Posted in home schooling
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In my browsing through some blogs over the past couple of weeks, I've seen many share what curriculum they are using with their kids this year. Call me 'weird', but I always find that kind of stuff highly fascinating. Man, there is a ton of great stuff to home school with! Honestly, that's why I had to have another child because two kids are not enough to try all the options that are available. So, what are we using this year here at Hilltop? Well, our mainstay/no-brainer/go-to stuff that we use every year is Sonlight. It is very literature-based with the limited use of actual textbooks. I buy the core packages, which basically covers your Bible, History, and Readers. I've used their language arts intermittently, and I've mostly used their Science. This year Annaleigh is using the Core 7 package, World History, part II....
She's also basically using the Core 7 science, which uses Apologia's general science book for their core, but I'm not teaching it. Hallelujah! She's taking it in a class at her tutorial with some woman who loves science instead of with me, a woman who breaks out in hives at the mention of science. Harrison is using Sonlight's Core 2 this year, Intro to World History, part II...
I covered most of this core with Annaleigh several years ago, and I can't wait to read some of those books again. Yes, they are that good! He's also using the core 2 science package...
...but I can't talk much about that. Hives, you know. For language arts, Annaleigh is using this...
...because, as strange as this might sound for a former English teacher but, I don't care much for teaching grammar. I never did. I believe one must have an understanding of the English language and how it works, but diagramming sentence after sentence and being able to define phrases like 'past participle', I believe, just doesn't have much value. I truly believe that kids can get almost all of the grammar they need from the prolific reading of good books and ample opportunities of writing. Almost. That's where Easy Grammar comes in. It's thorough, but not overwhelming. I am trying something new with Harrison...
...because it was highly recommended, and it was mostly free since I'm borrowing it from a friend. It's so new to us right now that I don't really have much of an opinion on it, but I can say that it looks like a balanced approach, and so far Harrison likes it...all two days worth. I've used this for several years now...
This approach has worked great for Annaleigh who is an excellent speller. The jury is still out on whether it will work for the long haul with Harrison, since we're just starting his second year with it, but so far, so good. I already mentioned this in a previous blog, but Annaleigh is using Rosetta Stone for French 1 this year.
I hope that it's a good program since I certainly paid a fat chunk of change for it. I may have to just take her word for it since I don't know a thing about French. Well, I know what croissant means. I took four years of Spanish, but Annaleigh who believes she may be called onto the African mission field someday, thought French might be a better choice for her. I'm going to try to start Power Glide Spanish with Harrison this year. The funny thing is I say this every year, but then it just sits on our shelf collecting dust, so it remains to be seen, I guess. That's about it for us except for healthy doses of taekwondo, soccer and ballet for PE and spontaneous art when we have the notion. Oh, and Annaleigh is also taking Logic and Drama classes at her tutorial. ****Update**** I realized on a second look that I had mentioned nothing about math....which is probably Freudian in its nature. We do study math. Both use Saxon. Annaleigh is using 8/7 this year, and Harrison started 5/4. Both are FINALLY using the DIVE cds, which is basically instruction on the computer and independent work that I just have to grade. In a nutshell, it gives me an extra 30 or so minutes in my day to drink a second cup of coffee, or fold socks, or clip coupons or whatever. Well, worth the price of the CDs! So, have you shared your educational plan yet on your blog? I'd love to see it! I still have time to change my mind on some things.... |
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