Homeschool Curriculum Choices 2010-2011

After two years of homeschooling under my belt I finally am getting a hand of everything.  I've learned that our homeschooling style is a mix of Charlotte Mason (heavy on this) and classical.   For those that don't know of Charlotte Mason check out her book "Home Education".  This next coming year will be adding Wonder Girl to our homeschooling schedule.  

I am very excited about staring this years homeschooling journey.  Why?  I'm sure you are asking.  Well cause we have changed our history curriculum and I don't have to do any added planning for crafts.  Which in our house is a must for learning.  So here is a look at this coming 2010-2011 year.

Language Arts~ Dare Devil Boy had been going through Explode the Code 4 during the summer.  But for Second Grade he will be using WinterPromise's 1st Grade Language Arts . (It is considered an advance program. So it says 1st grade, but really it is for a 2nd grader.)  I like these kind of programs cause they cover most of the subjects found under Language Arts.  Spelling, Phonics, Writing, and Grammar.  Although for some add grammar practice we are adding Spectrum Language Arts for 2nd Grade.


For Wonder Girl I will be using using a mix of Totally Tots and some things that I will creating to teach her to alphabets, numbers, math, and everything else to get her ready for kindergarten the fallowing year.

Math~ This year we have changed math curriculum from Horizon Math to Singapore Math 2A/B for Dare Devil Boy's core math curriculum.  We had been using Singapore math 1A/B through out the summer as review.  He enjoyed it so much that he actually asked to change to this program for the next year.  


We are going to be using this program this year until Dare Devil is old enough to do Teaching Textbooks as his main math program. 


History~  This is the "core" of what we will be learning this school year with both Dare Devil Boy & Wonder Girl.  (Baby Hulk might ne joining in but we will see.)  Like I stated above we changed our core program this year from Sonlight to WinterPromise.  Our journey will be into Early American History using Winterpromise's American Story 1.


The living books are great.  Beautiful pictures, great stories, more fun to read then the normal textbooks and all age appropriate.  Added to the great living books and literature is the paper crafts, mapping, web links, and hands on crafts all scheduled and added into it.  Which means NO planning and searching for me.  YEAH!!!  I just pick what projects to do and gather supplies (that I have been doing through the summer).  


Science~  for Science this year we are staying with something that works so far, Sonlight's Science 2.  This year we will be learning how things are made, rocks & mineral, more plants, animals, babies, and dinosaurs.


Handwriting~ Dare Devil Boy will be sticking with A Reason for Handwriting.  We used this last year and he enjoyed it.  This year he'll be using Level B.  As for Wonder Girl, we will be trying something different, Handwriting without Tears PreK.


Bible~ Dare Devil Boy and Wonder Girl will be both in AWANAS again this year, learning verses and other bible stories.  I actually teach Dare Devil Boy's AWANAS Sparks class so he get's more then most kids and lots of review.  But I use lots of the AWANAS printables made from Homeschool Creations.  Also we are using the built in Bible program that is included in our American Story 1 curriculum.


Independent Readers~ Dare Devil Boy's Readers are books that go along with his american history program.  But all are appropriate to his reading level.  Many of the books are from Step into Reading.  With a few extra books that he like to read.  The occasional comic books.


PE~  PE is usually done with Spider Dad.  Now that he's more at home during the day and works at night, the kids get more time outside.  


Art~  Lots of projects and crafts.  And I'm still looking for a good art & art history program.  I teach art to my kids and a friend's children every two weeks.  I'm looking for something that will go along with our American History.


Mapping~ To go along with our study of Early American history, we are going to do a mini states studies.  Also mapping those states and the events that happened in them.  Dare Devil Boy loves mapping.  So this should end up being one of his favorite things.


Extra Stuff~  Can there really be more stuff to do?  Yes.  I'm going to mostly add in toys to our program.  My kids, even more Dare Devil Boy, are hands on learners.  So I'm adding in some army men, Playmobil Ameicans, cowboys and things like this.  Also we are going doing our lapbooks & coloring pages.  

Then hopefully by next summer we will be able to end our study with a feild/road trip to some of those places we'll cover.  Spider Dad is originally from the New England Area and his parent's live within an hour or so of many of those places.  So when we go to visit his family next summer I'm planning on taking some feild trips to Boston, Lexington, Concord, and a few places in his hometown.


So as you can see this next coming school year is full of fun and learning.  Check in and see how are everything goes this year.  I'm hoping to be posting more about what we are doing.

Summer Fun

This is a quick note on some of the things we've done this summer.  Most are of the kids and Super Dad's time out side playing army, a few of the kids Father's day gift to Super Dad, some just fun pictures.

 

Hunting down bad guys in the backyard

 Running for cover in the "Jungle" aka the tail grass in the back.

 Waiting for the attack.

Baby Hulk reporting in on the bad guys.

 Hand print sun catchers

 Baby Hulk doing his best to do a craft.  He had a great time.

 

Dare Devil Boy and Wonder Girl making doing their craft

A photo of how they came out

Hawaii & Summer Fun

It has been a long while since I posted & there has been so much that has happen during that time.  

For one at the start of May my grandmother went to be with God.  She was a great a Godly woman who will be missed and loved.  Her and my Grandfather where married until her death, which in this world is amazing.  She had 6 children (2 girls/4boys), 22 grandchildren and just as many great-grandchildren.  My grandmother was the one of those women of God I want to be to my kids and family (minus the coffee). Everyone in my family has the memory of her sitting at the dining room table reading her bible, praying and drinking her steaming hot coffee in 80 degree weather.

Due to her passing I started to plan to try and make the 20 hour journey, by plane back to my hometown to go to the funeral.  Thanks to my family and friends I was able to make it back for that funeral which happened about a week and a half ago.  It was nice to go to my hometown after being away for about 7 years.  Nice to see old friends, family and make new friends.  It was also great to eat food that I've craved for so long.  


Here are a few simple pictures of my trip.  I'll get more when i can download them from my camera.

 Honolulu Airport outside in a courtyard. 

I had a 5 hour layover here before I could catch my flight to another island

 

 One thing i love about Hawaii they can find away to even make the bathroom signs have the Aloha feeling

  

At my Grandma's funeral.

 

The outside my the church.  

(This is the church I grew up in)

Poke, one of my favorite foods.  I had to show a picture of this.

Take a Dip

The weather has been hot but breezy today.  The kids have been begging me since it has been warm if they could go swimming in the sandbox that I turned into the pool.  

It took Baby Hulk a bit to warm up to the idea of the pool since his last encounter with the sprinkler.  But as soon as he did I couldn't get him out of it. He spent most of the time throwing all the toys around our yard into the pool making varies size splashes and soaking either Wonder Girl or Dare Devil Boy.  

My Dare Devil Boy played in the pool with his siblings, but at some point he decided to shed the Dare Devil identity and put on a cape (aka towel).  Then began running or flying around our yard.  he even made an attempt at flying off the slide.

All in all it was a nice warm, hot spring day.  It makes me wonder though what will our summer be like since spring days are at 90 degrees?  Well until then we are going to enjoy the weather.

Baby Hulk & Dare Devil in the pool

Baby Hulk after throwing a beach ball in the pool

Dare Devil Boy being Super Boy for the day.

Flying as high as a slide at least.

Skipping to Summer

It is April and the last few reminders of winter is almost gone here.  Actually Spring somehow only made a few days apperence before it started to feel more like summer.  But does that bother me and my kids? Nope.

Much like me in this way, my kids went outside to play in the sun, climb a tree and we even broke out the sprinkler for some time in the water.  Not everyone like the water though.  My Baby Hulk actually didn't know what to think about it and wasn't happy when he went to finally try to play in it.

 Dare Devil Boy up in a tree by our house

Baby Hulk wondering how to get up there with big brother.

Dare Devil Boy Playing in the water.

Wonder Girl running through the sprinkler.

Hulk Baby telling asking me what is that.

Baby Hulk tried the water.  He didn't like it.

This great weather gave Daddy, Spider-Dad, a chance to do some outdoor fixing up around the house.  Cutting the grass, trying to keep the ants out of the house, and fixing things around the house.  Of course while he was fixing things around the house my curious little Super Heroes couldn't help wanting to help him. 

Baby Hulk curious on what Daddy is doing.

 When Daddy walked away to get something, Baby Hulk thought he'd fix it himself.

Later Wonder Girl came to help.