CONTROL baby! (Insert Dr. Doofenshmurtz laugh here.)
That's it...That one little word. Who doesn't love it? (Again, insert the evil Doof laugh. I love Phineas and Ferb but that is another blog post for a different day.)
Seriously, I am not at all a control freak. Really, I'm not. I do, however, love options and choices. One of the great things about options and choices is, if something does not work, it can be changed. That flexibility is a definite perk of homeschooling.
Last year we used ABeka Language Arts curriculum and I thought that I would be way more impressed than I was. Cooper was in second grade and Jay in fourth grade. Cooper went through his second grade book by November and I ordered the third grade book for him. He was done with it by late April. He needed a challenge and there just was not one in this curriculum. Jay finished his fourth grade book by mid May. It was enough of a challenge for him.
Last summer, when I began looking at curriculum, I went on a search for something that might offer Cooper the challenge that he needs. I decided on a Harcourt book for both of them. I went back to third grade with Cooper. He is flying through this one also. Jay is working at a steady pace through his.
What I am learning about Coop is that I am going to have to supplement and give him some extra challenges on my own.
What I add to the mix
I start each Grammar lesson with a daily warm up. I give them three sentences that they have to correct. They have to determine what is wrong in each sentence and make the appropriate corrections. I mix this up sometimes as well. One warm up was a friendly letter that they had to correct. Another warm up assignment was to write a paragraph with a given topic sentence. I can not let them get too comfy with things. Change is good folks. Tomorrow we will begin working on an essay for 4H. They will have to research a topic and write an essay based on their research. This will be a great challenge for Cooper because he does not particularly care to write.
This year, I am also going to introduce him to the types of writing (descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive) and he will have to write with a given prompt. Jay had already met with these but he will do these assignments also. Practice leads to perfection.
English has been one of those things for us that I have had to play around with to find just the right mix. The great part is, I can play around a bit. That's just my prerogative as teacher. I have...wait for it
CONTROL baby.
If I am not particularly feeling the love of something, I can and will find something I do love.
Has there been something you have not loved if you homeschool? What to you use for Grammar? Do you love it?
Much love,
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