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10th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Aug112016
August 11, 2016 by 5 Comments

10th grade homeschool curriculum choices from Homeschool Creations 2016

Our poor girl may not have found it humorous when I texted her a picture of her HUGE curriculum pile. Granted the textbooks seem to grow astronomically each year the kids progress in school, but it definitely can seem a little daunting – especially when there is no way she’d be able to fit them all into one backpack without tipping over backwards. I honestly think the pile of books might weigh about half as much as she does. (gulp)

Laurianna has matured so much this last year, especially over the summer as she took on her first real job as a lifeguard and swim coach, also teaching swim lessons and participating in swim team. Overall, she was rather busy, but it was wonderful to see her really step up to what was asked of her and step in when something needed to be done. She is anxiously waiting for the day in September when she will be able to start driving. Please pray for me. (deep breaths)

10th Grade Curriculum Choices

Credits to earn: 7

American Literature high school reading list 2016_edited-1

So far, Laurianna has earned a total of 13.5 credits, so at the end of her 10th grade year she will have completed a total of 20.5 credits toward her diploma – meaning a somewhat lighter year for her 11th grade year and the option of dual enrollment classes. 

Laurianna did a great job figuring out her own routine last year (it may not have always been the way I liked it, but it worked for her). Learning to let go (on my part) is probably the hardest aspect of this, but we are encouraging her to take as much responsibility as possible to prepare her for dual credit classes in the upcoming future. 

Her dad and I are planning to sit down and go through the Constitutional Literacy class along with her. While we had considered putting that class off for another year, with her working through American History this year and also the election process, we figured it was the perfect time to jump in. 

Co-op Learning

We have a small group of high schoolers that will be meeting weekly to work on literature and American history this year. She will also be getting together once a week with a friend to go over Chemistry labs and assignments. 

In addition, one of the moms and I are planning some ‘girls only’ and family trips to a few historic places that will tie in with our history learning: Williamsburg, Biltmore (girls only), Washington, DC, and Philadelphia to name a few. We’ll see if we can squeeze in any more (maybe a trip to NYC??) but otherwise, those four will keep us plenty busy. 

Curriculum in Year’s Past

In case you are interested in seeing the curriculum that brought us to this point, here’s a peek at what we’ve used with Laurianna the past few years:

 

Does High School Have You Scared?

If homeschooling high school is worrying you, don’t miss the free middle and high school planning printables and map out your middle and high school years!

Homeschooling in High School Middle and High School Planning How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum

If you are new to homeschooling and aren’t sure where to begin in choosing homeschool curriculum, please don’t let this post overwhelm you! Here are a few posts that you might find helpful as you discover what is best for your family. Be sure to check out the entire Homeschool Basics series for answers to more frequently asked homeschool questions.

See What the Other Kids Are Up To…

Click any of the images below to see our homeschool picks for the current school year. You’ll also find links to past years choices in each post. 

4th grade homeschool curriculum choices - from Homeschool Creations 6th grade homeschool curriculum choices 2016 from Homeschool Creations 8th grade homeschool curriculum choices 2016 10th grade homeschool curriculum choices from Homeschool Creations 2016
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Filed Under: 10th Grade, Curriculum Choices, High School, Homeschool Classroom 5 Comments

Sixth Grade Year in Review – Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Jul202015
July 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment

6th grade homeschool year in review



McKenna’s sixth grade year was one of great growth for her, both academically and otherwise. Many of her subject areas were independent, so learning to manage her time wisely was important (she is doing well in that area).  You can see all of the homeschool curriculum choices for the 2014-15 here, but below you’ll get a good look at what we used for McKenna’s sixth grade year and what we will be (or won’t be) using again next year.

Science

Rainbow Science 7th Grade

McKenna was a bit mixed on science this year. There were things she loved (the hands-on days) rather than the reading and blah, blah, blah (her words).  Her typical schedule was supposed to be 2 lessons and 1 lab each week, but somehow she managed to get herself on a daily schedule, resulting in her finishing up the program rather early. That may also explain her feeling like it was too much. Next year she will be following the right schedule and finishing the second year of the program.

History

The plan: Mystery of History 4 combined with Story of the World 4; Liberty Kids dvd series

homeschool history time together

Although the lessons were longer in MOH 4, the kids loved this year because we were able to add in so many REAL videos from recent events and see pictures of things as they happened.  McKenna used the coloring pages some to keep her occupied, but her best learning came when she would make cartoon strips of the history lesson as we went along (in part thanks to Grapevine Bible). She would draw stick figure scenes from key points in the lesson and then re-tell us all the lesson when we were done. Hugely effective for her!

Spelling

The plan: All About Spelling Level 5-6

We are in level 6 now, and lessons this year were fairly laid back. The initial plan was one lesson a week, but it became more of an as we need it.

Grammar

The plan: Growing with Grammar 7 and Daily Grams Grade 7

image

This program is a great fit for McKenna, although I may not always be crazy about going through all the paperwork each week. The above picture is from one lesson I came across.  The assignment in grammar was to write five sentences – and she didn’t do it, claiming it “Takes forever.” Granted, it was the last time she did that, but still. (grins)

Vocabulary

The plan: Dynamic Literacy Word Build Elements

This year we switched to the online version of WordBuild and while price-wise it worked out well (and I appreciated the fact that the lessons were graded for me online and I could access the grade book at any time to see progress). McKenna prefers the old pencil/paper route though (after I asked her partway through the year). For her the pressure of having something timed made it harder for her to focus in on the assignment. Typically each lesson takes a max of 15 minutes.

Writing

McKenna’s writing has grown immensely in this last year. I am so completely in love with the WriteShop programs and know that she is getting a solid foundation in all she is doing. Her papers have a different twist than Laurianna’s and it is fun seeing her personality come through in the things that she chooses to write about. Looking forward to using the 2nd year of this program next year with her.

Reading

The plan: books to go along with history text as well as suggestions from Reading Roadmaps possibly some lapbooks to go along as well. See our full 6th grade reading list here.

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With the exception of three books on the additional list that I put together for her, McKenna finished all of her required reading for the year and found a few new books to love. She wasn’t super thrilled with Little Women, but muddled through that one. Usually she and I sat down weekly to talk about the books she was reading (plot, characters, questions on story progression, etc…). We didn’t get around to doing any lapbooks, but based on our discussions, I was ok with that. Overall, a great year and I loved the book suggestions from Reading Roadmaps.

Math

The plan: Teaching Textbooks 7

Obviously not McKenna, but taking pictures of math is so boring otherwise, right? Olaf was a frequent guest in the school room, so it seems appropriate. McKenna finished up Math 7 this year and will be moving on to Pre-Algebra this next year.

Bible

The plan: Picture Smart Bible – wrapping up our Old Testament Studies and 90 Devotions for Kids – morning devotions; also Apologia’s Who Am I? and notebooking journal (6th grade); Who Is My Neighbor? and journal (when finished with previous book/journal)

IMG_5634

We did work through most of Picture Smart Bible and at the end of the year switched over to Grapevine to work on a unit on the book of Ruth. All of the kids were in agreement that they want to do more Grapevine next year again. It’s not that we don’t like Picture Smart Bible, but Grapevine is just a better fit overall, and if the kids enjoy it, I’m all game!

The key part of McKenna’s day was the Apologia series. She finished up the remaining two books in the set this year. This is one of her favorite subjects overall. When we would get together for our weekly meetings we would talk about her lessons and what she was learning (although she is one to typically share every day what she is reading – grins).

In November and December we took a break from our regular lessons to focus on Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. We loved the Advent study from Ann Voskamp.

Art

McKenna wasn’t as keen on doing art with Zachary this year, so the bulk of her art time was completed during her co-op time and classes.

Co-op

PE, art, mini-society, LEGO Story Starters

homeschool mini society project-1

We participated in two different co-ops this year, and McKenna especially loved the one that included a mini-society class. She and a friend developed their own business plan, products, and sales strategy. This was actually a great class for her because there are a few things that you can’t learn until you actually are in action. Something could also be said for not believing what your mom is trying to explain to you, but that’s a story for another day.
McKenna and her business partner created pet rocks, t-shirt bracelets, and bookmarks. Hours and hours were spent painting, twisting, and folding to get it all done. The two girls had a blast together and it was a wonderful experience to discover what works with marketing a product, how much time to budget for projects, and what products are worth the time/effort and have the best cost/effort ratio.

the SEX talk with Passport to Purity

This was also the year that we had a sex and dating talk with McKenna. I recently shared a post on the resources we used. Let me say this – if you have been dreading it or are scared to death – DO NOT BE!! I promise, it can be a wonderful time together and there are some great helps out there to walk you through the panic!
I’ll be sharing our year end review of 8th grade soon, so be sure to check back! Click the images below to see our 2nd Grade Year in Review and 4th Grade Year in Review.

2nd Grade Homeschool Year in Review 4th Grade Homeschool Year in Review

 

 

New to Homeschooling?

If you are new to homeschooling and aren’t sure where to begin in choosing homeschool curriculum, please don’t let this post overwhelm you! Here are a few posts that you might find helpful as you discover what is best for your family. Be sure to check out the entire Homeschool Basics series for answers to more frequently asked homeschool questions.

Homeschool Teaching Styles and Philosphies.png Identifying Children's Learning Styles copy How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum

Additional Resources: Unfamiliar with some of the curriculum choices above? Follow the links below to learn more about the companies and resources:

Curriculum Choices from Years Past…

If you’d like to see what curriculum we’ve used in years past, click on one of the posts below. Grade levels taught each year are listed with the posts.

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Filed Under: 6th Grade, Curriculum Choices, Homeschool Classroom, Weekly Wrap Up Leave a Comment

Fourth Grade Year in Review – Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Jul132015
July 13, 2015 by 6 Comments

4th Grade Homeschool Year in Review


While getting all of our curriculum lined up for the year can be overwhelming, sometimes putting it all into practice can be equally as daunting. Choices that may have seemed great at the beginning of the year might not pan out by the end of the year. It’s fun to see all the different options that we share when we start, but I also love hearing how programs worked out for families during the course of the year – and hope you do as well.

You can see all of the homeschool curriculum choices for the 2014-15 here, but below you’ll get a good look at what we used for Zachary’s fourth grade year and what we will be (or won’t be) using again next year – and why. Many of Zachary’s subjects this year were more independent, but he still struggles (cough) with staying focused on what his assignments are. Part of it is my fault – and part of it rests with him. There are always things more interesting to do. Like watch dust in the air. Just sayin’.

Science

The plan: Nancy Larson Science 2 with LEGO Education programs ~ WeDo and Simple Machines; three weekly Snap Circuit assignments; K’Nex Simple Machines set

IMG_3381

Zachary worked on Science 2 together with Kaleb. Although he has worked through the level before (several years ago) he really enjoyed doing it with Kaleb. Because of the way the program is laid out (lesson plans already in place), there were a few days when he offered to do the lesson teaching with Kaleb (I may have enjoyed that a lot!).  Above you see the end results of dissecting an owl pellet (something both boys enjoyed much).

read aloud time

We added in some fun simple machine projects using our Simple Machines from LEGO and also our K’Nex Simple Machines set. When we were learning about pulleys and levers, Zachary built a ‘working’ elevator using the K’Nex set (he may have been very proud of that!).

Snap circuits

The initial plan was to have him work on 3 Snap Circuit assignments each week, but in truth that ended up being when he wanted to work on them. There were days that he did between 3 to 5, but he did work on most of the projects in the box over the course of the year. This was one of those “I’m really glad that we purchased it” items for the year. He loves hands-on projects like the ones included and it keeps him away from other things…such as my vacuum cleaner. (ahem)

History

The plan: Mystery of History 4 combined with Story of the World 4; Liberty Kids dvd series

IMG_3454

Although the lessons were longer in MOH 4, the kids loved this year because we were able to add in so many REAL videos from recent events and see pictures of things as they happened. Zachary in particular absorbs so much of history and especially enjoyed when we started getting into recent wars and learning all about them. We did fill in here and there with Story of the World, but primarily focused on Mystery of History.

While the coloring pages are ok for Zachary, he prefers making his own drawings or LEGO creations to go along with the stories we are reading.

Spelling

The plan: All About Spelling Levels 3 (finishing) & 4 and All About Homophones

We typically worked on one lesson a week (although not always). We finished up Level 3 this year and are almost finished with Level 4. All About Homophones ended up being put to the side for the year since we were working on a lot of the same stuff in our literature program. We are both ready to get into a better swing with spelling next year as we change our grammar program and it will merge better with it.

Language/Writing

poetry unit

Switching to Learning Language Arts was a huge change for us – different format and style, but the main reason for the move was to include more book studies for Zachary. Truly this has been the BIGGEST area of improvement for him over the year. Because of several of the book choices (that he had to read independently), he was pulled into the stories and completed his first book this year, and then he subsequently read several more that weren’t a part of the program, but on a reading list I pulled together for him (see reading section below).
Personally I would have liked to see a little more consistency in grammar rules in the LLATL program (I understand that it is a little more informal). We could have used Daily Grams to go along with it, but I held off on that this year. Next year we will be switching to a different program, but still following a similar format for book studies since that is something that I did really appreciate about Learning Language Arts Through Literature.
Zachary’s confidence and love for reading has definitely been pushed this year! In addition to the books that he had to read for school, he also read all of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and several other books of his own choosing (yay!!)
As for book reports – ummm, other than the reviews that we did for the four books as a part of language, we didn’t do a single one. Oops!

Reading

image

Zachary really enjoyed finishing up the Level 4 program this year (I’m sad that’s the highest they go!). He’s received such a strong foundation in reading with the program and really can read well, but half of the time it’s mentally convincing him that he can.

The reading list I put together for him at the start of the year included four books to go along with the Learning Language Arts Through Literature program and then nine others that I picked out, so thirteen total. Out of those thirteen books, he completed TEN of them and truthfully I am beyond thrilled with that! Considering that he read his first actual book from cover to cover at the beginning of the year (September), this is HUGE for him and then to read nine more almost makes me cry with joy.

If anything, this year has put confidence in him. He is picking up books independently to read, choosing and wanting to purchase books, and branching out beyond the typical ‘easy’ books that you can flip through when we go to the library. So – hugely successful overall.

Math

The plan: Teaching Textbooks 5 and Life of Fred

We were rather sporadic with Life of Fred this year with Zachary, which was ok since he was primarily focused on Teaching Textbooks. Our biggest issue is staying focused. We’ve had multiple headphone issues this year (someone keeps leaving them on the floor and they break…and then needs them when working so he isn’t distracted by all the noise/talking in the room). I won’t mention any names.

Bible

The plan: Picture Smart Bible – wrapping up our Old Testament Studies and 90 Devotions for Kids – morning devotions.

IMG_3386

We did work through most of Picture Smart Bible and at the end of the year switched over to Grapevine to work on a unit on the book of Ruth. All of the kids were in agreement that they want to do more Grapevine next year again. It’s not that we don’t like Picture Smart Bible, but Grapevine is just a better fit overall, and if the kids enjoy it, I’m all game!

Almost every morning we started off with a quick devotional from 90 Devotions for Kids. Short and sweet, so we purchased the next devotion book because we loved it so much!

In November and December we took a break from Picture Smart Bible to focus on Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. We loved the Advent study from Ann Voskamp – those coloring pages just seal the deal!

Handwriting

While this may not be Zachary’s greatest joy in life, his handwriting is neat (when he wants it to be) and he has the basics down. (grins)

Art

Zachary completed about 60% of the art projects in the Home Art program, but also participated in art during his co-op time, so I didn’t push too much with it. He’s a boy that would rather work on Snap Circuits or K’Nex, and that’s okay too.  We also managed one pastel from HodgePodge (the kids always love those!).

Co-op

PE, Art, and other electives
We participated in two different co-ops this year, and Zachary really enjoyed both. Although our kids are active with swim team and life in general, PE at co-op is always fun, some of his art happened via co-op, and Zachary was also able to work through a human body class (he rather enjoyed that one!).
I’ll be sharing our year end review of 6th, and 8th grade soon, so be sure to check back! Click the image below to see our 2nd Grade Year in Review.

2nd Grade Homeschool Year in Review

New to Homeschooling?

If you are new to homeschooling and aren’t sure where to begin in choosing homeschool curriculum, please don’t let this post overwhelm you! Here are a few posts that you might find helpful as you discover what is best for your family. Be sure to check out the entire Homeschool Basics series for answers to more frequently asked homeschool questions.

Homeschool Teaching Styles and Philosphies.png Identifying Children's Learning Styles copy How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum

Additional Resources: Unfamiliar with some of the curriculum choices above? Follow the links below to learn more about the companies and resources:

Curriculum Choices from Years Past…

If you’d like to see what curriculum we’ve used in years past, click on one of the posts below. Grade levels taught each year are listed with the posts.

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Filed Under: 4th Grade, Homeschool Classroom, Weekly Wrap Up 6 Comments

2nd Grade Year in Review – Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Jul62015
July 6, 2015 by 9 Comments

2nd Grade Homeschool Year in Review


While getting all of our curriculum lined up for the year can be overwhelming, sometimes putting it all into practice can be equally as daunting. Choices that may have seemed great at the beginning of the year might not pan out by the end of the year. It’s fun to see all the different options that we share when we start, but I also love hearing how programs worked out for families during the course of the year – and hope you do as well. (p.s. my friend Carisa has also been sharing her year end thoughts as well).

You can see all of the homeschool curriculum choices for the past year here, but below you’ll get a good look at what we used for Kaleb’s second grade year and what we will be (or won’t be) using again next year – and why. This year Kaleb was still doing the bulk of his subjects with me, although we were working on him being a little more independent in some subject areas. Each year we typically add a subject for our kids to work on independently and ‘phase out’ a little bit of me helping. Quite honestly, it’s a little harder on me, because I realize that he is my youngest and there is just something about knowing he is our last one that gets me a bit emotional.

Spelling

The plan: All About Spelling Level 2 (3 if he was ready) and All About Homophones

IMG_5539

We typically worked on one lesson a week (although not always). Our focus was on Level 2 this year and we didn’t worry about moving on to Level 3 this year. Working on All About Homophones was more of an occasional lesson (maybe five throughout the year based on what we were learning about). Kaleb isn’t super fond of writing, so sentences weren’t his favorite thing at the end of the lesson. There are still a few ‘review’ concepts we need to focus on for next year, but by the end of the year Kaleb was getting more into a groove with spelling and I love how well All About Spelling ties in with All About Reading. The similar formats simplify the teaching and they streamline well together. This will definitely be a program we use again next year. (For those of you who know me well, you know that it is our favorite homeschool spelling program, hands down!).

And the dog – yep. Ever since we brought her home, that is where she likes to rest during school time, especially spelling!

Bible

The plan: Picture Smart Bible – wrapping up our Old Testament Studies and 90 Devotions for Kids – morning devotions.

We did work through most of Picture Smart Bible and at the end of the year switched over to Grapevine to work on a short lesson. Kaleb liked the simpler pages for younger kids that Picture Smart Bible offers, but he really enjoys drawing, so Grapevine was the best fit for him this year. The 90 Devotions for Kids is a perfect fit for our mornings and we ended up purchasing the next devotion book because we loved it so much!

In November and December we took a break from Picture Smart Bible to focus on Unwrapping the Greatest Gift and work on another family devotional from Focus on the Family. We loved the Advent study from Ann Voskamp – those coloring pages just seal the deal!

History

The plan: Mystery of History 4 combined with Story of the World 4; Liberty Kids dvd series

IMG_5644

Although the lessons were longer in MOH 4, the kids loved this year because we were able to add in so many REAL videos from recent events and see pictures of things as they happened. Kaleb really enjoys the coloring pages that go along with Mystery of History and is a stickler for getting those finished each day. He meticulously saves each and every one of them! We did fill in here and there with Story of the World, but primarily focused on Mystery of History.

While he doesn’t always grasp as much as the older kids do in our daily readings, he is getting quite a bit out of the lessons, which is always fun to hear what he remembers. Things were fairly low-key for him this year and I didn’t have him take any quizzes – just coloring pages and timelines overall. Kaleb also loves to embellish and add in his own drawings (art is another one of his favorite things), so there was a lot for him to work on this year and add in to our lessons.

We didn’t use the Liberty Kids dvds as much as I had anticipated, mainly because we moved into modern history rather quickly and our time with the early colonial days ended (sniff). That may be a period of history that I am rather fond of.

Math

The plan: Teaching Textbooks 3,  Life of Fred Dogs and Edgewood; Spielgaben; Calendar Notebook Binder Printables

IMG_5447

Teaching Textbooks 3 – the plan was for Kaleb to do this independently on the computer, but the stinker said that he learned better if I did the lesson with him 1:1 (He just missed spending the time with me, and who am I to say no?) We just did the lessons as they were written in the book (the same as they are on the CD-rom, and his math skills are off the charts. He loves numbers – so fun to see his little brain at work. On to TT4 next year!

spielgaben math 3rd grade

Spielgaben – while we didn’t use these daily, we typically used Spielgaben at least once a week to go along with our math learning and to supplement in some way what we were learning – or look at it from a different angle.

Life of Fred Dogs – this is always a fun filler for us. Kaleb just giggles when we pull out the book and we actually worked on Dogs and also worked on Edgewood as well. There aren’t a huge number of lessons in each book, so we typically did one lesson every week or every other week.

Calendar Notebook: Kaleb was able to work on this independently each day and still loves it, so we will likely continue next year with it as well, because he loves the repetition.

Science

The plan: Nancy Larson Science 2 with LEGO Education programs ~ WeDo and Simple Machines

simple machines nancy larson

Our boys (2nd and 4th grade) both worked on Nancy Larson Science 2 together this year and loved it. We added in some fun simple machine projects using our Simple Machines from LEGO and also our K’Nex Simple Machines set (the boys LOVED these!!). The pace for the year was 2 to 3 lessons a week, depending on how they wanted to work on the lessons. If we were in a groove, we kept going with lessons!

ROYGBIV

Because Kaleb isn’t a huge fan of writing (a lot of complaining when he has to fill in blanks, etc…), there were times when I just let him get creative with his answers (so instead of writing out the color name, he drew a colored line).

Language/Writing

This was a new program for us this year and while it was a good go-between as we transitioned from First Language Lessons, the approach overall didn’t work as well for either Kaleb or myself (both teaching style and learning). Kaleb wasn’t a huge fan of the stories that went along with the program (me either), and in comparison to some of the other programs we’ve used, it just wasn’t a favorite of mine. Next year we’ll be moving on to another program, but we did finish out the year with it.

Reading

All About Reading Level 2 and misc. readers based on reading level

All about Reading 2

Reading is still a slow-going process with Kaleb, but little by little there are things clicking in his brain and he is doing SO much better overall. Zachary was slower in reading (and let me tell you, I am quick to beat myself up over what I am doing wrong, especially when I start comparing his reading with another child’s – either one of my own or a friend’s). This has been an area for me that has caused much angst the past two years, but we are just working slowly and steadily, making sure he has a solid foundation in all he is doing. He IS making improvement and beginning to enjoy it, which is so much of the process. Next year we will move on to All About Reading 3.

Handwriting

IMG_5549

Kaleb is always quick to pull out his handwriting first thing (note the pajamas above) and get his handwriting done right off the bat. In addition to working through A Reason for Handwriting Level B, he also wanted to work on some cursive learning as well, so I found a few random workbook pages on our shelves from years gone by that he could add in. It makes me laugh that he hates to write (a four word sentence), but he is meticulous on his handwriting sheet!
Next year he will be moving on to cursive and I am working on a program for him (although we love A Reason for Handwriting), but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a bit and am finally getting around to!

Art

homeschool January 2015-34

Hands down, art is Kaleb’s favorite subject. This was one area that he was able to do (mostly) independently this year. When he was ready to do a lesson (usually once a week unless he asked to do more), I would pull out the supplies for him and he would pop in the dvd from Home Art Studio and work through the lesson on his own. He amassed quite the display wall throughout the year! Definitely planning to use it again next year with him, but the 3rd grade program.

Additional Learning

Spielgaben learning

One of the things that I really wanted to do this year for Kaleb was intentionally add in learning time with Spielgaben (a few of the other kids want in on the fun too). To give you an idea of how we tied it in, one week he worked on creating the Eiffel Tower (we were talking about France during one of our history lessons). We used the manuals from Spielgaben that come along for this project, but he also spent time creating a few other fun things as well. This learning was in addition to using the manipulatives with math.

Co-op

PE, Art, and other electives
We participated in two different co-ops this year, and overall they were a lot of fun for Kaleb. Although our kids are active with swim team and life in general, PE at co-op is always fun, art is an added bonus for Kaleb, and one of our co-op rotates through various electives (Kaleb really loved the sewing on burlap this year). Our second co-op had the kids learning Spanish together, doing some fun science projects, and also getting active and learning some different games that are a little harder to learn with only one or two kids.
I’ll be sharing our year end review of 4th, 6th, and 8th grade soon, so be sure to check back!

New to Homeschooling?

If you are new to homeschooling and aren’t sure where to begin in choosing homeschool curriculum, please don’t let this post overwhelm you! Here are a few posts that you might find helpful as you discover what is best for your family. Be sure to check out the entire Homeschool Basics series for answers to more frequently asked homeschool questions.

Homeschool Teaching Styles and Philosphies.png Identifying Children's Learning Styles copy How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum

 

Additional Resources: Unfamiliar with some of the curriculum choices above? Follow the links below to learn more about the companies and resources:

Curriculum Choices from Years Past…

If you’d like to see what curriculum we’ve used in years past, click on one of the posts below. Grade levels taught each year are listed with the posts.

{ Leave a Comment }
Filed Under: 2nd grade, Homeschool Classroom 9 Comments

School Supply Organizer

Feb92015
February 9, 2015 by 2 Comments

school supply carousel

School supplies seem to multiply like rabbits at our house. Although our kids each have their own set of colored pencils (and yes, I color code my kids), we have a community set of supplies that stay in the middle of our school table. These are the pencils, crayons, and supplies that we use when working on history and other group subjects.

Our school supply organizer has been in our school room for almost five years and only required a little time and a few supplies: a lazy Susan, mini metal buckets or pails, magnets, and hot glue. The original idea for this came years ago from See Jamie Blog and is really super simple to make! Be sure to see her quick tutorial.

homeschool history time together

Every now and then I change out the buckets when I find some cute ones at Target…or the kids smush one of them (yes, it happens). The small buckets are handy to grab and carry around the house and my organizing heart loves that the kids know exactly where things need to be put away.

Before you wonder how the buckets stay in place – magnets. Rather handy, especially when one kiddo decides to give the Lazy Susan a fun spin. The buckets usually stay in place (notice I didn’t say always). And in case you were wondering, if you children attempt to use the Lazy Susan as a miniature sit-and-spin, they will crack (ask me how I know).

Homeschool Room

This is just one of the ways that we keep things organized in our schoolroom and it really has been such a huge help over the years. Take a tour of our entire homeschool classroom (video and pictures!) and see a how our schoolroom is laid out.

Color Coding Markers Homeschool Sanity Tip

Learn more about the simple color coding dot trick too – it’s a sanity saver for mom!

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Homeschool Curriculum Choices for 2014-2015

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July 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2014

This year (our ninth year homeschooling – woot!) we’re adding a few new pieces to our homeschool curriculum roundup and venturing into the world of high school credits. Gah!

It was a bit intimidating at first, but after putting together an overall plan for high school,  it was a bit easier. Several of our friends are also venturing into the homeschool high school realm, so that helps even more! We’ll be participating in a small-scale co-op this year for two of our high school credits which will make several of the subjects a LOT of fun.

New to Homeschooling?

If you are new to homeschooling and aren’t sure where to begin in choosing homeschool curriculum, please don’t let this post overwhelm you! Here are a few posts that you might find helpful as you discover what is best for your family. Be sure to check out the entire Homeschool Basics series for answers to more frequently asked homeschool questions.

Homeschool Teaching Styles and Philosphies.png Identifying Children's Learning Styles copy How to Choose Homeschool Curriculum

 

Here’s a look at the overall plan for the homeschool year. This year our kids are working on 8th (Laurianna), 6th (McKenna), 4th (Zachary), and 2nd (Kaleb). Our 8th grader will be working on 5-6 high school credits.  Something may have been left off the list despite my ridiculous list making, so it’s entirely possible that this list will be edited during the year.

2014 homeschool curriculum

2nd Grade Curriculum Choices

4th Grade Curriculum Choices

6th Grade Curriculum Choices

8th Grade Curriculum Choices

Laurianna  will be working on 6 high school credits this year. We are also a part of a small co-op and will be combining a literature class and science labs with them.

History as a Group…

Our history text will be our core focus for the year and we will be working on Mystery of History 4 as a group (Early American History to Modern Times). As they fit in, we’ll add lessons from Story of the World 4. Depending on the levels of the kids, they will also use the following resources. The bulk of our resources are from Bright Ideas Press with a few from Amazon:

Mom’s Curriculum & Additional Helps

In addition to a lovely collection of teacher’s manuals that go along with all of the kid’s books, here are a few things that I have on hand to keep me organized:

Additional Resources: Unfamiliar with some of the curriculum choices above? Follow the links below to learn more about the companies and resources:

Curriculum Choices from Years Past…

If you’d like to see what curriculum we’ve used in years past, click on one of the posts below. Grade levels taught each year are listed with the posts.

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