Finishing up!

Since we school year-round, we don't really go from one grade to another all at once. So that means, we can be working on at least 2 grade levels in different subjects at some point during the year. We finish levels to go to the next level. This year we have really plowed ahead and are finishing up levels a little early, which is fabulous!!!!

My oldest finished 8th grade last week and now is officially working on 9th grade in all her subjects. We need to finish up Biology and then we can officially move on to all our next levels with all 3 dc. This year, I did something I've never done before and I started all 3 kids in different periods of history and science. I will probably never do that again! It was so much to plan and teach that it's really too much work. I'm more about teaching one lesson in each subject to all 3, and then assigning different levels of projects to be done within that subject. That's what works well for me, I'm too spread out and stressed any other way!

My other 2 have officially finished the main bulk of their work in their levels and are currently working on art appreciation, composer studies, reading, math, and various science topics including nature study/journaling. We are waiting for the oldest to finish up Biology in order to move on together into the new areas of study.

Here's some new things we will be adding and I've planned out:

1. Geography using the Holling books. We are using this at my kids' request. They loved it when we used it years ago and wanted to use it again. This will be a nice change from Trail Guides.

2. Beautiful Feet Jr. High American History. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Truthquest user, so this has been a change I haven't embraced too freely! But, when we were home for a visit in February, someone gave me this guide with a lot of the books I need for it. I've looked through it, and I've decided to use it because it really is good, and the best part, it's free!

3. Christian Kids Explore Chemistry. I picked this up for my younger 2 because I wanted to do Chemistry because my oldest was going to be doing Chemistry too. After looking at it and talking with my oldest dd, I realized that we are all going to use this together this year. She was going to do Apologia Chemistry, but, I feel like she will benefit from this as an Intro. to Chemistry class. Next year she will do Apologia. She needs a little break from higher level science.

4. Artist and composer study from Ambleside Online. I will be using the AO guide to these along with the prints in the Yahoo group and the selections of classical music I can find online.

5. More intense Nature study. Maybe intense is the wrong word! What I mean is, more in depth. They are at the age now where I will be requiring more from their journals in way of writing. There will be a little research required as well.

That's about it. I still can't figure out how to post charts and visuals like that. So I guess I won't be able to share menus, lesson plans, or other things for a while yet! Bummer, that I'm so illiterate in the computer. But, I'm learning!