The 2017-2018 school year now has a 6th grader and a 5th grader! I seriously do not know where the time is going! I feel like we were just beginning the homeschool adventure yesterday!
The beginning of the year, we went to a Chinese Lantern Festival and we just loved it! We went right before it got dark, ate dinner, saw the exhibits, and then walked around again when it was dark! It was so cool! The kids really enjoyed it, which at first I was a little worried they wouldn't like it.
We also made our traditional trip to the mountains in the fall. Such a great time to go when the leaves are changing colors. The day we went was chilly and rainy. Luckily we got some good pictures in while we were there and also had a yummy lunch and hot cocoa! We used some of the pictures as the kids school pictures, so I was super excited about that!
Our curriculum has some minor changes to it. I switch both kids over to Teaching Textbooks. I am so glad I did! The kids are loving it and they are doing so much better than I expected. I kind of get nervous when I'm not the one teaching. I do ask what they are learning that day, just to be in the know. For anyone who has not heard of Teaching Textbooks, it's a CD system that teaches math. Every day they have a lesson and then some work to go along with it. Every so often, they take a quiz. The program is self grading, so it really frees up my time to either prepare for another subject, or work on something else with another child. We are keeping this for next year and hopefully continue using it through out the remaining school years. Teaching Textbooks
For history, we are still using Mystery of History. I love that it begins with creation and tells history with Bible stories and other events that were going on during the same time period. We are doing volume 2 this year, and even though it's a tough one, Early Churches and Middle Ages, we are pushing through! I have also added Homeschooling in the Woods, Colonial Times. We usually do this once or twice a week. It's a great curriculum! Small lessons to read and they are hands on with fun projects, which is totally up my alley! Mystery of History Homeschooling in the Woods
Grammar is a tricky one for us this year. I switched to something new and we liked it, but quickly started to dislike it! I won't say what it was, but it just wasn't for us. I ended up getting Daily Grams for the kids to do for extra review, since they do grammar at Co-op. I knew they weren't missing out on anything. WE LOVE IT! So much so, that we're switching to the grammar curriculum that they are associated with. Easy Grammar! I already have our books and lesson plans ready for next year, so I am really excited! I highly recommend this to everyone!!!! Easy Grammar
For spelling and vocabulary, we have been using that I found online. We are doing volume 1 this year, so next year we will move onto Volume 2. The kids study the prefixes, root words, and suffixes and then do daily activities. At the end of the week, I usually use those words for spelling. At the end of two weeks, they have a review on the last two lessons learned, so I count that as a test. Word Roots
Science the kiddos have been doing Apologia Chem.Phys. They do this at Co-op. They are loving it, so it has to be great!!!
Other classes at Co-op this year:
Both do:
Chem/Phys
Grammar/ Writing
P.E
Super Boy:
Study Hall
(and the three listed above)
Mini(me):
U.S Presidents Class
(and the three listed above)
I know this only tells a little of our school year. Hopefully I will be able to carve more time out and write more!
Thanks for reading!!!!
