Our first big change was science. We were you here God design for science. As much as we loved it and fouled all that we believe. It does not fit with how our girls learn best. And it was hard for them to want to do science and take out of it what I wanted them to get. So after struggling two get through our science for the last few years. A friend uses apologia for science and I was able to look at her book and new this is what we needed to be doing. After much debate about switching mid-year and the money that was wasted on the other science curriculum and the money that would go out and pull it one I decided that it was worth it.
That decision mean nothing to you all unless you know a little bit more about each curriculum.
Let me step back and tell you why I like and why God designed in the first place. I knew we would have more than one kid to homeschool at a time. And this one allowed me to teach the all at the same time. It had project at the end of each book. Kind of like a final project which gave me hope that it would have more in the book. It did not, unless you wanted to take and find your own. I was also drawn to the fact that it was biblically based. The first year of using it was great the girls were young there time to be able to sit with shorter so the short lessons worked well. But as they grew and wanted more the short lesson were too short. And some very dry. Now that they are older I feel that we are just scraping the surface with those lessons.
Now to the apologia we have only been using it for 2 weeks now and the girls ask for science. So I think even if I hated it I would still do it knowing that they love it. I have to say I do love it more our style. If you have not looked into the apologia book they come with a teacher book that you read from the lesson. And based on the age of your kid you get them the journaling book that coordinate with the book that you're studying. There are two different level and the Young Explorer Series, there is a junior notebook, in a normal notebook. With our girl we did one of each. The junior notebook has coloring pages vocab game and worksheet for the first lesson. Oan copy work of a Bible verse. The normal notebook seems to have a ton more work pages, the vocab games 4 lesson 1 is a crossword puzzle. So not too bad. She also has copy work of a Bible verse.
Both girls love that during the reading time there are times that we have to try it. It gets them up and moving, get some trying what we just read about. And at the end of each lesson there seems to be a project. At the end of lesson 1 in the study of the body we get to make a edible cell. How cool is that! They are already planning what we will study next! And for that I am grateful.
We also got word ladders that the girls have been working on. Eammah has the book for first and second grade and in doing really well with it. She enjoys figuring out the clue and filling in the puzzle. I'm sure we will be done with it by the time we start 3rd grade in the fall. Jessalla is doing 5th and 6th grade book, and having more of a harder time with it. The ladders are longer the clues are harder and the word are bigger. It's making her think a little different which is good. She is getting it just not moving through her book as fast. Which is great because she'll be going into 6th grade next fall. She will finish it next year.
We got a phonic program and a reading program also. Pathway to phonic, we are starting at the beginning and it seems really slow, and boring. I have looked ahead and feel like we will like it once we are past what we already know. This was mainly for our youngest who was
struggling when I bought it. I have seen major growth in her reading in the last few weeks. We are still going to use it. And I actually plan on doing it with both girls. My oldest is a very fluent and advance reader but I feel she will gain something from this. If nothing else it will be great review. The reading program is for reading fluency. So it has little reading job for them to do in each lesson. And again it is something that I will you with both girls. We also picked up English from the roots up. We may not start with one till fall maybe this summer. It has the Greek and Latin root in it. I may add the flat card to our morning board. That way we could practice them each morning with our other memory work.
struggling when I bought it. I have seen major growth in her reading in the last few weeks. We are still going to use it. And I actually plan on doing it with both girls. My oldest is a very fluent and advance reader but I feel she will gain something from this. If nothing else it will be great review. The reading program is for reading fluency. So it has little reading job for them to do in each lesson. And again it is something that I will you with both girls. We also picked up English from the roots up. We may not start with one till fall maybe this summer. It has the Greek and Latin root in it. I may add the flat card to our morning board. That way we could practice them each morning with our other memory work.
Are other main change was how we were doing Bible. We bought overall a book for how to study your Bible. And it gave them different colors for Mark above different word and can make symbols, circle thing, draw pictures. So far they really seem to be liking it a whole lot more work than we have been doing. A five-day course with long lesson for each day
