It is that time of year...school is winding down, summer is approaching and the heat has already come. While many moms dream of no schedules, pools and fun, this is a time that homeschool moms start obsessing, I mean, pouring over homeschool curriculum. To find the right curriculum. To find the perfect curriculum. I am no different. Though I now have a complete set of curriculum from pre K to 12th grade, it does not stop me from sneaking glances at all of the new "stuff"! It's addictive! It's that same feeling when you go to Walmart in August to pick out new pens, pencils and notebooks. Fun, but scary at the same time. You want to get the right stuff! You want your student to succeed. You want them to have the pretty purple binders! (ok, maybe that's just me) And each child is different! My girls did very well with what I currently own, but I do see a need to customize here and there for the boys, whose learning styles and patience are slightly different. (or is it my patience?) Anyway, many people ask me, what do you use? What do you recommend? So I am going to let you peek at my complete list through middle school today...but please keep in mind, this is what has worked or is working for us currently. With each new review and recommendation, I am liable to find a new favorite. Sometimes I just add something in, not even replace...RNP loves when I do that! ;) I will post on high school next week! It deserves its own space, trust me!
These are just my personal opinions and by no means reflect the views or success of others...just over 13 years of MY experience!
Preschool
PLAY, PLAY and PLAY! Really, it is fun!
Rod and Staff Preschool workbook set- They are simple yet fun to do.
Kindergarten
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
Explode the Code A, B, C
My Father's World From A to Z Kindergarten Pack Or The Phonics Museum from Veritas Press
Christian Liberty Press Nature Readers, 1 and 2
First Language Lessons
Saxon Math K
Beginner Bible
1st grade
Explode the Code 1, 2, 3
ABeka Language Arts
Sonlight- Literature
A Reason for Handwriting
Saxon Math 1
Mystery of History 1
Science- Jeannie Fulbright's Land Animals of the Sixth Day
Beginner Bible
2nd Grade
ABeka Language Arts
Sonlight- Literature
Saxon Math 2
Mystery of History, 2
Science- Jeannie Fulbright's Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day
Begin Personal Devotions and Bible reading
3rd Grade
ABeka Language Arts
Saxon Math 3
Sonlight- Literature
Bible
Spelling Power
Mystery of History, 3
Science- Jeannie Fulbright's Botany
4th Grade
Saxon Math 4
Mystery of History, 4 (to be released)
Science- Jeannie Fulbright's Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
Sonlight- Literature
Bible
Grammar Ace
Spelling Power
Power Glide For Children, Spanish
5th Grade
Wordly Wise
Teaching Textbooks Math
Sonlight- History
Literature
Bible
NOEO Science
Spelling Power
All In One Master English
Power Glide Junior, Spanish
6th Grade
Wordly Wise
Teaching Textbooks
Sonlight- History
Literature
Bible
Jeannie Fulbright's Astronomy
Spelling Power
Junior Analytical Grammar
Spanish (on computer)
7th Grade
Wordly Wise
Teaching Textbooks
Sonlight- History
Literature
Bible
Analytical Grammar, Part 1
Spelling Power
Spanish 1 (Classical Academic Press)
Jeannie Fulbright's Anatomy and Physiology
8th Grade
Wordly Wise
Teaching Textbooks- Algebra 1
Sonlight- History
Literature
Bible
Analytical Grammar, Part 3 (yes, we skip part 2)
Spelling Power
Classical Academic Press, Spanish 2
Apologia Physical Science OR ABeka Physical Science (We have used both...it depends on which child as to which one I prefer!)
Typing
Spanish 2 (Classical Academic Press)
World Physical Geography (Brenda Runkle) One of the best I've seen!!
Ok, so there you have it! Overwhelms me just looking at it, but also makes me want to open those catalogs again and find even MORE! It's an obsession...what can I say?!
If you have a product you LOVE, do share! I would love to check it out!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Welcome! Follow our family of 6 on our military moving, God loving, homeschool adventure! We are honored you have joined us and look forward to hearing from you.
I am so glad you shared this today! Just last night, we packaged up the MFW 1st grade stuff we bought to send it back. I am back on the curriculum hunt! Thanks for your list!
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested to hear why you sent it back! They are one I recommend sometimes to those who want to buy everything from one place. Another one to check out for completed packages is Christian Liberty Press. A lot less expensive than Sonlight, all in one place, and they tend to pick from various sources what they think is best. New have used several of their younger grade things, especaially language arts, and been pleased.
DeleteMichele, I am curious about your shift from Abeka at the end of 3rd grade. Was that due to a changing need that Abeka did not address? Also, what is Wordly Wise? I am assuming it is a Bible curriculum? We are doing all Abeka this year, but I am interested in exploring other curriculums out there for different subjects as E progresses throught he grades.
ReplyDeleteS- hey! Grammar/ language arts has aways been the hardest for us to find, especially for younger grades. To make a long story short... We returned to ABeka for younger grades after finding nothing else we liked... Exception being Chritian Liberty Press. But, I found that ABeka tends to beat a dead horse with diagramming sentences at older levels, and drove me crazy...seemed to be a lot of busy work. (my girls are not workbook style kids, the oldest boy is, however). We just liked the other books listed for their simplicity yet thoroughness. If it is working for E, just forge ahead!
DeleteOops, got ahead of myself....Wordly Wise is a vocabulary program...runs through high school levels. Highly recommend it, though my boys are not starting it quite as early as my girls did. If you use a spelling program that has vocab in it, you would not necessarily need it...spelling power is spelling only, so it was great for us!
DeleteI always love your opinions on curriculum. The catalogs are starting to arrive and I'm getting ready to pour over them too. I'm wondering how many of our readers are available by ebook and anxious to research that option this year.
ReplyDelete