mid year change in curriculum.

So we started off with some curriculum we wanted to try.  But some of it wasn't working.

Science-  I started with Oak Meadow for science along with Heart of Dakota science.  Right after school started Samantha started taking a science class at a friends house and she enjoys it.  So I decided to just have her do the science in Five in a Row and read the science readings from HOD at home.  There was nothing wrong with Oak Meadows science.  But I didn't have the teachers guide for the extra information and a lot that was in there Samantha had already done before with FIAR and HOD.

Math- We started with Oak Meadow and it was going great until we hit the division part.  She has done division before but needs more practice on it. I like the approach that Oak Meadow but there isn't enough practice with it.  I needed something that would actually teach her more.  I tried online videos. Nope didn't help. So I searched out what I used long ago when teaching her addition.  Math Mammoth.  I went with their blue series.  It teaches by subject and not the spiral method.  Almost done with the division part and will move forward from there.  I feel like I finally found what works for Samantha.  The Blue Series doesn't use common core and I like that. I don't want to teach her common core unless I have to.  As of now I don't.

Spelling-  I wasn't sure what we were going to use.  Spelling is her weak subject.  We likes Spelling You See last year. So we decided to go with the same method using copy work to teach spelling.

I don't like jumping from curriculum to curriculum, but there are times you need to  switch things up.  To find what works.  

Surprise...

It always surprises me when I visit my own blog and see how long its been since I blogged.  :)  I love keeping the family updated on all we do. I love posting all our FIAR fun too.

This post is more of a catch up.  The end of our fourth grade year has happened.  She is officially a fifth grader now.  We still do stuff in the summer, just not as much.  I do have to confess the last 2 weeks we have done NO school.  We have been just having fun.  But that doesn't mean the learning has stopped.

Examples of learning just living our life....

• going to the beach- lesson in sea creatures and pulling out memories from our beach learning in the fall. building habitats at the beach for the creatures found.
• driving in the car she asks  "mom how do snakes poop"  Got to love google search ability on my phone.  (not that I ever cared to know how they poop)
• Mom lets do a science kit... we pulled out our recycle kit from Magic school bus
• going for nature walks brings all kinds of learning.  
• cooking- equals math, science and family fun.
• homeschool trip to a water park brings first aid learning (of course I fall into the mildest ride there the lazy river, ha ha ha)
• a trip to watch a seal be released back into the wild was so exciting and full of learning. 
• going to work with me teaches her how to get along with difficult people and hopefully compassion for people
• legos and board games- critical thinking.

This time of the year I evaluate how last year went and what I need to change up.  A lot will change and some things will stay the same.  I have looked at a curriculum called Oak Meadow for years now.  Something about it speaks to me. Maybe its their approach to learning. BUT like many options out there its very expensive.  I was able to find their math and science curriculum on homeschool classifieds very cheap.  We will see how it goes.  

I also realized that I seem to learn towards the Charlotte Mason approach,  that is why Heart of Dakota really calls to me also. I love love the living books we use for history and science.  I love the dictation for spelling and narration for reading.  I love how it includes nature walks.  Educating the whole child.

I decided part way through the year that math wasn't working for us.  We switched to an online program call gpa learn she really enjoyed this site and learned a lot.  She was able to work on many parts of math.  We only stopped because there was a monthly fee and school was about to come to an end for the year and we were moving onto something different.

We are sticking with Rod and Staff for Grammar. Their program is a good strong program.  She wants to be a writer one day so she needs a good program for this.  

I am also adding a math program for Simply Charlotte Mason  called Business Math.  Sam will have to plan out a Pet store and learn all the workings of one.  

I will be adding more posts in the coming week updating our FIAR rows and all we have been up too.