08.29.07

First day of school, well sort of…..

Posted in The nuts and bolts of it at 1:30 pm by Meg

We are finally getting started on doing seat work today. And since I haven’t done the ‘this is what we are doing this year,’ yet, I thought I’d do it today as we get started.

Girl - She’s in 8th grade this year, the last year of middle-school. Her and Hubby are still leaning toward the option of her going to public school for high school and so her work was chosen with that in mind.

• English - pretty much the same as last year. She’ll finish the series of spelling books she’s been working in - Everyday Spelling - and do the next grammar book - World of Language - and literature anthology - Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. She’ll also continue reading books off recommended reading lists for middle school students (though anything off the high school list is also fair game.) Like last year, we ask that she reads something from each genre, but she can choose what she wants to read.
• History - With thoughts of the local high school, she’s doing an upper level US History book - American Nation through 1877 - I’ll also find some outside readings to make it more interesting.
• Science - We’re finishing the middle school science books that we’ve been working for the last 2 years. I think this year is mostly earth science oriented with force and motion and then ecology thrown in at the end.
• Math - She is ahead in what the accelerated kids at the public school are doing, so rather than having her put in with much older kids, we are letting her have a ‘fun’ year. She’s reviewing Algebra 1 using a review book that came with her text from last year. It’s light, but will keep her doing something. And then Hubby is teaching her C++. She loves to use html codes to set up web pages and so this will give her some real programming knowledge. They had her first ’session’ today, and she thinks that this is great.
• Art - She’ll be finishing the art history book we started last year.
• Languages - Russian is dead and gone. I think we are both happy to see it done. OTH, we’ll be finishing both last year’s French book and Japanese book.
• Extras - She’s continuing with her music lessons on the flute and piano and she’ll do co-op again this year. This year’s classes are Renaissance Thinkers, Renaissance arts and crafts, and I’m teaching a combined math and science club. The kids also want to stage another play, but we won’t think about that until November (when hopefully Boy will be past whatever is coming)

And Boy - who’s a senior this year! He’ is pretty much done, so he’s getting a lot of control over what he does and how he does it. After Hubby, he and I sitting down a few times to discuss ideas, he has a general outline for the year. Most of his year is free reading along certain themes.

• Somehow he has ‘missed’ World History. So for this year, he’s covering it. He’s got the text that I picked up used a couple of years ago to use as a spine. But the focus of the year will be reading books on any time period/person that catches his attention.
• Philosophy - he has a lot of interest in different philosophers. So we picked up some over view books and he’s starting with them and then reading books about the particular ones that interest him.
• Economics - To continue with his interest and possible future major, he reading books about some of the big economic theories and some by economists. He has both micro and macro college level texts if he decides to read them as well, or consider the AP tests in the spring.
• Literature - Nothing formal. He’ll just continue to read works that interest him.
• Math - though we haven’t started it yet, he will be doing calculus with Hubby this year.
• Art and French - that he’ll do with his sister and I.
• He’s also taking Drivers’ Ed with the local state college. The class started on Aug. 12 and so far, he’s been able to work class and driving times around dealing with doctors.

And I think that’s it.

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