# time for the annual what are you doing next year thread



## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

Every year about this time, I try to post a question about what everybody else is doing in their school next year. So, what are you going to do? What curriculum will you use (if any)? Or are you going the public/private school route next year? 

Honestly, next year is challenging me a bit. I still have some thinking to do. What about you?

Cindyc.


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

So all I really know for sure for my younger guys for next year is that we are doing Robotics and MATHCOUNTS and logic next year. Haven't decided on everything else yet. 

Anybody else? 

K. FWIW,

Cindyc.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

My girl is doing Prairie Primer (YEAH!), along with math (Rod and Staff), spelling (All About Spelling), grammar (Rod and Staff) and IEW.

The boy will official be a high schooler (even though he did HS classes this year). Next year is: A Beka Algebra II, Apologia Biology, BF US& World History parts 1-4 (squeezed into 1 yr - meant to take 2yrs), IEW, Spelling (All About spelling - yeah he still needs spelling), German, History of Music (1/2 yr), and Drawing (1 or 2 quarters - not sure yet). Our Am History is good a full credit of Lit as well as History.....so it's doing double duty.


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

Ohio dreamer said:


> BF US& World History parts 1-4 (squeezed into 1 yr - meant to take 2yrs)QUOTE]
> 
> what is this? I don't know BF. ?? I am always interested to learn about curriculum. =0)
> 
> ...


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

BF is Beautiful Feet. http://bfbooks.com/ Living books style learning.....questions and essays are in the guide.....use what you like, skip what you don't, add anything you feel like.


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

My senior is taking a report writing class, Human Anatomy and History in our tutorials program. He will be doing Algebra 2, Bible, & Italian at home. He is participating in the Police Explorers program, which earns him half credits in PE and elective, in addition to working about 20 hours a week. He also bowls weekly with friends.
My 9th grader will be taking Chemistry (which I teach), History and a writing class (IEW) in our tutorials program. I will be doing Geometry & Bible and with her at home. She pushed to get PreAlgebra and Algebra 1 done this year as she wanted to take Chemistry next year. She is also an ice skater, skating on a synchro team and individually, and due to the amount of time this takes she had dropped her Harp playing. This saddens me as she was a gifted player. Maybe she will pick it up again one day. She will be teaching ice skating at two camps this summer, so he ice skating lessons are beginning to pay off.
Dawn


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

8th grade--
At the moment, we're doing Sonlight 100, US History for literature and History.
Math will be Saxon Algebra
I think English is going to be a lot of basic proofreading as well as some sentence diagramming. He has excellent English usage, but his writing _mechanics_ are appalling.
Biology or Chem (or both!, if we start this summer)
Logic
Latin 
Self-Study Bible Course (a good, broad introduction to Bible study)


I think we're going to start this summer with Getting Started with Latin (and maybe Logic) as well as Bio/Chem so that 6th grade little sister can join us.


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## bluefish (Jan 27, 2006)

One thing we need to work on is writing. DD is fairly creative and we can do the basics like spelling, very basic grammar and such, but I don't know how to teach how to write well. How put things together coherently. I'm not very good at writing myself! Any curriculum suggestions for an 11 yr old?


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

thermopkt said:


> One thing we need to work on is writing. DD is fairly creative and we can do the basics like spelling, very basic grammar and such, but I don't know how to teach how to write well. How put things together coherently. I'm not very good at writing myself! Any curriculum suggestions for an 11 yr old?


We are really liking IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) It takes you through the writing process step by step. It starts off by editing what having you edit what has been written, but improving it with quality adj and the like. Then it moves to giving you source texts to glean information from then work up an outline which you then turn into a paragraph, etc. http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/catalog


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## bluefish (Jan 27, 2006)

Ohio dreamer said:


> We are really liking IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) It takes you through the writing process step by step. It starts off by editing what having you edit what has been written, but improving it with quality adj and the like. Then it moves to giving you source texts to glean information from then work up an outline which you then turn into a paragraph, etc. http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/catalog



Wow! The website is a bit overwhelming. Where do you start, in the writing section with the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style?


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

thermopkt said:


> Wow! The website is a bit overwhelming. Where do you start, in the writing section with the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style?


Um...yes, lol.

To to the program "correctly" you start with Structure and Style. I've never been a point A to point B kind of person. I started with the Theme-Based. From what I understand, Structure and Style teaches you all the steps and allowes your child to practice them. Then the theme-based ones continues that.

I am able to understand the process well enough with what is written in the Theme-Based manuals. Since, like many people, money is a limiting factor we skipped the Style and Structure. Also my kids really don't enjoy writing, so by using theme based we can skin two cats with one assignment (history and writing). This coming year I allowed my son to pick his own theme, since he needs to focus on writing more at his age then his younger sister does. He's chosen the robotics one....and he's looking forward to it! DD will do a lower level - All Things Fun and Fascinating,


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

I have never really investigated IEW before. I think we might have to incorporate the US History Theme next year. Flipping through the sample pages, this looks like an _excellent_ program!


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

If you can afford it, the absolute best junior high English program is an online class from The Potter's School. the 6th grade offering is called Writing Workshop. 

I sat my teens down and asked them what things they did in JH that prepared them well for high-level work in high school. Every.single.one.of.them. listed the TPS JH English classes and insisted that I try to do them with the younger kids too. They do have need-based scholarships too, FWIW. 

IEW is good. I have it. But it is nowhere near the level of TPS JH English. 

K. FWIW,
Cindyc.


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## Quiver0f10 (Jun 17, 2003)

I haven't been on the forums in forever! We are using a mix of things, but mostly Saxon or TT math, Apologia Science, Biblioplan & Mystery of History Medieval, Smarr Lit, CLE Language Arts, IEW writing, and SOS Spanish.


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## Aranaea (Oct 17, 2005)

Quiverof10, I think I've been away even longer than you.  I used to post here when my 20somethings were teens.

I had another baby in 2008. Kindy isn't mandatory where I live, but he wants to do school at home, so I'm going to start with Saxon Math Kindy, his sibling's old "The Complete Letter Book", and seasonal and nature study activities selected from a book called Earthways and the Wee Folk Art website. I may do HWT if we feel like it and I may scrap all that and call myself an "unschooler" if I feel overworked and underappreciated or if ds2 decides it's not as much fun as he thinks it will be.

I already read to him a lot and have a ton of Miss Maggie's Old Fashioned Education books from Gutenberg Press. 

If anyone remembers me, dd is now my "itinerant philosophy major" who is still debt-free and putting herself through college as a bookkeeper for a hotel in Guam. She's 24 now. ds1 is in the Army. He's 21. It wasn't what I wanted for him but I've already shed all the tears and beat myself up over all the might-have-beens that I'm going to so I'd rather just brag about his latest promotion and how proud I am that he learned how to play guitar and finally started reading for pleasure.


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## menollyrj (Mar 15, 2006)

What I know for sure:

Together - SCM Joshua thru Malachi & Ancient Greece; Training Hearts, Teaching Minds catechism

DD9 - MEP Yr 4, Spelling Wisdom 1

DS11 - MEP Yr 8, Spelling Wisdom 2, IEW Ancients

DS13 - MEP Yr 8 (w/DS11), Spelling Wisdom 2, IEW Ancients

What I still need: 
-A self-paced, interactive physical science course for DS13
-An introductory grammar for DD
-A largely self-directed science course for DD & DS11; I'd like for them to do this together, but not sure about which area of science to focus on. They are better at reading to learn than DS13, so this could be textbook based.
-Foreign language, probably Pimsleur Ukrainian; Spanish was a bust last year because the program I chose was too prep heavy for me.
-Possibly an introductory computer programming class for DS13

I am going to a curriculum fair in two weeks, and hope to have it ironed out then.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

> -A self-paced, interactive physical science course for DS13


I'm using the Holt Science and Tech series and next year it's Physical Science. It's a secular, text-book based but has an experiment or two for every chapter right in the student book. I've been really impressed with it. It's a school-quality series.


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## Kristinemomof3 (Sep 17, 2012)

*DD 10th grade:*
Medieval History at our co-op
Biology (co-op)
Economics (Co-op)
English101.com
Algebra 2 Teaching Textbooks
Drama Troupe (this is spring only)
Bible-we'll be using Power of a Praying Teen
History- Spielvogel using the free quizzes/test http://www.wadsworth.com/cgi-wadswo...d=M20b&product_isbn_issn=9780534646028&token=
Glencoe World Geography & online supplements http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/geography/gwg2003/index.php4
It seems like a lot, but the History for co-op shouldn't be a lot of work.
She wanted more independent work. 
*
DS 8th grade*
Prealgebra Teaching Textbooks
Robotics co-op
Physical Science Co-op
Art co-op
English-*http://www.christianbook.com/the-ki...de=WW&netp_id=247996&event=ESRCG&view=details*
Bible together (see above)
History & Geography-doing a study using Trail Guide to World Geography with both my boys)

*DS 12 7th*. Same as DS 7th except for Math. Will be using Saxon since he's still doing well with it.


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## southernmom86 (Jan 16, 2009)

This will be our third year homeschooling. Dd will be in 2nd grade.
We are using:
Bible: BJU: Bible Truths 2
Phonics, Spelling, & Reading: Abeka
Writing: A Reason for Handwriting: Transition
Math: Rod & Staff
Science: Apologia: Zoology 1
History: BJU: Heritage Studies 2

Electives:
Art
French
Guitar


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

I love doing this thread every year because ya'll give me some great ideas! =0) 

So I have been thinking about my younger ones. My kids are just ...different. Very academic and quite frankly, hard to keep challenged. But, here is what I have come up with so far.

My rising 7th grader...​Latin 1 (high school level)
JH English 1 patterned after TPS but done at home
Algebra 2 (yes, 2. Sigh...)
General Science (apologia: gentle start, not hard, I think, & I have it, so...)
Ancient History - King's Meadow But the lit piece will wait until high school. As smart as he is, I don't think he is ready for Plato. =0) 
Extracurricular: Robotics, MATHCOUNTS, orchestra (he plays violin and he can play with the school district for free.) He wants to do 4H but that seems like a lot of extracurriculars. He's a little... type "A"

My rising 5th grader...​Latin 1 (high school level. Yea. I know. Like I said... just different)
Classical Writing and Shurley Grammar
Transitions pre-algebra from the University of Chicago program (Yea. I know. They are just mathy people. I blame their dad. =)
Ancient history (probably veritas self-paced). 
Robotics for science
Extracurricular: Pre-MATHCOUNTS prep. Orchestra (He plays cello) and again, maybe 4H... maybe. I think. sounds like a lot. =0) 

Kah-razy, right? And believe it or not, with this schedule they will still have time to be kids. Like I said, hard to challenge.


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

Oh and Logic... I forgot logic.


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## mrsgcpete (Sep 16, 2012)

this will be our fourth year homeschooling and i can honestly say i only know that we are homeschooling 2 next year, and virtual schooling 1. But for the homeschoolers everything else is up for grabs. They loved history this year, and want to add some geography, I like saxon math, but we are not committed to anything yet except field trips. Our local theatre groups invite homeschoolers to the shows they offer for schools, and the previews are in may so we know what shows we are seeing next year. So I guess I will be keeping an eye on this thread for ideas


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## 78Parrothead (Apr 6, 2013)

Dd will be doing:

Algebra
Geometry
Human geography and hopefully take the AP test in the spring
Biology
Classical Writing
Great books
Latin
Guitar 
Dance
Art


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## Karen (Apr 17, 2002)

I have older children that I homeschooled and then, just as they all left home, we got our little boy. He graduated last month and started college this summer; so this will be the first time I'm not homeschooling in I can't count the number of years! I'm officially retired from homeschooling forever.

I just knew that I would be so happy and relieved to not have to worry this time of year about things like which curriculum, how to pay for it, arranging and rearranging my schedule for the next year, books and school materials every where, etc. and that my time would be my own. 

But I'm _REALLY_ sad and like I don't quite know what to do with myself. I'm going to miss it like I can't tell you. 

So hold tight to these days as they flee faster than you can imagine. Treasure the time you spend as there will never be anything like it in your life again. Whenever you feel discouraged, remember that your doing a good thing in all this and building up a relationship like none other. The most important people in your child's life is their parents and their teachers. You get to have double the influence and that's not just a huge responsibility, but also a huge blessing. Best wishes to all of you as you pursue your blessings!


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## Lizza (Nov 30, 2005)

I was pretty happy with Oakmeadow for my child with learning disabilities so I am going to keep with buying a complete curriculum from them. They have 20% off in May so I am buying this month for the Fall.


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## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

DD 10th grade
Saxon Algebra I
Literature time period 1805-1901
Art History
Anatomy and Physiology
Beard's History of the US continued for time period
Bible (Christian Love/God's Love)
Poetry-Coleridge, the Brownings, Emerson and Whitman
Logic-How to Read a Book

DD 1st grade
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 easy lessons-continue
Singapore Math
Handbook of Nature Study-science
French-simple phrases and words
Age appropriate literature
Shakespeare
Bible-stories and verses read from the Bible
Geography map skills and continue studying the globe

We follow Charlotte Masons principles so lots of living books and lots of reading. Blessings, Kat


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

As of today this is what I have planned for my 6 year old.

Explode the Code
Handwriting Without Tears
Story of the World
Singapore Math
R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey - Life Level One

That's all I've got so far, and it may change again. I need to find some elective type things for him to do also, but I've been so focused on the basics that I haven't had the time for the "fun" stuff yet.


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## KeepingItAtHome (Jun 17, 2013)

cindy-e said:


> So all I really know for sure for my younger guys for next year is that we are doing Robotics and MATHCOUNTS and logic next year. Haven't decided on everything else yet.
> 
> Anybody else?
> 
> ...


What are you using for Robotics? My 11yr would love it if I could get robotics in as science for him!


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## KeepingItAtHome (Jun 17, 2013)

As for what we'll be doing.... setting up a homestead  I think we'll continue with Making Math Meaningful for math and Alphabet Island for the younger ones (we go through all 3 books) but beyond that there will be much research, reading, writing and practical application about the processes of getting ourselves self sustaining. We ALL will be learning a lot next year and I think we'll have fun doing it.


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## KyMama (Jun 15, 2011)

KyMama said:


> As of today this is what I have planned for my 6 year old.
> 
> Explode the Code
> Handwriting Without Tears
> ...


I told you it might change: 

Story of the World is out, I was on the fence with it to begin with and I've talked myself out of it. In it's place we're going to use the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker books with library books and crafts/activities. We aren't doing them in any particular order, I'm going to let him choose which ones he's interested in at the time. 

REAL Science Odyssey is also out. I'm going to use Evan-Moor's Daily Science with library books and some kid's science experiment books that I already own.

I also picked up the Evan-Moor Art for All Seasons book and recorder set for his electives. (Are they called electives in the first grade?)


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