Friday, July 28, 2006
Okay. On your marks...
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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I'm resolute. It's time to step out of my selfish, totally self-absorbed depression and get to work! School starts August 1. So far, here's what we have planned: Blair, my 11th grade student will work through Stobaugh's Skills for Literary Analysis. I love Stobaugh's materials, and she's been wanting a deep lit course. This definitely qualifies. She is very burned out on math, having studied Algebra I and II, Geometry and Consumer math in the last 3 years. We discussed Geometry, but she's thinking she'd rather have a year off. She is considering whether she will join us for general Biology or take a specialized Equine Biology course. She is also designing her own historical research course. She will probably begin August 8, as she is writing a novel with a 7/31 deadline. I imagine she'll need a day or two to "breathe" before starting school. John will be in 9th grade this year. His goal is to complete high school in three years and gain early admittance to the Air Force Academy. He is taking Stobaugh's American Lit course, Apologia Biology, Algebra II, Spanish I and American History and Economics. Civil Air Patrol might continue depending on how the finances shake out. Once those courses are completed, we'll move him "up the ladder" to World Lit and History, Chemistry, Trigonometry, and Spanish II. Kate is in 6th grade this year. She will finish up the second half of Saxon Math 6/5 and start on 7/6. She is using "English Lessons from the Bible" and working on our family creative writing projects. She will also participate in Biology, using whatever I find helpful from "Christian Kids Explore Biology" and "The Body Book." She's not nearly as interested in human biology as she is animals and insects, though. Our annual pass to the zoo should come in very handy! She'll join our family creative writing assignments (I LOVE "If You're Trying to Teach Kids How to Write" for this.) She is starting with our current home state of TN in history and geography and will then choose states that interest her for further study. I hope she will continue her fiddle lessons, depending on the amount of disposable income we have available. She also wants to hone her homemaking skills in cooking, laundry, cooking, cleaning and cooking. Food prep gives us a great "in" with health and nutrition. Christy is my most difficult student. She's wonderful, easy to teach, willing to learn, but of all my children, the closest to "behind" academically. She will probably need a great deal of my personal attention as she works through her fourth grade year. She has found "Building Life Castles" to help her study the Bible. A computerized course for math including "Math Matters" and "Math Drill Express" will ease her handwriting frustrations. She will work on penmanship with the worksheets I produce for her with "StartWrite" software, but will do her creative writing on the computer. Spelling lists will be culled from writing projects with weekly tests. She will also use "Christian Kids Explore Biology" and "The Body Book" for science, and is most interested in diseases of humans. Nutrition, rest and exercise will be thoroughly covered. We have a copy of "History of the United States," an ABeka book that she is interested in reading through. I imagine she'll read a great deal of historical fiction as well. She will also complete Thomas Kinkade's drawing course on DVD, she loves to draw, and it's gotta help the handwriting, right? Rose, my sweet baby girl, enters our school officially this year, as a first-grade student. She will continue using "Studying God's Word" until she is ready for a more devotional-type study. Miquon Orange and Red books will be completed, as will Making Math Meaningful through level 3 or so. She will also occasionally work the computerized speed drills for accuracy and speed. She is in the second grade level of Rod and Staff's "Bible Nurture Reader" series and will join us for our creative writing assignments with spelling lists made from misspelled words and tested occasionally. ABeka's "My America" will start off her American history study, but I imagine historical biographies will comprise the majority of her history course. She will join us for biology and practice her recorder when Kate is practicing fiddle. I will be available for help and encouragement, but since all our students are mostly self-taught, I plan to get my transmission back in gear and get back to work on my bookselling business! It is time. |
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