Our curriculum choices {2012 – 2013}

  The homeschool area prepped and ready for day 3 of learning!

Today was our second day of our eighth year of homeschooling!  Whew!

One of my most favorite things as a homeschool mom is choosing curriculum.  I love curriculum.  I read curriculum catalogs like most people read their favorite magazines.  Is that weird?  {smile}

However much that I love curriculum and researching it {and trying it out}, I told myself that it was important to remember this one thing this year:

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Sometimes a certain someone in our family has a tendency to want to try that new shiny curriculum with all the bells and whistles. {ahem, I won’t call any names…}

But this year, I decided to keep my blinders on while researching and choose what has worked for our family and/or an individual child over the years.  There are a few new choices but overall our curriculum choices are what has shown us results over the years. 

That one decision has given me quite a peace about our curriculum choices and has also made curriculum shopping a bit easier. 

So with no further delay, our 2012 - 2013 curriculum for our five children:

Shared subjects (for the 7th and 4th graders, with 1st grader listening in during lessons)

• My Father’s World – Creation to the Greeks (Bible, Vocabulary, History, Science, Art, Music)

First Grade

• Abeka Letters and Sounds
• Horizons Math
• Memoria Press Literature Guides and various books
• First Language Lessons
• The Complete Writer: Writing with Ease (to start later in the year)
• All About Spelling (will start later in the year)
• Living Books for History and Science
• Draw, Write, Now (fun handwriting practice)
• PE – gymnastics

Fourth Grade

• Memoria Press Literature Guides and various books
• Horizons Math
• First Language Lessons
• IEW for writing (after midterm)
• All About Spelling
• Draw, Write, Now
• MFW (see shared subjects)
• PE – gymnastics

 

Seventh Grade

• Memoria Press Literature Guides and various books
• Horizons Math
• First Language Lessons (Grammar review then to Easy Grammar)
• IEW for writing (starting after midterm)
• Spelling Workout
• MFW (see shared subjects)
• PE – swim team

Ninth Grade

• Ancient Literature and Other Classics
• Vocabulary from Classical Roots
• Ancient History from various sources
• Saxon Algebra 1
• Easy Grammar Plus
• IEW for writing (starting after midterm)
• Switched on Schoolhouse Science – Integrated Physics and Chemistry
• PE – swim team

K4 Preschool

I gathered links for our littlest man’s preschool year in an earlier post.  However, after working with him these past few days and realizing that he knows most of his letter names, I’m having to rethink this year.  I’m sure that there will be a post or two about that soon.  {smile}

That’s our plan for the new school year.  We are using many tried and true favorites.  So far the choices seem to fit us well.  Of course, we are only two days into this year…who knows how we’ll feel a few months down the road!

Be on the lookout for some reading booklists of our literature choices as well as the science/social studies plans and booklists for our first grader. 

Thanks for visiting and see y’all soon!

This post is linked to:

{The 2011 – 2012 Curriculum Post}

I wrote that title in my best booming announcer voice.

You can hear it, right?  {smile}

Seriously though, I am finally writing this post that I’ve kind of been putting off writing.  There are many reasons why but I won’t get into those. 

 My Father’s World Countries and Cultures

A few things to share, though, before the {big announcement}!  ::wink::

As I was choosing curriculum there were a few things that I was keeping in mind or trying to keep in mind.

Because, you see, I love books and I love curriculum shopping.  I would definitely overdo it if I didn’t keep the big picture in mind. 

Here are the things that I was looking for in our curriculum:

1.  It needed to use living books or whole books.  I tend to shy away from textbooks.

2.  It needed to combine subjects that can be combined {history, geography, science, art…} to teach many grade levels.

3.  This year, I really wanted an easy to plan curriculum.  I needed something where most of the planning was done for me.

4.  It needed to meet our family’s educational mindset which is a little bit Charlotte Mason, a little bit Classical, and a little bit traditional.

For many years I have been researching and looking at My Father’s World curriculum which, by the way, meets all of the criteria I have listed above.    (Except it’s not so much traditional.  I just like traditional approaches to some subjects.)  This year, we finally decided that My Father’s World (MFW) was the way to go.  So far, we love it!

 Sonlight American History plus some other History resources that we use.

The following are our curriculum choices for our 8th, 6th, and 3rd graders.  I wrote about our Kindergarten curriculum here.

Combined Subjects

My Father’s World Countries and Cultures {geography, science, art, music, Bible}

English from the Roots Up {Latin and Greek roots}

Sonlight American History  {started last year, we will finish this year}

Artistic Pursuits (older boys) and Drawing with Children (the girls – the older boys have all ready done this)

Worship Guitar

Spanish

Typing Instructor

Ready to Read Music

Every 6 weeks, we will do an artist study or composer study.  We will also have nature study about once a week.

Bryce’s subjects (8th grade)

In addition to the above, Bryce will also study:

Life of Fred – Pre-Algebra

Applications of Grammar

Spelling Power

Christian Kids Explore Chemistry (1st semester)

Christian Kids Explore Physics (2nd semester)

Writing Strands 4

Literature selections from Sonlight and This list

extracurricular ~ guitar, youth choir, swim team,  Boy Scouts

Grant’s subjects (6th grade)

In addition to the combined subjects above, Grant will study:

Horizons Math

Saxon Grammar

Spelling Power

Writing Strands 3

Literature Selections from Sonlight and This List

extracurricular ~ guitar, children’s choir, swim team, Boy Scouts

Emma’s subjects (3rd grade)

In addition to the list of combined subjects above, Emma will study:

Singapore Math/Teaching Textbooks

Language Lessons for the Elementary Child

MCP Phonics

The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading

Cursive Connections

Daily Grams (we have an older book)

All about Spelling

Literature Selections from Sonlight and This List

extracurricular ~ piano (possibly soon, we hope), swim team, children’s choir

Resources that we use in our homeschool

These are some extras that we like to have around to supplement our studies:

The Story of the World History books

The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia

The Usbourne Internet-linked Encyclopedia of World History

Veritas Press Timeline Cards

FREE math facts sheets from Math-Drills

The Usbourne Internet-linked Science Encyclopedia

Creative Kids:Simple Cooking Fun

1000 Good Books List

 

Well!  If you read all of that, then I thank you very much!  It was a lot to read.

That’s it folks!  Our 2011 – 2012 curriculum choices post is now complete!

 

 

 

Kindergarten week 1 pictures and curriculum

Sunshine Girl has been so excited to begin Kindergarten this year.  This girl loves to learn.  We were originally scheduled to start school on August 15.  Seven days before that, Sunshine Girl started counting down the days until the beginning of school.  Every morning, she would run to us with her little fingers showing the number of days and exclaim, “Only six {five, four…} days until school starts!” 

Imagine how upset she was when the big day finally arrived and she woke up sick!  I really thought her first day of school would not really be enjoyable with a fever and a cough so I postponed the first day of school.  She tried her best to persuade me to go ahead with the school plans but by mid-day, she was feeling worse so it all worked out for the best.

A week later we finally got to have Sunshine’s first day of Kindergarten.  She was thrilled!  Little Brother, who is three, sits in on his sister’s lessons just like he has for the last three years.  I was actually surprised on the first day of school how much he all ready knew.  I’m not pushing him at all.  If he shows interest in what we are doing then he is more than welcome to join us and learn with us.  Today he became bored with an alphabet game we were playing so he went on to play something else. 

We are loving our activity bags from the swap we participate in during July.  The two little ones sit on a blanket during the older kids’ Bible and memory work time and work on the activity bags. 

Sometimes I need to keep the little ones occupied while I teach the older kids.  I wrote here about some of the activities that I keep on hand in plastic shoe boxes that I can easily grab and distribute.  Also listed in that post are links to sites that offer wonderful printables and activities that I keep on hand for fun extra practice. 

Our Kindergarten Curriculum for 2011 – 2012

My Father’s World Kindergarten

Abeka’s Letters and Sounds (phonics)*

Essential Math (Singapore)**

Language Lessons for Little Ones

In Kindergarten, we mainly focus on learning to read, write, and do basic math.  And we read a lot of books!  The little ones also listen in on the lessons of the older kids.  Today the little ones could almost repeat the entire list of pronouns that the older children were memorizing!  I am amazed at what they pick up! 

In addition to the above, Sunshine Girl will also be participating in:

Nature Study, Artist and Composer Studies, Learning to read music, Children’s Choir, Running Club, and Field Trips.

(Possibly piano lessons too if we can figure out how to get the piano that my Mom has given us to our house.)

Notes about the curriculum:

* Both My Father’s World and Abeka’s Letters and Sounds teaches children how to read.  After looking at My Father’s World, I realized that it may move a little too slowly for Sunshine Girl.  She is so ready to read.  I decided to supplement with Abeka’s reading.  I’m not quite sure how I’m going to meld both of them together but I just love MFW (My Father’s World) so I’m going to do both…unless it proves to be too much.  I’ll keep you posted on that.  I am also adding in sight words to her reading lessons that I get from 1+1+1=1. 

** MFW has math integrated into it but Sunshine wanted a math book so badly.  I almost went with Horizons having used it before with one of my older boys but I decided to go with Singapore’s Essential Math.  We haven’t received it yet but Sunshine Girl talks everyday about getting that math book.  She can’t wait! 

So far our Kindergarten is off to a great start.  We are just beginning week 2 and all ready, Sunshine Girl is learning so much.  She is so much fun to teach because she really, really wants to learn to read!  It is so exciting.  {smile}

Homeschool Curriculum for 2010 – 2011 ~

This is our new school room.  Ok, ok, it’s really our homeschool area.  And if it looks like a mess…well, that’s because it is.  And this is only about one fourth of the mess.  :)  When I finish, I will share our new homeschool area because it is most definitely not ready to reveal just yet.  Actually, when Dave gets home tonight, he and I will be moving it around a bit more. 

However, I have finished the curriculum order (finally!).  I realize that if you are not a homeschooler this post will be a bit boring.  But we homeschool moms are known for talking about curriculum.  It’s kind of like pregnant moms talking about birth experiences  and moms of toddlers talk about potty training & pediatricians.  We moms always have our “mom topics”!

So without any more chit chat because this post will be long enough without all of that, here are our 2010 – 2011 school plans!

7th Grader ~

• Bible – Sonlight 3 + 4
• Literature – Sonlight American History readers, read alouds, and other selected books
• Math – Saxon 87
• Grammar/Writing – Saxon Grammar and Writing
  • Dailygrams
  • Institute for Excellence in Writing (have not ordered yet but am planning on it)
• Spelling – Spelling Power
• Science – Apologia Science – General Science
• Word Roots/Vocabulary – Vocabulary from Classical Roots
  • English from the Roots Up
• History/Geography – Sonlight 3 + 4 (American History)

5th Grader ~

• Bible – Sonlight 3 + 4, Bible Drill
• Literature/Reading – Sonlight American History Readers, Read alouds, and other selected books
• Math – Math U See
  • Teaching Textbooks 5 or Saxon 6/5 when finished with Math U See
• Grammar/Writing - Saxon Grammar and Writing
  • Dailygrams
  • Writing with Ease
• Spelling – All About Spelling
• Science – R.E.A.L. Science – Biology
  • Physics when finished with biology
• Handwriting – A Reason for Writing – Cursive
• History/Geography – Sonlight 3 + 4 (American History)

2nd Grader ~

• Bible – Sonlight 3 + 4, Bible Drill
• Literature/Reading – Learning more reading with An Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading
  • 2nd grade readers from Sonlight
  • Literature selections from Before Five in a Row with her little sister
  • Listen in on read alouds from Sonlight 3 + 4
• Math – Math U See
• Grammar/Writing – First Language Lessons
  • Writing with Ease
  • Dailygrams (I have an old copy of 2nd grade level.  I’m not sure they publish this anymore.)
• Spelling – All About Spelling
• Science – R.E.A.L. Science – Biology
  • Physics when finished with biology
• Handwriting – A Reason for Writing – Manuscript
  • She will begin cursive towards the end of the year.
• History/Geography – Sonlight 3 + 4  (She will mainly listen in on this and glean what she can.  I am more focused on reading, writing, and math at this age.)

4 year old preschool ~

See my plans at the bottom of this post.

Art and Music

We will study at least three composers and three artists this year but I haven’t gotten that planning done just yet. 

We incorporate drawing and painting into many lessons because my children got their dad’s artistic capabilities.  (Thankfully, they did not get mine!) Also, we are trying to fit in guitar lessons for the older boys and piano for our daughter this year.  And when I say fit in, I’m talking about the budget. ;)

Notes ~

This year I am doing something that I have never done before in our five years of homeschooling:  I am buying curriculum that is planned out for us.  :)  I love to pull together my own plans but last year it was a nightmare.  I spent hours and hours on Sunday nights planning.  And that led to burnout.  So this year, I’ve bought plans that are written and I’ll plug in bits here and there.  I’m hoping this will lighten my load a bit. 

I will be using Sonlight 3 + 4 for our main course work and plug in some of the other subjects.  I had the hardest time deciding between Sonlight and My Father’s World.  However, I have wanted to try Sonlight since we started homeschooling in 2005.  Dave and I finally decided to just go for it!  I am very excited about our new school year!