Curriculum Decisions

I think I’ve decided!

I’ve spent the last several weeks reading The Well-Trained Mind, researching curriculum, talking to Kip about what he wants to do next year and making lists of what I’m interested in.

Who’s Teaching What:

Kip:  We’ve decided that he will continue to work on Handwriting with Mary in the evenings and also begin to teach her Drawing.

Both of us: We use Christian Light Education’s Bible curriculum for our evening devotions with the kids followed by singing from Wee Sing Bible Songs.  He usually leads the Bible study unless he is to exhaused to do the reading and then I do it.

We’ll both do science as well-  I’ll do the read alouds during the week and he’ll do the experiments that go along with it on the weekends.

Kelly: I’ll be teaching Math, Language Arts (literature, grammar and spelling), History and Geography.  I’m also in charge of PE and Music (coordinating their lessons and getting them to and fro) compuer and logic where I can work them in.    And, as I wrote above, bits of Science and Bible.     Also Nathan’s preschool work.

Planning:

THIS POST from Mt. Hope Chronicles has given me some food for thought in HOW I schedule things.   I tend to think that I need to cover every subject, every day.    And this is really not necessary.   Math and Language Arts need to be covered daily.  I’d like to do History daily as well.  But beyond that I think there can be some flexibility in how often things are scheduled.  I could do science 2x a week with the experiments being done on the third day.  I could do Geography 3x a week, drawing 1-2x a week,  etc.  I need to sit down and work this out along with some goals for each subject.

What We’re Teaching:

Nathan: He will be working through the Rod and Staff ABC Series of preschool workbooks.   Also Math-U-See primer and Handwriting Without Tears Kindergarten.   Bible in the evening as a family.  He’ll be joining in on the  History read alouds and the Science read alouds and experiments.  Piano lessons and Tae Kwon Do.

Bible:

We have been pleased with Christian Light Bible this year so we are ordering it again next year.  We’ll be getting CLE’s second grade Bible Curriculum.

Math:

Math U See I’m ordering Primer for Nathan, Alpha for Mary.

Math Mammoth I’m ordering three units from them- measurement, time and money.

RightStart Mathematics I’m ordering some of their math manipulatives- Geared clock, geoboard, Magnetic Fraction Board)

Mastering Mathematics While Math-U-See will continue to be our primary math curriculum, I also *really* like Mastering Mathematics.  I recently purchased a used copy from another Homeschool Mom and I will use this to supplement MUS.

Language Arts:

We continue to work our way through 100 Easy Lessons and we have ALL of CLE’s First Grade Reading Program already.   We also have Rod and Staff’s Going on Eagerly and Climbing To Good English.   We’ve also go the CLE Readers so I really think we’ve got enough to last through all of next year.  Especially when you add in grammar and spelling.

Science:

Christian Light Science

I’ve been really pleased with their Language Arts program.  It is thorough and very easy to use.  So, we’ve decided to put off Apologia for a year and go with CLE’s First Grade Science.

Home Science Tools has a kit to go with CLE’s Science curriculum and it is quite inexpensive.   Worth it, imo, to not have to run around every week tracking down pipettes and slides and whatever else one needs to teach science.

Grammar:

First Language Lessons

History:

I have loved Tapestry of Grace for a couple of years now and I’m excited about getting it for next year.  I love the combination of Classical Education and Charlotte Mason Education.  I love that it is designed to teach multiple students at different levels at the same time.   I’m thrilled that it uses “living” books to teach and not just dry textbooks.  We’re ordering Year 1 and just the books for unit 1.     I want to see how that goes before I invest any more money in books.

I also recently purchased a used copy of Mystery of History from another homeschooler and was given a schedule for using MOH as the main spine with TOG.

Mary and Nathan will each get their own copy of Sonlight’s Book of Time.  Ideally, I’d like to have a big time line on the wall but while we are still schooling at the kitchen table, I don’t have a place for it.  When we convert the bonus room into the school room we will probably do this.  But until then, this book version of a time line will do.    We could go ahead and convert the bonus room now but there really is no need for a while yet.

DK has these very cool books that I want to get:  “A Street Through Time” and also “A City Through Time” and “A Port Through Time”.

Spelling:

I think we’re going to order Spelling Smart for Mary but we haven’t 100% decided yet.  The Well-Trained Mind recommends Spelling Workout Level A for First Grade so that is on the table as well.  This is one of those things we are going to wait until convention to buy so that I can sit and look at them.

Geography:

A Child’s Geography: Explore His Earth, volume 1 We may put off purchasing geography until convention as well.

Handwriting:

Handwriting Without Tears – we’re ordering the First Grade workbook for Mary, the Kindgergarten book for Nathan, the chalkboard, chalk and sponges for Nathan, and the Draw and Write book for Mary)

Art:

Drawing With Children is recommended by The Well-Trained Mind and has excellent reviews.  Kip is a natural at drawing and Mary loves to draw.  A stack of blank paper and some art supplies are all she needs to be happy.   Kip has decided that he’d like to teach her drawing next year.

Music:

Nathan will begin piano lessons this week and we will probably start Mary in the late spring or early summer.

We’ll contine using Wee Sing Bible Songs.

PE:

We’ll continue with Tae Kwon Do lessons twice a week through August 1rst.   We’ll reevalute then how we feel it is going but I expect that we will continue to go next year as well.

This summer we intend to sign Mary and Nathan up for swimming lessons again at the Camp Joy pool.  Lesssons are cheap, cheap, cheap.   $35 for two weeks of evening lessons.    We will probably sign them up for several sessions.

Computer:

I’d really like to schedule 2 15-minute time slots each week for Mary to practice her computer skills while doing Starfall.com.  It would probably be a good thing for Nathan as well.

Logic:

I think we’ll continue using games like Castle Logix to teach Logic for now.   I have Rushhour Junior which is another good logic game.  Eventually I’d like to order some things from the The Critical Thinking Company but I may wait a bit for that.