Next Year

Gosh, trying to decide curriculum for the next school year can be difficult! But I think I finally did it. Here's our as-final-as-I-going-to-get-it plan for next year.

Language Arts

Mika: Mika is such a naturally good speller that I've decided she can be done with formal spelling. Vocabulary will suffice. She'll be continuing with Michael Clay Thompson's Voyage level for grammar, vocabulary and poetry. We'll read their writing book but it won't be our primary program. We will also be continuing Excellence in Writing for our writing program, using their first volume of US history based lessons. Our literature selections will come from history (great choices found on Sonlight's reading list) and classics.

Sam: Sam will be continuing with Spelling Power but at a faster pace. He's been complaining about it being too easy the way I've chosen to implement it. He'll continue with Michael Clay Thompson's Town level. Sam really loves this curriculum. His writing is the same as above but using the A level directions while Mika uses the B level directions. Literature is the same as above.

Math

Mika: Mika will working through Math U See Zeta level. We'll continue exploring Math Olympiad Contest problems as a supplement.

Sam: Sam will work through Math U See Algebra over the first semester. I have no doubt he'll finish it that quickly. Once he's done with that, he'll move on to Art of Problem Solving Introduction to Algebra. AoPS recommended a child as young as Sam to do a basic algebra course before doing theirs so that's what he's doing. He'll also do the Math Olympiad Contest problems.

History

Both: Story of the World Volume 3 is up for next year. We'll supplement the US history chapters with library books and literature selections. My long term plan is combine this with Story of the World 4 over three years (rather than two) so that we have time to supplement the US history portions.

Science

Both: We want to continue with Apologia and study swimming creatures next year. I'll be picking up a lab kit so we can do some of the experiments and we'll definitely be raising tadpoles and sea monkeys. My kids have loved raising little critters this year. Sam is begging for chemistry so we'll alternate Apologia with Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry Level 1.

Geography

Both: I want to hit some gaps this year and one of them is Geography. We'll be using A Child's Geography of the World because it covers more of the meteorology and geology side of geography. We'll get the traditional geography through history and go more in depth over the next two years following next year.

Fine Arts

Both: We'll continue with Draw Squad but will alternate with Artistic Pursuits. This will cover some art things that Draw Squad doesn't cover (namely color) and art history/artists. We'll also beginning covering composers. I tried once before but dropped the ball. It sounds like a lot but we'll be going slowly and only doing it once a week, I think.

Logic

Both: I've decided to stick with just the basic Perplexors next year and doing just two puzzles per week. We'll also be using Fallacy Detective, which looks really interesting.

Bible

Both: We'll be using Memoria Press Christian Studies 1 next year. I hope we like it because I've never been good at doing Bible study with the kids.

Foreign Language

Mika: Nothing. She's not interested so I'll save foreign language for high school when it will be required to ensure she has the credits necessary for college.

Sam: Sam has been begging me for Korean for a couple of years. I'm going to get him Rosetta Stone online and let him loose.

PE:

Mika: Normal play, nothing formal.

Sam: Sam will continue with taekwondo. He loves his new dojang.