Sixth Grade Literature

Has anyone used this site? This looks really interesting how they've combined different books from different time periods.
http://www.epicreads.com/blog/an-epic-chart-of-162-young-adult-retellings/

It's spring again. This is traditionally when I've planned the following year and tradition holds firm here.

It's been a while since I've included weekly wrap ups or anything but since my eldest is going into 6th grade I would like to again for posterity.

I don't have a perfect plan, yet, but I think I have the basics set.

My kids in the fall will be 11, 8, 5, 2 (turning 3 in October).

Math
I have the younger kids doing CLE, Eldest is doing Khan Academy, second doing Khan and CLE.

Language Arts
In order of youngest to eldest is probably easiest. #4 will do the Rod and Staff preschool books. This will be my fourth kid doing these! #3 will finish firming up phonics, handwriting, and grammar using a combo of Cursive First, Memoria Press, and some CLE. #2 will use CLE and Memoria Press. #1 is still somewhat up in the air. She has been using a combo of Memoria Press and CLE. I'm not sure if we will continue to use both together or use just Memoria Press, I need to really look at the samples and what is covered.

Foreign Language
Kids are doing Spanish. Big two are using Duolingo. Continue on.

Science
Still determining. Lots of nature study with field guides, more work on the Scientific Process.

History
Memoria Press, Child's History of the World, historical fiction to match time periods at carious reading levels.

Religion
I still really like Lutheranism 101 for kids, in a continual loop. Catechism. CPH's Story Bible. Hymn memorization.

I have the content areas roughly grouped together so the kids can work in a group at their own levels. Skill areas separately since those are impossible to really group at the varied levels.

And I think that's that.

Refresh

It has been a long while since I posted here regularly. I am going to attempt to rectify this-- we are still happily homeschooling and as we approach middle school I want to have a record to look back on.

Time4Learning review in a month

• Over the next 30 days, I will be reviewing Time4Learning. They offer anelementary school curriculum, middle school curriculum, high school curriculum, and tools like the Getting Started Homeschooling Guide. Be sure to come back and read about my experience!

I will have my kids log on daily as time allows and I will be posting a detailed review in a month. Stay tuned!

Refining

I will still be using my book lists I posted. My new plans should give us more time for good literature, not less. This was a driving factor in the switch, other then the cost issue.

We've been so bogged down by historical fiction we've been losing the joy and flow of history, itself.

This also reminds me of something important. There is no perfect curricula. There are things perfect or close for individuals in seasons, but no one program that meets all needs at all times. So when something isn't right, and you can't make it feel right, it's ok to let it go and search out a better fit.

I have loved programs in the past and been devoted. Now, we don't use those things. And that ok.

It's about the journey as much as the ending.

Shopping the shelves

I know I posted plans for the upcoming year that were different. I reserve the right to tweak until I start buying.

Inspired by the CiRCE info and some thrifty threads I have been trolling through my shelves.

I have enough stuff already purchased to do Middle Ages history next year. Usually history is a big chunk of my budget since we do a lot of books along with it, so this is great.

My oldest was hitting a wall of sorts with Saxon math. It wasn't too hard but it was becoming too time consuming. I switched her to CLE which is cheap, seems sound, and much less time intensive. If it keeps going well I will switch Little Bird once she finished Saxon 1.

Sweet Pea is still using Writing Tales 1 and while I love the idea it's so unequal in work load. Some days it takes ten minutes and some days it's over an hour. This makes planning hard and frustrates her. I believe we may try CLE language arts, as well.

Little Bird is working rapidly through Hooked on Phonics 2nd grade! She's making great progress and once she's done I will finish phonics out with the Ordinary Parent's Guide, which I already own. Handwriting is going great as well and she's almost ready to transition from handwriting to copy work.

Once I comb my shelves more I hope to post with more updated plans!

Lent and children

Lent begins February 13 this year. Less then two weeks! If you follow or want to follow the Liturgical calendar this means it's time to start getting ready.

I have past posts on Lent here and here.

Lent begins yearly with Ash Wednesday. Our church marks Ash Wednesday with a service and imposition of ashes- or placing ashes made from the Palm Sunday palms the year before on the forehead in the sign of the cross.

Lent is not Pre-Easter. It is “a holy season of prayerful and penitential reflection". It also has many opportunities to deeply teach our children the faith. 

I plan to use many of the past activities our family enjoys for Lent. I also will be using Lutherans for Lent- a free daily devotional. 

Our church does midweek services through Lent and we will attend as many as possible. 

I hope keeping time through Lent is a blessing to your family this year!