2012/2013 Plans

We are three weeks into the new school year, so I figure I should post what we're using this year.  This is the first year that all the boys aren't using the same history and science, since Luke & Ezekiel needed to bump it up a notch in preparation for high school (how can it be that we're so close to high school?!?).  My mantra this year while I was planning was "Keep it Simple(er)".  The (er) is on there because I don't think schooling five can ever be simple.  I did a pretty good job not tacking on extra bits and pieces, and so far things seem to be going well.

Luke & Ezekiel (8th & 7th):

• Math:  Saxon:  Luke is partway through Algebra 1; Ezekiel is partway through Saxon 8/7.  They'll move on to the next books once they've finished these.
• Grammar:  Rod & Staff 7
• Spelling:  Rod & Staff 6
• Composition:  Classical Writing:  We're doing the Aesop & Homer in a Month course (though it will take us longer than a month).  When we finish that, we'll move along to Diogenes: Maxim
• Logic:  Art of Argument
• Greek:  Elementary Greek 2
• Latin:  Henle/Lingua Latina/Visual Latin:  Yes, it looks complicated, but it's really not.  My plan is to get through the first 7 units in Henle 1, and about 1/4 of the Lingua Latina book.  I just have the boys watch any corresponding Visual Latin lessons because they love Dwayne and he's a great teacher.  
• Literature/History/Theology:  Omnibus 1:  They aren't reading all the titles.  They'll be reading:

Gilgamesh
The Odyssey
The Last Days of Socrates
Julius Caesar
Plutarch's Lives (selections)
Chosen by God
The Holiness of God
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold
The Screwtape Letters
The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books)

• History:  The World in Ancient Times series
• Science:  The Rainbow

Jacob (5th):

• Math:  Rod & Staff 5, Life of Fred
• Grammar:  Rod & Staff 5
• Spelling:  Rod & Staff 5
• Composition:  Writing with Skill 1
• Latin:  Latin for Children A
• Spanish:  PowerGlide Spanish 
• Literature:  I don't have a lot assigned for Jacob.  I want his focus to be on math and writing this year, and I didn't want to bog him down with a lot of reading.  It's his favorite part of school though, and he keeps asking for more books, so I might add some more fiction to the list.

The Chronicles of Narnia (all 7 books, using the Veritas Press Comprehension Guide orally)
Shadow Hawk
Tirzah
The Pharoahs of Ancient Egypt

• History:  Veritas Press Self-Paced Old Testament & Ancient Egypt course
• Science:  Magic School Bus kits with Micah & Nicholas.  These are really too easy for him--once I see how his days are really going, I might give him a different science to do.

Micah (3rd):

• Math:  Saxon:  finish up 3 and move to 5/4, Life of Fred
• Grammar:  Rod & Staff 3 (mostly orally)
• Spelling:  Rod & Staff 3
• Composition:  Writing with Ease 2 (mostly orally)
• Literature:  Micah hates (hates!) to write.  Last year we had battle after battle over anything that involved picking up a pencil and making marks on paper.  If you've met Micah, you might understand how exhausting these battles could be.  He loves to read, though, so I made a deal with him.  I would drastically cut the amount of writing he has to do and I'd assign him a lot of reading, as long as he didn't fight me on the bit of writing he'll have to do.  This is the list I have so far (many are from the Sonlight 4-5 Readers list):

The Chronicles of Narnia  (all 7 books, using the Veritas Press Comprehension Guide orally) 
Shadow Hawk
Tirzah
The Pharoahs of Ancient Egypt
More Stories from Grandma's Attic
The Whipping Boy
The Children of Noisy Village
Ralph S. Mouse
Encyclopedia Brown
Marco Polo
The King's Equal
Little House on Rocky Ridge
Socks
Misty of Chincoteague
Along Came a Dog
Toothpaste Millionaire

• History:  Veritas Press Self-Paced Old Testament & Ancient Egypt course with Jacob & Nicholas
• Science:  Magic School Bus kits with Jacob & Nicholas
• Penmanship:  Callirobics, moving into Draw Write Now

Nicholas (1st):

• Math:  Saxon 2, Miquon
• Phonics:  Explode the Code, Phonics Pathways, Reading Pathways
• Composition:  Writing with Ease 1
• Literature:  Again, this list is a work in progress.  I fully expect Nicholas to take off in reading this year, and I'm sure once he does he'll fly through these books and I'll need to add more.  These are from the Sonlight 1 Readers list.

The Best Trick
Green Eggs and Ham
Little Bear
Put Me in the Zoo
The Cat in the Hat
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
A Fly Went By
A Big Ball of String
The Bravest Dog Ever:  The True Story of Balto

• History:  Veritas Press Self-Paced Old Testament & Ancient Egypt course with Jacob & Nicholas
• Science:  Magic School Bus kits with Jacob & Micah
• Penmanship:  Callirobics, moving into Draw Write Now

All five boys are still taking Judo and recreational Tumbling and Trampoline gymnastics.  They're also still in a one day a week enrichment program.  The older four are taking piano, and we hope to start Nicholas this year at some point.  We're also still slowly reading through the remainder of the Sonlight H books (I read these aloud).