Wrapping up our fourth year of homeschooling, I finally feel ready to share our homeschool curriculum choices and my position on different topics. I didn't want to lead anyone astray before! The truth is that every family is different and the beauty of homeschooling is that we don't all have to agree on the same curriculum, schedules, etc.
C16 has worked hard to get on track to complete high school in 3 more years and begin university studies. For example. In 2010-2011 he completed Gamma, Delta and Epsilon levels of Math-U-See.
Science - Elemental Science: Biology for the Logic Stage He will take the final test of this 36-week biology program tomorrow. Though it is written for the 6th grade, the author shares ways to make it work for younger and older grades. I beefed up this program to make sure he can earn a high school credit for Biology.
History, Geography, Literature - Tapestry of Grace We're starting week 22 of Year 2 on Monday. We're a little "off" a normal schedule because I found out about Tapestry of Grace during the middle of a school year and switched. We continued through the summer and will begin Year 3 in late-September. He does the Dialectic assignments and will move to Rhetoric in Year 3. There are so many reasons why I enjoy TOG and would recommend it highly, but I'll just share one feature here: it's so easy to adjust a child's level and workload within the program. You buy the curriculum per 9-week-long or year-long unit, and all four levels (Lower Grammar K-3, Upper Grammar 3-6, Dialectic 6-9 and Rhetoric 9-12) are included. This year he is completing each Government (at the Rhetoric level) and Fine Art. Next year I will probably add in the Writing assignments, or perhaps start incorporating IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing).
Math - He is currently on Lesson 24 of Math-U-See Algebra and, while higher level maths are a challenge for him, he only wants to use this program. Steve Demme is a great teacher! He watches the video for a lesson then we both use the teacher guide book when he has questions.
Writing - This one was our biggest struggle, but each month is easier than the last. He is working through Voyages in English (I bought the program used from a friend) and completes loads of writing assignments for other subjects, like Tapestry of Grace and Biology.
Schooling our four boys, at home and on the road
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
Our 2013-2014 curriculum for a 16-year-old playing catch up
Wrapping up our fourth year of homeschooling, I finally feel ready to share our homeschool curriculum choices and my position on different topics. I didn't want to lead anyone astray before! The truth is that every family is different and the beauty of homeschooling is that we don't all have to agree on the same curriculum, schedules, etc.
My dear son N16 is catching up to his same-age peers and I couldn't be more grateful for our right to homeschool. Though some days are tough, I stand by my decision to homeschool him, with no regrets. This was the right move for him.
He's all over the map with his "grade level" and when someone asks him what grade he's in, it takes him a moment to think before he finally just answers "9th."
I'm not claiming that this is is the exact program I would recommend for any and every 9th grade boy, I'm just sharing what works for him in hopes that it will encourage others who have kids with "special needs."
Science - Elemental Science: Biology for the Logic Stage We're almost through with this 36-week biology program. Though it is written for the 6th grade, the author shares ways to make it work for younger and older grades. I have been very happy with this simple program and I'm glad I bought the teacher guide and two of the consumable Student Guides (for N16 and his twin brother, C16). Each week there is a hands-on experiment or demonstration. Next year we will study earth science and Astronomy; I'm not sure if we will stick with Elemental Science or try another program. I'd love your input!
My dear son N16 is catching up to his same-age peers and I couldn't be more grateful for our right to homeschool. Though some days are tough, I stand by my decision to homeschool him, with no regrets. This was the right move for him.
He's all over the map with his "grade level" and when someone asks him what grade he's in, it takes him a moment to think before he finally just answers "9th."
I'm not claiming that this is is the exact program I would recommend for any and every 9th grade boy, I'm just sharing what works for him in hopes that it will encourage others who have kids with "special needs."
Science - Elemental Science: Biology for the Logic Stage We're almost through with this 36-week biology program. Though it is written for the 6th grade, the author shares ways to make it work for younger and older grades. I have been very happy with this simple program and I'm glad I bought the teacher guide and two of the consumable Student Guides (for N16 and his twin brother, C16). Each week there is a hands-on experiment or demonstration. Next year we will study earth science and Astronomy; I'm not sure if we will stick with Elemental Science or try another program. I'd love your input!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
The best place to learn about caves is...
... Well, inside a cave, of course!
My original plan was to visit the famous Luray Caverns during a trip through the picturesque Shenandoah Valley, but discovered another nearby option through an Internet search: Grand Caverns.
We left our hotel with a plan to arrive around when the attraction opened at 10am (9am during the summer months) and I'm glad we did. The "Grand Caverns" are located inside a state park, and I wish we had planned even more time to explore the park's trails and, if it had been summer, I would have enjoyed the bargain-priced public outdoor pool ($4 per person 3 and up).
The tour begins up a hill inside a small museum (dated, not flashy, but my crew of boys enjoyed it) then a knowledgable guide gathers any tour guests on the hour. Courtesy jackets were available for anyone who forgot one because it is a chilly 54 degrees under ground!
Our guided journey, just over an hour in length, went far beyond the "this is a stalactite" and "this is a stalagmite" speech that I was expecting. Our guide was perfect, but the caverns themselves are absolutely captivating.
My original plan was to visit the famous Luray Caverns during a trip through the picturesque Shenandoah Valley, but discovered another nearby option through an Internet search: Grand Caverns.
We left our hotel with a plan to arrive around when the attraction opened at 10am (9am during the summer months) and I'm glad we did. The "Grand Caverns" are located inside a state park, and I wish we had planned even more time to explore the park's trails and, if it had been summer, I would have enjoyed the bargain-priced public outdoor pool ($4 per person 3 and up).
The tour begins up a hill inside a small museum (dated, not flashy, but my crew of boys enjoyed it) then a knowledgable guide gathers any tour guests on the hour. Courtesy jackets were available for anyone who forgot one because it is a chilly 54 degrees under ground!
Our guided journey, just over an hour in length, went far beyond the "this is a stalactite" and "this is a stalagmite" speech that I was expecting. Our guide was perfect, but the caverns themselves are absolutely captivating.
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