math and sciencefor rest of this year and next

[choirfarm]

Help me decide what to do for math and science for the rest of the year for my 5th grader and then next year. Next week he will be doing his annual standardized testing at a local Christian school. The next week his daddy will be off and we will be on vacation, so I have a couple of weeks to get ready. I need to concentrate on fractions. I noticed Math U See's Epsilon covers fractions. Co-op if over and my responsiblities with children's choir will be over May 4th do I would have the time to concentrate on this with him. Or I could do Key to Fractions. I already have the answer key as I had my oldest do this series with Singapore. I've skanned my Horizons 5 book and what is left: multiplying and diving fractions, ratios(which I "think" he knows), decimals: I know that he can add, subtract and identify them already, but I know we covered multiplying and diving them last year, but I bet he has forgotten what to do with the decimal when you mulitply. I know that I would need to concentrate on the percent as a fraction, percent as a decimal. Once again, there is Math U See Zeta or Keys to Fractions that cover this. Temperature and units of measure, which I think he knows, metric which I'm sure he has forgotten, graphs which he knows, and probability. So... do I just drop Saxon where it is and concentrate on fractions and percents? Then change curriculum?? I'm looking at Chalk Dust, possibly as it has a DVD which has a lecturer that is supposed to be interesting. Basic Math??? I need something that is not teacher intensive. TT 7 might also be a possibility. I gave him the placement test for it last year and he could have taken it this year if I had wanted him to. I just need something he can do independently. I do not have the time to teach him myself all year.

Science. Science has been a hodge podge of various materials. He read the 2nd half of Zoology I and did a few notebook pages (He had done the part about birds with his brother a couple of years ago). I stopped when they announced they were doing Zoology I at the co-op next year. So he will have that in co-op, but he has already done it and so I don't think it counts enough. He has a 5th grade test prep he's gone through. He studied Archimedes because it went with his TOG. Next year he will study Galileo and several scientists with TOG. He is interested in Zoology 3 that is coming out. He loves animals. So I guess we could start that and finish it next year... SOS caught my eye as it is all on computer and graded on computer and it would be completely independent. However, if he does TT next year then would all of science and math on computer be too much.

I really need something independent that I don't have to keep up with. He is getting lost in the shuffle. I enjoy TOG and we do it all together and so my focus is on that and next year my oldest will be doing some rhetoric work which is A LOT more literary analysis which will take time for me to do it with my oldest as well as our normall weekly history discussions. My oldest will be doing Biology, which I have to keep up with. Then there is my girl who is in kindergarten this year. I HAVE to devote time to her to get her to read fluently. She is currently souding out CVC words and we will be covering the silent e after these next 2 weeks off. I feel like math is important at this stage as well, so she needs solid basics. I will also continue teaching children's choir and a class at the co-op (which will be doing a musical that I already did with my children's choir, so not too much prep) So to be honest, I didn't keep up with these areas and I need something he can be independent on or something that I can work with him only at certain times. HELP!!

Christine

[choirfarm]

bumping

[training5]

first..take a deep breath, let it out slowly...there...feel better? Eat some bon bons. Did you know chocolate is good for most women's brain function?
Now to your dilemma...sounds like you have a fine solution to me. Mine are just going into 5th. Science wise, I would let him read the science book he is interested in. Nothing like personal motivation to keep him going. maybe you could do the lit and history chats with your oldest in the evenings when the others are in bed thus freeing up time during the day to work with your 5th grader. Just an idea.

[choirfarm]

first..take a deep breath, let it out slowly...there...feel better? Eat some bon bons. Did you know chocolate is good for most women's brain function?.
Really:) I sure hope so. It is a food group, isn't it? Seriously, reading isn't the problem. He grabs science books off the shelves to read. I just have almost nothing in writing from this year.

Christine

[training5]

You may need to assign and follow up on writing what you want him to in science. I'm sure you already thought of that. Perhaps give him a week of science lesson assignments and follow up daily or weekly with consequences for undone work. Maybe switch to something with more accountability built in? I haven't used Apologia's books so I am not familiar with the set up. My Pals are Here from Singapore, BJU? I hope someone else will reply with better suggestions.

[choirfarm]

...Oh..I've forgotten to check whether he finished his writing...his math...his whatever. A lot of what oldest was doing was for co-op, so it had a built in accountability. I've forgotten to check their rooms and they are suddenly messy... oh yes, have they worked with the dogs... ACK. To much going on for my little brain.:confused:

[training5]

hmm...sounds like an organizational problem. Perhaps a break to re evaluate your days...get a routine going. I make TONS of lists and put them on the fridge. Shopping list, menu ideas...etc. I post our daily and weekly schedule where I can see it so I don't forget stuff. Pregnancy brain gets too soft to keep up with it all. www.donnayoung.org (http://www.donnayoung.org) has some free weekly lesson plan blanks and other forms you might find useful. Maybe a chore chart of some sort. The oldest is absolutely old enough for a little self governing. Perhaps...and this is radical...you might want to rethink/plan what oldest is doing/how you are doing it so you can concentrate more on youngers. Could your hubby do the discussions with that child? Cut back on outside commitments, maybe use a cyber high school for oldest like The Great Books Academy or Keystone High, etc. You can do this, we all need to regroup and rethink our plan at times. Simplify, simplify....


If Saxon is working, just stick it out. No sense making life harder. He will get to those concepts he needs in time.
HTH

[choirfarm]

I was in the middle of posting this when the power went off last night! The files are too big to let me attatch, but I have a check-off list for the morning routine on the fridge. Yet inevitably someone didn't make their bed, or unload the dishwasher or whatever. And I am always saying, do your morning routine when we get up. I also have a two page checklist of things they should get done for school. It never all gets done. Then I have my to do list as well. Part of the problem is that no day is ever the same and emergencies keep popping up...oh, you can fit us in now at the doctor? and so I have trouble actually checking the lists we do have.

[training5]

well...I could email you mine. If that would help.