Planning 5th Grade

We'll be starting school in just a few short weeks (and sneaking in some learning between now and then) so it was time this weekend to get planning.

First our subjects are divided into "core classes" and "enhancement classes" (title groupings lovingly stolen from Wendy).

Core classes:

• Math - Key to series
• Science - Young Scientist Kits, and various other books
• Grammar - Editor in Chief
• Writing Assignments that we make up
• Literature - reading on her own and out loud, plus Novel Thinking Charlotte's Web and Reading Detective
• Spelling - to be determined, probably just with the writing assignments
• Building Thinking Skills
• A History of US
• Magic Tree House studies (made up by us, she reads the book, the research guide, another book on the subject, then does a project of her choosing)

Enhancement classes:

• Latin - Latin Minimus, followed by Secondus
• Cooking and other life skills
• Art - various art projects and studies of artists
• Music - listening to music and studies of composers
• Girl Scout badges, etc.
• Which Way USA books - since we still have some lying around
• PE - swim lessons and other
• Camera Skills - she and Mr. I. plan to study their cameras and the instruction manuals and learn lots of cool things about photography

Each Sunday Violet will be given the week's list of work. She can schedule it however she'd like (except of course things outside our control like swim lessons). She'll have until the following Saturday to complete it. She'll have a set amount of core classes to complete (x pages of math, y chapters in history, etc.) and a suggested amount of enhancement work (for example, pick 3 of the following 5 activities).

Most stuff we'll work together on still, leaning towards more independent work. Magic Tree House studies will be more independent. She'll read the books on her own, Mr. I or I will help her choose a project (art project, writing assignment, science experiment, etc.) and she will do it as independently as possible. For the book about volcanoes (Vacation Under the Volcano) she's already said she wants to build a volcano since she hasn't done that in a long time.

I'm pretty excited about the new school year. I think it will be a good one. We have a lot planned, but not so overwhelmingly much like I've tried to do in the past. I think the lean towards independence will be a good one.