10th Grade Homeschool Plan

Well,  my wonderful Bug, my 10th grader, is nearly a foot taller than me.  I never put his 9th grade plan on here.  He is my middle child, and he is the child who looks the most like me (except much taller and far more masculine).  Bug struggles to do "homework," and so I attempted to find him online classes that have optional homework and emphasize class discussion and activities.  We do not "teach" him anything, as he thinks his parents are dumb.  Even though he thinks we are dumb, he prefers that we choose all of his classes for him, and he refuses to request to learn anything.   My husband is supposed to badger him about getting his co-op classes done.   Again, I am in seminary/grad school full time, and my time is very limited.  Here is his plan, which may change: 

English:  2 co-op classes.  One focuses on reading The Lord of the Rings, and the other is a Creative Writing Class.  He also reads audiobooks voraciously, often for many hours a day.   

Social Studies:  He will be taking Western Civ at co-op and attempting to pass the CLEP.  

Math:  I signed him up for Algebra II on Outschool.  The class meets twice a week and homework completion is up to the parent (my husband).  Math comes easily to Bug, so I think this will be a good fit.  He does not do well with self-paced classes, so we really needed to find something interactive. 

Science:  I am hoping for him to take core science at community college next year.  I signed him up for 2 science electives, Astronomy and Earth Science, on Outschool, where the course objectives are met during class.  Bug learns well from lecture and discussion.  

Foreign Language:  Bug got burnt out on private lessons, so he is signed up for a group Spanish Class on outschool that meets 4x a week.  I'm sure the teacher is good, but she is not a native speaker.  But I do need to compromise with Bug, who felt anxious during private lessons.  I think the 4x a week will be very good for him, and maybe he will start doing Duolingo Spanish as well. 

The Arts:  So far, I have signed Bug up for an Anime drawing class and an Anime discussion class.  I may add more classes/piano lessons, but I want to get settled into our schedule first. 

2nd Grade Homeschool Plan

 

Well, Dot is 8 and entering the 2nd grade.   Because she was my 3rd child, because she was my last child, because I was 35 years old when I had her, because I had been homeschooling for a very long time, because I am a little bit OLD, it seemed only to make sense to delay starting kindergarten with her.  As it turned out, she also took a while to show readiness for reading, and I am so grateful that I listened to my "old mom" instincts and didn't rush her.  Because at the age of 8, she is suddenly taking off with reading.  Over the summer, while I was too busy with my internship to work with her, she started to understand the need for vowels, stopped reversing most of her letters, and became able to read signs and all sorts of things that she sees in her daily life.  I am so excited to witness this!  The miracle of reading!  In the meantime, she has been listening to audio books (often for several hours each day).  

She will be attending co-op classes one day a week this coming year.  Because I am in school full-time I was not able to drive them anywhere last year.  My husband decided he could not either, but after a year of having them home all day while he worked, he changed his mind.  They will each have 3 co-op classes this year and lunch.  We are also using some online classes, carefully selecting them for her hands-on and artistic learning style.  And we are involved in a social group that we will try and meet up with once a week or so.  When the weather turns bad, it will sadly be less.  Thankfully, there are neighbors to play and interact with. 

As always, this plan is a rough draft.  We will adjust and change as we see fit.  As the weather gets worse, we may add some fun online classes. 

Here is her plan.  Of course, so much more is learned through play with friends, family, and by herself, through interactions with people and animals, through her own explorations and times of introspection.  Most of what she learns can never be recorded or quantified. 

English:   

• Explode the Code phonics (She is in book 3 right now and going through it very quickly).  
• The Good and the Beautiful Handwriting (continuing the first grade level). 
• Various readers
• Phonics with crafts class online
• Daily self-directing listening to audiobooks 

Math: 

• Life of Fred

• Addition and Subtraction worksheets & activities

Science:  

• Kiwi Crate
• nature study
• gardening
• composting 
• field trips 

Social Studies: 

• Wonders of the World craft class online 
• field trips
• historical books 
• Sunday school
• Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (if offered) 

Foreign Language

• Sign Language class at co-op

The Arts

• Craft Class at co-op

• Piano at co-op 

I homeschooled while attending seminary full time

 Yes, I homeschooled for a full year while attending seminary full time, while my husband worked from home.  I nearly lost my mind, my husband nearly lost his mind, and the children learned!  We survived!  We took the summer off, and we are ready for another year.  I can't believe I haven't updated this blog in so long.  Bee (age 19) took a year off to work, and now he has gone away to college. 

I just finished writing up my yearly progress reports for Bug (age 15) and Dot (age 8), and I also wrote out plans for the coming school year (which are the rough drafts for next year's progress reports.)  

I'm so glad we are still homeschooling.  I never expected to have kids with special needs, but Bee has ADHD, Bug has characteristics of autism, and Dot has a reading delay/possible dyslexia (something I never anticipated).  I think that all three of them are intellectually gifted, which is both wonderful and complicated.  For spiritual, academic, and emotional reasons, I do think that homeschooling has been a good decision for all three of them.  It has not always been perfect or ideal or easy.  I hope that this blog (however poorly updated) shows something of our struggle.  

We have been homeschooling for 12 years, and it has been a joy and and a struggle, and so many times I have questioned myself, but right now I am just thankful to God and to all of the wonderful parents and teachers who have helped us on our journey