School Planning

This school year was one of the most challenging I have ever had in putting together our family schedule and curriculum. It seems like as the children get older they are going in more directions. I will explain what decisions we made and what we are doing.

We use a Charlotte Mason approach to our school. We use a lot of our material from www.amblesideonline.org. That does simplify things.

Here is what we are doing...
Paul is in grade 12.5 this year. He could have graduated last spring , but.... He hadn't finished his math or Physics. He did get the math done this summer. However, the real reason he is doing school this year, is that he fell in love with debate.

We have a local speech and debate club through CCA (Christian Communicators of America) state group the CCO. It has been an excellent experience for him. He didn't start until last year and because he doesn't turn 19 until January, he is eligible to participate IF he is home schooled.

So he is schooling with us.
So what do you do for grade 12.5?!!! That was a big question for me too. We started off by having him do Physics. Yep, he must FINISH it this year. He also is working on completing a Small Motors course. He must join us in our memory work ( Heb 11:21-40, some poems) and some of the other subjects we are working on together- Mon: Logic. Tue: Anatomy and Physiology, Wed: Economics Thurs: Plutarch's Lives (Pericles). I have also given him a reading list... Spurgeon's Lectures to his Students, A book on apologetics. Thomas Sowell's Autobiography, An Economics book by Larry Burkett and one other book I can't remember right now. He is also free to work with his Dad. We are calling this an 'apprenticeship'. Last week he was only in 'school' one day. As long as he gets his assignments done I am fine with it. It doesn't matter when he does it in a day, just so long as it gets completed. He is working hard and saving his money.

Any ideas of what you do with your non-college interested older boys?

~Mom