Guest nesia77 Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Hi Everyone, I have just pulled my children out from public schools to home school them for various reasons. I don't have a very big budget. I have four children. Ages 4, 9, 11, and 14. What do you suggest as a curriculum for them. The 14 year old is the one I am really concerned about. He was in Honors courses. What is a good feasible algebra 1 course I could use. I am open to any suggestions you all have regarding each child. Oh they are prek/k, 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade. I don't mind having courses a grade ahead. I would desire to make the course fun and interactive which I definitely could use help since I notice I have a lecturing style. Thanks for reading. Nesia77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Hello and welcome. I use Saxon Math and it works well for us. As for other subjects, are you looking for secular or Christian materials? Also, are you interested in a traditional schooling method or something a little more out of the box? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Hello and welcome. Did you want secular or christian? My first suggestion would be to read The Well Trained Mind. But here are a few options to look into to get you started: Math: Foresters Algebra Math Mammoth (secular) Saxon (secular) Singapore Math (secular) Christian Light Education (CLE) Math (christian) Teaching Textbooks (secular, but a bit pricey) Art of Problem Solving (Math curriculum that is a bit challenging) Derek Owens (secular) Grammar: Rod and Staff Grammar (christian) CLE grammar (christian) Growing with Grammar (secular) Hake Grammar (secular) History: Story of the World (christian) Mystery of History (christian) History Odyssey (secular) Science: Elemental Science Real Science 4 Kids Real Science Odyssey My Pals are Here Full Curriculum's: Oak Meadow (secular) Sonlight (christian and can get pricey) KONOS Unit studies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 (edited) . Edited June 17, 2022 by SilverMoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Since you asked about Algebra specifically, there are many Art of Problem Solving fans here, but Jacob's, Forrester's, Teaching Textbooks, and several other programs also have many users here. Welcome to the forum. I agree that without knowing more about your kids and your educational goals and outlook that it's hard to make more suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Besides choosing curriculum, as a mom who pulled kids out of school, I suggest that you also consider a detox period, where you do more exploration, field trips, read alouds, books on CD, educational projects, art and/or music activities, documentaries, and explore some interests that the kids have that maybe they had not had much time to pursue before, etc. Adjusting to homeschooling out of a brick and mortar can be stressful, especially mid-year, and without some downtime to restructure and reset, it can get you all off on the wrong foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garddwr Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Welcome! In addition to The Well Trained Mind, I would suggest reading These books by Debra Bell: http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Homeschooling-Debra-Bell/dp/1932012982/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1388951405&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Guide-Homeschooling-Teens/dp/1932012990/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z I find her suggestions practical without too much of a "this is the one right way" attitude that comes across in some homeschool books. If I had just pulled my kids out of school I might start by finding a workable math program for each of them, add to that library books and documentaries on subjects of interest (the kids could help choose) and just use that for school at first while I spend some time researching materials and methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Welcome! It can be a bit daunting to get started - we started homeschooling here when we had to pull DS18 out of 5th grade mid-year. Gosh - that seems so long ago now! I also had the almost-nonexistent budget to begin with, so I feel you there. Spend the money first on math. Foerster's Algebra or Jacob's Algebra is going to "feel" like what you kid probably is used to in public school. Holt Algebra is another good choice and starting these texts up mid-year is pretty straight forward - go thru the chapters with your kid and skip the stuff he has already mastered and pick up where he left off. You can get all of these used on Amazon fairly cheaply. For the 5th grader, I would do something similiar - pick up a text at the right grade level and pick up where they left off. For littler kiddos, I'm a fan of games and manipulatives rather than workbooks, but if they like to do "real" schoolwork, II would grab a few cheap ones like Miquon or Horizon. Everything else can be done with the library and field trips. If you feel like you need a Lit/Writing course for the 8th grader, Learning Language Arts thru Literature and Lightning Literature are both inexpensive programs. You can pick up Easy Grammar workbooks at all levels fairly inexpensively and these are great practice. And remember - Have Fun! Relax and enjoy the rest of this school year! Use this time to organize your thoughts and try a few different things - my library has many of the high school level texts available to check out as well as various history and science books to look at. And Welcome to the Home school Party! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliegmom Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Welcome! We are using Teaching Textbook (Geometry) for the first time this year and love it. I already have Alg 2 lined up for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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