- Remember, your child’s character, is MORE important than their ability to do math. Not understanding math (or grammar or reading …) is not a character issue, complaining & being lazy & fearful is. Encourage them with this!
Math U See
- Love Steve Demme’s teaching. We watch the video together weekly to make sure I teach correctly.
- Manipulatives are very helpful for kinesthetic (hands-on) learners
- Not a lot of drill for math facts.
Rapid Recall Math Facts
- Visual – flashcards; Auditory – listen to math facts; Kinesthetic – write down on worksheet
- GIVES them the ANSWERS which cuts down on frustration, gradually expects more of them.
- With the struggling learner, do math in short increments, modeling & giving lots of input – not expecting them to do it themselves until they get it.
Teaching Textbooks
- Easier curriculum, but still moves pretty quickly.
- Continuously review previous activities.
- Make sure they’re watching the lecture & doing their work
- Modify by using calculator if that’s needed. Set a timer if taking too long.
Apologia Science
- Love it! Intensive learning in one subject: Astronomy, Botany, Flying Creatures, Sea Creatures, Land Animals, Human Anatomy, Chemistry & Physics. Starting in 1st
- Fun, hands-on activities. Optional notebook to keep track of activities.
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY
Mystery of History (Volumes 1-4)
- Written in an interesting, conversational form
- Start at 2nd Can go 2nd-5th, then repeat 6th-9th.
- Has great activities & weekly review. Has suggestions for books to read to go with the time periods. Has mapping activities for each week.
- Get the PDF of the worksheets & print them off & make notebooks for your students in the summer so they’re ready.
- Suggestions for timeline & notecards.
- You can have a reader preread the book & do the notebooking worksheet (or folderbooks/lapbooks) available from MOH.
- Try using the “Challenge Cards”
- I read the lesson aloud while my children color pages & take notes using Myhomeschoolprintables. We have used the timeline cards from Myhomeschoolprintables to make timeline games. You can prep these in the summer.
Notgrass History
- Includes Bible, Language Arts and History all in one.
- 5th grade through high school
- America the Beautiful is TERRIFIC – but the reading books are more appropriate for 4-6th For older ones, assign extra or different books. Includes mapping activities! (Note: I haven’t done “From Adam to Us” or “Uncle Sam”)
Geography Songs CD
Window on the World
Christian Heroes Then & Now by Janet & Geoff Benge
- Our favorite read alouds.