For math we are sticking with Teaching Textbooks.
Like I always say, if it is not broken, do not expend the energy trying
to make it unbrokener. Both Ben and Will have enjoyed using this
program for a few years now.
Language arts subjects this year will also be in the familiar vein for us.
Spelling Power is the family choice for easily implemented testing and study techniques.
For
writing, we are continuing with Susan Wise Bauer's series which began
with the Writing With Ease books. Will has completed that set of books,
and will now move on to Writing with Skill. We're both looking forward to starting Level 1.
This will be my second time through Junior Analytical Grammar,
which I found to be no-nonsense and quite effective for teaching
grammar and sentence diagramming at this age. While I'm sure William
will complain bitterly all the way through it, it has to be done!
For continuing practice in cursive, A Journey Through Learning's Great Scientists CD will come in handy. As I did for Ben at this
age, I will print out these pages and have a book bound for Will to use
daily. This is helpful for reading cursive as well as being good
handwriting practice.
Poetry
at Tea Time, once weekly, will continue as it has for years. Will can
revisit poems that are familiar to him as Charlie learns them for the
first time; I plan to use one of our favorite series of books
to highlight Robert Frost or Lewis Carroll, along with seasonal
selections from Poetry Speaks to Children and Favorite Poems Old and New.
Also during the course of the year, we'll read some meatier selections
from Anne Bradstreet, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poe,
and Longfellow, and tie them in with our American history studies.
On Will's literature list this year are Gulliver in Lilliput, Robinson Crusoe, Tom Sawyer, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Rip Van Winkle.
You
know what is so great? I shopped all the above math and language arts
items from my shelves! Can you hear the sign of contentedness?
Ahhhhhhhhhh.
Now for a couple things I don't yet own...
I really want to fit in this linguistics study
from Ellen McHenry's Basement Workshop as an elective for Will. He has
shown an interest in the origins of the English language recently and I
think this might just fit the bill. And I would love it as well, I'm
sure!
For science we'll be using Elemental Science Biology for the logic stage.
As
far as Nature Studies go, WISE Kids, a local nature and hiking group,
has been a part of Will's summers for the past three years, and this
summer was no exception. I consider this to be an important component
of our science studies. So far this summer they have:
*Hiked various park trails. All types of terrain, rain or shine.
*Canoed the St. Croix River from St. Croix Falls to Osceola.
*Taken a fish hatchery tour (rainbow trout) and participated in a raceway cleaning service project.
*Heard historical stories of the St. Croix River from St. Croix: Midwest Border River by James Taylor Dunn.
*Listened to the book If You Find a Rock.
Shared rock collections and told stories of personal "memory rocks".
Charlie brought in Madeline Island rocks, and some Wishing Rocks, which
were mentioned in the book.
*Created personal photo journals from various hikes.
*Took part in a Tree study with a local naturalist.
A couple more weeks and this will end for the summer, but there is always a fall and winter outing to look forward to as well.
History-
We're doing early American history this year with Story of the world 3 worked in for world events. Build Your Library Curriculum will be my guide for reading through The Story of US, literature, adding narration, mapwork, poetry and more! In the 11th hour I discovered this secular curriculum, and found it to be just enough work to do on its own, with plenty of wiggle-room to add any extras I might have. It uses books I am familiar with, have my stamp of approval, and for the most part, already own. That is great for the budget, as well as reassuring to me that the author and I perhaps are coming from the same place. I mean, if we like all the same books, we must be something like soul-mates, right? This curriculum also schedules Elemental Science Biology. Nice!
We're doing early American history this year with Story of the world 3 worked in for world events. Build Your Library Curriculum will be my guide for reading through The Story of US, literature, adding narration, mapwork, poetry and more! In the 11th hour I discovered this secular curriculum, and found it to be just enough work to do on its own, with plenty of wiggle-room to add any extras I might have. It uses books I am familiar with, have my stamp of approval, and for the most part, already own. That is great for the budget, as well as reassuring to me that the author and I perhaps are coming from the same place. I mean, if we like all the same books, we must be something like soul-mates, right? This curriculum also schedules Elemental Science Biology. Nice!
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