Schedule Changes...

Okay... so this year hasn't gone the best.. It HAS gotten better as the year rolled along  I feel VERY comfortable with the curriculum and their way of teaching.  I LOVE the curriculum choice.  BUT

and that is like a HUGE BIG BUT! 

We are still struggling.  Whether its laziness, disobedience, inability, the load, our extra-curricular, how we implement... etc, etc, etc.  I do not know, although I think it is really a combination of all of the above. 

• The kids are struggling with time management (so I have taken a MUCH more active role in directing
•  the kids have been lazy and complacent about a few things and we are working on that
• there HAS been direct disobedience involved and that IS being dealt with
• the load IS a lot and I have read that it is actually the hardest of the four years (which makes me feel better)
• our extra curricular do take up a lot of time and that eats into our school day (we are re- evaluating but really don't plan to CHANGE much mid year and if we work on the time management it will take care of a lot of the problem truthfully
• implementation is where I waver--- I have read, and read and read forums, blogs, articles and I don't think I am implementing it wrong or that the program is flawed.. I think the ABOVE issues cause hiccups IN the implementation .  

So change is coming.

We decided to stretch Year 2 INTO 2 years.  Every week will now take two weeks. I twitched and spent hours/days wringing my hands and this is the best case scenario.

and here is why...

• it will calm us down
• it will give me TIME to teach the interpersonal skills they are obviously lacking
• it will not hurt either one of their credits
• it will space out book buying (which is very expensive-- if you want to donate give me a shout out...
• it will allow us to limit how much weekend/ weeknight work is done ( I don't mind them having homework, but this was bordering on the ridiculous.  I want to redeem our family time.
• it will allow me time to add the hands on stuff --- also time for field trips and deeper study
• it will give us time allow the kids to learn things they WANT to learn!
• it will allow me time to spend more time teaching other skills that I desperately want the kids to have
• it will also allow time for them to experience new things.  I have a speech class I want them in, Kate wants to attempt a theater program of some sort at some point, Matt need to have SOMETHING for himself (we are working on this), Emily would like to do swim or gymnastics or something.....
• and lastly it will hopefully, PRAYERFULLY bring back some of the joy.

BUT as badly I feel this semester has gone--- they have LEARNED so much, really!  I need to get on paper what they have read.. so here goes!  This is through WEEK 11


The Middle Ages by Barbara Hanawalt
The Theme is Freedom by M. Stanton Evens (great read)
Roman de Brut
Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley (still reading)
The Story of Philosophy by Bryan Magee
Faith in the Byzantine World by Mary B Cunningham
Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett
The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis (I think still reading)
Augustine and His World by Andrew Knowles
The Dream of the Rood (Norton Anthology)
The Parable of the Christ (supplement)
The Song of Roland edited by Dorothy Sayers
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John Harran
Life IN Medieval Times by Marjorie Rowlings
On the Medieval Orgins of the Modern State by Joseph Srayer
Alfreds Book of Dooms
Viking Tales by Jennie Hall
Alfred the Great and the Saxons
Sir Gawain and the Green Night (Norton Anthology) and C.S. Lewis
Canterbury Tales
Le Morte d' Arthur
The Red Keep by Allan French
Winning His Spurs by G. A. Henty
Magna Carta and Confirmation
Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe
Of All the Swords in England by Barbara Willard
The Story of Liberty by Charles Coffin
Men of Iron
Dante's Inferno
The Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter
Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation by Robert G. Shearer (still reading)
Johannas Gutenberg (bio)
Ink on His Fingers by Louise Vernon
Historical Atlas of Exploration (excerpts still reading)
Renaissance Artists who inspired the World by Gregory Blanch (still reading)
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves by Roy Maynard (certain cantos still reading)



Yeah.  I am not feeling bad about my decision at all.  :0)

Emily's list is of course less but still great for her! This is through week 9... we took a little break and caught up on making people cards, timeline etc and she is reading other non historical fiction.

The Middle Ages by Mary Quigley
Famous Men of the Middle Ages by John Haaren
Tales of King Arthur by Felicity Brooks
Trials and Triumphs by Richard Hannula (still reading)
The Story of the World (still reading)
Aladdin and other Tales
Augustine Farmer boy of f Tagaste by P. De Zeeuw
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Emma Gelders
D'Aularies Book of Norse Myths
Sir Cumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander
Kings and Queens of England
How to Train Your Dragon (for fun)
Castle by David Macaulay
Canterbury Tales  (translation)
The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurzyn
The Adventures of Robin Hood ( by John Burrows
Saint Francis of Assisi
Marco Polo Overland to China
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
Men of Iron by Howard Pyle (translation)
Chanticleer and the Fox by Geoffrey Chaucer