Delaney's Curriculum for 2013-2014 school year

Delaney's self portraits 

This girl is so driven to really know how to read....so that's our biggest focus this year.  She does read, and quite well, but she still has a few issues to work through.  We will use many Newbery Award books (based on history time period), McGuffey readers and the scriptures to increase her reading level.
She wants to be a 'big kid' and do things like her big brother and sister.  Namely, she wants to have assignments that she has to complete on her own.  To do this, she will be doing math using Teaching Textbooks....all she has to do is get on the computer, watch the lesson and complete the assignment in the morning before I get with her.  It's her job to get this done on her own after her family chores and cleaning her room.
She would also love to join the Classical Conversation's class of Essentials next year.  Having this as a goal, she's working hard to get her writing skills honed too.  I will be using Writing with Ease and First Language Lessons, and Winston Grammar for her language arts.  I'm also using the 220 Dolch sight word list as her spelling list.

I'm really proud of Delaney, it's hard for her to sit and really study, she's a mover....she wants to be up dancing and moving, but she has identified some goals she want s to complete.  I try to help her remember them but I will require when her spirit is weak!  :)

She's continuing with dancing!  She loves it!!!!

For history and science we are focusing on the modern time period 1850-present.  For science the focus will be on physics and chemistry.  I'm using Easy Peasy, our history group gatherings and lots of literature.  I think we're going to look into our own family history this year too.  Up on our timeline wall I will add pictures and date of family members.  I'm going to try to get family journals of our ancestors...at least some stories of them.

 Apparently, she's been having some fun with the camera...that or she was bored....or both!

Connor's Curriculum for 2013-2014 school year

This year Connor will be studying:

Chemistry-- On Thursdays he is tutored in chemistry by Ss. Kate Smith.  She also teaches him violin, which he loves.  He's saved enough money to purchase an electric violin (being so inspired by Lindsey Stirling) He will also read: The skeptical Chemist by Robert Boyle, Principia Mathmatica, by Issac Newton--translated version, and Elements of Chemistry by Antoniae Lavoisier
Math--He has chosen to study Geometry this year.  He wants to learn from Life of Fred, Khan Academy and Bob Jones University Press books.  He will also read: Indroduction to Mathmatics by Whitehead, and Elements of Geometry I & II by Euclid.  He hopes to also complete...or at least get a good start in Algebra II.
Latin--  I really wasn't sure how we were going to attempt foreign languages but the Lord in his goodness has brought about a wonderful opportunity for Connor.  A fellow homeschooling mom, who has often taught Latin in the past with her children and others, is offering a class.  She is using a whole language approach, which is right up Connor's alley in learning style.  So now on Friday mornings and Wednesday early evenings, Connor and Jess (a fellow student and friend) will join with Victoria Taylor and learn Latin using--------------

History--  He loved taking the online class Key of Liberty, so much that he's back agian.  This year the course study will be Civil War--(Sword of Freedom) and WWII.
Literature and Writing--  Fro writing Connor will take the IEW Student intensive C program and he has papers to write each week for his SoF class.  He will also read:  Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriett Beecher Stowe, Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt, Abraham Lincoln by Wilber F Gordy, and To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Shurik" a WWII Saga of the Siege of Lennigrad, by Kyra Petrovskaya Wayne and The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten-Boom.
He has mapped out another list of books that he wants to read, but we'll have to see how it all plays out.
Grammar and Vocabulary skills--  he will, much to his chagrin, appease me and use two workbooks for these.  Easy Grammar and Wordly Wise.
Fine Arts--  He will continue with piano and violin lessons and I will have short segments of Art Appreciation using the Easy Peasy all online homeschool site.
PE-- He and Cailin want to run a 10K this year.  They are waking up quite early--5 am to run 2-3 times a week.  He also wants to walk to Seminary, so he does and gets quite a bit of exercise in doing that.  Plus, he and Barry go to the gym and weight-lift as often as they can.....which isn't very often during the mowing season, but I'm sure will increase during the winter months.
Seminary is now meeting from 7 to 8 in the morning.  They are meeting at the Morgan's home in Dublin.

He seems quite happy with his work load and he's planned most of this all on his own.  He's quite the self driven learner.  My goal is to better implement accountability for him, as this isn't my strong suit, I will have to rise to the occasion and see that it is done!

Cailin's Curriculum plan for 2013-2014 school year.

Cailin came to me 1.5 weeks ago with a question....."What am I doing for science this year?"  I had gone over the plan for history, literature and language arts with her and she knew I had signed her up for an online Shakespeare class with Leadership Education Academy, but the strong emotion in her voice told me something was not quite right with our plans.

I sat down and explained the two options for science and she chose the Apologia textbook route explaining to me that she wanted to know better what her plan was.  She was dissatisfied with last year, feeling like she didn't accomplish anything....but something still didn't feel right and I asked her the same question I posed to her a few months earlier...."Do you want to sign up for CC's challenge B class?"

She was sheepishly said "Yes, can I?"  This was a big commitment--time and money wise.  I prayed, Barry prayed, we talked and talked, and Cailin came up with a list:

The Pro's and Con's to being apart of the Classical Conversations Challenge B Program

Pros

I would get more social time!!!!!

I would get a well rounded education thingy

Mom would not have to plan out my lessons

I would be forced to not change the program (this was a difficulty last year--my Sociable Sue likes to change things up way too often.  She gets bored and then won't complete the goal.)

I would have the outlined thing so that I have to finish work.

I would know what I must do.

I could find people who like the same things I do (Doctor Who, Harry Potter, acting...)

I would be able to make more friends than just people at church and a few at homeschool group.

Cons

CC is expensive!

I would be starting late (by one week)

I would not have as much free time

Lots of school work!!

 In the end we said yes.  She was thoroughly happy.  I was at peace and had much less to worry about in regards to her schooling for this year.  I was especially happy to see that she was more interested in her education.  I was jumping through hoops last year trying to inspire her to want to do the hard work of learning....to no avail.  She admits that she was lazy last year and even said "sorry" for the way she behaved.  My, she is growing up.  I sure do love that girl.

On Thursday mornings she's up at 5:30 to get ready for school.  We head out the door at 6:40 to take Connor to Seminary at the Morgan's home in Dublin and then I take her to meet up with Renee and Celia East.  Renee is the challenge B tutor and her daughter Celia is in the class along with 5 other girls.  Gratefully they take her to classes and bring her back in the afternoon.

So, now she's busy with school work.  She spent 8-10 solid study hours working every day last week to get caught up, especially in Latin and Logic.  I've never seen her put that much time into a project before.
She's starting soccer and she's busy with her new calling as Beehive President.  She's been working for the mowing crew and last Friday, she worked for the Hill's concession stand at the Radford vs Pulaski football game.  She's not impressed with football--too boring!  She's also going to be a part of a drama class on Tuesday afternoon.  She's really looking forward to that one, as her ultimate goal in life is to be on Doctor Who as a actress someday.

Cailin's classes:  Saxon Algebra 1/2, Beginning and Intermediate Logic, Literature, Science, Current Events/Debate, and Latin.

Cailin's drawing of the TARDIS, from Dr. Who.

Brianne and Liam's school adventures

 My plans for Liam this year are:

History Group and reading lots of picture books based on the time period

He will give presentations this year. 

Science experiments.  I've read a few articles on the importance of kids just discovering and observing things in life.  One particular study took two groups of Kindergartners.  One group completed worksheets for learning ABC's and 123's...math, reading and such.  The other group only did science experiments and read books.  At the end of the year the science kids were far ahead of their peers in the other group.

On Thursdays he will attend "Little's School" at the Mattson's.  

We will have a letter of the week and do activities based on it (they will also coincide with our history themes.)  plus, Jared and Clarissa will lead them through many science experiments too.

We will also use Easy Peasy all online homeschool, for art class.

I will also  introduce sight words with Liam, but not phonics, not just yet.

I have a check list for math concepts that are best learned my manipulations--not worksheets.  I will use this as a guide for his math. 

 Here at home we are learning about Magnets and Electricity.  Liam had fun going around the house finding things that would be attracted to the magnet.  He also discovered the north and south poles of magnets through his wooden train set.  He was thrilled and told Daddy how the magnets on the trains would repel each other on some of the train cars.  He was quite fascinated by this.

 Brianne will be attending story time at the library.  She loves music and dancing.  Using her EDCE waiver, we will have Sis Zander come and spend time with her working on learning goals that we have established.  Namely, we are using checklist of social, fine motor, & gross motor skills for 2 - 3 year olds.  Right now we are working on shapes.

Here's Marshall, Liam and Amber matching capital letters with lower case letters.

History Group Gatherings--Indians

A Study of Indians West of the Mississippi River

Maintain an enthusiasm for learning throughout your life. Find joy in continuing to learn about yourself, other people, and the world around you. Choose to actively participate in the learning opportunities available to you.   

This is counsel given to youth as found in the "For the Strength of Youth" (older version).  We used this as our gospel connection as the importance of learning about the Indians.

We spent the day learning traditions, customs and folktales from the Navajo (southwest),        Sioux (plains) and Tlingit (northwest) tribes.

We read different folktale by McDermitt and Paul Golbe and then made a craft.  These girls are showing off their Navajo inspired belts of sliver and turquoise.

While making raven masks I read to them a story of how the 'trickster raven' brought light (the sun) to the people of the northwest.

Showing off their raven masks!

Delaney is showing her "winter count" only the wind wasn't being very helpful.  The plains Indians would record their history on leather by drawing symbols in a circular fashion--starting in the middle and going outward.

We also read excerpts from Pres. Spencer W. Kimball in an older Institute manual about the importance the Lamanities would have in the future in building temples in Missouri.  Maybe someday, our future missionaries will be called to share the gospel with the Native Americans.

Building a House of Character

This year, the theme for our history group will be 'Building Our House of Character".  We got this idea from a talk by Bro. Dan Hunter at the home school conference in May and also from Little Britches by Ralph Moody  

"A man's character is like his house.  If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin.  If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to , his character will soon be come a ruin.  A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth."

This year, we will identify different traits of character in the people and actions of history.

 We will be studying the events and people of history from 1850's to our present time.  Our first month is 1850-1900 events that happened in the US....except the Civil War....that is next month. November will be the same time period as now but on the world stage.

 To kick off our new school year Jen planned for a westward bound trip.  The kids were divided into three families.  At the first station they had to lasso their horse to earn the right to pick the supplies they needed from the general store.  The family who has everyone lasso the horse first, gets first pick of the wagons and supplies.

 Cailin, Beryl, Amber and Janet were the first family to garner supplies.

 Jared, Clarissa, Liam and Krystal were the next family to come shopping.

 Delaney, Jessica, Grace and Marshall will be going by handcart.

 A family photo  No smiles please.:)

 While on the trail the pioneers often had to forge and clear the path for them to travel.  At their first stop, each family was told to clear a path to help them get to their next destination.

 Cailin's hard at work.

 Thorns and briers didn't get this family down.  Now that they are out, Delaney and Grace take a bit of time to play.  They all enjoyed a wonderful water break too.

 Foraging for food was always a blessing for families who mostly lived on cornmeal mush (from accounts we have read).  Here they are picking up apples....which family is the quickest?

 Yeah, for Liam's family!

From a book that Jen has called "Don't Know Much About: The Pioneers": we learn that in 1876 Grasshoppers are declared Public Enemy #1 in Minnesota, and the government offers children up to fifty cents for every bushel of dead grasshoppers collected.

For fun, Jen gets 100 crickets for the kids to collect and the chickens get a feast afterwards.

 Our modern pioneers have overcome various challenges and are now ready to build their home and begin homesteading.

 There guys have enough time and supplies to even build a barn....way to go!

At the end of the events we took some time to process all that we have done and talk about what sort of character and faith it took to be a pioneer.
We had a great time.  This year looks to be a good one....

Peaches!!

 Yipeeeee, my peach trees have finally produced peaches that I can harvest!!  Yeah!!  I'm so excited!!!
We planted them about 5 years ago and each year they grow peaches, but they always fall off or turn mildewy and I can't use them.  Not this year.  Many of them did turn mildewy, but there were still plenty to eat, can and use for cobbler!

 We picked two boxes full and out of those came 18 quarts, plus some for eating and a peach crisp.
Sister Nielson and Sister Stringham came by to help can them. What a blessing!