It’s that time of year again…clean notebooks, freshly sharpened pencils, earlier bedtimes and of course, our homeschool curriculum choices.
We homeschool in terms, so scheduling for me is like planning three “mini-years.” Because our terms last for 3 months, I am able to evaluate where the kids are at, how they’ve grown and what changes we need to make each term. This also allows me to provide the generous feast Charlotte Mason was always going on about.
When you homeschool in terms, you can enjoy more variety in your curriculum. Some of the subjects we rotate are Music Study, Picture Study, Hymn Study, Shakespeare, and Poet Study (if you are unfamiliar with any of this terminology, check out this guide). We do not study these subjects every term or even every year and yet my children are going to get exposure to them throughout their education.
We divide our curriculum into two categories: Group Work and Individual Work and they mean exactly what they sound like. The group work is done as a group while the individual work is catered to meeting the child’s current needs. This is one of the the many joys of homeschool – we can learn together and discuss great ideas but not at the expense of children’s individual needs. Subjects like history and early elementary science are great for group work while math and reading really must be catered to the individual child.
Group Work
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Bible:
The Big Picture Interactive Bible for Kids: Mark 1-6
Devotional:
The Purpose Driven Life Devotional for Kids
Geography:
MapTrek: Medieval
Habits:
Rinna Family 15 (like our own little “constitution”)
History:
The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: The Middle Ages: (Vol. 2)
Our Island Story: A History of England for Boys and Girls
This Country of Ours: The Story of the United States
Columbus
Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed The World
Hymn Study:
Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories
Literature 1 (Classics):
Along Came a Dog (Harper Trophy Books (Paperback))
Farmer Boy (Little House)
Literature 2 (Great Reads):
Pre-school Booklist for the Well-Read Child
4th – 6th Grade Booklist for the Well-Read Child
Living Math:
Life of Fred Cats
Memory Work:
Matthew 21:22
{Favorite Poem} (TBA)
Matthew 28:19-20
Music Study:
Franz Schubert
Best of Schubert
Great Composers 18 Makers of Music
Nature Study:
Fun With Nature: Take Along Guide (Take Along Guides)
The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups
DIY Sketchbooks for Nature Walks
Physical Education:
Daily bike rides to the park
Picture Study:
Titian
Picture Study Portfolios by Simply Charlotte Mason: Titian
Science:
Tree in the Trail
Individual Work: Benjamin (5th Grade, Tier 5)
The Arts of Language
Early Reading: All About Reading Level 4
Independent Read-Aloud: Bambi: A Life in the Woods (Bambi’s Classic Animal Tales)
Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Handwriting
STEM-L
Math: Math-U-See Beta
Personal Development
Other: The Son-Rise Program® Level 4
Individual Work: Jackson (5th Grade, Tier 6)
The Arts of Language
Independent Read-Aloud: Homer Price
Spelling: All About Spelling Level 4
Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Success
Formal Writing: IEW Fables, Myths & Fairy Tales
Grammar: IEW Fix It! The Nose Tree
Latin: Song School Latin {Look for a review in November!}
STEM-L
Math: Math-U-See Gamma
Logic: Dr. Doo Riddles
Personal Development
Sports: Soccer
Music Lessons: Hoffman Academy Unit 2
Individual Work: Owen (3rd Grade, Tier 5)
The Arts of Language
Early Reading: All About Reading Level 1
Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears Printing Power
STEM-L
Math: Math-U-See Beta
Logic: Dyslexia Games – Puzzling Patterns – Series A Book 2
Personal Development
Sports: Hockey
Music Lessons: Hoffman Academy Unit 2
Individual Work: Gracie (Pre-School, Tier 6)
The Arts of Language
Early Reading:A is For Art SCM
Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears My First School Book
STEM-L
Math: Melissa & Doug My First Daily Magnetic Calendar
Personal Development
Other: Busy Boxes with brothers (puzzles, games, crafts, etc.)
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