Sunday, September 07, 2008
What We're Using This Year
Since I have posted our homeschool schedule, I thought I'd post about our materials as well.
Our home economics is pretty hands on and we use it to demonstrate math and science as well. We teach social studies through their history and literature, along with geography and religion. As for the occupational education, that would be their chores, helping to cook, working in the garden, helping tend the critters, things like that. We farm out PE, though we do exercise as a family together. I tried to do a different recitation each week last year, but I think it is better to do them monthly, so there isn't as much of the cram and dump at work. Each week they have a bible verse to memorize and recite, each month a passage, speech or poem and in their religious instruction, we work on a different prayer or creed each month, memorizing and learning the meaning of each line. I'm not listing all the books they read, as there are just too many of them.
Religion: We use the catechism from the Book of Common Prayer as well as working on specific prayers/topics each month.
Child's Bible History
Art Appreciation: Child Sized Masterpieces Steps 1-4
Recitation & Dictation: The Harp & Laurel Wreath (this book has material from early ages through the rhetorical stage/high school age with poetry and literary analysis in the higher levels)
Science: Exploring Creation with Astronomy, Exploring Creation with Botany
Latin, Grammar & Music: Latina Christiana I
Lingua Angelica I
I'm looking for a good Latin dictionary, if anyone has recommendations.
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 1B & 2A This is more advanced than American math, but our children were behind in school, so Dominic is just finishing 2nd grade level math and Alexander is in 3rd grade level math, Dominic should be finished with 2A, maybe 2B by the end of this year, and Alexander should be finished with 3A. We were very disappointed in the way math was taught at the boys' school. I knew they struggled a little with it, but I assumed it was because of them goofing off. We had some nasty surprises when we first took them out of school, and a few more when we looked a little more closely at how they had been taught, especially Dominic, who was still counting to add or subtract when we started him in second grade. We looked into how the schools in our area taught math, and all of them taught broadly, but didn't focus on really learning the basics and progressing from there. I almost have them caught up to a level of understanding that should be normal for their ages and abilities.
Base 10 Math Manipulatives
Writing: Writing Strands
History (which also includes reading, writing, art, art history, home economics and geography): Story of the World
The Mystery of History
History Links
Penmanship (which includes religion): Memoria Press' Copybook III (later this year we'll be using the cursive book)
We also do dictation to work on memory and penmanship.
Spelling: Spelling Workout (though I'm not absolutely thrilled with it)
Unabridged Dictionary
Geography: Historical Atlas of the World
Globe
I also want to get the Atlas of Classical History.
Image of God Kindergarten Level
Phonics Pathways (Looking into Sing, Spell, Read and Write & Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons)
Bob Books
Usborne Books Ready for Writing
Singapore Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics 1A (1B later this year)
Little Saints for music, book lists, calendar, seasons, time.
Wooden Model Clock
If you homeschool, please share your curricula choices and the ages/grades of your children also.
Our home economics is pretty hands on and we use it to demonstrate math and science as well. We teach social studies through their history and literature, along with geography and religion. As for the occupational education, that would be their chores, helping to cook, working in the garden, helping tend the critters, things like that. We farm out PE, though we do exercise as a family together. I tried to do a different recitation each week last year, but I think it is better to do them monthly, so there isn't as much of the cram and dump at work. Each week they have a bible verse to memorize and recite, each month a passage, speech or poem and in their religious instruction, we work on a different prayer or creed each month, memorizing and learning the meaning of each line. I'm not listing all the books they read, as there are just too many of them.
Religion: We use the catechism from the Book of Common Prayer as well as working on specific prayers/topics each month.
Child's Bible History
Art Appreciation: Child Sized Masterpieces Steps 1-4
Recitation & Dictation: The Harp & Laurel Wreath (this book has material from early ages through the rhetorical stage/high school age with poetry and literary analysis in the higher levels)
Science: Exploring Creation with Astronomy, Exploring Creation with Botany
Latin, Grammar & Music: Latina Christiana I
Lingua Angelica I
I'm looking for a good Latin dictionary, if anyone has recommendations.
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 1B & 2A This is more advanced than American math, but our children were behind in school, so Dominic is just finishing 2nd grade level math and Alexander is in 3rd grade level math, Dominic should be finished with 2A, maybe 2B by the end of this year, and Alexander should be finished with 3A. We were very disappointed in the way math was taught at the boys' school. I knew they struggled a little with it, but I assumed it was because of them goofing off. We had some nasty surprises when we first took them out of school, and a few more when we looked a little more closely at how they had been taught, especially Dominic, who was still counting to add or subtract when we started him in second grade. We looked into how the schools in our area taught math, and all of them taught broadly, but didn't focus on really learning the basics and progressing from there. I almost have them caught up to a level of understanding that should be normal for their ages and abilities.
Base 10 Math Manipulatives
Writing: Writing Strands
History (which also includes reading, writing, art, art history, home economics and geography): Story of the World
The Mystery of History
History Links
Penmanship (which includes religion): Memoria Press' Copybook III (later this year we'll be using the cursive book)
We also do dictation to work on memory and penmanship.
Spelling: Spelling Workout (though I'm not absolutely thrilled with it)
Unabridged Dictionary
Geography: Historical Atlas of the World
Globe
I also want to get the Atlas of Classical History.
Image of God Kindergarten Level
Phonics Pathways (Looking into Sing, Spell, Read and Write & Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons)
Bob Books
Usborne Books Ready for Writing
Singapore Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics 1A (1B later this year)
Little Saints for music, book lists, calendar, seasons, time.
Wooden Model Clock
If you homeschool, please share your curricula choices and the ages/grades of your children also.
Labels: Family, Homeschooling
