I have attempted to update several times, but every time I tried to post pictures, it wouldn't let me, so I got mad, and didn't post ANYTHING. However, since it was asked of me if I was done blogging, I shall post a brief update.
We have been SO busy! Last time I wrote, I was expecting a new grandson. Conner Lee was born almost 5 months ago now, weighing in at 9 pounds, 10 ounces, and is a happy cheerful baby. I adore him, and would love to share pictures, but alas...you'll just have to take my word for it.
Emily, age 11, has become active in gymnastics, and both girls were, as always, in softball this year. Colleen continues to volunteer at the animal shelter 2 days a week, and has learned to drive. In our state, parents are not allowed to homeschool driver's ed, so she spent 4 months attending public school for this class. She got an A in the class, and an A in the behind-the-wheel portion. Since she got A's in both parts of the class, she was eligible to take her driving test already, and now has a waiver, and won't have to take it at the DMV. I didn't even know she TOOK the test till she handed me the waiver.
Colleen also gained more than her permit and waiver in Driver's ed. She also ended up with a boyfriend. Although this is a little unsettling to me, these things happen when you're almost 16, and I'm happy for her. We do not allow dating, however, so they are restricted to phone calls, texts, and visits at our house.
I was sooo behind in ordering curriculum this year. Normally, that is something I do in the winter, but I didn't make my final decisions or place orders till three weeks ago. We now have everything, and have started a tiny bit of school, intending to begin full-time next week.
For 6th grade, Emily will be doing the complete Timberdoodle kit, substituting TT Math for Saxon.
Colleen will be in 10th grade this year, and will be doing:
MUS Geometry
Abeka Biology with DVDs and Labs
Abeka World History
Abeka World Literature
Jenson's Format Writing
ACE Spanish
Critical Thinking Co. Level 3 Verbal Skills
Colleen is on her 2nd week of Biology. It is taking some adjustment to get used to a DVD class, but overall I'm liking it.
Emily just began spelling and math this week.
There is, of course, tons more going on with life, but this is the homeschool update. If anyone still reads this, hope all is well with you.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Finishing up, Driver's Ed, and Grandbabies
Colleen and Emily are both swiftly finishing up their current subjects. Emily finished science 2 weeks ago, and has only 10 days of Math left. I am in a quandary what Math to get her next year, as she places into pre-algebra, but I don't want her to be that far ahead yet. I am considering Saxon 8/7, the Art of Problem Solving, or just sticking with BJU Math for one more year.
Emily and I are taking a break from ACE English and ACE Word Building this week, due to the impending arrival of my second grandson. (My oldest daughter is 3.5 cm dilated, and his due date is today. We keep thinking, "this is it", and they keep sending her home till she has regular, strong contractions. ) While Emily and I take a break from the boring tedium of ACE....I'm not knocking it; it does a thorough job, but it's just so REPETITIVE day after day....we have begun Emma Serl's Intermediate Language Lessons. ILL is an entirely different approach...the Charlotte Mason approach in homeschool-speak, and it is a breath of fresh air for Emily and I. She so far SEEMS to be learning English much better this way, and every day is different, instead of just "underline, fill in the blank, circle the right answer". She is learning poetry, narration, picture study, logical thinking, creativity, and writing skills...none of which is in ACE English. (It is basically grammar only.) We may just extend out break, and keep on with ILL, occasionally doing the rest of her PACES till they are done. I'm not denying the importance of grammar, but there are so many other important aspects in English. Aspects that are much more interesting. :)
Colleen has finished ALL of her subjects other than PAC Integrated Physics and Chemistry. She still loves this, and due to our late start with her science this year when I was so sick last fall, she is only halfway through the course. We will probably work through the summer, since she wants to continue, although I plan to begin her Biology in August.
With only one "class" each day, Colleen has spare school time on her hands. She is 15,and in our state, this means she can take Driver's Ed. In our state, homeschoolers are not allowed to teach Driver's Ed. We have the option of 1.) taking the class for free through our local public school district, 2.) paying for a professional driving instructor, of which there are none in our town, or 3.) waiting for her to get her driver's license when she turns 18. We chose door #1...taking the class for free through our local school district. Beginning Monday, Colleen will be going daily to the local high school for one hour a day the next nine weeks for her driver's ed class. She will do the "Behind the Wheel" (actual driving) portion of the class over the summer, which fits in perfectly with out school schedule. I asked her if it felt weird to be going to school again, and she said, "Yeah." Our high school is HUGE, but when we registered for her class, they showed her around, and she even has a student ID card, as no one is allowed in the building without one. It will be a pain for me to have to drive her up there every day, come back an hour later to pick her up. I prefer scheduling all my errands once a week, and now I will have to go out 7 days a week, but I feel learning to drive is important, and I am NOT having another child that refuses to drive in this family. Colleen is the 3rd child I've raised, and when she gets her license she will be the FIRST one to ever do so. April is 23 and still refuses to get hers.
The girls will also be starting Spanish as soon as the ACE Spanish set we bought arrives. This is something Colleen has been begging to get for over a year now, and I finally got around to choosing and ordering it.
So, as the girls finish their current 5th and 9th grade subjects, we're just kind of moving on into their 6th and 10th grade ones. We take each day as it comes, awaiting our new little family member anytime now, and also awaiting spring. It was a long, cold, snow-filled winter, which no one but me apparently enjoyed. I love winter, detest summer, so I happily stayed cozily inside doing school, reading several dozen books, and trying to rest when possible. The girls, and everyone else in the Midwest, are ready for warm weather.
Emily and I are taking a break from ACE English and ACE Word Building this week, due to the impending arrival of my second grandson. (My oldest daughter is 3.5 cm dilated, and his due date is today. We keep thinking, "this is it", and they keep sending her home till she has regular, strong contractions. ) While Emily and I take a break from the boring tedium of ACE....I'm not knocking it; it does a thorough job, but it's just so REPETITIVE day after day....we have begun Emma Serl's Intermediate Language Lessons. ILL is an entirely different approach...the Charlotte Mason approach in homeschool-speak, and it is a breath of fresh air for Emily and I. She so far SEEMS to be learning English much better this way, and every day is different, instead of just "underline, fill in the blank, circle the right answer". She is learning poetry, narration, picture study, logical thinking, creativity, and writing skills...none of which is in ACE English. (It is basically grammar only.) We may just extend out break, and keep on with ILL, occasionally doing the rest of her PACES till they are done. I'm not denying the importance of grammar, but there are so many other important aspects in English. Aspects that are much more interesting. :)
Colleen has finished ALL of her subjects other than PAC Integrated Physics and Chemistry. She still loves this, and due to our late start with her science this year when I was so sick last fall, she is only halfway through the course. We will probably work through the summer, since she wants to continue, although I plan to begin her Biology in August.
With only one "class" each day, Colleen has spare school time on her hands. She is 15,and in our state, this means she can take Driver's Ed. In our state, homeschoolers are not allowed to teach Driver's Ed. We have the option of 1.) taking the class for free through our local public school district, 2.) paying for a professional driving instructor, of which there are none in our town, or 3.) waiting for her to get her driver's license when she turns 18. We chose door #1...taking the class for free through our local school district. Beginning Monday, Colleen will be going daily to the local high school for one hour a day the next nine weeks for her driver's ed class. She will do the "Behind the Wheel" (actual driving) portion of the class over the summer, which fits in perfectly with out school schedule. I asked her if it felt weird to be going to school again, and she said, "Yeah." Our high school is HUGE, but when we registered for her class, they showed her around, and she even has a student ID card, as no one is allowed in the building without one. It will be a pain for me to have to drive her up there every day, come back an hour later to pick her up. I prefer scheduling all my errands once a week, and now I will have to go out 7 days a week, but I feel learning to drive is important, and I am NOT having another child that refuses to drive in this family. Colleen is the 3rd child I've raised, and when she gets her license she will be the FIRST one to ever do so. April is 23 and still refuses to get hers.
The girls will also be starting Spanish as soon as the ACE Spanish set we bought arrives. This is something Colleen has been begging to get for over a year now, and I finally got around to choosing and ordering it.
So, as the girls finish their current 5th and 9th grade subjects, we're just kind of moving on into their 6th and 10th grade ones. We take each day as it comes, awaiting our new little family member anytime now, and also awaiting spring. It was a long, cold, snow-filled winter, which no one but me apparently enjoyed. I love winter, detest summer, so I happily stayed cozily inside doing school, reading several dozen books, and trying to rest when possible. The girls, and everyone else in the Midwest, are ready for warm weather.
Friday, February 14, 2014
We are DONE with Algebra
I don't think my daughter has ever struggled so much with a subject in her life. Every day the last few months was tough to get through. There were times this fall I wasn't sure how or when we would EVER get done. I even debated switching to some other curriculum, and only held off because we were well over half-way done with the current book.
In November she seemed to hit a point where Algebra was easier for her for a few chapters, getting A's on three chapter tests in a row. This was enough for the end to be in sight. We took a break for 3 weeks over Christmas, came back and did one more chapter with another A, and then she hit a wall again. However, by the time we hit THIS wall, she only had 11 more lessons left in the entire book.
I looked at the hours she spent on Algebra 1.....over 290 hours, which is well over the requirements to earn a high school credit. (A credit is approximately 120 to 180 hours.) I looked at what she had left to complete in the book....which was 11 lessons, 9 days of review, and 3 tests, including her final exam. A friend pointed out to me that when in all MY years of schooling did I ever finish an entire book? (Good point!)
I decided only 2 of the remaining lessons were of utmost importance for her to complete. She did those both with no problem. We skipped ALL the review days, and I gave her the final exam. I told her I would adjust her grade, if need be, for the 9 lessons we ended up skipping. However, there was no need to adjust her final exam grade, as she got an 88% on it with no review, and not having finished every single lesson.
Colleen's final Algebra grades ended up as follows: Semester 1, 93% for the semester, and 88% for the midterm exam. Semester 2, 87% for the semester, and 88% on the final exam. I am VERY proud of her (and myself, lol) for sticking to it, and I am SO relieved to have this subject done and over with! She now will have an almost 6 month break before we begin Geometry. And WOW have our days been smoother with 2 less hours of school every day this week, and not having the stress of a very difficult, for her, subject. : )
In November she seemed to hit a point where Algebra was easier for her for a few chapters, getting A's on three chapter tests in a row. This was enough for the end to be in sight. We took a break for 3 weeks over Christmas, came back and did one more chapter with another A, and then she hit a wall again. However, by the time we hit THIS wall, she only had 11 more lessons left in the entire book.
I looked at the hours she spent on Algebra 1.....over 290 hours, which is well over the requirements to earn a high school credit. (A credit is approximately 120 to 180 hours.) I looked at what she had left to complete in the book....which was 11 lessons, 9 days of review, and 3 tests, including her final exam. A friend pointed out to me that when in all MY years of schooling did I ever finish an entire book? (Good point!)
I decided only 2 of the remaining lessons were of utmost importance for her to complete. She did those both with no problem. We skipped ALL the review days, and I gave her the final exam. I told her I would adjust her grade, if need be, for the 9 lessons we ended up skipping. However, there was no need to adjust her final exam grade, as she got an 88% on it with no review, and not having finished every single lesson.
Colleen's final Algebra grades ended up as follows: Semester 1, 93% for the semester, and 88% for the midterm exam. Semester 2, 87% for the semester, and 88% on the final exam. I am VERY proud of her (and myself, lol) for sticking to it, and I am SO relieved to have this subject done and over with! She now will have an almost 6 month break before we begin Geometry. And WOW have our days been smoother with 2 less hours of school every day this week, and not having the stress of a very difficult, for her, subject. : )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)