Normally at this point of the end of the month, I would be posting a wrap-up of what we have accomplished. I have decided to take a different approach to our wrap-ups this year and will only be doing a wrap up every three moths at the end of each of our quarters within the school year. These wrap ups will appear now in March, June, September and December. This year I would like to focus more on helping others home school. I am also looking into diving into creating some curriculum additions that will be available for sale or free to subscribers etc.
I would like to open this year and for the next few years of the life of this blog a chance to see what we use for school. Finally, approximately six years into our homeschooling journey I feel confident in the choices we have made in curriculum. Things may change in the future but for now I am in love with the choices we have made and will most likely continue to make for the rest of our journey.
This year Mouse at 9 years old is entering 4th grade (according to our academic calendar and her age). I am excited for this year and even next year with her as she will be diving into American History, a lot more writing, wonderful literature and her independence and zest for learning are expanding in leaps and bounds before our eyes. The following are the choices I made for her for curriculum.
Sonlight History/Bible/Literature Core D American History Part 1
Sonlight Readers D Advanced
American History I Lap Book
Math U See- Gama
Exploring Handwriting through US Geography and Through Scripture (cursive)
Institute for Excellence in Writing Student Writing Intensive A and Fix It Grammar: Nose Tree
With her math spelling and writing we may advance to the next level at any point within this school year. These are our mastery subjects and so it depends on how the skills develop for her throughout the year. In addition to the Sonlight readers, she will also begin reading The American Girl Series books, set in each of the time periods we will be learning.
Thumper is 5 (almost 6) and I can’t decide whether to call this year Kindergarten of 1st Grade. The curriculum choices and her skill levels are not quite matched with a dominate position in either grade. I will place her better in a grade level next year. For now, she is doing a mix of kindergarten and first grade work. The following are the choices I made for her curriculum.
Sonlight History/Bible/Literature Core A World Cultures
Hands on History: World Cultures
Math U See Alpha
Exploring Handwriting through US Geography and Through Scripture (print)
I have grouped the girls together for a few subjects the last few years and it seems to work out well, so that I don’t have to devote individual time to each of these subjects as well. I have chosen the following curriculum to use with them together.
Gods Design for Science: Chemistry and Ecology (Properties of Matter, Properties of Atoms and Molecules, Properties of Ecosystems)
Beethoven Who? Family fun With Music
Even Moore: How to Teach Art to Children
Sign Language for Everyone DVD Series
US Geography (Geography of the 50 States) (50 States Under God for Young Learners, Fifty States Under God)
Devotions Below the Surface
Poetry from various (books and collection)
Laid out this seems like a lot of work for the girls for just one year of school. I will explain in another post how each of these will be used in a daily/weekly schedule. We do not use everything daily. Some of these are reserved for our Supplemental Saturdays and others are on a loop schedule during the week. Also, some of these will be used for more than one year as we will be spending two yeas on US Geography. Some of it has been carried over from the previous year, such as the Art lessons.
I am looking forward to this year of homeschooling, as well as this year in the blog I am hoping to take my love for teaching our girls further into the world and hopefully be able to help others in the process.
(This post was originally published February 2020)
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