This is the time of year I love. We relax the schedule and look back on the year to evaluate our progress. We look forward to next school year to see where we want to go. And, we finish out our current year with lots of fun hands-on learning. This year we will wrap up our year 1 studies with the Americas and botany. We will visit local Native American sites and (hopefully!) grow things if my black thumb doesn't get in our way. I am also working on planning some fun field trips for next year related to our year 2 studies-geology, astronomy, and the middle ages.
I think my favorite part, though, is to look back at what we have accomplished this past year. I stop and evaluate where each of my little students is at currently, how far we have come, and where we hope to go, and I make a list of goals to focus on during our relaxed time over the summer.
For us this summer, we will be working on reading fluency with 2 kiddos, and early reading with a 3rd. My current 3rd grader (almost 4th grader!) was just diagnosed dyslexic. His summer goals involve improving his reading and spelling skills with some new materials which will hopefully appeal to his awesome dyslexic brain. We will be using some of the materials provided by the Scottish Rite, along with Apples and Pears. My 5th (soon to be 6th grader) hopes to spend lots of time reading this summer. We don't school all summer, but we do try to keep our activities sensory-rich and learning-rich. School isn't separate from our life, rather it is our lifestyle and we tend to be all in when we are studying a particular topic.
My oldest (soon to be 11th grader) is actually beginning his junior year early this year. He will be in France in January as an exchange student, so we are starting schoolwork in June. He will be taking a dual enrollment class, as well as starting his history and lit, math, and thesis work for the year over the summer.
When I look back at what we have accomplished, and set new goals for the summer and future school year, I try to be careful to look not just at academic goals, but also at character issues and study skill related issues in each child. I want my children to be self-motivated and independent learners. We use tools through the year to try to encourage them along that path. For example, beginning in 6th grade, my kids set their own schedule using a planner. They decide which work they will accomplish which day and week. They set their own goals and schedule. I come behind them to make sure they are accomplishing the work at a pace they need to meet, but they are responsible for deciding how to break the work down by day and week.
Even for my younger children, I try to give them time management skills and independence by using work plans beginning in 1st grade. All the work they need to accomplish in a week is written onto their work plan, and it is their decision how and when to accomplish each task over the week.
Other issues we look for and encourage include note-taking, study skills, and listening skills. Oftentimes, if you are self-teaching mostly by reading, you lose the opportunity to develop your listening and oral note-taking skills. To attempt to teach these skills to my children, we watch videos and documentaries, use Khan academy and Coursera lectures, and take advantage of open courses available free online, such as those offered by Yale and MIT. We also require oral presentations from the kids over the year in a variety of environments, as well as their regular written work such as research projects beginning in middle school, and shorter projects in the elementary grades.
I love watching them grow and learn each year. In the midst of the daily grind of the school year, it is easy to miss the progress. Taking time to look back and reflect allows me a chance to see how far they have come. And laying out specific goals allows us to stay focused on where we are headed. And always I try to stay focused on the fact that they don't have to learn everything in one year, or even when they are young. They will repeat so much of the same information in high school. If we are struggling in an area, we work on that area over the summer more intensely, but always recognizing that those character issues and study skills issues are the most important in the younger grades to prepare them for high school.
Showing posts with label middle school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label middle school. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Analytical Grammar
As my oldest entered high school, I went researching for a solid grammar curriculum he could use to finish out his grammar studies. I was looking for something that wasn't too involved, since he had already been exposed to these concepts. He mostly needed some review and reinforcement during his high school years. He needed something straightforward and not terribly time consuming. He had already learned the rules of grammar, and now needed to focus most of his time on his great book studies. We finally landed on Analytical Grammar and it was a perfect fit.
The philosophy of the writers of Analytical Grammar is "that they don't need to be "doing" a grammar worksheet every day, all year long, for years and years and years! If grammar is taught sequentially and logically, there is no need for so much repetition." They argue that grammar instruction isn't even needed until middle school ages. I know, I know. That's hard for us parents to hear--especially those of us who are Classically minded. While I am not ready to drop grammar from my elementary students' work plans, the idea of not having to struggle through busy work is very appealing. I had noticed that my oldest and his 6 years younger sister were doing basically the same grammar work year after year, and really that much repetition wasn't necessary to achieve our goals.
The program of Analytical Grammar is set up in 3 seasons. You purchase 1 set and that set includes all you need for those 3 years of grammar. You can modify the seasons and complete them sooner than 3 years, but we stuck to the 3 year plan. The first 10-12 weeks of the year consist of new lessons with new material, as well as some practice pages. The curriculum teaches parsing and diagramming as it goes, using real literature such as Twain and the Gettysburg Address. If you aren't comfortable teaching, they sell dvds that cover the material for you. I found that my student was able to read the lesson and understand it himself without my instruction. After those initial weeks, the student will complete a page of practice every other week for the rest of the year. I hear your skepticism. The reality is, it works. My oldest was never a good diagrammer, and I wondered how much he would retain with only this much practice. I was blown away by both the depth he learned and the ease at which he can now diagram complicated sentences, but also the depth of retention from one season to the next. He just didn't need the drill when the lessons were taught with an emphasis on patterns.
The 3 seasons can be completed anytime from 6th grade onward. Once those seasons are complete, your student can move on to the high school reinforcement books which allow for practice using real literature from American authors, British authors, World authors, or Shakespeare. If you can't wait to start until 6th, they also have Jr. Analytical grammar, which my oldest daughter used and loved this past year.
The program is no-frills and uses real literature. It teaches grammar in a logical progression, without excessive repetition and busy work. It fits our goals and priorities well, while teaching solid grammar rules and constructions. We have been very pleased and look forward to trying out their new writing curriculum as well.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Speech and debate
One of our favorite parts of homeschooling last year was participating in our local speech and debate club. This club competes through the NCFCA. I was blown away by the level of competition and the quality of performances of these students.
My oldest participated in the LD debate, but there were others involved in TP and many categories of speech. Participants are 12-18 years old. The experience was excellent for him to learn about how to structure an argument, how to present himself, what evidence is important and useful, and even how to go through the formal process of a debate. He learned a ton about the year's resolution, and it provided us great opportunity to discuss current events and history with a depth we don't usually get to experience. The whole family was in on letting him know of any relevant quotes or fact they encountered.
I think my favorite part of the experience was the excitement and enthusiasm I saw in him for research. In NCFCA debate, there is one resolution over the course of the year. Each student has to write and prepare both an affirmative case (supporting the resolution) and a negative case (against the resolution). In a tournament, each student will be required to debate both sides. This requirement forces them to dig deeper and build strong cases, but also to look from both sides of the argument. Instead of just picking a side, they have to be able to see the other side's point of view and understand it enough to even argue for it. It's an incredible exercise in argumentation and research.
Parents attend tournaments and help judge which was a lot of fun. I loved watching other debaters and speakers. Again and again I was blown away by the quality and level at which they were competing. To watch high school students be able to stand up and speak eloquently and deeply about real subjects and issues in an educated and passionate way--well, I just can't say enough good about the organization or our club. It was a great experience in oral presenation that fit perfectly with our goals in the rhetoric stage.
My oldest participated in the LD debate, but there were others involved in TP and many categories of speech. Participants are 12-18 years old. The experience was excellent for him to learn about how to structure an argument, how to present himself, what evidence is important and useful, and even how to go through the formal process of a debate. He learned a ton about the year's resolution, and it provided us great opportunity to discuss current events and history with a depth we don't usually get to experience. The whole family was in on letting him know of any relevant quotes or fact they encountered.
I think my favorite part of the experience was the excitement and enthusiasm I saw in him for research. In NCFCA debate, there is one resolution over the course of the year. Each student has to write and prepare both an affirmative case (supporting the resolution) and a negative case (against the resolution). In a tournament, each student will be required to debate both sides. This requirement forces them to dig deeper and build strong cases, but also to look from both sides of the argument. Instead of just picking a side, they have to be able to see the other side's point of view and understand it enough to even argue for it. It's an incredible exercise in argumentation and research.
Parents attend tournaments and help judge which was a lot of fun. I loved watching other debaters and speakers. Again and again I was blown away by the quality and level at which they were competing. To watch high school students be able to stand up and speak eloquently and deeply about real subjects and issues in an educated and passionate way--well, I just can't say enough good about the organization or our club. It was a great experience in oral presenation that fit perfectly with our goals in the rhetoric stage.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Middle School/Logic stage history
In the logic stage, I expect more out of my students than just narration. My 5th-8th graders still participate with us with our Story of the World work and unit study work, but they go beyond that work on their own. For those students we begin the process of outlining.
First of all--the why. Outlining is a very important skill. To be able to read a text and tease out the most important information is very important to comprehension and rentention. It is also a skill they will need in reverse when they start writing essays and longer papers. Practicing by directly observing the struture of other's written work, will make this process of organizing their own work easier and more natural.
To outline, my 5th graders read a corresponding or connected section in our Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. That student will then take the section (1 or 2 pages) a paragraph at a time. The main idea of paragraph 1 goes with the I. in the outline. The main idea of paragraph 2 is roman numeral 2 and so on. The sections in Kingfisher are not so long that the process is overwhelming, but they are meaty enough that the student is learning more details and practicing the art of selection. In 5th grade, this outline will be a one-step outline:
I.
II.
III.
In 6th grade, we begin 2 step outlines. Paragraphs are not just given the roman numeral and the main idea, but the main facts behind the main point will be now labelled.
I.
A.
B.
II.
A.
B.
In 7th and 8th grade, these 2 step outlines become 3 step outlines, and a 1, 2, 3, etc are added below the letters. The WTM does a good job of explaining how to outline and giving specific examples. I highly recommend you read that section before you start outlining with your child.
So basically, logic stage history is grammar stage history with the family, plus independent outlining of Kingfisher. The Story of the World activity book lists out for you already the relevant pages of Kingfisher that match each chapter. All that work is already done for you.
Edited to add: My logic stage students also have a blank timeline book. I like the one Sonlight puts out. They will add important dates to their timeline book, color coded by type of date.
First of all--the why. Outlining is a very important skill. To be able to read a text and tease out the most important information is very important to comprehension and rentention. It is also a skill they will need in reverse when they start writing essays and longer papers. Practicing by directly observing the struture of other's written work, will make this process of organizing their own work easier and more natural.
To outline, my 5th graders read a corresponding or connected section in our Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. That student will then take the section (1 or 2 pages) a paragraph at a time. The main idea of paragraph 1 goes with the I. in the outline. The main idea of paragraph 2 is roman numeral 2 and so on. The sections in Kingfisher are not so long that the process is overwhelming, but they are meaty enough that the student is learning more details and practicing the art of selection. In 5th grade, this outline will be a one-step outline:
I.
II.
III.
In 6th grade, we begin 2 step outlines. Paragraphs are not just given the roman numeral and the main idea, but the main facts behind the main point will be now labelled.
I.
A.
B.
II.
A.
B.
In 7th and 8th grade, these 2 step outlines become 3 step outlines, and a 1, 2, 3, etc are added below the letters. The WTM does a good job of explaining how to outline and giving specific examples. I highly recommend you read that section before you start outlining with your child.
So basically, logic stage history is grammar stage history with the family, plus independent outlining of Kingfisher. The Story of the World activity book lists out for you already the relevant pages of Kingfisher that match each chapter. All that work is already done for you.
Edited to add: My logic stage students also have a blank timeline book. I like the one Sonlight puts out. They will add important dates to their timeline book, color coded by type of date.
SOTW my way
Edited to add: In elementary and middle school, we work on memorizing the lists given in the WTM to go along with each year cycle, and we also work through learning the countries of the world by continent. We also have a blank timeline on the wall and a blank map on the wall and we input the informaton we study from each SOTW chapter on those 2 resources each day we do history. We do history 2 days a week around here.
As I mentioned in my first post on history here, I re-order Story of the World. No, I don't think this is necessary. I think you can use Story of the World straight through and it is fine. It is really excellently written (and I am picky about history). However, it jumps too much for us, and I also want to set it up in a way that is conducive to using unit studies and slowing down to study a topic with more depth. And so I re-order and group Story of the World. Below is our basic structure for each year of the WTM cycle as requested.
(Look for some of my year specific posts soon on some of my favorite resources for each year of the WTM cycle. I also love this link which gives you great ideas for books to go along with SOTW that are included in the Sonlight program.)
Year 1: Intro-what is history-week 1--intro, ch. 1
Egypt--weeks 2-5--ch. 2, 3, 4, 12, 13
Mesopotamia--weeks 6-9--ch. 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 17
India---weeks 10-12--ch. 9, 30, 31
China--weeks 13-15--ch. 10, 32, 33
Africa--weeks 16-17--ch. 11
Greeks--weeks 18-22--ch. 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24
Persia--weeks 23-24--ch. 21
Hellenistic world--weeks 25, 26--ch. 25
Rome--weeks 27-32--ch. 27, 28, 29, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42
Americas--weeks 33-36--ch. 26
Year 2: Fall of Rome/Germanic Tribes--weeks 1-2--ch. 1, 4
Islamic Empire--weeks 3-5--ch. 6, 7, 12, 24
Europe: Knights, castles, Vikings, Crusades, etc--weeks. 6-13--ch. 2, 3, 15, 16, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23
India--weeks 14-15--ch. 5, 30
China--weeks 16-17--ch. 8, 21, 22
Japan--weeks 18-19--ch. 9, 10
Americas and africa--weeks 20-21--ch. 29, 32
Fall of the Middle Ages--weeks 22-24--ch. 25, 26, 27
Renaissance--weeks 25-27--ch. 35, 39
Reformation--weeks 28-30--ch. 34, 36
Exploration--weeks 31-36--ch. 28, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42
Year 3: Pre-European North America, colonies--weeks 1-4--ch. 1, 4, 6, 7
Stuarts and Civil War in England--weeks 5-7--ch. 3, 9, 12, 8, 18
Tokugawa Japan, Imperialism--weeks 8-12--ch. 5, 10, 11, 19, 20, 24, 28, 39, 41
Absolutism--weeks 13-15--ch. 13, 14, 15, 21
Englightenment--weeks 16-17--ch. 16, 17, 26
18th century colonial life, Revolution, constitution--weeks 18-26--ch. 22, 23, 36, 37
French Rev, Latin Am Rev, Industrial Rev--weeks 27-32--ch. 25, 29, 33, 30, 34, 35, 27, 31
Westward Migration--weeks 33-36--ch. 32, 38, 40, 42
(We also build our state history studies into Year 4. I have extra reading on our particular state's history that we add into our studies in context. ex. We study the Civil War, and we also read a section on our state's history specifically in the Civil War.)
Years 4: Asia and Africa--weeks 1-4--ch. 1b, 2a, 3, 4b, 8b, 9, 10, 11, 12b
Industrial Revolution and Modernism--weeks 5-8--ch. 8a, 1a, 2a, 12a, 14
Americas: Civil War, Latin America, Mexican Rev.--weeks 9-15--ch. 6, 13, 5, 16
Unification of Germany, WWI, Russian Rev--weeks 16-20--ch. 4a, 7, 18, 15, 20, 21, 23
Post War, Depression, Fascism, WWII, Holocaust, Atom Bomb--weeks 21-29--ch. 26, 24, 27, 19, 28, 29, 31, 22
Cold War, 50s-80s--weeks 30-36--ch. 35, 38, 32, 33, 34, 30, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42
As I mentioned in my first post on history here, I re-order Story of the World. No, I don't think this is necessary. I think you can use Story of the World straight through and it is fine. It is really excellently written (and I am picky about history). However, it jumps too much for us, and I also want to set it up in a way that is conducive to using unit studies and slowing down to study a topic with more depth. And so I re-order and group Story of the World. Below is our basic structure for each year of the WTM cycle as requested.
(Look for some of my year specific posts soon on some of my favorite resources for each year of the WTM cycle. I also love this link which gives you great ideas for books to go along with SOTW that are included in the Sonlight program.)
Year 1: Intro-what is history-week 1--intro, ch. 1
Egypt--weeks 2-5--ch. 2, 3, 4, 12, 13
Mesopotamia--weeks 6-9--ch. 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 17
India---weeks 10-12--ch. 9, 30, 31
China--weeks 13-15--ch. 10, 32, 33
Africa--weeks 16-17--ch. 11
Greeks--weeks 18-22--ch. 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24
Persia--weeks 23-24--ch. 21
Hellenistic world--weeks 25, 26--ch. 25
Rome--weeks 27-32--ch. 27, 28, 29, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42
Americas--weeks 33-36--ch. 26
Year 2: Fall of Rome/Germanic Tribes--weeks 1-2--ch. 1, 4
Islamic Empire--weeks 3-5--ch. 6, 7, 12, 24
Europe: Knights, castles, Vikings, Crusades, etc--weeks. 6-13--ch. 2, 3, 15, 16, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23
India--weeks 14-15--ch. 5, 30
China--weeks 16-17--ch. 8, 21, 22
Japan--weeks 18-19--ch. 9, 10
Americas and africa--weeks 20-21--ch. 29, 32
Fall of the Middle Ages--weeks 22-24--ch. 25, 26, 27
Renaissance--weeks 25-27--ch. 35, 39
Reformation--weeks 28-30--ch. 34, 36
Exploration--weeks 31-36--ch. 28, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42
Year 3: Pre-European North America, colonies--weeks 1-4--ch. 1, 4, 6, 7
Stuarts and Civil War in England--weeks 5-7--ch. 3, 9, 12, 8, 18
Tokugawa Japan, Imperialism--weeks 8-12--ch. 5, 10, 11, 19, 20, 24, 28, 39, 41
Absolutism--weeks 13-15--ch. 13, 14, 15, 21
Englightenment--weeks 16-17--ch. 16, 17, 26
18th century colonial life, Revolution, constitution--weeks 18-26--ch. 22, 23, 36, 37
French Rev, Latin Am Rev, Industrial Rev--weeks 27-32--ch. 25, 29, 33, 30, 34, 35, 27, 31
Westward Migration--weeks 33-36--ch. 32, 38, 40, 42
(We also build our state history studies into Year 4. I have extra reading on our particular state's history that we add into our studies in context. ex. We study the Civil War, and we also read a section on our state's history specifically in the Civil War.)
Years 4: Asia and Africa--weeks 1-4--ch. 1b, 2a, 3, 4b, 8b, 9, 10, 11, 12b
Industrial Revolution and Modernism--weeks 5-8--ch. 8a, 1a, 2a, 12a, 14
Americas: Civil War, Latin America, Mexican Rev.--weeks 9-15--ch. 6, 13, 5, 16
Unification of Germany, WWI, Russian Rev--weeks 16-20--ch. 4a, 7, 18, 15, 20, 21, 23
Post War, Depression, Fascism, WWII, Holocaust, Atom Bomb--weeks 21-29--ch. 26, 24, 27, 19, 28, 29, 31, 22
Cold War, 50s-80s--weeks 30-36--ch. 35, 38, 32, 33, 34, 30, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42
Friday, June 21, 2013
Foreign languages??!!
I know one area that tends to scare a lot of homeschoolers is teaching a foreign language. To be fair, with some programs, it isn't easy if you don't know the language, and a person will never develop fluency without total immersion (see my post later on exchange students ;) ), but I still think foreign language exposure is very important.
Learning a foreign language helps you understand grammar and syntax in a way you won't appreciate until you are working through translations. Learning a language helps you learn about other cultures and people groups, and gets you outside of your own preconceived world view. And learning a language can be fun.
Around here, we start learning French very young. Why French? Why young? We do French because I know French. It's just that simple. If I knew Spanish, we would start there, or German, or Russian, or any other language. If you know even a little of a language, that's a good place to start. If you know none, that's ok too. I think it is very important to start kids hearing and being exposed to language young because our ears and specifically designed to process language and sound at young ages. Those skills are harder as we get older. Even my preschoolers are exposed to French vocabulary and voices through games and cd's.
By 2nd grade, we start the curriculum The Easy French to increase their exposure (there is also The Easy Spanish). This curriculum is a gentle way to start a language and make it fun. It uses an immersion technique where the student will listen to a conversation with French words sprinkled throughout. They will understand the words in context. Then you are given a variety of activities you can complete throughout the week to build up those skills. We use The Easy French from 2nd-6th grade. It is great for vocabularly and building pronounciation skills. It isn't super formal or grammatically-base. At that point, we branch out and use the French curriculum from Memoria Press. This curriculum allows my student to learn French a little more formally with grammar instruction to go along with vocabulary learning. For high school, we have been using BJU French materials in an online class, and have found this combination to be working very well. I put my oldest in an online class at this point, so that he has the opportunity to hear a variety of French speakers and not just my voice. The class is live and he participates with a headseat through the computer. More on online classes later.
In 5th grade, we add in Latin instruction. Most traditional, classical schoolers will start Latin first. There are many arguments for why to teach Latin. However, Latin is not a spoken language and we lose our ear for hearing the nuances of language as we get older. For my family, I would rather focus on a modern, spoken language when they are younger to take advantage of their natural abilities, and add in a more formal Latin education in the logic stage. Once you've worked on learning one foreign language, a 2nd...or 3rd...is an easier process. We stick with Memoria Press curriculum for Latin--Latina Christiana and First Form, Second Form, etc. There are lots of other good programs out there, and Memoria Press isn't exciting, but I find it to be straightforward and easy to use, and they have a DVD set that you can buy to go with them. Since I don't know Latin myself, this is a big plus for me. In 8th grade, my oldest began online study of high school level Latin with Memoria Press online academy using the Henle materials.
And to round out our language study, my children will be allowed to select a 3rd language for their high school years--continuing Latin and French as well. My oldest has chosen Russian, after experiencing that language first hand while we were in Ukraine adopting. He is using a Pimsleur program paired with Russian in 10 Minutes a Day. I have been very impressed with how much he has learned through those programs.
If you are reading this thinking, wow, 3 languages is crazy, keep in mind that for the rest of the world, 2-3 foreign languages is the norm. Students around the world start learning other languages young and add more languages through their educational career. And they do it well. Not only can our students handle this level of learning, they need it to be competitive in this world.
If teaching a foreign language thoroughly intimdates you, be encouraged that there are so many choices and resources out there from free online resources, to online classes, to video and audio programs. Do your research and you will find something that fits your family.
Learning a foreign language helps you understand grammar and syntax in a way you won't appreciate until you are working through translations. Learning a language helps you learn about other cultures and people groups, and gets you outside of your own preconceived world view. And learning a language can be fun.
Around here, we start learning French very young. Why French? Why young? We do French because I know French. It's just that simple. If I knew Spanish, we would start there, or German, or Russian, or any other language. If you know even a little of a language, that's a good place to start. If you know none, that's ok too. I think it is very important to start kids hearing and being exposed to language young because our ears and specifically designed to process language and sound at young ages. Those skills are harder as we get older. Even my preschoolers are exposed to French vocabulary and voices through games and cd's.
By 2nd grade, we start the curriculum The Easy French to increase their exposure (there is also The Easy Spanish). This curriculum is a gentle way to start a language and make it fun. It uses an immersion technique where the student will listen to a conversation with French words sprinkled throughout. They will understand the words in context. Then you are given a variety of activities you can complete throughout the week to build up those skills. We use The Easy French from 2nd-6th grade. It is great for vocabularly and building pronounciation skills. It isn't super formal or grammatically-base. At that point, we branch out and use the French curriculum from Memoria Press. This curriculum allows my student to learn French a little more formally with grammar instruction to go along with vocabulary learning. For high school, we have been using BJU French materials in an online class, and have found this combination to be working very well. I put my oldest in an online class at this point, so that he has the opportunity to hear a variety of French speakers and not just my voice. The class is live and he participates with a headseat through the computer. More on online classes later.
In 5th grade, we add in Latin instruction. Most traditional, classical schoolers will start Latin first. There are many arguments for why to teach Latin. However, Latin is not a spoken language and we lose our ear for hearing the nuances of language as we get older. For my family, I would rather focus on a modern, spoken language when they are younger to take advantage of their natural abilities, and add in a more formal Latin education in the logic stage. Once you've worked on learning one foreign language, a 2nd...or 3rd...is an easier process. We stick with Memoria Press curriculum for Latin--Latina Christiana and First Form, Second Form, etc. There are lots of other good programs out there, and Memoria Press isn't exciting, but I find it to be straightforward and easy to use, and they have a DVD set that you can buy to go with them. Since I don't know Latin myself, this is a big plus for me. In 8th grade, my oldest began online study of high school level Latin with Memoria Press online academy using the Henle materials.
And to round out our language study, my children will be allowed to select a 3rd language for their high school years--continuing Latin and French as well. My oldest has chosen Russian, after experiencing that language first hand while we were in Ukraine adopting. He is using a Pimsleur program paired with Russian in 10 Minutes a Day. I have been very impressed with how much he has learned through those programs.
If you are reading this thinking, wow, 3 languages is crazy, keep in mind that for the rest of the world, 2-3 foreign languages is the norm. Students around the world start learning other languages young and add more languages through their educational career. And they do it well. Not only can our students handle this level of learning, they need it to be competitive in this world.
If teaching a foreign language thoroughly intimdates you, be encouraged that there are so many choices and resources out there from free online resources, to online classes, to video and audio programs. Do your research and you will find something that fits your family.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Super excited about my newest science finds!
You probably thought I would start with history didn't you??
My first disclaimer here is that in the past, I have typically done pretty much exactly what the WTM suggests for science. It can be done, and done well, if you have the time. Science curriculum isn't a necessity. And it is covered clearly and easily in the book honestly. I do not love textbooky science. We prefer real books and hands-on learning. Yet, seeing as how I have racked up so many library fines that I can not actually use the library, and they pretty much block the door when they see my noisy crew coming, I was looking for something a little different this year. But I love the WTM and I wanted whatever I used to stay true to that scope and sequence, and also the process--narration, hands on work, real books. Basically, I was looking for someone to plan out the WTM for me and give it to me in book format with worksheets and diagrams and narration pages and lab pages all ready to go. And I found that! Yes! Exactly that! Can you hear my excitement?!
This is what I found. Elemental Science. It's genius. Ok, so it's just the WTM all ready planned out and packaged for you, but it's exactly what I was looking for. Basically it follows the plan laid out in the WTM, but sets you up with your reading (using some awesome Usborne and Kingfisher spines), your narration pages, and your labs. It is divided into the 4 year cycle of the WTM--biology, earth/space, chemistry, and physics. And it has a grammar stage and a logic stage that can be coordinated or used separately.
(For WTM newbies, the grammar stage is 1st-4th grade when kids are focused on amassing facts and data and information. The logic stage is 5th-8th where the kids developmentally are ready to start questioning information, and when you start teaching them logic to deal with those questions. And the rhetoric stage is 9th-12th, when they learn how to present their own ideas).
My plan is to coordinate my grammar stage and logic stage students, but have my logic stage students complete the work in their level that goes beyond what my little ones are doing. We will be doing biology this year so even my preschooler will enjoy listening about animals and the body. We will also take a trip to the zoo or local science museum weekly to obeserve in person the animals we are studying. The curriculum provides blank observation forms for animal studies, as well as year long project ideas to take your studies even deeper. We are all excited about getting started!
I tend to do science and history with my kids, although I have been known to let my olders take the lead in labs and projects as they are able. For those of you who need science to be super independent, the logic stage is very suitable for independent work as needed, without much parental involvement. The student is actually given a checklist they can easily follow to complete the work each day.
The curriculum is also set up in 2 different plans--a 5 day week and a 2 day week. We do science twice a week, so I appreciate that option already being laid out for me with no tweaking.
So in summary, you can easily go to the WTM and put together your own science plans, or if you, like me, need a little break in one curriculum, but want to stay true to the WTM, then you might want to look into Elemental Science.
My first disclaimer here is that in the past, I have typically done pretty much exactly what the WTM suggests for science. It can be done, and done well, if you have the time. Science curriculum isn't a necessity. And it is covered clearly and easily in the book honestly. I do not love textbooky science. We prefer real books and hands-on learning. Yet, seeing as how I have racked up so many library fines that I can not actually use the library, and they pretty much block the door when they see my noisy crew coming, I was looking for something a little different this year. But I love the WTM and I wanted whatever I used to stay true to that scope and sequence, and also the process--narration, hands on work, real books. Basically, I was looking for someone to plan out the WTM for me and give it to me in book format with worksheets and diagrams and narration pages and lab pages all ready to go. And I found that! Yes! Exactly that! Can you hear my excitement?!
This is what I found. Elemental Science. It's genius. Ok, so it's just the WTM all ready planned out and packaged for you, but it's exactly what I was looking for. Basically it follows the plan laid out in the WTM, but sets you up with your reading (using some awesome Usborne and Kingfisher spines), your narration pages, and your labs. It is divided into the 4 year cycle of the WTM--biology, earth/space, chemistry, and physics. And it has a grammar stage and a logic stage that can be coordinated or used separately.
(For WTM newbies, the grammar stage is 1st-4th grade when kids are focused on amassing facts and data and information. The logic stage is 5th-8th where the kids developmentally are ready to start questioning information, and when you start teaching them logic to deal with those questions. And the rhetoric stage is 9th-12th, when they learn how to present their own ideas).
My plan is to coordinate my grammar stage and logic stage students, but have my logic stage students complete the work in their level that goes beyond what my little ones are doing. We will be doing biology this year so even my preschooler will enjoy listening about animals and the body. We will also take a trip to the zoo or local science museum weekly to obeserve in person the animals we are studying. The curriculum provides blank observation forms for animal studies, as well as year long project ideas to take your studies even deeper. We are all excited about getting started!
I tend to do science and history with my kids, although I have been known to let my olders take the lead in labs and projects as they are able. For those of you who need science to be super independent, the logic stage is very suitable for independent work as needed, without much parental involvement. The student is actually given a checklist they can easily follow to complete the work each day.
The curriculum is also set up in 2 different plans--a 5 day week and a 2 day week. We do science twice a week, so I appreciate that option already being laid out for me with no tweaking.
So in summary, you can easily go to the WTM and put together your own science plans, or if you, like me, need a little break in one curriculum, but want to stay true to the WTM, then you might want to look into Elemental Science.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Yes-I've been singing that song all day, and my MOST favorite thing
When I thought about how I would approach this blog, the song popped into my head and it stuck. So there you go. I think it fits.
I am going to start this blog off right and talk about my most favorite homeschool thing ever. The book that completely changed my world. The book that took me from I don't know if I can do this God, to I can not wait to do this God!!
A little background, we moved a ton when my oldest was little. I hauled him to England, Nashville, and back to Birmingham through his preschool and kindergarten years. The one constant in those years was Montessori. I love Montessori. It is a hands-on, logical approach to education, and it worked for him. He could go as fast or as slow (in his case fast, fast, fast), as you were ready for. It kept him challenged and motivated, and out of trouble...mostly. Anway, in his kindergarten year, child #2 was born, and we started contemplating private school tuition for 2 kids. And then 10 months after she rocked our world, we found out that baby #3 would be coming. 3 kids in private school was just not going to happen. My Montessori education, hyper-active, constantly needing a challenge son was just not going to make it sitting in a desk in public school. But how to do you send 1 to private and not the others. This is how God put homeschooling in our world. I thought homeschoolers were insane before I was slapped in the face with it and started doing what I always do, researching. I spent the next 2 years researching. Yes, 2. Years. That's how I do things. I planned out his entire 1st grade year, and then sent him to Montessori school. I then re-planned when I found new things. I have a bad habit of finding new things, and just adding them onto the old, instead of replacing. Anyway, I continued this process for 2 years while he was in 1st and 2nd grade.
It was about January of his 2nd grade year when God took over my insanity, and finally got through my thick, planning-obsessed skull. I was looking at needing 3k for child #2 for the next year, and I had no idea how to swing it. At this point, I finally listened to one of the many, many recommendations to read the Well-Trained Mind (if you haven't read it, this is your recommendation--pay attention). I picked it up at the library, and that book rocked my world. If you are a planner, read the whole thing. If you are easily overwhelmed, only read the part relevant to your child at this time. This book encouraged me that not only could I teach them at home, but that I could do it well.
Basically, the WTM is a book that lays out an approach to schooling, a scope and sequence that is typically referred to as classical. You teach in a 4 year cycle, and that cycle repeats 3 full times throughout 1st-12th grade. As a historian, it was so appealing to me that history was taught chronologically, and that literature, science, and real books were all tied in to the approach. This was not only an education, but an excellent education, and that is what I desired for my kids.
With this approach, in year 1, you teach the ancient world and biology. If you think about the Greeks and the Romans--biology was what they knew. They were dissecting and studying the human body and nature. Your literature selections feed into that. You read fiction and non-fiction based in that time period. Year 2 is the middle ages and earth/space science. In the beginning of the middle ages, people only knew what was in front of them--earth science, and then the great space discoveries, such as Galileo, occurred during this time. Year 3 is the early modern world and chemistry, since the early modern world is the age of chemistry. And year 4 is the modern world and physics, since the modern world is the age of physics. It just makes so much beautiful, logical sense. American history is studied in context, and not isolated from the rest of world history, and students learn what happens and how those event relate to others before them in the timeline.
That same cycle will repeat again in 5th-8th, and again in 9th-12th. In the 2nd round, you add in logic, so that your student isn't only learning the subjects, but they can go deeper and start to ask why questions that developmentally are happening anyway. In high school, the student will take the facts and the logic they have learned, and will add in study of argument, called rhetoric. They will learn how to present their own unique ideas in writing and in speech.
Your first assignment then, if you are new to homeschooling. Read the Well-Trained Mind. It completely changed my focus and structure of our homeschooling and gave me the courage and plan I needed to take that first step.
I am going to start this blog off right and talk about my most favorite homeschool thing ever. The book that completely changed my world. The book that took me from I don't know if I can do this God, to I can not wait to do this God!!
A little background, we moved a ton when my oldest was little. I hauled him to England, Nashville, and back to Birmingham through his preschool and kindergarten years. The one constant in those years was Montessori. I love Montessori. It is a hands-on, logical approach to education, and it worked for him. He could go as fast or as slow (in his case fast, fast, fast), as you were ready for. It kept him challenged and motivated, and out of trouble...mostly. Anway, in his kindergarten year, child #2 was born, and we started contemplating private school tuition for 2 kids. And then 10 months after she rocked our world, we found out that baby #3 would be coming. 3 kids in private school was just not going to happen. My Montessori education, hyper-active, constantly needing a challenge son was just not going to make it sitting in a desk in public school. But how to do you send 1 to private and not the others. This is how God put homeschooling in our world. I thought homeschoolers were insane before I was slapped in the face with it and started doing what I always do, researching. I spent the next 2 years researching. Yes, 2. Years. That's how I do things. I planned out his entire 1st grade year, and then sent him to Montessori school. I then re-planned when I found new things. I have a bad habit of finding new things, and just adding them onto the old, instead of replacing. Anyway, I continued this process for 2 years while he was in 1st and 2nd grade.
It was about January of his 2nd grade year when God took over my insanity, and finally got through my thick, planning-obsessed skull. I was looking at needing 3k for child #2 for the next year, and I had no idea how to swing it. At this point, I finally listened to one of the many, many recommendations to read the Well-Trained Mind (if you haven't read it, this is your recommendation--pay attention). I picked it up at the library, and that book rocked my world. If you are a planner, read the whole thing. If you are easily overwhelmed, only read the part relevant to your child at this time. This book encouraged me that not only could I teach them at home, but that I could do it well.
Basically, the WTM is a book that lays out an approach to schooling, a scope and sequence that is typically referred to as classical. You teach in a 4 year cycle, and that cycle repeats 3 full times throughout 1st-12th grade. As a historian, it was so appealing to me that history was taught chronologically, and that literature, science, and real books were all tied in to the approach. This was not only an education, but an excellent education, and that is what I desired for my kids.
With this approach, in year 1, you teach the ancient world and biology. If you think about the Greeks and the Romans--biology was what they knew. They were dissecting and studying the human body and nature. Your literature selections feed into that. You read fiction and non-fiction based in that time period. Year 2 is the middle ages and earth/space science. In the beginning of the middle ages, people only knew what was in front of them--earth science, and then the great space discoveries, such as Galileo, occurred during this time. Year 3 is the early modern world and chemistry, since the early modern world is the age of chemistry. And year 4 is the modern world and physics, since the modern world is the age of physics. It just makes so much beautiful, logical sense. American history is studied in context, and not isolated from the rest of world history, and students learn what happens and how those event relate to others before them in the timeline.
That same cycle will repeat again in 5th-8th, and again in 9th-12th. In the 2nd round, you add in logic, so that your student isn't only learning the subjects, but they can go deeper and start to ask why questions that developmentally are happening anyway. In high school, the student will take the facts and the logic they have learned, and will add in study of argument, called rhetoric. They will learn how to present their own unique ideas in writing and in speech.
Your first assignment then, if you are new to homeschooling. Read the Well-Trained Mind. It completely changed my focus and structure of our homeschooling and gave me the courage and plan I needed to take that first step.
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