Summer School

Yes, that is what we are going to be doing all summer long if I don't get my butt in gear and get some more schooling done!  I don't know how I can do so good for a week or two staying on schedule and then something happens to distract me and we are just so off for a couple weeks.  I'm almost a month behind on Sophia's math again.  Not sure how far behind we are on phonics, but definitely not where we should be.  I have done some major reworking on Emily and Grace's school.  I took off all of their History and Science.  We are working on some ND state history, learning the states and capitals, and learning some map skills.  It is so much more enjoyable.  They like it and I like it so we are all happy.  I pulled out one of Brooke's old science experiment books and we are going to try to do an experiment once or twice a week.  I'm going to look in my "Well Trained Mind" book and refresh my memory on how to have them do a write up on a science experiment.  They will love doing the experiments.  Brooke always loved that.  The write-up part not so much.  But I do feel like her learning that has helped her tremendously with her upper level sciences.  I also have been doing some writing projects from "Writing Strands".  This is another program I did with Brooke and I really liked what it taught her about writing.  I can see that Emily and Grace really need this.  Their program right now has a lot of writing projects, but it doesn't really teach them the process of writing.  I have completely scrapped Grace's Vo-Wac program.  Ugh, I just can't do it anymore.  I actually despise it.  Seriously.  I know the schools do it.  I know it is supposed to be such a great program.  I know it probably would be good for Grace.  But I just have to go with my gut.  If I actually despise a program, it probably just isn't the right fit for us.  So I think I'm calling it quits and I'm going to order her a Modern Curriculum Press Phonics book to work on for the rest of the year and maybe over the summer.  Grace certainly isn't complaining, she never really liked the Vo-Wac.  I'm also looking into other options for Phonics for Sophia for next year, too.  I just wish it wouldn't cost so much money for these products.  It gets spendy and it really stinks if you end up not using something you paid a lot of money for.  So far for next year I have Math figured out for sure.  Em and Grace will try teaching textbooks.  Sophia will do Saxon.  For Science, we are going to use Apologia.  I will order one program and do it with all of them together.  I'm really excited about this program as I have heard so many good things.  I am pretty sure we are going to use Susan Wise Bauer's "The Story of the World" for history.  I will be able to do that with all of the girls, too.  I've heard it is a very good history book that both kids and adults enjoy.  So I'm still somewhat stuck on how to cover everything in Language Arts.  This will take some careful planning.  There is so much involved:  writing, spelling, grammar, handwriting, reading, phonics.  It is a lot to cover and so many good options.  But I am definitely narrowing it down so I should know by the end of the school year.  I think that pretty much covers it.