I’ve been chatting this month on homeschooling!

Today I’d like to share our 5th grade curriculum choices (at least what they look like now).  Remember it’s just a peek, and anything you read here could change; and yes, this is soooo much later than when I would normally share our choices.

Our homeschool path has shifted here and there:

‘too much with the children’ ~ my journey into releasing the children into more independent work

‘inspirers to our children’ ~ a peek at our homeschool philosophy, and 2nd grade curriculum choices

I’m learning ever so much, and like any Mom, simply trying to stay on top of things with a household full of big and little ones.  It’s not always easy as our best efforts are spent on living more intentionally, and not so much in a rush.

Sometimes this means the work of homemaking may not get done so I can accommodate time for outdoors, a field trip or a child’s burst of inspiration.  This too must be okay and find place in our days.

Sure, I appreciate organization and preparedness, but mothering is a journey, an incredibly l-o-n-g marathon.  I choose the housekeeping in sprints (or release it altogether until another time), and focus instead on mothering at a steady pace.

5th Grade Curriculum

Our 10.5 year old girl is a true-blue Anne of Green Gables or maybe even Pippi Longstocking.

Witty, free-spirited, artistic, and assertive, she’s the child who handed me her own Declaration of Independence last school year, naming about 25 things she intendeds to do in her lifetime.

Honestly, I have no doubt she’d educate herself right into college with little to no intervention (she intends to study nursing says the declaration).  But seeing as I AM her mother (ahem), and the ONE in charge (another ahem)…

…we’ve worked together at just what her 5th grade year will look like.  Yes and amen.

Similar to her younger brother, there’s core language and math, with varying degrees of my involvement for other subjects:

Core Language:  This is my 10 year old’s area of strongest aptitude.  She loves words, similar to her Mama, and is happy to spend hours a day reading & writing. These skills are foundational to all learning (in any subject), so I’m happy to allow generous focus here.

• Wordly Wise Vocabulary
• All About Spelling
• A fall literature class (focusing on The Wind in the Willows)
• A fall writing class utilizing IEW writing
• Rod and Staff Grammar
• brand-new to us comes Cover Story Writing Curriculum (full review of this DVD-based curriculum coming soon! It’s FABULOUS.)  
• abundant independent reading, story audios, etc.  :: read-alouds with Mom  :: reading to younger brothers

Core Math:  Saxon 65  ::  various logic and analogy workbooks :: Daily Math Word Problems

Those are areas I’m directly supervising and overseeing along with character training, Bible reading, chores and life skills.

What about science or history?  Art or music?

I’ll say right up front we’re blessed to have such independent learners at this young of an age.  My 5th grade girl studies historical events and people all on her own, and while I may need to nudge some in science, the same is true in this area as well.

As overseer of her education, I guide and offer resources such as maps, supplies, reference books, items for experiments, or games — I prepare the environment for learning.  I take her to the library, and make the home computer and iPad safe for her to research.  Naturally, I introduce new subjects and curricula as well!

While we often study composers or artists as a family, she’s also free to explore these on her own.

Her other-curriculars this fall include:  field hockey, 4-H Club and horseback riding lessons, piano lessons with Mom

 :

I was planning to share on how we organize for independent learning, but this post was getting too long!

Another time…