TXBeth Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 This is mainly hypothetical, since we actually can take some real books with us, but I'm curious... If you had to choose your elementary (3rd-5th grade) curriculum from ONLY things you can use on the Kindle, iPad, or PC, what would you use? Assumptions: 1. You will have fairly good internet access, so online things are okay. 2. Your budget is small-medium (around $500/yr., initially for one child, but later for 2-3 children on the same amount, so reusable things are better than online subscriptions) 3. You will have access to an okay elementary school library to look for picture books on various topics. 4. You will have access to a print shop, but will not have your own printer at home. Subjects to cover: Math Grammar Writing Spelling Literature History/Geography Science Latin starting in 4th grade Logic What would you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Connect the Thoughts KISS grammar Classical Liberal Arts Academy online classes literature downloaded onto a Kindle That would cover all subjects and I would be very pleased with the education my child would receive in grades 1-6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Math- dreambox, ixl, Alecs (is that what it's called?) Grammar- FLL with kids writing on paper Writing- WWE in a notebook, totally doable Spelling- use my favorite program as a guide and use spelling city.com and a notebook Lit and history- guides on the ereader, writing in notebook Science- id probably look for a LOT of outside activities I think math would be the biggest hurdle, and I would definitely make sure my kids were doing a lot of pencil and paper writing. I'd be very careful about how much screen time my kids were getting, so I'd probably look for teacher's guides I could put on the kindle, with hands on activities or things that could be done in a notebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bula Mama Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 (edited) Whoops, somehow double posted. Edited June 6, 2012 by Bula Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudswinger Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 The BFSU(science) and MEP(math) curricula are both available as PDFs. MEP is free. BFSU is $5 for the PDF, although it's not printable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bula Mama Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 (edited) You're speaking my language about being able to travel! Here are some ideas: Math Mammoth (PDF) I actually chose these little books instead partly because they're small: http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?subject=10&category=9224 One of the reasons I also like Primary Language Lessons and Inter. Lang. Less. (they're small!) FLL is on PDF and so is WWE Lively Latin (Downloaded off website) or Getting Started With Latin (Kindle) Geography- A Child's Geography of the World (PDF) http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/acg2.htm SOTW 1 is on Kindle there are other history options out there depending on what period you want to study. Other SOTW's are small books, though. Part of why I chose them! I add in some extra books as well but literally make some choices by how much the books weigh. Spelling Wisdom (PDF) Writing: Either Bravewriter PDF or online classes Simply Charlotte Mason has picture study PDF's: http://simplycharlottemason.com/books/picture-study-portfolios/ Science: http://www.amazon.com/Marvels-Science-Fascinating-5-Minute-Reads/dp/1563081598/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338975435&sr=8-1 or Apologia Elementary books (slim!) Lots of good read-alouds are on Kindle! Readers are harder. I have to purchase these (no library) but fortunately they're pretty light. Maybe your library will be good for this. We're starting Bravewriter The Arrow, too. And then there's Ambleside Online with HEAPS of free, online choices..... Edited June 6, 2012 by Bula Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Math - Math Mammoth Grammar -KISS Grammar, FLL Writing - WWE Spelling - Spelling City Literature - Older classics are sometimes free online... otherwise, just buy the Kindle version of the books you want to read. Any access to a public library that provides Overdrive or Netlibrary? History/Geography - SOTW Science - Haven't used it, but Mr. Q maybe? Latin starting in 4th grade - Getting Started With Latin, Lively Latin Logic - Doesn't Critical Thinking Company have downloadable books? I agree that you'd want to still do a lot of paper and pencil writing. Writing on the tablet isn't the same! We do KISS Grammar on the tablet, just marking up sentences with our fingers. LOVE IT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Subjects to cover: Math - MEP free online or MM - I think I spent about $100 for the whole kit and kaboodle with HSBC Grammar - KISS free online or GrammarLand free online or McGraw Hill free online or Scott Foresman free online Writing - WWE pdf download or Writer's Jungle pdf download Spelling - not sure of any online - you could do this with a notebook and words your kids have trouble with in their writing. I use Rod and Staff, inexpensive, very thin workbooks. Literature - loads of great literature available for Kindle or online (Baldwin Project, Ambleside Online, etc) History/Geography - Story of the World Kindle edition and library books Science - Real Science Odyssey pdf download Latin starting in 4th grade - Lively Latin pdf download or Visual Latin pdf download Logic - not familiar with any online logic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 We've been doing this for a couple of years now. We were able to bring a few books with us, but at one suitcase each for 18 months of overseas living, there's not much room for phyical books. I scanned a lot of what we needed so I wouldn't be limited to things that were available electronically. That was two years ago though, so there is a lot more available now. I spent less than $500 for two years' worth of curriculum for three children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bula Mama Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Beth, I don't know where you are/going to be but a GREAT way to get the actual books you want is at bookdepository.com in the UK. They ship for free to many countries. I don't use it in India because our mail doesn't get here 1/2 of the time (!) but I've had things shipped to New Zealand where dh is from with no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I like Simply Spelling over Simply Wisdom, but it was a tough choice. Simply Poetry is great too! I second Math Mammoth, and I am greatful for the entire set! We use the Gold and Green for extra practice, and the blue to review a topic from top to bottom as needed. Don't forget vintage books too. :) The Modern Speller, for example, and many more resources for math and grammar & composition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Ambleside Online intentionally chooses literature that can be found free online. I like a lot of their literature selections, and I've downloaded a lot onto my Kindle and iPad. I'd also look into: Math Mammoth MEP (Free) Peace Hill Press--they have most, if not all, of their products available as PDFs (that could take care of writing, grammar, history) KISS Grammar (free) Simply Charlotte Mason products on PDF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peacewalker Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I was also considering using a Kindle this year for our children. We have a very excellent selection of books that are all on CD from Robinson Curriculum. It is very inexpensive. We bought the whole set for around $275, and this is for the complete set of CD's with the books for the whole K-12 curriculum. It includes all of the McGuffey's Readers (which I only mention, because you're probably familiar with them), and hundreds of other books. A lot of the books are even college level. This price included a set of books from the G.A. Henty Collection. Without this additional set, the price is $195. The only additional book that we purchased was the Saxon math, which we also purchased through their website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Ambleside Online, Robinson Curriculum both come to mind as easy to transport/available online already planned out by grade curriculums. Old Fashioned Education is another- http://www.oldfashionededucation.com/ all free online texts, you can look by subject or planned out by grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXBeth Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 Wow, thank you so much everyone! Lots of great ideas here! We will be in Thailand. We are actually taking quite a lot of books with us for next year, so I'm not going completely virtual. But I'd like to limit our luggage weight, and we will be staying 3-4 years, so I thought it would be nice to see what people would suggest. For next year (it will just be my oldest, who will be in 2nd grade), I'm planning so far: Math - Singapore 2B with Beast Academy 3A & B. I scanned BA and put it in Notability so she can do it on the iPad. WWE (I have the 4-year guide as a PDF and I'll choose my own passages. She'll write on paper) Grammar - we're taking our R & S 3, but I'm hoping to switch to something virtual after next year. I'll take a look at the ones mentioned in this thread! History/Geog - this year we're doing Expedition Earth and adding in a lot of the extras from MFW's ECC. This is the main reason I am taking several physical books, because I already bought them before I thought about trying to use PDF books, and a lot of them don't exist in electronic form (Hero Tales, etc.) After this year I was thinking of SOTW, but I wondered if it will work well for somone who is starting the history cycle in 3rd instead of 1st. So I was considering MOH as well, and maybe even combining the two. Literature - I think we're just going to continue with random good classic books. This year we did the first 2 from Little House, so we might continue with that. We'll do some more Narnia, and maybe folk tales from the countries we study. I'll probably try to find a lot of these on the Kindle. Science is where I'm really stuck, mainly because I just don't. like. science. So BFSU is absolutely out of the question. I had forgotten about Mr. Q; that might be doable. This year we are doing Apologia Zoo 2, so I had considered Zoo 3 for next year, but after looking at it I think it would bore her (too technical). So we will do the Complete Book of Animals and some habitat studies instead. After that I don't know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyagain Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Have you looked at this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Where in Thailand? We were in Chiang Mai for five years, so I'm mostly familiar with it. There are many homeschooling families there, and lots of opportunities to swap curriculum with other people. I don't know if you've heard of the Chiang Mai classifieds, but that is an email list that people buy and sell all kinds of things on. It can potentially be a great way to purchase things that are already THERE rather than having to lug it over in your suitcase. There is a yearly homeschool conference in January, which is also a great option! If you are going to Bangkok, I'm sure there are some wonderful resources for foreigners there. Actually, there is probably even more there than Chiang Mai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXBeth Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 Where in Thailand? We were in Chiang Mai for five years, so I'm mostly familiar with it. There are many homeschooling families there, and lots of opportunities to swap curriculum with other people. I don't know if you've heard of the Chiang Mai classifieds, but that is an email list that people buy and sell all kinds of things on. It can potentially be a great way to purchase things that are already THERE rather than having to lug it over in your suitcase. There is a yearly homeschool conference in January, which is also a great option! If you are going to Bangkok, I'm sure there are some wonderful resources for foreigners there. Actually, there is probably even more there than Chiang Mai. Yes, we'll be in Chiang Mai. I subscribe to the classifieds list already, so I can see that could be a good resource. I have heard there is a co-op as well, but they have a waiting list right now. It might be a good way to get connected to people with used curriculum to sell, though. :) Until this last week we had been planning to send our kids to school (maybe Grace but I personally was leaning towards CMIS) after the first year (so starting fall of 2013). But...it doesn't look like our budget is going to allow for that, so homeschooling it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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