2016-17 Preedy Academy Curriculum Picks!
Better late than never?
I've had a lot of mental gymnastics to figure out how this year is going to work. I've got FOUR students this year for the first time. Yep, Meryn is beginning Kindergarten!!! AAAAA!!! :)
So, after much contemplation, here's my plan. We're going to have five blocks to our day:
-Morning Time
-Math
-Language
-Science
-Humanities
We'll stat each day with Morning Time, and move on to Math. Everyone will be doing math for a set amount of time. Same for the other blocks: all doing their own assignments within that subject, mom starting with youngest for instruction and moving up by age. The older kids will have some independent work to do while they wait on me for any teaching we have for that day.
There are three possible outcomes for each block:
-You work diligently, and complete your work. In this case, there is a box of games to play until the next block starts, or books to read, or things to draw, etc.)
-You work diligently and don't finish your work. In this case, we put it away until tomorrow and pick up where we left off.
-You don't work diligently, and don't finish your work. In this case, you will get your work back out after "school time", and complete it.
I have high hopes this will work to keep everyone busy and on task. I have invested a good bit in educational games for math, history, astronomy, and language that are ONLY for school time.
So, here is what we'll be tackling in each of our blocks this year:
MORNING TIME: (everyone will listen, but most of this is expected from the Upper Grammar kids only)
-Westminster Shorter Catechism, last 36 questions, with devotions from Training Hearts, Teaching Minds
-Reading Psalms, Proverbs, Matthew
-Twelfth Night from Shakespeare
-Music of the Hemispheres by Michael Clay Thompson
-Simply Charlotte Mason Picture Study Portfolios (Botticelli, Rembrandt)
-SQUILT for music appreciation and composer study
-Memory Binders: Shakespeare monologues, Psalm 139 and a couple other passages, three hymns, traditional prayers and liturgical readings, and poetry selections
(I have another post coming on how I chose Memory Work this year!)
LANGUAGE:
Upper Grammar:
-Latin for Children Primer B
-Writing & Rhetoric Books 4-5
-Reasoning & Reading book 1 (only half, we'll spread this out over two years)
-All About Spelling Level 6 (only half, also will spread this out over two years)
-Grammar Town and Grammar Voyage (MCT Language Arts)
-New American Cursive Book 3
(NOTE!: We will not be doing all of this everyday. We will have 3 elements of LA everyday: Latin, Writing, and the others on a loop or by term)
1st grader:
-All About Spelling Level 1
-Copy work for handwriting
-Veritas Press Readers
-Christian Liberty Nature readers
-Narration practice
-Song School Latin 1
-Ambleside Online read aloud selections
(Again, not all of this everyday)
KG:
-All About Reading Level 1 (phonics)
-Handwriting Without Tears Book 1
-Read Alouds from AO Year 0
MATH:
-MUS (Zeta, Epsilon, Beta, Primer/Alpha)
-Select MEP Pages for puzzle and play with math from Year 4/Year 1
SCIENCE:
Upper Grammar:
-Berean Builders for Historical Science Science in the Ancient World/Science in the Age of Reason, one lesson per week
-Memoria Press Book of Astronomy: supplemented with Storyland of the Stars, Find the Constellations as read alouds and lots of star gazing.
-Elementary Geography as a read aloud
-Memoria Press Geography II
(AGAIN: Not doing all of this everyday. Rotating in and out.)
Lower grammar:
-Exploration Earth Animal supplement (copywork, animal study and classification)
-Burgess Animal Book of Nature Lore
-Working on continents
HUMANITIES:
-Tapestry of Grace Year 2: Upper Grammar level for older two kids, Lower Grammar read aloud only for little kids
-AO Year 4 independent reads for Upper Grammar kids
-L: He will begin cello in the public school orchestra, and piano lessons
-K: She will continue with violin at home and piano lessons
We're not changing much from last year. Last year, as I said in my review posts, was the first year I finished the year feeling filled up, rather than totally drained. So we're going to just keep walking the path we did last year, extending the view a bit further out this year. The kids also really excelled last year. They progressed a lot in their knowledge and skills, and we weren't strapped to school all the time to do it. And we greatly increased our reading aloud last year, which they all LOVE!
The one major change I'm making is to try yet one more grammar program. :) I think, if I remember correctly, we've used:
-First Language Lessons/Writing With Ease
-Shurley Grammar
-Harvey's Grammar
-Memoria Press Grammar
I may be a stickler, but I really just want every area of knowledge we are learning to be delightful. Grammar just never is. :) But, Michael Clay Thompson's grammar program looks really interesting, engaging, and possibly even delightful! :) I love the layout of the books that we will read together. And we are going to try out first ever school subject on the iPad with his Practice Books for Grammar Town and Grammar Voyage in iBooks. I mean, if labeling the four level analysis of sentences *could* be fun, it would be dragging and dropping labels on the iPad, right? :) We're gonna give it a go... and hope it works and sticks. Then I won't have to think about anything but science and Morning Time next year.
I'm praying for a year of great growth in all my kids, for a deepening in the knowledge of God, of Man, of the Universe, and their role in it and relationship to each of these!
(PS: Sorry I did not link this all up to the programs I mentioned. I am pressed for time. I trust you all can google them for yourselves.) :) Blessings!
I've had a lot of mental gymnastics to figure out how this year is going to work. I've got FOUR students this year for the first time. Yep, Meryn is beginning Kindergarten!!! AAAAA!!! :)
So, after much contemplation, here's my plan. We're going to have five blocks to our day:
-Morning Time
-Math
-Language
-Science
-Humanities
We'll stat each day with Morning Time, and move on to Math. Everyone will be doing math for a set amount of time. Same for the other blocks: all doing their own assignments within that subject, mom starting with youngest for instruction and moving up by age. The older kids will have some independent work to do while they wait on me for any teaching we have for that day.
There are three possible outcomes for each block:
-You work diligently, and complete your work. In this case, there is a box of games to play until the next block starts, or books to read, or things to draw, etc.)
-You work diligently and don't finish your work. In this case, we put it away until tomorrow and pick up where we left off.
-You don't work diligently, and don't finish your work. In this case, you will get your work back out after "school time", and complete it.
I have high hopes this will work to keep everyone busy and on task. I have invested a good bit in educational games for math, history, astronomy, and language that are ONLY for school time.
So, here is what we'll be tackling in each of our blocks this year:
MORNING TIME: (everyone will listen, but most of this is expected from the Upper Grammar kids only)
-Westminster Shorter Catechism, last 36 questions, with devotions from Training Hearts, Teaching Minds
-Reading Psalms, Proverbs, Matthew
-Twelfth Night from Shakespeare
-Music of the Hemispheres by Michael Clay Thompson
-Simply Charlotte Mason Picture Study Portfolios (Botticelli, Rembrandt)
-SQUILT for music appreciation and composer study
-Memory Binders: Shakespeare monologues, Psalm 139 and a couple other passages, three hymns, traditional prayers and liturgical readings, and poetry selections
(I have another post coming on how I chose Memory Work this year!)
LANGUAGE:
Upper Grammar:
-Latin for Children Primer B
-Writing & Rhetoric Books 4-5
-Reasoning & Reading book 1 (only half, we'll spread this out over two years)
-All About Spelling Level 6 (only half, also will spread this out over two years)
-Grammar Town and Grammar Voyage (MCT Language Arts)
-New American Cursive Book 3
(NOTE!: We will not be doing all of this everyday. We will have 3 elements of LA everyday: Latin, Writing, and the others on a loop or by term)
1st grader:
-All About Spelling Level 1
-Copy work for handwriting
-Veritas Press Readers
-Christian Liberty Nature readers
-Narration practice
-Song School Latin 1
-Ambleside Online read aloud selections
(Again, not all of this everyday)
KG:
-All About Reading Level 1 (phonics)
-Handwriting Without Tears Book 1
-Read Alouds from AO Year 0
MATH:
-MUS (Zeta, Epsilon, Beta, Primer/Alpha)
-Select MEP Pages for puzzle and play with math from Year 4/Year 1
SCIENCE:
Upper Grammar:
-Berean Builders for Historical Science Science in the Ancient World/Science in the Age of Reason, one lesson per week
-Memoria Press Book of Astronomy: supplemented with Storyland of the Stars, Find the Constellations as read alouds and lots of star gazing.
-Elementary Geography as a read aloud
-Memoria Press Geography II
(AGAIN: Not doing all of this everyday. Rotating in and out.)
Lower grammar:
-Exploration Earth Animal supplement (copywork, animal study and classification)
-Burgess Animal Book of Nature Lore
-Working on continents
HUMANITIES:
-Tapestry of Grace Year 2: Upper Grammar level for older two kids, Lower Grammar read aloud only for little kids
-AO Year 4 independent reads for Upper Grammar kids
-L: He will begin cello in the public school orchestra, and piano lessons
-K: She will continue with violin at home and piano lessons
We're not changing much from last year. Last year, as I said in my review posts, was the first year I finished the year feeling filled up, rather than totally drained. So we're going to just keep walking the path we did last year, extending the view a bit further out this year. The kids also really excelled last year. They progressed a lot in their knowledge and skills, and we weren't strapped to school all the time to do it. And we greatly increased our reading aloud last year, which they all LOVE!
The one major change I'm making is to try yet one more grammar program. :) I think, if I remember correctly, we've used:
-First Language Lessons/Writing With Ease
-Shurley Grammar
-Harvey's Grammar
-Memoria Press Grammar
I may be a stickler, but I really just want every area of knowledge we are learning to be delightful. Grammar just never is. :) But, Michael Clay Thompson's grammar program looks really interesting, engaging, and possibly even delightful! :) I love the layout of the books that we will read together. And we are going to try out first ever school subject on the iPad with his Practice Books for Grammar Town and Grammar Voyage in iBooks. I mean, if labeling the four level analysis of sentences *could* be fun, it would be dragging and dropping labels on the iPad, right? :) We're gonna give it a go... and hope it works and sticks. Then I won't have to think about anything but science and Morning Time next year.
I'm praying for a year of great growth in all my kids, for a deepening in the knowledge of God, of Man, of the Universe, and their role in it and relationship to each of these!
(PS: Sorry I did not link this all up to the programs I mentioned. I am pressed for time. I trust you all can google them for yourselves.) :) Blessings!
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