Updated Long Term School Plans for the Girls

It has been about a year since I wrote out our long term plans for the kids. Of course, as expected things have changed a bit so I am updating it to reflect those changes and to talk about what we actually did for the 2012-2013 school year as compared to what I had planned. Our school year start date has changed to closer meet with the traditional date (it has to do with the sales cycles for curriculum) so we are starting July 15th this year. Here is a link to the old post so you can see how things changed. As a side note, Luke starts this year, but this plan does not include him. I will have to write him up separately as the gap between him and his sisters is large enough that I won't be able to combine much.

I'm going

We are still on track for history. Over the summer we have covered early American history and just started on a Texas State History notebook which will be finished pretty quickly.

2012 Ancient History (Mystery of History Volume 1) COMPLETED
2012-2013 Middle Ages (Mystery Of History Volume 2) ON SCHEDULE TO START MONDAY
2013-2014 Renaissance (Mystery of History Volume 3)
2014-2015 Revolutions (Mystery of History Volume 4)
2015-2016 American History and British History (Long way off so haven’t decided which curriculum)
2016-2017 Ancient History
2017-2018 Middle Ages
2018-2019 Renaissance
2019-2020 Revolutions
2020-2021 American History
2021-2022 Civics and Politics

Science Cycle- I had great intentions. We got through Astronomy and are finishing up Botany right now, but I have decided to lapbook our way through the rest of elementary science then pick up the text books again in 6th grade. Since Keira and Brianna are both doing the same exact work, I am considering them both as 4th grade so they can just stick to the same schedule.

I am still tossing up Apologia for the jr.high and high school. My other thought is Bob Jones. I really like the look of it, but I still have plenty of time to change my mind.

2012-2013 Intro to Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Astronomy (RS4K) COMPLETED
2012-2013 Astronomy and Botany (Apologia) COMPLETED
2013-2014  Lapbooking
2014-2015 Lapbooking
2015-2016 General Science
2016-2017 Biology and Marine Biology (Apologia)
2017-2018 Anatomy and Physiology (Apologia)
2018-2019 Chemistry (Apologia)
2019-2020 Advanced Chemistry (not sure but probably at a college)
2020-2021 Physics (not sure but probably at a college)
2021-2022 Advanced Physics (again probably college)


Math: I have completely ditched Teaching Textbooks. It just wasn't working for my daughter who is easily overwhelmed with visual and audio input. We are now using Bob Jones and it seems to be working well. I talked to her about swapping to Math U See but she asked me to stay with BJU.

2012 Teaching Textbooks 3 COMPLETED
2012-2013 BJU 3 COMPLETED
2013-2014  BJU 4
2014-2015 BJU 5
2015-2016 BJU 6
2016-2017 BJU Fundamentals of Math
2017-2018 BJU Pre-Algebra
2018-2019 Algebra 1
2019-2020 Geometry
2020-2021 Algebra 2
2021-2022 Pre-Calculus and Economics

English: Each year will automatically include spelling and vocabulary. We had to back track a bit to re-enforce some grammar so we tracked to be a year behind on grammar. I plan on doubling up some lessons here and there to get us back on track eventually, but it will probably take the entire year to do so. I added in formal writing with Institute for Excellence in Writing. We are using BJU for spelling and vocabulary and are just going at whatever pace we need to. We are also doing a final phonics run through using Rod and Staff. We should be finished with that by the end of the first trimester.

2012-1013 Easy Grammar 2 COMPLETED
2012-2013 Easy Grammar 3 and beginning writing techniques WORK IN PROGRESS
2013-2014 Easy Grammar 4 and continuing writing techniques
2014-2015 Easy Grammar 5 and continuing writing techniques
2015-2016 Easy Grammar 6 and Creative Writing (Thinking Abeka but that is a while off)
2016-2017 Daily Grammar 7 and continuing writing techniques
2017-2018 Daily Grammar 8 and research paper-Old World Literature
2018-2019 Daily Grammar 9 and Poetry Anthology- New World Literature
2019-2020 Daily Grammar 10 and Creative Writing-American Literature
2020-2021 Daily Grammar 11 and the Art of Debate-British Literature
2021-2022 Daily Grammar 12 and Research Paper (or English 1301 in college)

Foreign Language:

I really need to get on this.



Bible: We are still trucking through the Life Pacs but I have decided to make them a personal study time and have picked up Apologia's World View Series. I honestly have no idea how long each book will take us to get through so I am guessing at about a year each. I am not sure what is going on with the years, but we are pushing through the early sets at a faster pace than I anticipated so it will likely right itself before too much longer.

2012-2013 Life Pac 2 COMPLETED
2013-2014 Life Pac 3
2014-2015 Life Pac 4
2015-2016 Life Pac 5
2016-2017 Life Pac 6
2017-2018 Life Pac 7
2018-2019 Life Pac Practical Christianity and Church History
2019-2020 Life Pac New Testament Survey
2020-2021 Life Pac Old Testament Survey
2021-2022 Life Pac Bible Doctrine
2022 Life Pac Christian Faith and Living


Home Economics:

2013-2016-Health and Safety
2017-Nutrition and Food Preparation
2018-Sewing Basics and Historical Arts (canning, embroidery and so on)
2019-Cleaning and Home organization
2020-Etequette and Hospitality
2021-Holistic Medicine and First Aid
2022- Finances and Consumer Math

My DH will take care of computer science, though I will also encourage them to take it as a dual enrollment class their senior year since most degrees require a college level computer science course. I also didn't include reading but you can read our 2013-2014 list here.

Of course all this is subject to change as needed. I will also allow them to chase some self-led interests, but over all this is what I believe they need to have a well rounded school experience with a Biblical world view. Let me know if you see something missing!

I'm Bored Box: Scavenger Hunt

Picture Credit



It is 100F today. Needless to say we are stuck indoors most of the day due to high UV ratings. That is pretty much the norm for Texas summers and this year, it seems for spring too. With our outdoor time limited to early morning and evening time, that gives us a lot of time cooped up in the house. That, as you are probably aware, can lead to some cranky kids. So today, to break up the monotony of the day I made this I'm Bored Box. One of our activities is a Scavenger Hunt. The girls LOVED this activity and it kept us occupied for about 45 minutes as they read and solved each clue!

Here are the clues I made. They may not work in your house but there are sites like this one (thanks Monica!) that have more clues and even some picture clues for younger ones.


My legs are made of wood and top is of the same, your second clue is here if you want to finish this game. (Table, Chairs or Desk)


Sometimes when I am sleepy I go lay down my head. Your next clue can be found under a ___________on the bed. (Pillow)



To find your next clue add the numbers and walk up that many stairs.
4+3= (7)



You will have a SWINGing good time finding the next clue! (Swing)


That took you long enough, but this time I will let it SLIDE. (Slide)


You are doing really well and you have almost reached the end. To find the final clue look where we put the mail that we want to send. (Mail Box)


Yay You have done it, just one more clue to solve! Use these letters to find out what your surprise is!

EIC MERAC

__ __ __ __ __ __ __
(ICE CREAM)




Change it around to fit your home or re-do it completely with your own clues. Teach reading, math, logic, reasoning, critical thinking, sequencing, and team work all in one fun simple activity!

Summer Curriculum Choices with Quick Reviews

I went to the Arlington Homeschool Book Fair with a list. I was organized and had a plan. Then I got there, and the plan went out the window. I mean seriously! Do you know how many vendors are at a typical homeschool book fair? It is unreal. I went with the full intention of getting the next level of Abeka. I browsed and picked out my books. Then the lady tells me that they don't keep stock. Now maybe this isn't the best reason to ditch a well researched and thought out curriculum choice, but I did. I walked around the corner and found Rod and Staff. I ended up purchasing the full year of language arts for both the girls.

I'm pretty excited about all of the things we are trying this year so for those of you still deciding here is what we are going with for this "semester":

Language Arts, Spelling and Reading: Rod and Staff

Coming from Abeka I thought we pretty much had intense covered. I was wrong. The 1st grade is starting a bit below where Keira is, but it picks up quickly. Brianna is struggling with her attitude with the new stuff. Not because she doesn't know the work, but more because there is so much of it compared to the Abeka. Each lesson consists of 2 phonics pages and 4 reading. She is thriving on it though and once I get her past the tantrums of having to do the pages, I think she will match very well with it. It gives a good phonemic base and has them reading stories that are very Bible based. Even better is it is reasonably priced.


Latin: Song School Latin

We will actually start this on Monday and do it either once or twice a week. I haven't decided yet. It's very basic, using songs and chants to learn vocabulary. The one thing I am worried about is the apparently huge jump between Song School and Latin for Children Book A. I have heard that they are working on Song School Latin Book 2 though. For the cost, this one is definitely worth exploring.

Bible, Science, History and Social Studies: The Weaver Volume 1

This is every parents dream, especially if you have more than one spread over multiple levels. It literally takes these 4 subjects (also included are Language Arts and Creative Writing. We will are not using the Language arts because I didn't feel it was comprehensive enough. The creative writing we wing by using journals and just writing what is interesting to us), and weaves them together. One just flows into the other. Best of all every child stays on the same topic while Weaver adjusts the difficulty to that level! Here is an example of both ideas. One day your Bible lesson is about the wise and the foolish man. You read the Bible story and talk about how Jesus is our foundation and so on. Then you go outside and collect soil samples. You pour water on them and talk about the result. The younger children then talk about things needed to build a good strong house and then build one out of Legos or what ever. Middle elementary makes a list of materials needed to build a strong building, and upper writes a paragraph on what it takes to build a strong building. Now these are just my examples (though some of these are things we have done with Weaver), but you get the idea. For a more comprehensive review you can visit Christa's Weaver Review Here.

Cursive: TBD

I just haven't found anything I love so at the moment cursive is random bits of copy work.

Art: Artistic Pursuits Book 2

We love this art. It gives us the perfect mix of art appreciation and art instructions. And it's real art. I don't feel like I need to be an artist myself to teach this book. However, I have heard some parents say they prefer more art instruction so be sure to check the book out before you buy!

Lot's of Lapbooks:

Because Weaver is designed to last 9 months and we are stretching it to a year (blog coming soon!) we will be adding in lapbooks as a fun way to supplement. Currclick offers lots of fun and sometimes FREE LAPBOOKS.

One of the great things about homeschooling is getting to start fresh and change up the things that didn't work for you. I am very excited and am looking forward to sharing how everything worked for us!

Math U See Stewardship Curriculum Give Away!!

Homeschooling is not just about the three R's, it is also about teaching life skills. Stewardship of money is one of those basic life skills we must teach our children. Math U See has the perfect curriculum for doing just this!

Stewardship comprises 3 books, the Teacher Manual, Student Text and Devotionals. The Teacher manual and student text contain 30 lessons on a variety of topics from checking, to comparison shopping, to the cost of operating a car, to maintaining your home. The Devotional has 38 lessons on financial principles based on the word of God.

Here is a sampling of chapters from the Stewardship teacher manual…

■Earning Money
■Percent
■Taxes
■Banking
■Checking
■Interest
■Budgeting
■Percents at the Store
■Credit Cards
■Comparison Shopping
■Evaluating Phone Plans
■Best Value/Best Price
■Large Ticket Purchases
■Automobiles, Purchase

Plus, it teaches from a Biblical perspective! It's never too soon to start teaching your child God would have us handle our finances!


Now for the fun part! I am giving away ONE Math U See Stewardship Curriculum plus you will also get a Family Worship Book and His Story My Story!! For one(1) entry you can Follow My Blog. For one(1) entry you can "Like" Molding Minds Homeschool on Facebook. . For one(1) entry you can Share On Facebook or on on your favorite social media site (to share just cut and paste this blog into your status and let me know where you shared). For one(1) entry you can follow Molding Minds on Twitter. This is a total of FOUR(4) chances to win! Please post a SEPARATE COMMENT for each entry and be sure to leave an email address for me to contact you at if you win!

Winner will be draw on March 15th !

Valentine's Day Lesson Plans and Activities

Crafts are all over the Internet so I am going to give you a few resources for lesson plans and educational activities with a Valentine's Day Theme. Some of these would also make great gifts for your special someone(s).

Lesson Plans:

Valentine Lapbook Ages 5 and up
Will you be my Valentine? Valentine’s Day is a day to send cards, candy, and maybe even flowers to loved ones. Learn the history, customs, and traditions of this lovable holiday in the Valentine’s Day Project Pack from In the Hands of a Child. This 64-page project pack includes a 10-page research guide and 16 hands-on activities to help your student learn and celebrate Valentine’s Day!

L is for Love
L is or Love introduces preschoolers to two greatest commandments as presented by Jesus. Biblical references include Matthew 22:37-40, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and Romans 5:8. L is for Love includes basic preschool skills such as phonics, less than, writing practice, bar graphing, L words and counting. Easy to assemble, hands on activities encourage interaction and retention!

Designed to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten by introducing Biblical knowledge, language skills, math skills, social studies skills, and science skills to preschool age children through hands on activities and practice. All lap-books include an art activity, sight words and a memory verse. In addition, there is a list of extension activities to strengthen the skills presented in the lap-book



Valentine's Day Bible Verse Copy Work




Valentine's Day Science:


Fizzy Bath Bomb

Candy Science

The Science of Sugar

Language Arts, Math, Cooking, Art and Other Subjects:

Valentine's Day Recipes

Box of Chocolate Adjectives

Graphing Conversation Hearts

Healthy Hearts Musical Chairs

For more great ideas visit Teach-nology.

Shared at Raising Homemakers.

Mastery vs Spiral vs Incremental Approach to Homeschooling

I admit to having never heard these terms before we started homeschooling. I figured all curriculums were pretty much the same at the core. I was wrong. They are very different approaches. I hope that this post gives you some insight as to which approach might be more appropriate for your child(ren). Both of these approaches can be found in all subjects, but are more likely to be brought up in the context of math(although can apply to language arts as well) so that is where I will focus when writing this blog post.


What is the Mastery Approach?

The idea behind the mastery approach is simply, that in order for a child to have a firm grasp on a concept in order to be able to do more advanced concepts. Therefore, specific topic (ie...adding single digit numbers) is taught until that skill is mastered. You might also see this labeled as sequential learning.

What is the Spiral Approach?

The spiral approach is what we most commonly see used in "brick and mortar" schools. This style of curricula is based on the idea that the student will learn through repetition. Topics are taught once and then you move on. The next lesson will review the previous concept(s) while also introducing the new one, thus, building on to each lesson. Generally, a wider variety of concepts can be covered when using this method over a mastery approach.

What about Incremental Curriculums?

These curriculums are basically in the middle. They present new material, but still give plenty of time to master the material before moving on to the next topic.

Which is better?

Like most topics regarding children, the short answer is, whatever works for your child. Some children are able to pick up on topics and are ready to move on quickly. Spiral curriculums allow for a faster pace and will definitely keep your child from getting bored with topics they have already mastered. Some children require more time and do better when they are able to focus on one topic at a time. Some need a bit of both. I suspect most benefit from a mixture of more than one approach. For example in our house we use a mastery approach to math and a spiral approach with language arts. It's what works for us.

What are Some Mastery Curriculums?

Math U See

Singapore

What are Some Spiral Curriculums?

Abeka

Analytical Grammar

Rod and Staff

What are Some Incremental Curriculums?

Saxon

Horizons

I have only used a few of these curriculums. We settled on Math U See for our math and Abeka for our language arts. There are reviews to just about every curriculum available on Homeschool Review, so be sure to check it out before you buy!

Amazon.com Cyber Monday Deals: Melissa and Doug

Check out these hot Cyber Monday deals on educational toys by Melissa and Doug!

There are also several Tag Books marked down to $8.00!

In the lightning deals there is a Celestron 44104 500x Power Advanced Biological Microscope marked off 46%! This will go fast so be sure to grab it!

Critical Thinking The Balance Math Series Giveaway!

This giveaway is part of my 8 week Christmas Giveaway! Check back often for more great giveaways!



The Balance Math™ & More! activities sharpen your child's critical thinking skills, computational skills, and develop algebraic reasoning. The first book in the series (Level 1) focuses on addition and subtraction of whole numbers. The second book (Level 2) focuses on multiplication and division of whole numbers, but has a few problems involving fractions. The third book (Level 3) involves addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication, as well as fractions and decimals.

The spiraling difficulty level is designed to scaffold a child's conceptual understanding of the targeted operations from beginning to advanced. Try one of these intriguing puzzles—and then try to stop!

Now for the fun part! To enter all you need to do is follow my blog and post a comment (if you already follow just post a comment) ! Want a second and third chance? Follow me on Twitter and/or on Facebook. Please post a SEPARATE comment for each entry (up to 3 entries with 3comments). I will chose the winner using random.org on November 15th! Be sure to leave a contact email!