Bible:
I have been feeling these boys need to be immersed in the Word. We've done books that pull knowledge out of the Bible, highlight important lessons on honesty and purity, but I feel that they haven't gotten enough "first hand" knowledge. So for Bible this year, we are using the Bible. The teens will be tasked with reading the New Testament. There will be daily reading and discussion time to dig into what was read. For Bram, we'll be reading along with many of the same stories in The Beginner's Bible and using integrated ideas from Raising Rock Stars at 1+1+1=1.
History:
This year we are using Tapestry of Grace. Last year I made the switch to TOG and have really been enjoying how easy it is to use for multiple ages and grades. We will be using Year 2 - this covers the exciting years from the fall of Rome to Colonial times. I am so excited that all the boys will be studying the same era of history so we can combine discussions and art projects.
Government/Civics/Economics:
Fox and Tony will be taking at least one online course at Founder's Academy - I'm debating whether to start with Economics or Government.. I have been eyeing this company for a year and have been to two of their online open house events. I have to say, it looks like a great fit for our family. It's convenient (online), lead by a Christian woman passionate about history, and it's a virtual classroom which will give my high schoolers a taste of a classrooms and online courses-both popular in colleges. You can view the full course list at CurrClick - they offer other great subjects like Fascinating First Ladies, Let's Play the Stock Market and more!
Grammar:
We will continue with Daily Grams this year. It was quick, easy and educational. What more can I ask for, right? With everything that we have to cover, grammar should be efficient, and Daily Grams is that.
Science:
If you know me you know that I love Apologia sciences! It's all we've used since about 3rd grade. The texts are engaging, and while they cover difficult material, they do it in an easy to understand way with lots of fun experiments. Fox and Tony will be taking on Chemistry this year (once we finish up Biology) and Billy will do General Science. I'm also really tempted to try Astronomy with Bram and see how it goes - but that may be me taking on too much. We'll see, he loves anything space related.
Math:
This year we are moving on solely to Teaching Textbooks with the older boys. Billy will take Pre-Algebra this year. Tony will take Algebra, and Fox will do his best to complete both Pre-Algebra and Algebra to get him on par. Bram will be working at his own pace through Math-U-See Primer.
Reading:
All boys will be immersed in living books. I will pull from the reading lists on TOG and Sonlight. We will have read alouds and read alones. In addition to reading, Billy will be using Reading Horizons. I am so excited to get into this curriculum. It is a phonics based program with levels for all ages. Billy has the programs for ages 10-Adult. I have high hopes this will rewire his reading knowledge and instill a strong phonics base. I wholeheartedly believe that once this is accomplished he will begin to develop an enjoyment for learning.
Writing:
Tony and Billy never learned cursive in public school and want to learn. Fox could always use a refresher as cursive seems to be a dying art, so we will be using StartWrite. We used this for a short time last year and really enjoyed how easy and straightforward it is to use. We will be restarting it and practicing several days a week. Fox and Tony will also be using Writing for 100 Days. It's time for them to really get into essays and composition and I've heard great things about this curriculum.
Preschool:
Bram will be four this school year. I plan to take a loosely structured, student-led approach to his learning. New concepts in math and science will be introduced through the texts listed above. But since he's still so young, most of his learning will be accomplished through fun - reading, crafts, projects, lapbooks, unit studies and the like. I will be using lots of printables from CurrClick - a fantastic site inexpensive curricula and supplements. I also plan to use the Letter of the Week Curriculum from Confessions of a Homeschooler, awesome Preschool Packs from Homeschool Creations and Amanda Bennett Unit Studies.
For Me:
How am I going to keep it all together? With the awesome, fully customizable, printable or digital Weekly Homeschool Planner, also from the talented Jolanthe of Homeschool Creations.
