Homeschool Plans 2010 - 2011

Alright here it is, our homeschool plans for the 2010 - 2011 school year*

*subject to change, many times probably...

Reading:
     Arwen (age 7) - Arwen has finished Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.  This year we will work on fluency. She has made a big leap in her reading this summer and can read somewhat independently.  I will have her read aloud to me every school day, so I can see how she is improving and help her with sounds and words she is struggling with.
    Kali (almost age 10) - Kali will choose books from a reading list and read at least one chapter each school day. The first book she has chosen is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  Other books on her list include, Tuck Everlasting, Pollyanna, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, or any Little House on the Prairie book. She may not get to every book on the list this year, but I wanted to give her a bunch of options.
    Sierra (age 12) - Sierra will also read books from a reading list.  Her first pick is Through the Looking Glass. Other books on her list include The Giver, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Catherine Called Birdy.  Towards the end of the year, when we get to the corresponding period in history, Sierra will be required to read the following books, Animal Farm, The Diary of Ann Frank, and To Kill and Mockingbird.


Writing:
   Arwen - For handwriting, Arwen will start copywork this year. She will continue to work on printing (manuscript). For composition, she will start freewriting, meaning she can write about whatever she wants for 15 minutes. I will also try to incorporate writing into other subjects.
   Kali - Kali will continue cursive copywork.  For composition, we are going to try Writing Strands 4 and also incorporate ideas from the Writing with a Purpose series.
   Sierra - Sierra will also continue with cursive copywork.  She will do Writing Strand 5 and activities from Writing with a Purpose for composition.

Grammar:
   Arwen - Second half of First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind. I have this one, but apparently they are coming out with a new version that has a separate volume for 1st and 2nd grade
   Kali - Finish Growing with Grammar grade 4, begin Growing with Grammar grade 6.  We are skipping a grade level because grammar curricula are so repetitive.
   Sierra - Finish Growing with Grammar grade 6, begin Growing with Grammar grade 8

Spelling:
    all girls - Sequential Spelling Level 1


Vocabulary
    all girls - English from the Roots Up


Math
    Arwen - Singapore Math 2a and 2
    Kali - finish Singapore Math 3a, begin 4a and continue to 4b
    Sierra - work through Singapore Math 6a and 6b, start Thinkwell Prealgebra

History
    all girls - SOTW 3 and 4.  It took us 3 years to get through SOTW 2, so I'm not sure why I think we can get through 2 volumes in one year.  We did take a bunch of side trips into geography, government and artists, etc. during those 3 years and the girls are older and we are more focus now, so I am hopeful.  Also, Sonlight goes through both books in their Core 7, so I know it is possible...

Science
    all girls - Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry and Physics


Foreign Language
    Kali - I was so excited to find Live Mocha.  It is a free online language program that is very similar to Rosetta Stone.  Kali has decided that she wants to learn Chinese.
   Sierra - Sierra wants to learn French.  Both girls are excited to learn new languages.  I am very happy because they were not very thrilled when I was making them learn Spanish a few years ago and we had free access to Rosetta Stone.

Music
    Arwen - begin piano lessons this year
    Kali - continue violin lessons
    Sierra - continue flute lessons

Art
  It is difficult to not have art in our house.  I have no formal plans for art, but we have art supplies available for use at any time and we will learn about artists as we come to them in our history studies.

Here's to a great 2010 -2011 school year!