Here are the books we use right now: Both Caroline (11 as of last week and in 5th grade) and Colin (7 1/2...he will NOT let me forget the 1/2 and technically in 2nd grade) use Horizons Math.
Both do Wordly Wise for vocabulary and then switch to Word Roots for the remainder of the year.
Both do Rod and Staff English....I am very mixed on how I feel about diagramming so we learn it and then skip a year of it and do Easy Grammar. This gives us a versatile look at grammar. RandS is very thorough...in fact TOO thorough if we did the entire book so I allow them do do shorter lessons at times depending on their knowledge and work ethic at the time. If the work ethic is not going well, then we do more work. Mean mom, I know.
Writing...Probably the most important thing to teach and the one thing I am totally uncomfortable with. I use Excellence in Writing, but not with confidence. We also do online classes with www.home2teach.com from time to time. They are AMAZING!
Colin does Explode the Code....I don't remember the level. He goes pretty fast with this one and personally it seems a little easy to me, but reinforces handwriting and other skills so we keep it. He also enjoys it.
Both kids also do Pathways. We have done this one since the beginning. We tried to switch to Christian Light, but it just didn't work for us. This one works and my kids love the stories. Yes, they are old and Menonite and yet very engaging, not to mention challenging!
History is such a mix of many things. (as of 2012 we are doing Mystery of History and love it. We still read from Sonlight's booklist and get more of them on ebay). Not confident always in my wandering since I love history so much, but we charge ahead all the same. We use Sonlight for history and reading! Best booklist ever! We read all the books and many of them together! I also add some additional ones in as they are appropriate....I know, I know, for those of you who know of Sonlight think I am crazy.... Sonlight is READING INTENSIVE and we are doing a 7th grade level. Oops. We are doing it over 2 years. No worries. We also do Picture This now known as www.picturesmartbible.com. It is quite creative and I have learned a lot in the process. The kids loe it....ALL ages from 15 on down.
Science is Apologia for both kids and Colin is working through a Science book in addition to the reading from Apologia. We do NOT do it often enough. I am working on that.
Spelling Power....I am very forgetful of this often.
Piano by me. Violin for Colin and Caleb (Caleb is in his first year of Christian Heritage). Guitar not often with a video series. We just started Mavis Beacon for typing (haven't done it for a year or 2). Colin never wants to stop it. We also use Flashmaster for math drills when we need extra work in areas. Maybe one day I will truly learn all the things it does. It might even fold laundry! Whoohoo! I think that is it. I am tired and not sure. I purchased a homechooling planner this year really with the intent of coming up with my own for the future. It was hard for me to move away from the charts I made up during my first year of homeschooling and have used ever since, but I like it. I have noted some things I would change, but it is awesome! If I have time, I willpublish make copies of my own along with my book on foster parenting....bahahaha....don't wait in line for it. Oh yeah, you read my blog, you won't. Just making sure I was still awake. I am, sort of.
Both do Wordly Wise for vocabulary and then switch to Word Roots for the remainder of the year.
Both do Rod and Staff English....I am very mixed on how I feel about diagramming so we learn it and then skip a year of it and do Easy Grammar. This gives us a versatile look at grammar. RandS is very thorough...in fact TOO thorough if we did the entire book so I allow them do do shorter lessons at times depending on their knowledge and work ethic at the time. If the work ethic is not going well, then we do more work. Mean mom, I know.
Writing...Probably the most important thing to teach and the one thing I am totally uncomfortable with. I use Excellence in Writing, but not with confidence. We also do online classes with www.home2teach.com from time to time. They are AMAZING!
Colin does Explode the Code....I don't remember the level. He goes pretty fast with this one and personally it seems a little easy to me, but reinforces handwriting and other skills so we keep it. He also enjoys it.
Both kids also do Pathways. We have done this one since the beginning. We tried to switch to Christian Light, but it just didn't work for us. This one works and my kids love the stories. Yes, they are old and Menonite and yet very engaging, not to mention challenging!
History is such a mix of many things. (as of 2012 we are doing Mystery of History and love it. We still read from Sonlight's booklist and get more of them on ebay). Not confident always in my wandering since I love history so much, but we charge ahead all the same. We use Sonlight for history and reading! Best booklist ever! We read all the books and many of them together! I also add some additional ones in as they are appropriate....I know, I know, for those of you who know of Sonlight think I am crazy.... Sonlight is READING INTENSIVE and we are doing a 7th grade level. Oops. We are doing it over 2 years. No worries. We also do Picture This now known as www.picturesmartbible.com. It is quite creative and I have learned a lot in the process. The kids loe it....ALL ages from 15 on down.
Science is Apologia for both kids and Colin is working through a Science book in addition to the reading from Apologia. We do NOT do it often enough. I am working on that.
Spelling Power....I am very forgetful of this often.
Piano by me. Violin for Colin and Caleb (Caleb is in his first year of Christian Heritage). Guitar not often with a video series. We just started Mavis Beacon for typing (haven't done it for a year or 2). Colin never wants to stop it. We also use Flashmaster for math drills when we need extra work in areas. Maybe one day I will truly learn all the things it does. It might even fold laundry! Whoohoo! I think that is it. I am tired and not sure. I purchased a homechooling planner this year really with the intent of coming up with my own for the future. It was hard for me to move away from the charts I made up during my first year of homeschooling and have used ever since, but I like it. I have noted some things I would change, but it is awesome! If I have time, I will
1 comment:
Two posts in one night - where is Kara??!! I'm waiting for you to publish your homeschooling chart. I'm always looking for something that will help!
And, if I have any good ideas for gifts, I'll let you know. I made cookies in a 'jar' one year except I used the 'throw away' containers you can get at walmart.
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