What do you think are the necessary but bare-bones basics for...

[I.Dup.]

elementary and middle school?

 

Please tell me what you would do if you were in survival mode and wanted your kids to still have a better-than-public school education but you just had to do *just* the bare bones for awhile. What would that be?

 

Please list specific curriculum as well.

[regentrude]

A good math book (no curriculum suggestions; I started homeschooling when we were at prealgebra) and living books on all kinds of topics (library card or kindle are helpful).

Paper and pencils and crayons.

 

At elementary and middle school level, I don't think you need anything else.

[ScoutTN]

And a library card or three or four! :001_smile:

[Ohdanigirl]

Math, reading, and writing. There needs to be some writing in there. Some Math curriculum that has worked for many: Singapore, Math Mammoth, and Lial's for middle school.

[wapiti]

:iagree: I would prioritize math and language arts (grammar, vocab, writing). If absolutely necessary, I'd leave the content subjects for reading.

 

You might post on the curriculum board for specific suggestions. It's hard to make suggestions without grade levels and more info about what your students already know/have already done and what sorts of learners they are.

[I.Dup.]

Thank you all! I have always prioritized math and reading. It's the other subjects that have been a problem. I also need a good grammar curriculum. We have tried many, none seems to fit. I may post over on the K-8 board, probably should have done that to begin with. :)

[justasque]

I think there are three essential pieces to the elementary years:

 

--Math, no less than 3 times a week, for an age-appropriate duration each time. Decent math - the kind that makes you think, not just the kind where you memorize calculation algorithms or worse calculations themselves.

 

--Books. Lots and lots of quality, age-appropriate books on different topics of interest, fiction and non-fiction, read aloud and to oneself, and perhaps heard on audio. That said, not everyone gets information well through text, so if the children aren't natural book-y types, then something must supplement this piece, plus as much work as possible put into building up these skills.

 

--Seeing the world. People, places, things, and lots of 'em.

 

Writing - that is, composing things to write - is important but can wait until 12 or so when they have something to say and a good immersion in hearing/reading decent writing under their belt.

 

Handwriting - learning to print letters - is something I'd throw in during the elementary years if possible.

[catz]

Ok, I would a agree with the above. The only thing I would add is make sure at least your oldest 3 are doing some age appropriate writing every day. I think a copy work book and a journal (with occassional dictation/spelling) might fit the bill. Your 5 year old could do just copy work for a while (we like writing without tears).

 

At middle school level, I might assign books to read that are history, science, and/or lit based. I might also assign a few related videos to watch per week. Brain pop has been a great inventment for us and if all else fails, I know my 8 year old is getting some science and history there. I also might sign kids up for extra curriculars/out of the house activities. 4H would be a great one.

 

All that said, for the long term, bare bones is probably not actually better than the average PS for the average kid IMO. If you have kids that are avid readers and learners and an environment set up with many open ended possibilities in and out of the house, I think some kids can do great.

[Mrs.Gregg]

Our bare bones when life gets crazy are:

 

Math: Singapore and then supplemental worksheets

 

L.A.: Easy Grammar for the 5th grader, Lots of reading for both, copywork for both, Chapter summaries from the 5th grader. Readingeggs.com for the 1st grader

 

Read alouds for both related to history and science.

[2_girls_mommy]

Rod and Staff across the board for grammar and math and spelling for me. Basic, simple to use, reusable, thorough. This will easily cover your math, reading, spelling, writing and vocabulary.

 

SOTW for history. Add in extra reading and writing summaries of the extra books and encyclopedia and skills work with it like outlining, and it can stretch through middle. Do the projects and really work on them and you have much art covered as well.

 

Science? I will leave for someone else. I don't know what is just enough, and wouldn't want to risk not doing enough. So I would stick w/a full curric or with WTM plans.

[Kim in Appalachia]

For bare bones, easy to use curriculum, I recommend Rod and Staff. They have an oral review before each lesson and tell you what the main points are. The work is thorough and easy to check and keep up with. On top of that I would add lots of good books, bribe the kids if necessary. While I love R &S math, for the oldest you may want to switch to TT.

[kroe1]

Bare bones for time or bare bones for $$ or both?

 

Elementary

 

1. Kay Arthur Bible study and would add a writing assignment to the daily workbook page. That would cover reading, writing, and grammar if you do the corrections. Cost about $15

2. Science lab book and do a daily lab that uses common home supplies. Carson Dellosa has a lab workbook that is about $4. You would need probably 7 or 8 of them for the year. That would cover reading, general knowledge, projects, and writing. I would also be able to teach math from this by making up a few problems and teaching based on the contents of the lab.

3. Physical Education as exercise is good for the brain and is free.

 

Middle and High School

 

1. A Beka Science text only. Can't remember the cost. But if I had no money, just National Geographic online or at library would work just fine. Again, writing assignments daily, general knowledge, and can incorporate math problem solving. Also, I would have kiddo watch labs on Youtube.

2. Khan Academy for math. It's essentially free if one has internet connection.

3. Just read books, books, and more books at the library. I would assign from different genres to make sure many subjects and topics are covered.

 

:)

[justasque]

I think there are three essential pieces to the elementary years:

 

--Math, no less than 3 times a week, for an age-appropriate duration each time. Decent math - the kind that makes you think, not just the kind where you memorize calculation algorithms or worse calculations themselves.

 

--Books. Lots and lots of quality, age-appropriate books on different topics of interest, fiction and non-fiction, read aloud and to oneself, and perhaps heard on audio. That said, not everyone gets information well through text, so if the children aren't natural book-y types, then something must supplement this piece, plus as much work as possible put into building up these skills.

 

--Seeing the world. People, places, things, and lots of 'em.

 

Writing - that is, composing things to write - is important but can wait until 12 or so when they have something to say and a good immersion in hearing/reading decent writing under their belt.

 

Handwriting - learning to print letters - is something I'd throw in during the elementary years if possible.

 

 

Forgot curriculum.

 

For math, I like things like Miquon and Singapore and some public-school math texts (Scott-Foresman comes to mind, but I think they were bought by someone), supplemented with lots of board/card games, logic-type/brain-teaser puzzles (which can be given as holiday/birthday gifts). I also like construction toys - the more the better.

 

For reading - just do it. What you read isn't nearly as important as that fact that you actually do it. (Obviously, some choices are better than others - avoid most books with TV characters, for example - but a widely-read child won't be harmed by a Baby Sitters Club or Hardy Boys now and again.) I didn't use a specific purchased reading curriculum for my kids; one needed a bit "more" and we found some phonics workbooks here and there.

 

If you want a bit of formal work in language arts, I like Spelling Workout because it mixes in a bit of everything, including writing if you want to use that part, in doses large enough to be worth while and small enough to not be tedious.

 

For the world - travel, see historical places, museums, zoos, hobby events like horse shows or model train club shows, plays, concerts, dance performances, local community events. Put on your own shows, create your own service projects, make your own "clubs", create a magazine, learn to use various art techniques, hike in the woods, do experiments, cook. Meet, work, and play with a wide variety of people.

 

You can get more formal, more text-based, in middle school.

[5LittleMonkeys]

Elementary bare bones for me (1st-5th):

 

*Math Mammoth, math games, discussions, application.

*Writing integrated with grammar. I can't suggest a perfect program for this because I don't think one exists. My idea of a good bare bones method involves aspects of several different programs. (IEW, CW, WWS, Killgallon, CC, + a knowledge of grammar that allows for teaching about it while writing)

*Lots and lots of reading. Literature, science, history, poetry.

*Access to art supplies, art books, and music and a designated time for independent exploring of these subjects.

*Access to history and science documentaries.

*Lots of time outside with a journal, magnifying glass and colored pencils.

 

Middle School bare bones for me (6th-8th):

*MUS Epsilon, Zeta and Pre-Algebra

*WWS and Killgallon books

*Lots of well written books and discussion of story elements (who's in the story, what do they want, what's keeping them from getting it, how\or do they finally get it, what was learned). If you didn't have time for discussion of literary devices I would hand them Figuratively Speaking.

*Aha! Science for middle school and a library card.

*If they haven't already, I'd have them read through SOTW 1-4 with a good map of the world during ancient times handy, and have them write a summary- paragraph or bullets- of each chapter. (don't worry about grading the writing...your just looking for understanding of the main topics of the chapter)

 

*Access to art supplies, art books, and music and a designated time for independent exploring of these subjects.

*Access to history and science documentaries.

 

I could go more severe bare bones by just saying math, writing and reading, but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that for more than 3-4 weeks. I would be comfortable following what I've written above for several months, probably up to half a year with a middle schooler and for a whole year with an elementary student.

[Ottakee]

Do you mean bare bones for a season for the the entire K-8th grade years?

 

A good solid math program would be near the top of the list. I love Christian Light Education.

Learning to read and then reading to learn.

WRITING---here is where I and many other homeschoolers I know fall short. Most public schools in our area have the kids doing a LOT of writing--creative writing, essays, reports, journals, etc.

[justamouse]

A good math book (no curriculum suggestions; I started homeschooling when we were at prealgebra) and living books on all kinds of topics (library card or kindle are helpful).

Paper and pencils and crayons.

 

At elementary and middle school level, I don't think you need anything else.

:iagree:

[LearningMomm]

Math-U-See and Essentials in Writing would be my go to for the basics (and they offer dvd teachers). Then tons of books on everything.

[FairProspects]

Well, this may not be a popular opinion, but to me "bare bones" and better than the public school are two different goals. Our public schools are fairly good, and the bare bones of reading, writing, & math would not be enough to be better than the public schools here.

[Jayne J]

Personally, for me it would be:

 

Math Mammoth through grade 6, plus maybe AOPs prealgebra

Latin with the Memoria Press series (Prima, LC, then First Form 1-4 and maybe Henle)

Writing with WWE/WWS and the Creative Writer, plus NaNoWriMo, and various journals etc. I'd integrate spelling and grammar into writing as much as possible and then hit grammar hard for a year or two in middle school.

Everything else--Lots and lots of living books, and assigned book lists, along with as many read alouds as I could handle.

 

But frankly, it is such a personal choice, and I might make adjustments based on the individual child. One of mine is a natural speller, and the other will require lots of instruction, so I might make changes based on that, for example

[Georgiana Daniels]

Math, reading and writing. I think you can make it pretty far with a library card. That wouldn't be my preferred method, but there are ways to make home educating work in a bare bones way.

[Laura Corin]

Galore Park English

Galore Park Maths

 

That would do it short term. Longer term but still bare bones: the above plus copious library books on history and science.

 

Laura

[Alessandra]

I would second (third?) the Rod & Staff suggestion, whether or not you have inclinations towards a religious curriculum. The books are very thorough; many are non-consumable; the consumable ones are very reasonably priced. Seeing that you have a lot of dc, I would guess that being able to use materials for multiple dc would be a plus. I would avoid as much as possible things that you download and print, because printing costs can add up surprisingly fast, IMO. Also wanted to add thar R&S are easy to use, open and go.

 

I would also recommend the Core Knowledge What Your _ Grader Needs to Know. These guidebooks are inexpensive, packed with info, and can be found in many libraries. CK also has a wonderful book, called Books to Build On. It has reading suggestions by subject and grade. One thing I like about this book is that most of the recommendations are easily found in libraries. (I believe that this was one of the criteria for inclusion.)

 

Rebecca Rupp has a great book, Home Learning Year by Year, that is similar to the CK NTK books. It is $10 at Amazon. The Rupp book is suggestions for subject to learn and books to use. The CK NTK (one for each grade) has actual stories and history and science, etc. all in one volume. You could use it by itself or as a spine.

[2squared]

With the ages of your kids, I'm assuming bare bones is time related. I find daily life a challenge with my 5, so I expect that you are under quite a bit more pressure.

 

What I have fallen into is prioritizing the 3Rs for the elementary years. My K-4th graders aren't doing any formal history or science. Once they read fluently, I give them literature, history, and science living books to read to cover the content areas. They also listen to literature, watch documentaries, and spend a ton of time on informal nature study (all of which we do as a family with my littles tagging along). My 3rd grader is reading through many of the Childhood of Famous Americans books this year as well as all the Let's Read and Find Out science books my library system carries. I plan on a similar path for his 4th grade year.

 

My plan is to ramp things up in 5th grade, which means I am pushing more this year than in previous years. I am expecting more input and output from my 10yo this year, but I am still focusing on core skills. We added a history textbook which reads almost like a living book, but I am pushing her to read and pull information out of denser text. I am drawing from WWE4 & IEW SWI-A to push her writing deeper. I am assigning more challenging literature and starting more in-depth discussions. I am constantly keeping my eyes open for opportunities to outsource future teaching since I know this will get tougher as I add more kids to the line-up. Her day is structured much like it was last year, but the input and output are not the same.

 

I *hope* my road map will work such that I can mentally handle adding another student every year or two. My homeschool won't look like a smaller family's homeschool. It just can't. My 5 kid homeschool won't look like a 7 kid homeschool either. :grouphug:

[I.Dup.]

Thank you all for the suggestions!

 

I am torn on how much needs to be done to still be better than PS. My sister, for example, is a 2nd grade teacher, she has 28 kids in her class, 1 of whom is autistic and badly behaved so she just lets him run around the class constantly. There are so many interruptions, she is going through a divorce and terribly distracted, surely those 28 kids packed into that one little class can't be getting a stellar education??

 

Either way, we do much of what you all listed, except I prefer CLE math to R&S. I have stayed very diligent with math and I am glad for that, writing is something I can work with them more on. My 7yo is reading, my 5yo is close to reading, I think ramping things up in 5th grade is a great plan seeing that my oldest is in 5th and this is the first year I can trust her to be more independent and diligent with things (with me checking in of course). The others need constant, one-on-one supervision.

 

I definitely do not want to do them a disservice, just trying to figure things out...

[HS Mom in NC]

All Through The Ages for Literature and History and a library card. Combine these two subjects as much as possible.

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/All+Through+the+Ages/017073/1241053076-912780

 

Story of the World for History with little ones supplemented by lots of library books.

 

Writing With Skill by Susan Wise Bauer

 

Math curriculum will depend on what your child(ren) already know(s) because some curriculum is hard to jump into in the middle so look into researching ones with placment tests if you're not starting at the beginning. If you are starting ealry, I recommend Singapore Math over Math U See. I've used both.

[justasque]

I am torn on how much needs to be done to still be better than PS.

 

I would suggest maybe putting some thought into "better than PS" as a goal. My approach has been more based on "be who you are, and be that well" (St. Francis DeSales). One child might thrive on literature; another might need the basics to be considered an educated person, to enjoy reading for pleasure, and to get through a lit class if necessary, but may not get much out of a huge focus on literary analysis. And of course the reverse might be true for those kids with math - one needing to understand calc before leaving high school because of a likely future in some kind of STEM field, another needing a different focus and thus a different path through math. And so on. So your lit program for a particular child might be "worse" than what the top kids get at your local PS, but perfect for that particular kid. Or conversely it might be "better" than the PS. The better question, though, is whether it's the best approach for that kid, regardless of what the PS may or may not be doing. (It might be worth considering, too, that different kids end up with different experiences in PS, depending on their path.) The question for me is more like "what is the best educational experience I can offer this child, for this year", given our resources, and the child's interests/talents/challenges.

[Another Lynn]

Thank you all for the suggestions!

 

I am torn on how much needs to be done to still be better than PS. My sister, for example, is a 2nd grade teacher, she has 28 kids in her class, 1 of whom is autistic and badly behaved so she just lets him run around the class constantly. There are so many interruptions, she is going through a divorce and terribly distracted, surely those 28 kids packed into that one little class can't be getting a stellar education??

 

Either way, we do much of what you all listed, except I prefer CLE math to R&S. I have stayed very diligent with math and I am glad for that, writing is something I can work with them more on. My 7yo is reading, my 5yo is close to reading, I think ramping things up in 5th grade is a great plan seeing that my oldest is in 5th and this is the first year I can trust her to be more independent and diligent with things (with me checking in of course). The others need constant, one-on-one supervision.

 

I definitely do not want to do them a disservice, just trying to figure things out...

 

I really like CLE Math and it lends itself to quite a bit of independent work.

 

A cheap workbook that can accompish some gentle grammar and writing is a series from EPS called Writing Skills. I would turn to this for a year in a heartbeat if needed.

 

I agree with several others about content subjects.... SOTW on CD, Science DVDs, library books, etc. Foreign Language of any kind would be very low priority.

 

The tougher spot is your 5 and 7yo because only you can teach them to read. I have liked using CLE's LTR even though I don't plan to continue to CLE reading afterwards. Even if you did half-lessons each day it could be a real benefit. You don't have to plan anything - just open and go AND (unlike many, many phonics and readings programs) it is built in that the child will get enough practice to really make progress.... instead of investing time, hitting walls, spinning wheels, like I did with many other programs - or leaving it up to me how much to review to master a new sound/blend/phonogram/ when I had no idea what to require.

 

...just one more .02 to add in :)

[lauracolumbus]

Math Mammoth (or Saxon w/Art Reed dvds for older)

Analytical Grammar, Caeser's English, Essentials in Writing

Lots of books, science/history dvds.

[elfgivas]

fwiw, our bare bones looks like:

singapore math (~30 minutes a day, every day)

language arts (teach your children to read well, ~20 minutes a day, every day.... i break down lessons into bite sized pieces). this is completely scripted, so it is possible for someone other than me to do it, even an older sibling if necessary)

 

+ Five in a Row.... which can take 10 minutes to whenever they decide they are done. the activities are engaging, the ideas complete, so you can pick it up and just do it. it covers art, science, geography, grammar, etc, etc. and for us, it never felt like school. it was together time that was fun and magical.

 

:grouphug:

ann

[Live2Ride]

A good math program with the appropriate supplies (compass, protractor, ruler, etc), paper, pencils, and a good library with internet access.