After blog hunting and researching and taking into consideration our boys' unique personalities and abilities, we have found curriculum that will hopefully be fun and act as a good springboard for activities and extra learning. We want to take lots of field trips, be library regulars and do lots of hands on learning.
Our boys are 5 and 6, so will technically be in kindergarten and first grade. The classes we have chosen can be used for both boys, and adjusted to meet the age needs of either kid.
Our curriculum choices are:
A Reason for Handwriting Level A
All About Spelling
Little Passports(for geography)
Story of the World: Ancient Times (history)
My Body: grades 1-4 (science)
Telling God's Story (Bible)
We still are unsure about a math curriculum, so if you know of a fun, easy to understand program, let me know! Both boys are actually really good at math, and I think it's going to be hard finding something challenging and new without being difficult and boring. We'll have to shop around.
Other than these classes, we will be doing some child led learning. If they express an interest in a subject, we will use that as a means to learn all sorts of subjects. An interest in construction trucks isn't just about "boy stuff." It can be a way to make reading fun by reading truck books, learn math by measuring different trucks and comparing, etc.
So that's it in a nutshell. Wish us luck on our new, exciting adventure! We're Off!!!
Congratulations on your decision to homeschool! You're going to do great. We love All About Spelling. I haven't found a better program out there. And I've tried a few. That's the beauty of homeschooling. If something doesn't work for you, you can try something else! I also have two kids who are close in age, so we do as many subjects together as we can. It saves me so much time and work! I hope you have a fantastic first year!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! So excited for your little family.
ReplyDeleteMy son is in first grade this year and my daughter might start Kindergarten in January if I think she's ready. It should be a fun year!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great list! I have used Singapore Math as well Miquon math through the years with my little ones. Good luck on your new journey.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! That sounds like a great year. We are using My Body too and combining it with a couple other anatomy books because I have both a 5 year old and a 10 year old. You've made a great choice to homeschool! Enjoy your year!
ReplyDeleteYou are going to have a great year!
ReplyDeleteI think you will have a great first year. SOTW is super, both my boys have really enjoyed it. Mathletics is a site my boys enjoyed using while we were "between" math curriculums. You might check out Handbook of Nature Study site and her Outdoor Hour series for a really fun and easy way to introduce nature studies. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLooks great!! It's our 1st year, too, so I understand what you are feeling!! :)
ReplyDeleteI still can't believe I'm starting my second year of homeschooling. The first year flew by. I hope yours goes well; it looks like you have a great plan.
ReplyDeleteKatie
Hopped in the HOTM's Not Back to School Hop. congratulations on starting your first year! It looks like you have a great plan in place and will learn as you go what will work and what won't. As for math, Saxon is great if they need repetition and hands on teaching, otherwise, you might want to try Singapore or Horizons. As you go, you will see what does work and what doesn't. Don't be afraid to tweak when needed. Enjoy your year. :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome to homeschooling! I hope you have a wonderful year! :)
ReplyDelete~Lynn
Thank you so much for sharing! I loved looking at the "Little Passports", I wasn't going to use it, but I'm sure re-considering that decision. We are using Rod & Staff for Math; the "requirement" is only 2 pages/day, but if your boys are advanced, skip or do more. It comes also with speed drills, and encourages "chalk board" work, and flash cards so it's a bit diverse. It's simple in it's lay-out and easy to follow.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
We are also using A Reason for Handwriting, Story of the World (we love it!), and All About Spelling and we are considering Little Passports. Hope you have a great year! It sounds like you have planned it well.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great year. I hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteWe use Story of the World as well! I need to look into "little passports" apparently!