Curriculum 2010-2011

We've already started for the year- actually we are in our 5th week right now, but I don't think I have written out the plan for the year yet. We will be extending our weeks a little from our normal 4 on, 1 off to try and get as much done before December as possible. We will be doing 5 weeks on, 1 off for the first 10 weeks. Then we will take a "fall break" of 2 days in October and a 2 day Thanksgiving break in November. We will be off 3 weeks in December starting right around the baby's due date. Then we will resume 4 on, 1 off in January, with more room to take off days here and there until the end of the required 180 days in May.

Here is a run down of our 2010-2011 school year:

Rylan, 4th grade:

Math: Mastering Mathematics; He will be finishing the tail end of Subduing Subtraction and Defeating Division and the second half of the year will be spent in both Perfecting the Point and Finishing Fractions.

Language Arts: I don't have a set curriculum. He will be have an assigned book to read each month and complete a project/report/summary based on the book as well as answer questions as he reads each chapter. I am making my own spelling lists and he does various activities of his choice through out the week before testing on Friday. We will have various other writing assignment both creative and fact-based- throughout the year. This is a weak point of his, so I am attempting to focus on this aspect of language and not grammar this year. Grammar will be incorporated though editing/proofreading of his written work. He is also working through the second cursive book from HWT.

Cale; 2nd grade:

Math: He is currently about half-way through Math-U-See Beta, which we started about half-way through the year last year. At the rate we are going we will be finished around Christmas time. I haven't decided yet if we will continue with MUS or switch to something different.

Language Arts: This is very similar to Rylan's. We will not be doing spelling this year as I don't think he is quite ready for it, instead we will be alternating back and forth between copywork and dictation. He will also have a required book/set of books to read silently and answer comprehension questions once he is done, as well as read aloud selections. He is working through Printing Power from Handwriting Without Tears. He will do most of the writing assignments required from Rylan, just on a smaller, shorter scale.

Cohen, K:

Math: McRuffy Math, basic. Both the K and First Grade books. At the rate he is going he will be done by mid-year and I will evaluate his level and see where we go from there.

Phonics/Reading: We are using various resources. I use Phonics Pathways as a resource, our word/picture matching cards, sight word flash cards, books downloaded from Progressive Phonics, PC games (Reader Rabbit Reading, Reading Eggs, Clifford's Phonics...)

Handwriting: Letters and Numbers for Me from Handwriting Without Tears

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That- plus 30 minutes silent reading- is what they do first thing in the morning as their independent work on their assignment sheets. Once everyone is done we move on to history and science:

History: I will admit, I hated history in school. It was my least favorite subject. Now, I find it interesting, but it is still something I need help teaching. Since we began homeschooling I have said that I would start formal history in the 4th grade...and here we are. So I chose to go with The Story of the World, Vol 1 for this year. We will be using it as the base, with extra books and activities thrown in. Most will be coming from the SOTW activity book, but if I have the extra time will put my own activities in too. We do history daily.

Science: This year will be devoted to Earth Sciences. We will spend approximately 12 weeks each on Astronomy, Geology and Atmosphere/Meteorology. I am writing the science units myself, they will be mostly literature and activity based. Science is 3 days a week.

In addition to those subjects we have a few other extra things:

* every Friday we will do art. Some will be how-to type projects, some artist-based projects and some will be learning elements of art.
* every Wednesday will be music. We are starting with learning to play the recorder.
*weekly typing practice using DanceMat typing
* Rylan will be doing standardized test practice every couple weeks. In the homeschooling option we use he will be required to take the state's standardized tests at the end 5th grade. And I think he will need all the practice he can get in order to be less apprehensive about the whole experience.

And that is our 2010-2011 school year