I didn't get this done as soon as I wanted. For some reason my computer isn't working right. It's slow and while I can read stuff I'm not always able to write. It's weird. I barley can make this thing work when all is well; when things are wrong I'm at a total lose.
Any way here's my plan for my youngest.
Bible - I will continue to use The Bible Story by Arthur Maxwell. It's an older series of books (first copyright 1955) that I picked up for the boys at a yard sale. What a blessing; I got the whole set for $20.00. I really like these for his age. We will use them one more year for school then he will be old enough to move on to Alpha Omega.
Math - I will continue to use Professor B Math. I like the results and see no reason to change.
Language Arts - Phonics/Reading/Spelling: I will use Writing Road to Reading and Teaching Reading at Home to tutor him in phonics. We will continue to use the McGuffey Reader for reading. As for spelling I found a wonderful site in the net called Spelling Time. You can program your own spelling list into the lessons.
On Monday they introduce the words. Tuesday the words are reinforced with Hangman. Wednesday they are reinforced with a Word Scramble. Thursday is a pop quiz. Friday is a Spelling Test. Throughout the week they are also writing the words. He is rewarded at the end of the class with a short game. Not only is he doing well, but suddenly spelling has become his favorite class. What more can you ask for?
Grammar: We will be using the Easy Grammar 2nd and 3rd grade text to teach sentience structure and punctuation. It's not really part of the Ambleside program, but I can do it in 5 minutes a day and I feel better having something to follow to teach this. Grammar is not my strong suit and I'm always afraid of missing something.
Poetry: We will continue to follow the Ambleside schedule. This year it's Walter De La Mare, Eugene Field, James Witcombe Riley, and Christina Rossetti.
Literature: Again we will be following the Ambleside Schedule. We'll use Lamb's Shakespeare to study Two Gentlemen from Verona, Romeo and Juliet, All's Well That End's Well, Cymbeline, Macbeth, and Comedy of Errors.
We will also read Understood Betsy, The Wind in the Willows, and Robin Hood. This may change over the summer. I may, due to the History period that we are studying, choose to use stories that take place in a medieval time frame.
Finally, over the next two years, We will cover Pilgrim's Progress. I think he will like it. His brothers were about his age when I read it to them and they thought it was great.
Social Studies - We will be covering World History, American History, Church History, Historical tales/Biography's and Geography. Each one will take up one day a week with the exception of World History which will periodically take two. This wont be bad as American history wont start until the last have of the last semester.
History: World History - We will continue to use An Island Story and will add Child's History of the World.
American History - We will use This Country of Ours.
Church History - We will continue to use Trials and Triumph. Both of the boys like this book. I've heard a number of parents who were upset with some of the stories because they felt they were too graphic and would upset their children. So far I haven't found this to be true, but we haven't reached the medieval times yet either so that may change. I just take it day by day.
Historical Tales/Biography's - This is a little fluid but as of now I am looking at The Little Duke, Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, and one or more of the Little House books. If I change my Literature than these may change as well.
Along with the above I will also use a Time line with the boys to keep everything in perspective.
Geography - This is one I am really proud of. At the end of last year I found a book I really liked. It was Exploring God's World by Ann Voskamp. I decided to use it this year even though it wasn't a Ambleside recommendation. I felt that it was one the boys would like better. I was right. Now here's the cool part. This year it and her new book, Exploring the Holy Lands I think it is, are both new choices for next year. I try to choose well but to have the Advisory recommend to the group a book I liked so much felt kind of good.
Science - I have chosen to depart a little from the Ambleside recommendations. This year we used Miss Maggie's recommendations of Among the ______ People. My youngest really likes them. I will finish them up next year and also do the Chamber's Elementary Science Reader. This will give him a chance to read a class totally by himself. That will help with the transition to third grade.
Fine Arts - We will stick with the the Ambleside Composer and Artist schedule as well as the Hymn/Folksong schedule. I will also add art and hopefully piano. He really wants to play piano.
Foreign Language - We will continue with a light study of Spanish. We have a lot of years to get this done in and I want it to be fun. There is a show on University House that teaches Spanish to children his age and he likes it. I think we will continue with it.
That's it, my plan for the coming year. I know I will end up tweaking some things but it feels good to have it down on paper.
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4 comments:
Congrats on getting it all planned out my friend, love you.
I read the other plan too - your kids are getting an excellent education. You are to be commended! Re: your computer - I feel your pain! Mine is old and just plain won't do the job anymore. Finally broke down and ordered a new one today. But yours is still pretty new, isn't it? Hope it's nothing serious...
Our's is only about 1 1/2 - 2 years old. Of course it's not as up to date as the boy's are. The oldest is great with software the next with hard where.
The oldest saved the money and had one built the way he wanted. His brother was given my mother's old one but she would never recognize it. Over time, piece by piece, he has rebuilt it inside and out. He's always adding or replacing something. So is his brother. I think they have enough extra pieces in their closet to build a super compute.
They say that part of the problem is that for some reason our internet is just slow. They want my husband to call about it, but when you get up at 2 AM you want to sleep when you get home at 1.
Hi, would you mind sharing how you schedule the Arthur Maxwell Bible Story books for your homeschool? I plan on using my set (it was actually my mom's before it was mine as a child) for my oldest girl for our K Bible curriculum. I'm not sure whether to do one story per day, or eyeball it and do 2 per day when they happen to be short, or how on earth I should schedule it and pace it.
I, too, like the Charlotte Mason approach. I can see myself using amblesideonline later when I have a bit of experience behind me.
Have you found any online resources to help w/ discussions about the Maxwell stories? Questions to ask to prompt narration, things like that?
My e-mail address is in my Google profile, if you have the time to respond. Thanks so much! I found your page doing a Google search for Arthur Maxwell homeschool schedule.
~Sarah
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