Melissa B Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 We are really looking forward to the next school term. I have found a few new (to us) things we are going to try. I would love to see what new and interesting things others have found to implement next year! Any great finds that are rarely discussed on these boards? Here are ours: Peak with Books http://www.amazon.com/Peak-Books-Childhood-Resource-Balanced/dp/0766859487/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207750205&sr=8-1 Certainly not new, but I have never seen it discussed here. It is similar to FIAR or VP's First Favorites (both of which I used to own) but I like it better. I find the discussion questions and activities to be more in-depth and interesting. And each of the 42 lessons (one book each) has poetry suggestions and a list of additional picture books that would work well with the lesson. We will probably spend two weeks on each lesson rather than the suggested one week. We are going to go ahead and start next week. College of William and Mary / Center for Gifted Education http://cfge.wm.edu/Curr_listing.html I have never seen these mentioned here either. We are going to use their guides for both literature and history next year. They say they are for gifted students, but I have read through them and do not see anything that cannot be done by any child. Gifted curriculum simply seem to be much more discussion based with more in-depth analysis than standard curriculum. NOTE: They were written for the classroom. I will be doing the units with two children and myself. It would be more difficult to use them with only one student. The rest of our curriculum is regularly discussed on these boards. I am eagerly awaiting SWB's new Writing with Ease and Andrew Campbell's memory book - as are many others, I'm sure. So, what other great curriculum is out there to explore?? :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I picked up Proverbs People by the Boyers (http://www.thelearningparent.com I think is the link) and think it looks good. Got a booklet by Sandi Queen on, um, girl to womanhood that went over well. She has one for boys as well. It's enough without being explicit or technical, mainly stuff you kick yourself for not having told your kids (showering, feelings, etc.). We're still really liking the BJU music, which is funny to me because it's little discussed and has to actually be taught (not just a video you pop in). It's not hard by any means (Ok, I'm still working through the 2nd grade book with my 3rd grader, lol) but we really, really enjoy it! It makes a bright spot in our day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I've really struggled to find a grammar program for my rising 6th grader. We've done a hodge-podge of stuff over the years, and overall, he's got a pretty good grasp of the basics. I found a great book at our local Barnes and Noble called Teaching Grammar Through Writing that I'll be using next year. It emphasizes generalizing what we learn in grammar to daily writing. I'm pretty excited about it, at least as excited as I can get about grammar.:) http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Grammar-Through-Writing-Activities/dp/0205491669 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Well, they aren't "new", but new for me. I'm loving WT for my 2 ds's for the rest of this year and next (will start when books arrive!). Apologia Elementary Science series is another great "discovery" for us. I'm very intrigued by LLATL and somehow "drawn" to the simplicity and ease of use (wonder why? :)) so once I can get my hands on the books (used preferably), we will start with that and give it a trial run over the summer. Math is still haunting me when it comes to ds9, but we're going to give MUS a try and then possible R&S. I've decided to implement AAS for my 3 sons and keep SWO for dd11 who does well w/ it. We're excited about MFW ECC for geography. Now...if I could only find the motivation to finish what we've started this year! :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jg_puppy Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 College of William and Mary / Center for Gifted Education http://cfge.wm.edu/Curr_listing.html I have never seen these mentioned here either. We are going to use their guides for both literature and history next year. They say they are for gifted students, but I have read through them and do not see anything that cannot be done by any child. Gifted curriculum simply seem to be much more discussion based with more in-depth analysis than standard curriculum. I was wondering which one you are getting. Have you gotten it yet? It looks interesting. My new discovery is not curriculum, but google books. There are so many different things there. I download books to my computer and my dd thinks of it like having her own personal library. Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paula j Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Well, the coolest things I have gotten for next year are: God and the History of Art - this looks really good and should last us at least a couple of years. I'm very artistic but we never seem to get art done.:confused: Famous Men of Greece and famous Men of the Middle Ages - a friend gave me these and I think they will add depth to SOTW for my 12 yo ds. The Memoria study guide for D'aulaires greek Myths - This should help with ds reading comprehension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Heather Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 The thing I'm looking forward to the most is nothing new (well, for us it will be)-- the Holling C. Holling books and the Beautiful Feet lit/map guide. Ever since I discovered these books years ago I've been anxious to use them w/ the study guide. Next year I think my boys will be ready to enjoy them to the fullest... I can't wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Island Academy Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Hey! I was just going to say that about The Holling Books and study guide! I just have to buy my maps and then we'll be using these this summer. They have been on my shelf and waiting for the boys to be "old enough". MichelleJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Well, I haven't even ordered it yet, but am planning to very soon: http://www.handleonthearts.com/shop/ I love art, but we just never seem to get around to it. I want to find something open & go to get myself over the hump of 'just do it'. Kwim? Even though it's pricey, it looks fun & I think it will give me the impetus I need to add art/music back into our week. Also, we're getting ready to participate in Tomatosphere: http://www.tomatosphere.org/ We have our seed packets in hand, now we just need to get started. This is not necessarily 'curriculum', but we're in an urban area, and I've been pondering starting a small garden (very small) w/ the kids. Over on the general board, someone mentioned "Square Foot Gardening". I got the book from the library & this actually looks doable! So, I'd like to add this in for us as something completely new -- maybe a fun spring/summer/fall project to go along w/ plant studies. http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Square-Foot-Gardening/dp/1591862027/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207760014&sr=1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I am switching from Sonlight to Winter Promise. I have collected up several of the books that will bring us some hands on projects. We have even picked up a few of their books to finish out Sonlight 5 with a bit more fun. Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Art Adventures at Home We have just started using this one. I really like it because they are learning everything from technique to art appreciation. It's hands on, but not to difficult to implement. http://www.rainbowresource.com/search.php?sid=1207760368-597467 I have a dd who lives for art and doesn't care about anything else, so if I can find something w/ art or based on art it's like winning the lottery! So for next year's geography I got her Geography through Art from Geomatters. http://www.geomatters.com/products/details.asp?ID=384 That's all I can think of at the moment, but we are pretty excited about both of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 What the Bible is All About? Mears - summary poem on all the books of the Bible for us to memorize; love the format Teaching Shakespeare, Gibson - great resource Discovering Shakespeare's Language - workbook that can be copied for multiple dc The Trivium, Joseph - helping me to understand WHY we should study formal logic Netflix - wonderful resource for family and homeschool dvd's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 It's not a new program, but I'm excited about starting Omnibus I with my oldest son next year. I've been listening to lectures by Douglas Wilson on the Omnibus series, and they have really spurred me to read through the program now rather than this summer, when I supposedly have more time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose in BC Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Well, I haven't even ordered it yet, but am planning to very soon:http://www.handleonthearts.com/shop/ I love art, but we just never seem to get around to it. I want to find something open & go to get myself over the hump of 'just do it'. Kwim? Even though it's pricey, it looks fun & I think it will give me the impetus I need to add art/music back into our week. http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Square-Foot-Gardening/dp/1591862027/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207760014&sr=1-1 What ages is this appropriate for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Melissa, we used Peak with Books between Before FIAR and FIAR. The book selections are real kid pleasers and I loved the poems, fingerplays and songs. Our new curriculum for next year is Winterpromise's Hideaways in History. A year's overview of history with lots of hands on projects is very appealing to me. I hope my 7 yo and 5 yo agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 None of these are 'new' but they are new to me! :D *Tapestry of Grace Redesign, year 1 *Latin for Children *Harmony Fine Arts I have all three on-hand and am very excited to get started! Latin for Children is JUST what I was hoping it was. I think my son is really going to like it! TOG is just what I want in a history curriculum! I think I am really going to like it! And Harmony is simple, to the point, and not time consuming....just what we need right now. I am definitely ready for our summer break...but am also looking forward to fall. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 What ages is this appropriate for? Rose, I think I saw somewhere that Handle on the Arts is good for an age range from 3-12 (w/ modification or help for those on the younger end). If you want to see some samples, there are samples of the Apprentice Arts Volume here: http://handleonthearts.com/shop/p32/Apprentice-Arts-Volume-I/product_info.html And for the Time Traveler Volume here: http://handleonthearts.com/shop/p34/Time-Traveler-Volume-I/product_info.html As far as the Square Foot Gardening book, it's a book for adults. But, I know absolutely nothing about gardening & have never tried it. I would like to start, but start small so that I can hope to have some success. I would love the kids to help out, getting everything ready, then choosing a veggie &/or some flowers to grow & helping to maintain it all. The book does emphasize how great the system is for both adults & children. Check your library to see if they have the book (ours did), but I may be buying my own copy to have on hand for reference as we begin our foray into gardening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 Jan, I am really enjoying Google books as well!! To be used this coming year, I purchased: Building a New System: Colonial America 1607 - 1763 The World Turned Upside Down: The American Revolution Literary Reflections I also purchased The 1940's: A Decade of Change even though we won't use that for another two years. I found it at a good price and wanted to see how the curriculum advanced through the years. I have received them all and have been reading through them daily. I am very excited about beginning the program next term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 released in May! I've been searching and searching for an Elementary Spanish program I like. I have high hopes for this one based on the samples. Ohhh. Do you have a link for this one? I'd love to take a look at it. I am also trying to find/select a Spanish curriculum. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Our homeschool has been flipped upside down and turned inside out with new things, new approaches, etc. LA Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl, updated by Margot Davidson, this has fabulous for us and I went ahead and got Intermediate Language Lessons by Margot Davidson as well. Love them! Bible- I'm very happy with Explorer's Bible Study and I think dd7 (will be 8) is ready for the Discovery level. So exciting! History- Happy with TOG, still finding a rhythm but I love the activity books we'll be using in addition to TOG. Hands-On History type books where we'll make dioramas and what-not. I feel like a kid again with my own kid! Love it. Glad to have Real Learning by Elizabeth Foss, she has spoken my heart in many ways. Reading Charlotte Mason's books are the same way. Esp. glad to have Home Learning Year by Year by Rupp. Horizons Preschool- this is going to be so much fun I won't want to teach dd7! Can I just do preschool all day long??? Of course with a calm, happy, contented child eager to learn...uh huh. Unit Studies for science- I'm done with curricula (at least for now) and science is taking a life of its own in our home. Literary science, nature studies and unit studies to maximize the ever-flowing curiosity pouring out my kids. The unit study approach will allow me to plan something but still keep it loose. I'm still praying about whether to have a "grand overview plan" or just go with the flow. I may have some things to share about this later. We love Écoutez, Parlez! French Oral Program everything is sort of new to us right now, we've changed a lot this year as decisions were being made for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Well, I'm newer on here, so I'm not sure what's usually talked about here, but.... My dd11 also loves artsy crafty things and Geography. We just received the "Geography Through Art" that I ordered from GeoMatters. I also purchased the "Trail Guide to US Geography" and "...to World Geography". She's excited to get going on those! She's also doing Spanish. We recently found Visual Link Spanish. She tried it out online, then we signed up for their e-mail newsletter. They happened to be having a special that month, so we were able to buy the program for about 1/2 of the original cost! She's loving the program! http://www.learnspanishtoday.com/ Another new thing for her this year was "Christian Kids Explore" Science, from Bright Ideas Press. She did the Chemistry Book, and absolutely loved it! She says that because of that book she now wants to be a Chemist! http://www.brightideaspress.com/CKEChemistry.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I am excited about our upcoming year... TOG Year 1 redesign - both kids are ready for the 4 year cycle now after I've put it off for 2 years! Voyages in English - looks fabulous. Those are the 2 big ones for me this year. It's fun to see what everyone is posting here - very fun stuff!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 I do not need anything else, I dont, really, I don't want to look...argh!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Theophan Academy Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Well - I am excited about the Among the Pond/Forest/Meadow People series republished by Yesterdays Classics - I just ordered them and have been reading through, they are just the sort of thing my kids love and very informational without TOO much info. Really, most anything by Yesterday's Classics is a hit with us. Oh, and I am always excited when a new Amy Pak Time Travelers unit comes out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings--can't wait! Concordia Voyages--7th grade social issues and the Bible curriculum Either Apologia (likely) or Rainbow (still possible) for science I would like to think that we will actually DO Latin, but I do not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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