I don't tend to post very much here. One reason is because I can tell the internet isn't what it used to be. I have had blogs before that got plenty of traffic for no good reason. This blog has more of a reason for traffic because of the curriculum sold on it, and it gets very little. I have an idea why. I have even had to remove a few "words" from my blog just to help out a bit. If it wasn't for the link on Cathy Duffy's website, I would get almost no traffic here! In any case, posting here forces me, occasionally, to sort out my own thoughts about homeschooling and hopefully help someone else along the way.
The first thing on my mind is that I wanted to share that I have found some really great books on the Milestone Books website. The books are not Orthodox Christian, but the ones that I have purchased have required little to no editing. So far the book A Chance to be Brave hasn't required any. I am reading this book to my 6 year old and his older brother listens in from time to time. This book has really short chapters that tie into a character/moral lesson and a reference to a well-known Bible verse, story, or concept. Everything has reinforced something I believe as an Orthodox Christian and my son loves it, so I give this book five stars. Of course, while the externals of the Orthodox faith are missing in this book, there is plenty about following Christ in everyday situations. I'll take what I can get in this "neo-Revolution" happening in the West these days. (How was that for skirting the banned words list? Hmm...Is the word "banned" banned?). We also read one called The Lollipop Store and Other Stories which was also very good for early elementary age students. There was the need for some small editing, especially when there was a quote of a young child saying that the Incarnation was not very special. They were trying to make a point about the humility involved in Christ's incarnation and taking the form of a man (fully God and fully divine), however, it sounded slightly blasphemous so I changed the words when reading it. However, they get an "A" on producing simple character books on things, such as "not lying" and "being kind." In an age when even most 11 year-old homeschoolers have their own I-phones to use when they are not playing with their Occulus machine, or their smart watch, I'll take what I can get. Of course there are the low-tech families within the homeschool world, too, but many of them are also against traditional Christian values, but just come at it from a different angle. If there is anything I've learn since 2020, it is that the wide path has room for almost everyone and every flavor and preference in life. It's a path of destruction and distraction to keep people from the repentance required to even see where the narrow path even is. As someone who sadly walked the wide path before and is trying hard never to return, I am speaking from experience. All that to stay, living in one of the best places in the U.S. and being immersed in the homeschool word, which supposedly has the more "serious Christians" in it, I sure hope these are the end times.
In any case, back to the homeschool update. I haven't made any curriculum changes for my 1st grader. Sometimes I consider changing his math, but I just don't know what else I would switch him too that I would like as much as that price point, so we'll keep on doing it. I am thinking of supplementing with something more fun though. My 1st grader is technically a "Kindergartener" (missed the cut off by one month if in public school) that is halfway done with 1st grade math, so I might add some enrichment to slow him down. On the other hand, we are only schooling 3 days a week.
I tried to read the Beatrix Potter series with him, finally, and he got scared and sad by the Squirrel Nutkin story and asked to not read those anymore. So, I pulled out a book called American Pioneers and Patriots by Christian Liberty Press, which is historical fiction, and he really likes it. Right now, our read aloud, history and Catholic Schoolhouse material are all overlapping, so that is working out great! Once we finish this one, I'll try the Burgess Animal Stories with him. (He is also reading novels on his own now, in his free time, like Stuart Little.)
Oh, also, I am combining CLE Bible 1 with an Orthodox resource called A Sacred History for Children. I pulled out the Orthodox resource because I did not particularly like how they discussed the fall of man, the introduction of sin to the world, etc. Combining the two will help me make sure all of the Bible stories are being taught with the correct theology. There are simply more stories covered in CLE Bible 1, which is why I wanted to give it a try, plus the enjoyable worksheets. We are only 10 lessons in so if any other theological issues arise, I may put it aside. (We do have an Orthodox Children's Bible which we have already read several times.) (Update - I put CLE Bible aside. I was surprised I felt that need to do that with simple Old Testament Bible stories, but too much in the teacher's guide seemed disconnected from the Orthodox Christian/Patristic perspective.)
Quite a bit has changed for my 6th grader! I was feeling that we were getting "too workbook-y." After a summer of not doing much school, workbooks just look so structured, orderly and exciting! We are very routine-oriented around here. However, after 2 months, I was starting to feel that it was just "too much." Adding in the Bible curriculum last minute also made everything seem too rushed. My son wanted to spend more time doing IEW and writing in general as well.
So here is what we are doing now:
Math - still doing Saxon Pre-Algebra
Language Arts - 2 days a week IEW, 3 days a week CLE Language Arts 6 or vice versa
History and Geography - putting aside Lifepac 6 (book 3) to reading The Story of the Roman by Guerber. He is reading and summarizing 3 chapters a day.
Science - Lifepac 6 still
Bible - CLE Bible 6 (I don't recommend CLE Bible overall for Orthodox Christians, but this course on the second half of the Old Testament is good.)
Reading - CLE Reading 7
Extra: Artistic Pursuits, Catholic Schoolhouse for classical memory work,
The one thing I am still struggling with is how to find time to fit in foreign language. I invested in a Norwegian program called Sett I gang. My son and I enjoy learning Norwegian together, but we just don't seem to have the time. I'm not sure what can give right now in our schedule though. Next year, we won't have the Bible course which will free up almost 45 minutes a day, but in 7th grade I feel the pressure for him to study a language that meets a foreign language requirement, just in case. Even though we live in unpredictable times, I still feel pressure to prepare my kids...just in case. I'm actually thinking of going back to easy Charlotte-Mason style science for him, since he is still in 6th grade, so we have time for that. Still pondering!!!
Well that's it for now.....Happy homeschooling!