Curriculum (aka “What We Use”)

We are what you might call an “eclectic” homeschool. I pick & choose curriculum to fit each kid.

My oldest dislikes writing (which is an improvement over HATING to write). She started to love to read in late fall of 2008. She is pretty good at math but struggles in spelling. She’s found a love of languages (Spring 2012) – deciding she’s “good at them.” She is enthusiastic to continue her study of Spanish & Latin.

My #2 child loves to draw and write. After much time not being interested in learning to read, she is finally sitting down and reading aloud to her younger siblings, though she still struggles to read “with feeling.” She started to tackle chapter books in the spring of 2012 after some vision therapy. She still isn’t “up to grade level” – but she’s finally picked up the pace.

My #3 child would not have started K (if she were going to public school) until the fall of 2011. However, in January 2011, we started loosely using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (100EL), doing some discovery math (Miquon-style), and making sure she has some fun with craft time and cooking class. As of the Spring 2012, she’s close to finishing a first grade math program (still continuing to use Miquon-style learning activities with a traditional math program). She’s reading well for her age and writing in cursive as well as print. I consider her half-way through first grade (Summer 2012), so she has definitely become my “promote in January” child.

My #4 child would be of “school age” in the fall of 2012, but he is in no way ready for any type of sit-down learning. I will continue to use opportunities through his day for informal learning and let him be a kid for another year if he needs the time to mature. He asks questions like, “How do bees make honey?” and we go find out! He’s not an auditory learner – as evidenced by his lack of proper English grammar usage (“Us go play.”). He might be my most kinesthetic learner so far. I have high hopes for Miquon-style math for him!

All my kids, thankfully,  love to be read to, so we use a loose “Charlotte Mason”-inspired approach to history and science.  We use a LOT of living books that are not reflected on this list. Some come from our rather limited local public library, but quite a few come from the great public library system 60 miles away (by way of paid out-of-area subscription).

2012-2013 (tentative plan)

6th Grade:
Finish A Beka Arithmetic 5 & start where we left off A Beka Arithmetic 6
Classical Writing’s Homer A
Grammar using KISS‘s free book – starting with KISS Level 1
Ludere Latine 1 — to keep her Latin from Latina Christiana fresh while concentrating on her Spanish this year
Spanish (using Classical Academic Press’s Spanish for Children A)
Pandia’s Press’s History Odyssey – Level 2 Ancients (tweaked to use the White Kingfisher & not use Van Loon’s book)
– Incorporates some of Classical House of Learning‘s Literature picks & materials for Logic Stage!
Mother of Divine Grace’s Religion 6 schedule.
MegaWords 1 (2, 3 … whatever we get through)
Piano using Bastien
Logic using Fallacy Detective
Logic-Stage Biology — just not sure yet if we’ll use Elemental Science or Classiquest

4th Grade:
A Beka Arithmetic 3 (yeah, not finished yet)
Writing Tales 1
Finish Latina Christiana (five chapters left!!)
Story of the World 1 with Activity Book w/younger sister
Elemental Science’s Biology through Lapbooking  w/ younger sister
Spell to Write & Read
Map Skills D

1st (transitioning to 2nd mid-year):

[need to update this]

 

2011-2012

5th Grade:
A Beka Arithmetic 6 w/Life of Fred as a supplement where interested Changed 1/2012 to A Beka Arithmetic 5 (testing/quizzing until scores are less than 80% & then starting there for the rest of the book)
Writing Tales 2
Growing With Grammar 5
Latina Christiana
Beautiful Feet’s History of Science
Seton’s Religion 4 for Young Catholics
Spanish (using a combo of Getting Started with Spanish & Spanish in 10 Minutes A Day)
History using my own mesh of Portraits of American Girlhood, historical fiction (a la Sonlight), and a variety of other resources in a unit study method
State History study using State History from a Christian Perspective
Handwriting & Spelling via dictation using Spelling Plus’s Dictation Resource book
Piano using Bastien

3rd Grade:
A Beka Arithmetic 3
Growing with Grammar 3
Sharing all History, Science, Religion, dictation, and Latin with older sibling.

Kindergarten:

Miquon-style math (transitioning to Abeka Arithmetic 1)
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons & when finished, transitioning to Spell to Write & Read (Jan 2012)
McRuffy’s Handwriting K changed to Cursive First in Oct 2011
Shirley’s Prepackaged Crafts

2010-2011

4th Grade:
CLE Math 400 w/Singapore’s new Challenging Word Problems 3
Writing Tales 1
Spell to Write and Read
Poetry review of last four years
Prima Latina
Story of the World 3 with Activity Guide
Map Skills D
Memorizing States/Capitals of the U.S.
Hands-on Science using: Ein-O Mechanical Science Discovery Tank, Snaptricity, and Delta Nutshells Sound Kit

Re-reading Children’s Bible
New St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism #1 (3rd section)
Piano using Bastien Primer

2nd Grade:
A Beka Arithmetic 2 w/Singapore Challenging Word Problems 1.
Spell to Write and Read
ETC 2 & 3 (first semester) as review & additional help with reading
Writing With Ease Level 2 (second semester)
Poetry, History, Geography, Science, Latin, and Religion with 4th grader except doing Map Skills B instead of D.

2009-2010

3rd Grade:
Spell to Write & Read
Growing With Grammar 3
Writing With Ease 2
A Beka Arithmetic 3
Story of the World II
God’s Design for Chemistry
Geography
Baltimore Catechism No. 1 (Section 2) & Bible
Poetry memorization

1st Grade
Spell to Write & Read
A Beka Arithmetic 1
History, Science, Religion, & Poetry same as 3rd grade

2008-2009

2nd grade
Spell to Write and Read
A Beka Arithmetic 2
Story of the World 1
Apologia’s Astronomy 1st semester / my own Earth Science 2nd semester
Baltimore Catechism No 1 (1st section) & Saints Stories
Poetry memorization
Cursive First

Kindergarten
Learn to Read in 100 Easy Lessons / learn phonograms for SWR
Singapore Earlybird 1B & 2A, Horizons K bk 1
Artpac 1
History, Science, Religion, Poetry, & Cursive First with 2nd grader