Purchases for the Next Semester

 I'm buying a few books, games, etc for the next semester.  

For the 3rd Grader

• 100 Bible Stories by Concordia Publishing House
• Dragon Times - a game that teaches multiplication https://dragontimes-game.com/
• Scientific Connections through Inquiry Level 3 https://scicurriculum.com/sci/
• National Geographic Stunning Science Chemistry Set

For the 11th Grader

• The Elements of Style Workbook
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer  - original edition with illustrations, Mark Twain

Everything else I either already have or I can get from the library.  We are ready!

January to May 2024 Plans

 I think I am about done with planning for the next semester.  I talked things over with the 11th grader to see what she wanted to do.  I pulled things from the 3rd grader's homeschool basket and asked him if he liked what he was reading/working on.  Whatever he didn't like, I took away (which ended up only being one thing).  I bought him a science kit and he was so excited!  Both kids seemed to be excited for what we picked out together.

11th Grader's Plans

Math

• Finish second half of Mathusee Algebra 2

Bible

• Finish the New Testament books

Grammar/Writing

• Learn to write/practice the 5 Paragraph Essay
• Elements of Style Workbook

Mark Twain Literature, US History and Geography

• Finish Crash Course US History (up to 20th century)
• Finish Trail Guide to US Geography
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• The Prince and the Pauper

Logic

• The Fallacy Detective
• The Thinking Toolbox
• The Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments

Physical Science through Labs (no credit, just for fun)

• Home Science Tool's Microchemistry Kit (17 Chem Labs)
• Physics Pro (Thames & Kosmos)

3rd Grader

Bible

• 100 Bible Stories

Math

• Finish Wild Math 3

Reading/Phonics

• Dyslexia Reader
• Explode the Code
• Barton Reading (dyslexia-specific program)
• Copywork

French

• Ecoutez, Parlez!

Literature, History and Geography

• Finish Sonlight C (World History 2)
• Hands-on History Box

Art

• Usborne's Famous Paintings Cards
• Usborne's Expressionist Paintings Cards

Science/Nature Study

• National Geographic Stunning Science Kit
• Scientific Connections through Inquiry, Level 3
• Weekly Nature walk
• 100 Things to Spot in the Night Sky cards

End of Year 2023 Record-Keeping

 It's Thanksgiving and we will probably slow down and just finish what we are already working on, so I have finalized all of their end-of-year records.  I printed out two copies for each kid, filed one copy in my curriculum binder and filed the second copy in their school binders.  

My End of Year Records are made with MS Word.  I continuously update them throughout the year, so I don't have to do much at the end.  I just print and file them.

The 11th grader's records contain these categories:

• Bible
• Math
• Grammar/Writing
• Literature
• History/Geography/Government
• Science
• Technology
• Art
• Music
• Physical Education
• Field Trips
• Extracurricular Activities

The 3rd grader's records contain these categories

• Bible
• Math
• Reading/Language Arts
• Foreign Language
• Literature
• History/Geography
• Science/Nature Study
• Art
• Music
• Physical Education
• Field Trips
• Extracurricular Activities

I also created a new records template for 2024.  I keep records by calendar year and not school year, because we school year-round and we are a homeschool, not a school.  Also, the biggest break we get is over Christmas, not summer and we tend to shift gears more in January than we do in May.

Looking back over everything, we did an enormous amount of stuff in 2023.  The 3rd grader and I read about 60 books together.  The 11th grader did a ton of science, history and fine arts this year.  We did nine field trips, which is a lot for us in one year.  The 11th grader attended five professional ballet performances this year.

I feel like 2023 was a very successful homeschool year.

11th Grade Planning, Part 2 or 3 (I lost count)

Our finalized plans - after talking everything over.  She wants to go back to unit studies and she wants to do more together.

Here are her plans for this school year (11th Grade).

English

• Advanced Language Lessons (Aldine Book Series)
• Writing Prompts from Grimm

Math

• Mathusee Algebra 2

Bible

• Finish reading through the Old Testament and begin reading the New Testament

Science

• Finish Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology
• Finish Ellen McHenry's The Brain 
• Kidney dissection
• Labs looking at different tissues under the microscope
• Work on biology topics based on interest.  We still need to cover:
• Animals
• Genetics
• Possibly Geology after we finish biology

Unit Studies (including Literature, Writing, History, Geography & Art Appreciation)

• Literature-based unit studies centered on US history/American literature
• First unit study is based on the Salem Witch Trials
• Trail Guide to US Geography

Fine Arts

• Continue classical guitar and ukulele
• Continue ballet classes

Physical Education

• Continue helping teach gymnastics
• PE activities we do together

More Planning 2023-2024 11th Grade

 She will still be choosing what she wants to study, but we have a couple of changes.  First, she has decided that she is going to try to go professional with ballet.  Second, this means that she will probably not be able to go to college right after high school and if she does decide to go to college, it will be as a fine arts major.

To determine what she's already studied and what she still needs to have on her high school transcript, I bought the High School Student Record from here: https://everydayeducation.com/products/high-school-student-record-a-peaceful-planning-booklet?_pos=1&_sid=e71ebaba6&_ss=r

I put together a high school transcript on Excel and I made a list of what she's missing for a high school diploma.  She still needs:

• 1.5 credit English
• 1 credit US History
• 1 credit Algebra 2

Besides Algebra 2, we can find interest-led ways to satisfy those credits.

Here's what she and I both would like her to work on for 11th grade (what we end up doing will be a lot more than this, realistically):

Bible

• Finish reading the Old Testament

Math

• Mathusee Algebra 2

History & Literature

• She wants to read several of Mark Twain's books
• I would like her to read some American literature
• She wants to watch Crash Course US History

Science

• We are working on interest-led biology topics
• Ellen McHenry's The Brain
• Organ dissections from Home Science Tools
• Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology (YouTube)
• Animal anatomy and classification
• Maybe some animal dissections
• Geology
• She wants to finish taking the guided tours of the 5 caves in the Texas Cave Trail

Foreign Language

• She and her sister have been trying to teach themselves Korean using DuoLingo and Grandma (who is a native speaker)

Fine Arts

• She has been going to professional classical ballet performances and some college-level orchestra performances
• Ballet classes at the ballet school
• She has helped choreograph several dances at the ballet school
• She plays classical guitar and ukulele
• She will be attending a ballet camp at a pre-professional program this summer

Planning for 3rd and 11th, 2023-2024

 I'm starting to plan and purchase curriculum for the 2023-2024 school year.  Our theme this year is to cut down and keep it simple.  I would like to continue with lots of field trips, musical instruments, projects and try to get the 11th grader to do some volunteer work.  My plans are subject to change if necessary.

3rd Grader (age 8)

He will be a very young 3rd grader and we are struggling with probable dyslexia.

Math

• Wild Math 3

Reading/Language Arts

• Sonlight Reading/LA
• All About Spelling 
• Cursive - I might teach this without a curriculum

History, Bible and Literature

• Sonlight C World History 2
• Sonlight's Hands-on History Box

Science

• Apologia Zoology series
• Science box subscription: X-Workbox STEM 

Art

• Draw Write Now series

Outsourced Classes

• Piano 
• Intermediate Ballet I
• Karate
• Cub Scouts

11th Grader (age 15-16)

1. Mathusee Algebra 2
2. Unschooling everything else
3. Khan Academy SAT Prep (Jan 2024)
4. Driver's Ed (Aceable)

Outsourced Classes

• Teaching gymnastics
• Advanced ballet with Pointe & dance company
• Wednesday night church youth group

Winter/Spring 2022 Plans: High School

 Winter/Spring 2022 Plans for 9th and 11th Grades (English/Government Focus)

Math

• Finish Mathusee Stewardship (11th grader)
• Start Mathusee Geometry (9th grader)

English

• Windows to the World, Literary Analysis
• Strunk & White's Elements of Style
• Narrations
• Literature
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
• The Little Prince
• The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• The Red Badge of Courage
• The Misanthrope
• Edgar Allan Poe (selected writings)
• The Turn of the Screw

German (continue)

Bible

• Continue daily Bible reading
• Study of Revelation

American Government

• Continue covering Texas and US Government
• The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Government
• You Decide: Applying the Bill of Rights to Real Cases
• Mock Trial

STEM Thursdays

• Finish The Elements and Mystery of the Periodic Table
• Subatomic particles unit study
• VEX IQ or Physics Pro lab kits
• Work on science fair projects
• Python Programming (continue projects)
• Some physics kits - like the "build an engine" kit and ultraglider kit

Outsourced/Extras

• Shakespearean Theater (11th grader)
• Reader's Theater (9th grader)
• Ballet
• Wednesday night church activities
• Voice lessons (11th grader)