Homeschool

We’re a homeschooling family with a six-year-old daughter who is doing a mix of first and second grade work. I love the idea of a Christian Classical Education, but I’m not sure that I constantly adhere totally to the philosophy. We’re working on that. I am a product of public education and that method of teaching is the only method I know. So going against that grain and realizing we’re going to be ok is sometimes tough.

I thought I’d post the curriculum that we’re using this year and what I plan on using next year. I’m a curriculum junkie and it’s hard for me to stick with one thing…because the next best thing could be one mouse click away. Cost holds me back somewhat.

I do experiment from year to year. We have used Abeka, Saxon Math, Letter of the Week, Little Hands to Heaven, Alpha Omega (AOP) LifePacs, AOP Horizons, Singapore Math, Explode the Code, Tapestry of Grace, Power-Glide, Le Français Facile…I’m sure I’m missing something… 

It seems that I’m settling down though and getting comfortable with AOP and Tapestry of Grace.

Here’s what we’re using this year:

• Bible: A mix of AWANA verses, a book from our church to learn about baptism and Tapestry of Grace
• Science: AOP LifePacs (link goes directly to Science section)
• Penmanship: AOP Horizons
• Phonics: AOP Horizons
• Math: AOP Horizons
• Spelling: AOP Horizons
• French: We began with Power-Glide and have since transitioned to Le Français Facile. I do lots of flash card work with Reagan.
• P.E.: Dance classes and whatever playing she does each day.
• Tapestry of Grace (TOG) Year 1: Very comprehensve! It covers Bible, history, literature, art history, writing, pretty much anything you can think of. In the older levels (dialectic and rhetoric) it will cover government, philosophy, etc. I can’t recommend this program highly enough. If I could only teach from one thing it would be TOG and we’d wing the rest.

Here’s what we’ll be using for the 2008-2009 school year:

• Bible: AOP Switched on Schoolhouse (SOS) (I’m really looking forward to trying this) and TOG and AWANA
• Science: AOP SOS
• Math: AOP Horizons
• Spelling/Phonics: All About Spelling (I’m very excited to try this program as it combines spelling and phonics, when they really should never be separated in the first place).
• Art: How Great Thou Art’s book I Can Do All Things
• French: Le Français Facile
• Logic: Critical Thinking’s Mind Benders and Building Thinking Skills
• P.E.: Dance classes, etc. We’re going to get Du involved with this one and be a little bit more deliberate about her exercise.
• History/Writing/Grammar: Tapestry of Grace Year 2.
• I was going to start Reagan on Latin, but this year is going to be pretty chaotic with our moving situation. Latin can wait. There are still many things to research, like which pronunciation to use!

Some of these subjects won’t be an everyday occurrence. Writing all of that made me nervous that we’d be overloading our poor daughter, but it’s no more than what we’re doing now. I hope to focus more this coming year on memorization in a fun way of facts.

SOME OF THE EXTRAS I USE/WILL USE

• Donna Young’s organizational tools. It’s FREE!
• Homeschool Tracker (to replace my Microsoft Office One Note addiction). I use the FREE version!
• HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association): We plan on joining for our 08-09 school year.
• Trivium Pursuit: A great site to understand and learn about Christian classical education.
• Cathy Duffy Reviews: A wonderful resource for comparing 100s of various curricula.
• Homeschool Buyers Co-op: An awesome way to save big bucks on curriculum. And it’s FREE to join! If you want to join let me know. I’ll send you a referal email where I’ll get 20 “SmartPoints” for you joining. SmartPoints help you buy curriculum. For more info on the Co-op read below.

 

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 The Homeschool Buyer Co-op is a free homeschooling organization for both new and veteran homeschoolers. Co-op membership is free and confidential, and entitles homeschooling families to discounts from over a hundred educational suppliers. They also sponsor “Group Buys” for curriculum packages that save homerschooling families lots of money. On the site you’ll find lots of free information, such as databases of free curriculum, field trips, and educational contests and scholarships.