Our Curriculum {2015-2016}

Happy end of summer?!?  Last year we tried a hybrid....this year we are back to full time Homeschool and I am so excited.  Why we nixed the hybrid is another post... 

7th Grader

Bible - Christian Studies II by Memoria Press and Who is God by Apologia

Math - Abeka Basic Mathematics (7th grade math)

Latin - First Form Latin from Memoria Press

Grammar - Rod & Staff English 7 and Classical Conversations Essentials
Grammar - Fit It! Grammar 2 - Robin Hood

Writing - IEW US History based writing
Writing - Classical Composition - Fable and Narrative (Accelerated plan)

Spelling - Spelling Power

Vocabulary - Vocabulary from Classical Roots A

Literature Units - Tapestry of Grace Year 3: Dialectic level

History - Tapestry of GraceYear 3: Dialectic level

Science - Anatomy and Physiology from Apologia

Geography - Tapestry of GraceYear 3 and Road Trip USA (for fun) by Confessions of a Homeschooler

P.E. - USAG Girls Gymnastics Team level 8

5th Grader

Bible - Christian Studies II by Memoria Press and Who is God by Apologia

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - Abeka Arithmetic 5

Latin - Latina Christiana I from Memoria Press 

Grammar - Rod and Staff English 5
Grammar - Fit It! Grammar 1 - The Nose Tree

Writing - IEW US History based writing
Writing - Classical Composition - Fable and Narrative (Accelerated plan)

Spelling - Spelling Power

Vocabulary - Vocabulary from Classical Roots 5

Literature Units - Tapestry of GraceYear 3: Dialectic level

History - Tapestry of GraceYear 3: Dialectic level

Science - Anatomy and Physiology from Apologia

Geography - Tapestry of GraceYear 3 and Road Trip USA (for fun) by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 1 CDs

P.E. - USAG Girls Gymnastics Team level 5/7

3rd Grader

Bible - Listening to Christian Studies II by Memoria Press 

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - Abeka Arithmetic 3

Latin - Prima Latina from Memoria Press

Grammar - Rod & Staff English 3

Writing - IEW Bible Heros

Spelling - Spelling Power
Vocabulary - Vocabulary from Classical Roots 4
Literature Units - Tapestry of GraceYear 3: Upper Grammar level
History - Tapestry of GraceYear 3: Upper Grammar level

History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages

Science - Anatomy and Physiology from Apologia

Geography - Tapestry of GraceYear 3 and Road Trip USA (for fun) by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 1 CDs

P.E. - USAG Boys Gymnastics Team level 4

Kindergarten/1st

Bible - ABC Bible Verses

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - Abeka Arithmetic 1

Phonics - Primary Phonics 

Phonics - First Start Reading from Memoria Press
Reading - Bob books and Primary Phonics books

Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 1 CDs

P.E. - Gymnastics

Update: We don't do ALL of this every, single, day.  (I will post my sample schedules that I use for the kids soon.) For what I call our "core" curriculum, we do bible, math, history, latin, grammar, and writing every day.  Two to three times a week we do spelling, vocabulary, science, and geography. Then there is some other little "daily work" that the kids do, deepening on their age/grade.

Our Curriculum {2014-2015}

Its already August, and I know some states start school in August and some in September.  We are more of a year-round-school family, so our curriculum is ongoing and can sometimes change mid year. This year, we are trying a Hybrid school (kids in school 2 days a week).  Some curriculum is school (KCA) required and the rest we are doing here on our own.

This list might scare some, but know that we don't do everything every. single. day.  

Some things are once or twice a week.  Somethings are once a month. Some things are 5 mns a day, some are 15 mns a day. So.....while it might look like a lot its manageable....most days.  If/when it get to be too much, some of the extras slide.  I'm ok with that.  After all, I'm the teacher, right? 

6th Grader

Bible - *Big Truths for Young Hearts

Math - *Saxon *8/7

Latin - First Form Latin from Memoria Press

Grammar - Rod & Staff English 6 and Classical Conversations Essentials

Writing - *IEW Middle Ages

Spelling - Spelling Power

Vocabulary - *Vocabulary from Classical Roots 6

Literature Units - *Tapestry of Grace (through the hybrid)

Classical Studies - Famous Men of the Middle Ages from Memoria Press

History - *Tapestry of Grace (through the hybrid)

Science -*Chemistry (through the hybrid)

Geography - Road Trip USA by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Fine Arts - through KCA

Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 3 CDs

P.E. - USA Girls Gymnastics Team

4th Grader

Bible - through the hybrid

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - *Horizons 4

Latin - Latina Christiana I from Memoria Press and *Song School Latin

Grammar - Rod and Staff English 4  and Classical Conversations Essentials

Writing - *IEW Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales

Spelling - Spelling Power

Literature Units -  5th grade from Memoria Press and *Tapestry of Grace (through the hybrid)

Classical Studies - Famous Men of the Middle Ages from Memoria Press

History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages

Science - *Chemistry through KCA

Geography -  Road Trip USA by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Fine Arts - through the hybrid

Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 3 CDs

P.E. - USA Girls Gymnastics Team

2nd Grader

Bible - through the hybrid

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - *Horizons

Latin - Prima Latina from Memoria Press and *Song School Latin

Grammar - Rod & Staff English 2

Writing - Writing With Ease Level 2 and *IEW Bible Heros

Spelling - Spelling Power

History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages

Science - *Chemistry through KCA

Geography - Road Trip USA by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Fine Arts - through the hybrid

Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 3 CDs

P.E. - Gymnastics

Preschooler/Early Kindergarten

Bible - ABC Bible Verses and Big Thoughts for Little People

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - Abeka Arithmetic K and Numbers 1 and 2 from Memoria Press

Latin - *Song School Latin

Alphabet - Letter of the Week (simplified) from COAH  and Alphabet 1 and 2 from Memoria Press

Phonics - Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading

Reading - First Start Reading from Memoria Press

Classical Conversations Foundations Cycle 3 CDs

P.E. - Gymnastics

The items marked with the * are the books that are required from our Hybrid school.  There are more books within the history, literature and bible classes there, but those are course and time period (Middle Ages) specific.

Curriculum Series....

I posted awhile back on {How I Choose Curriculum}.

I also posted what our {Curriculum 2013-2014} will be.

I thought maybe I should post why I chose what I chose and how I move through the different levels.....so far.  

So I'm going to make it a little more in-depth. I'll try to highlight each subject, tell you what I use, how I use it, why I use it, if I've used something else, and anything else I think might help.  I'll start with what I call our "Core" curriculum, then move onto everything else.

In our house, Core curriculum means:

Bible
Math

Grammar

Writing

History

Science

2nd tier of my Core:

Latin
Vocabulary

Spelling

Literature

Classical Conversations
Handwriting

The Extras are:

Character

Poetry

Geography

Music

Art

The reason why some of these are "extras" is because they get Vocabulary and Geography in History, Christian Studies, Latin, Classical Literature, and in Classical Conversations.  They also get Art, Music,  and Science at CC.  We take Music Lessons (violin and piano) every week and we read classical literature and me throwing lit units in this year was an afterthought.  I'm not saying the "Extras" aren't important, just that its ok if we don't get to them every day and every week.

For us....I count a day of school if we get in Bible, Math, Grammar, and either History or Science.  I think there has been maybe one or two days that we've done that little of work; usually its those plus handwriting, spelling, bible and vocab etc. for a "basic" day.

Anyway.....hope my little series helps!  

Our Curriculum {2013-2104}

Before you freak out at the long list below....we don't do everything every. single. day.  

Some things are once or twice a week.  Somethings are once a month. Some things are 5 mns a day, some are 15 mns a day.

So.....while it looks like a lot (I've added more this year), I'm hoping it all works out.  

And if it doesn't....we drop some.  

Or work through the summer.  

Or every weekend.  

(Kidding!)

5th Grader
Bible - Christian Studies I and II by Memoria Press
Character -  10 days of Character Confessions of a Homeschooler (using this one per month!)
Math - Abeka Arithmetic 5
Latin - Latina Christiana I from Memoria Press
Grammar - Classical Conversations Essentials
Writing - Classical Conversations Essentials
Spelling - Spelling Power
Vocabulary - World Build from Dynamic Literacy
Literature Units - 4th/5th grade from Memoria Press
Poetry - Poetry for the Grammar Stage from Memoria Press
Classical Studies - Famous Men of the Middle Ages from Memoria Press
Classical Studies - Famous Men of Rome from Memoria Press
Classical Studies - D'Aulaires' Greek Myths from Memoria Press
History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages (finishing) then Early Modern Times
Science - Botany from Apologia
Geography - A Trip Around the World Series matching up with CC Foundations

Fine Arts - World Greatest Artist/Composers by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Classical Conversations Foundations

Music - Piano and Violin lessons

P.E. - USA Gymnastics Team

3rd Grader

Bible - Christian Studies I and II by Memoria Press

Character -  10 days of Character Confessions of a Homeschooler (using this one per month!)

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - Abeka Arithmetic 3

Latin - Prima Latina from Memoria Press

Grammar - Rod and Staff Beginning Wisely

Grammar - Classical Conversations Pre-Essentials

Writing - Classical Conversations Pre-Essentials

Spelling - Spelling Power

Vocabulary - World Build from Dynamic Literacy

Literature Units - 4th/5th grade from Memoria Press

Poetry - Poetry for the Grammar Stage from Memoria Press
Classical Studies - Famous Men of Rome from Memoria Press

Classical Studies - D'Aulaires' Greek Myths from Memoria Press

History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages (finishing) then Early Modern Times

Science - Botany from Apologia

Geography - A Trip Around the World Series matching up with CC Foundations

Fine Arts - World Greatest Artist/Composers by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Classical Conversations Foundations

Music - Piano and Violin lessons

P.E. - USA Gymnastics Team

1st Grader

Bible - Listening to Bible stories from the Jesus Storybook Bible when read with above

Character -  10 days of Character Confessions of a Homeschooler (using this one per month!)

Handwriting - A Reason For Handwriting

Math - Abeka Arithmetic 2

Grammar - First Language Lessons 1 and 2

Writing - Writing With Ease Level 1

Spelling - Spelling Power (All About Spelling was too easy so we are switching)

Classical Studies - D'Aulaires' Greek Myths from Memoria Press

History - Story of the World: The Middle Ages (finishing) then Early Modern Times

Science - Botany from Apologia

Geography - A Trip Around the World Series matching up with CC Foundations

Fine Arts - World Greatest Artist/Composers by Confessions of a Homeschooler

Classical Conversations Foundations

Music - Piano lessons

P.E. - Soccer/Gymnastics/Karate

Preschooler

Letter of the Week (simplified) from COAH 

Lots of active play and reading

Phew!!!  Its going to be a fun year!

(All the curriculum is linked either to the book on Amazon or the manufacturers site.)

South America Color in Map

Here's a great printable from www.ducksters.com.  This is perfect for Cycle 1, Weeks 23 and 24 Geography!

Canadian Waters {Printable}

Here are some maps for the Canadian Waters (Cycle 1, Week 22) that I quickly altered so we can use as a printable for our weekly review.

Here is the fill in the blank version...

 Here is the answer key...

Happy Mapping!

CC Cycle 1, Week 21 Review at Home {Game Plan}

For our "Weekly Review Session" we get all the kids together and make a little party of it.  We cover all the new information for the current week, plus go over the whole timeline and add a Geography study.  We are amazed at how much better the kids do during proofing on the weeks we meet.

Here's the Game Plan for our Week 21 review session.....

History Sentence and Timeline

The Exploration of Canada

Here is video (2mns) about the high tides and the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick.
Here is a history sentence drawing sheet.

As always, listen to songs from CC CD

English 

Linking Verbs

Singing the Linking Verb to the tune of "The Ants Go Marching In"

(Working on a printable that goes along with the song.)

Science

The 5 Major Circles of of Latitude

Here is a worksheet to draw in and label the lines.

Geography

Canadian Provinces 

Extra Geography Unit - Canada

We will color in the flag while learning about it, study where Canada is on the map and any major rivers, oceans and land formations.

Latin

We will play a review game using this and placing the 4th Declension noun endings

Math

Here is a cute printable showing Associative Law.

Fine Arts

Bach

When we do our Famous Composers study, I download these on each one so we can listen while we study.  You get 100 of their hits for $1-2.  That's a steal!!!
In our homeschool, we are working through Confessions of Homeschoolers Greatest Composers study

At the end, they should be able to fill out this review sheet.

How I Chose Curriculum

One of the most asked questions I get from fellow homeschoolers, people who are thinking about homeschooling and everyone else is....How do you choose your curriculum?

Well...the most asked question by people who don't homeschool is something like, "How do you not go crazy having the kids around all the time?"  Which for those of you that HS will kinda make you sad, right?  I LOVE having my kids with me.  (Ok, let's be honest here...there are those days, but for the most part its true. :) 

But, I'm not getting into that debate here.

How I choose my curriculum???

A lot of researching!

When I made the decision to pull the kids out of school, I spent the next month researching curriculum.  I was obsessed!  I did a few things....

  

1) I called and emailed every single person that I knew who homeschooled.  I asked about what they used and why.  What they've tried, why they like it or why it didn't work.  

2) I read The Well Trained Mind.  What I really mean, is I devoured it!  Its a HUGE book.  But I read all the parts that were pertinent to us.  I took notes.  I combed over it again and took notes again.  (Actually I still do!  I look over it about every 6 months.  Once around Christmas and once in the summer.

3) I cross referenced everything from the previous two sources with Cathy Duffy Reviews.

4) I did check out some HS sites that did curriculum review, but didn't find them as helpful.  I was looking for a place that I could type in "Math" and see all of my options and the reviews, instead of a specific Math program.  (If anyone knows of such a site, please let me know! ;)

What I wish I could have done?  Actually look through the stuff.  I got to a little bit with the friends that were local, but that was a select bit of curriculum.  We have no homeschool resale store here and when we made the decision it was not during the time of a homeschool conference.

One piece of advice that I did receive is that if something doesn't work...don't be afraid to dump it and find something else.

Lines of Latitude Worksheet {Printable}

 Here's a great worksheet for the lines of latitude from WorksheetWorks

Here are the answers. :) 

We started working on a little Geography project with the kids a few weeks ago.  Trinidy and I were discussing how we thought the kids needed the spatial awareness and knowledge of where everything is on the map.  

Through Classical Conversations we work on specific mapping and in our own Geography curriculum I have the kids find the country on the map.  We also do mapping work with our "Story of the World" History workbook, so they are getting to know where things are.

 But...we think we should do more. 

I would love the kids to be able to draw their own maps.  By heart. 

So...

We are starting with "blob mapping," but the first step is being able to draw the lines of latitude and longitude (which I will be posting soon) but I love it when everything overlaps, and now they get to see it again at CC (C1 W21).

Worksheet Works {Homeschool Helps}

Ahhhh.....I love this website!  And its FREE!

worksheetworks.com

When I am looking for extra worksheets (especially mapping) I go here first.  You can create pretty much any kind of worksheet for multiple difficulty levels, which is great since I have 4 different age levels here.

There is:

Math

English

Alphabets

Writing

Geography

Puzzles of all kinds

Logic

Planners

Hand/Eye Coordination

Oh My...

Right now I mainly use this for extra maps in our Geography curriculum.  We are working on "blob mapping" and learning to map by heart.

Next year I am tutoring Classical Conversations: Essentials B/C, so plan on using it for logic puzzles and Grammar helps.

CC Cycle 1, Week 20 Review at Home {Game Plan}

For our "Weekly Review Session" we get all the kids together and make a little party of it.  We cover all the new information for the current week, plus go over the whole timeline and add a Geography study.  We are amazed at how much better the kids do during proofing on the weeks we meet.

Here's the Game Plan for our Week 20 review session.....

History Sentence and Timeline

Mexican Revolution

Here is video (5mns) about the Mexican Revolution and a printable for them to draw their interpretation.
As always, listen to songs from CC CD

English 

Helping Verbs
Listen to the helping verb song (still on helping verbs! :)

Here is a printable that goes along with the song.

Science

Earth's Atmosphere
Here is a video (2 mns) about a solar flare and the Aurora Borealis, which occurs in the Thermosphere layer.
Here is a cute little song about the Earth's Atmosphere.

Here is a great resource about the Atmosphere from Education.com.
Here is an activity I put together about the atmospheric layers. 

We will put together one of these to show the layers in proportion.

Geography

Mesoamerica

Extra Geography Unit - Mexico
We will color in the flag while learning about it, study where Mexico is on the map and any major rivers, oceans and land formations.
From Children's Amazing Places we will read about the underwater city of Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza.
Now would be a great week to go out to a Mexican restaurant. YUM!

Latin

We will play a review game using this:

Math

There is a fun math song that one of our tutors sings with the kids.  Here is a link to the song on you tube.
Here is a cute pizza worksheet from education.com about the circumference and area of a pizza....um, I mean circle.

Fine Arts

Handel

When we do our Famous Composers study, I download these on each one so we can listen while we study.  You get 100 of their hits for $1-2.  That's a steal!!!

Here you can listen on YouTube for free.

At the end, they should be able to fill out this review sheet.

Cycle 1, Week 19 Review at Home {Game Plan}

For our "Weekly Review Session," we get all the kids together and make a little party of it.  We cover all the new information for the current week, plus go over the whole timeline and add a Geography study.  We are amazed at how much better the kids do during proofing on the weeks we meet.

Here's the Game Plan for our Week 19 review session.....

History Sentence and Timeline

Listen to songs from CC CD

Here is a video (9 mns) about the Anasazi.
Here is another video (44mns) "Mystery of the Anasazi"

English 

Listen to the helping verb song.

Here is a printable that goes along with the song.

Science

Here is a video about Marine Communities, which includes a little about the ocean zones.

Here is a teaching sheet and worksheet we will use for the Ocean Zones.  I've included the 4 main zones with a little description of each, in addition to some of the animal life that can be found there.  

Geography

We will color in the printables of the 13 colonies and the American Colonial Flag from here.

(Still cracks me up....all those girls and one boy!)

Here is a video with signs to help learn the original 13 colonies.
Here is a video about the original 13 colonies.
(No extra Geography Unit this week.)

Latin

We will play a review game using this:

Math

There is a fun math song that one of our tutors sings with the kids.  Here is a link to the song on you tube.  (Kinda corny, but hey...whatever works!)

At the end, they should be able to fill out this review sheet.

Original 13 Colonies and Colonial Flag {Printable}

(image adapter from here)

When you review the original 13 colonies, have them color in the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies and the Southern Colonies and create a key.
Oh and the answers....
New England Colonies: Main (part of Massachusetts), New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut
Middle Colonies: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware
Southern Colonies: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

(image adapter from here)

This is great for Cycle 1, Week 19 review or even for tutors during class!