2012-2013 School Year Planning

It's a little early for this, isn't it?  Sure does feel like it to me, but guess what I'll be doing during my usual yearly planning time.......taking care of a NEWBORN. :)  So I guess it isn't early, it's just in time.

After reading and rereading parts of The Well Trained Mind, I've decided that is THE route we need to take for much of our curriculum.  I fell in love with the WTM years ago, and the book is one of my favorites.  BUT I've never really implemented much. I've always found things I thought I'd like better (some that I actually do like better but it isn't getting done) but I've always gone back to that book when I realized something isn't working.  I feel that the WTM way for most of our curriculum is exactly what we need to make more AND better qualitly progress. 

The focus of our 2012-2012 school year is books, books and more books. We haven't read near as many books this year I had planned.  It wasn't necessarily a bad year but not one of the good ones either. Although our spring semester is going much better than the fall, I'm looking forward to starting fresh with a brand new school year and a different plan in place.

Here is what we'll be using:

Nathan 9th grade (HIGH SCHOOL!!!)

• Saxon Algebra and Life of Fred
• R&S English
• Elements of Style (LA)
• Either Wordly Wise OR Megawords OR Vocabulary From the Classical Roots series
• Great Books for lit and history
• History spine is undecided at this point
• Apologia Physical Science
• Spanish (haven't settled on a curriculum yet but Rosetta Stone is the front-runner)
• Computer Science (the name of the program escapes me but he is super excited about it....he wants to be just like his oldest (adult) brother who graduated from college this past December!)

Kaleb 3rd grade

• Spelling Workuot
• Continuing cursive with A Reason for Handwriting
• R&S English
• WTM writing suggestion
• Math Mammoth with CSPM supplements
• Story of the World & WTM reading list
• WTM science suggestion
• Spanish (pretty light...mostly using Usborne materials)

Gabriel 1st grade

• OPGTR
• WTM writing suggestion
• Spelling Workout A
• First Language Lessons
• A Reason for Handwriting
• Math Mammoth with CSPM supplements
• WTM science suggestion (with Kaleb)
• Story of the World & WTM reading list (with Kaleb)
• Spanish (with Kaleb)

Drake preschool

• Letter of the Week
• WTM Reading, Writing, & Math suggestions
• history, Spanish, & science with K and G as interested
• LeapFrog videos

Together-Not including our bible study, Nathan's level of participation will not be to the same extent as the littles.  He needs a little geography, but he probably won't participate in the activities. I have a few other materials for him to use in Art/Music Appreciation. He won't be asked to join in morning calendar time or arts and crafts which I'm sure he will appreciate. :)

• Apologia What We Believe series as well as individual bible time.
• Art Appreciation (probably also from Confessions of a Homeschooler)
• Music Appreciation (from Confessions of a Homeschooler)
• Galloping the Globe (we've pretty much abandoned this but Kaleb REALLY wants to do it so I just need to make it happen. Ha!)
• State Study (again from Confessions of a Homeschooler)
• Morning calendar time
• Seasonal/holiday/history/literature/science arts and crafts
• Many, many hours per week spent with our noses in BOOKS!  Nathan and Kaleb will have plenty of history and lit books to keep them occupied (mostly I'll read the lit books to Kaleb and Gabriel).  Everyone will have plenty of *fun* books to read every week, and I will be reading many history, science etc books to whomever will listen, mostly the three littles (well I guess by then it will be the FOUR littles!!!), throughout the day.

I still have a few more decisions to make as far as logic and a couple other smaller issues, and I feel like I'm forgetting something.  However for the most part, this is what our new school year will look like!

I am MOST excited about the WTM history and science. I think this is the PERFECT fit for our family.  I do hate to give up on Apologia's elementary science series but to be honest, we just don't get it done.  I think the little boys will enjoy all of the books and experiements that will come from the WTM suggestions.

Now comes the part I LOVE about planning........the purchasing, printing and organizing!  The GOAL is to have it all done before the baby arrives so we can just kick back, and enjoy him and the summer before starting back in August.  I'm in the process of getting my plan written out so I don't forget anything.  Eeeek! I'm excited!!!

Tell me what you think about our plan.  If you see any holes, let me know.  I still have the feeling I'm forgetting something..... :)