6th GRADE SECULAR HOMESCHOOLING CURRICULUM PICKS & MIDYEAR PROGRESS

[@sunshinenanchor3953]

Your son is so focused, well-spoken, and articulate- especially for someone with ADHD. I know you’ve worked hard with him to build these skills. As a mom of a son with ADHD, I’d love to hear an update on how you’ve supported him along the way.

[@AH-ru8ei]

Me too!! What specifically you did to help build attention skills and executive functioning skills 😊

[@rebeccat9389]

I would love to hear this too! My son would struggle to do this much work.

[@chantellef8530]

Loved how detailed this video is. Adding your son's perspective was great! Your doing such a good job he seems like a very smart good kid. TFS !!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Aw, thank you so much!

[@jessicazanetti4781]

This is the best video! The way your son explained how opinions on all of the curriculums was phenomenal. He is so well spoken and informative with his reviews. Thank you!! 😊

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Glad it was helpful! I will be sure to pass along your kind words to my kiddo! Thanks so much.

[@robbiegleason4462]

Right? My son's answers would be something like, "It was fine," "It was ok," "I don't know," "It's not my favorite," etc. :p

[@razz7810]

Thaaaank you for saying curricula needs to work for both. So many times people get caught up in the kids “ learning styles” they neglect that the curriculum needs to work for mama too. Edited to add: your son is adorable. So enthusiastic and just a doll.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Aw, I appreciate that. I'll be sure to tell him. :)

[@LeaveItToLisaCrafts]

Oh gosh, your son is just the sweetest thing! He reminds me sooo much of my 10 year old…good job, Mama!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Aw, thanks! It's such an interesting age, right? They're morphing into their grown selves.

[@RegularSecularMama]

Loved hearing feedback from your kiddo! I was just considering working in a combo of WWS1 and Killgallon’s work text. It sounds like they work well together 😊

[@lisasteven2007]

My son is headed to 6th this year and it’s always helpful to have a kids viewpoint expressed! Thanks to him for a wonderfully presented set of opinions!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

He’ll be so happy to hear that it was helpful! Thank you!

[@Hiltonteam76]

What a brilliant advert for homeschooling your son is! I'll be showing my 11 year old your son's part of the video to inspire him. Thankyou

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thanks so much for the compliment! I'll tell him :)

[@JNalley100]

Curious to know why you chose Writing with Skill over Paragraphs for Middle School by Killgallon? Paragraphs for MS seems to be a companion to MS Sentence Composing. Thanks for any insight!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I really liked Killgallon, but with two other little kids to teach, I appreciated the detailed instructions and explanations of WWS. It offered him more autonomy in doing the lessons with book guidance.

[@jennyharmony1371]

THISSSSS is what I have been waiting for!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Thank you!!!! Also I'd love to hear your experience with IEW!! I love the reading journal!! Thanks for sharing as always!! Yay for homeschool middle school!!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I'm so sorry it took me so long! Thank you so much for the enthusiasm! I will put IEW on my filming queue. We had a great experience with it in 5th grade.

[@maggiepanning356]

My son just started 3rd grade (we are on the exact opposite schedule as we start our year mid-summer), but as someone who loves to research and wheedle out the best curricula for my son I love watching the videos you put out for your eldest child. And I loved hearing his thoughts, what a cutie. I can just hear my son speaking in much the same manner when he is your son’s age. Thank you for another video full of helpful resources and insight.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thanks so much! I'll be doing my 3rd/4th grade midyear curriculum lineup/review next. Maybe it'll be helpful to you for next year!

[@theHipHomelife]

Also, I’m completely enamored with your kiddo 😍 I love the idea to have him talk about it in his words. “And I like reading, of course.” Ahhhhhh love it!! 🥰

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I'm pretty fond of him myself. I will tell him that my dear mom friend is a fan! LOL

[@porschiahaleywade8467]

Glad to have found your channel, I really appreciate your perspective as well as your sons, I’m looking forward to more videos.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thanks so much! 💚

[@homeschoolingthroughhighschool]

I agree with you that they should learn the root of the word. I enjoy the Vocabulary Classical Roots books.

[@jenniferandersen3646]

Your son is charming. I appreciated the parent view and student view of the curriculum. I will be looking into some of the resources you've mentioned. Thank you!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Glad it was helpful! And thanks for the kind word to my kid - I'll pass it along!

[@EatPrayCrunch1]

Your son is an intelligent and well-spoken young man. You're doing a great job, Tanya! I really enjoy and learn a lot from your reviews!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thank you so much!

[@robbiegleason4462]

I don't seem to be getting your videos in my feed anymore even though I'm subbed, so I was pleasantly surprised to get one in my feed today (though it was 5 years old HAHA). It prompted me to come look at your more recent videos, and I was so curious about this one because my son is also in 6th grade this year. Although you and I use different selections, our philosophy on teaching seems so so similar, especially for LA, math, and logic/critical thinking. Your math topic is cracking me up - we ALSO used both a full 6th-grade math AND the pre-algebra from Critical Thinking co. We did Abeka 6th grade math and it's set up similarly to the Math Mammoth as well - a worktext and answer key, that's it. AND I crossed out practice problems that I didn't think he needed to do like you did. I just seem to be an anomaly in the homeschool community, so it's fun to watch your videos because your approach is so similar to mine. Regarding the Critical Thinking Co. pre-algebra, I like that it focuses a lot on math vocabulary, which I don't remember well and need that refresher on. It did seem to jump from super easy to pretty difficult, and we did put it aside after about 1/4 of the way though just to finish 6th grade math. We are just about to start back on the pre-algebra so I hope it goes well. I definitely need to be more hands-on with it than I needed to be with Abeka. Many times he could just read and go on his own with Abeka, but nosomuch with the Critical Thinking Co. I have the algebra and middle school geometry from Critical Thinking Co. too sooooooooo there's that. LOL!!!! Hoping I don't need to get something different!

[@robbiegleason4462]

I just wanted to jump back on here since this video popped up in my feed again. We have continued with the Critical Thinking Co.'s pre-algebra and have come to love it! It was a little frustrating at first, but we got used to it. The methodology seems to be that rather than taking a concept and then building exercises that gradually increase in difficulty, they teach a concept and then expect the student to use critical thinking to solve more complex problems within that one lesson, building on the foundation that was taught without having it 'spoon fed'. This is challenging and can be frustrating. But what I've noticed is that as we've gone through this course, my son's skills have improved with regard to thinking through the math and figuring things out. He misses a lot of problems, I'm not going to lie, BUT I can see how in most cases he has the logic down. I have to be very hands-on with this one. It's one subject I prefer to be more hands-on with anyway, so it's fine with me. For a kid who just wants to learn a math concept, do the problems, and not really have to think about them, it has really stretched him and helped with his ability to think mathematically. We are in the geometry section now and really love that part!

[@beauty_of_play]

Watching through this today. Love hearing your take on all the different curricula. Love love love the praise you give him at the end. Brought me too tears. Also reminded me that I need to lean into the sarcasm and melodrama of the teen years in our school more (love the idea of sarcastic quotes for handwriting) and show a little more love and appreciation to my ‘students.’ Thanks for that reminder. ♥️

[@shemadeitlookeasy9195]

By far my favourite homeschooling middle school video xx

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Aw, thanks so much!

[@BaileyAcademy]

Awesome video, so thorough. Love the spirit notebook idea. Wrote down a lot of things to checkout. Your son is sweet. A great talker.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thank you so much! I’m glad it was helpful. ☺️

[@MsElizabeth05212005]

Aw, as a Mommy of a 8 year old boy, I LOVE listening to your son. My mommy heart LOVES hearing young men express their thoughts and feelings. I'm sure he is an awesome Big brother , too. We have a little girl right under my son and they love each other( even when they don't like each other). Your home must be full of love and fun. You and your husband are killing the homeschool parenting game! Do you think your daughters would do a voice over one day?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thanks so much for the kind words! I think my youngest will, soon, but my middle is more private. 🙂

[@TicketToLearning]

I need to get one of those reading journals! I love it!

[@jillianmartin4260]

Great video. I've just recently been going through your videos and I am so happy to have found you. 😊

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I'm so glad! Welcome to our corner of the internet 😊

[@kararay7170]

I seek out your videos every time I begin to plan. My daughter is a year behind your son and all of your recommendations have been spot on for her! I can't thank you enough. Did you include any literature comprehension for sixth grade? I am trying to decide if I should do Lightning Literature again or choose something new.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I'm so glad they've been helpful! Thanks for the kind words. We used Hewitt Homeschooling's Lightning Lit for 6th grade, but we did not do the compositions because we focused on the writing in Writing With Skill from Well-Trained Mind, which actually included several excellent literary excerpts to analyze. The bulk of our literature selections came from Levels 5 and 6 of Build Your Library, and we would do a literary analysis of those books in a discussion format.

[@samibuck]

Where do you get the pictures for your history timeline? Love the idea!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Various sources, and I make some of my own. But one of my fave free resources is the homeschooling2e.com blog. She has a whole printable set of cards for free on her blog.

[@sakai715]

You are glowing! So gorgeous

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Aw, thanks! ☺️

[@thinkinaboutforever]

You're kid is adorable and so incredibly well spoken. I can't believe he's only in 5th grade

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thanks, I’ll be sure to pass along your lovely compliment!

[@MajajiWarrior]

Oh Tanya your son is so amazing and I think he can do the videos from here on out. This video covered so much and I appreciate you for sharing. Thank you!💜🥳😍

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thank you so much! 💚

[@jennyharmony1371]

So you need the teachers guide or tests from Vocab with classical roots in your opinion or is the workbook enough?? Thank you!!

[@colorswordsandlearning]

Thank you for the review, Tania. Your videos are always helpful. And your son's reviews and comments were great ... really thoughtful and clear. Thank you to him too.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

My pleasure 😊. Thanks so much for the kind words - I'll def let him know.

[@veronicageorge7982]

Will you do a video on your schedule? There's so many things you use in your homeschool and I'd love to see how you use them throughout the year.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Sure! Loosely, we start around 9:30-10 and continue til 12:30, break for lunch, and then resume from 1:30-3 or 3:30. Usually we school for 4-5 hours per day. In an average month, we take about 4-6 weekdays off for field trips, hikes, and coop gatherings. I gently fold in more and more curriculum in the first 6 weeks of school every year. So we start with the core LA and math, and then fold in science/history/electives as we go. I use Scholaric.com for forward planning, so each child gets a weekly checkoff list, and they can choose how they go about finishing their list each week. Hope that helps!

[@maximummara9107]

I love this and love you son’s feedback. Is the 50 states book from crafty classroom primarily secular? Or easily modified?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Totally secular as far as we’ve seen.

[@maximummara9107]

@@ProjectHappyHome Thanks!!

[@user-zh7uy6oc5q]

Please thank your son for his willingness. I appreciate his input and was very impressed by his articulation! He did an excellent job. Perfect timing for the new scheduling. We had used Trello in the past, but my son wants a printable option too. This sounds like a great option! We struggled with the Word Roots from the Critical Thinking Co. How does this word root compare? I would love a more in-depth review of this science curriculum. Thank you as always! We really value your opinion and recommendations. ***I cannot find the link for the reading journal or history timeline, please direct me.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I think they are listed in my Amazon store (listed in the description box above), but I will check! I’ll add everything to the description box later today.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Also, we greatly prefer Vocabulary from Classical Roots over CTC Word Roots. I think it does a much better job of teaching and integrating the info in a meaningful way.

[@compassionateheart8652]

Thank you so much for this video. Congratulations to you both 🎉 My eyes welled up seeing how well you and your son have been doing❤️ it just gives me hope that my son (with ADHD) and I can thrive as well. Surely, your videos are so helpful and I’ve taken ideas from you even though I’m from UK and the curriculums here are more intense than the USA. You truly inspire me, sis! ❤️

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Aw, thanks, mama. I really appreciate the kind words, and I know where you're coming from! I wish you and your son the best in the coming school year!!

[@homeschooledaroundtheworld4660]

Can you do a video about how do you schedule all that material?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Hi! I forward plan (or schedule) all the material on Scholaric.com, a pretty simple and fuss-free online planner. I print the schedule one week at a time. If we need to push assignments forward, I do that over the weekend. My kids have freedom of choice when it comes to what they work on and when, but they are required to do math and writing every day. Our homeschool day is generally 5 hours long, and we do school 5 days a week, with reading every night, even weekends. If you watch one of my recent homeschool update videos, I discuss how this system works in more detail.

[@maudrottier5356]

Many thanks for this video. Can I ask you how many hours does it take him to finish his work on a daily basis. Maybe this could be a video, your daily schedule with homework, the way you organise your days and weeks.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

G12 takes about 5 hours a day to complete his work - he generally works from 10-12 and 1-4. That includes his online classes (like piano, improv, and Spanish).

[@erinadderley2179]

I love the daily checklist you made for him! Do you have a printable for this available?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I don't have one that I offer, but I'm happy to send my template to you if you send me an email at [e-mail]. :)

[@mamainthewoods]

Always so helpful and amazing, friend. You may have addressed this before and I may have missed it. But I’m so curious what prompts your decision to run Jan-Dec as opposed to a traditional school year. It seems intentional so I wonder what benefits you find from it? ❤️

[@tuathadesidhe1530]

Not sure where she's from, but the traditional school year in most places runs from January to December.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

It was unintentional at first. The fall of that first COVID year, we had just moved and we were all sorts of busy/unmotivated/discombobulated. So instead of stressing out over rushing to finish the school year by June, I decided to reset the clock and start in Jan 2021 for that school year. And it continued into this year. Honestly, though, I really enjoy hitting the enthusiastic beginning of the year as everyone else experiences February doldrums. And then our midyear doldrums hit in summertime, just as we have random camp/vacation weeks to break up the school weeks. I think I'll transition back into a regular academic schedule over the next couple of years, but I am enjoying this schedule while it lasts.

[@katrinalamphere5700]

This was such a great overview, and I loved hearing your son’s opinions on the various curricula! I have one question about BYL. I will have a kindergartner this year as well as a second grader. I’m trying to figure out if I should meet in the middle and start with level 1, or if I should begin with level 0. Do you have any advice based on your experience?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I think Level 0 is a universally well-liked year, and it has such a global focus that I think it would be enriching for both grade levels.

[@katrinalamphere5700]

@@ProjectHappyHome thank you very much for your thoughts!

[@meganvansipe]

Hearing him describe the “my timeline” part of the timeline book made me want to sob! Yes please fill it out and make it special and keep adding to it forever!! I hope he does.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Aww, he loves that part so much. I'm the slacker on the pictures, but he can't wait to fill out his own history.

[@homeschool.pray.repeat]

We’re not secular homeschoolers, however I still very much appreciate your videos. Thank you!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I appreciate this so much! I hope the non-secular and secular parts of the homeschooling community - both online and in real life - finds more and more ways to cooperate and grow together. Thank you for your kind words. Happy holidays!

[@MrsPerdueArt]

Omg, I could cry at how sweet the two of you are!! You’re doing such an amazing job!! Thank you for sharing!! My oldest son is going into 3rd grade so I always love watching your videos to get an idea of where we’re headed!! ❤️ Quick question- does your son read all the BYL books himself or do you read them together?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thanks for the sweet words! He reads most of them on his own, but sometimes I will read them in tandem so our discussions can be more interesting. 😊

[@Qetesh777]

I appreciate your son getting on to talk, he looks like you

[@ProjectHappyHome]

We actually combined Blossom and Root River of Voices and BYL 5 together last year, and it was a great blend. BR provides such a rich background of audiovisual and art content - it was a great complement to BYL's literary selections.

[@amberbayu6889]

Great video. Have you moved away from Lightening Literature?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

My girls are still working thru the earlier levels, but my son had enormous amounts of reading for his Build Your Library and River of Voice (from Blossom and Root) curriculum for American History, so we didn’t do Lightning Lit this year because an additional book list would have been too much. Also, he was delving into Writing with Skill and I felt the overlap would be too much. I still love the program, and plan to continue it with my girls.

[@veronicacparedes4521]

For the harcourt books, do you need the teacher guide or is getting the student book enough?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I think it depends on your comfort with the science addressed at that level. I don’t use them for elementary.

[@lovetosmile9859]

I really enjoyed the video. How long is a typical school day for you? Also, how do you integrate the subjects when you are using more than one publisher? Thanks! 😊

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I try to work from our educational objectives for the subject backwards - so if one curriculum hits the objectives, I try to eliminate another. Pairing different publishers has not been very difficult, honestly. Sometimes we just like to switch it up for variety. I think publisher-switching is more difficult to do with math. Our typical day lasts about 5 hours (10-12, 1-4).

[@lovetosmile9859]

@@ProjectHappyHome Thanks for your reply!

[@HomeschoolOfBelAir]

Oh my gosh I just love G,,, Im their with you bud with the pre algebra stuff :)

[@ProjectHappyHome]

LOL, you're his fave now.

[@user-vg8ez9cu6u]

Great choices. Why did you decide on Writing with Skill over writing & Rhetoric series?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I was definitely considering both as final contenders - honestly, WWS seemed more in line with my son’s way of writing, and it seemed like a more logical step forward from IEW than W&R did. I also worried that missing the first levels of W&R might be a detriment. But I am starting W&R with my rising 4th grader this year, so I’ll share about that soon.

[@user-vg8ez9cu6u]

@@ProjectHappyHome Thanks for responding. Yes, I will certainly be looking out for your W&R review. Could you please include a comparison of how W&R stacks up specifically against Writing with Skill, since you would have used both materials at that point? Could you also include whether or not IEW significantly helped your child be successful with Writing with Skill? Isn't it just a lot of "dress ups" and amplifications (which W&R would have taught anyway, along with a host of other more important skills)?

[@mirthacacho]

Wow great video am subscribing

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thanks!

[@homeschoolingthroughhighschool]

Well Trained Mind is such a well oiled machine. We did stop using the language program for one of my kids in 4th grade. Like you said, it was a bit much. In a prior video, I mentioned that we use Well Trained Mind Academy for math. They have such a great online program. I loved hearing your sons viewpoint. I love having my kids in my content. They bring a fresh perspective that enhances the videos. Thank you young man- you're well spoken and I appreciate your honesty.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I'd love to know more about your experience with the WTM online math classes! I'm seriously considering them for next year. And thank you so much for the kind words! I'll be sure to pass along the compliment to my son.

[@theHipHomelife]

“Well, short for me” 😆😆

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Honesty is the best policy, lol.

[@Arleneandcompany]

I’m ready! With a notebook and pen 😆

[@ProjectHappyHome]

😊 Same when I watched yours!

[@Curioushomeschooler]

As you have been using or have used in the past many different writing curriculums, 1) Writing and Rhetoric, 2) Writing with skill, 3) and IEW... would you be able to tell me a comparison of all 3 curriculums.. Like a) What are each one's strengths, b) Which kind of student they might fit, 3) How do W&R and WWS1 differ in their approach to teach let's say similar topics, such as : learning how to write a summary? ( I know they are for diff grade levels), 4) Similarly, IEW1a and WWS1 , how their appraoches are towards: Making outlines from a source.. What I want to know is what is your take on these different curriculas ( keeping in mind all kids are diff, their learning styles are diff)... Just what are your thoughts on the three, if you have to compare them as an alternative for writing curriculum choice... which one would you grade higher and why.. where might some of the curricula fail, where the other excels....which one might someone choose to go further with into the middle school levels...

[@shameemfaisal6714]

love this👌👏😊

[@bethanylowe7864]

New subscriber. Wonderful video!! Very informative. I have a sixth grader as well. I do have a question or two I hope you can answer for me. The vocabulary from classical roots....would you recommend getting the teachers guide? In the past, we have used CTC word roots and disliked it. I recently just ordered Vocabulary from Classical Roots level 4, but choose not to get the teacher guide. Just curious what your opinion is. My goal was to use it in its simplest form, no extra fluff. Out of curiosity do you plan on continuing The Well Trained Mind Grammar and do all the colors? We started The Well Trained Mind late with my sixth grader, so this year we are doing level 4 in both Writing with Ease and First Language lessons. So for her seventh grade year we will be moving into Writing with Skill and the Grammar. Thanks!

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I think the Teacher's Guide is very interesting because it includes excellent discussion material and even more vocabulary. But I don't think it is necessary if you feel confident that you could grade without an answer key. WWS has been great so far! I am so impressed that I'm almost positive we will continue with WWS II. I don't think I will continue with the WTM Grammar after completing this Red book (which will probably happen in his 7th grade year) because my son is already remarkably good at grammar. I think it is excellent, but I don't think my kid needs to practice in this depth again. I do plan on using it with my girls when their turn comes. Probably just once, though.

[@jessicamontaperto810]

Painless grammar great book!. They have painless Algebra!. Noise can get to me especially with people yelling. ADHD being autistic on top of it. I basically told people go take a hike for telling me homeschooling kids re not Socialized I am like not true. I told my boyfriend last year or year half ago I could sense he was like what? I could sense he was like consider what I through the school system years ago. If anything my skills to defend myself got better. Neither either of us is a fan of the school system especially special needs. I have talked to people on Fb groups lot of them re yanking their kids out or thinking about it. Write down the pros & cons about homeschooling. I can easily write ✍️ the numbers of pros & cons. I have re met my boyfriend through that about 12/12 years ago. We re set in stone with homeschooling. He’s very supportive of me doing it my feature kids ll have it from the beginning. I know people attacked me for daring to say we ll faith based Christian homeschooling family.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Thanks for the suggestions! Have you used the Painless Algebra?

[@jessicamontaperto810]

@@ProjectHappyHome no. But have seen it.

[@jennyharmony1371]

Where do we find the social studies weekly? I couldn't find it !

[@ProjectHappyHome]

I’m so sorry! I knew I missed some. Here is their link: www.studiesweekly.com

[@tehibberd]

My rising 6th grader will be doing Writing with Skill as well, does your son work on this independently?

[@ProjectHappyHome]

Yes, but I review his work product every day so we can make sure he's on the right track. The instructions in the student guide are remarkably thorough.

[@phantommassachusettscheeze9314]

Did you stop using lightning literature? I found out about it from you.

[@ProjectHappyHome]

My girls are still working thru the earlier levels, but my son had enormous amounts of reading for his Build Your Library and River of Voice (from Blossom and Root) curriculum for American History, so we didn’t do Lightning Lit this year because an additional book list would have been too much. Also, he was delving into Writing with Skill and I felt the overlap would be too much. I still love the program, and plan to continue it with my girls.

[@homelifewithus]

Finally!!!! Yay!!!