I am a Christian and a wife and mother of three trying to live out God's purpose for my life. Our homeschooling journey was not a typical beginning. My husband and I had attended public school and had planned for our children to attend there as well. My oldest had attended a pre-k program at a Christian school to get him ready. It had been a bumpy start but he finally settled down and got used to it. When time came to tour the elementary school that our son was zoned for (which was known to be the best one in the county) we decided it wasn't for us. I was floored at what they had planned on teaching them in kindergarten and the learning environment was not inviting. We therefore decided to leave him at the private Christian school he was at and that is where he stayed until 3rd grade. By that time my middle child was ready for pre-k and I signed him up that year as well. Things went pretty well for him but my oldest through the years was bored and didn't want to go. He almost always got perfect scores and never studied. I tried talking with the teachers and they said there was nothing they could do until he got into the upper grades just to be happy that he was bright and "didn't need help." I was tired of paying big bucks for my son to sit and not be challenged so that is the year I took the plunge and pulled him out. It has been a learning road and I have spent many hours studying and learning what is best for my children. Everyone has a story and what works for their family. This blog is what has worked for mine. I hope that what I write will help others who are beginning or those who are always looking for things to help deepen their children's learning. Blessings!

Monday, August 19, 2013

Curriculum 2013-14 - Toddler, 5th & 8th Grades


Curriculum 2013-14
Toddler Curriculum

It's been tough deciding on the right curriculum for him.  Even though he is only two he is quite advanced and I have had trouble trying to find an all-n-one for him.  I am needing one otherwise I won’t hold myself accountable and we probably won’t get anything accomplished and he will be left out :( Knowing most kids don’t need a curriculum at this age but he seems to thrive on one so he doesn’t get too bored. This summer we have used and I plan on continuing:
          There are so many great websites out there and pinterest is definitely your friend as well!  :)
  •  Bright Beginnings – has been a nice core curriculum that has worked pretty well for him so far.  (it includes:  Bible, Language skills, Math, Science, Arts, Practical Life/Character trait and PE) Is very similar to Hands on Homeschooling 4 yr. old program which is also great.  www.handsonhomeschooling.com
Supplemental books we have used:  Kumon Let's Sticker and Paste, Let's Cut, Paper, Rod and Staff books:  using currently (About 3) He also loves Rod and Staff Little Jewel Books to read!

I will post later great books that we have read this year as well as a schedule of what I try to cover in a day.  Below is what I really want him to accomplish this year and if we go beyond great!  Notice I don’t have much “learning to read” because he is so young I am taking it as it interests him and not pushing him!  He also has very good fine motor skills so since he has shown interest with his name will plan on starting other letters as well.

Chapter read aloud books:  Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner, Flat Stanley, 

Goals age 2
  • Be able to count to twenty
  • Be able to count items up to twenty
  • Be able to sing the alphabet song
  • Solidify his learning and review colors, shapes – crescent, cross, arrow, star, oval, rectangle, diamond, triangle, square, circle), letters, and sounds
  • Continue and perfect writing his name
  • Work on tracing lines and beginning letter writing
  • Blending and working on phonics sounds
  • Memorize Bible verse each week
  • Be able to dress and undress by himself
  • Puts away all toys where they belong
  • Continue to teach and enforce good manners
  • Read 2 hrs. a day at least 30 minutes of chapter book reading
  • To learn to speak in complete sentences
  • To be able to state his whole name
  • Learn one Latin word a week

5th Grade Curriculum
·         Bible - GOAL Study Journal (Charlotte Mason) http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/goal-bible-study-journal/ (We started this last year and has worked well for both my 5th and 8th grader)  We also memorize a bible verse each week.

·         Character Trait – Each week we focus on a specific quality and work on it for two weeks.  We read stories I find relating to the trait as well as Bible stories.  I love using:  The Book of Virtues by William Bennett!

·         Hymn – We also try to memorize at least 6 hymns during the year.

·         Music appreciation -  For six weeks we focus on one composer and we usually try to correlate the time period we are studying in history to the composer.  We read a biography of them and try to listen to some music at least once a week.

·         History – we use Easy Classical (which has taken so much time away from me of planning!)  www.easyclassical.com  This year we are using 1815-present  An additional thing my son has enjoyed is Veritas Press Self Paced course www.veritaspress.com it correlates pretty well with Easy Classical but sometimes you have to change around your Easy Classical week to correlate with VP since VP only has 32 weeks and EC has 36 weeks.  Has great read alongs and we have enjoyed reading the novels that correlate with the time study.

·         Geography – we use Geography Songs and Seterra  http://www.seterra.net (awesome and free!) to help memorize this year:  All states and capitals of the U.S., West Indes, Eastern & Western Europe, Asia, SE Asia, Former USSR

·         Memory work – part of the memory work we are memorizing along with Geography and our Bible verses are:  Books of the Bible in order, Gettysburg Address, and the Presidents in order

·         Literature – studies on the following books:  Caddie Woodlawn, Old Yeller, Farmer Boy, Tuck Everlasting, Where the Red Fern Grows, Secret Garden, Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and poetry unit for 4wks.

·         Grammar – Shurley English 6 & Daily Grams 5/6 daily for review

·         Spelling – Modern Curriculum Press Spelling workout Level F

·         Dictation – Continue on using Spelling Wisdom:  http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/spelling-wisdom/

·         Handwriting – Copy work for Boys Queen Homeschool Supplies (practicing cursive & print)

·         Writing- IEW (using Easy Classical Writing along side of the history 1815-present

·         Latin- Latin for Children C (will be taking online this year at www.veritaspress.com) His 1st online class :) Change of plan...Veritas changed their server for their online classes and my internet does not support it so I will be using the DVDs put out by Classical Curriculum Press to finish out the year.

·         Math- Saxon 76 (half way through already) so planning on using On the Job Math Mysteries and then John Hopkins curriculum:  Descartes Cove software (my son loves this!) very challenging!  Might get into Pre-Algebra  if I feel he is ready J

·         Critical thinking -  Mind Benders A1& A2, Reading Detective A1, Math Detective A1, Editor n chief A1, (Critical Thinking Company)

·         Science -  Apologia – Exploring Creation Land Animals Zoology 3, along with one day of nature journaling and classifying animals as we go along.  Reading many novels along with the study of each animal.

·         Keyboarding – Final touches on Typing for Children working on speed and accuracy this year J

·         Electives – we also participate in a local coop one day a week and this year his choices were:   Drawing, Engineering, and a Self Defense class

·         Health/PE – we will be reading Prudence and the Millers and along with his self defense class he will be running 3x week and toning 2x week.

So after writing all of this I am saying wow it looks way too much!!  But it actually works out pretty well instead of a 5 day work week we have a six day work week but we only school M-F.  We have a longer school year but it makes for a less stressful day.  If you like to see what we cover on most days or what it looks like look for my post:  5th grade subjects daily post.


8th Grade Curriculum

He has been our guinea pig :) so we try things out on him and see how we like them.  We pushed him way too hard last year and I didn’t like how he had to sit at a computer for so long.  So this year we are trying a little bit of everything to see what we like best.  Some of the subjects I combine with my 5th grader.  He wants to graduate early and get his associate’s degree at least before he is 17 so instead of digging deeper like we have in the past I am letting him go ahead and letting him take higher level courses since he has done so well and seems to be ready. 

·         Bible - GOAL Study Journal (Charlotte Mason) http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/goal-bible-study-journal/ (We started this last year and has worked well for both my 5th and 8th grader)  We also memorize a bible verse each week.

·         Character Trait – Each week we focus on a specific quality and work on it for two weeks.  We read stories I find relating to the trait as well as Bible stories.  I love using:  The Book of Virtues by William Bennett!

·         Hymn – We also try to memorize at least 6 hymns during the year.

·         Music appreciation - For six weeks we focus on one composer and we usually try to correlate the time period we are studying in history to the composer.  We read a biography of them and try to listen to some music at least once a week.

·         History – Pre-AP US History using North Star Academy self paced teacher directed www.northstar-academy.org (will post later how we like it)  

·         Geography- He has already memorized states and capitals, and all the countries of the world so he will just be reviewing as to not forget.

·         Literature- We will be using Abeka 11th grade American Literature for all of Language Arts this year we have decided on the DVD program (new to us)  will let you know how we like it later.  Abeka requires some reading of novels one in particular is:  The Scarlet Letter but we will also be reading:  Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and the Screwtape Letters. 

·         Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar & Writing –all Abeka 11th grade DVD program

·         Latin II- Veritas Press online class  www.veritaspress.com (we have been pretty pleased with the Latin courses in response to turn around in grades but not in some other classes can see our comments on past years) Our years at Veritas are over.  They were unable to work with us and since their new running system does not work with our internet we won't be going back.  Fortunately, I was able to find out that Scholars Online does not require a cable internet so we are starting with them next week.  But so far am impressed!  They have gone far and beyond getting us into a class and working with us to get him up to speed.  :)

·         Geometry- Harold Jacobs (my husband’s territory I won’t go past Algebra and since he was a Math major it is all him!)

·         Biology- Using Apologia curriculum and taking it at a local coop

·         College Study Skills – taken at North Star Academy we did the self paced parent directed and it worked out well (finished this during the summer before 8th grade) www.northstar-academy.org

·         Finance- Personal Finance course taking at local coop and using David Ramsey’s curriculum

·         Keyboarding- continuing to work on speed and accuracy

·         SAT prep- My husband got a great deal on SAT books so we are preparing early so he will be working through these this year as well.  http://powerprep.eknowledge.com/iKnowledge.html

·         PE/Health- Taking a health course at the local coop one semester and the other semester taking a Self defense course.

·         Music- My son is a guitar fanatic we paid for lessons for a year (group setting) and then he decided he would do better teaching himself.  He has done rather well and now plays in the Middle school band at our church.

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