Lindsay is my math ace, and she actually is close to completing both 5th and 6th grade math this year...go Lindsay. (I had nothing at all to do with it, trust me on that.) Marissa and Kristen are finishing up their very thorough math curriculum as well so, okay, not a total loss. The girls read a lot, well, one of them does and the other two are prodded into reading frequently. We started a very cool grammar program, got about half way through, and I never set foot in the schoolroom again, so grammar, hmm...do over.
They all did World Geography this year. Probably not the most *enriched* geography course but they can identify more continents, oceans, countries and capitals than most college graduates, so I call it good. Science, well, a bit of a disappointment. They did a great course on Astronomy and I think they all hated it. :( They did lapbooks* so they have something to show for their pain, and whether they think so or not, they can use those lapbooks to study planets for the rest of their lives. I don't anticipate the same enthusiasm for planetariums that we have experienced for aquariums after their study of sea creatures using the VERY SAME series two years ago. Go figure.
The standout subject this year was, of course, Chinese. The girls were faithful users of the Rosetta Stone program every day, and they had plenty of real life practice. Their Chinese skills are quite amazing, definitely an "A" all around on that one. (Do I get credit for buying Rosetta Stone and moving them to China?)
The really good news is that we are all alive, so I guess we survived. AND I do believe the girls learned enough to give the overall year at least a "C" or maybe a "C+". But now it's time to start thinking about next year and how to make it a little more successful and a little less painful. One answer to that will be using some online curriculum resources. Ouch. A little pricey, but it's
So while I won't discourage anyone who wants to add to our monthly support, link to Amazon through our blog or buy some coffee at Just Love Coffee, I am going to add a ChipIn to the blog to raise funds for next year's school costs. This is not a tax deductible donation as it goes directly to paypal; from there I will buy the materials we need. (Our education costs are paid in US dollars while our COAT donations are paid in RMB. The fees for converting tax deductible donations back to US dollars results in almost a 10% reduction. Crazy, but I hope you understand.)
Want to help in another way? Books! We need books! First, we always need Amazon gift cards to keep the girls in books on their Kindle. Second, Kristen will be doing a reading/grammar series with books that are not available on the Kindle. I would like to collect those books and bring them back** this summer. I am hoping that many of these are books you have around your house or may find at a yard sale. Used in readable condition is just fine. If you prefer to purchase one of these for her, that's great, too. Look for the tab that says WISH LIST and see what we need. Let me know if you have/find/buy one so I can cross it off the list. Thanks so much.
And a final tip of the hat to all those homeschool moms out there who make it look easy. It ain't.
* Lapbook = Artsy/craftsy way to take notes created by the paper industry to consume more paper and file folders than a small country.
**We will be in the US from June 29 to August 10...more on that later.
1 comment:
Laurie, DO NOT be so hard on yourself! The life experience that they have gained in the past year will be worth its WEIGHT IN GOLD! Trust me! They have learned MORE than ANY child sitting in a class room back here in the States! Their language skills alone will go a long way on their college applications! If you need to talk (vent) please feel free to skype me!
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