Additions to our Curriculum for next year
A big change for next year is that I'll be adding one more pupil to the mix. One way I am combating this additional workload for me is to purchase vertical bins. This looks like a successful method for so many other homeschooling parents and I can see it working in our house.
One of my goals in next year's curricula is to become more focused on Spelling. This is an area that I attempted last year, but it gradually trickled into a non-existence. I haven't been too concerned in this area, as I feel that Mara has grasped all the phonics rules, but I'd like to slow them down and apply the same rules as Spelling rules. I am still searching for a solid Spelling curriculum but so far looking at Spelling Workout B with great reviews from many parents. My only (weak) sticking point, the horrible artwork on the cover... I can't stand cheesy covers.
I am also considering the purchase of a separate Grammar text. Although I have been quite happy with the Grammar lessons in Matin's Latin, I think I'd like to step up this area a notch and English for the Thoughtful Child looks like a beautiful way to do so.
In Writing I'd like to focus even more heavily on Cursive writing. We had an introduction in First Grade, but I'd like to start copywork in cursive. Dictation will be another area to add to writing. This can be written in print.
Next year in Science, our focus will turn to The Earth and The Sky, as recommended by The Well Trained Mind. We do have a telescope and a sky spotting guide book that I think will work great for our needs, but I'd like to save this part of our learning for the Spring. We are also very interested in building a large scale sidewalk telescope, so if we're able to include this into our lesson, that would be really fun. So that leaves the first half our year in Science a little open to explore the Earth. We have The Wonder House, but I'm interested in pulling more experiments from More Mudpies to Magnets.
And History-- last year we had so much fun in the Ancients we flew through it in such record time (by Christmas) that we sort of petered out by spring. Over Christmas last year, I struggled with what to do in History over the Spring, "Should we review the Ancients? or should we keep chronologically pressing ahead?" I chose to keep pressing on, looking back was probably a disservice to my time management. I felt really ill-prepared. So with the theme of Second Grade, Classical Curriculum in mind, we'll start anew in the Middle Ages, upon start of next year. I think I'll be looking forward to this as much of the first half will be a review and therefore we'll be able to focus on more important bibliographies, geography, and memorization work. We'll be using the same text that we've been using since last year, so no new buys in this category.
Mathematics and Latin are already taken care of, going with the second level to both previously purchased curricula.
Our little preschooler will enjoy some of the things I have in store for her. We will be doing much of the same things as always, but I'd like to find more order for her day.
And I think that's it... for now.
One of my goals in next year's curricula is to become more focused on Spelling. This is an area that I attempted last year, but it gradually trickled into a non-existence. I haven't been too concerned in this area, as I feel that Mara has grasped all the phonics rules, but I'd like to slow them down and apply the same rules as Spelling rules. I am still searching for a solid Spelling curriculum but so far looking at Spelling Workout B with great reviews from many parents. My only (weak) sticking point, the horrible artwork on the cover... I can't stand cheesy covers.
I am also considering the purchase of a separate Grammar text. Although I have been quite happy with the Grammar lessons in Matin's Latin, I think I'd like to step up this area a notch and English for the Thoughtful Child looks like a beautiful way to do so.
In Writing I'd like to focus even more heavily on Cursive writing. We had an introduction in First Grade, but I'd like to start copywork in cursive. Dictation will be another area to add to writing. This can be written in print.
Next year in Science, our focus will turn to The Earth and The Sky, as recommended by The Well Trained Mind. We do have a telescope and a sky spotting guide book that I think will work great for our needs, but I'd like to save this part of our learning for the Spring. We are also very interested in building a large scale sidewalk telescope, so if we're able to include this into our lesson, that would be really fun. So that leaves the first half our year in Science a little open to explore the Earth. We have The Wonder House, but I'm interested in pulling more experiments from More Mudpies to Magnets.
And History-- last year we had so much fun in the Ancients we flew through it in such record time (by Christmas) that we sort of petered out by spring. Over Christmas last year, I struggled with what to do in History over the Spring, "Should we review the Ancients? or should we keep chronologically pressing ahead?" I chose to keep pressing on, looking back was probably a disservice to my time management. I felt really ill-prepared. So with the theme of Second Grade, Classical Curriculum in mind, we'll start anew in the Middle Ages, upon start of next year. I think I'll be looking forward to this as much of the first half will be a review and therefore we'll be able to focus on more important bibliographies, geography, and memorization work. We'll be using the same text that we've been using since last year, so no new buys in this category.
Mathematics and Latin are already taken care of, going with the second level to both previously purchased curricula.
Our little preschooler will enjoy some of the things I have in store for her. We will be doing much of the same things as always, but I'd like to find more order for her day.
And I think that's it... for now.
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