New to Homeschooling - hoping for input re: curriculum choices/questions

[kellyhoxworth]

Hello!

 

I have been lurking on this board for a year or two, and am so excited that we will be officially start homeschooling this fall!! My  son (2nd grade) and daughter (kinder) currently attend public school.

 

I keep going around in circles about our curriculum options.  Each week it seems I discover something new, get excited about it, then feel like maybe I'm overdoing it, scale back, discovering something new again, etc.  I have a tentative scaled down plan (see below) and I'm wondering if I am missing anything or making any mistakes that an experienced homeschooler would catch.  Here is my current plan:

 

For my soon-to-be 1st grade (giggly, artsy & crafty, musical, ADHD, sensory loving/hands-on, and wants to do everything together) daughter, who has solid (but not necessarily advanced) reading and math skills:

 

• Core - Five in a Row or Sonlight (I want the bulk of our day to be spent reading books together) with related art, craft, and cooking activities;  She didn't have a happy kindergarten experience (full-day kindergarten, no choice time, nightly homework, worksheet after worksheet, constantly in trouble for squirming, falling out of her seat, zoning out, etc.)  So I would like this year to be pleasant and relaxed.
   
• Math - probably Math Mammoth 1 and we'll read Life of Fred during the summer and on breaks  
   
• Phonics - (she is a solid, but not particularly advanced reader) I'm thinking Explode the Code, assorted phonics readers, and Pathways Readers would be enough?  I have tried OPGTR with her, which worked okay with my son in preschool.  My daughter hated it.  She hates feeling "quizzed."  She loves doing Reading Eggs, so I guess I could continue with that, plus ETC and readers?  I have been looking at Logic of English, but am afraid to spend $200 without being sure she would enjoy it.  
   
• Spelling, Grammar, Vocabulary - I am hoping to not do any of this formally until reading and handwriting are very strong.
   
• Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears (may start on cursive as her handwriting is VERY messy, but also naturally cursive-y) and copy work;
   
• History & Geography - Story of the World 1 and accompanying living books and activities;
   
• Science & Nature - living books w/focus on life science and weekly nature study;
   
• Memory Work - I think she would enjoy memorizing poems;

She will be taking art, piano, Spanish, and PE at our local homeschool academy.  I would like to try Classical Conversations for my son, but not sure it will be a good fit for my daughter.  

 

For my soon-to-be 3rd grade (brainy, social, verbal, competitive, outdoorsy, science-oriented, super curious, wants to do "real" history) son:

• Core - I think he would like Classical Conversations.  He tends to learn things very quickly, but doesn't retain them long.  So I'm wondering if memory work would help with that?
   
• Math - I think he is ready for Saxon 5/4.  He moves quickly through math concepts, but doesn't retain memorized math facts well.  So I'm thinking a spiral approach might be a good fit for him.  However, I looked at the textbook recently.  It does not look... fun.  I love math.  I think it should be fun.  Is there another rigorous spiral math program that has a more appealing format?  Has anyone used Beast Academy math?  Is that a complete math curricula, or more of a supplement?
   
• Phonics/Reading - he is a mildly advanced reader (a couple of grade levels ahead), but when I hear him read I notice he rushes and sometimes substitutes an incorrect word when he runs into one he doesn't know (i.e., "submarine" for "subterranean").  Do we still work on reading or do I just let him keep reading independently?
   
• Spelling - Spelling Wisdom.  ?  I know people love super-thorough rule-explaining spelling programs (All About Spelling, etc.), but just looking at them makes my eyes cross.  I see things that I think are just excellent products (AAS, Michael Clay Thompson), but I know I would hate using and teaching with them!  Spelling Wisdom looks so enjoyable to me (it is what I would choose for my 3rd grade self), but does it actually result in strong spelling skills?  
   
• Grammar - I'm waiting for middle school to use Analytical Grammar, as I'm just not worried about formal grammar at this age.  
   
• Writing/Composition - I have no idea.  Writer's Jungle, maybe?  If he does CC he'll do IEW in 4th grade for Essentials.  I would like his writing this year to be a little fluffier.    
   
• Literature - do children do literature study at this age, or do we just provide and read great books together?  
   
• Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears Cursive; both of my children have just abysmal handwriting, as did I until age 9 or 10.  I had panned to have my son work a grade level behind and do HWT 2, but have been reading that cursive is easier for children with poor fine motor skills.  So I'm going to try cursive this year.
   
• History & Geography - Story of the World 1 and accompanying living books and activities;
   
• Science & Nature - living books w/focus on life science and weekly nature study;
   
• Memory Work - I think he would enjoy memorizing interesting/exciting poems;

My son will be taking the same extra classes at the homeschool academy, which will take up one full day of our week.  

 

Okay, I think that's it.  Thank you for making it all the way through this long-winded post.  I am open to and appreciate any input !!  

 

:) Kelly

[Kiara.I]

Is your son's science interest very nature-focused?  I'm not a biology person, so spending an entire school year on life sciences makes me a bit nervous--but it works great for lots of people!

 

Will your son be taking art too?  You hadn't mentioned whether he was in the same academy programs.

 

Do you really, really, really love HWOT's style of cursive?  I put it down with a shudder and found something I could stand to look at.  LOL 

[UCF612]

I plan to use Beast Academy as our whole math program for my upcoming 3rd grader (my first grader will be doing Right Start Math B). From research I think it'll be enough but I'm open to adding more review of necessary (thinking CLE).

 

Good luck in your first year!

[kbutton]

I think that you are concerned about and addressing the right priorities and pitfalls and have a great start. I am not familiar with all the programs you are using, so hopefully someone will chime in if you want specifics about those. 

 

About the cursive, since you already have handwriting issues. I did cursive with my younger son from the get-go (he had learned a bit of print, but not much), and I don't regret it one bit. He has some fine motor issues. He also has sequencing issues. My suggestion would be to be prepared to go slower than typical and to do a lot more skill building than what any curriculum offers. It may turn out that the pacing is just fine, but be prepared to possibly spend more time on it than you think you'll need to if you already know motor skills are any issue. You might have to buy additional paper to make worksheets of your own if your students need more practice on particular tasks. I found that i had to teach letters in a different sequence than our curriculum taught them to reinforce patterns of letter formation. You might want to get theraputty or some other things that exercise the hand--we hear a lot about grip and pincer grasp, but the whole hand needs to have good muscle tone (or so the OT tells us!). I would also have them do a lot of large muscle writing--big paper on the fridge, a large chalkboard or whiteboard, air writing, whatever works for them. The large muscle repetition absolutely works its way down to the actual handwriting on paper. 

[kellyhoxworth]

I think that you are concerned about and addressing the right priorities and pitfalls and have a great start. I am not familiar with all the programs you are using, so hopefully someone will chime in if you want specifics about those. 

 

About the cursive, since you already have handwriting issues. I did cursive with my younger son from the get-go (he had learned a bit of print, but not much), and I don't regret it one bit. He has some fine motor issues. He also has sequencing issues. My suggestion would be to be prepared to go slower than typical and to do a lot more skill building than what any curriculum offers. It may turn out that the pacing is just fine, but be prepared to possibly spend more time on it than you think you'll need to if you already know motor skills are any issue. You might have to buy additional paper to make worksheets of your own if your students need more practice on particular tasks. I found that i had to teach letters in a different sequence than our curriculum taught them to reinforce patterns of letter formation. You might want to get theraputty or some other things that exercise the hand--we hear a lot about grip and pincer grasp, but the whole hand needs to have good muscle tone (or so the OT tells us!). I would also have them do a lot of large muscle writing--big paper on the fridge, a large chalkboard or whiteboard, air writing, whatever works for them. The large muscle repetition absolutely works its way down to the actual handwriting on paper. 

Thank you for your comments about handwriting.  I will definitely try the theraputty!  I hadn't thought of large muscle writing at all.  Sounds great and will be a relief for my handwriting-challenged kids! 

Do your children know how to type?  I was thinking of starting typing this year so they have that option for composition.

 

Thanks again!

 

:)

[kellyhoxworth]

Is your son's science interest very nature-focused?  I'm not a biology person, so spending an entire school year on life sciences makes me a bit nervous--but it works great for lots of people!

 

Will your son be taking art too?  You hadn't mentioned whether he was in the same academy programs.

 

Do you really, really, really love HWOT's style of cursive?  I put it down with a shudder and found something I could stand to look at.  LOL 

My son is just super interested in any and all science.  We are using Science Odyssey and the life science year includes invertebrates, vertebrates, the human body, and plants.  I think it only briefly deals with cells.  But that is a lot to cover!  My 6 yr old daughter is into science, but not to such a nerdy degree.  :)  So if she wants to move onto something else while he lingers on myelin, or whatever, that will be fine.  I am not a science person, so I'm going to use a lot of living books and documentaries.

 

Yes, my son will be taking the same art, PE, spanish, and piano (for grades 1-3).  He's taking an extra science lab class (I can't remember if it's electricity or robotics) while my daughter has chosen a cooking class.

 

I actually think the HWOT's style of cursive is cute!  It seems like "kid" cursive.  Honestly, if it is legible I don't care what it looks like, though!

[ficbot]

I think sometimes, people tend to over-compartmentalize these things. At your daughter's age, reading lots of books (and math) really are the most important things. Science does not need to be a special subject; a science-themed book can be part of a reading program, and you'll just do a hands-on activity instead of a reading response activity. Ditto art---start with a story, and then instead of doing journal writing or a worksheet, do a craft related to the story.

 

Just as an FY since I work in a school, here is what a typical day of full-day kindergarten looks like:

 

8:30- drop-off on playground on playground any time between now and 9 am. They go in at 9. 15 minutes or so of settling, unpacking bags etc. and then morning announcements.

 

9:15-9:45 and 9:45-10:15. This will be either a double language or math block, or a single block and a specialty period. The two classes share a classroom so there is some effort made to schedule the specialties so they get the classroom alone. This means that while I teach French to one class, the other one has gym or music. I get them four times a week, so between that and gym and music, there are usually two specialty blocks a day. They also get art once a week.

 

10:15-10:45. 15 minutes for recess and 15 minutes for snack.

 

10:45-11:15 and 11:15-11:45. Same as the morning; a double block, or a single block and a specialty.

 

11:45-12:00. Get ready for lunch. Read a book or have free play if you are ready early

 

12:00-1:00 half an hour for lunch and half for playground

 

Afternoons, there are four more blocks but these typically do not involve specialties since there are half-day children who would miss it. So usually, they do math or language (whatever they did not do in the morning), sometimes a special subject like cultural studies or science, some free play time and that's it. The language block typically involves a read-aloud with a corresponding activity, and phonics work (spelling rules, practice with levelled readers, printing activities and so on). The math involves working through a structured program.

 

If your child is getting specialties elsewhere and you are using a boxed math program, all you need to prep yourself is language. You could use something like Reading A-Z or Raz-Kids for levelled reading, get a tablet app to practice phonics and word blends, and then focus the rest of your language arts time on a daily story, with a journal response afterward.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

For third grade writing that is fun/not too aggressive, take a look at the book The Most Wonderful Writing Lessons Ever.

[AnniePoo]

I'm a huge fan of CC, so this will cloud my response.

 

Do CC foundations for both and plan to do essentials in 4th with your oldest. 

 

Sonlight core B would go perfectly with cycle 1 if you want some guided history help.  Feel free to not follow the guide and just read the books.  Both kids would be a great age for that.

 

Beware of choosing parent-intensive curriculum for all subjects.  I've found I need a way to get some basics done one days when mom is out of it.

 

You say you like spiral math but don't know how you feel about saxon.  Look into CLE or Horizons.  

 

 

 

 

[Saddlemomma]

What you have listed is thorough but I'm wondering if you've had the opportunity to look at the Wayfarer's curriculum?  It's an all-inclusive, Charlotte Mason/Classical mix curriculum based upon living books, which is all scheduled out for you.  The author is Kathy Joe Devore who wrote ELTL and RLTL, which are also used for Language Arts in this curriculum.

 

In Year 1-Ancients, SOTW is used as a spine for history for both your kids' ages; science would be Botany and Zoology utilizing the living books Quark Chronicles Botany and Zoology written by the author's husband, as well as other living book selections and suggestions for experiments & activities books.  The curriculum incorporates and schedules all subjects including memory work, copywork, artist/composer studies, and handwriting.  Bible is also included, but can easily be skipped if you wish a secular curriculum. 

 

Both of your kids would be using the same curriculum, learning the same things, just at different levels.

 

Just a thought...

[kateingr]

CLE or Horizons are definitely good options to consider if you'd like a spiral. 

 

Beast isn't a spiral, but it incorporates a ton of review throughout the book. I personally adore Beast, and if it's a good fit for your child, it's a whole lot of fun! I have a full review of it here if you'd like more info, along with an article that gives you a close-up look at one particular lesson with my eight-year-old. 

[Farrar]

I'll just be blunt. I think you've planned too many things. It's not that this is necessarily too much to get done - many families do get this much done - though it could be too much for some kids - what you've planned for kindy, for example, will take longer than an hour or so. I know you're thinking it's fun and light, but it's still structured learning and sometimes that's too much time at that age. However, you're jumping in for the first time. Trying to go from 0 to 60 on day one of homeschooling is not usually a winning strategy for most families. There will be kinks. There will be programs you chose that don't work at all. There will be things you learn about your kids as learners that you never knew and things you learn about yourself as a teacher that are new to you as well. There will be at least one scrapped organization system. At least one scrapped schedule or routine. And making this transition will be hard for your kids too. They need to adjust too. And they may need some deschooling time, so just take that into account. I would say start with just a couple of subjects at the beginning. See if they work for at least a couple of weeks to a month. Then add one or two more. See if they work. See how your schedule is. Leave time for field trips and impromptu learning. See how that works. Then add more again. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

Specifically, if you're going to have your K'er tag along for SOTW and nature studies with the 3rd grader, I don't know that you'll have the energy for a whole other core program and array of fun project things like FIAR. The whole point of FIAR is that you don't need to do those other content studies.

 

For writing, The Writer's Jungle is mostly for kids slightly older than 3rd grade, though it really depends on what stage of writing they're in. It's a whole, overarching approach to language arts though, not a simple supplement just for writing. If you think you want something lighter and more fun for writing for the year, maybe look at Brave Writer's Partnership Writing instead of trying to implement the whole of TWJ.

 

For math, you're considering two radically different approaches. I'm not a fan of Saxon - it is dry. We love Beast. It is definitely a full program. But I have twins and I can tell you that Beast worked for one and not the other. Kids who like it tend to enjoy a puzzle and not mind being frustrated as part of the learning process. It's a difficult program with lots of outside the box thinking. Since you seem so unsure of what you actually want in a math program, I would print some sample pages off from a few of them and let the kids do some of them and see how they approach them and what they think.

 

I also like HWOT's cursive. Don't listen to the font haters. ;)

[TriciaT]

I am sensing a little Charlotte Mason love in your post! :laugh: I am a big fan of hers.

 

I cannot say enough good things about LOE Foundations.  I am using it with my 5 year old girl, and we absolutely love it.  I especially love it for wiggly, sensory oriented kids.  It gives so many varied activities all planned out so I don't have to think of making something up to make it more engaging or varied.  Also, it covers handwriting and you can choose manuscript or cursive.  (Actually,I bought the workbook as a pdf and printed out the handwriting pages twice so that I could also teach my 2nd grader cursive.)  If you want fun phonics and handwriting, I cannot think of a better program than this.

 

Horizons is also spiral, so it might be a good alternative to Saxon.  It is very colorful, and not very teacher intensive.

 

How is your sons spelling currently?  if he is a pretty good phonetic speller?  I did the first 2 levels of AAS with my second grader this year, and she has had enough of spelling rules I think.  I am going to switch to Spelling You See for 3rd.   It is a lot like spelling Wisdom, but looks like a bit more of a logical progression to me. 

 

If your son likes to read, I wouldn't do literature as a formal subject, but if you want/need to encourage him to read more, then maybe look at some book lists (like Sonlight, Simply Charlotte Mason, or Ambleside for an advanced reader) for ideas of books to assign.

 

If you want a specific curriculum for science using living books and curriculum, you could take a look at NOEO.  We used it this year, and had lots of fun.

 

Brave Writer stuff looks so appealing to me too!  I am considering her partnership writing.  Have you looked at it?  It has 10 fun writing projects (one per month).  

 

I think your plans look great.  This is about the amount that I will be doing with my 3rd grader and Ker next year.  (And similar to what I did this year.)

[kellyhoxworth]

I'll just be blunt. I think you've planned too many things. It's not that this is necessarily too much to get done - many families do get this much done - though it could be too much for some kids - what you've planned for kindy, for example, will take longer than an hour or so. I know you're thinking it's fun and light, but it's still structured learning and sometimes that's too much time at that age. However, you're jumping in for the first time. Trying to go from 0 to 60 on day one of homeschooling is not usually a winning strategy for most families. There will be kinks. There will be programs you chose that don't work at all. There will be things you learn about your kids as learners that you never knew and things you learn about yourself as a teacher that are new to you as well. There will be at least one scrapped organization system. At least one scrapped schedule or routine. And making this transition will be hard for your kids too. They need to adjust too. And they may need some deschooling time, so just take that into account. I would say start with just a couple of subjects at the beginning. See if they work for at least a couple of weeks to a month. Then add one or two more. See if they work. See how your schedule is. Leave time for field trips and impromptu learning. See how that works. Then add more again. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

 

Specifically, if you're going to have your K'er tag along for SOTW and nature studies with the 3rd grader, I don't know that you'll have the energy for a whole other core program and array of fun project things like FIAR. The whole point of FIAR is that you don't need to do those other content studies.

 

For writing, The Writer's Jungle is mostly for kids slightly older than 3rd grade, though it really depends on what stage of writing they're in. It's a whole, overarching approach to language arts though, not a simple supplement just for writing. If you think you want something lighter and more fun for writing for the year, maybe look at Brave Writer's Partnership Writing instead of trying to implement the whole of TWJ.

 

For math, you're considering two radically different approaches. I'm not a fan of Saxon - it is dry. We love Beast. It is definitely a full program. But I have twins and I can tell you that Beast worked for one and not the other. Kids who like it tend to enjoy a puzzle and not mind being frustrated as part of the learning process. It's a difficult program with lots of outside the box thinking. Since you seem so unsure of what you actually want in a math program, I would print some sample pages off from a few of them and let the kids do some of them and see how they approach them and what they think.

 

I also like HWOT's cursive. Don't listen to the font haters. ;)

Thank you for your response.  Narrowing down all the great options has been really hard.  I want to do FIAR with my daughter, but I don't know how I would fit it in!  

 

I am definitely just looking for a simple supplement for writing.  What do you think about just fun writing prompts, nature journal, writing responses to our reading, etc. and waiting on formal writing until 4th grade?

 

I LOVE your idea of printing off sample pages and letting my kids try them to determine what is the best fit for each of them!  I am definitely doing that!  What do you think about Horizons math?

 

Thanks again for your comments and ideas!  

[kellyhoxworth]

I am sensing a little Charlotte Mason love in your post! :laugh: I am a big fan of hers.

 

I cannot say enough good things about LOE Foundations.  I am using it with my 5 year old girl, and we absolutely love it.  I especially love it for wiggly, sensory oriented kids.  It gives so many varied activities all planned out so I don't have to think of making something up to make it more engaging or varied.  Also, it covers handwriting and you can choose manuscript or cursive.  (Actually,I bought the workbook as a pdf and printed out the handwriting pages twice so that I could also teach my 2nd grader cursive.)  If you want fun phonics and handwriting, I cannot think of a better program than this.

 

Horizons is also spiral, so it might be a good alternative to Saxon.  It is very colorful, and not very teacher intensive.

 

How is your sons spelling currently?  if he is a pretty good phonetic speller?  I did the first 2 levels of AAS with my second grader this year, and she has had enough of spelling rules I think.  I am going to switch to Spelling You See for 3rd.   It is a lot like spelling Wisdom, but looks like a bit more of a logical progression to me. 

 

If your son likes to read, I wouldn't do literature as a formal subject, but if you want/need to encourage him to read more, then maybe look at some book lists (like Sonlight, Simply Charlotte Mason, or Ambleside for an advanced reader) for ideas of books to assign.

 

If you want a specific curriculum for science using living books and curriculum, you could take a look at NOEO.  We used it this year, and had lots of fun.

 

Brave Writer stuff looks so appealing to me too!  I am considering her partnership writing.  Have you looked at it?  It has 10 fun writing projects (one per month).  

 

I think your plans look great.  This is about the amount that I will be doing with my 3rd grader and Ker next year.  (And similar to what I did this year.)

I do really like the Charlotte Mason approach!  

 

I'm almost sorry to hear that LOE might be such a good fit for my daughter.  I was hoping an inexpensive set of workbooks and library readers would be good enough.  :)  But her reading skills (and love of reading) are my top priorities, so I will definitely consider LOE.

 

My son's spelling is good for his grade level (he and a few other classmates get more challenging spelling words in their current classroom), but I still see a lot of misspelled words in his writing.  I'm not sure if that is normal for a second grader?  I will check out Spelling You See.

 

10 fun writing projects sounds perfect!  I will check out Partnership Writing.

 

Thank you for your ideas!!

[kellyhoxworth]

I'm a huge fan of CC, so this will cloud my response.

 

Do CC foundations for both and plan to do essentials in 4th with your oldest. 

 

Sonlight core B would go perfectly with cycle 1 if you want some guided history help.  Feel free to not follow the guide and just read the books.  Both kids would be a great age for that.

 

Beware of choosing parent-intensive curriculum for all subjects.  I've found I need a way to get some basics done one days when mom is out of it.

 

You say you like spiral math but don't know how you feel about saxon.  Look into CLE or Horizons.  

Have you found that CC is a good fit for many different types of kids?  I am wondering if my artsy, fun-loving 6 year old will succeed at memory work.

 

I see what you are saying about parent-intensive curriculum.  I feel like my soon-to-be third grader should work independently in some of his subjects.  Since I want to do history and science together, as well as lots of reading, I am thinking his language arts and math should be somewhat independent.  But I don't see a lot of opportunity for my daughter (who will be a 1st grader) to work independently, since she is still a beginning reader.  

 

I will look at CLE and Horizons, for sure!

 

Thank you!

[kellyhoxworth]

What you have listed is thorough but I'm wondering if you've had the opportunity to look at the Wayfarer's curriculum?  It's an all-inclusive, Charlotte Mason/Classical mix curriculum based upon living books, which is all scheduled out for you.  The author is Kathy Joe Devore who wrote ELTL and RLTL, which are also used for Language Arts in this curriculum.

 

In Year 1-Ancients, SOTW is used as a spine for history for both your kids' ages; science would be Botany and Zoology utilizing the living books Quark Chronicles Botany and Zoology written by the author's husband, as well as other living book selections and suggestions for experiments & activities books.  The curriculum incorporates and schedules all subjects including memory work, copywork, artist/composer studies, and handwriting.  Bible is also included, but can easily be skipped if you wish a secular curriculum. 

 

Both of your kids would be using the same curriculum, learning the same things, just at different levels.

 

Just a thought...

I haven't heard of Wayfarer... I will definitely check it out for Language Arts!  I am using Real Science Odyssey for life science this year, but will investigate the Quark Chronicles.

 

Thank you!

[kellyhoxworth]

CLE or Horizons are definitely good options to consider if you'd like a spiral. 

 

Beast isn't a spiral, but it incorporates a ton of review throughout the book. I personally adore Beast, and if it's a good fit for your child, it's a whole lot of fun! I have a full review of it here if you'd like more info, along with an article that gives you a close-up look at one particular lesson with my eight-year-old. 

Hello!

 

Does Beast cover a typical 3rd grade scope/sequence?  It seems like it would be a good fit for my son.  Is it something that could be a supplement?  For example, could I use it in the summer and during breaks (we are doing a modified year-round schedule with a month off in the summer and December, plus lots of random weeks off throughout the rest of the year)?

 

Thank you!

[Farrar]

Thank you for your response.  Narrowing down all the great options has been really hard.  I want to do FIAR with my daughter, but I don't know how I would fit it in!  

 

I am definitely just looking for a simple supplement for writing.  What do you think about just fun writing prompts, nature journal, writing responses to our reading, etc. and waiting on formal writing until 4th grade?

 

I LOVE your idea of printing off sample pages and letting my kids try them to determine what is the best fit for each of them!  I am definitely doing that!  What do you think about Horizons math?

 

Thanks again for your comments and ideas!  

 

What you say about writing makes me think Partnership Writing might be what you're looking for:

http://www.bravewriter.com/program/home-study-courses/partnership-writing/

 

(It's also on HSBC for a discount.)

 

I don't know Horizons. But you can find good samples of Singapore, Math Mammoth, Beast Academy, Saxon, CLE, Horizons, etc. and print them all out in a packet and see what your 3rd grade dd really gels with. Look on their websites and/or places like Rainbow Resource for samples. Also, you can think about your own take on math and your dd's math needs. Will she do better with something full of puzzles? Something with more word problems? Something that's more spiral? Something that's very hands on? There are a lot of different ways to sort math programs.

[Farrar]

Hello!

 

Does Beast cover a typical 3rd grade scope/sequence?  It seems like it would be a good fit for my son.  Is it something that could be a supplement?  For example, could I use it in the summer and during breaks (we are doing a modified year-round schedule with a month off in the summer and December, plus lots of random weeks off throughout the rest of the year)?

 

Thank you!

Beast is aligned to the Common Core standards, so, yes, it has to cover everything that would be in a typical 3rd grade sequence. It also covers a bunch of things that aren't, like the multiominos and adding squares and so forth. Many people have been using it as a supplement. However, the number one reason that many people have been using it as a supplement is that not all the levels have been out yet. Since the entire 3rd and 4th grade sequences are out as of now, anyone starting the program with the 3rd grade books now won't need to worry about that - by the time you need them, the 5th grade books will be out. You can basically use it as intended now.

 

You can use Beast as a supplement. However, you should keep in mind that you're using two full programs if you do that. You should pick and choose with Beast what pages to do and how to use it. Using the comic is a no-brainer. It's pretty easy to read and the math is well-explained. Even your k'er may enjoy looking at it. But the real meat of the program is in the practice book. That's where if you're using it as a supplement you'll either have to cut things or choose sections to do and not do or just go at a slower pace. (Or, if she turns out to be a super fast worker, then maybe she can do two full math programs... but I certainly wouldn't plan for that.)

[Saddlemomma]

My DD has used Horizons since K.  It's a very good spiral program.  She's going into 7th next year, and for the first time we will be using a different math program for Pre-Algebra - Tablet Class.  I do have Horizons Pre-Algebra in the wings for added practice if necessary, but we really wanted a video-based math curriculum for the higher maths because the Horizons teacher's manuals, as you get into the higher levels, leave a lot to be desired unfortunately.

[kbutton]

Thank you for your comments about handwriting.  I will definitely try the theraputty!  I hadn't thought of large muscle writing at all.  Sounds great and will be a relief for my handwriting-challenged kids! 

Do your children know how to type?  I was thinking of starting typing this year so they have that option for composition.

 

Thanks again!

 

:)

 

DS 11 is getting proficient with typing--I think vision therapy was necessary for him to successfully handle words moving around on screen. I hope to start DS 7 this summer. He does not have great finger strength, and i wanted him to be solid with handwriting first. He has some motor planning issues, and is a slow processor--getting him to proficiency in things that should be automatic is a long slog with him, and adding too much at once shuts down the processor. So, you may find that typing is perfectly appropriate at your stages. 

 

And while I can't say a lot about your overall load when I haven't used all the same programs, I do agree with Farrar that starting slowly and adding stuff is a great way to get into a groove for newbies and even for veterans. The first year that I had both boys, we did a science week where we worked on fun science things that I knew would draw both of them in. For us, science sometimes gets shoved to the back burner even though we all really enjoy it. Starting with science helped us get a good running start before we bogged down in the necessary math and LA stuff.

[HS Mom in NC]

I'm not a fan of over compartmentalizing either.  I put both in SOTW 1 together and then I'd have each (youngest first) do narrations based on it, I'd scribe it, and I'd have them copy it for writing.  I would expect less of the younger and more of the older.  

 

I'd use phonics with them until they were good readers and I'd do Greek and Latin Roots. 

 

I don't do grammar in early elementary because I think children's brains need to develop more abstract thinking before grammar (which is full of abstract concepts) begins.  I'm shocked at how many years parents dutifully do grammar with young kids for years when they could complete a lot of it in one year just waiting until they're older. 

 

Vocabulary is learned more naturally, efficiently, and effectively when children are showered in great children's literature and then adult literature as they get older. SOTW Activity Books have suggested books and you can look up award winning children's literature online. We do a lot of reading aloud every day.

[mamakelly]

If you are doing Sonlight, you don't need SOTW1. Sunlight cores have history. 

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

If you are looking at Beast Academy, I strongly suggest taking the placement quiz. My son struggles with math fact retention, and he just was not quite ready even though he loves LOF and thinking math concepts. We were in Saxon, but it totally killed his love for math. Imo, they present math facts in a haphazard fashion. We switched to A Beka because I had it on hand for my younger student. It is very traditional, and it does not shine in later years, but it has been great for him to get back to the basics in a colorful way that he needs. Many other like Horizon math, and I would probably recommend that as a colorful, spiral curriculum. However, their TM is not scripted. I don't know if religious curriculum is something you want to avoid.

 

Another option is to do Math Mammoth or Beast Academy and use some extra pages for review to go with a more mastery based math. I highly recommend XtraMath app for extra practice too.

 

As for writing, we really enjoy CAP Writing and rhetoric program. It includes narration and dictation, but it transitions from that level to writing summaries and amplifications, finding the main idea, etc. You may also consider MCT. The grammar is very gentle, but it is deep and enjoyable. Very different.

 

Your plans sound great so far to me! As a new homeschooler, it can be so overwhelming, but just remember that curriculum is a tool. It is most important to think about your goals and style that you the teacher wish to employ. Choosing curriculum is easier once you know what you are looking for.

[ElizabethB]

For phonics, I would work them both with Webster's Speller and my game, it will help the problems with your oldest and you can teach both at once for parts and then separate but use the same system.

 

Free to print, I will explain more later, here is the link for now:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/WellTaughtPhonicsStudent.html

 

Also, I have experience with 20+ phonics programs so can comment on all your phonics choices later if you don't want to use Webster but am busy trying to work on my talk, I will have more time later!

[walkinlegends]

I've done Singapore Math and my boys (rising 4th and 2nd grades) really enjoy it (though they might not admit it because it's still work!). It moves from the concrete to the abstract, and the mental tools it gives them makes them feel like "math detectives." I've found it very engaging.

 

We really love SOTW. So much so that when I told the boys we weren't going to finish the book this year and would just skip the last few chapters, they asked if we could keep reading it over the summer. 

 

Also, we've done CC for 3 years and have enjoyed the time making friends and the satisfaction of accomplishing the memory work. The world at large is more familiar to them because they've already heard of the Louisiana Purchase, parts of the respiratory system, etc - their faces light up when they encounter familiar CC topics elsewhere. 

[lea_lpz]

Hello!

I have been lurking on this board for a year or two, and am so excited that we will be officially start homeschooling this fall!! My son (2nd grade) and daughter (kinder) currently attend public school.

I keep going around in circles about our curriculum options. Each week it seems I discover something new, get excited about it, then feel like maybe I'm overdoing it, scale back, discovering something new again, etc. I have a tentative scaled down plan (see below) and I'm wondering if I am missing anything or making any mistakes that an experienced homeschooler would catch. Here is my current plan:

For my soon-to-be 1st grade (giggly, artsy & crafty, musical, ADHD, sensory loving/hands-on, and wants to do everything together) daughter, who has solid (but not necessarily advanced) reading and math skills:

 

• Core - Five in a Row or Sonlight (I want the bulk of our day to be spent reading books together) with related art, craft, and cooking activities; She didn't have a happy kindergarten experience (full-day kindergarten, no choice time, nightly homework, worksheet after worksheet, constantly in trouble for squirming, falling out of her seat, zoning out, etc.) So I would like this year to be pleasant and relaxed.
• Math - probably Math Mammoth 1 and we'll read Life of Fred during the summer and on breaks
• Phonics - (she is a solid, but not particularly advanced reader) I'm thinking Explode the Code, assorted phonics readers, and Pathways Readers would be enough? I have tried OPGTR with her, which worked okay with my son in preschool. My daughter hated it. She hates feeling "quizzed." She loves doing Reading Eggs, so I guess I could continue with that, plus ETC and readers? I have been looking at Logic of English, but am afraid to spend $200 without being sure she would enjoy it.
• Spelling, Grammar, Vocabulary - I am hoping to not do any of this formally until reading and handwriting are very strong.
• Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears (may start on cursive as her handwriting is VERY messy, but also naturally cursive-y) and copy work;
• History & Geography - Story of the World 1 and accompanying living books and activities;
• Science & Nature - living books w/focus on life science and weekly nature study;
• Memory Work - I think she would enjoy memorizing poems;

She will be taking art, piano, Spanish, and PE at our local homeschool academy. I would like to try Classical Conversations for my son, but not sure it will be a good fit for my daughter.

:) Kelly

Lang arts- Of what you mentioned for 1st grader, I would do ETC, readers (could just be her level from library, HWOT. I wouldn't do much else.

 

I am not familiar with math mammoth or life of Fred. I'd probably start with one math program that I planned to do through elementary, take a placement test and move from there.

 

Core- only FIAR kept simple or tag along to your older child core.

 

CC- not my thing. If your son does it I suppose I would probably have her join. I wouldn't do to co-ops. The one with art, PE, Spanish sounds cooler. I'd probably do that for both.

 

STOW / Science- if you do FIAR or Sonlight that's going to be sufficient science for 1st grade. Again FIAR or tag along with older kids science and history.

 

I would keep school short. 20 minutes math, 25 minutes Lang arts, and the rest, no more than another 45 minutes. 2hrs total tops.

 

My first graders day looked like this-

20 minutes math

25 minutes Lang arts (phonics, reading, writing)

15 minutes Spanish

15 minutes Bible story, prayer, memory verses review

45 our core curriculum --- we used WFA (that included reading out loud for about 15 minutes)

[lea_lpz]

Your oldest is only in 3rd?

I would do that co-op and FIAR as both their core. Or CC for both and get books on the history / science topics from the library to follow at home. Or STOW and science. Again for both. Not all of them.

 

For the third grader, I would do spelling, phonics, handwriting (cursive) and have him read 20 minutes a day. Pick one spelling program and 1 phonics. ETC books 6-8 would be good. Get level 3/4 books from the library and set the timer for 20 minutes.

 

Pick one math program and test his level. If Saxon 4/5 is were he's at cool.

 

My 2nd soon to be 3rd graders typical day looks like this-

9-10: read 20 minutes, ETC 2 pgs, a spelling activity, HWOT 1-2 pgs, and math exercise. She does this mostly independent while at the table with her k'er brother so I can focus on him and give her some help as needed

 

10:00-10:30: Bible and Spanish (15 min. each) with both kids

 

1:00-2:30: one on one time with mom while younger brother has quiet time and baby naps- this is when we do her core subjects and some writing or grammar. I rotate subjects. Sometimes this is only an hour and then she gets an hour quiet time to read or draw or okay with her dolls.

 

8:30-9:30: chapter read alouds- usually 1 historical fiction and one 1 non fiction or biography on a historic character.

 

We don't do any co-ops. She has a weekly horse riding lesson and ballet lesson.

 

My k'er does a weekly karate class.

[lea_lpz]

Oh and I wouldn't do grammar for the 3rd grader for another year, at least. Read good books. Have a history, science, and lit journal they do narration pages on. Causally talk about grammar and punctuational when you go over there narration pages. Help him look up a list of vocabulary words from books you read. You could ca usually mention it being noun, adjective, etc and what that means. HWOT includes some light grammar in the print power book. They might in the cursive.

[kellyhoxworth]

Thank you everyone for your helpful responses.

 

So CC, FIAR, SOTW, RSO, Nature Study, Language Arts, Math, Handwriting, Typing, Writing, and a full-day Co-op (with Art, PE, Spanish, Music, and an extra elective) are too much!?  :)  It's hard to narrow down the many fun and worthwhile options!

 

Here is what I'm thinking, as far as paring down... 

• I'm on the fence about CC.  I really see the value in memorizing at this age, and it seems like a neat group of people.  What if I do some of the memory work (from the Foundations book) at home, and think about joining next year?
   
• FIAR - I want to do this for sure this year, but will keep the activities pretty simple.  Next year I could choose between FIAR and CC.
   
• Listen to SOTW 1 (we have it on CD) one day a week, with simple timeline, map work, a little oral narration, and living history books rotated into our regular bedtime reading.  
   
• RSO Life Science - once a week (science is the number one reason my son is excited about homeschooling)
   
• Nature Study on Saturdays (the kids would see this as pure fun and not work)
   
• Math - daily, except for enrichment day 
   
• Language Arts - daily, except for enrichment day - to emphasize phonics for 1st grader and reading/spelling/writing for 3rd grader; tons of read-alouds (chapter books, picture books, and nonfiction) as a family
   
• Handwriting (cursive for both, then moving on to copy work and typing once they've completed the cursive work)

Another way I could simplify would be to do science every day, and when we've finished that curricula, switch to history.

 

I will use summer and long breaks to incorporate extras like Life of Fred, math games, chess, poetry memorization, and keep up with reading and nature study.  And possibly science and history.  The fun stuff.  I'll basically just drop language arts (except for reading) and moving through their math curricula.

 

Still too much?

[lea_lpz]

I would really go with one core. So for example CC and a matching Sonlight Core on ancients. Or STOW with the activity guide and the nature journaling science. Honestly for your first year I might do a box curriculum core to cover science, history, art, music, Bible (if your are Christian or want that included), nature journaling / studies, poetry memorization, and crafts / cooking. A core like Sonlight or FIAR will do that. The beauty of this is it'll lay out for you so you do all the CM stuff but aren't doing the guessing work of what's is too much. All newbie homeschoolers over plan. I know I did! Sonlight or FIAR will do this for you, but I really look for a core both your 1st & 3rd grader can both do otherwise it's honestly too much! I want to recommend another option, My Father's World. Just check it out. It's a good program for combining cores and similar to Sonlight. It combines CM, unit studies, and classical without being overwhelming. But don't try to do two of their cores.

 

Honestly until you get in there you won't find your grove. My suggestion would be read up on educational philosophies over summer, read The Well Trained Mind and Fir the Sake of the Children, maybe Leigh's book from CC, read about other approaches, join a homeschool group, go to a conference. Come here and ask a

questions. Start in the fall with a box curriculum and keep learning. FIAR and Classical are different. FIAR is a unit study approach. Even among CM, CC, and WTM you get different takes on classical education. Not to say your early years have to be classical right now. Waiting until 4th/5th to do the history cycle and leanore classical with k-4 being more CM or Waldorf or unit study can work too! That's what we are doing. Just I guess get a feel for the direction you want.

 

If you do look into mfw my suggestion would be to use the Adventures in US History Core for both and then get them the proper Lang and math for their level and if you like it move into the family cycle next year with your 2/4 graders. I do like mfw 1st math and Lang but it might tempt you to do both cores. If you go that route only do the mfw 1st math & Lang. Ask me how I know. Because I wanted to do all of ADV and K. Talk about burn out.

 

We might actually use FIAR as our core next year with my upcoming 1st and 3rd grader and then do their family cycle. Just try something different.