are still learning to read is overwhelming, so I’m just not sure what to do about that.
I have my plans mostly worked out. I’ve even made several purchases already since we like to spread them out throughout the year.
History: SCM Early Modern Times
Geography: Visits to N. America
Science: Christian Kids Explore Physics, Physics Workshop kit from Thames & Kosmos, Apologia Physical Science (for 9th grader)
Art/music: Harmony Fine Arts grade 7 (with grade 9 for the 9th grader), Artistic Pursuit for 9th grader, Drawspace lessons for everyone, also looking into Paint Lab–this looks like a great book!
Bible: continue with Bible readings/stories, memory work, hymn study
Handicrafts: charcoal/sketching for oldest, clay & painting for the younger ones–these tie in with our art program
Poet: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
LA: ELTL & Spelling Wisdom, Beyond the Book report 1 & 2 for 9th grader, Write On for 4th & 6th graders, copywork for all (except the 2yo) 😉
Phonics: McGuffey reader alongside Starfall workbook
Math: MUS
Habits: Haven’t selected specific habits yet, but we’ll continue with LDTR for Children
Latin: ??? Still can’t make up my mind here. Maybe Getting Started With Latin or possibly Latin Alive/ Latin for Children if it’s in the budget. Or we may just stick with Memoria Press
For my 2/3 YO: Before Five in a Row activities and books
Kayla, I just found a very interesting series of books. There is Art Lab, Paint Lab, Art Lab for Little Kids. They look very fun and informal! I’ll be looking into these more after our vacation next week.
Yay for fellow planners!
So, my plans for next year are as follows:
DS, 9/Grade 4:
Grammar: Harvey’s Grammar
Reading (for narration): McGuffey’s 3rd Eclectic reader
Copywork: selections from his reader
Dictation: selections from his reader
Spelling: words from his reading/written work– All that said, I may use Spelling Wisdom and Using Language Well, but with the Canadian dollar sinking faster than the Titanic, we’re really trying to do this as cheaply as possible.
Narration: continue oral narrations of his reading, science and history.
“Writing”: require one written narration per week, from a subject of his choosing.
Math: CLE math level 300
Science: 106 Days of Creation
History: Story of the World Volume 2, adding in Canadian studies where applicableDD, 9/Grade 1:
Reading: McGuffey’s Eclectic Primer for reading instruction
Copywork: selections from her primer
Narration: narrate her reading, and Bible
Math: CLE level 100
*She may join in her brother’s science and history if she wants to, but I won’t require it of her.Combined:
Poetry study: Christina Rossetti
Picture Study: not totally sure, but I’m thinking Van Gogh, John James Audubon and one other
Music Study: again, not 100% sure but I’m thinking Beethoven and Bach for sure
Hymn Study: random songs from our Mass
Prayer Study: continue learning prayers from our Mass
Nature Study: may use the SCM guide, but again, depends on $
Recorder: using Oak Meadow recorder books
Bible: this is the one thing I’m unsure on. Right now we’re reading daily Bible stories and narrating them, and then once a week reading a story of a saint and narrating that. I’m considering doing something more liturgical focused, maybe Catholic Mosaic.And… I think that’s everything!
Kayla – nice plans! Chronicles of Narnia is one of my absolute favorite series to introduce kids to.
MissusLeata – We loved the year we did middle ages last time! There are some great books for that time period even for younger kids, and who doesn’t enjoy learning about Vikings, knights, etc? I’ve never used MFW but have heard many people enjoy it. Teaching reading to several is sometimes overwhelming, I would probably wait with the 5yo personally. Right now I’m teaching one to read (Oliver, my 5th) and will probably add the next child to the learning to read mix next year. The first several I taught to read without any curricula but with Oliver I decided to have All About Reading on hand so it can be my guide of what topic to cover next. Mostly because life is so busy that it’s nice to be able to grab that and have the order of teaching things laid out for me when Oliver is ready for the next new idea.
Holly – It’s nice when you can combine kids in similar topics in science, I like your physics/physical science plans! Even when they don’t all use the same book you end up with them reinforcing one another’s learning as their activities and experiments catch one another’s attention. Looks like great plans!
I’ve been working on plans and discovered that in many cases I don’t have to buy much. We’re reaching a nice crossover point where a lot of our materials can be reused or used with multiple ages together. I’ll share things we use for the whole family first, then for smaller groups, then individuals.
Whole Family
- History Revealed: Romans, Reformers, and Revolutionaries – we will actually begin this in March/April I think, we’re winding towards the end of the level before (Ancient Civilizations and the Bible). This works well for all my ages, we use library books to explore topics, love the many project ideas, audio, etc. It integrates some picture study, geography, music, etc.
- Hymn study – we just learn a new one every few weeks together.
- Scripture memory – done together.
- Picture study – done together, we find picture online usually, or in art books.
- Book Club – we read aloud 1 book per month for our book club.
Smaller groups
- God’s Design for Science – I use this for everyone but my high schooler, so next year that will be 6th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd, K with 3 little boy tagalongs. I’m deciding between the red and orange sets (Physical World or Chemistry and Ecology).
I’m having weird issues and it won’t let me post my longer post. SO now I’m trying to post it in sections and it still just won’t post it. (No errors, just nothing posts.) Weird.
Holly, Oh I look forward to hearing more about the art stuff. This year we have been learning about color, how colors work, mixing colors, discussing color choices during picture study.
Tristan, I’ve been waiting to read Narnia so that my sole boy would be a little older his first time through. I know he will love it! He loved Dangerous Journey for history this year.
I forgot to mention we are reading through McGuffey. We are 2/3 of the way through the first reader now, and will continue with those for read alouds next year. Maybe I’ll use their slate work for our copywork next year? Hmmmm…
10th grader – Makayla
She’ll also do Math U See Stewardship, the 2nd half of Apologia Biology (1/2 credit), herpetology, New Testament studies, Piano with performance, and art. Language arts will be lots of literature, Spelling Wisdom, and either The Power in Your Hands by Sharon Watson or Help for High School from Brave Writer. Both are nonfiction writing.
6th grader Joseph and 5th Grader Emma
Both will do MUS Zeta (Decimals and Percents), Brave Writer, Spelling Wisdom, and art. Plus lots of literature.
3rd grader – Daniel
He’ll be doing MUS Delta (division), Brave Writer, copywork, lots of literature, and art.
2nd grader – Oliver
He’ll be doing MUS Beta, Brave Writer (with me writing down his oral narrations), copywork, art, and All About Reading level 2. I’ll read to him a lot.
Kindergartener – Caleb
He’ll be doing MUS Alpha, Brave Writer (with me writing down his oral narrations), copywork, art, and All About Reading level 1. I’ll read to him too.
That leaves my little guys who at that point will be 4.5 (Mason), 3 (Samuel), and 9 months (Tobias). They will play and enjoy books with mom.
I am startingto plan for next year, but am new at this.. We just started K this year. And next year I will have a K and 1st grader. Has anyone tried the individual daily plans? I am trying to decide whether to go with that for L.A. or just do a Reason for Handwriting A and have my first grader read aloud to me from books like frog and toad etc…? I plan on using the Early Modern Guide for History and Geography (adding Charlotte Mason’s elementary geography). I am going to use outdoor secrets and the companion for science as well as have my children keep their own calendars. Any other suggestions? I think I will also do the 1st enrichment guide but maybe tweak the literature suggestions. My son is also showing interest in piano.</span>
Glad to see I’m not the only one planning this early! 😀
My daughter will be in 9th grade and here are our plans so far:
1 ch. Bible daily
Bible study together
scripture memory with SCM system
hymn study-we just switch out our hymn every couple of weeks and we sing it daily
Devotional Reading:
More Thank a Carpenter-Josh McDowell
Mere Christianity-C.S. Lewis
History:
James Stobaugh’s American History text
The Struggle For Sea Power-M.B. Synge (world history)
John Adams-Catherine Drinker Bowen
Miracle at Philadelphia-Catherine Drinker Bowen
Leader by Destiny-Jeanette Eaton (Washington bio)
The War for Independence-Albert Marrin
Marie Antoinette and Her Son-Can’t remember the author
Napoleon-H.E. Marshall
Various historic documents and speeches from AO. Most of these history suggestions came from AO’s year 9
Government and Economics:
The Everything American Government Book (AO)
Are you Liberal, Conservative or Confused?-Mabury (AO)
Common Sense-Paine (AO)
Logic:
How to Read a Book-Adler (AO)
Science: Apologia Physical Science
Geography: SCM’s Visits To North America
Math U See Algebra I
Elementary Greek
I haven’t decided on our artist studies, composer studies, poetry studies or Shakespeare studies yet.
We will do one life from Plutarch but I’m not sure which one at this point.
I haven’t fully decided on literature selections yet either. I usually just have my daughter read from a classic every day for 30 minutes and she is able to pick which one for the most part. I do have certain books that are must reads but I let her choose what order she wants to read them in.
She also has weekly piano lessons and daily practice.
I think that about covers our plans so far! I’ve enjoyed reading all of your plans as well. It’s nice to see what others are doing. 🙂
I forgot to add that we are using Simply Spelling for copywork and dictation and she works on that 3 days a week. If we wrap that up this year, I will have her do dictation twice a week next year. She will also be required to write 2-3, narrations a week. I still have her narrate orally for every reading.
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