Thursday, August 28, 2014

Second Week!

So far, things are going well here.  The Bean has been doing a fantastic job, and he has been vocal about how much he loves homeschooling.  This warms my heart.  One thing he said during our first week was, "I had fun diagramming sentences!"......WHAT?!?!  This, I LOVE!

He's already about a fourth of the way through Saxon, we're doing 6/5, since the curriculum is still "newish" to us.  He is thriving in this curriculum, and I'm so thankful for that.

We are finally trying Rod and Staff this year.  GOODNESS, it is very advanced.  But he's hanging in there!  I plan on finishing level 5, and moving on to level 6 by February.  (But we all know how plans go!)  He's been two solid years ahead in English since we started homeschooling.  He completed two level five English courses last year, and this new curriculum is clearly ahead.  He's such a good writer, and I want to nurture that with an excellent language course.  We'll keep working through.  He's been doing great so far, and even seems to be enjoying it.  (Again, I'm grateful for that!)

We are still doing Story of the World, hoping to finish level 2 by February or before, and move on to the next level.  This history curriculum is so wonderful, he loves every chapter we do!  I supplement most of the chapters with various books, so he can dive in a little deeper.

I hopped back and forth between two different ways to go for science.  I liked R.E.A.L. Science Chemistry and Elemental Science.  Finally, I decided on Elemental.  We have a family who is going through this with us, so that will be very fun!  I always supplement, so until we have the set in, we're doing various science things, and another science workbook.  He also has a nature journal that he writes in throughout every year.

We're still working through a workbook on famous people/scientists throughout U.S. History, and will be starting the "A History of Us" series next week.  I have big hopes for this set, and plan on spreading it out over a couple of years.

Up to this point, he's read three biographies, and written a report on each...Thomas Edison, President Barack Obama, and Mother Teresa.  He's specifically asked for J.K. Rowling, since we've been reading the Potter series this year.  : )

I still haven't found a solid Spanish curriculum, though I thought I had.  We are just working through a workbook we have, and using a free online site I found in the meantime.


For art we are doing piano lessons and art lessons.  We have a sweet friend who is bartering with me for his art lessons.

I try to plan field trips weekly, or ever other week.  This week our little town is having a fair, so of course we'll be headed there for our outing.


Some day soon, I plan on posting some links of various websites I've used over the years.  No idea when.......but that's the plan!