What We Studied
Fall is such a busy time for us. Between homeschool, the switch from enrichment to academic co-op, and fall activities such as Vala’s, we have lots of packed weeks. Instead of two full school weeks, we had two light school weeks with lots of activities and such. And our second week was plagued with sickness from me. I caught that stupid cough that everyone I know has had this fall.
Literature and Poetry
Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We finished our current read aloud and stated on some spooky reads for the month.
Poetry: Hearth & Story G6
Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll
The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan
The Story Collector by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories by Washington Irving
Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We finished one of my favorite reads.
Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton
Math
Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered a chapter about algebraic expressions. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.
Math in Focus Course 2 Book A
Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We started and finished our next chapter about money and followed up with some practice and review.
Primarily Logic
Singapore Primary Common Core 3B
Social Studies
Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. We covered Modernization in East Asia focusing on Japan and China.
Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
A Journey Through Art
Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We dove into the European colonization of North America.
History Quest United States History
DK When on Earth?
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
DK American History
Science
Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. Instead of focusing on Earth Science, we shifted to preparation for Physics in Academic Co-op.
RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)
RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)
DK Eyewitness Energy
Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We took a break from Physics to continue reading our Story of Science chapters. These chapters focused on discoveries of the Greeks. We also watch the two part documentary A to Z about the beginning of alphabets and writings.
RSO Physics 1
The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim
Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner
Physics for Curious Kids Introduction
The Way Things Work Now
Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op
We officially finished the 2025 of Enrichment Co-op with a light week exploring math and art. This past week we jumped right into the Academic Co-op. We had a few hiccups (mostly technology), but that’s to be expected. Beyond that, we really did have a great week. Here’s to having eight more great weeks of learning.
Art and Music
We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We covered our next composer and the classical era by focusing on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge
The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak
Mozart Finds a Melody by Stephen Costanza
Mozart: The Wonder Child by Diane Stanely
Great Lives in Graphics: Mozart
Welcome to the Opera by Carolyn Sloan
Field Trip/Activities
We went to Vala’s for our weekly visit, but had to skip this past week because I was sick.
High
We managed to get a ton of school done in between activities and sickness.
Low
On Tuesday two weeks ago, we got a flat tire coming home from school pictures. We ended up waiting four hours for roadside assistance wiping out our entire afternoon’s plans. Taking care of getting a new tire bled into Wednesday morning disrupted our day’s plan. Overall, my entire week was derailed trying to take care of car crap.
Next Week
Starting our new read alouds
Moving forward with our math chapters
Learning about the New England and Atlantic English colonies (Q) and Colonization in Southeast Asia (A) for history
Covering erosion and weather (A) and motion (Q) for science
Going to Academic Co-op for Week 2 — Arthur’s class is covering prehistoric Nebraska for my class
Visiting Vala’s
Next up on the TBR pile:
