Mid-Year Evaluation–What’s Working and What’s Not!

Third Grade

US History – We are still going strong and LOVING Veritas Press! I’m so thankful for that review!  Otherwise I’ve just been piecing my own things for History.  It’s a great way for us to review what he’s already learned on Veritas Press (b/c he is way ahead on that program from where we are during the week!)

I am still posting what we do on the blog as part of the US History Series, and I’m also doing some Guest Posts in the coming months for ABCs of American History.

Math – Still Math U See..and still on Gamma…we took lots of time getting those Multiplication facts memorized, we tried lots of methods…but what finally worked was Times Tales.  So grateful!!  After that we jumped back in where we had stopped and are trucking along nicely.  I still have hopes that we will start Delta this school year.  We have added in IXL and do some supplementing in areas that are not covered by MUS as of yet, such as geometric shapes, using a ruler and roman numerals. 

Science – So, Elemental Science pretty much went out the window.  I was supplementing so much that it was pointless.  We are still following their outline and use the main Usborne text some, but otherwise we are just doing our own thing.  I post what we do on the blog along with the Preschool Science Stuff.  I’m looking at Focus on Elementary Science for next year (former Real Science 4 Kids).

Spelling – All About Spelling – we are almost done with level 1…almost….level 2 will be starting up soon.  We still like it. We take the lessons slow, breaking the parts up over a few days.

Language Arts – we are still using Essential Skills Advantage, we also use IXL.  We are using Fix It! Grammar by IEW as our core.  This also works as handwriting because of the copywork!

Writing –this has always been a struggle for us, I need to reimplement Essentials in Writing to get him actually writing.  I will soon. 

Chinese – We used Middlebury Interactive for the review period and now that we are finished with that have started with Rosetta Stone as originally planned.

Skrafty Minecraft Classes – We are doing Water and US History right now with Skrafty, I will probably add in Geology later.  I’ll admit I have a love/hate relationship with Minecraft.  The Skrafty lessons are great, but my son does have an addictive personality, I really have to watch and limit his use.  He also tends to easily stray from the lesson assignment, which is a frustration for me.  We are working on these things, and Minecraft is considered a privilege/reward; therefore it can (and is) taken away in some circumstances.

Newly Added – We recently started using Clever Dragons as a review and are staring an Architecture class also for review!  Excited about both!  The IEW Fix It Grammar and IXL were also new additions. 

Scripture Study – Since C is studying the New Testament this year in his Sunday School class, I incorporated a New Testament Workbook I found online years ago and saved (luckily, b/c I couldn’t find it again).  It coincides with the Senior Primary New Testament Manual.  I will continue to try and find it or the creator on line to see if I can share it with others. 

Kindergarten

Z finished what Mathseeds lessons that are available, apparently it’s still a work in progress.  I was also using Touch Math K, but that wasn’t really working for us.  I started him in MUS Alpha and it’s going great!

I started using All About Reading Level 1 with him a few weeks ago in addition to his Reading Eggs.  It’s going well, but I feel like it needs more (I think this is a sickness of mine!)  He is not grasping how to blend words, so I am adding in additional activities before moving onto the next lesson of AAR.  You can find these on my new board for CVC short a words!

And we are still using Handwriting without Tears also. 

I continue to make themed workboxes for him and the younger kids too.

Preschool

Pretty much the same!  He also uses MathSeeds and Reading Eggs sometimes. Mostly he enjoys his workboxes!

Extra Curricular

Health/PE – I have not been using Fitness for Families as I planned, but hope to work it in on Tuesdays, that is the ONE day we don’t have much else going on.  They continue with Swimming and they are also enrolled in a Mixed Martial Arts for Fitness class.

Music – Well…I ended up not subscribing to either Kinderbach or Adventus…we will be staring with History through Music and hoping maybe we will get a good music review this year.

Art – I ended up putting them in Art classes, they were going great, but as of lately we have had to stop going.  I have several curriculums, it’s just a matter of doing them!  ugh!

Nature Study – yeah this hasn’t happened either :/  I am teaching a Nature Study at co-op this coming semester for Z’s class, and C will also have a Nature class…so there ya go! 

The kids still love News-O-Matic and it’s been great for current events!

Circle Time

Circle Time never really got back in gear.  Things have been going well though the way we’ve been doing things, so I’m just going to keep it that way.  It’s a little less structured, but it works. 

Here is our original plan.  I’ve already started planning for next school year, check out my board!