Curriculum Choices & Schedule for New School Year

IT's TIME

CURRICULUM for 2016/2017 School Year

This school year, my youngest homeschooler, Speed Racer is doing a combined 9th - 11th grade curriculum as next year we plan to focus totally on CLEPs (if he is willing to do it).

DAILY SCHEDULE FOR WORKING PARENTS

Note: My husband and I flip flop our schedule and our older children do also so that someone is usually home with the two kids that are homeschooling.

ORGANIZATION
We use Sue Patrick's WORKBOX System (we've augmented it a bit).

Mon - Friday
07:00 am: Kids start online Landry 1 hr class (3 days a week)
08:30 am: Kids eat breakfast take shower

09:30 am: Kids start other online work
01:00 pm: Kids eat lunch, check in with mom, dad or older siblings
02:00 pm: Kids continue with book work and Video Courses
04:30 pm: Kids get ready for sports
05:30 pm: Kids go to sports activities (Fall: Soccer, Martial Arts, Dance)
07:00 pm: Kids eat dinner with family
08:00 pm: Kids finish up written work
10:00 pm: Kids relax
01:00 am: Kids go to bed.

Saturday afternoon
9am: Clean up house
7pm: Finish any work not completed during the week. Tutoring if needed. Review if needed.

Sunday:
Off day


*Yes, our kids stay up late and have a long day. However, they take lots of breaks between completion of work and sometimes nap if they want*

SPEED RACER's Week
12 yrs 

Blended High School

Type of School Year: Block schedule (8 week segments)
Duration: Aug 1st - May 31st
Breaks: 2 days in September, 10 days in November, 10 days in December, 2 days in January, 5 days in April.


Electives: Aeronautics, Computer Science, Game Science


Independent Online Work:
Speed Racer completes this work during the day independently without parental supervision. However, each online course allows me to check his progress. Each is interactive with videos and quizzes or test after the lessons.

I found a sale on Study.com for $379 for 1 year of online study at HomeschoolBuyerco-op.org
Study.com shows a 5 min video on a topic within a subject and the student does a quiz after each topic and a test online after each chapter in the topic.

MacroEcon (Study.com)-10 min
Psychology (Study.com)-10 min
Sociology (Study.com)-10 min
Information Tech (Study.com)-10 min
Physics (Study.com)-20 min
Java Programming (Homeschool Programmer)-60 min with Tutor 1 times a week
Vocabulary (Membean)-25 min
Speed Reading (ACE Reader)-10 min
Basic Math Review (CTCMath.com/CK12.org/Teaching Textbooks or Worksheets)-25 min

Traditional Course: 
Speed Racer will do these with parental involvement or with a private tutor supervising and checking work.


Geometry (AbekaAcademy.com DVDs / Teaching Textbooks for Math Lab) - 1 hr daily
English Lit (AbekaAcademy.com DVDs & teacher support) - 1 hr daily 3 days a week
American Lit (AbekaAcademy.com DVDs & teacher support) - 1 hr daily 3 days a week
Chemistry (AbekaAcademy.com DVDs & teacher support) - 1 hr daily 3 days a week


Online Classes:
These classes have a teacher who administers homework, keeps grades and live teaches the class.

(LandryAcademy)
Spanish - 1 hr daily/ 3 days a week
Algebra 1 (Saxon) - 1 hr daily/ 5 days a week

Writing ER - 1 hr daily/ 2 days a week
Python Programming - 1 hr daily/ 2 days a week


Homeschool Filler Courses - 2nd Semester
These classes I use when he finished his major curriculum and he needs to brush up skills

Inspirational Quotes CopyWork
Sequential Spelling
Wordly Wise

His Interest he wants to pursue study on:
Indian American History (movie based)
Black Achievements (movie based)
CAP Program sponsored Aeronautics
Video Game Science (attending seminars, game conventions, game jams)
3-minute devotional for guys (Bible Devotionals administered by Dad and Big Brother)

TIGER LILLY 
15 yrs 

High School & Dual College Enrolled 
Finished 27 College Credits towards Information Systems & Computer Science Degree

Tiger Lilly is now in her Sophomore year of college in Information Systems and Computer Science. She still has a few homeschooling classes to take, but they are all based on her passionate interest in Game Development.


Type of School Year: College Semesters (8 week semesters) Homeschool courses: year around
Daily Classes: Some classes are only 2 to 3 times a week
Duration: Aug 1st - May 31st
Breaks: 2 days in September, 10 days in November, 10 days in December, 2 days in January, 5 days in April.
Electives: Japanese, Video Game Design (build mobile app), Software Development, Animation, Bible study


Homeschool Courses:
These classes she selected to work on in addition to her college classes. These are topics she is passionate about.

Japanese (online tutor and in person 12 week class) - 1 hr daily/ 3 days a week
Video Game Development (Android Development) - 1 hr daily/ 3 days a week
Bible Devotional Series
Software Development (Mom built curriculum) - 1 hr daily/ 1 days a week
Animation (Digipen) - 1 hr daily/ 3 days a week
3-minute Devotional for Girls (Bible administered by Mom and Big Sister) - 1 hr daily/ 3 days a week

Dual College Courses:
She loves how short and compact her course times are with University of Maryland, University College. However, she doesn't like the lack of tutor support for Math and Computer Science classes. So I will have to hire a tutor for her Calculus and for Concepts & Apps of Info Tech classes.

08/22/16 - 10/16/16
Relatnl Dtbs Concepts & Apps
Elements of Nutrition
Advanced Technical Writing  

09/12/16 - 11/06/16
Concepts & Apps of Info Tech
 
10/24/16 - 11/20/16
Introduction to Research

10/24/16 - 12/18/16
Calculus I

WORKING PARENT's LOG

Meals I just got an Airfry and I love the thing. I am using it to make meals on 'my night'. Also, we started the month off with prepping 20 meals! So we just thaw and cook. I instituted a chore chart with everyone but my husband cooking a day of the week. So stay tuned.

Cleaning. A new chore chart hit the scene here. My older kids have to be retrained to participate in cleaning. It's a struggle, but everyone is on board.

Work & Life Balance. I really found a great job. I love it. I have a lot of flexibility and can work from home a day or two a week and flex my schedule (that I do often). My husband's job doesn't allow him to work from home anymore, he transferred to a new customer and now has to be physically at work. But he has a flexible schedule.

Lesson Planning. I started off with a bang - and realized I had too much stuff on his schedule. Speed Racer and I took off courses for him to start in Block Session 2 based on his interest.

Rest. I am getting more than ever before. The kids are pretty independent now with their work.

Marriage Check Up. Date night is a hard sell right now with all the running around we've been doing with the kids. So we settled for a 'night in' and sent the kids out to the movies (the great part of having older kids to drive the younger ones around).