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What is your dream curriculum?


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An all-in-one box WTM/Classical style curriculum for Muslims. Of course, a Muslim homeschool curriculum doesn't even exist at all (outside of specific religious studies materials) so we're a long way off of it. Dh told me I should make one but I wouldn't know where to start LOL.

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I have long wanted a secular TOG with a SL open & go schedule, with discussion/narration prompts even at the grammar levels, with everything you need for one week in one small section altogether. In my wildest dreams, it would also come with true handicraft project kits with high quality materials, artist study with poster size art, music study with cd/download available, and VP style memory cards. It would also include correlating IEW themes, scheduled of course. Throw in historic links to math and science too, just to add the cherry on top. I would pay an enormous sum of money for this. :D

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I would make a Miquon that went all the way up through the end of pre-algebra. I would make it the following colors: burnt sienna, mauve, lime green, navy, chocolate, and pink.

 

Also, I really wish there was a science that was a central, engaging, well-written text (don't even try mentioning ones, none of them are well-written enough to qualify in my mind) that came with a resource book that would have the following things for every section to be used as a buffet by the parent: video resources, supplemental books, demo experiments, hands-on ways to really engage with the topic, and appropriate printables such as label sheets and lab sheets. It could have things like review questions and tests too, I just don't especially care about those. But that's the beauty of having a resource book instead of a set in stone curriculum.

 

Hm... What else... Oh, I wish there was an easy map practice book that was focused on awareness of names of places instead of general map skills (which I think are way overpracticed anyway - most kids can read maps - it's not that hard). That might exist though. I looked, but not exhaustively.

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YES, a secular, conceptual, mastery math program that includes a bit of daily review so things don't get so easily forgotten. BJU might be close except for the religious part. I am hopeful about Houghton-Mifflin's Math Expressions but it isn't marketed to homeschoolers and is quite expensive.

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Because I have kids in different stages, I like TOG since it puts everyone on a similar topic weekly... however I miss the spine approach so maybe a TOG that focuses on a spine but allows time for additional reading. TOG is all about deciding where to cut back.. a dream curriculum wouldn't require cutting since the basics would be clear and advanced work would be right there too on a weekly basis.

 

For math I'm liking Singapore but would love it more if working the basic fact review were more built in... so it doesn't always seem like Mom is assigning all this extra work!

 

For LA, I like what I have so far. hmm, but a dream would be to use CW and complete it with all the depth it offers, by say end of 10th grade. This leaves one less skill to focus on in the last two years... allowing those skills to be used and relied on in the other subjects and allowing more time to focus on other skills like literature analysis, advanced math and science, college exams, outside work, sports, music, etc. Just more time for them would be so nice.

 

Oh wait, we are dreaming here, right? Then how about a science that includes access to a 3D virtual world for experiments! This way they can do all measuring and cutting, etc without all the prep, mess, and potential danger... plus there's no worry of the little ones getting into the chemicals, tools, etc. Some of the computer stuff today comes close but it's still not the same skills as actually filling the beakers, cutting the frog, etc. A 3D virtual world could do everything, except maybe the smells.

 

hmm, if we are going 3D, then let's do that for math also... with little ones around I hate pulling out loose manipulatives!

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Couldn't agree more.

 

I would make a Miquon that went all the way up through the end of pre-algebra. I would make it the following colors: burnt sienna, mauve, lime green, navy, chocolate, and pink.

 

Also, I really wish there was a science that was a central, engaging, well-written text (don't even try mentioning ones, none of them are well-written enough to qualify in my mind) that came with a resource book that would have the following things for every section to be used as a buffet by the parent: video resources, supplemental books, demo experiments, hands-on ways to really engage with the topic, and appropriate printables such as label sheets and lab sheets. It could have things like review questions and tests too, I just don't especially care about those. But that's the beauty of having a resource book instead of a set in stone curriculum.

 

Hm... What else... Oh, I wish there was an easy map practice book that was focused on awareness of names of places instead of general map skills (which I think are way overpracticed anyway - most kids can read maps - it's not that hard). That might exist though. I looked, but not exhaustively.

 

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Also, I really wish there was a science that was a central, engaging, well-written text (don't even try mentioning ones, none of them are well-written enough to qualify in my mind) that came with a resource book that would have the following things for every section to be used as a buffet by the parent: video resources, supplemental books, demo experiments, hands-on ways to really engage with the topic, and appropriate printables such as label sheets and lab sheets. It could have things like review questions and tests too, I just don't especially care about those. But that's the beauty of having a resource book instead of a set in stone curriculum.

 

Exactly this. Finding well-written, secular science books takes so. much. work. (And anything published using Comic Sans font is immediately disqualified.)

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Exactly this. Finding well-written, secular science books takes so. much. work. (And anything published using Comic Sans font is immediately disqualified.)

 

I feel like there's a lot out there in "living books" for science, but it's so uneven and you have to go find it all. I'd love for those topics that don't have a book to have a central story that we're looking at. And to have a feeling of continuance for science. One voice where all the other "voices" are supplements. Seriously, after the last three years of teaching science, I feel like I could create the resource guide if someone could create the text (and, presumably, if I could find a good true science geek to edit my guide). I just would not trust my science skills, even at the level of elementary science, to be *the* explainer. Are there homeschool personals ads for this? :tongue_smilie:

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LOL!! I wrote a similar comment not too long ago. There are so many profession fonts out there free for the choosing that I can't understand why anyone would think Comic Sans acceptable.

 

 

Exactly this. Finding well-written, secular science books takes so. much. work. (And anything published using Comic Sans font is immediately disqualified.)

 

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I feel like there's a lot out there in "living books" for science, but it's so uneven and you have to go find it all. I'd love for those topics that don't have a book to have a central story that we're looking at. And to have a feeling of continuance for science. One voice where all the other "voices" are supplements. Seriously, after the last three years of teaching science, I feel like I could create the resource guide if someone could create the text (and, presumably, if I could find a good true science geek to edit my guide). I just would not trust my science skills, even at the level of elementary science, to be *the* explainer. Are there homeschool personals ads for this? :tongue_smilie:

 

I have said this before, but I would kill for a book that flows chapter by chapter through the disciplines as naturally as they occur in reality. I envision a spiraling science program which could easily and logically lead from the Big Bang and the formation of the universe (physical science, earth and space science) to evolution (life science) to a study of fossils (earth with some archaeology and anthropology on the side?), to a study of rocks (earth science), to the periodic table (chemistry), to states of matter (physical science), to the weather cycle (earth science), to seasons and the life cycle of plants (earth then life science) to the life cycle of people and animals to blah blah blah blah blah... One topic would lead to another, each laying a solid foundation of fundamental knowledge that would maximize understanding of subsequent lessons. In other words, it should feel like a logical progression through the topics, not fragmented bits of info.

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I would love a thorough Islamic Curriculum for the K-6 crowd. I would love it!!!

 

Especially something that worked for English and Math.

 

I would love a serious Spanish language program for the K-6 crowd, something that worked on teaching kids how to speak, listen and read in the Spanish language and gradually worked on writing too! That would be amazing!!!

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Something like Global Village school thats actually REAL, interactive and fun..

 

UU-feel with Social Justice and other subjects GVS contains. I really want to like GVS, but to me, it seems like you are paying $120 for 3 pages of book reccs and a whole lot of page fillers. When people said it was just a booklist, I was like "oh okay, but maybe it would still be worth it to me" well not when the list itself is 3 pages of "optional" stuff, and the rest is page-fillers where they tell you choices are upto you, and it seems to divide the books you have chosen into the 36 weeks. Isn't that what anyone does when making their own boring, lit based curriculum? Find spine book, split spine book into weeks, add extra boring books based on spines chapter. done. Its very upsetting, as I was really hoping for something different.

 

*I haven't purchased it, just viewed the samples, so maybe I am missing something.

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I have said this before, but I would kill for a book that flows chapter by chapter through the disciplines as naturally as they occur in reality. I envision a spiraling science program which could easily and logically lead from the Big Bang and the formation of the universe (physical science, earth and space science) to evolution (life science) to a study of fossils (earth with some archaeology and anthropology on the side?), to a study of rocks (earth science), to the periodic table (chemistry), to states of matter (physical science), to the weather cycle (earth science), to seasons and the life cycle of plants (earth then life science) to the life cycle of people and animals to blah blah blah blah blah... One topic would lead to another, each laying a solid foundation of fundamental knowledge that would maximize understanding of subsequent lessons. In other words, it should feel like a logical progression through the topics, not fragmented bits of info.

 

Exactly. I know that the constantly evolving nature of science makes this hard, but it's so bizarre to me that there's nothing like this at all out there. Nothing!

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I have said this before, but I would kill for a book that flows chapter by chapter through the disciplines as naturally as they occur in reality. I envision a spiraling science program which could easily and logically lead from the Big Bang and the formation of the universe (physical science, earth and space science) to evolution (life science) to a study of fossils (earth with some archaeology and anthropology on the side?), to a study of rocks (earth science), to the periodic table (chemistry), to states of matter (physical science), to the weather cycle (earth science), to seasons and the life cycle of plants (earth then life science) to the life cycle of people and animals to blah blah blah blah blah... One topic would lead to another, each laying a solid foundation of fundamental knowledge that would maximize understanding of subsequent lessons. In other words, it should feel like a logical progression through the topics, not fragmented bits of info.

 

Funny how so many mention science. This approach sounds so great!

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A lit-based program with SL's book notes, schedule, and international focus, HOD's hands-on activities (scheduled), notebooking, focus on personal relationship with the Lord, and less graphic books, and MFW's heart, missions focus, and bible study/discipling component.

 

A conceptual math program like Singapore with the gentle progression and review (toned down) of CLE and the visual component of MUS.

 

Kathy

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