2012 – 2013 School Plan

If you’re interested in the background, see the next post on School Planning.  Otherwise, here’s ‘The List.’

Home School Plan 2012 – 2013

 Sarah, Summer                                                        Hannah, Summer

*Finish Traditional Logic II __                                                   *Traditional Logic I

*First Aid and CPR Class __                                                    *Gardening, Flowers,

*Dave Ramsey __                                                           Sewing Decorating,  Entertaining

*Economedes __                                                     *Sewing Project, Other Project

*Loving God with All Your Heart __

*Best Friends for Life  __

 FALL

 Family Learning

Creek Edge Press: Year 3 Recitation, Dictation, Memory and Copy Work (not yet available to others) __

Creek Edge Press Music Task Cards Year 2 __

Bible Stories for Daily Prayer and Catechism __

 Sarah, Grade 11

Theology of the Cross, The Lutheran Difference __

Tapestry of Grace Year 3, Rhetoric __

Chalkdust Trigonometry __

Apologia Physics __

French (On-Line, Grammar Exercises) __

Vocabulary from Classical Roots  __

Spelling Workout __

Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation  __

Writing Exercises (Various Handbooks) __

Music Theory __

Artistic Pursuits and Creek Edge Press Art Task Cards __

SAT Prep. __

Material Logic __

~ Violin, Orchestra, Ballet

~ Summer Institutes

 

Hannah, Grade 9

You Ask About Faith and Life, Paulus and Lutheranism 101 __

Creek Edge Press High School History Year 3 (not yet available)  __

Excellence in Literature Year 3 Selections __

Chalkdust Algebra I __

Apologia Biology __

On-Line Spanish __

Vocabulary from Classical Roots  __

Spelling Workout __

Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation. __

Writing exercises  __

TBD Writing Curriculum __

Music Theory __

Artistic Pursuits and Creek Edge Press Art Task Cards __

~Cello, Orchestra, Symphony?, Seasonal Extras

 

Holly, Grade 6

Concordia Press Voyages 6 __

Creek Edge Press Early Modern Task Cards __

Rainbow Science Chemistry and Creek Edge Press Chemistry Task Cards __

Chalkdust Basic Math __

Spelling Workout F __

Rod and Staff English 6 __

Vocabulary from Classical Roots 6 __

Writing with Skill Level 1 (or other writing curriculum) __

Memoria Press Literature Guides Grade 6 __

Music Theory __

Artistic Pursuits and Creek Edge Press Art Task Cards __

~Violin, Orchestra, Symphony, Seasonal Extras

 

Abby, Grade 4

Voyages 4 __

Calendar, Math Drill __

Creek Edge Press Early Modern Task Cards __

Calvert 4 __

Apologia Science __

Spelling D __

Rod and Staff 4 __

Vocabulary from Classical Roots 4 __

Memoria Press Literature Guides Grade 4 __

Music Theory __

Artistic Pursuits and Creek Edge Press Art Task Cards __

~Cello, Piano, Seasonal Extras

 

 

Beret Anna, Preschool 4

Reading: Jolly Phonics and Beginning Reading at Home Cards, Phonics Pathways, Beginning Readers

Hands on Math: Common Sense Press Math for Kindergarteners

Preschool Read Alouds (mainly from Sonlight)

Seatwork: Calendar, Number and Letter Printables, Tracing Name, Workbooks

Seasonal Projects, Unit Projects, Bible Projects with older sisters

Montessori Shelves

~ Music Class, Suzuki Group, Seasonal Extras?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School Planning for Fall

I usually get the ‘bug’ in February. Planning has mostly been fun this year. Beret Anna will be in K-4 and the rest will be in grades 4, 6, 9, and 11. My planning is streamlined now that I’ve launched Creek Edge Press. Making things as easy as possible for others has lightened my own load considerably!

Sarah has been using Tapestry of Grace since the middle of her fifth grade year and will continue that work. It is a good fit for her. Hannah will be transitioning form Tapestry dialectic work to what will eventually be the Creek Edge Press high school history series. Year one and two are aleady mapped out and I’m planning to map out year three as I direct her work. Hannah is a bit of a perfectionist about school work and, while Tapestry has been fabulous for her dialectic level learning, I fear she will get lost in the rhetoric level of Tapestry without finding the point of her assignments. Abby and Holly will continue with the Creek Edge Press task card sets that were designed during Sarah and Hannah’s grammar stage. Holly will be using them at the dialectic level and Abby will be using them as an independent grammar stage student.

With the move away from Tapestry work, comes a need for direction with literature and writing. I have recently discovered Excellence in Literature and am excited for Hannah to begin using it and especially excited that someone else has already written my ideal high school literature program. Holly and Abby have been using Memoria Press Literature Guides this  year and we will certainly continue with those. They are a perfect fit for our family’s style and are the perfect gentle and clear introduction to focused reading and literary analysis. I am still in need of a writing curriculum for the middle three and am considering Writing With Skill Level 1 for Holly. I might also look at Writing Strands again for all of them. I enjoy tutoring them in their writing skills, but like them to have direction in their writing assignments.

Our high school students have full days, so it is necessary for them to complete some coursework and reading in the summer. We generally complete the Memoria Press Logic courses via video with note taking and summaries of the lectures as all of the exercises are a bit much for our summer pace. Family Learning is done four days a week during the school year. It provides an opportunity to come together and bend spirits that might otherwise be a bit overly independent. You might notice the extra art and the inclusion of music theory as well as a section of Beret Anna’s preschool that will be overseen by the older girls. I teach  music lessons during the afternoons and the older ones generally have the youngest for one hour each week during that time. Next year, they’ll be organizing and doing projects with her – each following themes they’ve chosen. The girls generally do art one afternoon each week while I’m teaching as well.

I find myself enjoying wrapping up this school year. It’s been one of our best and quite a blessing to be on track with little illness or interruption despite the surgeries and medical appointments we faced during the first semester. I’ve had a nice window of opportunity to embrace other things, mainly setting up Creek Edge Press and building my teaching studio again, as my older four have grown in independence and responsibility and my youngest isn’t quite school age. Next year, I’ll be easing myself into the busy K-2 years with Beret Anna and enjoying one of Sarah’s final years learning at home. I’m looking forward to it.

I know it’s ‘early,’ but I wouldn’t be myself if I wasn’t prepared. Detailed list and plans coming in the next post. Those of you who’ve followed my posts for a while know that they’ll be posted again in the fall. I tend to get rather excited by these things…

Ready, Set…

Research!

Abby and Holly are using the Task Card Approach with history as well as science this year.  Holly is a pro at research after years of adding research tasks to our Tapestry studies, but I like to check in at the beginning of the year while going over expectations.  I was especially happy to see Abby turn to the Table of Contents without instruction.

If you’re using Task Card Sets from Creek Edge Press and are working on foundational research and task card approach skills, I recommend focusing on one task at a time during the early weeks of the school year.  This week our  focus was on expectations for ‘Encyclopedia Research.’  The girls completed other tasks as well, but I accepted their work ’as is’ in those areas.  Since Abby is finishing the transition to independent investigation and response, this task will soon be one she can complete on her own.  She already has map work and summary writing down fairly well from wrapping up last year’s work, but we’ll be raising expectations for attention to detail and neatness as the school year unfolds.

And, no, I didn’t ask them to pose!