Next Year

    Yep, it's February. The curriculum sales are already trickling in, and it would be easy to overdo it or not think purchases through if you don't have a plan.  I've been reflecting about our curricula for awhile. What worked this year, what didn't, where we're coming from and where we're going. What are each child's needs, strengths, weaknesses, and strong interests. Is there a subject we need to put a stronger focus on? Is there one that should take a backseat? What should *I* be learning more about? Reading in preparation?

    I'll have two high schoolers next year. Eep! The little ones will be in 6th, 4th, 1st, and preschool. For the first time we will not have a wee babe and/or toddler bringing up the rear.

    Our family history cycle would put us in medieval. The high schoolers are the only ones sticking to it though. Honor will be getting a survey of sorts from the earliest ships to spacecraft, and the younger girls will have a geography year. I plan to toss enough medieval books into Honor and Grace's reading piles to call it covered for the year, and they can all begin around Leif Eriksson the following year.

    Science for the high schoolers is a fairly easy choice. They have to keep transcripts, and get through at least the big three (physics, chemistry, biology) to keep future doors open. Justice started with biology, and chemistry is the next likely choice. He is a humanities kid who doesn't plan on doing any more science than is necessary. Joy likes to keep a foot planted on the humanities and STEM side of the fence, and chose a stronger route. She'll start with physics, then chemistry (her math is there), and then a strong biology course. This route will let her get into the newer bio-chem side of biology.

    Honor's science will be oceans and ocean life while he learns about ships, weather while he learns about planes, and astronomy while he learns about spacecraft. He is thrilled. The younger girls will cover animals and plants from around the world, and some basic human body.

    Literature doesn't have as many solid plans yet. We're working on it. Justice wants a medieval Omnibus, Joy wants Lord of the Rings and more tied to history, Honor's will be from his history/science program and some classics I add in, Grace will have tales from around the world, and Faith will stick with Favorites from Veritas Press until she finishes the series.

     Math and the rest of language arts will mostly just move to the next level.

     If our sweet little preschooler actually shows interest in academics, his first math book is in the closet, along with two different phonics programs, and plenty of tablet paper. I expect him to be much too busy playing with trains and digging in the yard to be interested in sitting down. :)

    Booklists later.