I love our homeschool curriculum choices this year!
* Geography Matters, Trail Guide to Learning – Paths of Settlement. This curriculum covers everything except math. However – there are a few things I want to add.
* Math, Teaching Textbooks. This is our first year using the computer program and after 16 lessons – the boy loves it! I like the gradebook is done for me.
* Apologia Science, Zoology 2, Swimming Creatures. We plan to do 3 days of this text/notebook while POS covers 2 days of Earth Science. – I explain in my review how we’re going to be using this curriculum & field trips.
* Daily Grams – quick 1 page grammar review. (He usually does this while I’m setting up for something new catching up)
* Bible – we are doing both God’s Mighty Warrior Devotional Bible from Tommy Nelson (which I reviewed and you can still enter to win this week) AND Apologia’s Who Am I.
* All About Spelling. I can not rave about this program enough. While POS offers spelling words – AAS has been hands down our best spelling curriculum for my tactile visual learner! We’re also using All About Reading Pre-level 1 for little man as he learns letter recognition and sounds.
* Rosetta Stone Latin America Spanish and Visual Latin. I can’t decided which one I want to do – as I know the benefits of learning Latin for better English comprehension. However – being in FL, Spanish is everywhere. Also – hubs has more jobs in South America right now than anywhere else so it can be a family effort. Already I like the format of Visual Latin better – and they are offering a 30% off sale on all products until Wednesday 8/8. So even if we don’t end up using it for a full year – I’ve got it for next year!
* Artistic Pursuits – Grades 4-6 Book One. Years passed the boy attended an art class at the local art studio, but since POS offers a few water color opportunities (that’s how the western explorers painted the new frontier), I wanted to offer more lesson on technique etc.
* Typing – I found an online typing lessons for kids. Not that my children use the computer often, but I think it would be nice if he could start sending emails to his dad on the road.
* We Choose Virtues – we love these character qualities (and then cross referencing them in the bible and stories he likes to read!)
Little man will be doing The Dig (ebook) this year as we present the gospel to him! I am looking forward to this.
Add a few notebooking biographies, vocabulary words, Master Books reviews, Maestro Classics, and we’re ready for 4th grade & preschool !! Are you using any of the same curriculum? I’d love to know so we can encourage each other this year!
MY homeschool curriculum choices are not the best for your family.
I made the mistake of copying a friend’s list, schedule, and tried to replicate her life in our home our 1st year homeschooling. We were miserable!
Variety is definitely important along with learning styles, budget, size of family, and time!
See what homeschool curriculum my blogging friends are using this year!
Our Good Family
Raising Lifelong Learners
The Homeschool Scientist
Home with the Boys
Impress Your Kids – double love the family mentoring
Gricefully Homeschooling
Homeschoolin’ Mama
Upside Down Homeschooling
So You Call Yourself a Homeschooler
Kathy’s Cluttered Mind
The Pelsers
Mom with Heart
Cook Family Chronicles
Moms Mustard Seeds
*affiliate links
Looks like a great plan! Praying for your year, may God pour out truth as you teach and little hearts ready to receive it.
That sounds like a great, full year! My second-grader is doing Teaching Textbooks again this year, and she and her kindergartner brother are doing the first level of Artistic Pursuits. Is this the first year you’ve done (or considered doing) Latin? I keep thinking we need to do that, but I haven’t made the plunge yet.
it is the 1st year for me to even consider Latin. I always thought it was a waste of time until I watched the 1st video and realized how much this will help him in English !!
We’re trying notebooking this year!
I think my kids will love it because they love to draw and tell what they know.
Still trying to decide what math curriculum I want to use for my 4th and 2nd graders! The younger one is quicker at math and has surpassed his older brother, who is more deliberate and sometimes struggles with concepts. So basically, the grade level means nothing I have to find what works for their skill levels!
Sounds like you have a great year planned!
thanks for stopping by! grade level truly means nothing to this homeschooler! My son’s learning style is always taken into consideration first !! Best of luck!
Looks like a fun year. I keep considering All About Spelling but have stuck with Spell to Write & Read for now. Thanks for the mention!
What a great line up! We used Apologia Botany last year and LOVED it. WCV is a fab resource that we also love. Looks like fun in your homeschool this year!
I wish we would have done Botany first (hubs is a landscape architect too). We’ll go back !
Looks like a great year! We will be using Rosetta Stone Spanish this year.. but very slowly since my kiddo is only 5. I love the hands on parts of All about Reading.. we will be adding in spelling for first grade
the 1st time we had ever used AAS was for 1st grade! loved it!
Yes ma’am….that Trail Guide is blazing a path in our home! I am loving the flexibility and scheduling I have with it! And the Christian Principles – it’s a master piece…and I happen to heart Deb Strayer…..I think she has a camera in my home. When I heard her speak at Teach Them Diligently last year, she was sharing a story…and I was mortified…I thought she was talking about my home….but, it was hers!!!!!!!
I heard her speak at FPEA (with her daughter) they were wonderful !!
Oh, I forgot to add We choose Virtues for our list. I will have to add it, it is on our list too! Great list! Your so right about copying others schedule and list, it is a HUGE mistake that many of us seasoned hs’ers have learned (the hard way, of course) LOL
Angela
thanks friend for stopping by. WCV is such a great little curriculum!
I bought Trail guide to Learning…but I decided to hold off…because I bought Story of the World 3 years ago…and Mystery of History 2 years ago….and I’ve got problems! LOL
Cannot wait to hear how you like it.
-Karin
sounds you might like curriculum as much as I do! ;p
I DEFINITELY fell into the copying trap the first year. Now I like to see how everyone schedules what they have planned as that’s something I struggle with – I love it when we’re using the same stuff too
We’ve got Apologia Swimming Creatures up this year too!
fabulous – I can’t wait to share Swimming Creatures fun with you!
Paths of Settlement looks like a pretty neat curriculum. Thanks for the review too!
Kelly
Stef – I looks like you have a great year planned!
Praying you have a wonderful year!
If you are interested in connecting with other Apologia users, check out the Apologia Blog Roll that I host here:
http://myjoy-filledlife.blogspot.com/2012/07/apologia-blog-role-2012-2013.html
Blessings!