And What About Curriculum?

So glad you are back!  So far we have talked about myths debunked and organization! It is my prayer that you have been blessed so far by this blog hop and all involved.  There is a wealth of information out there!  Here are a few of my favorites for you to check out-

Marcy @ Ben and Me Lisa @ Farm Fresh Adventures Jenn @ Treasuring Life's Blessings Dusty @ To the Moon and Back Jacquelin @ A Stable Beginning Rebekah @ There Will Be a $5 Charge for Whining  Gena @ I Choose Joy!
I will be the first to tell you that homeschooling is about so much more than curriculum.  So much more.  And that is a post for later in the week.  But let's face it, you NEED curriculum.  Well, most of us do.  I do know that their are "unschoolers" out there that do a good job at using the world around them to teach their children, but I am just not one of those teachers.  I like books and workbooks and notebooks and paper.

After 16 years of this homeschooling journey, I feel like we have used just about everything out there. My oldest, who got to be the guinea pig for most of it, would agree!  While I do not pretend to have all the answers, I love mentoring new homeschoolers on their curriculum choices.  It is one of the reason this blog was born.
There are a lot of good things out there. The problem is you cannot use it all at once.  Eventually you have to choose what you think is best for your child and then forge ahead.

This is a big year for us.  We are making some serious changes in what I have done in the past.  It is scary and exciting all at once. And I reserve the right to change paths at any given moment. ;)

We will talk about high school tomorrow but for now, here is what we are using for my 2nd and 7th grader.

2nd Grade

Reading- Alternating weeks
                 Sonlight 2nd grade readers
                 Explode the Code
and
                 Lightening Literature
                 A Beka Language Arts Seatwork Text
                 * I KNOW this seems overkill to many, but my son LOVES to read, hence the multitude of books and I BELIEVE in a early intro to language arts.  To break up the possible monotony, we will alternate our weeks.

Spelling- All About Spelling Level 3
                 *I have raved about this program before but I will do it again.  I have used just about every spelling program out there and this is THE one I am convinced you should start with.  After they learn the rules and basics, save yourself some time and frustration and move on to Spelling Power.

Math- Horizons from Alpha and Omega
            *We have always used Saxon in the past, but are thrilled to have been given the chance to review Alpha and Omega's 2nd grade math program.  Look for our review at the end of the year.

History- Veritas Press Old Testament and Ancient Egypt
              *This began as a review product that has captured us completely.  We are currently on lesson 62 and my son asks to do multiple lessons a day.  Despite the price, I would recommend this to everyone.   I do not want to miss a lesson myself as we are learning so much.  Some things are worth the money.  This is one of them.

Science- Nancy Larson Science
               *You can click the link and read why we switched to this science and are enjoying it!

Bible- Bible Study Guide for All Ages
           *Another review item that we continue to reorder because we like it that much.  A perfect way to start our school day.

Spanish- Homeschool Spanish Academy
              *Another review item that we love.  CJ Skypes weekly with Mrs. Rosa in Guatemala, his birth country, and learns from the best!  We also continue to review Flip Flop Spanish other days of the week.

Writing- Write Shop B
              *Can you guess? Yes, another product we found through reviewing for the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  It brings me great joy to say that at least one of my boys likes to write! ;)

7th Grade

Reading- Lightning Literature and Composition 7th grade
                * After years of using Sonlight readers, we are walking away.  I just feel this is a better fit for my son and we are excited to be using it.  You can read my review of the 8th grade program, which we will pick up again next year.

Spelling- Spelling Power

Math- Teaching Textbooks 7
           *In the past we switch from Saxon to TT about 5th grade.  Each year I am more and more impressed with this program.

History- Notgrass- Uncle Sam and You
            *This another big change for us.  Up until last year, we have used Sonlight History.  While it was a good fit for my daughters, not so much for my son.  We used America the Beautiful from Notgrass last year and loved it.  My son is the one who asked if we could continue with this company. I think that speaks volumes for this history buff!

Science- Apologia's General Science
              *This is one I have struggled with as I think Apologia is just hard sometimes.  Good, but hard.  But after seeing the notebook available for this one, I was sold.  It is my favorite of all we have used so far and makes the course seem less intimidating.

Bible-  Apologia's What on Earth Can I Do?
            * We began this as a review, took a break and are now continuing on.  An excellent apologetics series.

Spanish- Spanish for Children- Primer A from Classical Academic Press
            *My second daughter used this years ago and we just feel it is one of the strongest out there for not only speaking but to learn grammar as well.  Since it has DVDs and CDs, it is a good fit for my auditory learner.

Writing- Institute for Excellence in Writing
               *Yes, Andrew Peduwa is one of the BEST writing teachers out there in my opinion.  Considering his popularity, many agree.  When it comes to upper level writing, I don't want anyone to teach my kids but him!

And high school?  Well, let's chat tomorrow about that!
Don't forget about the great giveaway!

Blessings,