"Enjoy the LITTLE THINGS in life for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things."


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Come on in and sit awhile while I talk about the "Little Things" in life. I will share my journey of everyday life.... homeschooling, raising my children, homesteading, gardening, health and wellness, and real life.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Curriculum for Homeschool

Being a "newbie" I am always wondering what others are using for a curriculum. Then the thought hit me that maybe that should be on my site, too! Do keep in mind that I plan to make some changes and tweek what we use as I get comfortable with homeschooling.

2nd Grade = Savannah = A Beka 2, all subjects
  • What I Like: I like the thoroughness of the 3R's. I feel confident that the program lays a good foundation for Phonics, Reading, and Math.
  • What I Don't Like: I do not like that the History, Science, Health & Manners/Social Studies are in the form of Readers and that those readers are each read only for a short period. I would much rather have those subjects spread throughout the whole school year, especially Science.
  • Special Note: I am all over the place trying to find my way and take care of all the kids, so we are still getting our bearings...LOL! We are "ahead" in some areas and "behind" (things I know we will catch up on) or "skipping" (some areas that I know we can cover later or have already mastered).
  • Next Year: I plan to use A Beka 3 for the 3R's. I already have purchased the readers, but I will probably just use those for reading practice and supplement History and Science throughout the year.

Pre-K = Sierra = Alpha Omega Horizons

  • What I Like: I like that there is a variety of ways they introduce the concepts and the worksheets lead up gradually.
  • What I Don't Like: I don't like that they use out of the ordinary examples. I just like things like "A is for Apple, Alligator, etc", not "A is for Ardvark (or some other creature I can't even pronounce sometimes).
  • Special Note: I do not honestly use the curriculum as intended and I rarely read anything from the curriculum book. I try to teach Sierra alongside Savannah and I really need it to work together better, so I will not plan to use this curriculum in the future. That is not to say that it is not good. That is a matter of personal preference. If I had it to do over again, I would get some good handwriting practice books/worksheets and "wing it" on Pre-K with fun worksheets and hands-on activities. Some of the stuff is too slow for Sierra (example: She knew how to write up to number 10 back in October, but we are just getting past that in this curriculum).
  • Next year: For Kindergarten I plan to use A Beka to some extent. I do feel this early years can be more laid back and I can just let the learning happen. Sierra picks up so much just from watching her big sister. She already knows her double addition facts up to 5+5 and that is a 2nd grade skill, so I am not going to worry about being too rigid on the curriculum as long as she masters her skills that she needs to master for the year.

The Future for All My Kids = Change

  • I am uncertain, but I think I will use A Beka or something similar for the 3R's; however, I will probably transition into more unit studies for teaching my various ages. I really enjoy the times when I have time to creatively pull my own stuff together.