Review of Term 1 {2016-2017}

We are three weeks into term 2 making my term 1 review a little late. I was struggling to write a recap of our term because it's all been written before in the School Ramblings.

I updated our original book list to include the plans for the whole year. I originally just had term 1 plans and was going to do a post each term afterwards too. I decided to just do one post this year. You can find the update post for our book list for year 10 here and year 7 here .

 

Thinking back, Tyler said his favorite book was Call of the Wild with the reason, "It wasn't boring." Tyler's least favorite book was Everyday Weather. Tyler thought he didn't learn anything from this book, and the book wasn't good at teaching weather. I only read parts of that book and I wasn't too impressed either. Tyler gave mixed reviews of America Moves Forward. He thought it, "was a good book and kind of explained what's going on, but the chapters were too long." (I'm enjoying this book and don't think the chapters are too long.) Tyler's favorite Morning Basket book was Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. His least favorite MB book was our Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. Tyler's response was, "I don't like plays." 

Hmmmm . . . . . on to Caleb's thoughts of term 1.

Caleb enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo because it was a "good book." He equally enjoyed History of the American People. Caleb is enjoying the American Revolution time period. Caleb's least favorite book was Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist. The science of this one is beyond his understanding at this point. I agreed with his review, but I'm enjoying Brother Guy's story and can leave behind all the science I don't understand. Caleb was not a fan of any of the Morning Basket selections this term.  : (

Lucy running laps around me while I read by the lake.

  

End of Year Review {2015-2016}

The boys finished up their school year in mid-May, but I completely forgot about doing a year-end review. I like doing these when they are fresh in my mind and now that I'm planning for next year the memories are hard to find. Ask questions as I'm sure I will think of more if you ask.  : )

The first year of high school is done. My biggest mistake with high school was thinking that it was different. Once I got that silly idea out of my head life was much better. The biggest success was just treating high school as just another year and continuing with the methods we were already using. 

Another big obstacle for high school is goals. Our world tends to make the fruits the goal of high school (fruits are the good grades, high test scores, scholarships, good college, good job, riches in life). The goals should be wisdom, knowledge, and Truth. It's so hard to keep that focus in a world that thinks the opposite. I've caught my wrong thinking many times this past year and had to realign.

 

Caleb's favorite subject was history and he much enjoyed The Book of the Ancient World by Dorothy Mills. 

Caleb's least favorite book was Watership Down: A Novel by Richard Adams. This book went unfinished and Caleb's end-of-term examination for this book was a writing on why he didn't like the book. I have this book for sale, really cheap if anyone wants to give it a try.  ; )

My favorites from Caleb's book list this year was Fabre's Book of Insects and History of the American People by Paul Johnson. I loved Fabre's love of discovery (and references to the Creator). Johnson's book taught me more about history and made me mad at timess. Both of these were a tough reads for me, but well worth it. I'm looking forward to continuing in Johnson's book. I love history books that make you realize that the world is not a worse place than it use to be (and getting worse). Early America could be a pretty nasty place too and the bad things that go on today were going on back then too in some form or another. 

Tyler's favorite books came off his literature and free reading list. Old Sam: Dakota Trotter by Don Alonzo Taylor was at the top of his list.

Tyler's least favorite also came off his literature list and was Bulfinch's Age of Fable. Tyler loves mythology books and he was very familiar with most of the stories he read, but the book was too challenging for him. I plan for him to pick this book up in a year or two and continue it. I will probably add it to Caleb's list next year since mythology is a favorite here.

My favorites from Tyler's list were his history books and Rocks, Rivers, and Changing Earth. I was surprised how much geology I didn't know! I read this one out loud to Tyler and many times I would ask Tyler if it was true because I couldn't believe it. Turns out it was all true and I was amazed by God's creation!

I think my biggest disappointment for the year was lack of Morning Basket (a term I use for the work we do together). We struggled getting this done and when we did it was not inspiring. I tinkered with it a lot to try and fix that and didn't come up with any solutions. I plan to make big changes to Morning Basket next year and hope for a better outcome. Morning Basket is truly a very important part of our school time and I need to figure out why we are struggling.

I was most happy with our schedule. It was a little too much at first, but I worked it out and we had a good schedule the rest of the year. I had to say no to many things and keep us at home during school hours to make this work. We ended the year because we were finished and not the usual because it's just time to finish. It was nice not to get "behind" this year!

What were hits and misses in your school this year?

Term 3 Plans {2015-2016}

(Pictures from our nature hike on Monday.)

It's already the last term of this school year. The first year of high school is almost complete and the youngest will be entering junior high next year.

Our school year is just trucking along at a good pace. I feel like we are accomplishing much! One goal I had for this year was to be at the end of the year and to feel finished instead of just stopping because it was time to be done. I've made changes to accomplish that this year and I think it will happen!

We call this scat rock because . . ..  well, that obvious. Critters sure like this rock next to the lake!

I made one major change after Christmas break to history. I listened to A Delectable Education Podcast and felt like our history needed some revamping. I was easily able to make the changes mid-year without any problems. It went smoothly and both boys are happy with the changes.

At the beginning of the school year it was a struggle to get all of Caleb's work fit into the week and there wasn't enough of me to go around. That has changed. I'm not sure how it worked out but it did by second term and third term is looking like a repeat of term 2.

I struggled with having enough school work for Tyler and even though I have added in more than originally planned he is still getting it all done.

Look what I found!

You will find term 2 plans/term 1 in review here, Tyler's 6th grade term 1 plans here, Caleb's 9th grade term 1 plans here, and math choices for the year here.

Overall, term 2 went great. Caleb's favorite book was a new Ancient history book we picked up after Christmas. Caleb's least favorite book was Watership Downs by Richard Adams. Tyler's favorite books in term 2 were anything on his free reading list (he has been reading from the Redwall series).  Tyler couldn't give me a least favorite. : )

I decided I will just list the whole book list. I won't be linking any books (time issue), but I will mark those that came from AO and which year.

Caleb 9th Grade Term 3

History:

A History of the American People by Paul Johnson (US history and will probably use through out high school)

Christ and the Americas by Anne Carroll (US history more of an overview with Catholic history)

The Book of the Ancient World by Dorothy Mills (ancient history)

Light to the Nations (European history along side Church history)

Geography:

The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin (AO year 7)

Why Greenland is an Island . . . . by Joyce Davis

Science:

Amateur Naturalist by Gerald Durrell

Book of Insects by Fabre

The Book of Trees by Sean Brooks

The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Wiker (just because he hasn't read it and we needed an easy chemistry intro)

Biology lab at co-op

Literature:

Watership Down by Richard Adams (AO year 7)

Prose and Poetry for Enjoyment by Maline and Downey 

Odyssey (translation by Robert Fagles) (at co-op)

Religion:

Splendor of the Saints by Aloysius Roche

Logic:

The Fallacy Detective by Bluedorn (AO year 7)

Language Arts:

oral and written narrations (3 written per week now)

dictation

Life of Fred Australia

review basic grammar with Winston Grammar (also work on learning comma rules)

a little work on cursive

Creative Writing class at co-op 

Math:

Math-U-See Algebra 1

 

  

  Tyler 6th Grade Term 3

 History:

Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall (British history)

America Grows Up by Gerald Johnson

Carry a Big Stick: The Uncommon Heroism of Theodore Roosevelt by George Grant (AO year 5) 

Geography:

Book of Marvels: The Orient by Richard Halliburton (AO year 5)

Science:

The Story of Inventions by Frank Bachman (AO year 5)

Nature Reader 5 by Worthington Hooker (AO year 5)

Dr. George Washington Carver by Shirley Graham (AO year 5)

Rocks, Rivers, and the Changing Earth: A First Book of Geology by Schneider

Chemistry and Physics lab at co-op

Animal Survival (Tops) at co-op

Literature:

The Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch (AO year 5)

Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Old Sam, Dakota Trotter by Don Alonzo Taylor

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Governement and Civis:

Uncle Sam & You by Notgrass (with their Citizens Handbook) (will spread out and work on the remained of this year and the next)

Religion:

Saints and Heroes by Ethel Pochocki

St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism #2

Language Arts:

oral and written narration (two written per week now)

dictation

cursive copywork

review grammar in dictation lesson

Foreign Language:

Greek Alphabet by Memoria Press

Math:

Math-U-See Epsilon

Life of Fred Miner

brain games class at co-op