...for our school lessons! YAY!!! We are wrapping up a research paper for the older boys and some spelling for Edward. But, for the most part we are done for this year. It was not easy for us to stay on track last fall when we were moving; however, we persevered and are coming to the end of another successful school year!This year we decided to split Sean and Henry up again after several years of sharing grade levels. I really wanted the boys to have their own special time for graduation and Henry would have been a very young graduate if we had stayed with the old plan. That does not mean they did not share books and class schedules. Really the only difference to them is the English requirements and knowing that Henry will be able to complete a few extra courses his senior year that Sean will miss.
Our favorite course work this year was the Apologia Biology course. We complete several experiments and learned a lot of new facts to compliment their growing knowledge of the world. All of this with the easy reading from the author and extra lessons found on-line. The boys especially enjoyed the dissections with Michael as guide. I am so thankful I did not have to do this again! They are already looking forward to Chemistry for next year! Lord, help me not blow up our house! Maybe I can find a co-op that will do experiments together.
to the
Brendan is not out of the mix...he loves doing his activity book we found at the store. However, he does this so he can have time on the computer learning how to read at Starfall.We also used the following books (for anyone interested in our eclectic method of homeschooling through elementary and high school):
Religion (all ages at their level of learning): Chief Truths of the Faith by Fr. John Laux
Spelling 4: We used a free spelling program on-line...YAY!!! It has all grade levels and vocabulary so we will be using this again!
Vocabulary: We combined two great books to cover a lot of words this year. I hope to re-do with Henry in his senior year to help him boost his SAT scores for college. Vocabulary for the College Bound and English from the Roots Up. We also found a lesson plan for the roots book that included tests and answer keys!
Math 4: We were glad to go back to our favorite math curriculum this year...Saxon 54 was a great review and step up from our curriculum from last year. And, now that he has completed his lessons, I found a Kindle app to him to practice his multiplication over the summer.
Geometry: I am so glad we are able to continue the use of an old out of print geometry book I have used over the years. I have used this book to teach three of my own children and several other students. Some believe this is not a useful course any more but I like to have the children use their higher level thinking skills to work through proofs for mathematical concepts most of us take for granted. It will be a added benefit when we work through Algebra II and Calculus over the next two years. The older boys are also enjoying an algebra app we found to help review over the summer...it is called Dragon Box.
Reading 4: We decided to take some time building up reading skills...comprehension and reporting..this year with some of our favorite books. Edward read:
- Ralph S. Mouse
- Charlotte's Web
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library
These books were read and then reviewed with a special book report form I found on line (of course!). Then I looked for quizzes for each book as well. There are a lot of options that will work for any child, just use your favorite search engine to find what fits. We also looked for the movie version so we can have a lesson in comparison throughout the year!
English/Literature 10: We doubled up on this requirement this year to get Sean back on track for English requirements as he has done everything needed to give him English 9 course credit except reading and analyzing the required classics. That means we had the joy of reading the following books (along with a poetry study):
- The Lilies of the Field
- The Merchant of Venice
- Where the Red Fern Grows
- As I Lay Dying
- Animal Farm
- A Tale of Two Cities (We are actually going to read this one over the summer for "fun.")
The hardest part is having the boys write their research papers! We will get this done before the new school year begins in the fall!
Spanish 1: This was a challenge for me...I am not a linguist...Michael is but...well...he is more interested in German and Russian. I really wanted the boys to learn Spanish so they can be more competitive in the work place...this is the language that is needed most on a job application...and these boys need to be able to take care of themselves one day! I wish I had been more firm about this with Amanda! SO...I still hope to find a private tutor for them for next year. This year we stumbled upon a language course that would suffice for this credit. If you are looking to learn the basics then Duolingo is a great start! The boys enjoy using this cyclical learning tool and it is easy to use. Michael even started a refresher course in German using this tool...he will start the Russian when it comes out as well!
This was our school year! Hard to believe we made it to the end...now for a few weeks of summer before we start again in September. Now we can enjoy the summer reading programs and camps.
Of course, a home school mom's job is never done. I will not get a break as I make decisions for the next year. If you have experience with Kindergarten, 5th grade or high school...I would love to hear from you!
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