Knights Becoming and a Lady in Waiting

Share and Tell: Curriculum for 2006-2007

As per Amy's entry, I thought I'd try to put next year's curriculum choices into print.  (Maybe then I'll finally stop stressing over them, even though I've been done since the APACHE conference back in April?)

For the most part, Prince Berryboy (my-then-7yo 2nd grader) and Prince Derryboy (my then-4 1/2 yo wants-to-do-school-even-though-Mommy-doesn't-believe-in-preschool) will be doing the same things and Prince Dannyboy (my then 3yo "me too") will do some of what Prince Derryboy does.  Lost yet?  See why I'm confused? *laugh*

ART

Prince Berryboy has a few entries in Joseph the Canada Goose left to do, then he starts the three-year program for I Can Do All Things.  He loves art and he loves this publisher (How Great Thou Art), so this is an easy one.  The two littler ones will still get coloring pages and lots of paper to draw with.

BIBLE/ HEART

• I finally got Plants Grown Up from Doorposts and I'm still figuring out how I should use it.  I figure we'll work on one section at a time at an easy pace, just doing the verses (one per week) and one or two easy projects.
• We read one Bible story each day from The Children's Bible in 365 Stories and discuss what we've read.  Once or twice a week, we'll look up the story in the Bible and read the REAL version, too.
• We memorized the Old Testament books last year, so this year we'll start on the New Testament, while still reviewing the old (we start with Genesis and just go with it).
• Once we've finished memorizing all the books, we'll work on actually finding Scripture together.  No Bible Swords yet; speed will come later.
• Study one missionary a month based on the country we're studying (see Geography) and pray daily for that missionary.

COMPOSITION

We do random writing assignments at random times.  Prince Berryboy also has a blog (although he hasn't been faithful lately) and a journal (he likes that a lot more because he can write faster than he can type).

GEOGRAPHY

We have a few geography resources we're working through to learn general geography, plus we're doing one alphabet country (with the exception of X-- there is no X country!) with each letter we're learning for the younger boys (see "Preschool").  We're doing the missionary thing for the country (see Bible) and just going to have a lot of fun with it.

HANDWRITING

We love, love, love, love Handwriting Without Tears and will continue using that for Berryboy this year.  If he finishes the book early, we may start cursive.  His writing has improved so very much!

MATH

We're trying Singapore Math this year with Prince B.  We did Saxon last year and he hated the repetition.  Prince Derryboy has a workbook for when he wants workbooks (he likes 'em), but otherwise we'll do hands-on stuff with beads, blocks, tangrams, clocks and such.

MUSIC

Our local group has a great music teacher who is now going to be teaching all the way down to three-year-olds.  Since music is very important to DH and I, we will at least put both Berryboy and Derryboy in the class.  Dannyboy is up in the air.  We're holding off on piano for one more year for Berryboy.

P.E.

We're doing swimming over the summer and I want to do some serious running with Berryboy this fall.  Not sure what to do with Derryboy, as he really loves (and is good at) sports, but is much smaller than most his age.  Guess we'll play it by ear.  Lots of outside play and gardening help, too.

"PRESCHOOL"

I'm really not into preschool, but the littles want to be like big brother, so we do a bit.  We have some workbooks that they pick out (just your garden variety) and we do Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready when I remember to *cough*.  We also do one letter/ number/ color/ shape a week altogether.  Although I usually make up my own themes, on weeks when I'm frazzled, I use the ones at LetterOfTheWeek.com.  Dannyboy will get to do Funshop (a parent-child program) for the fall, just like his big brothers got to do the fall of their three-year-old year.

READING

We just read... and read... and read.  Both Berryboy and Derryboy have taught themselves to read (although DB is still working on it), so we do phonics AS we read, rather than using a separate program.  We use fun books, "leveled books", non-fiction books, and books-on-tape.  We also listen to harder books together in the car as we drive and try to do one "literature" book together each month.

REAL LIFE

This is the part we want to work on the most after Bible.  We're working on chores (cats are currently their "learning" area) and manners (introductions for now). 

SCIENCE

I bought a curriculum, but I think we're just going to do science as it interests us again this year and save the curriculum for when we actually have two "in school".  Lots of biology and "yucky" science. :)

SCOUTING

We're still flip-flopping on this.  I want my kids in Scouts, but the local CUB Scouts are pretty lame :( so we might wait until Boy Scouts.  Still debating.

SPELLING

Berryboy is doing well with Spelling Workout, so we'll keep going.  He's in B right now, but we've got C ready for when he finishes (well before next year is over).

KNIGHTHOOD

The littles are too young, but when Berryboy turns seven, we'll have a ceremony for him to become a page.  He'll get to design his own shield and choose one "apprenticeship" to work on, one "weapon" skill, and one "courtly" skill.  (Okay, I'm still working on this).

It sounds like a lot when I put it all out like that, but we don't try to do all of it at the same time.  Bible, math, handwriting and reading are everyday.   A lot is weekly.  Science, knighthood, and writing are random.

Whew.  I'm exhausted just typing it all in.  I still have a lot of work to do, since I try to use only a little bit of "pre-made" curriculum and a lot of sweat equity. :)  Ah, well.  They will learn in spite of me. :D

Untitled Comment

11:10 PM, Jun. 4, 2006 .. Posted by hiplvmom2

Hi,

It is VERY easy to homeschool in Nevada =-) But I wouldn't suggest raising children in Las Vegas or the areas right around here.... Really there are just so many junky people here.... We are here for my DH job... No getting out of it. But up north in the Reno area is much much much nicer *smile* We came here from there....

If you do come here, I will take you all around *giggle* and show you all the ropes *smile*

Hugs,
Dana

Untitled Comment

11:12 PM, Jun. 4, 2006 .. Posted by nsremom

okay, remember...lists aren't my thing?:) Well I read YOUR whole list. Sounds super. But I mainly want to know MORE about your knighthood training. That sounds wonderful. Did you borrow this idea? invent it? or have a book? I just love such a boyish/manly idea for our sons. It seems like there is way to much fluffy things that I must require my boy to do. He's a boy! I will not force him to read about fairy dust. LOL.