I have 4 kids and I am starting to get worn out by the end of the school day just from teaching this one this and that one that and the others are begging for attention in their subjects.. Some days I feel so frazzled that it's a wonder I can even function much less keep our school day running smoothly.. So I am thinking about changing our schooling plan AGAIN!! Last year I decided to change it to more book work and try to get the kids used to text books and public school ways since hubby wanted them all to go back in 9th grade.. Well, now that all the kids are back home and we have decided together that keeping them home is the best plan I think it's time to go back to the original way I was doing things.. Science and history can be done together.. Math is something that will have to be done individually due to the grade gaps but English/writing is something that I'm considering making a "together class"...We are doing R&S and it's rather rigourous in my opinion.. Just wondering if maybe we can start in the 6th grade book and go from there.. I think they offer Language arts through 8th grade and then it changes to speech/communications if I'm not mistaken... I'm afraid I'm aiming too low as far as my expectations for them by doing this though.. Is there another option?? My sanity is at stake here.. Please help this frazzled mom get back on track!!!
R&S English goes through 10th grade. They're still teaching (advanced) grammar all the way through. The books for 9 and 10 could be used in either order. They differ in the communication/writing assignments they cover, but they are still largely grammar/composition. So, not that much of a change. It's all English, which is grammar/composition, rather than language arts because their reading, spelling, and penmanship are all separate. I don't know what you mean about being too low in your expectations by doing this -- R&S is pretty rigorous, as you've noticed. Some people quit after the 8th grade book, saying that that's all the grammar you need for high school and that the 9/10 books are college level. You may want to split your crew into younger and older, start the youngers at about 4 while the older start at 6. If you want them to be independent with it, you might want to look at CLE www.clp.org especially for the youngers. There's a diagnostic/placement test, so they can each do their own level but without so much input from you required. They could each (all 4) do their own CLE for reading, LA, and math, then you could do history and science together. Just a suggestion.
Moving all 3 of my the older kids down to level 5 or 6 and just going as far as level 8 was my thought.. And doing it together..
I'm all for combining when possible. My kids are 2 years apart. They do grammar, vocabulary, math and history together. The things they do separate require minimal teacher intervention. I end up helping the older one more than the older one. You can do it. You just have to find what works for you and your kids.
TOTALLY all for combining when possible. If hubby's back on board with homeschooling, I would go with your gut! We combine as many subjects as we can (allowing a lot of leeway for the youngest!). Anyway....GOOD LUCK!!!!
To me, that doesn't sound like "lowered expectations" -- it sounds more like a plan! I'm not sure if I would choose the same, probably preferring to have the older two in 6 and the younger two in 4, but then, I don't know/teach your kids! Let me know, will you? how you like doing it this way, okay?
I didn't start teaching "formal" Grammer until this year for my 8 year old. We did first language lessons for the well trained mind last year. so I'm afraid that 4th grade would be too much for her.. But then again that may be something to look into. She's basically just doing review.. I think I have a 4th grade book still so I'll compare and see if it's something she can do.. i will let ya know how it works for us..
okay.. Rod and Staff is NOT going to be used next year.. My kids HATE it and it's too teacher intensive for me... So if anyone needs 2nd,4th,5th,6th,or 8th grade rod and staff english we have it! Also have 6th and 7th grade spelling.. CLP.org is our pick for next year..
