[TestifyToLove]

Sorry, didn't mean to post and run.

I'm down to just two homeschoolers at this point. So, I have a 4th grader with ESL issues (and ftr, Quiteria has been a LONG-TERM educational consult for my ESL and LD children for anyone who needs a consult to help formulate curriculum to work with special needs). I have a 6th grader with severe Dyslexia and extremely high IQ.

So, for the 4th grader, we have to accomodate for reading struggles, especially in comprehesion in an academic setting, and grammar and spelling that sends him into near panic attacks, even if he *knows* what he's doing. Otherwise, he's quite bright, quite distractable and has low self esteem, so his schooling HAS to reinforce his self esteem and confidence or he'll shut down.

For Ch, I'm going with the following:

~Sequential Spelling level 1 (he truly needs to start small and build without stress involved)
~Exercises in English workbook C (we'll go through D and E as he can progress but I'm just ticked he is FINALLY able to work in a formal grammar program without panicking, we used Madlibs for YEARS to help him see grammar and not pressure).
~Daily Writing Traits (cannot say enough good things about this program for building writing skills in elementary kiddos)
~K12's 4th grade Literature program (he's not found but it gives some formal stuff I feel he needs, especially reading and re-reading passages for comprehension skills).
~Phonics of Art (CD program for formal art classes, required by our current state)
~Composers for Kids (free online music course)
~BBC's typing program for kids (online and free as well)
~Teaching Textbooks Level 5
~Foundations of Science (just cause I need a "textbook" for my stupid state)
~Boy Scouts for Civics work as well as some PE, health and science material
~A People's History of the United States with the accompanied Voices of a People's History--the primary source matierals to go with the textbook. (I would NOT recommend this prior to middle school level. It's firsthand, primary source material and there have been points that were gruesome for ME to read. However, I want my children to learn history from primary sources and not from the power elite viewpoint so I opted for the Zinn Project to teach US history specifically to challenge my middle schoolers to think for themselves and evaluate history based upon both historical context but multiple viewpoints)

In addition to this stuff, we utilize field trips, documentaries, hands-on science experimentation, games (Ch is very found of a computerized Chess game that allows him to play the computer and work on his logical and critical thinking skills without being dependent upon a partner to play. Also, Ch is required to read from a chapter book daily AND to work on large writing projects. We just progressed from weekly stories to bi-monthly reports. He's working on a project on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade that is due in another week. We meet twice a week to go over what he's writing and I guide his writing process.

For C, I utilize the Kindle for his independent reading and he uses text2speech along with MS Word for his writing projects. He's currently working on a project about Casava Root poison and exactly WHY the original inhabitants of Hispaniola felt death by casava root poisoning was preferred to domination by Christopher Columbus (told you the history course is gritty). Due to C's dyslexia struggles, he also has Brainpop and time4learning as options for variety. We're considering giving Ch access to one or both of those, but sometimes if Ch is overwhelmed he really needs to be checking in with me or he'll run away and just not push past his challenges.

C's 6th grade cirriculum:

He's working with dyslexia and dysgraphia as well as some apraxia (yes, it's all related to dyspraxia but in multiple different forms and you have to treat each set of challenges symptomatically).

~Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra
~same Science textbook
~time4learning
~Brainpops
~Same history
~Kindle with text2speech for reading work
~Barton Reading and Spelling Program (this accounts for ALL of C's ELA except for his writing work, the chapter books I read him and what he reads independently on his Kindle)
~Boy Scouts
~same Art program
~same music program
~Suzuki Piano
~programming his own games on the computer

I think that's all thus far.

---------- Post added at 02:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 PM ----------

Do want to add that we used SOTW all through elementary grades for the kids. Basically, we've been through the series twice at this point. It was time to work on a focused US history for the middle schoolers. However, they both have a STRONG background in world history to step into US history. Additionally, I was kind of weak on my own history before I became a homeschooling mother. I solidified MY history knowledge via teaching with SOTW and got tremendous compliments from some very hard-nosed history professors when I went back to college.

It's a GOOD core program for giving an overview of world history.

I'm not sure what we're going to do after Zinn Project when we return to world history. I really want to get into some nitty gritty primary source learning of world history. SOTW was great for elementary school, but I'm not certain what we'll do for late middle/high school for the boys. Still shopping for options. But, having graduated from SOTW, I highly recommend it for teaching world history to elementary kiddos.