Since last I wrote, I turned my attention to completing two novels, which took up any blog-writing time, have been working on the preaching team at our church, (more writing!) and moving along with my work as a vocal coach and musical theater/opera conductor.
However, homeschooling has continued to be a passion and something my family is dedicated to.
Today my son (now 13 years old and in 8th grade) and I had a conversation that began as a "why can't we all get along" and evolved into a treatise on religious tolerance while maintaining a deep faith that made my jaw drop. My children are not quite ready to emerge into a world filled with challenges I could not have conceived of at 10, 13, or 16 -- but they are getting close, and I believe that education with that goal in mind has helped and will continue to help them on their journey.
Cameron presenting his research on the evolution of photosynthesis at the Evolution Institute at the American Museum of Natural History this past summer in NYC.
20 kids were accepted into the program and only a handful were from America... We actually had no idea quite how amazing the program was or how exclusive when he applied -- we were looking for something for him to do while his sister did a musical theater intensive! It was an amazing experience which included extracting DNA from plants, using the museum's lab equipment and meeting and working with some of the world's top research scientists.
With one of his instructors, a leading Irish botanist!
Megan, now 16, and Cameron were about to start rehearsals for Phantom of the Opera as Carlotta and Piangi in the county office of education youth theater when we returned home, so a little intensive study was in order... We met Norm Lewis after seeing him as the Phantom in the Broadway production.
A friend we met when Erin, now 10, played Little Cosette in Fresno Grand Opera's production of Les Miserables, brought her onto the stage of Matilda after the performance. She is determined to spend time on Broadway stages with an audience out there as soon as possible!
At the American Museum of Natural History this summer.
As a homeschool, ours is a culture of curiosity and stretching into new experiences, not only tangible ones but academic experiences as well.
So what are we doing this year?
Let's start with this week and move on from there!
The fifth grader...
Math: Erin is using LifePac math for fifth grade as well as Singapore and Miquon to supplement and learn different ways of thinking about math. iPad games for multiplication and division facts are still a good practical thing as well.
History: The History of Us is a great series. She is reading it out loud in case of unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts. She'll finish book one this week. We are also using some LifePac American History to reinforce and write about it.
Reading: "Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims" and "Anne of Green Gables," which she is listening to on Audible. More about Audible when we talk about the High Schooler! I love this resource!
Language Arts: Journaling pages and writing prompts, LifePac Language Arts. Every week there is a larger writing assignment that relates to another subject. This week she will be writing plot summaries of "Kiss Me, Kate" and "The Taming of the Shrew."
Science: She will do a packet of experiments on Forces and Motion with her older sister leading her through it on Friday when Megan doesn't have any community college classes.
Erin is extremely serious about dance and takes ballet, tap, and jazz at a local school. Plenty of PE there but we also try to do strength training and swimming at a gym a few times a week.
The eighth grader...
Math: the Key to Algebra series. He is on the third book and factoring polynomials. Thank God for answer keys and YouTube help! Next year I send him to college classes! He is also doing "Classical Logic" from the Classical Trivium Core Series. I cannot say enough good things about this curriculum. More in another post about this and their Latina Christiana!
Science: He is reading "Exploring the History of Medicine" by John Hudson Tiner. This is firing up his imagination and fueling his already considerable love of science. He lost a friend to a rare bone marrow disease in the early fall and has been thinking seriously of medicine as a career ever since. Meeting the research scientists in New York last summer has opened his eyes to possibilities I think.
Reading: Cameron's first history unit was on the history of Japan and the novel Shogun is taking more tine than the history unit! A chapter a day for this literary project!
Language Arts: He has the 8th grade language arts LifePacs for grammar... Honestly not impressed for him but will keep using it for the moment. They are good for Erin. He and my oldest are using a 12th grade public school writing book as well. That works well, though obviously the 16 year old is writing at a somewhat higher level.
History: Cameron will finish reading "Abraham, a Journey Into the Heart of Three Faiths" this week as a first step into a unit looking at the history of the Middle East and how we got where we are today.
He is also doing a couple of selected LifePacs in the 9th grade series that focus on American Government and its structure.
The 11th grader...
Well I have started to give up on her...
Just kidding.
She is taking Algebra 2, Abnormal Psychology, and Ballet at community college. This is her second year as a "concurrent" high school student. The goal is for her to have an associate's degree and a state transfer certificate one year after high school. Looking good!
History: The Great Courses are on Audible!!!! They are phenomenal. Megan is working through a lecture series on Great Philosophers at the moment.
Reading: She began the novel "Obasan" by Joy Kogawa this week. A beautiful novel set in the Canadian Japanese internment camps.
Writing: the public school 12th grade course discussed above. Combo are and Contrast essay this week.
Foreign Language: Rosetta Stone Japanese.
She had a private dance class today with a young woman who is trading for vocal coaching.
Music:
We are all working through Tony Award winning musicals. This week is Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate." We watched the PBS telecast of the revival this morning on YouTube and tomorrow we will watch "The Taming of the Shrew" on which the musical is based. We are listening to the cast album during chore times and in the car. My oldest and I also watched "Evita" while I was writing tonight and she was doing homework.
Megan and Cameron are in rehearsals for Phantom of the Opera and Megan is in the Fresno Grand Opera Chorus. Erin is in the FGO Children's Chorus.
All three kids spend time practicing piano daily and I fit in music theory and sight singing when I can. Thank goodness they are all good at it... Being my own profession they can get short shrift in music when I am tired of it!
There! I have started! Looking forward to sharing more of our journey!
Location:Visalia, CA
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