Poll:Curriculum

[mommy25]

Which curriculum or plan would you say that you follow the most?

[coffeegal]

I put down TWTM because it is the book I always open to ensure everything is being covered, but I've simplified my homeschool and based my priorities off the Latin Centered Education. Math and Latin are the center of my homeschool and ALWAYS get done. History and Science are based off the recommendations in TWTM and moving closer to the recommendations, however they don't always get done when life is hectic.

[Free Indeed]

I use Teaching the Trivium as my spine. It more fits my lifestyle and educational philosophy.

[Tree House Academy]

We follow TWTM loosely and mostly do our own thing. :) It is working very nicely!

[Jennefer@SSA]

I voted "The Well Trained Mind" because currently that's been our plan. My goal over the holidays is to read more about CM education to discover how to incorporate more of her philosophies into our school.

[runningirl71]

I said LCC b/c that is the "plan" that I follow when it comes to planning out a weekly schedule and having Latin at the center. But, I use TWTM as my blue print of what to do for each subject. So, although history is an elective and we study it once a week, we cover it as suggested in TWTM (outline, narration, timeline, reading, activity) we just do it all on one day. This helps us go deeper at one time as we are at the beginning of the Logic stage now. :)

[jenadina]

I said LCC b/c that is the "plan" that I follow when it comes to planning out a weekly schedule and having Latin at the center. But, I use TWTM as my blue print of what to do for each subject. So, although history is an elective and we study it once a week, we cover it as suggested in TWTM (outline, narration, timeline, reading, activity) we just do it all on one day. This helps us go deeper at one time as we are at the beginning of the Logic stage now. :)

 

:iagree: This is what we do, too.

[elegantlion]

LCC here, although I have tweaked for our family, Latin is at the center.

[Closeacademy]

For my oldest we follow more of a LCC path:

 

Latin--including grammar and classical studies

Mathematics

Science--nature studies although we are going to dabble in Singapore again after the first of the year.

Composition--working along the lines of the progym

 

Now my youngest is more of a traditional old fashioned girl and we follow that style:

 

Rod and Staff Reading and will use their English for her

Singapore Math backed up with Rod and Staff

Penmanship through copywork

Will probably use Rod and Staff spelling

She also has a desire to learn French

 

We also read a lot.:001_smile:

[triadofchaos]

I'm way too eclectic to just follow one thing only. I like to think we mostly us the suggested scope and sequence of WTM, but we add and subtract here and there and often use something else not recommended in WTM to cover certain subjects. So maybe WTM rooted, but with some crazy, wide reaching branches.

[Mommyfaithe]

After homeschooling for as long as I have, I found that no one program fits our family...where it happens to be at the time...with the children we have at the time...with the circumstances we are under....SO ALL MUST BE TWEAKED. This is why we homeschool...which I am beginning to view as home mentor...because the "S" word is not feeling to good to me these days.

I would love to follow a total CM curriculum...but alas, I do not have a nanny or other household help...and my children, quite frankly are a bit more modern. I have developed CM principles to fit our needs. i would love to follow a WTM type curriculum...and I do use SOTW and WWE (Just starting this year and I love it!) and we do follow the booklists etc, but I would totally burn out and so would my kiddoes with all those intense subjects....

 

As a matter of fact, it took us until 3:30 today to get my 3 little guys through math, phonics, reading, grammar and spelling. Thank GOD for SOTW on CD!!!!! They can listen tonight....sigh!

 

Anyway, I like LCC and I think Andrew has amny valid points...but being a little further on my homeschool journey...I am not totally comfortable with LLC although I see many of its beauties especially quality over quantity, combined subjects, lots of reading and LATIN. (I love Latin...my kids beg to differ...sigh!)

 

So...just my musing after a long day. Off to work...

Faithe

[King Alfred Academy]

Classical with a Charlotte Mason influence...which is about to get stronger (the CM influence).

[LisaKinVA]

I refer to TWTM, but in the end, I'm the one needing more structure... So, it's an influence, but I pretty much do what we need.

[Kay in Cal]

I put down WTM because that was my starting point... but truthfully I've learned more about specific curriculum choices from doing research myself and asking on the boards. However, the recommendations I've found on the boards usually fit into a "slot" recommended in WTM, and replace a resource from there. So I still think of WTM as my foundation.

 

Looking at my 2nd grader, it really does look like there's a lot to be gleaned around here:

SOTW 2 -- WTM

GWG4 -- boards

SWO E -- boards

EPGY Math -- boards -- remember KPzz? she spoke so highly of it as the best program for an accelerated child, I would never have checked it out otherwise

Minimus Secundus -- boards, soon to start Latin Prep from the boards

MP Greek Myths -- found in catalog

SE Earth Science -- boards -- I'd never have looked at school texts on my own

Nanowrimo -- dh found online, has done for years; will be back to CW, from the boards, soon

Trail Guide World Geography -- boards

Explorer Bible Study -- boards

Drawing with Children -- WTM

Read alouds this year so far are versions of Beowulf & Arthurian legends, WTM

Edited December 5, 2008 by Kay in Cal

[Linda (Australia)]

I use TWTM, Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum and LCC as my starting points also, but also a lot of our lessons these days are based around the IEW products - incorporating the writing lessons into History and Science.

 

And, it changes - we're similar, but very different nowadays from when we 'only' had four doing homeschool. Now we have eight, and are in some ways we are far more disciplined - and at other times, it's just total chaos! :tongue_smilie:

 

And, of course, we choose a lot of Australian resouces - in Grammar, Spelling, History, etc., so the books above really do become our starting point, and we pick and choose, try things out, and go in different directions, never 'locked' into a set programme, but always having some sort of plan.

 

Heard of the 'rules' of homeschooling?

 

1. It never hurts to have a plan

2. Things will never go according to that plan

3. In the end, it doesn't really matter!

[momsquared]

I selected Charlotte Mason but we can be pretty eclectic. There are certainly things I find very important but we really stress reading and the fine arts in our house.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

We are very eclectic but lean toward the CM style and if I am trying to choose between 2 curriculae (;)) I lean toward the one with more CM-style in it than the other.

[Crimson Wife]

Literature-based that's a hybrid of Classical and CM. Some things we do the CM way and others TWTM way.

 

I haven't read LCC or TJed yet but they both sound interesting and at some point I'll probably get around to them.

[momof165]

I use a mix of Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, and Montessori. As of right now, I am using OM as our main spine. I write our lesson plans to make sure it fits my son's learning style (mildly ADHD + other chronic illness).

 

Sonja

__________________________________________________

Homeschooling JUST ONE - ds 9

[chiguirre]

I basically follow the WTM plan, but I've had to modify the skills subjects to the ability level and learning style of ds. He's at grade level by ps standards, but not by WTM standards, KWIM? Although dd could follow the WTM more closely, I'm not sure she'd enjoy OPGTR because she loves the doodads that come with LLATL Blue. I do think we'll use FLL and WWE next year.

 

For history and science, I've finally decided to follow a unit studies approach to organizing our studies. We all prefer to through ourselves into a topic for a month and just can't keep a 2 days for history/2days for science rotation. We'll still follow the general plan, but with a different organizing principle. Oh, and I split the difference between my kids as far as starting the 4 yr. cycles. Since we work together and ds wasn't really ready for a full program last year, this has worked well for us.

[Melissa in Australia]

I try to stick to WTM as closely as I can. But, I don't think I will every be able to reach WTM standards.

[Jenny in Atl]

I feel inspired by a number of sources (WTM especially). So I guess I take what works for us, and add a little more.

[KinderSafari]

Is there a specific place to find out what all the curriculum acronyms mean? :)

 

I'd be interested in researching some more about some of these but need to know more behind the letters!

 

Or do I just do a search?

[The Governess]

I feel inspired by a number of sources (WTM especially). So I guess I take what works for us, and add a little more.

 

Same here. :001_smile: Or, at least, I'm planning to. We haven't even started Kindergarten yet. :lol:

[Crimson Wife]

Is there a specific place to find out what all the curriculum acronyms mean? :)

 

I'd be interested in researching some more about some of these but need to know more behind the letters!

 

Or do I just do a search?

 

Did you check here?

[Peela]

I put CM only because at the moment I am using Ambleside/HEO as a general structure off which to hang everything, and I only jumped to AO because it fitted where we were in our WTM based 4 year cycle, which I intend to continue right through. I had always wanted to try AO and now we are, and we are enjoying it- but being secular, we tweak it considerably.

My kids do science in a class, so basically our homeschooling revolves around history, literature and latin- and maths just because we have to :)

[Pata]

I use WTM as a guide for our main subjects. I tweak Sonlight to fit it as much as possible. For our fine arts/electives we use mainly CM ideas. I guess that I'm officially eclectic!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Haiku]

I follow TWTM pretty closely. The only thing I can think of that makes it not 100% is that we're not doing spelling.

 

Tara

[melissel]

TWTM inspires me, but I find that a lot of the recommendations (so far, anyway) are not a good fit for my DD6, so I keep TWTM around to keep me on track but we use whatever resource we find that fits what we need.

[sagira]

I follow Charlotte Mason's methods the most. We're:

 

 

1. delaying grammar and writing instruction
   
2. next year we'll be adding narrations
   
3. doing short lessons with variety between inspirational and drill subjects
   
4. nature walks
   
5. lots of living books
   
6. next year copywork
   
7. living books for math and science too
   
8. concrete items for math, incorporating in real life
   
9. no formal spelling program except CM method next year
   
10. phonics and sight word instruction combined
    
11. nature sketching
    
12. keeping a nature notebook
    
13. Book of Centuries next year
    
    1. 
       
    2. art, poetry and music instruction important
       
    3. composer and picture studies next year
       

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2008 by sagira

[lulubelle]

There is so much to choose from with the WTM alone.

[siloam]

Which curriculum or plan would you say that you follow the most?

 

I started out using SL and being sold on Ruth Beechick philosophy. I had it in my mind that classical was way too difficult. (No I hadn't ever looked at classical) :001_huh:

 

Over time my philosophy has changed. Why? English/Grammar combined with a kinesthetic learner. I ended up having to leave SL because my 2nd dd is and extremely hands on learner and I was horrible and scheduling them. Now that is saying something because I LOVE to schedule. ;) That is when I began looking at the merits of other styles. I am going to shorten the story and just say that through a series of events and my friendship with ThricedBlessed I realized that Classical wasn't half as difficult as I thought it was. In some ways it is more relaxed. For example it doesn't have the child write physically till 4th grade and then only narrations, where RB will do dictation and narration as well, but also encourages original/creative writing early on and while they also say to allow the parent to write for the child it comes accost (to me) as "if you need to" where I felt SWB was much clearer that kids don't need to be doing any original work or any physical writing till later. Anyway back to English/Grammar. :D It is my worst subject. I loved RB methods simply because it allowed me to get away with not learning anything outside of my comfort zone. To put it in another way, if you have mastery of a topic I think it is easy to take more of a RB stance, because when a "teachable" moment comes up, you just take advantage of it and pass your knowledge to the child. It clicks because they asked and they are interested right then. The problem I had is that if you don't have a mastery of the material as the teacher then all you can do at a "teachable" moment is say, "I don't know." I was saying I don't know way too much to my oldest dd, so eventually I had to face the music and change methods.

 

The more I use WTM material and read the book the more I appreciate how developmentally appropriate it is, how much thought and consideration is put into it.

 

Heather

 

[newlifemom]

I started out using SL and being sold on Ruth Beechick philosophy. I had it in my mind that classical was way too difficult. (No I hadn't ever looked at classical) :001_huh:

 

Over time my philosophy has changed. Why? English/Grammar combined with a kinesthetic learner. I ended up having to leave SL because my 2nd dd is and extremely hands on learner and I was horrible and scheduling them. Now that is saying something because I LOVE to schedule. ;) That is when I began looking at the merits of other styles. I am going to shorten the story and just say that through a series of events and my friendship with ThricedBlessed I realized that Classical wasn't half as difficult as I thought it was. In some ways it is more relaxed. For example it doesn't have the child write physically till 4th grade and then only narrations, where RB will do dictation and narration as well, but also encourages original/creative writing early on and while they also say to allow the parent to write for the child it comes accost (to me) as "if you need to" where I felt SWB was much clearer that kids don't need to be doing any original work or any physical writing till later. Anyway back to English/Grammar. :D It is my worst subject. I loved RB methods simply because it allowed me to get away with not learning anything outside of my comfort zone. To put it in another way, if you have mastery of a topic I think it is easy to take more of a RB stance, because when a "teachable" moment comes up, you just take advantage of it and pass your knowledge to the child. It clicks because they asked and they are interested right then. The problem I had is that if you don't have a mastery of the material as the teacher then all you can do at a "teachable" moment is say, "I don't know." I was saying I don't know way too much to my oldest dd, so eventually I had to face the music and change methods.

 

The more I use WTM material and read the book the more I appreciate how developmentally appropriate it is, how much thought and consideration is put into it.

 

Heather

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing Heather. That was very honest and inspirational.

[MariaTX]

I will probably stay with designing my own. All 3 of my children are different and I like to tailor the curriculum, so each of them is learning best using their learning styles. With this said, though, as they get older, High school, then I'll have them be more structured. They have to learn to sit through a class and conform so to speak. Bottom line, I want them to know how to learn and not be afraid to get out of their box.