Our School Plans and Schedules

School's begun and we're on our way for a super year....here's what everyone will be studying this year.

Liam's still learning to listen and obey...I guess that's a learning phase we are always in really.  We start our year with some Sonlight fun using the 4/5 pack, but soon learn that this really isn't the right program for us.  We then move to the Five in a Row method of learning and we love it!! Mostly we just have fun 'educational' games and activities for him to explore.  He's becoming quite the Lego lover, just like his big brother!

Delaney-- this year, she too, will be using the Five in a Row plan to learn new interesting topics.  For math she's using Teaching Textbooks.  So far, she loves it....I just hope it has staying power considering the amount of money I spent for it, it better!  For writing we're using Writing with Ease using sentences from our FIAR books.  Grammar studies will be done using Easy Grammar or First Language Lessons, which ever book we desire to use for the day.  She's starting Writer's Workshop with Ms. Beryl again this year.  Of course she loves that.  She loves Beryl's nurturing and gentle manner, plus playtime  with Janet.  It's a win-win situation.  We hope to keep up with Happy Phonics  with Christine and Janet, but time may not be so giving, if not, we'll pull out  the book we've used in the past Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading and continue with it.

 

Having fun at the park...most defiantly an essential part of our education plan!

Connor--  This is his first year of high school....transcript time.  Oh joy! (okay not really for me, but an essential aspect to keep up with as a home schooling mom!)  I think he's really getting close to be consider in scholar phase, but I still see many traits of Transition.

Math--He loves Life of Fred  this year he plans to complete Advance Algebra and Geometry.  He will also use A'Beka or Bob Jones curriculum too.

Science--  He has set a goal of completing two Exploring Creation/ Apologia books this year.  I really think this may be more than he can chew, but I'll support him with this goal and help him adjust it as needed later. So far he's doing great.

Grammar-- Line Upon Line , this is a book that I picked up at my first home school conference  but wasn't able to teach from because I didn't understand all the concept.  Thanks to CC's Essentials classes, I've got greater confidence and we're using it again....never mind the fact that this is all review for Connor anyway.  He did wonderfully with CC and knows most of it.  It's mostly a refresher course for him. 

 Physical Fitness--  He plans to run a 5K with me, continue running to train for a 10K in the spring.  He will  also weight train with his Dad.  I have also had him read some various books on health, along with deep study of the Word of Wisdom.

Literature-- Reading books for book group and joining in discussions and then writing about the novels.

History/ Writing--   He began a new online program this year.  The class is called "The Key of Liberty" and it's presented by the Leadership Education Academy or Leadership Education Mentoring Institute  (LEMI).  It uses TJEd principles and incorporates lots of discussion, simulations, and colloquiums (not sure what they are but we're going to learn more about it! :).

We will also be joining our history group with the Mattson's and Brame's again this year.

He will also continue piano lessons with Sister Zander.

I believe one of his greatest challenges will be keeping himself organized.  I was inspired to use this idea by a class from this past year's home school conference ...we'll see if it works.  He made a chart and puts a sticky note for each thing he needs to daily accomplish.  When it's done, he throws it away.  It's very visual, which is something he needs.

Brianne's work is to be cute....that and have fun playing with her speech therapist, Dodie.

 Cailin--  If she were in public school she would be considered a seventh grader....for me, I consider her in the Transition period between Love of Learning and Scholar phase.

Science--  She had the choice to do science projects based on the FIAR books Delaney and I were doing or she could start Apologia's Exploring Creation with General Science.  She chose the General Science book.
Math--She will be using Teaching Textbook's Pre-Algebra  Again, I hope this curriculum will work, because I'm just about out of options to try.
History--  I've read many great reviews of Joy Hakim's The Story of US. So, I got it for our study of American history.  It took her a couple of weeks to get into them, but she's found that she loves reading them.  Joy has a great conversationalist style and it's not textbook boring, quite the opposite. The chapters are short and interesting.  Of course, she'll be involved with Monday's history group too.
English/Grammar--  She will be joining Connor and Ryan using the Line Upon Line  book.
Literature--  Same as Connor only she'll also read some history based novels.  Her first one is Mary Jemison, Indian Captive.
Writing--  This year I'm letting her delve deep into creating her novels.  She's read a book about a girl and her episodes of publishing a book she has written by Clement.  She's gained a few interesting things from it.  She's now outlining her stories instead of just writing from the hip.  Plus, I believe she's working to create definitive character traits for each character, really planning who they are and what they are like.  I'm also having her write papers about the history novels she's reading.
She's continuing piano and flute lessons.

Ryan--  I just can't believe that this is his last year home schooling.  He's a SENIOR!!  We've gone over his transcript and he's only lacking five classes. Most of them are electives.  Since he's complete his math requirements last year I'm considering his math class this year as an elective.
Elective/Math-- He will begin Calculus with a Variable of One at New River Community College.  He started it last year but on the first day of class he realized that he didn't have enough trigonometry to tackle it.  Now he's completed a trig course with Aleks online program so we're trying this one again.  He needs this class for a degree he wishes to complete at Radford University.
Elective/ Cooking-- Each week he will pick an item that he wants to learn how to make...and then we will make it together the first time.  The second time he will on his own. I will then ask him to make it for a meal sometime.
Elective/ Personal and Social Relationships--  I have planned for him to read The Unwritten Rules of Social Relations by Temple Grandin and Sean Barrow.  Then we'll go through the Preparing for Life book I learned about at this past year's home school conference.
Elective/ Constitutional Studies--  He and Barry will go through The Making of America together.
The only class that he need that won't be consider an elective is and English/Literature/Grammar class.  For this class he'll join us for book group  (which he detests doing!!), read other books of his choosing and then write about them.  I'll also have him join in grammar time with Connor and Cailin.