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I have looked at so many already! The ones I am most drawn to are the Living Books Curriculum, Heart of Dakota and people have recommended Sonlight to me.

 

I don't like the day-to-day scripting. I would be teaching my 7,5, and essentially 3 year old together and want to be able to sit down at the beginning of each week and plan what we are going to do.

 

I do like something that sets me up by week, however, gives me the tools but allows me to decide when we're going to do it in the week.

 

The trouble is finding something that will fit the needs of all my kids.

 

Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks

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I love HOD and initially chose it because I prefer the day to day schedule. A weekly schedule would get away from me. Since you want a weekly schedule you could do MFW.

 

At age 3, I'd just plan on her/him listening in on read alouds. I wouldn't expect a 3 y/o to do any of the work a 7 y/o is doing, other than listening and maybe basic Scripture memory.

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My advice is teach subjects like science and history to your oldest's level and let your younger ones join in if they are willing. I like Apologia for Science and Story of the World for History. You can build your own plans but it is still "do the next thing" and easy to plan. Get extra books from the library each week to enhance what you are learning. But keep in mind that even at 7, you don't need to over do it.

 

3 & 5 is pretty young for formal schooling. Maybe just do Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching reading for our 5yo. Something simple for math. I liked Bob Jones Kindergarten Math.

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I pretty much planned on my youngest just observing and asking questions when she wants. We do read aloud already. My 5 and 7 year old have done 100 Easy Lessons and are pretty much reading at early levels now.

 

I also did Right Start Math but was looking into the Life of Fred and I think my 7 year old boy would love it :0)

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I'm a fan of HOD, but if you want to teach together (which is my desire as well), then that program isn't what you are looking for. Plus it is VERY scripted.

You may also want it look at something like Galloping the Globe. That would be fun and age appropriate. I also really enjoyed the years we used Sonlight, but then it is a little more scripted as well.

Good luck!

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What about veritas press bible and history? They have lots of suggestions for living books and their timeline cards are fantastic. They also have a teachers manual with lots of activities... Pick the ones you like and get rid of the rest.

 

Here we wrote about our experience with the bible and here with the history.

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We already have the timeline cards and a foundations guide for Classical Conversations where we are pretty much doing memory work out of it in the morning.

 

How can you piece together Classical Education with Charlotte Mason stuff? Is it possible?

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I just went with something for my elder and included related crafts & activities my young 'uns can join in on if they want to.

 

It sounds like what you want is something like Tapestry of Grace (but all inclusive) for the younger years which would suggest to me that theres not a lot of options. Most other multi-level/age all-inclusive curriculums tend to plan out every second (unfortunately. I would love something akin to TOG (but secular, since I prefer to teach Bible separately) with the ability to pick and choose what I want)

 

So you have the option of piecing together your own or starting from scratch using a scheduled template as a guide

 

Scheduled Multi-Level:

- Sonlight

- Winterpromise

- Tapestry of Grace (although that wouldn't really be multi-level to the 3yo) but has what you want in terms of scheduling/decisions

 

Separated Curriculums:

- HOD (because of the difference I am not sure you could combine those, but if you've suggested it, there is probably somewhere out there someone who has done it and had tips/alterations

- MFW - Get the Toddler/Pre-k package, and then a suitable one for your eldest

- Abeka has some nice art/craft and pre-k curriculums as well as graded.

- Horizons has a preschool program (don't know anything about it though)

 

Piecing together:

History - Story of the World + Activity Book. This is what we do. I include lots of crafts, colouring & projects, so the younger ones love it too (they are currently growing a nile in our library :D our which the cat says "if its not for sits, why is it made of warm? and consequently its also growing birman white hairs, as well as grass)

Science: Science Play book, or Mudpies to Magnets, or Intro to Science by Elemental Science, World Around Me by Winterpromise

LA: Winterpromise, Phonics Pathways, McRuffy's (they also have a cute science program), All about Reading/Spelling, Happy Phonics

Maths: Miquon, Singapore, Rightstart, Math U See

Social Studies (Optional): Emergencies (what is & what isn't) how to make an emergency call, fire safety/exits, your phone number/street address, stranger danger, etc

Health(optional): Abeka texts

Art/Music: Harmony Fine Arts, Atelier, K-5 home art, Musiq, Simply Music

Nature Studies: Field Guides (tracks & leavings, local flora & fauna), investigation kit (binoculars, magnifying glass, tweezers, nature journal, speciman collectors, torch, etc)

Critical & Creative Thinking: Lollipop Logic, Tin Man Press, Anti-Coloring Books

And usually (since otherwise it doesn't happen) I also schedule in one fun, non-learning (although it usually ends up with lots of educational/learning value, but I base it on fun) messy craft (i.e. previous crafts - Peanut Packing Sculptures, Homemade Playdough & Moonsand, Sponge Towers, Fly Swatter Painting, Bubble Painting, Marbles Painting etc)

Home Ec: Pearables does a home Ec course. We've only done 3 lesson of it so far (Nutrition, Cutting & Garnishing Carrots and Potatoes, Using a toaster, but apparently its also home chore type stuff as well)

 

We did do sonlight last year, I got P3/4 and P4/5 (with LA K) (for my then 6, 3/4 & 2 yo) P3/4 was just a "list" of books per term to read, I scheduled it up per day and added extra literary activties (google searching the book in question), for P4/5 I added the Handle On the Arts Suppplements for Sonlight (they do it for P4/5, K, 1 & 2) here: http://www.handleonthearts.com/cart/handson-activities-c-24.html?zenid=4bpkc0ghbg4ktbdi5jtka7i6b6 which I though was amazingly awesome. If I ever go back to Sonlight I would get some more of those.

 

HTH xxx

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