Sarahkay Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I'm familiar with most of the curric mentioned on the boards -- solid, "mainstream" stuff like Saxon, R&S, WWE, SOTW, and so many others. All great choices I use. But...suggest a little-known curric I'm missing out. What's under that radar that I'm overlooking? What gem is a secret find that's worth a try? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Home Art Studio DVDs for art instruction. I rarely see them mentioned and ds loves them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahW Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Great question! Lots of the popular stuff is popular for very good reasons I'm sure, but sometimes I wonder if the popularity gets self-feeding. Like the blogs that have a list of "Most Popular" posts and the list hardly ever changes because having that list there makes people click on it, which keeps it popular. The Vocabulary Adventure I have in my siggy is a math supplement, and I seem to be the only one using it. So that's very secret. Even I don't know much about it! Meet the Masters put out by Broward county is a good free art appreciation course which beats a lot of the other popular free options, I think. I think that those two lack popularity largely because of their poor names. There's a lot of other random stuff I've come across as I dug deep into what's offered (lack of funds is the mother of extensive curriculum hunting?) and - eh, they weren't popular for good reasons, in many cases. But everyone has their own needs/wants I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Honestly, I think mainstream teacher resources are highly overlooked or shunned or something. Stuff from Evan-Moor and The Mailbox are quite good...better designed and planned out than so much homegrown "homeschool" curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahkay Posted June 19, 2013 Author Share Posted June 19, 2013 I love the Evan-Moor brand, too, for the reasons you list above. It's a little "workbook-y" but I like that because it keeps it to a bite-size lesson. Very good for ind work, too. I used the word-a-day -- great content! I need to revisit E-M. Thanks for reminding me of those. Keep the ideas coming....dig up those treasures for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmhearn Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Beautiful Feet US Geography Elemental Science Harmony Fine Arts Confessions of a Homeschooler US Geography Those are some of my favorites. Taryn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Of the specifically homeschool materials I've used, Ellen McHenry's is the best. I've also enjoyed using History Portfolio, but it's nothing that you couldn't put together yourself. Of school materials, I really like EPS (They put out the Paragraph Book, Rules of the Game, Megawords, etc...). You can also check outside of the US for good materials -- Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, SIngapore, South Africa will all have English materials. People like Russian math and Biozone (from Australia or New Zealand). Galore Park sells some great books, but you can find other materials on (for instance) book depository. Another alternative is looking outside of the level you're working at -- I've had good success for late elementary/middle school using community college textbooks aimed at remedial or ESL students. Or at early elementary, using materials aimed at remedial middle school or high school. Community college books can be super cheap if they're one edition off the latest, so they can be a great deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahliarw Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 It's not curriculum, but rather a supplement, but I think it's easy to look over great recordings (we love them for listening to in the car). Jim Weiss (http://www.greathall.com/) is fantastic and has a lot on audio (and some are great classic books - so listen instead of doing read alouds - your child can still follow along in the book. We also love the Famous Composer CDs by Darren Henley too. And there is some great character training stuff out there too. Our library is a treasure trove of audiobooks/CDs for children, and some I can get in mp3 format via overdrive. It's a great way to sneak some learning in in the car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Private Eye is a neat resource. It's not really a science curriculum, or language arts, or art, but it combines teaching keen observation of the natural world, analogous thinking, and creative expression in written and visual form about the things you observe. Also not a curriculum, but the Mini Luk controller and associated books are a great way to develop problem solving, logic, visual-spatial perception, and critical thinking skills. More fun than a workbook, too. Words Their Way is a public school curriculum/program to teach phonics and spelling that is great for those who like to find patterns, are kinesthetic, and/or visual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I see some stuff already mentioned that we love. :) I'll add Cozy Grammar (Canadian) and many of the materials sold here: http://www.thehomeschoolshop.com/AHS-writing.htm Kym Wright's microscope and botany units: http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=000148 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clemota Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Also not curriculum, but logic/critical thinking/just for fun: Tin Man Press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2queens&1princenmyhouse Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Great question! Lots of the popular stuff is popular for very good reasons I'm sure, but sometimes I wonder if the popularity gets self-feeding. Like the blogs that have a list of "Most Popular" posts and the list hardly ever changes because having that list there makes people click on it, which keeps it popular. The Vocabulary Adventure I have in my siggy is a math supplement, and I seem to be the only one using it. So that's very secret. Even I don't know much about it! Meet the Masters put out by Broward county is a good free art appreciation course which beats a lot of the other popular free options, I think. I think that those two lack popularity largely because of their poor names. There's a lot of other random stuff I've come across as I dug deep into what's offered (lack of funds is the mother of extensive curriculum hunting?) and - eh, they weren't popular for good reasons, in many cases. But everyone has their own needs/wants I suppose. I've never heard of Meet the Masters before. I already downloaded it and it looks great! Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 The unit study for grades 4-8 (others with minor tweaking) called A World of Adventure. My favorite of all I have ever used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Roots and Fruits Vocabulary program (great vocabulary program with weekly lesson plans and lots of game ideas) Drop Around the World and it's teacher guide (This is a great picture book to teach about the water cycle, and the teacher's guide has lots of experiments and ideas to use along with a habitat study, too.) Grammar Cop (really funny stories to practice grammar skills and on sale for $1 as an ebook right now!) Figuratively Speaking (I know it's recommended a lot on the board, but I thought it should be included because it is such an awesome literary term curriculum.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freerange Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Chinese with Mike Galore Park SYRWTL English Elmwood Press maths textbooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I just found harmony arts today. It is amazing. Here's a review on it. http://harmonyfinearts.org/ Excellent, highest recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Mary Ann Kohl Books (Art): Discovering Great Artists, Preschool Art, Big Messy Art, Mudworks, Math Arts. Math on the Level Mathstart Books & Stretcher Book Living Math through History KONOS (covers everything except formal LA & Math) unit studies Let's Read and find out Science Legends & Leagues (sort of living geography/cartography) Business Math from Simply Charlotte Mason Spunky Math/Studytime Math Bright Beginnings (Preschool Curricula) Core Knowledge Activity Books (well worth it) Preschool Creativity Express (Online) TV Teacher (Handwriting) Learn Math Fast (Remedial Math or just for independant study, written directly to the student) PCI Education Math stuff More Starfall AHA! Science Sentence Family PAL (IEW) Reading & Writing LLATL (LA) Wordsmith Apprentice Dancing Bears (Phonics) Apples & Pears (Spelling) I love Hands-on Math (Cartoon-style book, good as a reward for kids) Anti-Colouring Books Connect the Thoughts Lentil Science by TOPs Science Myths, Maps & Marvels (free history curricula by bringing up learners) Mott Media stuff (Ray's, Mcguffeys, Teaching Guides & Workbooks) Grammar Punk Let's Read Math! Funbooks Learning Wrap-ups - Math & 10 days to (addition/subtraction/multi/div) mastery Calculus by and for Young People (Ages 7, yes 7 and up) Max Axiom Graphic Science Set Bravewriter/Jot it down/new Poetry Guide Ed Zaccaro Books (Math) Philosophy for Young Thinkers (from same place as Michael Clay Thompson LA, rfwp) Pink and Green Mama blog - Art Lesson Ebooks Confessions of a Homeschooler blog - Geography, Art, and lots of other ebooks Noble Knights of Knowledge (waldorf math, no longer available new) Cozy Grammar (mentioned in another post above) Tin Man Press (mentioned in another post above) Hogwarts School of Wizardry Unit Study by the Usual Mayhem blog. The Story of Science by Joy Hakim Language Lessons for Little Ones by Queen Homeschool Mike's Inspiration Station Verbal Math Series Living LA books (like Language Adventures book Series by Rick Walton, sample title: Why the Banana Split: Adventures in Idioms Thats about all I can think of for the moment ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 How to Introduce Your Child to Classical Music in 52 Easy Lessons. I suspect that it isn't more popular because it's put out by a Catholic publisher, but there is minimal (if any) Catholic content in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Galore Park (all their materials are solid, I especially like their English) Dancing Bears/Apples & Pears (both by the same publisher) GEMS Meet the Masters The Complete Book of Maps and Geography The Complete Book of United States History The Private Eye Not curriculum, but love: Horrible Histories videos Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The Oregon Trail I haven't personally tried these, but they look interesting, and may use one or more in the future: Spell by Color Grammar Punk Hands On Equations Patty Paper Geometry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Some oldschool Christian curricula SOW Students of the Word curriculum Teaching with God's Heart for the World Far Above Rubies and Blessed is the Man Landmark Freedom Baptist Bedell Prepare and Pray is in a class of it's own. :lol: American School is what my oldest used, and I cannot say enough good things about his experience with the school. Robinson Curriculum is another oldschool favorite. Train Up a Child (Amish educational practices) African Waldorf pdfs (Free, Christian and low income friendly) Guide to American Christian Education was more popular before TWTM 1st edition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classical Michele Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Homeschool in the Woods. Their Time Travelers, Project Passport, Lap Paks, Activity Paks, maps and timeline products are educational, beautiful, and provide hands-on fun. Spelling City. Very reasonably priced. Great way to set up spelling lists, practice tests, and spelling-related activities - all online with reports functions. They also have a mobile app for iPhone & iPad (and possibly Android). Coursera. Mainly for older students, this site offers online classes for free from some of the world's best learning institutions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Mint Hill Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I love EPS products. I know that Wordly Wise and Vocabulary from the Roots used to be very popular a while ago, but very few know about their Stewarts English program. It is a great way to cover grammar for middle school aged kids. Love the way it uses real sentences from literature to demonstrate certain concepts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Not a curriculum, but an excellent and affordable resource for classical music: http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/002959/efaa8e8dc63c20be4b4f1ced Music and a lecture! I think they're cheaper on Amazon. Did someone already mention this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 [i copied my list of hidden resources from this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/275175-what-do-you-use-that-no-one-else-does/ ] Word Wealth, Junior (late elementary) Rose, Where Did You Get That Red? Teaching Great Poetry to Children (elementary age) Perrine's Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry (middle/high school) Scribner School Paperbacks (various; high school classics with thorough and excellent study guides) Living Shakespeare (abridged but not adapted; late elementary or middle) Open University Discovering Science (middle school/ early high school general science course) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I love EPS products. I know that Wordly Wise and Vocabulary from the Roots used to be very popular a while ago, but very few know about their Stewarts Englishprogram is a great way to cover grammar for middle school aged kids. :iagree: I think EPS deserves more attention than it gets on this forum. They have many good, secular, and easy-to-use curric - Writing Skills (and Keyboarding Skills), Recipe For Reading, Megawords, and How To Teach Spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Creativity Expree from Madcap Logic. $15 for a year's worth of great quality and engaging online art lessons with additional lesson plans for offline use if you choose. Considering some of the problems people often run into with getting art done this should be wildly popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowWhite Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 WinterPromise Lit Based History, Science, Language Arts (now much is available via e-Book, yeah!) Thinkwell Math (online with lecture and interactive problems, etc). Adaptive Curriculum Science (also online) scholaric.com online planning software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Wordsmith Apprentice for writing and grammar review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berta Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 We just started our new school year two weeks ago so take this for what it's worth, but I really like SpellWell. We are also using Trail Guide to Learning, Paths of Exploration this year which is a full curriculum except for math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 You know you're on the forum too much when you've heard of all the secret curricula. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 We are loving AWOA! It's great being able to pick what resources I want to use to study each time period. We are using the Dorothy Mills books with it, and whatever we can find available for Kindle. We are skipping a lot of the grammar, but the lit is excellent for ds. He is really getting a lot out of it. I wish I had found it a few years ago. The unit study for grades 4-8 (others with minor tweaking) called A World of Adventure. My favorite of all I have ever used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I also love a lot of the programs pp have mentioned---Private Eye, Harmony Fine Arts (her Outdoor Hour Challenges are great---finally nature study gets done!), Bravewriter, and a few others. My favorite discovery this year is Montessori albums. I've always been aware of Montessori homeschooling for the preschoolers, but I've been digging into it for my older kids. A friend gifted me a ton of Montessori stuff and I was instantly hooked. Is there such a thing as a Classical/Montessori homeschool hybrid? I may be one! There is literally hundreds of resources available free and for cost to have a Montessori homeschool. Most of it is a certain way of looking at education, and then quite a bit of it is using certain albums or materials. http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/The-Five-Great-Lessons_ep_66-1.html http://keysoftheuniverse.com/ http://khtmontessori.com/shop/ http://www.montessorifortheearth.com/ http://www.thegreatstory.org/great_story_beads.html http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/Erdkinder-_ep_74-1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Marcia Henry's Words http://www.proedinc.com/customer/productView.aspx?id=989 It combines word root study and spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I will reiterate Evan Moor. CLE Learning to Read, Grade 1 Reading and Grade 1 Language Arts If I had a dozen more children, this is what I would use. I love the classroom size flashcards that coordinate with the workbooks. They can be read by wiggly children while they jump on a trampoline while you sit on a chair in the yard. Also, the phrase flashcards really jump-started my son's reading fluency. MCP Phonics and Word Study workbooks I like these so much better than Explode the Code. Also, in my home, they have worked as a fabulous replacement for spelling. I know my son can memorize a word list immediately, so I don't see the point in handing him a word list each week. OTOH, I do think that phonics/ word study every year has added to his reading fluency. This year I have enjoyed the suggestions at Waldorf Inspirations. Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Mint Hill Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 :iagree: I think EPS deserves more attention than it gets on this forum. They have many good, secular, and easy-to-use curric - Writing Skills (and Keyboarding Skills), Recipe For Reading, Megawords, and How To Teach Spelling. :thumbup1: I often wonder why they aren't more talked about. Perhaps if they had a less boring name the curriculum would be talked about more? EPS (Educators Publishing Service). zzzzzzzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 CSMP Math It is not for everyone. But for a child, like my dd8, who needs engaging stories combined with advanced skills taught earlier, along with lots of student-teacher interaction, it is a God-send. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetandSimple Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I don't think that I've ever heard anyone here mention EPS' Phonics Plus series. We got through the K and half of the first grade level for my daughter's K year. It has been a great reading program for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 CSMP Math It is not for everyone. But for a child, like my dd8, who needs engaging stories combined with advanced skills taught earlier, along with lots of student-teacher interaction, it is a God-send. Love these videos! Thank you for sharing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Love these videos! Thank you for sharing!! Can you believe that after 3 years of teaching this program, I have never watched the videos? :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petepie2 Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 I love this lit guide for The Chronicles of Narnia: A Christian Teacher's Guide: The Chronicles of Narnia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 http://cadroncreek.com/narnian-era/ This is "Further Up and Further In," a unit study utilizing The Chronicles of Narnia series. I am currently using it with ds10 and it has been our BEST year ever. http://www.aophomeschooling.com/weaver_overview This is "The Weaver Curriculum." It is a unit study that starts with the Bible and then "weaves" in everything else. We used it our first year of homeschooling, and I'm going back to it for ds10 this upcoming school year. (Volume 2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenie Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 We have really enjoyed the Discovering Nature Series from Queen Homeschool Supply. My girls always ask for it when I try to skip it because we are short on time. It is quick and gentle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Math Tutor DVD's. I second (or third or whatever) the books by Tin Man Press. My kids have always loved those. We have really enjoyed the Discovering Nature Series from Queen Homeschool Supply. My girls always ask for it when I try to skip it because we are short on time. It is quick and gentle. Thanks for mentioning this. I hadn't heard of it before. Looks really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 :thumbup1: I often wonder why they aren't more talked about. Perhaps if they had a less boring name the curriculum would be talked about more? EPS (Educators Publishing Service). zzzzzzzz Yes, ha ha! When I was new, I used to confuse them with School Speciality Publishing. :-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Is there such a thing as a Classical/Montessori homeschool hybrid? I may be one! Natural Structure: A Montessori Approach to Classical Education at Home http://www.nsmontessori.com/ They used to sell printed copies of this, I have one somewhere. The link takes you to the home page, click the Natural Structure link on the right to take you to the 'book'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I don't know if these count as curriculum, they are workboooks...but I'm ordering these Garfield books soon for my 8yo, he looooves Garfield... http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/027640/d97217978e38ff0852debafc There's a vocabulary book, a geography book, and a math book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teeniebeenie6 Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I love Old Schoolhouse's science units: "The Curiosity Files". I bought them slowly when they had an online store and from their Currclick store. They just released a family library of 175 files for $25 and it includes all of their "Curiosity Files." http://www.onlypassi...lhouse-library/ I love that the units focus on unusual animals and things and that each guide has crafts and hands on activities. There use to be a facebook page for this product, but it was so dead and they eventually closed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I second GEMS and EPS materials. We are loving The Sentence Family on Currclick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saraswati Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Not curriculum, but great resources that we love at our house: Beethoven's Wig - http://www.beethovenswig.com Little Passports - http://www.littlepassports.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 I like the LA products I've tried from Garlic Press. They also have math and sign language products but I haven't used those. For instance, Straight Forward Grammar and Diagramming Sentences and Discovering Literature guides - 2 levels (My Side of the Mountain; Where the Red Fern Grows; Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH; Island of the Blue Dolphins; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; The Outsiders; Bridge to Terabithia; The Hobbit; Redwall; The Odyssey; Lord of the Flies; The Giver; To Kill a Mockingbird). The lit guides are gentle yet thorough, don't seem like annoying busywork, work well for a younger yet advanced reader too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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