The Finish Line

The end is in sight.  We are almost done with 6th grade.  I am trying to resist the urge to cram in a bunch of material that I feel like we "should" cover.  I keep reminding myself that we have managed to fit almost an entire school year's worth of material in since November 1. 

Fionn has done an entire year's worth of math since Nov. 1, a year's worth of Wordly Wise (spelling and vocab), plus worked through Time4Learning.com's Greek and Latin roots for 5th, 6th, and 7th grade. 

She has studied Plate Tectonics, Oceans and Gravity in science (as well as some science biographies).  She had already studied other topics in the two months at St. Thomas More in the fall. 

She has done 30 minutes of Rosetta Stone Spanish almost every day.  She said she wouldn't mind continuing this through the summer.

She has studied poetry (has studied 14 different poems in depth and analyzed their structures, rhyme scheme, and meter.  She has studied grammar, learned 42 different "phrases and sayings" that you hear in speech or read in literature, what they mean and how they originated. 

She has studied Ancient civilizations (Egypt, China, India, Greece, Rome), Judaism and Christianity, the Renaissance (and written a paper on da Vinci -- How does da Vinci personify the idea of a "Renaissance Man"?), the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, romanticism, Industrialism, Capitalism and Socialism.

We have casually looked at (in contrast to an in depth study) of art that corresponds to the part of history we have studied.  Core Knowledge also works in music of the time but I haven't worked it into our schedule this year.

She has studied Julius Caesar, The Iliad and the Odyssey (not full versions of these -- some audio versions and some abridged versions) and a little Greek mythology.  She is reading a complete version of The Prince and the Pauper, learning vocabulary from that book and answering questions.

She has had much more time to work on soccer.  She has team practice 3 times each week, works with a trainer one-on-one 2 times a week, has 1-2 games per week and also does work on her own on days she doesn't have team practice, trainer, or game.  Since we have been homeschooling and she has had more time to work on soccer, her skills have definitely improved.  And with less stress from school, in addition to more time to practice, her attitude has improved -- she is really enjoying soccer again.

Last, she has had time to read a huge stack of books for pleasure (She is on her 24th book in 7 months, not including books she has read for school).

Seeing it all written down like this makes me feel a little better, but I have to admit that my mind is spinning already, trying to figure out when I can fit in the units we may not get to.  I want her to have a real summer, and I'd like a more relaxed pace next year.  I found a book that Core Knowledge used to publish that lays the topics out by month.  You cover all the topics at a pace that allows you to finish during the school year and space them out nicely.  It would be a nice pace for us next year. I think I can probably make myself feel better by allowing her to cover the topics we are "missing" by just letting her do the reading, but not doing review questions or tests.  Just a quick discussion to make sure she gets it, and move on.  A quick way to catch up without using the summer or messing with our pace next year in 7th grade.

Homeschool access to public school resources

When you jump into homeschooling, it doesn't take long to figure out that resources are priced for schools, not individual homes.  Schools purchase licenses to all kinds of online resources, for example.  Discovery Education, Discovery Science, BrainPop, NovaNet, Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trips (EFTs) and probably quite a few more that I don't know about.  These licenses cost thousands of dollars per year for a school/district to subscribe to.  Now, some of them are made accessible to homeschoolers through a Homeschool Buyers Co-op (a wonderful resource for textbooks, subscriptions, software, field trip info, etc.).  For example, I was able to buy a yearlong subscription to Discovery Education for about $200.  On the other hand, I pay taxes that support our public schools, but use far fewer of those dollars than a family that actually attends public school.  I don't require their textbooks, their services (in terms of teachers, libraries, therapy, tutors, etc.).  It doesn't seem like a lot to ask for logins for their online subscriptions.  When I contact our school district, I'm told it can't happen.  That their licenses are "site licenses" and the use of the services are restricted to the particular building for which they were purchased.  When I questioned a little further, though, teachers are allowed to login through their laptops from their homes.  If the teachers can, why can't I?

Science

As I mentioned before, Science has been hard for me to figure out.  I have been nervous about whether or not I could cover it adequately at home.  After all, I don't have a lab, I am not a science teacher, and there doesn't seem to be a text book that covers science how I want to cover it.  Core Knowledge doesn't have ONLY Earth Science one year, ONLY Physical Science the next, ONLY Biology in one year, etc.  It mixes it up.  I like this approach because you build a little onto each type of science each year, instead of last year's science being a distant memory by the end of next year.  Because of the difficulty I have had finding materials, I have considered just scrapping the way Core Knowledge does it and covering science in a more traditional manner.

However, I finally discovered a little link on the CK website which connected me to Mackin.  Mackin offers many books (an overwhelming selection, actually) that cover pretty much all of the CK curriculum items.  These titles were recommended to me by a CK staffer as being superior to those offered by another company.  It was a relief to discover these books and I have been able to order material that enables me to cover the assigned topics.

Another helpful resource is one that I discovered this past weekend at the conference organized by the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers.  One of the sessions that I attended was entitled "Homeschooling the Hard Stuff" and the speaker gave a list of many resources.  One of those is a website that sells affordable science equipment and even dissection supplies such as frogs, cow eyeballs, fetal pigs, snakes, etc. along with all the materials you need to dissect said dead animals (trays, blades, diagrams, etc.).  Yum!  Also, high-quality microscopes, pre-made slides, materials to make your own slides, etc.  This put my mind at ease, because I was convinced that there would be no way for me to recreate a lab experience at home.

So, one problem that has worked itself out.  I stressed about it, spent hours online looking for answers, and eventually the answers came when I wasn't really looking for them.  Some day I'll learn.

What am I frustrated about?

I have definitely encountered some challenges that I hadn't anticipated.  I am working my way through them but, boy, is it time-consuming!

My first big frustration was science!  When researching homeschool science curricula, it seemed like they were all religion-based science books.  I ran into another homeschooling mom at the bookstore one day and asked her about it. She said it is a common problem for people who are not homeschooling for religious reasons (aka "secular homeschoolers" -- a term that I think has some drawbacks).  I will have a separate post to discuss my struggle with the whole science issue.  Here is a link to an article on that topic. I don't agree with everything in the article, and I think some of their numbers are suspect, but the point is valid -- it is hard to find science texts, appropriate for homeschooling.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100306/ap_on_re/us_rel_home_school_evolution


In general, finding materials is a frustration.  The Core Knowledge curriculum (especially at the middle school level) gives me a list of topics to cover, but doesn't lay out which materials to use.  As mentioned before, that has its pros and cons.  I have finally found a list that was created for Core Knowledge, but it's still isn't easy.  For example, on the 6th grade science list there are about 20 different books to choose from.  They are all single-subject books, so you have to order many books, rather than one text.  This is mostly the fault of Core Knowledge.  They don't do only physical science in one year, only biology the next, etc.  It mixes it up in each year, which I like.

Another frustration has been a surprise.  In general, Fionn is very self-motivated and focused.  We've had quite a run of setbacks lately, though.  First, the snow (and a sick sister) kept the entire family home for almost 2 weeks.  It is hard to accomplish a day of school when the whole family is home making noise, and there is a snow fort to build! ;-)  Then she had a week-long visit to Oregon to ski (could we call this PE?).  I knew she wasn't going to accomplish a lot on the trip, but coming on the heels of the snow "vacation" at home, we were starting out behind.  THEN, when she got home, we jumped right into two weeks of everyone being sick.  Through it all, Fionn has been fighting me quite a bit more than normal on school.  She isn't motivated to work hard on things, wants to get by with as little work as possible, doesn't seem interested in what we need to work on.  We had one long talk about it (really not fun) and I thought maybe things were improving, but today I got quite a bit of attitude from her again.  Some of this may be just normal adolescent push-back, and since school is a major part of our day, it's where the push-back occurs.  It is hard to figure out whether to just chalk it up to normal stuff, or whether to be concerned that something isn't working.  I have to say, though, that I'm getting nervous.  Without her usual quick pace through a lot of material, I feel like we are stalled.  I am hoping we can actually finish the 6th grade curriculum by mid-June instead of having to work into the summer.

I am sure I will encounter many more frustrations along the way.  And they are probably not new frustrations.  Luckily there is a strong network of homeschoolers I can turn to through listservs for help.

How does NOT homeschooling other kids affect HOW I homeschool Fionn

I have to say that I toy with the idea of homeschooling Nora, because I see the flexibility homeschooling all the kids gives to the whole family.  In some ways, Fionn and I are fairly limited because of Nora being in school.  We are limited by the hours she is in school ("let's hurry and finish because Nora's almost done at school and then I'll need to focus on her homework, etc.").  But we are also limited by the days she is in school.  It is hard to take trips (supposedly one of the benefits of homeschooling -- traveling off season) that don't interfere with Nora's school schedule.  It even makes local field trips (opportunities for which are plentiful in this area) difficult because we are always up against that 2:30 deadline.  We have to be back to get Nora at school. Sometimes it is tempting.

That said, it is nice to focus on one kid at a time.  I keep telling myself that Nora can have her turn in middle school when Fionn is in highschool and college.

The other consideration is Nicholas and preschool.  He NEEDS to be in preschool.  Besides the fact that he begs to go to school, I have found it impossible to effectively homeschool Fionn AND keep Nicholas engaged.  I know plenty of homeschool parents do it.  For some reason, I just can't split my attention that way.

So...yet another schedule hemming us in.

How does it affect the rest of the family?

I have been thinking a lot about how homeschooling Fionn affects the rest of the family, and how NOT homeschooling the rest of the family affects how I homeschool Fionn.

The biggest way it has affected us is that Nicholas and Fionn have a lot of time together.  Fionn is nine years older than Nicholas, and I have always been concerned about how close they will be, relationally, given that age difference.  To put it in perspective, Nicholas will be a 4th grader when Fionn leaves for college.  He will be 9.  I think it is so nice for them to have this daily relationship that most siblings with their gap don't have.  It establishes such a nice foundation for their future relationship.

Nora says wants to be homeschooled too. Mostly, I think she just craves the "mommy time" she would have if she were homeschooled.  Privately, I just don't know if I could homeschool Nora. Probably could, but would be much different from homeschooling Fionn. She is not as focused. However, she does crave "mommy time" and this would certainly be a way to do it. Maybe someday. We talk about the friendship issue when she brings it up.  We point to all the friendships Fionn would not have if she hadn't gone to school for elementary school.  This seems to make sense to her.


An unexpected bonus: a babysitter! She is available at home to watch Nicholas if I have appointments.  She can adjust the timing of her school work and it works out great.  I like a little more freedom, she likes the money, still has plenty of school time and leisure time. Everyone wins.

One thing that has become glaringly clear since starting to homeschool Fionn is that Nicholas needs to be in preschool so Fionn and I have more focused time.  He really just needs to be in preschool for himself.  He has been begging to go to school since September.  I ended up finding him a spot at a nearby preschool for two mornings a week.  He starts next week.  I think this will help him a lot, and it will give Fionn and I time to focus on material that requires me to sit down and work through with her.  There isn't too much of that at the 6th grade level, but I feel like there could be a lot more than I currently do, if we didn't have the constant interruptions of a three-year-old. 

I will use another post to explore how NOT homeschooling the rest of the family affects how I homeschool Fionn.

How do I know what to teach?

I have always loved the Core Knowledge Foundation (www.coreknowledge.org).  I think they are most known for their series of books "What Your _th Grader Needs to Know."  The idea (and I apologize if I am oversimplifying) is that there is a "core" of knowledge that is necessary in order for us to function as educated members of society.  We will understand allusions, put historical references in context and understand their importance, have a base of knowledge on which to rely in evaluating information we run into throughout our lives.

So, there was never any question in my mind about what to teach.  The big question is how to teach it.  The Core Knowledge Foundation prints a sequence -- a list of topics to teach.  But it doesn't specify what material to use.  The foundations does offer some materials, but mostly in the elementary grades.  The teacher handbooks and "starter kits" only go through 5th grade.  I have to admit to some frustration about that.  Especially starting mid-year, it would have been nice to have the option to use an "out-of-the-box" curriculum.  I do realize that one of the benefits of the Core Knowledge Sequence is that it gives teachers/homeschoolers the choice of what sources to use in teaching the concepts.  But a "kit" would have been great for me this year.  I feel like I have spent a lot of time searching for appropriate sources and had some false starts.  It is a small foundation with limited resources.

One of the big time-savers for me is that the Sequence includes marginal notes about how to link subjects.  When you study Ancient Rome, for example, you can read Julius Caesar, look at Roman art and architecture, etc.  It's fun to tie several subjects together through one topic.  There are also free lesson plans available.  They are mostly geared toward teaching a topic over several weeks to a class that you see for 45 minutes a day, so they don't always translate smoothly into homeschooling.  But they often include worksheets and other materials (including lists of sources) that are helpful.

Another helpful aspect of the Sequence is that it is designed to be about 60% of a school's curriculum.  This is great for me because it gives me time to go back and fill in blanks when I need to, or add units that seem to make sense for one reason or another.  For example, Fionn's doctor told her that she needs more calcium, so I threw in a unit on calcium.  She will learn about why her body needs calcium, she will keep track of what she eats and how much calcium those foods contain, track it in a spreadsheet (computer skills), make a list of the foods she eats in order of calcium content.

Some subjects are easier than others.  Math is easy.  Fionn uses the Saxon Homeschool math books.  There is a CD that she watches on her laptop that teachers her each new topic.  It is a great program.  Not exciting at all, but very good.  Instead of teaching a topic (dividing decimals, for example) and then moving on to a new topic, they practice many topics every day in the "mixed practice" portion of the lesson.  Because you revisit topics so often, they are always fresh in your mind.  Fionn doesn't like it very much, but I think it is giving her a very solid base in math.  Quite a lot of it has been review for her so far (she is almost half way through the book) but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

Vocabulary was another easy one for me.  I have always loved Wordly Wise.  They explore the meaning of words through the use of synonyms and antonyms, context, analogies, and comprehension pieces.  We will work through the 6th grade book (20 weeks) and then finish out the year focusing on Latin and Greek roots as outlined by the Core Knowledge Sequence.

I will write more another time about the topics we have covered in Social Studies, Science, Language Arts and what materials/resources I have found.  These subjects are still works in progress.  I am hoping 7th grade will be a little easier as I will have the summer to review materials and figure out what will work (and have a little experience under my belt while doing so).