Fifth Grade

I don't know if this helps anyone, but here is an idea of how to execute 5th grade. I'm about to have my second child finish this grade and I've approached it pretty much the same both times. We have been in Classical Conversations for my first 2 kids at this grade level. CC provides a good framework to learn to be effective the other 4 days of the week, plus it is an important part of a classical education: memory work, fine arts, public speaking opportunities, and science demonstrations. I think each family decides how much of this they need in their school--we've had 6 years of it and I feel like we really do not need the external framework anymore, this year we didn't and last year we didn't, but part of that is due to the ages of my kids. Each year we evaluate what we need for our school to run well, and a good cost/benefit analysis is helpful. There is only so much time in a week!

Things to consider in multi-child households: academics, life training, sibling relationships, physical activity, music, art.

Field trips are not something I'm big on during the key primary years. I like to focus on the kids becoming solid readers, learning how to memorize, and get the basic math operations down (+ and -). Most importantly, we work toward a solid understanding of God and their relation to Him as people created in His image but who are born with a sin nature and who choose to sin of their own volition. That said, as the kids all age, field trips are a good way for everyone to come together and enjoy each others company. There has to be time for this though, and a tight schedule doesn't allow for it.

So, here is a list of what you can do for  5th grade, which has more subjects than 7th grade because we're still building a foundation (many kids can be finished copywork/handwriting/spelling and catechism by 7th grade):

• CC memory work
  

• cursive handwriting practice
  

• Science-in our school 5th gr. is the first year where they have to do an Apologia science book/notebook, it's their choice which of the elementary books they'd like to do (do at least one 1 paragraph science paper)
  

• math (Saxon-to have Alg 1 in 8th grade this is the year for 7/6 if you plan to do 8/7 and a pre-algebra prior to Alg 1,  but it depends on the student! A real wiz may not need 8/7 and pre-alg, though we like doing both since pre-alg is the first year not doing Saxon. We don't want to change to McDougal with Alg 1 being the first go-round. Because of science and math connections, you want to make sure Alg 1 is not done later than 9th grade. Look ahead and back out your plan starting with what you think your student needs by the time they would enter college. You can look at public schools in decent districts, good private schools (there are classical private schools for example) and Governor's schools to get an idea as well.)

• Latin B

• Bible (Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament and Calvary Chapel pages-free)

• Spelling (All About Spelling, Spelling Power, Shurley English vocabulary words, vocab words in context workbook)--basically, this is a big vocabulary year and I pull from various sources since I have the time for this student (see 7th gr post)

• read classics, do several lit studies using Adam Andrews Teaching the Classics approach (we alternate lit and writing)

• IEW Level A (I have the DVD's for this level and can beef it up as needed)

• Grammar

• catechism

• other reading (I like A Beka and Bob Jones reading books, plus Rod/Staff Bible readers)

God bless,

Ann