Homeschool Curriculum 2011-2012

This year I am going to be schooling both Dare Devil Boy and Wonder Girl.  Hondo will be sitting in on both in their schooling year.  This year my kids will be in 3rd grade and in Kindergarten.  Here is what we are planning to use this year.


Wonder Girl (Kindergarten)-


Language Arts: This year we are using WinterPromise's PreK/Kindergarten: Basic Phonics.  Its more of a hands-on program then what I used for Dare-Devil boy when he was in Kindergarten.  Something my little super hero in training needs.  The program uses Jumping Right into Reading, Get Ready, Get Set, and Go for the Code workbooks.  It also has a Hands-on Activity Pack and Phonics Card that go along with it that you can get from WinterPromise.  Its not in the picture because I forgot to put it in the picture. Click here if you want to take a look at it.  There is samples you can try out.  I added in A Reason for Handwriting-K and Sonlight's K Readers.

Math:  This year after almost a year of researching and going back and forth between several programs I finally decided on using Saxon Math K. The reason is because I needed something hands-on for her that went at a slower pace them Horizon did.  (Which I used in the past for Dare-Devil.)  Wonder Girl is so excited about starting.  Mostly because she wants to play with all the manipulates that go along with the program.  Which I got from Rainbow Resources.Click here to see it.

Dare Devil Boy (3rd Grade)-



Language Arts: This year I've thrown out the boxed curriculum and instead put together my own Language Arts curriculum for him this year.  I did lots of research and looking at all my catalogs, but finally came up with what I think is a good complete program.

• Language Lessons for the Very Young 2.  We are using this as a base for the our LA this year.  I liked the Copywork and Writing exercises in this.
• Phonics- Modern Curriculum Press Phonics C.  
• Handwriting- A Reason for Handwriting: Transition 
• Spelling- All About Spelling Level 1 and 2.  We need more spelling and something that will teach rules to spelling that I can't answer.
• Grammar- Easy Grammar 3 with workbook.  I've heard great reviews with this program and I like the way it teaches students.

Readers:  This year like most of our homeschooling years we use Sonlight Readers.  This year we will be no different.  We will be using there 2nd grade intermediate readers, now called 3rd grade readers.  Of all the different books we read Sonlight's readers have always been the ones that we use the most and my kids keep coming back to read.  I know that Dare-Devil Boy is exciting about reading these books this year.  He's moving into short chapter books and he's starting to read aloud to all of us.


Math:  Teaching Textbook 3.  Dare-Devil Boys are more excited about this then I am.  He's been wanting to do it since he did the demo online at Teaching Textbooks website.  Its a good mix of teaching on the computer (which Dare-Devil Boy thinks he's playing a video game.) and then workbook learning.


For both:

History:  WinterPromise's American Story 2.  We finished American Story 1 last year. It was a great year of learning and everyone in the family had a great time  learning along side Dare-Devil Boy.  We did lots on hands-on projects, lapbooking, and eating food of the time periods we were learning about.  (This was my husband's favorite part of last year.)  I have lots of extras and other stuff about our year doing American Story 1 that you can check out here.


This year we will be picking up where last year ended.  Right before the Civil War then up to present day.  It will be another year of learning, eating and having fun.


Science:  This year we are trying out to WinterPromise's Rock Around the Earth science program.  It'll be something different for us from our year's of doing Sonlight sciences.  But we are wanting to do something that will cover science more like a unit study and something that I could do all in 1 or 2 days instead over a week.  But still not feel overwhelmed.

Art & Music Study:  I've have always wanted to add in an Art & Music study into our learning.  But never seem to have the time to do it or sometimes to find something that both the kids and I would like.  Well I found it this year.  We will be using Harmony Art Mom's The Summer 201o Art and Music Appreciation: Featuring Vincent Van Gogh and George Handel Ebook.  This is summer program, but I'm stretching it out to do one painting per month.

So that's what we are doing this year.  Its full of fun, learning, and discovery.