homemommy83 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 I am interested in seeing what everyones favorite curriculum has been through the years. I would especially love to hear what families have used child after child. Below are a few of the favorites at our house. Preschool- I have used the following with all of my children so far: Sonlight readaloud packages Explode the Code primers I have done Rod and Staff preschool when I had the extra cash-kwim and the kids love them. Kindergarten- We absolutely loved MFWK with my first 2 children, but as we added babies I just didn't have the energy to do it with my following children and do the olders schooling as well. We now do CLE K2 and it has been a hit. It usually only last for the first semester though. English-FLL1 and 2 has been used by all of my children. I love that it is oral and I simply add copywork for a complete LA program. We did Considering God's Creation many years ago and it was fantastic. I am a huge fan of MFW Adventures. My first 4 years homeschooling were MFW and I really enjoyed it. As my children have gotten older I prefer them to read most books to themselves so I can tutor them in basic subjects....so we moved away from the 5 year cycle. My oldest son is back doing MFW HS independently and LOVES it. I am also thankful for all of the encouraging ladies here through the years. Year... after Year... #chollin #Ellie #LoriD #Hunter #Many others- I am so blessed to have been able to home educate my children; and as I see them growing up I see the fruits show that it has been worth it. Brenda 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homemommy83 Posted August 5, 2018 Author Share Posted August 5, 2018 #Susan Wise Bauer #Dorothy and Raymond Moore #Ruth Beechick #Rainbow Resource- for their generosity to many of the families in financial hardship. Brenda 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 The curriculum I could write odes to... Miquon Math Jacob's various math textbooks Tin Man Press's various workbooks Brave Writer, especially Partnership Writing Some stuff I've really, really liked... Prufrock's Exploring America series Beast Academy Hands on Equations Middle School Chemistry from ACS MEP Math Lit guides from the Glencoe Lit Library 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Galore Park singapore math and MEP math 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Our favorites are ETC primers--just the right amount of writing for that age Rod & Staff Preschool ABC Series--sweet books, my kids have each done at least one of these. They especially love the cutting & pasting Kumon cutting, pasting, & maze books McGuffey readers--love the Primer & First Reader for teaching reading! Singapore math--sometimes I wish we'd stuck this one out. Looking back, I think my oldest just hit a rough patch with math. After switching to another program, I finally saw the fruits of all the mental math we did. CLE Math--our current program, lots of review which has been the perfect fit for at least one of my kids. My math-y child isn't a fan of the repetition. SOTW--I wish we'd tried this earlier, but I'd heard it wasn't "Christian enough". Also, all the WTM/PHP products we've used! I've yet to find a "dud". Pentime Penmanship Memoria Press--my kids really do well with their materials. I like how simple and streamlined everything is with them. Simply Charlotte Mason--I love Spelling Wisdom and the Picture Study Portfolios. We also used their history for many years. Biblioplan Family Guides--Great family read alouds and book selections. The 101 Series science DVDs--my kids (ages 4 to 16) all sit through these! Stratton House/Home Science Adventures science kits--these have been a huge hit at our house--by far our favorite science kits! We don't have much on the list for upper grades! I guess we are still finding our favorites for those ages. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homemommy83 Posted August 5, 2018 Author Share Posted August 5, 2018 Farrar, You mentioned some things that I have never heard of.....?off snooping. Holly, Pentime is also on my list... I also wished that we had done STOW, but didn't for the reasons that you stated?...I am getting them for my daughter to read independently this year. We did the same with Singapore Math for the same reasons...but I truly love Rod and Staff and BJU as well.....and upper level LOF. Brenda 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 For the oldest: -Math U See -Writing Tales -Jackdaws -Reading Like a Historian -Story of The World -Hands On Equations -Jacobs Geometry -Patty Paper Geometry -Learning Adventures (though I don't know if I can count this because we skipped the bible, rewrote the history/science lectures into lessons, and mostly used it for the books/Language Arts) -Moving Beyond The Page individual units -Writing With Skill -Creek Edge Press task cards For the youngest: -MEP primary -BambinoLuk -Wee Folk Art's Simple Seasons -Right Start -BFSU -Life of Fred -Dictation Day by Day -Getting Started With Latin -ELTL -Quark Chronicles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimm Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Story of the World. Absolutely loved it and can't wait to go through it again with my youngest. Singapore Math. Middle child grasps math quickly and intuitively but has slow processing speed. Anything that asked her to repeatedly do pages of problems would have just killed her love of math. As it is, she is going into 10th grade where she'll be doing Alg 2 honors the first semester and Trig the second semester. She wants to do as much math as she can in high school. Singapore math was perfect for her. ? Bravewriter. Middle was also a reluctant writer and this made her feel like writing was doable and maybe even sometimes fun. IEW 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Curriculum: The Story of the World series Writing with Ease series Miquon Life of Fred elementary series Apologia zoology books My Father's World All Aboard the Animal Train The Great Chocolate Caper Royal Fireworks Press' Grammar Island series All About Spelling series Notgrass' America the Beautiful Signs and Seasons Classical Astronomy Janice Van Cleave books Books (because we tend to use living books and not curriculum): Smithsonian's The Planets (Definitive Visual Guide) Eric Sloane's The Weather Book The Way We Work The Children's Homer Botany in a Day Great Tales from English History The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia Gardner's Art Through the Ages Practical Botany & Latin for Gardeners Tiner's The History of Medicine The Story of the Orchestra History of Britain (DK) Watership Down Roar! A Christian Family Guide to the Chronicles of Narnia 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemsondana Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 (edited) Both of mine have used Singapore Math, HWOT.for print and cursive, the MCT language arts (older is starting the 4th level, younger is starting the 2nd), and Hirsch's Core Knowledge books as a guide to history and science topics. Younger is getting a lot out of Simply Charlotte Mason's 'Visits To' geography series, and I would have used it with older had I known about it. As it is, older said that the only geography that he isn't confident about is Africa, and he asked me to get Visits to Africa for him to do this year. Both kids have also been fans of the mindbenders books and Inference Jones from the Critical Thinking Company. Edited August 5, 2018 by ClemsonDana 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 My favorites... Abeka Language Arts grade 1. I only like grade 1 and then switch but for that one year they have the most amazing curriculum to get a child reading. Rightstart Math. Love it love it love it. Simply Charlotte Mason Proverbs cursive. Oh how I wish there was other cursive programs that tackle cursive in this way. Brilliant and painless. Veritas Press Time line songs and flashcards. I love they can be used with just about any history program to orient kids along a time line. Great stuff. Classical Writing Aesops and Homer levels. Actually I love all of the levels but these are just perfect. BJU English 3 and 4. I adore how it breaks down writing basics I teach these levels along with the progymnasmata to grasp writing basics. I don't love the other levels. Just these two. Biblioplan History Schedules. I always return to these. They make my life so easy and schedule all the spines and books I love. Supercharged Science program. I use it along with other texts and spines but it is the most fun dvd based experiment curriculum out there. I love how it isn't random experiments. She lock steps the student in concept learning and culminates with an integrated project. Just brilliant. Spelling You See. Easy and effective. We never stray from this one. Teaching the Classics. I love the longevity of this curriculum Glencoe Lit guides. Free and awesome. Much more than just rote comprehension questions. Better than the much more expensive MBTP guides. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyhock2 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 I think the single curriculum that I've loved the most, used the most and seen the best results out of has to be Writing With Ease. I've also used and liked a number of other things for a few years or more: Story of the World, Notgrass Exploring World History, R&S spelling, LLATL for junior high, Teaching Textbooks, Math Mammoth 1-2, the Blast Off with Logic series, Let's Read and Find Out science books, My First History of Canada, Apologia Physical Science, Bluedorn logic books and Explode the Code. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Art of Problem Solving 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 Art of Problem Solving/Beast Academy. Some days the only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that if I throw in the towel and send them to school they won't get to learn math with AoPS any more. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 SOTW 1 and 2 K12's History 3 and 4 The Human Odyssey series (K12, not the classes) A History of US concise edition (K12, not the classes) Ways of the World (Strayer) MCT Island and Town (after that, not so much) Singapore math RightStart math (B) Jacobs Algebra Derek Owens (prealgebra through calculus) Campbell's Essential Biology Zumdahl's World of Chemistry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted August 6, 2018 Share Posted August 6, 2018 (edited) MCT Grammar (we’ve used 4 different levels, love them all, and his poetics too) Singapore PM (each child used it at least one year, one for 4 years, always solid and reliable) AoPS/BA (the kids still read the guide books for fun, and oldest has soared in math because of AoPS) RightStart Math B (A was good also, B was dynamite, again each child has used RS outright or I’ve incorporated RS into their other math) SOTW 1 (we had less interest/success with each subsequent year but 1 was fantastic) I love LToW, my kids not as much, but it has been the best writing program we have used as far as what it teaches and what they have learned. 100EZ - simple, got them up and reading and confident with no fuss or busyness GSWL - almost forgot this one but it was perfect intro to Latin and a springboard to further studies Edited August 6, 2018 by Targhee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 I've been really happy with Mathmammoth - even when I've wanted to supplement it, it's been a solid base for us. Mainly because their explanations work really well for me. I've had really good luck with Sequential Spelling for my visual kids. I also bought English for the Thoughtful Child, and Writing and Rhetoric Fable years ago, and have used them for all my students. As far as books we've used, CHOW is still the most useful, but for history the kids still like the audio version of OIS best. And every child I've read Paddle to the Sea with has loved it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 What a great thread. I think curriculum I've found valuable vs. curriculum I've loved is very different. Love: Five in a Row Queen copywork Writing for a Reason Very Valuable: Rod & Staff Grammar Saxon Math IEW theme books (this borders on love.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homemommy83 Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 Ladies, I love how wide the variety of favorites are. I have seen several choices that I hadn't heard of and I love curriculum browsing?. Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 I have used all kinds of things over 16 years (two graduates, a 10th grader, and a 5th grader). After pulling everything together myself for the three oldest I went with the Memoria Press Core for my 5th grader when she was in K and we have stuck with that ever since. I think daily about how much I love this curriculum. I don't think I would be overly impressed by any one component but I love the way it comes together. I plan to have her stick with it into high school. Her goals then will probably determine her course choices but we'll stick with it as long as it makes sense. Through 8th grade at least. While I am in love with the MP curriculum it is also very possible that I am loving teaching just one child (10th grader is very independent and outsourced mostly). After so many years juggling so many needs I am really enjoying this one on one homeschooling with my baby ? (I sometimes start to regret that I didn't do MP with my older kids but then I remember it would have been way too much. I never could have done it with four students at different levels) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Definitely Memoria Press Enrichment Guides...all of them! We loved the read alouds, art, and music especially. All About Spelling has worked well and we’ve used many levels, although I wouldn’t say I love it . ?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acresoft Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Audio Visual Drawing Program's Drawing Textbook is really good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jwith3kids Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 Story of the World is our hands-down favorite! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippiemamato3 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Winter Promise Children Around the World Moving Beyond the Page 7-9, 9-11 Horizons Math Memoria Press Enrichment Guides 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 My oldest is 10, but so far: AAS, Miquon, Beast Academy, Hoffman Academy Piano, and OPGTR. I also use a lot of digital products repeatedly like Liberty's Kids, Xtra math, Cosmic Kids Yoga, and Leap Frog Letter Factory. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 Miquon Singapore Math some MCT stuff Ellen McHenry stuff RSO Chemistry The bits of Considering God's Creation that have gotten done 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 I agree with Blessed Mama that my list of things I puffy heart love because of an emotional attachment is different from the list of things I love because I enjoy teaching from them and I've found them to be valuable/useful for many of my kids and plan to use them over and over again. Puffy Heart Love: Artistic Pursuits because we used it for our very first homeschool lesson to start the journey off with some fun so I have a misty-eyed emotional attachment to it and have enjoyed it ever since, any science by Dr. Wile because his blog and his books made me feel confident I could homeschool junior high and high school successfully, MOH and History of US because of all the memories of doing it with all 5 kids together at morning meeting for several years before the older ones advanced and I had to split them up for history Useful Love: AAR, AAS, MM, IEW, AG, Video Text Algebra, Visual Link Spanish, 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 The Sentence Family Times Tales Writing Trails Systematic Mathematics Ellen McHenry science Wee Folk Art for K 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetterthanIdeserve Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Five in a Row Tapestry of Grace - I love Tapestry, but it is so easy for it to become too much. I keep telling myself, we have to say no to good things to make it work. I do a good job with keeping it light for my younger kids, but I have to tweak each week for my 13yo so that it is not too much. We have some great dinner time conversations as a family, and I feel like I've learned so much. I love to encourage others to look at Tapestry, but strongly caution them to remember it is a buffet and not try to do it all. I use SOTW as the spine for my youngest. I appreciate how easy it is to work with kids at different levels and work at their strengths. IEW's Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization. I love this, but memorization for my 2nd child has been such a frustrating experience that we stopped. I'm considering jumping back in with my oldest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerriRMI Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 On 8/5/2018 at 1:28 PM, nixpix5 said: My favorites... Classical Writing Aesops and Homer levels. Actually I love all of the levels but these are just perfect. Me too. I love love love this program 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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