Curriculum Picks for 2012-2013

I have to admit, I am a researcher and a curriculum junkie!  I love so much that it's very difficult to narrow my choices and decide!  However, I always do have to make a decision, so what are my picks for this year?

DRUM ROLL PLEASE...........................................................................................................................

I will start with my youngest.  She will be in Kindergarten.  I really wanted to start her off right by using more Charlotte Mason friendly materials right from the start (instead of waiting because of insecurities or not knowing how to implement the method - which is why I struggled to implement CM's ideas earlier with my older two).  So, for Phonics I chose Reading Made Easy and to add in some "fun" Happy Phonics to supplement.  I am hoping by using both she will get the instruction she needs, but also the application through fun games.  I chose A Reason for Handwriting level A for her printing practice.  For Bible, I am going to be using A Child's Book of Character Building (Books 1 & 2) and also Leading Little Ones to God.  For Math, I will be beginning Math-U-See Primer.  For Science, I am going to use Living Learning Books Science Level 1 (First Edition).  I used this with my older children when they were young, and it was so much fun, I had to do it again.  It covers animals, insects, plants, and the human body (Life Science).  I will also be doing a U.S. State Study and our State Study using Cantering the Country and Fifty States Under God and Missouri State History.  And a tad bit of Early American History as she follows along with her older sister's TruthQuest and Beautiful Feet Guides.  For fun, she will be listening in on Apologia's Who Am I? Worldview study and using the coloring book that goes along with the program.  And, though I am not completely decided, I may go with Artistic Pursuits for art.  She is loving to draw, color, paint and create and I think it would be a great fit in helping her develop those skills.  I also have chosen a few Rod & Staff workbooks (D, E, & F) for fun that she can practice more on cutting, pasting, matching and other fine motor  and logic skills.  We used some for pre-school this year and she really enjoyed them, so I just got a few more for her Kindergarten year.  Seems very FULL, but we will see how it all works out.  I doubt we will do all of the subjects every day, and I will try to make it LOADS of fun.  I want her to have a LOVE for school early on, and to look forward to each day with bright eyes.

A RECAP FOR KINDERGARTEN CHOICES:

Phonics:  Reading Made Easy and Happy Phonics

Handwriting:  A Reason for Handwriting A

Bible:  Apologia's "Who Am I?" (tagging along with older bro & sis) and Leading Little Ones to God

Character:  A Child's Book or Character Building (Books 1 & 2)

Math:  Math-U-See Primer

Science:  Living Learning Books Level 1 (Life Science First Edition)

History:  Cantering the Country with U.S. State Study (tagging along in Early Am. History w/ older sis)

Art:  Artistic Pursuits

Fine Motor & Logic:  Rod & Staff workbooks

For my 6th grader, I have made a tough decision to step away from Heart of Dakota for a year so that she will get more out of the next program in line.  I look forward to returning to it for 7th grade, though.  But, in the mean time, I have decided to use Apologia's Who Am I? Worldview study for Bible and Memory Verses and for character, Wisdom and the Miller's and Prudence and the Miller's.  For language arts I'm taking a complete CM dive!  LOL!  I am going to use Living Grammar Books for the main instruction.  One is called Grammar Land and another Eats Shoots and Ladders.  There is also a series by Ruth Heller I can check out from my library.  Then, to supplement and for a hands on component, I will be using Winston Grammar.  I've heard it is the Math-U-See of Grammar.  I am really looking forward to seeing how this compares to a much stricter method my son will be using.  For writing, I am going to give Write Shop a try.  I've struggled finding a good fit for Language Arts for seven years now, so I hope these plans will finally be a match!  I plan to stick with Dictation as well.  It is great for reinforcing spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar usage.  For reading, I'm sticking with Heart of Dakota's Drawn into the Heart of Reading.  We have enjoyed it this year and want to continue.  The book choices have been fabulous through Heart of Dakota and I don't have to worry about complaints!  For vocabulary I'm just going to throw in some Vocabulary Cartoons.  It looks like a fun way to do vocabulary.  I am hoping she can continue practicing her cursive using A Reason for Handwriting Level C, and also begin learning how to type.  We are sticking with Math-U-See for Math, and I am considering adding in Life of Fred Fractions for fun.  For Science, I've decided to go with Simply Charlotte Mason's 106 Days of Creation which also incorporates Considering God's Creation with Nature Study.  I think this will be a lot of fun!  She will also be doing a U.S. State Study using Fifty States Under God and Missouri State History.  I think the notebooks are really going to turn out nicely!  I am looking forward to going back to geography using the Trail Guide to U.S. Geography.  We've used the Trail Guides before and they are FANTASTIC and easy to implement.  I will also supplement the geography a bit with Cantering the Country.  Then, for History, I am combining Beautiful Feet Books Early American History Intermediate with the TruthQuest Age of Revolution 1's commentary and a few book choices.  It's taking some work to get it all organized, but I think it will work out very nicely!  I love TruthQuest and have used it in the past, and had a very hard time leaving it to go to Heart of Dakota last year, but TQ is time-consuming in the planning while HOD is completely open and go, so I felt that is where the Lord led me (as my time has been greatly restricted with opening a computer business with my husband this year).  This year, though, I am hoping to have the summer to plan and organize everything so that it will go smoothly in the fall.  I am also planning to get Artistic Pursuits for art.  This is an area she feels she struggles in and I'm hoping taking a course will build her confidence.  I am planning to use the Simply Charlotte Mason rotations for Poetry, Picture Study, and Music Appreciation.  WOW!  That seems like a lot!  And, it is, but I'm trying to prepare her for the upcoming guide in HOD that will be much more challenging, yet give her an enjoyable year.  I think this will all be a great fit and am looking forward to trying the new things as well as coming back to some favorites!

A RECAP FOR SIXTH GRADE CHOICES:

Bible:  Apologia's "Who Am I?"

Character:  Wisdom and the Miller's & Prudence and the Miller's

Reading:  Drawn Into the Heart of Reading

Vocabulary:  Vocabulary Cartoons

Handwriting:  A Reason for Handwriting C

Typing:  Typing Instructor Deluxe

Writing:  Write Shop

Grammar:  Living Grammar Books (Grammar Land, Eats Shoots and Leaves, and Ruth Heller Series) with Winston Grammar for the hands on element

Math:  Math-U-See Epsilon with Life of Fred Fractions

Science:  106 Days of Creation with Considering God's Creation and Nature Study

Geography:  Trail Guide to U.S. Geography supplementing Cantering the Country

History:  Beautiful Feet's Early American History Intermediate with TruthQuest's Age of Revolution 1

State Study:  Fifty States Under God and Missouri State Study

Poetry, Picture Study, Music Appreciation:  Simply Charlotte Mason's Rotation

Art:  Artistic Pursuits

For my son going into High School in the fall, I wanted to keep it challenging!  So, for him we are sticking with Heart of Dakota and moving up to the Revival to Revolution guide.  We will be using it mostly as written, but tweaking a few things.  History will be early American history and will be as written through the guide, as well as the Fifty States Under God study.  (Now you see where I got the idea for the girls!)  He will also be doing a study on the Signers.  I will be adding in several Government videos to go along with the history study in hopes of gaining a government credit.  I'm excited about watching all of them.  They look like they will be fantastic!  Math will be Math-U-See Algebra 1, no supplements needed.  He begged me to go back to the Trail Guides for Geography, so we are!  I'm sure he'll  be thrilled, as he did not like HOD's geography very well.  For language arts, we are sticking with Dictation through HOD and Rod & Staff English.  It is very rigorous but he likes it.  And, to make it more CM friendly, we do it almost completely orally.  For Literature, I chose to go with Progeny Press Guides.  I am hoping he will like this as well or better than Drawn into the Heart of Reading.  I am also going to give Vocabulary Cartoons a try for vocabulary.  I want to make sure he is typing correctly as he LOVES to "play" on the computer, so I will be having him practice typing correctly using Typing Instructor Deluxe.  For Writing, we are going to be using Write Shop, but going at a more rigorous rate than his younger sister.  I plan to complete the course in one year for him, while taking 2 or more years for his sister.  We are using HOD's recommended science as written.  It is Exploration Education's Intermediate Physical Science course with labs.  I think the computer based program with the hands on element will be greatly enjoyed!  He will also be doing Apologia's Who Am I? Worldview study and memory verses.  I think it will be great!  We loved the first book in the series and look forward to this next one!  For character, I've chosen A Young Man After God's Own Heart and Thoughts for Young Men.  I will be adding in Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish 1 for foreign language.  I am really hoping to find a good fit in a coop next year.  Especially for my son.  He needs some teenage buddies that also homeschool.  His schedule will be quite full, and definitely high school credit worthy.  I don't think I need to worry about rigor with Heart of Dakota!  It is such a great program!  And, since my kids have never studied American history, I think they will really enjoy the upcoming year!  I know I'm excited to learn it in a Charlotte Mason way, instead of the boring text book way that I learned.  I'm sure I will learn more than I ever did when I went to school.  Oh the joys of homeschooling!

A RECAP FOR NINTH GRADE CHOICES:

Bible:  Apologia's "Who Am I?"

Character:  A Young Man After God's Own Heart and Thoughts for Young Men

Reading/Literature:  Progeny Press Guides

Vocabulary:  Vocabulary Cartoons 1

Typing:  Typing Instructor Deluxe

Writing:  Write Shop

Grammar:  Rod & Staff English

Math:  Math-U-See Algebra 1

Science:  Exploration Education's Intermediate Physical Science

Geography:  Trail Guide to U.S. Geography

History, State Study, Poetry, Sketching, Inventor Study, Composer Study, Notebooking, Timeline, Signers Study, Primary Source Document Study and Dictation: Heart of Dakota Revival to Revolution

Government:  The American Heritage Series, The American Heritage Collection and The American Testimony DVD set

Foreign Language:  Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish 1

I hope to post soon about how I organize our homeschool.  So, keep watching for that post!