Girls I am so stressed out! We've home schooled using a complete curriculum for 2 years . This year we are branching out buying other materials from here and there (I don't think I'm able to post names cause I'm new to this site). The books have arrived so I've been pouring over them to figer out how each one works, and try to determine the scheduling for my 3 boys (6,9 and11). I had planned on following a science curriculum I found online and now I'm second guessing the wisdom. What If I miss something impotent and that limits the future choices for my guys? A friend gave me an Beka science book grade 5...Could I use this as a base to teach all 3? I really don't have the cash to be buying more books. I feel sick !! UG !
I think you could use the science book for all three boys. I sometimes use one book for both of my girls and they are 5 years apart. I just adjust for their age level and build or cut back as needed. I did that with a health book and it worked great.
We pull our "curriculum" from all over. Actually 99% of what we use isn't even a curriculum at all. It is scarey to change.. but I'm sure you will do just fine!
Our curriculum is a little bit of this, a little bit of that... some "real" curriculum, some not-so-much. As for using one book for all levels, think about it this way. In public school each year just kind of builds on the last. You go over scientific classification, the start of our country, the parts of speech, etc each year - just in more detail/depth. So if you're teaching different grades just adjust how in depth you go with each one. I think you'll do great - try not to stress (yeah, right!) - it will be much easier once the year starts.
Sometimes you have to take a deep breath and step back for awhile. I was terrified when I started, I thought the only thing to use was "school in a box" I now have a bit of everything. I have 3 dds 8, 6.5, and 3 we do a bunch of our stuff together. They kinda feed off of each others questions and they all learn. You can make it work just take your time.
I understand your stress, I am kind of going through the same thing right now. I am switching from easy Life Pacs to a whole bunch of different books and the planning is making me stress out. The bad part is, I am not even half way done with the planning either, I still have to buy most of the books! I have that fear of missing something or not doing everything that I am supposed to but someone on here said something that made me feel better. They said (not an exact quote) but anyway they said something like this. "They dont cover everything in PS either." If you think about it, thats very true. I look at all I am teaching my son and I really think his education is going to be much better than my PS education was. It already is in some areas, and I am working hard every day to improve on what he already has learned. I guess what I am trying to say is the PS dont cover every subject and sometimes dont do a very good job teaching the subjects they do cover. They teach to pass a test, where we teach until our children learn the material. Try to think about the advantage we have over the PS system, it helps me not to stress out so much.
I agree with what hs2boys said there, we are teaching to our children not someones plans.. your boys are still in the intermediate grades and they will repeat whatever you teach them in Highschool anyway. This is just a preempt age or a teaser science lesson time for them. Take the grade 5 book and use it for your starting place, make questions up that are harder for the one age than the other, and have them work together on projects etc. I am learning that working through the same lessons with three at the same time is a good idea, I only did that with arts and sports, we did two at a time science projects once I realised I was going to do the same thing in three years though cuase it was getting monotonous for me! lol. Last year was my first year of real branching out so I can relate! We made it through one year and are on to another of mixed stuff, you can do it!!~
I agree--we don't need to stress ourselves out because we're not following someone else's arbitrary plans to the letter! Who says their plans are any better than yours?! If you're planning on homeschooling through gradeschool, then don't worry about it! Make your own plans that fit with you and your family and stick to those! You can look at other schedules to get an idea of what's taught in what grades in some schools, but that doesn't mean your kids are missing out or that they'll be forever scarred if you don't do it "their" way! Who is "they" anyway, and why can "they" say what your child should learn and when?! It can be overwhelming, there's so much available out there! There are some threads on curriculums if you care to go back and search, just to see what others here are using, or thinking of using. Many of us are eclectic--using different things for different subjects, as well as different things for different kids! I'll give you and example: dd11 will be doing this: Rod & Staff Math Rod & Staff English NOEO Science Chemistry II, then Rainbow Science All American History II Lightning Literature Piano Lessons Trail Guide to US Geography and Mapping the World By Heart Bible Studies and memorization DS14 will be doing this: Life of Fred Math Rod & Staff English-Higher grade level Apologia Biology and A&P: An Interactive Journey All American History II--More in-depth than dd does Lightning Lit.-Higher grade level The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide and Mapping the World By Heart Bible Memorization and work with Pastor (he's the Junior Pastor for our church) They're 3 grades apart, but I am combinging History and Geography, just having them do those at their level. It can be done, and you can do fine! I suggest you keep coming back here with questions if you need anything! We're here to help, and all of us KNOW that there is NO DUMB QUESTION (except the one not asked)!
I am on my way out the door now, but will mention quickly that someone has posted recently a link to a website that has entire science curriculums on it for free.
I look it over and see if anything goes with what ever it is that is interesting us at that time. Or if we aren't doing anything I will go there looking for something to peak his interest. I really have thought about doing one a week from it, but I'm not the best at sticking to something.. so I figure I won't waste my time trying to plan it all out..lol.
I will take a look at that one, but the one I was thinking of has a colorful textbook that you can print out.
WOW I love it! I think I may use some of this too with ds6th next year! We are finishing the cgc science and suplimenting with lyrical science we have from co op last year, and then I may finish early if so I will take some chapters from there and fill in my rest of my year! HOW AWESOME! I was going to move him on to 7th science SOS, which I have now SOS through 9th grade Science, and then 11th, So I was just going to move him on sence it is Science and he loves it. But now I may add in some of that page and save myself the worry of what if he finishes early Lol! Weee! thanks! T
You guys are AMAZING !! Thank you SO VERY MUCH for your support and the links. I'm not feeling so freaked out now !!! Big Hugs !
Yes that was the one I meant. Thanks. I had looked back and could not find a bookmark, I forgot to check for the documents and see where they came from.
Hey Deena, I noticed you are doing trail guide to US geography....what do you think of it? I am considering getting trail guide to world geography. Thanks (and sorry to thread-jack(
I haven't started it yet, so I'm not sure. I got a special deal so I got the World one too. I just went through history today and ironed out some plans for it. In the morning I'm going to do some more figuring out, but then will be busy cuz ds14 is getting back from his mission trip!!! WooHoo! But I will be getting to that soon to figure out how to work it and set it up. I've heard good things about it and dd loves geography, so I hope it works well! Let me know if you get it and what you think of it!
