Getting Ready for HomeSchool

I feel a lot more prepared this year as I get curriculum ready for the upcoming homeschool year. Last year, I was terrified of curriculum. There were so many choices and everything was so different and so expensive. Having done this one year. I feel a lot more prepared and even excited as I begin to get things ready.

Here are the things that I found I was good at and the things that I found that I was bad at.

1. I am a good math teacher. Kate, Johnny, Adam, and Rachel have all excelled with their math this year. I especially loved teaching Algebra. 
2. I am good and consistent at teaching grammar, reading, and writing.
3. If I have a good book, I am both consistent with assigning history, talking about history, assigning fiction reading books in the given historical period, and writing and giving tests. Without a good book, we do no history.
4. I am terrible at teaching science and doing science experiments. We have done terribly with science this year. I think we have had a dabbling at best.
5. I am terrible with music lessons and practice. We haven't done any music for a while.
6. Once I got pregnant, physical activity all but ended until we got the trampoline.
7. I was bad at being consistent with teaching foreign languages.

So now I know what I need to fix. This is what we have planned.

Here is our chosen curriculum thus far:
Johnny

• Science: 8th grade BYU independent study funded through MyTech High
• History: Early US History up until World War I. He will use America the Last Best Hope: Vol I. I will give him a study sheet for each chapter. He will have chapter tests. He will also be required to write 2 history research papers, and read at least 4 fiction books based on this time in history. 
• Japanese: Rosetta Stone through MyTech High.
• Algebra1b through Geometry 1a. I will teach this. We have a great Algebra book and are looking for a great Geometry book. He will have daily homework assignments and chapter tests. He will also be required to take the state math exam.
• Johnny needs to work on his writing a lot, so I will give him a daily writing assignment with weekly vocab and spelling words.
• Flash game development: an  online course through MyTech High.
• I will sign Johnny up for 3 5K  races that he will be required to prepare for and run, plus he will  have soccer in the fall and again in the spring.

 Kate

• Science: BYU independent study biology. We will pay for both semester courses.
• History: Mid to Modern U.S. History using America the Last Best Hope vol 2 and 3. I will read those books this summer and write study sheets and tests for each chapter. This will be for Ruth and Kate. They will be required to  write a weekly article on a current event and 2 research papers, one for mid U.S. History, and one for modern. They will also be required to read 4 historical fiction novels that go with the time period they are reading.
• Geometry: Kate will do a full course of geometry and I will be her teacher. There will be daily homework assignments, chapter tests, a midterm and a final and she will be required to take the state math competition test.
• Japanese: We will purchase the first Japanese Rosetta stone course for Kate.
• English: I am planning to buy a grammar workbook at an 8th grade level. I have not gotten to that yet. I hope I can find a good book. Then I will have her read 5 classic novels and write a report of some sort for each. 
• Art: Kate will be required to do 4 finished works of art of her own choice on her own time.
• I will sign Kate up for 2 5K races and 1 10K. She will have to train for them.

Ruth

• Science: BYU independent study Biology funded through MyTech High.
• History: Mid to Modern U.S. History using America the Last Best Hope vol 2 and 3. I will read those books this summer and write study sheets and tests for each chapter. This will be for Ruth and Kate. They will be required to  write a weekly article on a current event and 2 research papers, one for mid U.S. History, and one for modern. They will also be required to read 4 historical fiction novels that go with the time period they are reading.
• Algebra 2 and Trigonometry: we've got a great aglebra 2 trig combo book with the teachers manual tests all included that we bought for $1.50 at a used book store. I will give her a daily math lesson and she will have daily math homework, chapter tests, a midterm, final and will be required to take the state math competition test.
•  Spanish: BYU independent study Spanish II  funded through MyTech High.
• English: For the fall she will do the nanowrimo competition where she will write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. In the winter she will do a  BYU Independent study creative writing course. I will purchase the same grammar workbook for Ruth as I am for Kate.
• Photo finishing tech course through MyTech High.
• Piano: BYU independent study course winter semester.
• I will sign Ruth up for the same races as Kate and hopefully me too.

Adam

• He will be going to second grade in the neighborhood school. I will have the afternoon available to help him with his reading and homework. 
• He will do fall and spring soccer.

Rachel

• She will go to the first grade in the neighborhood school. I will have the afternoon available to help her with his reading and homework.
• She will probably continue dance if we can afford it.

Anya and Joseph

• I am trying to arrange a 2 day a week pre-school where I will teach the alphabet, handwriting, numbers, and a few site words, nature, and feelings. 
• Anya will probably continue dance lessons too.