The "Not" Back to School Blog Hop-Week 1, Curriculum Choices

This is the first time I have taken part of this fun blog hop and am looking forward to reading what others are going to use (nosy I guess? LOL). 

I have 2 students this year-one Jr in HS and the other will be in mostly 3rd grade materials.  I will start with the high schooler and then do the boy's materials. 

HS Jr Girl:

 

Math: Life of Fred-Beginning Algebra this year.  We will focus on math the entire school season, and do the Advanced Algebra level, once the first book is completed. After struggling terribly with just about every curricula for it-we took the year off (outside of some minor math projects, etc) to recoup.  Her career choice is not math dependent so we do not need to have her complete Calculus prior to graduation-we'll be satisfied with a good general knowledge of algebra and then focus her Senior year on consumer math.

Science:  We just need to wrap up a couple more modules of her Apologia Biology to be done.  I had hoped to get this completed over the summer, but after the crazy busy year we had, esp. the spring, along with a couple trips-we didn't get to it.  We will also be working on her science notebook (general post about it) (and also, you can read about the additional post about some pages we included too) like before. Then once done-we'll not do science until next year.  We need to make the math priority-so outside of nature study projects, that will be it.

History:  We will pick up where we left off in the All American History Vol 2 book that we started last fall. We do a variety of activities, such as notebooking, projects and such to go with this. 

Geography: Continue with Mapping the World by Heart. We started it, then had to set is aside, and altho she knows the basics, I would like her to have a better detailed knowledge than she does, so we'll give it another go.  Plus, I am covering the US States with my son, so she will do a lighter level of it as a refresher [since we haven't done it in several years with her].  The maps we'll use are from a great map set by HS in the Woods-their Olde World Style US Maps.  I love these, and they will make a lovely notebook from it.  

Language Arts:  Continue wrapping up the Learning Lang. Arts Through Literature-Gold/American series-we have just a few more sections I want to hit.  Once done-we'll move on to the Brit. Lit or focus more on the writing criteria.  I want her to have one good research and one good essay done by the year's end.  This will require time to do the research/reading/actual paper(s)...so that is our focus.  I will also have her do the Advanced Winston Grammar series...I like to spend time on the structure and details closer to when the student will need to take the ACT tests-we work on it generally all through the school years, but this series is excellent and really keeps it fresh for that testing purpose. 

 She will also work through a couple ACT Prep books a few times per week, to start getting her into that mode.  We use the Real ACT Prep Guide and the Procrastinator's Guide to the ACT 2011 (altho we have the 2004 book and it'll have to do).  With all the good literature my kids read, the narration, and copywork-they have a pretty good prep for this.  Our goal is not to have them get a perfect score-but take it to help with poss. scholarships and over ride some of the entry level courses colleges have as prerequisite...sometimes they can jump ahead to the higher levels simply by their scores. 

Like I mentioned-we do copywork from various sources and this year-we'll include Queen's Copywork for girls and the Thematic Copywork Lessons-Lessons from Leaders (which actually is for the history lessons).  


Bible: I saved this one for last, because I simply do not know exactly what I am doing here-I have a couple ideas, and will have her read literature based on Christ and his life and so forth-but have not made my final decision-so this remains as my last hurdle to tackle when it comes to her line-up.


We'll also throw in 2 artists/musicians to study as well (for both kids to do).  That is on top of working on getting her driving time in for driver's ed, and the usual life things.  


We do NOT do every subject every day (except for Bible/Character study)-I try to do keep it so it doesn't become so mundane that they fall asleep whilst doing their lessons.  By having history/math and L.Arts on some days-science/copywork/nature study/etc. on the others [or whatever] it helps avoid the boredom.  


Remember too-in college and lots of high schools now a days-they do not have the same subjects every semester/all year long (math, science, history, lan. arts) but rather do a semester's worth of whatever and may not hit that subject again for another year or 2.  So don't feel you have to do every subject, every day, every year during the high school years!  You don't.  In fact, by not doing so-you will give your student a better idea of what they will experience in college.  Sorry, just had to point that out.  If you have a high schooler or will soon-you are welcome to download the notes on a lecture I presented-it offers up more ideas/links/helps on schooling your teens...you can find that on our HOPE Ministries site.  

As for my 3rd grade son:

Science:  We'll continue wrapping up our study of Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy.  I don't push a ton of science in the earlier years-formal that is, so we are taking our time.  We have to finish Mars and the rest of em.  I also have him working on continuing his Lapinder on it (first post) [another post] in conjunction with our Science Center activities.  We will also have some projects through our FIAR Bk 4 studies too.  My goal is to do much more nature study too.  So I will work that in when ever I can.

Math:  Abeka Arithmetic 3, various games, math living literature [list of books and another list], little tie in activities [great site: Home Education Resources and Enchanted Learning (membership is so worth it) and Homeschool Share (lapbook and FIAR projects, plus check the Workboxables cuz there are lots of ideas there too) to just list a few].

History:  LOVE, LOVE Beautiful Feet Books history programs! We'll be continuing on with this series-Early Am. History with our notebook too.  Since he is young enough-we stroll through at a leisurely pace and truly take the time to enjoy this stuff.  We'll be picking up with George Washington (which is awesome cuz last summer we visited his house MT. Vernon)...we'll probably do some crafts, mini-projects and such done along with it.  

Geography:  We'll be starting the Study of the States.  Now, this is a bit early on the scale of when others start this, but we're going to only cover 25 this year.  We'll visit each state and mull over them a tad, create our notebook and do various projects with it.  He will have a much more detailed notebook than Sissy's and we'll do lots of puzzles and such too. We will use the maps by Homeschool in the Woods mentioned above.  I have a whole geography post that you can read, It's all about the States on my What's in the Box? blog-it give more details on what I am using.  Oh, read the comments section too-a gal linked in another help to go along with it as well. 


Language Arts:  We do a mixture of things-mostly though my precious boy needs to have some major reading skills/spelling skills work.  Being that he is dyslexic-this has been a true struggle-so we'll focus most of our time on improving and working on this vital area.  

We use All About Spelling and their All About Readers (along with Hooked on Phonics-I have an older set, but hey it works, so we piggy back it with other basic readers I have collected through the years).  

Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting and Memoria Press' Copywork books (he is on book 2). I may throw Copywork for Little Boys from Queens HS in there after he completes the third book.  I reviewed those MP copywork books and love em...so we'll continue on with where we last stopped.

We will also be doing lapbooks (most are from Homeschool Share) to tie into our Five in a Row BK 4 (digital downloads) studies (but I am mostly just doing my own thing using the lapbook info for ideas) and the  books. I have one download but simply do not want to drop that kinda cash right now...these are side dish studies. I will use what I can find for free and work around others' ideas to get a mini study for now.  I am planning on one book per month.  


We also do narration too.  


Bible:  Again-I am unclear as to what exactly we'll use as our backbone material.  I want to work on character study this year with him and have a few resources but am unclear as to what that all entails right now.  So like his Sissy-I have to figure this out (and soon) too.  


So there you have it-the basic layout for the kids this year.  And as past experience has taught me-the best plans can be laid to waste due to well,  LIFE...so I keep an open mind and stay flexible.  I also am reviewing again for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine on their Homeschool Crew, so I will add in the goodies we get, as well.  You can read about the products I have reviewed on my 1 of 100 (plus 25) TOS Crew Reviews Blog.  There is lots of info for ya there.  


Thanks for stopping by!