It's been said that the smallest chili peppers are often the spiciest. I think that's often true of siblings too. My youngest is a spitfire. He has a zest for life and can not be nailed down for too long. He's got itchy legs and wants to go, go, go.
If you ever need him, just look for a crowd of people. He'll be the one in the middle gathering the group and welcoming more into it.
Here's what my 6th grader will be learning this year.
Since we only homeschool 4-days a week, you can assume that each of these subjects will only be covered four times each week unless otherwise indicated.
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Content-rich Subjects
With the exception of science, he'll do all of his content-rich subjects like Morning time/Bible, history, and art with his older siblings. You can see those curriculum choices here>>>
Personal Devotions- every day
Language
- LLATL Tan Book (Use coupon code unlikelyhomeschool at checkout to get 15% off your entire purchase from Common Sense Press, the makers of LLATL.)
- All About Spelling finish level 4 and begin level 5.
- Read for pleasure including. (every day)
- Read the following books that correspond with the LLATL Tan Book.
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Latham
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis - If he's not currently working through an LLATL-suggested book, he will read a chapter from a book that I assign to him from my Biblio-files list. These will be classics, biographies, or exceptional fiction.
Math
Science
In the elementary years, I think it's important to plan content-oriented subjects with delight in mind. I typically go through a series of questions with my kids to help them determine what they want to learn and/or learn more about. Since all of his older brothers will be doing distance learning for science this year, like last year, my youngest son was able to choose the topic he most wanted to explore. He selected basic animals in our area--woodland animals of the midwest. This study will pair nicely with our Minnesota History/Geography unit that we'll be doing as a family.
So, I'll be putting together a homespun unit with some public library resources, a few nature documentaries, some field trips, and the following books from our home collection.
So, I'll be putting together a homespun unit with some public library resources, a few nature documentaries, some field trips, and the following books from our home collection.
- The Big Book of Animals Every Child Should Know by Rudolf Freund
- Forest Mammals by Glen Loates
Additionally, he will be required to create his own field guide using the Animals of the Woodland pack. Each page will be dedicated to one particular midwest animal. He'll have to draw it and add basic information about what it eats, where/how it lives, its migration, breeding, and hunting habits, etc.
I'm also planning field trips to the following places. He has been to all four of them before but will certainly benefit from a return visit.
Handwriting
- Character Handwriting- Cursive--This is a repeat course from last year. It went missing a few weeks into the school year and was found during the great end-of-the-year curriculum clean-out. Instead of ordering something new, I've decided to have him pick up where he left off.
World View
Life Skills/Extra-Curricular Subjects
- Baseball-late season weekend tournaments through September
- Basketball through the Salvation Army- 1x a week from November-March
- The Boys Body Book (Please note: I have linked to the 3rd edition of this book which is the one we own. The newer editions have inclusions of a sexual ethic that I can not condone nor promote.)
- How You Are Changing (Please note: I have an older edition of this series that combines both the girls and the boys into one book. The publisher has since created separate reading tracks for each gender and no longer prints the original series. That said, the newer editions are still excellent and approach sex and gender through a Biblical lens.)
- Volunteer at the local soup kitchen with the rest of the family. (1x a month)
- Clean his room and make his bed each day.
- Daily chores: sweep the music room, empty the dishwasher with his older brother, empty all the bedroom and bathroom trash cans
- Weekly Chores for his child-of-the-day privileges and responsibilities: help make lunch/dinner and do two loads of laundry (Wednesdays), wash the dishes with an older sibling twice a week
- Monthly Chores: dust the main floor with his siblings, mop the music room, plus randomly select and complete two chores from our chore jar one Saturday each month
- Feed the neighbors' cat when they are away.
Co-operative Learning
His first-semester co-op classes will be as follows:
- Government, Economics, and Critical Thinking
- Minnesota History and Geography (I'll be teaching that one!)
His second-semester co-op classes will be as follows:
- World Geography & Cultures
- Wood Burning
This boy of mine keeps me on my toes. He's high energy with a love for sports, people, and sports that include people. I can't wait for another year of learning alongside him.
Have you read about the author of the The Boys Body Book?
ReplyDeleteI have not. But please be aware, I have the old edition of the book. I don't recommend the new revised versions. I chose this book years ago after vetting many boys body type books because it was the only one that did not include crass, bathroom humor.
DeleteHmmm, you may want to look her up? She is a lesbian writing a boy's body book.
DeleteThat may be so, but as I said the original editions have nothing but accurate health information in them. I can not account for the life choices of every single person who writes a book. I do know this, however...
DeleteI introduce my children to classical works of art, music, and literature knowing full well that many of the pieces were created by detestable men and women who mistreated their families, were addicted to harmful substances, had perverse sexual ethics, and/or were open atheists. We read traditionally published fiction books together that are written by people of varying faith persuasions. We eat food produced by men and women who may or may not share our same beliefs. We use scientific innovations produced by people who deny the very existence of God. In other words, as long as the art does not contradict Scripture or promote an unbiblical worldview, we can appreciate the art without condoning the lifestyle of the artist.
Additionally, if I tossed out or discredited any song, book, piece of art, etc. unless it was created by a perfect individual, I'd have to throw my own two books in the trash. The only words that would qualify are those written in red, spoken by King Jesus, the Only King Forever.
Thank you for your advice, but I don't have time for a witch hunt. I have read the third edition and find it to be a great resource for introducing body changes and boy health to my son. There is not indoctrination in it.
I have a sixth grader this year as well and want to do roughly the same amount of subjects. I’m struggling with how to fit it all in and/or what to cut out. Do you have a post about your daily or weekly homeschool schedule for this year?
ReplyDeleteI’m also interested in the same question Jessica if you don’t mind me hopping in.
DeleteI don't currently, but that's a great idea for a post. The short answer is we do Morning Time every day, the two core subjects (Language Arts and math) everyday, history and science every other day in the same time slot of the day, we rotate the group extra curriculars every day in the same time slot of the day, they each rotate their own individual extra curriculars every day in the same time slot of the day. In other words, none of my kids do EVERYTHING every day.
DeleteWhat keeps you going back to Learning Language Arts through Literature year after year?
ReplyDeleteI have also read your review of the transition from BJU English
I love its Charlotte Mason Approach to Language Arts. We use Abeka Phonics until 2nd because I think it's the best reading/phonics program out there, LLATL from 3rd-8th, and then switch to BJU English for high school but mostly because I don't like the LLATL high school program. You can read more about my love for LLATL here>>>https://www.theunlikelyhomeschool.com/2017/04/learning-language-arts.html
DeleteJaime, are any of your kids still taking Teaching Textbooks for math? Thx!
ReplyDeleteNo, we haven't for several years. I was not happy at all with their upper level math. Additionally, I was disappointed with the level of review of foundational skills. My kids were having difficulty with basic things like rounding because TT just didn't give certain math concepts enough spotlight.
Deletehello, do you have a girls body book that you recommend?
ReplyDeleteThe Original Care & Keeping of You from American Girl Doll Books is quite good. Just be sure to get an older one. In recent years, they've split the content into two books and have "revised" a few things.
DeleteFor the personal daily devotions for your son, how do you implement that time? I'm asking because we also do personal devotions. We each start out our day in devotions separately, then we meet back together as a family and discuss them. This usually takes 45 minutes "ish"-an hour. I feel we are blessed in conversations of course but it definitely throws off our day. Do you just have your son read and journal? Just read? Or do you only discuss scripture if he has a question? HELP-I'm in need of guidance for structuring this time.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are mostly on their own now for the personal devos. They come to me or my husband when they have questions, but other than that, we allow the Spirit to guide them in the same way that He guides us.
DeleteI love seeing how other approach teaching their kids. Have you heard of the good and the beautiful? They have a wonderful curriculum for teaching kids about our bodies with Christian approach. It’s really wonderful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am familiar with TG&TB. I'm glad you enjoy their curriculum.
DeleteDo you need the teacher book for LLATL? I would like to use it next year, but having a hard time finding if it’s necessary. It seems to have a lot of the same content as the student book. Thank you for your help!
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on what level you are going to be using and how comfortable/knowledgeable you are in teaching grammar and mechanics.
DeleteWhat do you use to teach critical thinking?
ReplyDeleteI've used a couple of different resources over the years like Fallacy Detective and Mind Benders from The Critical Thinking Company. But mostly, I just have great conversations with my kids using Socratic questions to lead them to discernment without spoon-feeding them answers and opinions.
Delete