20 Best Tips

10th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks (2018-2019)

Aug272018
August 27, 2018 by 6 Comments

So far, McKenna has earned a total of 13.5 credits toward high school diploma. At the end of her 10th grade year she will have completed 6.5 more credits, making a total of 20.5 credits toward her diploma. Several of her classes will require a bit more from her (hello, we’re looking at you chemistry).

McKenna did a fairly good job establishing her own routine last year, but this year we are going to tweak it a little bit and set it up together. McKenna has a tendency to over-plan and over-do and be very thorough in her work. Sometimes a little too much (gotta love the girl). This year I’m hoping to help her establish a little more balance so she isn’t quite as hard on herself, since she tends to stress herself (and those around her) out. 

Rule #1 for the year though is to make sure her cell phone (and mine) are put aside during our school time. Distraction can be a huge impediment to our day, so the phone will disappear fairly early in the day and provide incentive for her to get through her work. :) 

We will be working with one other family in a small co-op to complete our chemistry review and labs as well as our literature class.

10th Grade Curriculum Choices

Credits to earn: 6.5

Algebra 2

We’ve used Teaching Textbooks in past years and this year we will be continuing, but instead of using the typical textbook/CD-rom we are switching to the Algebra 2 3.0 online version. I’m really excited about this switch since I can log into the account at the same time and view the lesson, and we can access from any computer, not just one specific (which we had to do with CD-rom version).  

Government/Economics

Each of these classes will take place over a semester (each a 1/2 credit). We’re planning to start with government and will then move into economics. We’ve used Notgrass other years (for different subjects), but haven’t used the Government or Economics specifically. McKenna really enjoyed the format of the books last year, so we’re looking forward to the continuity and familiarity of the layout. 

Spanish

We’re switching to a new Spanish curriculum this year. I did a lot of research over the last year trying to figure out what to use with McKenna (Spanish with Laurianna wasn’t one of our favorite subjects at all and we really disliked the format of what we started with – and that the program had no support since it was bought out by another company). 

A few friends recommended Breaking the Barrier, and while it is not online, we’re hoping the workbook format will be a little more user friendly for us overall and easier to follow. 

Chemistry

This is another new-to-us curriculum. After Carisa’s son used it last year, we sat down and reviewed it with her and decided to make the switch to this program. Truthfully, I’m a little nervous about this class since Laurianna went through chemistry in a co-op setting. BUT, if anything, we have a great teacher’s manual and will have fun working on experiments/labs together. :) 

Literature

The last few years we have used two of the literature programs by Janice Campbell and love the format of them. This year we are using her British Literature program. It isn’t one we’ve used before, but has a few books I can’t wait to dig into with McKenna. 

Drama

McKenna is really excited to be taking another theatre class at our local community college. Each week she is participating in workshops, vocal training, and at the end of the semester the group will be performing the musical, Urinetown (I know it sounds crazy, but it looks hilarious). Because this is an intense class with a lot of in-class and out of class hours (and she will be one of the leads!!), she will earn 1/2 credit for the class. If she decides to participate in the spring semester class as well, we will bump it up to a full credit. 

Poetry

This year we will also be working through the Grammar of Poetry from Compass Classroom. There is a local workshop that will tie-in with what we are learning in the program, and McKenna will earn .5 a high school credit for this class. 

Curriculum in Year’s Past

In case you are interested in seeing the curriculum that brought us to this point, here’s a peek at what we’ve used with McKenna the past few years:

Planning the Middle and High School Years

Overview planning pages for middle and high school

One thing that has been a huge help to me in mapping out the upcoming years with our kids  is this middle school and high school planner. Essentially I am able to get an extended view and map out the future years to see what we need to work on and when it might fit in best -and make sure we aren’t missing anything overall. 

If you are new to homeschooling and aren’t sure where to begin in choosing homeschool curriculum, please don’t let this post overwhelm you! Check out the entire Homeschool Basics series for answers to more frequently asked homeschool questions.

Homeschool Teaching Styles and Philosphies.png Identifying Children's Learning Styles copy How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum

See What the Other Kids Are Up To…

Click one of the images below to see curriculum picks for our other children.

{ Leave a Comment }
Filed Under: 10th Grade, Curriculum Choices, High School 6 Comments

8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks

Aug202018
August 20, 2018 by 4 Comments

My word for Zachary this year is FOCUS. He is a boy with many interests who can excel in many things, but sometimes his focus can be hard to refine. Along with the focus, we are honing in on doing things well and completely (the first time).

He is a teenage boy. :) 

Both of our girls worked on a few more credits their 8th grade year, but if anything I’m realizing that each of our kids has different learning curves, interests, and also doesn’t need to start on credits as early. Yes, it’s a bonus, but not a necessity. That said, Zachary isn’t in the same place academically (and that’s perfectly fine), so he will be working on 3.5 credits overall throughout the year. 

Below you’ll get a peek at our 8th grade homeschool curriculum choices – a look at the new (and favorite) programs we are using for the upcoming school year. An * depicts curriculum/programs that are new to us this year. 

*feed readers, please click over to the blog for some of the additional links to curriculum

8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Credits to earn: 3

 

Math

We have the paper version of the Algebra 1 book, but this year Zachary will be working on the online version of Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1 (3.0). It follows along with the book, and I’m excited that I can log in on my laptop and see what he is doing since everything is stored online! (He’ll earn 1 credit for this class.)

Geography

Another program we will be using again is North Star Geography. In the past we have worked through it in one year, but this time we are choosing the two year schedule for Zachary. When completed, he will have earned a full credit as a high school class. 

Language & Spelling

Zachary will be using Learning Language Arts Through Literature Gray, and his reading will be tied in with his language/grammar program. There are four main books as the focus of the curriculum: Daddy-Long-Legs, A Lantern in Her Hand, Eric Liddell, and God’s Smuggler.   We will likely add on an extra book or two over the course of the year, but these are the four we will start with. 


This year we will also be working through the Grammar of Poetry from Compass Classroom. There is a local workshop that will tie-in with what we are learning in the program, and Zachary will earn .5 a high school credit for this class. We will also be continuing with All About Spelling Levels 6  for spelling. 

Writing

We will be continuing with the second half of WriteShop (Zachary completed WriteShop Basic Set 1 last year). Used it with both girls and LOVE it! 

Science

Both Laurianna and McKenna used Physical Science from Exploration Education. When they worked through the program, they were in a smaller group co-op setting, so this year will be a little different with Zachary doing it with me each week, but he is really looking forward to the program and the hands-on projects.

Swimming

Zachary and Kaleb have both asked to swim the full year again. With Zachary’s growth the last year, he has been dropping time like crazy and is hoping to qualify for nationals (he did last year), but this year will definitely be more difficult for him. The last few months have seen him becoming more focused on what he enjoys and loves and how it will impact him in the future (thinking ahead to college – yikes!).

Curriculum in Year’s Past

In case you are interested in seeing the curriculum that brought us to this point, here’s a peek at what we’ve used with Zachary the past few years:

Planning the Middle and High School Years

Overview planning pages for middle and high school

One thing that has been a huge help to me in mapping out the upcoming years with our kids  is this middle school and high school planner. Essentially I am able to get an extended view and map out the future years to see what we need to work on and when it might fit in best -and make sure we aren’t missing anything overall. 

If you are new to homeschooling and aren’t sure where to begin in choosing homeschool curriculum, please don’t let this post overwhelm you! Check out the entire Homeschool Basics series for answers to more frequently asked homeschool questions.

Homeschool Teaching Styles and Philosphies.png Identifying Children's Learning Styles copy How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum

See What the Other Kids Are Up To…

Click one of the images below to see curriculum picks for our other children.

{ Leave a Comment }
Filed Under: 8th Grade, Curriculum Choices, Our Classroom, Zachary 4 Comments

6th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks (2018-2019)

Aug132018
August 13, 2018 by 2 Comments

This year our youngest, Kaleb, is in the 6th grade – it seems strange typing those words. Last year Kaleb made some great progress in a few areas he struggles (specifically reading and handwriting). We were able to make adjustments and he took keyboarding (which he loves) and his reading made some great jumps, which was encouraging to him. 

While typically we add more and more independent subjects as the school levels progress, Kaleb will still be working a little more 1:1 with me until I’m sure he has a firm grasp on reading comprehension. His tendency is to get a little more frustrated – he gets it when he reads it, but the speed/fluency is more his struggle. That said, I’ll be sitting along side him for a bit more than I normally would. Besides that, he’s our youngest and frankly, I want to enjoy every last moment I have with him.  

We’ve stuck with some tried and true curriculum pieces, but we are also adding in a few new things this year, tailored more to Kaleb’s learning/doing process. One of them does involve a little more reading (another reason why I will stay alongside), but it’s one he can pace himself and work ahead (he likes seeing he is completing something), so hopefully that will work to our advantage. :) 

Below you’ll get a peek at our 6th grade homeschool curriculum choices – a look at the new (and favorite) programs we are using for the upcoming school year. An * depicts curriculum/programs that are new to us this year. 

*feed readers, please click over to the blog for some of the additional links to curriculum

6th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

 

History & Geography

For history this year we are switching things up and trying something new to us: AOP Lifepac History and Geography Units. The older kids each have their own programs they are working on, so this is one Kaleb and I will be going through together. There are ten units for the entire year, and each unit is broken up into small booklets which will be an encouragement to Kaleb (seems less overwhelming, but gives him bite-sized chunks to work through). 

Math

Although we have the paper version of the book, this year Kaleb will be working on the online version of Teaching Textbooks (3.0). It follows along with the book, and I’m excited that I can log in on my laptop and see what he is doing since everything is stored online! (WOOT!). 

Handwriting/Cursive

As I mentioned earlier, Kaleb really enjoys the subjects that are do “this” and you are done. He struggles with his handwriting and keeping his letters smaller, but is really fascinated with cursive writing (last year he kept practicing different letters and his name), so he will be using Teach Yourself Cursive. Copywork is something he doesn’t mind as much, even though he isn’t a fan of writing in general, so we’ll use that to our advantage. 

Language & Spelling

To keep reading a little more laid back for Kaleb, we will be using Learning Language Arts Through Literature Orange. There are four main books as the focus of the curriculum, one of which Kaleb has already read.  All About Spelling Levels 4 will be our primary spelling curriculum. 

We’re also continuing with Growing with Grammar (Level 6) and working through several of the Reading Comprehension skill builder books from Carson Dellosa. We used one last year and they were great for helping Kaleb with not only his reading speed, but his comprehension and confidence in his reading. 

Science

A few years ago we used Christian Kids Explore Chemistry with Zachary and he loved it. Kaleb remembers the fun hands-on projects that went with the program and was really excited when I mentioned we would be working on it this year. He especially remembers the atomic cookie skillet models we made and is looking forward to those!

EEME projects are going to be a ‘bonus time’ at the end of each day for him for some STEM work.

Lego League

This year we will continue with our small Lego League group. Last year was Kaleb’s first year participating and at first he wasn’t too sure about it all. As the year progressed he started enjoying it more and more (despite the practices typically falling during Sunday afternoon football – the boy is serious about his football!). We’re excited to see how the boys do this year! 

Curriculum in Year’s Past

In case you are interested in seeing the curriculum that brought us to this point, here’s a peek at what we’ve used with Kaleb the past few years:

If you are new to homeschooling and aren’t sure where to begin in choosing homeschool curriculum, please don’t let this post overwhelm you! Check out the entire Homeschool Basics series for answers to more frequently asked homeschool questions.

Homeschool Teaching Styles and Philosphies.png Identifying Children's Learning Styles copy How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum

See What the Other Kids Are Up To…

Click one of the images below to see curriculum picks for our other children.

{ Leave a Comment }
Filed Under: 6th Grade, Curriculum Choices, Kaleb 2 Comments

Teaching Textbooks 3.0 Online Version

Jul232018
July 23, 2018 by 70 Comments

Eight years ago we made a mid-year math switch and started using Teaching Textbooks. It’s been a decision we haven’t regretted and love to this day, especially now that they have added a *new* feature – online subscriptions! 

While I am typically a “have the book and disks in front of me” kind of mom, the new online feature became a necessary component for us this past year. Our oldest needed a new laptop, and we purchased a Chromebook for her. No CD-Rom. For a bit, we were having her work on a laptop here at home, but that quickly became an issue because she couldn’t bring that laptop back and forth to her classes at the community college with her – and the laptop was also falling apart (literally). 

She started getting behind her math schedule which frustrated her. Needless to say, when we found out Teaching Textbooks was scheduling the release of their 3.0 online version, we were rather excited! 

Here’s the thing: version 3.0 has all the great qualities Teaching Textbooks is known for, but now has the added features of being online, accessible from any wifi, and yearly subscriptions! It’s the best of everything rolled up into a convenient format. There’s more too, but that’s just a quick look.

Why We (Already) Love Teaching Textbooks

We already love Teaching Textbooks as our math program. Hands-down it is one of the best curriculum choices we’ve made in our eleven years of homeschooling. We’ve been using their programs for a little almost eight years now, and that alone should speak volumes. Here are a few reasons why we love it so much.

  • The lessons are all taught via the program, meaning you as a mom get a break! Each lesson has an instructor who walks kids through the concept being taught, works through sample problems, and then kids work on daily problems.
  • Each lesson is self-graded. There is no grading needed by mom or dad. Period. The lessons automatically let kids know if they were correct and score the overall lessons and tests. 
  • Extra chances have been huge for our kids! When we first started the program, it was one of the things that helped make math FUN for the girls and not frustrating. If they made a mistake, they could take a second chance and try again to get the problem correct. 
  • Lessons can also be “re-set” if kids are really struggling with a concept. You can delete answers to single problems or all of the problems in a lesson and give kids a do-over. 
  • Print gradebooks anytime.  Maybe I’m not the only one who struggles to keep up-to-date records on subjects, but Teaching Textbooks grades it all for me, and gradebooks can be printed off at any time. 
  • The program provides constant review. Once a topic is taught it is reviewed in subsequent lessons. One additional helpful feature is problems reference what lesson a concept was learned, so kids can flip back to the lesson and review if needed.

Features to Love in 3.0

In addition to the above, the Teaching Textbook 3.0 online versions offers even more! 

  1. ANYWHERE access. If you have internet access, you can work on math. The kids may not be as thrilled to hear this, but it is a great feature. 
  2. No disks or books to carry around. My boys are famous for causing covers to magically disappear from books. The 3.0 version has an ebook that can be viewed in a different browser window or even printed off if you choose. One thing I love about this: I can pull up my browser and flip back to a specific lesson we may need to review a concept on while working on a problem on one of the kid’s computers. More than one person can be logged into the account at a time. 
  3. Grade storage. We won’t talk about how many computer issues we’ve had over the years and how many hard drives I have in a drawer (for real).  With the 3.0 version, Teaching Textbooks stores your grades for you, even after your subscription is over. You don’t have to worry about where that grade book disappeared to. They’ve got you covered. 
  4. The programs work on MAC, Windows, and Chromebooks. Tablets and phones can be used as well with the Puffin browser (3rd party browser, support limited). For our family, the Chromebook aspect has been HUGE this year and having the 3.0 version has been a lifesaver! 
  5. You can “pause” your subscription – each subscription lasts for 12 months (per student, per course). Each subscription also allows for 90 days’ worth of pause time. You may activate the pause any time you choose, but you must use at least 7 days of pause time before unpausing. 
  6. No more disks to lose/scratch. While our girls kept things all neat and tidy, the boys have been a little harder on their curriculum. With online subscriptions, we don’t have to worry about losing a disk (or having that excuse!) and not being able to complete a lesson
  7. BETTER PRICING – Whether you have one child or eight, the subscription prices are lower than purchasing the physical products AND if you have a larger family (up to 8), their is a price cap of $199.08. The more kiddos you have – the lower the cost!! Read more about the Teaching Textbook family plan here.

p.s. if you still want to use the textbooks and CD-ROMs, you can still purchase those. :)

Try Teaching Textbooks 3.0 for FREE

If you’d like to test out the 3.0 version, you can start a Free Trial of the complete program, up through Lesson 15. The trial includes lectures, solution, eBook, and grading on each of the products. If you decide to purchase the full version, everything transfers over for you! Learn more HERE. 

Not sure where to start? Download and print a placement test online. 

Win a Subscription to Teaching Textbooks 3.0

We’ll be sharing more of a step-by-step through a lesson with Teaching Textbooks 3.0, but want to get you all a bit excited about this new release – AND offer a giveaway to go along for ONE FREE SUBSCRIPTION (any level) to Teaching Textbook’s new 3.0 version. The Rafflecopter widget below will give you instructions below, and includes the option of the free trial as well. :) Because it is an online platform – everyone can enter, provided they are 18 years of age or older. Giveaway ends Monday, July 30th at midnight EST. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{ Leave a Comment }
Filed Under: Curriculum Choices, Mom Helps, Opinions and Reviews 70 Comments

What I Bought from Build Your Bundle 2018

May82018
May 8, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Save up to 95% on Homeschool Curriculum at the 2018 Build Your Bundle Sale

This last week you’ve likely heard snippets about this “huge homeschool sale” via graphics, giveaways, and social media. The Build Your Bundle sale officially kicked off on Monday, May 7th and will end on Monday, May 14th. 

I’ll be honest and tell you –  the first year it was held I was so very, very confused. There was a lot to wrap my brain around and by the time the end of the school year rolls around, my head is full of just wanting to be d.o.n.e. with all things school related. 

(Can I get an amen?)

BUT saving money on homeschool curriculum is something I do like, so I jumped in, trying to fully understand, and realized how much the could really benefit our family! Since then it has become one of my favorite homeschool sales of the year. 

In case you are feeling overwhelmed and haven’t quite figured out the ins and outs of the sale, be sure to look at this post for a more in-depth explanation on how the sale works. Definitely take a peek before May 14th though – because the sale ends at midnight and then you can’t take advantage of the deals you find now! (Scroll down to see what we will be purchasing). 

In case you missed it, here’s the post that goes a little more in detail on the bundles: 

My FAVORITE Homeschool Sale of the Year! (8 Days only)

The Bundles That Made My Basket

While I LOVE the pre-assembled bundles that have been put together, this year I opted to build three of my own bundles. 

I chose 3 bundles and used the “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” option to stack up the savings. 

  • Buy 5 premium for $39 (with no price limit) – I added the To Every Nation study, College Writing, Motivate Your Child, Screen Sense, and Essay Styles for High School (overall value $320)
  • Buy 10 for $39 ($19.99 and under) – Intro to Shakespeare Level B, Ultimate Math Cheat Sheets, Design Your Own Literature Based Program, Do Right: Learning to Make Wise Choices (Youth and Junior), DIY Breakfast Station, Rocks and Dirt, Branches of Government, Famous Scientists, Tried & True: Family Activities with Teens (overall value $132)
  • Buy 10 for $39 ($19.99 and under) – this was my FREE bundle – Loop Scheduling Workshop, Big Grammar Reference Bundle, Language Arts Interactive, Peter and the Wolf MP3, Great American Poets, Great American Poets 2, Prepared to Stand – Leader and Student guides, Healthy Snacks to Go, and What is God Doing? (overall value $125)

There are several things that I am REALLY excited about in the first bundle (College Writing, Essay Styles, and To Every Nation study), so the no price cap bundle was definitely the one I wanted to get the most out of my money! In the end that bundle was valued at $320 – and I paid $39! 

I haven’t had a chance to go through everything yet, but I know Kaleb will be excited about a few of them as well, especially the ones that involve food! :) 

Buy 2 Bundles & Get 1 FREE. Click for Details!

Overall though, I’m thrilled because the there are things I was able to get for our three youngest as well as a Bible study (Prepared to Stand) for next spring when I do a mini VBS with our church.

The Buy 2, Get 1 Free option is honestly a GREAT deal, especially if you want to buy several bundles – the offer extends to Buy 4, Get 2 Free…etc. There’s no cap (well, unless you buy every single bundle! :) 

In case you are interested, check out how you can get every single bundle (and product) for $370! This is using the Buy 2, Get 1 option. If you have preschool through almost high school, this is a great way to prepare for the upcoming years! 

 

Themed Bundles

Save BIG at the 2018 Build Your Bundle Sale!
There are 20 themed bundles to choose from, ranging in price from $10 to $49 and the above graphic shows what is included in the Homeschool Helps Bundle #1 (my Weekly Homeschool Planner is included!). Save up to 96% on the pre-assembled bundles that range in topic from Early Learning through High School. 

The TOP selling bundle has been the Build Your Own Pick 5 Premium ($39), where you can pick ANY five items – it doesn’t matter if they are $150 or $5 regularly!! This was my primary bundle choice, and I highly recommend it if you have a little bit of this or that that you want! 

Here’s a look at the top ten selling bundles so far: 

1. Mystery Bundle
2. Special Needs
3. Early Learning #1
4. Thematic Unit Studies
5. Fine Arts and Early Learning #2
6. Elementary #2
7. Elementary #3
8. Elementary #1
9. Charlotte Mason
10. Character

A Handy Shopping Tool 

Click here for shopping tools!

This handy shopping tool will become your BFF. Trust me! Print it off and start writing down things so you can make the BEST choices for you and your family.  

Really – there is a LOT, and it is easy to get overwhelmed because of the bundle varieties. It took me quite some time to finally decide what to choose, especially because I wanted to make sure I got the best deal for us money-wise.

BUT, all that said, there are some amazing deals to be found! Set aside a little time today and start browsing. Print off the shopping list above and highlight, mark up, make notes, and pick your favorites.

Just remember, you only have until Monday, May 14th at midnight to purchase. 

If you have any questions about the bundles or the sale, feel free to email and ask too! 

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy here.

{ Leave a Comment }
Filed Under: Coupon Codes and Deals, Curriculum Choices, Deals and Sales Leave a Comment

5th Grade Mid-Year Homeschool Update

Dec282017
December 28, 2017 by 7 Comments

The week before Christmas we shared a mid-year update for our 11th grader,  one for our 9th grader and our 7th grader. This week we will wrap it all up with our 5th grader, Kaleb. 

Our main focus this year has been Kaleb’s reading, since he has struggled in this area for quite some time. Confidence is a HUGE goal and fluency – and the first one can be tricky. One thing I love is that one of the subjects he loves (science) helps incorporate both of them into our day – and subtly. :) 

That definitely has helped him out as he realizes that he KNOWS the words and can read through the bulk of the material. 

5th Grade Homeschool Update

All that said, here’s a peek at what we are using this year and how it’s working for us. 

Math – This is one of Kaleb’s favorite subjects (this and science). Along with working through his own program, he is having fun sitting with McKenna once or twice a week and watching her work on Algebra. :) It’s rather sweet, and especially fun when he can answer the questions while she is working through them. 

History – One of the main switch ups for us this year was our history program. Granted, it wasn’t huge, but around the end of October Zachary mentioned that he wasn’t particularly enjoying the history we were using (not a set curriculum per se, but it just wasn’t working overall). After one lesson, he started spouting off all this information about the topic that he had learned years prior via Mystery of History. 

At that point the boys asked if we could use that program instead. We’ve gone through the set with the kids in years prior and have all the books, so we pulled them out and have been working through books 1 and 2 instead. 

Handwriting – We pulled out Printing Power Plus to use this year and really focus in on helping Kaleb write smaller. He is NOT a huge fan of anything handwriting related overall, but we’re trying to tighten up and get it more legible and enjoyable. He has worked through the one book and we will be moving on to the keyboarding part starting in January. 

Since his book is completed, the trade off is having him physically write more in his other lessons. (When I tell you all this is most-hated, I don’t know that you fully can grasp how much.)

Growing with Grammar 5 and Soaring with Spelling are the additional two programs we are using to have him write our answers and practice his handwriting, which is working well. 

Reading – We’ve pulled out some older readers for Kaleb to work through in the upcoming weeks, but the last few months he has really made some great progress in this area – something that is encouraging to him (and me). 

Yes, it’s slow-going at times, but progress is always wonderful. 

We are working through our All About Reading lessons as well as reading other books around the house, and that has been a good mix for him. 

Science – This is another area Kaleb LOVES. When working on this subject, it’s almost like you can see the little wheels in his head moving. Nancy Larson Science 4 has been a great fit for us this year and has been especially fun when it ties in with McKenna’s biology lessons too. Earlier in the year they both were working with microscopes, so he had the chance to look at many of the specimen slides we ordered for her. 

Lego League – At first, Kaleb didn’t seem super thrilled about Lego League. You might laugh when you hear why: Sunday football. 

The only time we could find for the four boys to meet was on Sunday afternoons. Kaleb is a HUGE football freak. Meaning, at age six, he knew more about the game and players than I know myself. 

It took him a bit to adjust to the few hours in the afternoon (haha), but it ended up being one of the highlights of his fall. The group will be getting back together in a few weeks to rebuild their robot and learn more about programming so they are prepared for next year’s tournament. 

One of the hardest parts (but in a good way, since it pushed him out of his comfort zone) was the presentation the team needed to make. They put together a skit and had to read their lines and perform in front of a small panel. Kaleb was literally shaking and so nervous during the trial runs – but again, it was a growing experience for him. In order for the team to do well, they had to work together in ALL areas. 

Co-op – Kaleb is in a small group with three other boys and they are working on science experiments together (some edible and some just for fun). It’s been a lot of fun and something he looks forward to twice a month. 

As for all the extras (art, Bible, geography), those are all subjects we are rotating through as we have time during the day. The programs we started with (other than history) have been working very well and in just a bit we will be back in the full swing of the school year!

How is your year going? 

{ Leave a Comment }
Filed Under: 5th Grade, Curriculum Choices, Kaleb, Weekly Wrap Up 7 Comments