Homeschool Curriculum 2012-2013 Line-Up.....

I cannot believe it is time again to be posting my homeschool curriculum line-up for a new school year.  I love evaluating what we are doing in our homeschool and do this pretty much throughout the year, not just at the end of the year.  It always seems at this time of year, that the curriculum for the new school year is going to be better and more exciting than what we are finishing up right now!  I think we really are just ready for our summer schedule!

When I first started homeschooling I thought that I would always use Sonlight for everything.  While we still love many things about Sonlight, you will see below the things that we needed to change to make things work for our homeschool.  I have learned to be much more flexible in our schooling and not following my Sonlight guide to the t has made things more enjoyable for me.  We still do most everything in it as far as books go, but we are doing them at our own pace.

Here is where we will start the year, with the freedom to change if I need to at anytime!

Math:  Horizons….  After switching from Singapore during my son’s 1st grade year we have been very happy with Horizons.   Grant will start Grade 3 and Merideth will start Grade 2 over the summer by doing a few sheets a week and then we will resume 4 days a week in August.  I have some math games ordered to use as well.  I made a decision at the end of summer to go ahead and switch Grant over to Teaching Textbooks Grade 4 after summer.

History:  Sonlight  (We are going to be doing Year 2 of American History over a 2 year period and also adding in some other books that we choose on our own.)  This will be a change for us, we have always done a complete core each year until now.  We will also be adding in some games and projects for hands on learning.  I’ve also purchased some new Christian Heroes:  Then and Now and Heroes of History  books that are sold by YWAM.  We really enjoy reading these books.  We are also going to continue working on our MO lapbooks.  I made timeline books for them and used the History Through The Ages timeline figure CD from Little Homeschool in the Woods to print figures for them.  I really am excited about this, because we will all understand where  the Bible fits in with the rest of history.  I also have ordered a CD from Classical Conversations that has songs with the complete timeline of history on it that we will use as a memorization tool.

Science:  Some Sonlight suggestions,  along with book suggestions from The Well Trained Mind.  The topics that we will cover are:  Electricity, Magnetism, Light, Color, Space and Astronomy, and Microscopes.  For the first time this year Science will be more child-directed.  I will start us off with one of these topics and then we will spend as much time on it as the kids want.  We will do experiments and projects that correlate to each topic that we are studying.   They will also have to check out library books about the topic that we are on each week to read on their own.  I’ve never had to do my own planning for Science before, so this is a pretty big change for me, but one that I want to make while we still have time for some free exploration before getting to upper-level Science.  I also plan to have Grant start keeping a Science notebook with something new that he has learned each day.  I think he will enjoy going back and reading these later on.  Science is one of his favorite things.

Read Alouds:  Sonlight and Library books

Readers:  Sonlight and Library books of their choice.  Grant will be doing the readers that go along with E and Merideth will be reading the readers that are listed as 4-5th grade readers under core C.  She has already started those so she may also do the level D readers.

Grant’s readers….

Language Arts:  First Language Lessons:  Level 3 Mer  and Level 4 Grant

Handwriting:   Merideth is so excited to start cursive.  She will be using A Reason for Handwriting Transition book, but only doing the cursive section.  She has already completed the printing section.  Grant will continue cursive, but will be using a book called Copywork for Boys by Queen Publishers.  The copywork is written in print and he will have to write it in cursive.  This will be the first time he has done cursive without copying something that is already in cursive.

Spelling:  Spelling Power…  We made this switch in February and it was the right decision.  Both kids are doing much better in spelling and they are truly learning the words now.

Writing:   Writing with Ease:  We will finish up level 2 and begin level 3.

Electives:

Bible:  Quiet Times in Room each day and Starting Strong.  I am also adding in Answers in Genesis Bible Curriculum for Kids this year.

Music:  Alfred’s Piano for Merideth.   Music Theory for both.  Church Musical for Mer.  Hymn study for both.  Each month we are learning a new hymn and about the person who wrote the hymn.  Recorders for both.

Art:  Class once a month at the library, and projects at home

Latin:  We will finish Song School Latin.

Spanish:  I’ve just order Spanish Level 1 from Great Commission Languages.  I will post pics when it comes in.

PE: Level 3 competitive gymnastics team for Mer and Baseball for Grant.  We are also taking a PE Class once a week this year that is taught by our local parks and recs department.

Grant:  Cub Scouts,  4H (Robotics)

Merideth:  American Girl Doll Club, 4H (Crocheting)

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