New Term

We're starting Term 2 on Monday. That means that I need to make sure we have all the books we need, divide etexts into 12 readings, and print off a schedule for each student. I started last night.

My Year 4 student, age 9, is having trouble with Year 4. He doesn't understand It Couldn't Just Happen, Madame How and Lady Why, Kon Tiki, and Age of Fable. He's struggling with Poor Richard. He's hopelessly behind in Robinson Crusoe, even though that's one we have on audio CD. I've been trying to catch him up, reading to him, re-working his schedule, trying an easier version of a book. But it's been three weeks and it just isn't happening. Plus we have other issues to focus on in the area of self-discipline.

So, I'm removing him from Year 4. He did Year 3 just a few months ago (come to think of it, that was a struggle for him, too.) So I'm creating a Year 3 1/2 for him for the next two terms, then he'll start Year 4 over again next year when he's a little older. Here's what he'll be doing:

History: A Child's History of the World by Virgil Hillyer (the whole book)
Historical literature: Otto of the Silver Hand and/or Men of Iron, both by Howard Pyle
Geography: Elementary Geography by Charlotte Mason (online here, but missing a few pages)
Nature Reading: Bambi (we have this, unabridged, on CD, read by yours truly)
Science: The Sciences by Edward Holden (online here)
Math: continue with his Math-U-See
Daily copywork and studied dictation
Typing program
Literature: Heidi and The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

He'll join the rest of the family for Plutarch, Shakespeare, poetry, art, music appreciation, and nature study. He'll be reading A Child's History of the World, The Sciences, Elementary Geography, and (maybe) Otto of the Silver Hand. I'll be reading aloud Men of Iron, Heidi, Five Little Peppers, and I already read Bambi onto a CD. I hope to schedule him so that he has one or two things to read, and one thing to listen to every day.