Simplifying Homeschool - notebooks and crates

So earlier this year I came across this article on spiral notebooks to simplify your homeschool.  I thought it was brilliant.  I modified it a bit, and have been using them for three weeks in our school, and it works wonders, so I thought I'd share.

My independent workers, Savannah (6th) and Charlotte (4th) use one notebook for all of their written work.  At the beginning of the week I hand write each day's assignments onto the first page available.

Monday:
CLE- ch 4
CC-day 4
ELTL
FMoRome - ch. 7, written narration
xtramath
Latin lesson 2

Tuesday:
LoF ch. 8
R&S 7, odds only
Apologia, day 1
Read 30 min.


...and so on for that week.


The girls mark it off as they complete the list.  They put their written work on the following blank pages in the notebook. So for instance, Monday's CC work will be written on the page after the assignment paper, then ELTL written exercises next, then the written narration from FMoRome, and then Latin work on the following page.
When I meet with them one on one every morning, I look at their assignment list, check their work right there on the next few pages, and write in additional notes on the assignment page if they need to correct something.  When the written work is correct, I put a big happy face at the top of the page so I know it is checked.  Then the next week, the new assignments go on the next blank page in the notebook.  So by the end of the year I will have a few notebooks with all of their work in one place, separated by weeks.
I think after their current spiral notebooks are filled I will switch to composition books to see which the girls prefer to work with.

I used to use a spread sheet of their week's assignments that I would print out and put in the clear front of a binder. Each subject would have its own section in the binder on loose-leaf paper, but I much prefer the spiral bound sheets.  I still use the spreadsheet, but I hand-write it into their notebooks once a week. I do feel like I am more aware of how much work I am giving them and it's easier to keep track of where they are at with their work on the following pages instead of in separate subject sections.


Another way I have simplified homeschool is by using crates for their books.  We homeschool all over the house, so keeping their books all on one shelf just wasn't practical.  I bought the sterilite large file crates that are at Walmart right now.  I have a crate for my teacher books, one each for my two oldest kids, and one for my three youngest.  I put three cheap plastic magazine holders (not the one in the link, but a cheaper version from walmart) in each box to keep the books upright, as well as a zipped pencil case.  That way we're not constantly looking for books and notebooks and pencils every time it is school time, and we're not confined to one spot.  I teach one on one in my bedroom and teach in a group in the office.  My girls then take their crates to their bedroom and do their work on their beds.  It works for us!

Curriculum 2015/16

After tweaking a bit after three weeks of school, here's this year's curriculum plan:

Savannah, 6th grade

Christian Light Education Math 6 
Life of Fred, Fractions - Pre-algebra
English Lessons through Literature 4 
R&S English 5 (grammar lessons, odds)
Classical Composition- Fable & Narrative 
First Form Latin
Apologia's Zoology 3 w/ notebook journal
Tiner's History of Medicine, then Planet Earth, written  oral narration
Story of the 13 Colonies and the Great Republic w/ workbook
Famous Men of Greece, written narration
The Trojan War, oral narration
30 min. reading literature
Old Testament seminary student guide (old version)
Scripture mastery copywork
Gospel Principles
German


Charlotte, 4th grade:

Christian Light Education Math 4
Life of Fred, intermediate series
 English Lessons Through Literature 3
R&S English 4 (grammar lessons, odds)
Classical Composition - Fable
First Form Latin
Apologia Astronomy w/ notebook journal
Tiner's Planet Earth, then History of Medicine, oral narration

 Famous Men of Rome, then Famous Men of Middle Ages, written narration
The Iliad for Boys and Girls

30 min. reading literature
Gospel Principles

German 

Madelynn, 2nd grade:

Christian Light Education 2
Life of Fred, elementary series
English Lessons Through Literature 2
Reading Lessons Through Literature 1-3
Read aloud McGuffey Readers
Gospel Principles
maybe German

Zachary, Kindergarten / Caroline, Pre-school:

Phonogram Workbook (reading & handwriting)

Counting on the abacus
Mom read-alouds
AoF and Scripture Stories

As a family: Prayer, scriptures, song, memorize a scripture and poem, geography, composers

As a family: LDS Family School (history, geography, science, music, art)

History, Math, and Language Arts

HISTORY:

I'm changing my history sequence to include more of the Middle Ages and Reformation than what Memoria Press schedules, and I really like Dorothy Mills' history books a lot.  In some history books, especially modern ones, religion is glossed over to keep it politically correct.  In Mills' books, religion is not glossed over, but treats it as one of the most influential aspects of historical events, which I think it is.  Additionally, throughout her books she provides original sources, which really makes the text come alive and supports it.  They are recommended for 6th grade and up, but I'm going to use them starting in 5th grade because I think my kids can handle it.  And I don't think I'll have my kids do the workbooks from MP, but I will use the teachers manual to go over the comprehension questions, and maybe require a written summary of each chapter.

Tentatively:
3rd: Greek Myths
4th: Famous Men of Rome, Famous Men of Middle Ages
5th: Ancient World (Mills), Greeks (Mills), The Trojan War
6th: Romans (Mills), Middle Ages (Mills), Iliad/Odyssey
7th: Reformation (Mills), 13 Colonies/Great Republic (Guerber)
8th: Aeneid, SOTW 4?, Horatius, maybe economics/government course



For Savannah, since she missed 5th grade and only did FMoR in 4th, she'll have a slightly modified schedule.


MATH:

I switched from MM to CLE in 4th-7th grade.  I've read reviews that the geometry instruction is confusing in MM and it seems to get to be too much around 4th grade and the learning is often lost in a mastery  program, which is why I switched.  CLE is traditional math and spiral review, which is opposite of MM which is cognitive math and mastery.  However, I needed something to supplement CLE math because it does lack the "why" and the deeper thinking skills that is in MM.  So I decided to use both CLE and MM, but not the full programs of either.

In CLE math we will skip the first LU and all of the quizzes and tests, doing one lesson a day for three days a week.

In MM we're skipping all of the built-in reviews at the end of each chapter and will not be doing the cumulative reviews or the chapter tests.  One lesson will be two pages, front and back, only half the problems, two days a week.

From 4th-7th grade they will work through CLE 4-7 and MM 4-6a, maybe 6b.  That should cover pre-Algebra very thoroughly and they should be ready for Algebra I by 8th grade.  We'll see how this year goes.  I think the variety will be nice.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

Some experts say doing both English grammar and Latin are redundant.  Latin does teach grammar, but it doesn't teach usage and punctuation.  I've learned that I can teach usage through editing my kids' work.  Which means I need to know it.  So back to my original plan of going through R&S English myself so my kids don't have to.

I still love English Lessons through Literature for grammar because it uses real sentences, labeling the parts of speech, and diagramming.  I think that is valuable.

Now for composition.  I re-read Brave Writer, my writing text, and I need the copy-work and dictation found in ELTL and the outlining, copia, amplifying, and rewriting found in Classical Composition.  I think I will drop the composition lessons in ELTL, which were small anyway.  So I think the two complement each other nicely.  Essays and formal papers will wait until high school.

So it will be: Latin, ELTL, and CC

Things to remember:

1. Read aloud more to your kids
2. Choose more classic books
3. Memorize poetry
4. Do fewer subjects
5. Plan a field trip
6. Be a life-long learner
7. Poetry tea-time
8. Be consistent
9. Plan a morning time
10. Replace a text book with a living book

Math & Science scope and sequence

Math Mammoth 1-3...........................................................Nature study
CLE math 4-5 ....................................................................Tiner Science/Apologia

6- CLE math 6 .................................................................. BJU Life Science online
7- Saxon 8/7 w/ Art Reed DVDs........................................BJU Earth & Space online
8- Saxon Algebra I w/ Art Reed DVDs............................. BJU Physical Science online

9- Saxon Algebra II w/ Art Reed DVDs............................ BJU Biology online
10- Saxon Advanced Math w/ Art Reed DVDs................. BJU Chemistry online
11- Saxon Advanced Math/Calculus w/ Art Reed DVDs.. BJU Physics online
12- Saxon Calculus w/ Art Reed DVDs

School year update

Well we completed 6 weeks of the school year 2014/15 and then I decided to put the three Bigs in German public school.  What a great time they've had!  They're not learning much of anything but German and getting a fun cultural experience, but it is so worth it.  Savannah and Charlotte are reviewing the math they did the previous year, Charlotte 3rd and Savannah 4th.  I'm supplementing Savannah's math so she can keep up with her true grade level of 5th grade.  I switched her from Math Mammoth to CLE 5 (Christian Light Education).  It is traditional, spiral math and it is great.  Charlotte was ahead in math, so she will now be in her age-grade of 3rd grade, and I don't supplement her learning.  Madelynn is probably getting the most out of the experience.  She brings home reading and writing homework every day.  They love art, sport, music, and religion class (Catholicism), the field trips, walks, and performances.

Now that Zach is about to be 5 years old, I am beginning school with him.  I'm using the Kumon books: numbers, handwriting capital letters, and mazes, and then we'll move on to HWT print series K-2.  He does not enjoy writing and coloring like his sisters so I think I will just teach him how to print instead of doing cursive.  He is learning to sound out three-letter words on the white board with the AAS letter tiles, and soon he will begin reading Bob Books.