Term 1 2008

I decided to hold off on beginning AOyear 5 for ds. We will probably begin that after Thanksgiving or so. I have it all just about ready, so it's there when we need it. ;)
DS really needs to concentrate on reading fluently so our focus will be the 3 R's but I don't want to completely sacrifice the literary quality of his education. Children need ideas to feed on, so I worked up a "lite" schedule for him for the next 6-12 weeks, using some books that we never got around to. I really don't know how long he will need it so I'm trying to be flexible here. This is what we are going to do:

Daily:
Bible
Copywork
Dictation/Reading lesson
Math
Latin (oral only, but this will help stimulate the language part of the brain and help with grammar)
Poetry of Emily Dickinson

Weekly:
Music - Folk Song, Hymn
Artist -
Composer-
Art (drawing)
Nature Study
Timeline
Crafts

Other:
Biography- Abigail Adams
Natural History- It Couldn't Just Happen (I think this is a very important book and we haven't done it yet, so I really want him to read it)
Geography- Finish Minn of the Mississippi, then Ambleside Geography Book
History- Various (working on a Lapbook of Lewis and Clark)
Literature- American Tall Tales, then begin Age of Fable
Literature- The Princess and the Goblin, then Robinson Crusoe
Shakespeare Tales- As You Like It; King Lear; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; Macbeth

In chart form it looks like this:

























Another reason that I decided to start out "lite" this year is that my older DD is beginning dual enrollment courses at community college. So we will be going twice a week to the "city" 45 minutes away and I'm not sure how committed we will be to a full academic schedule. We are usually pretty much wiped out by the time we get home and don't get much else done. DS and I will be able to use the campus library and lunch hall while waiting for DD so we will be able to get some table work done. I also plan to do some nature study on those days at the nearby parks. We will not have a problem finding something to do, and pretty soon she'll be driving herself and we won't have to go every time. All of this is new to me so I'll really just have to see how it goes. I hate that! LOL I'd like to have everything planned out ahead of time, but one thing 10 years of hs-ing has taught me is that there is no such thing! LOL
Seriously another thing 10 years has taught me is that the little things really don't matter, as in which book is read, or not, or when, switching from this curricula to that. What matters is that you just keep moving forward, day by day. Doing the best that you can. It all comes out in the wash. Oh yeah, and LOTS of prayer!!!

That's my official statement of the day. ;-)