Looking Forward to Grade Six

Recently my husband and I were browsing through curriculum at a homeschool conference. We talked abit about what to do with our son next year.. I want to add some solid spine materials to his year, most of which he should be able to work through on his own with minimal input from me beyond, how's it going, how can I help and are you managing to stay on track.

I find that the more power I give him over his schooling, the better he does at simply working through it and it goes MUCH quicker. :)

We'll continue with Veritas Press for world history.   The lad likes it.   We've added Veritas Press Bible as well.. which he is enjoying too.  These lessons don't seem to take him too long to do.   He is often mostly done before I get into the house from chores.

We are going in a new direction for Math.   Going to do Teaching Textbooks.  Why?   Because it's on the computer.  Has a book.  They do the teaching AND if he has questions he simply needs to call them up and ask away!  :)   So it gives him independence, a simple workbook that is done in a systematic way.   From what I understand he can do the lessons one after the other OR he can skip around a bit.  However he works it will be fine with me.  :)

I've been talking with hubby about how I like Logic of English but haven't been up to the battle with my lad over how they do lessons, but I like how they approach spelling and grammar and such like.   He said "so why don't you do it the way they teach it starting next year.  Just make it a thing you do".   If the lad complains, we'll talk. 

For science we'll continue to work our way through the God's Design materials by Answers in Genesis.   How they do things works well for us.   Projects, experiments, in-depth work if desired and more.     Easy worksheets that we can talk our way through, or that I can print off and have him work through.    LOVE this series.

o all are the basics.   I don't really have a writing program, but not sure if I'm really worried about that.   I'm going to be adding more poetry and what not but need to sort through.   We do lots of talking and making sure he's comprehending what he is reading stuff.. but an actually writing program I haven't been doing that.   I may go back to the IEW course we got last year that we started with (never finished) but I just need get back to.  It's a good program, just need to work it through more completely.

As I was sitting down tonight I got to thinking about how it's good to have the academic covered, but what about the stuff beyond the academics, the moral, spiritual materials... what do I do with that?

As people of faith, one of our goals is to raise a child who loves the Lord, but not only loves the Lord but has the where withal to defend that a choice, stand for the truthh and the boldness to live it out.   I firmly believe that he will NEED to be able to do as a man in the future.

So I'm considering having the lad do some actual memory work.  Memorizing poems, and scripture.  Memorizing doctrines and key truths.   Not sure what i will do or use or create from him in this regard.

We'll continue to go through our books of Christian Heroes (I picked up three trailblazer books from the conference tables).  We'll use hymns and missionary stories etc that I'll research and we'll talk about.

I picked up a book called "comforting hearts, teaching minds" by Starr Meade.

   It's a book of Family Devotions based on the Heidelberg Catechism.  I plan to print off each Lord's Day and over supper each week we'll read through the Lord's Day and then each day there is a different devotion to read and talk about.    Good way to learn the doctrines of the church as well as think about what we believe and why.  

I picked up a history of Canada that I really not sure how I will fit in (probably be our Friday study) called From Sea to Sea.. written by Susanna Homan.   It's geared to grades 5-6 so it'll be a good fit I think, and it's Canadian so WOOT WOOT.  :)

Through it all we'll continue our moving through Europe, cooking meals and inviting folks over.   This doesn't take us a lot of time through the week so it'll be easy to continue.    

We'll continue reading a copious amount of books... history, geography, science, poetry, readers and what not.   It's great to read together.  it's WONDERFUL to learn together.

Grade Six will be interesting, that I know for sure.  :)

Oh I should mention, we will be taking breaks from things to do items for the review crew.   Life will, I am  very sure, interfere at times.

Have you made any decisions on what YOU will be teaching next year?   Do the homeschool conferences get your mind and blood moving with thoughts of next year?  Let me know eh?  :)