For those who are following my huge curriculum shift. so we are two-three weeks in. and....I am not sold. I like the grammar, it is brief and to the point and half the time we write it out and half the time we do it orally. I am not a big fan of knowing what all the words are, but the diagramming is satisfying. (there is a word for spelling...it does not look right does it?) I also like that we got into a discussion on why/how words could be a verb sometimes and an adjetive sometimes and others could be nouns or adjetives...so they actually started figuring out what it means... so that is a thumbs up. and I love the way it goes into the history and the social studies. We have been going slow, so as to fit in all the fun add ons about the middle ages. We looked at the map today so we could see why the Vikings would attack the countries they were attacking. (close by sea wise and further south) and then we got in a discussion about population and how you could have an entire country made up of territory with less than 2 people per square mile and why those places have such few people and I am not sure how, but even a discussion about how China owns much of America's debt and how that is good in that we have money for things like the military and roads but how it could be bad if China wants us to pay it back and we can't... and why the middle east is so important for a variety of reasons but currently the reason is oil. and of course none of that was in the curriculum. I am bored with the science, but I think it is because Jazz and I did plants and space last year and now it is plants again, but he had little retention so maybe it isn't such a bad thing and I know that Dutch will love the space stuff (renaissance) but I might send Jazz back to physics when we get to that. They like thier bean seeds. I have another book that I want to add in, but I don't see how. We are already going slower than the 'days'. I really need to be to American History next year. Maybe if we do high school I will save the G.A Henty for that. sigh. spelling we ditched as the boys like spelling power. They took my sales pitch to heart. "it is a waste of time to spend a week learning words when we know them already...spelling power is more effecient." and it would be if Jazz would 1. spell the words correctly when he is writing his sentences and 2. if he could remember them for more than one day. ok that isn't very fair, because really his spelling has improved a ton!!! he just can't (can not) get for (always fore) and money. (leaves out the e) It is making me crazy. (especially the for) Bible is fine. It makes us do it and it is short but sweet. (and topical) too bad not tropical. sigh. so all in all, still tweaking. oh, writing. The assignment was to write a miricle play. but I thought it a bit much for my reluctant writers so...as much as I personally dislike the genre, they are writing a script for a Punch and Judy show that they will put on at their festival/birthday party. (and make the puppets) although in our research we found that despite it's inclusion in the book we are reading Punch and Judy was not midieval...closer to 14-1500's. Anyhow the boys think Punch is hilarious (although they are willing to give lip service to the seriousness of spousal abuse and hitting policemen with sticks.)
What curriculum(s) are you using? I have changed a million times, many times I find myself right back where I started <sigh> I hope you can find a total balance for you all (though, I'm not sure that is even possible) or at least something doesn't one of you scream.
Yes, what are you using? As far as Henty goes...SIGH!!! I just yesterday decided to give up on a Henty book. The kids weren't following, I was having trouble following, and to make matters worse, Carl is reading "2,000 Leagues Under the Sea" to them in the evening, and it's just as dry and difficult to follow! I've heard SO MUCH about Henty, but both times I've tried to read him, I've had to put him down.
The curriculum is "learning adventure" (World of adventure) We started with the Dragon and the Raven, which I just finished reading on my own. I am skipping parts and reading it a bit edited. (I have substituted words they know for ones I know they don't...still plenty of new ones.) I will see if the fighting will interest them and then decide if we continue. (we did discuss the duck trap) Got a book from the library that has been fun for middle ages stuff. It is called "Knights and Castles" and is a kaleidoscope kids book. Info and "30 hands on activities to experience the middle ages" Today we baked rose water decorated bread. With a discussion of what upper crust means and where it came from. (they served the decorated portions of the bread to the highest ranking guests) And made catapults. which I thought would be much more popular with the boys than it was. oh well. I am going to putter around next week with whatever comes up and then get back to the learning adventure curriculum...but we will be out of town two days and I figured this was a good break. I have downloaded the childrens version of Beowulf for them to listen to in the car.
