Looking for a complete curriculum that follows the Classical Education approach

[thelindulafamily]

Hello, I am now reading the book, "The Well-Trained Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer and would like help finding a complete homeschool curriculum. I want something that best mirrors what is taught in the book. I have looked at Memoria Press but not sure they follow the same pattern of study as the book emphasizes. For example, on page 46 of the book they show this pattern of study for science. I like Classical Conversations, they appear to follow the pattern of study as in the book but I need to find out if you must have a tutor or be involved with their online community. I get so busy that I think I would miss most of the online events. My daughter is 6 and we have used Rod and Staff which I really like because it is simple. If anyone has some suggestions or comments, please let me know.

 

 

Thanks,

joe

[Ecclecticmum]

I was going to suggest Memoria Press, but if you are not happy with that, I can give suggestions for Subjects.

 

Peace Hill Press (banner/link at top of page) has History, Phonics, Bible, Writing and Grammar. So thats LA, Religion, and History pretty much covered. This is *basically* SWB's shop, so also carries TWTM (and sponsors this forum).

 

For Science go with Elemental Science, as its inspired by WTM.

 

For Art, go with Harmony Fine Arts which follows the 4year history cycle.

 

Am I missing anything?

 

I think if you're wanting it perfect WTM, you are not going to get that in a box. Memoria Press is a nice classical feel curriculum. Seperates are the way to go elsewise.

[Five More Minutes]

Peace Hill Press (banner/link at top of page) has History, Phonics, Bible, Writing and Grammar. So thats LA, Religion, and History pretty much covered. This is *basically* SWB's shop, so also carries TWTM (and sponsors this forum).

 

For Science go with Elemental Science, as its inspired by WTM.

 

For Art, go with Harmony Fine Arts which follows the 4year history cycle.

 

Am I missing anything?

 

I think if you're wanting it perfect WTM, you are not going to get that in a box.

 

I agree. The easiest way to most closely align with TWTM is to use the excellent programs from Peace Hill Press. They offer:

Phonics: Ordinary Parents Guide

Writing: Writing With Ease (levels 1-4 correspond with grade levels)

Grammar: First Language Lessons

History: The Story of the World

Bible: Telling God's Story

 

Elemental Science is based in TWTM.

 

For math, you have options just as you likely would with boxed curricula. Your biggest decision will probably be whether to choose a math that emphasizes procedure (such as Saxon) or one that emphasizes math concepts (such as Singapore, Math Mammoth, Right Start, Miquon, MEP).

 

Spelling is another subject that you likely would want to add. TWTM has lots of suggestions.

 

It's important to note that all of these programs are in themselves very open-and-go, and have sample schedules for a year of study.

[TarynB]

I agree. The easiest way to most closely align with TWTM is to use the excellent programs from Peace Hill Press. They offer:

Phonics: Ordinary Parents Guide

Writing: Writing With Ease (levels 1-4 correspond with grade levels)

Grammar: First Language Lessons

History: The Story of the World

Bible: Telling God's Story

 

Elemental Science is based in TWTM.

 

For math, you have options just as you likely would with boxed curricula. Your biggest decision will probably be whether to choose a math that emphasizes procedure (such as Saxon) or one that emphasizes math concepts (such as Singapore, Math Mammoth, Right Start, Miquon, MEP).

 

Spelling is another subject that you likely would want to add. TWTM has lots of suggestions.

 

It's important to note that all of these programs are in themselves very open-and-go, and have sample schedules for a year of study.

 

 

Totally agree. And, OP, a huge benefit to using separate resources such as these is that, unlike with a "complete curriculum", you are free to work at your DD's level in each subject. For example, as she gets older you may see that she is accelerated in reading and spelling but at grade level in math, or whatever. Separate resources for each subject give you more flexibility.

[nwmama]

For Classical Conversations you don't need to be enrolled in one of their local groups but it is worth the cost for what you receive. The program is close to a complete program, but you do your own math and language arts. Some people choose to do Classical Conversations as a supplement to their regular curriculum but most of the families in our group use Classical Conversations as their core curriculum.

 

For K I didn't add anything besides a math program and language arts (Peace Hill Press), for 1st grade I'll add more reading for science and history (Peace Hill Press's SOTW matches well with CC's history cycles. Science I haven't decided on yet but there are a few that fit well with CC's science cycles, and you can even just go to the library and choose books that match the weeks subject. I find this to be very simple for me, which I need since I have 1 in 1st, 1 in K, and two under foot.

 

Calvert is a complete curriculum that is classical but it is much more expensive.

 

 

ETA: correction :)

[Ecclecticmum]

I forgot MATH ! LOL. What a hoot. Especially considering I have collections of math curricula.

 

Funnily enough I can't remember what WTM mentions for Math. Maybe getting something like Ruth Beechicks The Three 3'R's & Miquon, then you're sorted for K-3 Math.

 

I love Rightstart and the way it teaches math from the beginning.

 

Hmm...aha! I found this post from SWB, and she lists Saxon, Abeka, Singapore or Sonlight.

 

Perhaps for ease of use Math in Focus, which is US? version, I believe, of Singapore Math. A number of people on here like it.

 

Math, to me, is a very personal area, it depends on your time/focus, what you want to get out of it, the number of "students" you'll end up having, your learning/teaching style, and your childs learning style.

 

Ease of Use, independance, the top one would probably be Math Mammoth. But its very worksheet based.

 

For thinking outside the box CSMP, MEP, and Miquon are ideal. MEP is teacher intensive (teaching and following the lesson-staying with the child throughout), and has been written for the classroom, CSMP requires a learning curve plus time on the teachers part to get it all setup, and Miquon is a learning curve for the teacher, that really requires pre-reading on your part to understand the program before you actually begin it.

 

Math-U-See is mastery based (thats another area you will have to choose between, do you want spiral or mastery based?) has manipulatives, hands-on etc. The DVD is meant for the parent to watch, so they know how to present the lesson, however a number of parents just get the child to watch the DVD themselves and do the lessons. The teacher can be rather dry (as its meant for parent viewing) but some people like him.

 

Singapore Math is another option. I will leave that up to others to discuss, as I have a personal bias and don't fully like it.

 

There are literally SO many math programs & supplements out there its not funny: Beast Academy, AoPs, Rod & Staff, Abeka, School Aid, Study Time, Touch Math, Rightstart, Singapore, Math in Focus, Math on the Level, Chalkdust Math, Teaching Textbooks, Math Mammoth, MEP, CSMP, Miquon, Horizons, Saxon, Oak Meadow, Christopherus, Math Rider, Moving with Math, BJU Math, Beechick Math, IXL Math, Dreambox Math, Aha! Math, Ray's Arithmetic, Strayer Upton, Mathtacular, Family Math,

 

I could honestly keep going and going, these are just ones off the top of my head, so am missing probably hundreds (rofl).

[dereksurfs]

Joe, I agree with the above recommendations regarding using targeted curriculum vs. an all-in-one. Though it seems easier to begin with, most soon discover that one size does not fit all, especially across all subjects. That discovery then leads to the beginning of the tailoring process based on a child's unique strengths/weaknesses and learning style per subject. Just math programs alone can vary widely in terms of effectiveness for each child in a given family. Some do better with a spiral approach while others thrive using mastery programs. Certain math programs emphasize concepts more while others are more procedurally based. Some require more teacher interaction while others are written toward the student and thus are more independent, and so on.

 

BTW, quite a few seem to like Rod and Staff for math here. Though I'm not so sure for the rest of the subjects. Math seems to be its strongest subject.

[Guest 4Gmom]

Can someone please tell me more about the Elemental Science. Why have I never heard of this before? What did you think about it? Anything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks so much!

[nwmama]

Isn't My Father's World classical too? I vaguely remember taking a look at it last year.

[Ecclecticmum]

The program is close to a complete program, but you do your own math and language arts.

 

 

What program? :huh: Oh you mean "THE Program?"....I love the program :lol:

 

:confused1:

[Mom2TheTeam]

Isn't My Father's World classical too? I vaguely remember taking a look at it last year.

 

Yes, but they have a lot of Charlotte Mason mixed in. We use MFW. We don't use their LA's recommendations as those are more CM inspired and I prefer a more classical approach. We use FLL. They recommend R&S spelling in 2nd grade and we use that. They change to something else (can't remember what) for 3rd up. I'm not sure if we will change or not. We also incorporate WWE even though it isn't really necessary because MFW does have lots of narration, summaries, copywork and dictation in their program. If my kids didn't enjoy WWE, we would probably skip it. They also have 2 years of Latin and Greek with English From the Roots Up. This is what they say about their educational style:

 

Our programs combine elements of classical education, Charlotte Mason, and unit studies from a Christian perspective teaching a Biblical worldview.

 

Taken from this page: www.mfwbooks.com/setcnt/faqs#40

 

Hope that helps!

[blondchen]

I don't have much experience yet, but I'll chime in on this. I'm mostly following TWTM and am using all of the PHP programs for my kids' ages (OPGTR, FLL, WWE, SOTW, TGS), which cover reading/grammar/writing, history and Bible, and I'm using many of the TWTM recommendations for other subject areas. I get overwhelmed with choices, and doing it this way and narrowing down my options is so helpful because I don't even look at anything else. If you like the classical method/approach, TWTM seems to have it nailed (though there some purists who will argue that TWTM is not as strictly "classical" as it could be - oh well - even if that's true, that particular aspect is not important to me).

 

Yes, using TWTM/PHP requires choosing your own Math, Science, Handwriting, Spelling, and Fine Arts but then, so do many of the boxed curricula, apparently, and TWTM gives annotated lists of recommended resources for all of those subjects. And in skill areas like math, handwriting and spelling, having the flexibility to tailor it to your child's learning style can be important, so buying a boxed curriculum with those subjects included could be a waste of money.

 

Even though you have to buy each piece separately, the recommendations in TWTM (especially if you use all of the PHP products) really do offer a boxed curriculum approach of sorts, but with great built-in flexibility. IMO, the best of both worlds, and I'm hooked. :)

[thegirlwhopaintedtrees]

I just want to add that Classical Conversations does not follow a 4 year history cycle, nor does it follow chronological history in the first cycle. FWIW this threw me off this year and is the reason I am not going to continue with Classical Conversations.

[JNW]

"Even though you have to buy each piece separately, the recommendations in TWTM (especially if you use all of the PHP products) really do offer a boxed curriculum approach of sorts, but with great built-in flexibility. IMO, the best of both worlds, and I'm hooked. :)"

 

I'm kind of in the same situation as the OP. This thread is full of really helpful information! I am still lost, but I feel like I'm starting to narrow it down. In a way it seems like the boxed curriculum would be so much simpler, but I don't think that's the way to go for me. Today I just heard about one more curriculum, Tapestry of Grace, and that hasn't even been mentioned in this thread as far as I can tell. Is there a thread or a website that compares curriculum choices? Reading through threads can be time consuming but I am perfectly willing to do that if I have to.

 

I am looking for Classical, Christian(not Catholic) curriculum. I am OK with just starting at Peace Hill Press, figuring out math and science, and finding out what works as we go. Is that a good approach? My daughter is 6 and will be in 1st grade. I will be going to a curriculum fair in a couple of weeks. But I don't see Peace Hill Press listed as a vendor. (And that might be because SWB wasn't invited to speak there this year.)

[jer2911mom]

There are also Veritas Press http://www.veritaspress.com/ and Easy Classical http://easyclassical.com/.

 

HTH,

Kathy

[simonpqqe]

I find this to be very simple for me, which I need since I have 1 in 1st, 1 in K, and two under foot.

[JNW]

I look at curriculum on-line for a couple of days, read reviews, compare, read old threads, read WTM, research stuff... and then I just throw my hands up and leave it alone for a few days. DH is wondering what is going on with me! Oh well, it will all come together.

[Walking-Iris]

I look at curriculum on-line for a couple of days, read reviews, compare, read old threads, read WTM, research stuff... and then I just throw my hands up and leave it alone for a few days. DH is wondering what is going on with me! Oh well, it will all come together.

 

 

It will. sometimes the best thing to do as a new homeschooler is to just dive in. The WTM has a ton of great options for the different subject areas. I feel it's weak on science but like PP have said there are plenty of great science curricula to choose from. I'd like to add that the history and science from Pandia Press are good options for those wanting a secular Classical approach.

 

It's best to just zero in and focus on your math and language arts at first. History and science and all the extras can be relaxed at first and then eased into as you begin to establish your homeschool routine and rhythm.

 

As a new homeschooler you can get burned out quick if you try to plan and buy for every subject before beginning. Baby steps.

[Five More Minutes]

I'm kind of in the same situation as the OP. ... I am looking for Classical, Christian (not Catholic) curriculum. I am OK with just starting at Peace Hill Press, figuring out math and science, and finding out what works as we go. Is that a good approach?

 

 

Yes, this is a great way to start.

 

I look at curriculum on-line for a couple of days, read reviews, compare, read old threads, read WTM, research stuff... and then I just throw my hands up and leave it alone for a few days. DH is wondering what is going on with me! Oh well, it will all come together.

 

 

Yes, it will come together. Don't let it overwhelm you, and don't make it more complicated than it needs to be.

 

It will. sometimes the best thing to do as a new homeschooler is to just dive in. The WTM has a ton of great options for the different subject areas. ...

 

It's best to just zero in and focus on your math and language arts at first. History and science and all the extras can be relaxed at first and then eased into as you begin to establish your homeschool routine and rhythm.

 

As a new homeschooler you can get burned out quick if you try to plan and buy for every subject before beginning. Baby steps.

 

 

Exactly. Start with your language arts and math.

 

You've said you want classical and Christian. So PHP language arts programs fit the bill. For your first year you could start with those: OPGTR if needed, Writing With Ease, First Language Lessons, and reading good books. Add in spelling and handwriting that appeal to you.

 

Then math. This can easily be overwhelming because there are so many options, and we all have our favourites that we like to recommend. :001_smile: This *may* be a subject that you'll end up switching programs in after a year, as it's not always easy to get the right program for both parent and student. (I started with Saxon and switched to Singapore in level 1.) So my advice is not to worry if a program will take you all the way to Algebra and beyond, because that can freeze you from starting. Just pick a good program and start.

 

And as Walking-Iris said, you can add in history and science once you're in your routine. SOTW is an easy, delightful program to use. There are many science programs out there, or you can just read science books for your first year. Both are good ways to do science with younger students.

 

All the best as you start out!

[JNW]

Oh thank you all so much. Not sure when the OP will return but I hope this information will be helpful to her as well!

 

I think I just need to breathe and go with my instincts to use PHP. That said, Tapestry of Grace and other curriculum-in-a-box is still appealing. Just gonna have to shut my brain off to that for now!

 

I have tons of files from when I taught in PS for K and 1st grade, all organized and ready to use. So I will probably just ease into some science/history/other subjects using my resources once I feel good about LA and math. I love themes! Maybe I can work those in eventually. Some how. If I think I need curriculum for science/social studies and anything else (foreign language), I'll look into that later.

 

Whew, thanks again!

[blondchen]

I think I just need to breathe and go with my instincts to use PHP. That said, Tapestry of Grace and other curriculum-in-a-box is still appealing. Just gonna have to shut my brain off to that for now!

 

Looks like you've made your decision, but in case it helps you to keep your brain shut off (LOL!), I toyed around with doing Tapestry of Grace starting with first grade next year, and even though I could have borrowed the entire Year Plan and books from a friend (worth literally hundreds of dollars) I decided it was overkill for the grammar stage and chose to do SOTW with activity guide instead, in order to keep it simple. Unless something else comes out that I like better I'll probably start TOG when my oldest is in 5th grade, because it is an excellent curriculum for those wanting a classical, Christian approach to the humanities. In case you didn't know, TOG was originally conceived as a program for rhetoric level students that was adapted for the other levels so the whole family could study the same period of history with age-appropriate material. That's really where TOG shines - not so much for grammar level only, and IMO it is not worth the cost or planning time for that stage. And it's not really a curriculum in a box the way Sonlight or MFW or other boxed curricula are, so it really wouldn't help that much in terms of having materials chosen for you - you still have to gather all of your resources, and in fact, I've heard that it gives so many choices each week that the process of choosing can be overwhelming, which kind of defeats the purpose of a curriculum in a box, IMO.

 

HTH!!

[JNW]

Blondchen- very helpful indeed. Great info, thanks!

[CAmomof4]

Veritas Press will also do custom lesson plans for you so that you can turn it into a boxed curriculum, but their cycle is a little bit different from WTM. Biblioplan is similar to TOG, which follows the 4-year cycle, and it is a little more planned-out for you than TOG, but the consensus seems to be that both BP and TOG are overkill for grammar stage.

 

We are also doing 1st grade with SOTW as our base, and my daughter loves it. The activity guide has a lot of options. We are also adding in many of the supplementary readings suggested in the AG.

[JNW]

Veritas Press will also do custom lesson plans for you so that you can turn it into a boxed curriculum, but their cycle is a little bit different from WTM. Biblioplan is similar to TOG, which follows the 4-year cycle, and it is a little more planned-out for you than TOG, but the consensus seems to be that both BP and TOG are overkill for grammar stage.

 

We are also doing 1st grade with SOTW as our base, and my daughter loves it. The activity guide has a lot of options. We are also adding in many of the supplementary readings suggested in the AG.

 

 

Nice, OK, I'm feeling better. This is the first day I've actually felt somewhat settled about curriculum. I feel like I actually have a direction and a loose plan.

 

Honestly, as a newbie, the acronyms alone are enough to overwhelm me after I read one thread. I know there are those other threads that tell you what the acronyms stand for, but yeah, it's a lot. Waa waa waa.