« Sweet Electricity! | Main | How my kids spend their free time: »

June 12, 2008

Planning For Next Year

I've been mulling over our next school year. I'm not really happy with the way the last couple of years have gone. And so, I'm considering some changes.

First of all, I'm ditching my beloved Classical Writing for awhile. As much as I love and believe in the program, we need a break from it. I need someone else to work with my children for awhile, so we're planning to use some online classes from Home2Teach.

Second, I'm facing up the reality of teaching a child whose brain is just not going to work with my LCC philosophies. I firmly believe that studying quality narratives is far superior to reading a textbook; however, Connor actually retains more information, and has a better grasp of the big picture, when he reads the history encyclopedia. I can't do that. If I read the encyclopedia, my brain dumps the information as fast as I read it. It must be his father's DNA.

So, I'm dumping my lovely reading lists, and letting him do WTM-style logic-stage history. This involves him reading sections of our history encyclopedia; when he comes across something that piques his interest, then we pause there for him to find and read additional materials. Then we move on. There you go.

For the little boys, for writing, I am doing whatever Susan Wise Bauer says. I did not follow her recommendations for my older two, and I don't much like the results. I've gone back over her material, and I can see that it makes great sense. The younger kids are getting the full treatment in that area.

I am coming to realize that although I believe in and identify with the version of classical education outlined in the LCC, SWB has the better grasp of educational development of young people. For most things, this hasn't mattered. For writing, it has. So I think we're backing into The Well-Trained Mind for awhile, to see if her ideas and methods help us over these rough spots. In reality, we use what works best, no matter what it's called or how it's labeled, as long as we reach our goals.

So, for Connor's 7th grade year, we are planning:

Algebra I with an older Dolciani text. Jeff is teaching this, not I! The text is a bit beyond me, and will need someone who actually understands math to teach it.

Latin, continuing with the Galore Park Latin Prep series, and Lingua Latina.

Greek with Elementary Greek and this nifty, free resource.

Writing with Home2Teach; we might still do some grammar, and we'll use Megawords for spelling.

History the WTM way, early modern, 1650-1850, with an emphasis on American, and probably Virginian, history. Lots of field trips.

Literature - I hope we'll tackle the Iliad. Other than that, early modern selections, to include "Johnny Tremain," "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch," "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin," Perrault's fairy tales, Grimm's fairy tales, Washington Irving stories, Poe, "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." We might read "Common Sense." We'll see. This is all assuming I can get their noses out of Orson Scott Card books. I guess eventually, they'll run out. We are not tied to this list; we'll read what we can, and use books on CD for some. My focus will be on the Iliad, and, if we get to it, "Common Sense."

Science - ....

I have to decide whether or not to add Spanish. I want to. The kids want to. If only it required no effort on my part!

Aidan will actually be doing the same history and literature (probably not the Iliad, though if he wants to try it, he's welcome), and maybe even the same writing, switching out where necessary for his abilities. Same Latin, but slower. He's actually ahead of Connor in Greek. He'll be finishing up Right Start E, and moving into Singapore 4, for math. He'll be in 5th grade, but I suspect he'll be happier using "Story of the World" rather than the history encyclopedia.

Lachlan and Griffin will be doing "First Language Lessons," SWB's "Writing With Ease," Right Start B, and "Story of the World," and listening to lots and lots of fairy tales, myths, and tales of Egypt and Pirates, as always.

And piano ... though the boys have asked that I teach them this next year, so that we can use the piano money for swimming lessons instead. We can do that. I know I can teach them, but I hope I can help them maintain their enthusiasm. And Scouts, and hopefully we'll find a First Lego League team, and did I mention the field trips?

I'm tired already.

Posted by lynx at June 12, 2008 10:25 PM

Comments

Wow! We are at the same place with writing and history. Luke is voluntarily reading Usborne's World History book cover to cover right now. It's so bizarre to me.

We are doing history TWTM way, to the letter, using the old Kingfisher, even if I have to pay the big bucks for a copy. I think he will thrive on this - he loves history, but not writing about it so much.

As for writing, Luke did Writing Tales 1 this past year, and the results are okay, but not overwhelming. I've got Writing with Ease coming for Peyton and I'm considering backing up the truck and having Luke do level 4 in it, even though he'll be 10 and in 5th technically. I also have Writing Tales 2 just in case.

Peyton has benefitted tremendously from the lessons I have learned from Luke. Which leaves only about 543,000 other ways for me to screw her up. Good times.

Posted by: Amy loves Bud at June 13, 2008 3:30 PM

I'm just finishing up my curriculum plans for next year (7th) as well and all I can say it, "Soldier on, homeschooling momma. Soldier on."

Connor sounds an awful lot like my Padawan Learner in the history and writing departments. I broke down and bought the Comprehensive series for writing late this year (Comprehensive Narrative Writing, Comprehensive Expository Writing and Comprehensive Pursuasive Writing - in that order) over three years. The program is expensive, but it's good for middle elementary to early high school grades. We started with it the day after it arrived in the mail - all the "little kid" activities that I feared he'd hate - but I'm already seeing an impressive improvement in his descriptive writing.

Posted by: Obi-Mom Kenobi at June 13, 2008 3:57 PM

I'm switching to WTM grammar stage language arts too, for the same reason. I'm not sure if it will fix things, but what I've been doing isn't working consistently enough.

Thanks for sharing the Greek link. It looks good.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 13, 2008 4:46 PM

Oh, the field trips! You will be in a prime location. Hope the move goes smoothly.

Elle is now working through First Language Lessons 3, so we too are heading back in the WTM direction. A bit. Whatever works...

Posted by: L at June 13, 2008 7:06 PM

Did you wait to start Lingua Latina until you got to a certain point in Latin Prep, or did you just start them together? I've got the Latin Prep and LL lined up for next year, but now I'm wondering (after reading some of the recent posts on the LCC group) whether I should use another program for self study before even attempting the LL reader. I'm experiencing a bit of anxiety over the whole thing actually.

Oh, and I just bought Composition in the Classical Tradition to see how well we fare with that! I like CW, and so do the kids, but I'd welcome a change to keep things fresh and interesting.

Algebra will be our next hurdle, and I have NO idea what to use yet for that.

Posted by: Patty (Tutu) at June 19, 2008 12:20 PM

Hi, Patty!

Hmmm. When we started LL my younger son had done LCI, and some of Latin for Children A. We started LL. After chapter 3 he got bogged down, and we stopped. He moved on to Latin Prep, and we re-started LL when he was about about chapter 5 of Latin Prep. When we re-started LL, we started from the beginning, and got to ... I think chapter 4 ... before breaking for the summer.

Same story for my oldest, but he was in LP chapter 7, and had also done Unit 1 of Henle, before starting back with LL. Cap. 4 of LL is easy for him, quite challenging for my younger.

I took myself through quite a bit of Henle before I started with LL, and I'm glad I did. I think I would have had a great deal of trouble learning with LL alone, self-teaching. I do much better learning the grammar first, and then using LL to attain reading fluency. LL really makes sense of the grammar I learn in Henle, but I have a very hard time learning the grammar from LL.

I do suggest getting the College Companion for LL - I don't actually have it yet, but it sounds like it would be a *great* help with the grammar. I'm about 10 chapters ahead of my kids in LL, and I've done through Unit 8 of Henle. I think I have the equivalent of Latin I under my belt.

LL starts off very easy. I say try it, and go slowly. You'll get bogged down at some point, but then you can always put it up for awhile, or go even more slowly, or get help. It's fun to read these chapters and realize you *can* read them!

I really want Composition in the Classical Tradition, but my library system does not have it, and I don't want to shell out the $$. As much as I love CW, I need to get a much better grasp of the theory myself, so I can tailor the lessons to my kids. The workbooks are great, but right now, they don't fit my kids. We are not at the same level in all skills, and the workbooks advance everything at once. I'm hoping that when we move, my new library system will have a copy ;-)

Posted by: Stephanie at June 19, 2008 12:58 PM

Oh, thank you so much for your prompt reply! I kept coming on to refresh the screen. lol :) Okay...I'm embarrassed to admit that I've spent a small fortune on Latin this year. I got nearly everything for LL, *except* for the College Companion (which I'm only just realizing replaces a lot of the little manuals for which I already shelled out money...sigh). I just put the Companion in my Amazon shopping cart, but now I'm wondering about the Latine Doceo. Not sure yet if that will even be necessary at this point. And Drew mentioned the usefulness of the audio CD's as well. Ack! Also in my cart I have Wheelock's, but now I'm wondering if Henle could do the job just as well. It seems to have worked well for you, so that's a plus for Henle then! What will I need for self-teaching with Henle? Should I just get the Henle set MP sells? Sorry to be "thinking out loud" here and asking so many questions, but I am completely and utterly stressed when it comes to Latin this year.

Sounds like you're doing very well--ten chapters ahead in LL and having worked through chapter 8 in Henle! Good for you! I hope to be a fraction as prepared come summer's end. Gulp.

I haven't gotten far into Comp. in the Classical Tradition yet...only just received it. But I'm hoping it will provide that better grasp of the theory that you mention. Fingers firmly crossed for that! BTW, I bought mine through Textbooks dot com, but it was still pricey at $46 and change. I'm hoping it's worth it.

Posted by: Anonymous at June 19, 2008 1:26 PM

Sheesh, that was obviously my reply, btw. Must have forgotten to sign my name. ;)

Posted by: Patty at June 19, 2008 6:02 PM