Thinking About The School Year

I’m a planner.  Normally, I’m such a planner that by this time of year, I’ve already planned the curriculum for next year and purchased it.  Then, during July and August, I plan things out week by week.  Whether we actually stick to the plan is a completely different story, but I like the planning.  It makes me feel secure.

Not this year.  In the hustle and bustle of starting a new business, I haven’t had much time to think about curriculum.  In fact, Wild Man didn’t get nearly as much of the last month of his curriculum done as I would have liked.  And Rosie Girl is going to do some Chemistry experiments in the Fall since they didn’t get done this Spring.

I think, though, that involving the kids in our shop is going to be at least as educational as any purchased curriculum that we could use.  Not only that, but Rosie Girl works quite independently and Wild Man is more and more independent each year.

Here’s what I’m thinking right now:

Rosie Girl

New Testament Survey

Sonlight Core 300 – 20th Century History

20th Century Literature

Research Paper Workshop (through Write At Home)

Japanese

The Science of Music (independent study)

Algebra 2

Piano

Tap Dance

Art 3 (at the high school)

Metals (Art class at the high school)

Community Service (helping our Worship Arts Director once a week)

Composing and Arranging (at Lawrence Academy of Music)

 

Wild Man

Bible (don’t know what I’m going to have him study, perhaps apologetics)

History – I think I’m going to have him do a largely self-directed unit study on weapons (his choice) for the first 9 weeks.  Then, I’ll have him do an abbreviated Core 6/7 or Overview of World History.  We’ll have to see.

Literature (from Sonlight Core 6/7)

Math (ALEKS)

Spelling (All About Spelling)

Institute for Excellence in Writing

Science – For the first quarter, he’ll be learning science in the unit study.  After that, who knows?

TaeKwonDo

Community Service (working at the Senior Nutrition Site)

At the end of the school year, I’ll see how much Rosie Girl has learned from helping us with the business and award credit.  I’m actually not very stressed out about the kids’ education right now.  Home education has been very successful thus far, and I see no reason why it shouldn’t continue to be.  I like to be very organized, but I’ve also seen how real life interrupts my plans.  I’m learning to be flexible – which is going to be important this next year!