Wanna know a secret?  Planning my curriculum choices is one of my favorite parts of homeschooling!  For others it may be enough to tear their hair out, but I just love looking through catalogs and trying to find just the right fit for our family and individual children. 

Now I haven't always been this way.  When I first started hsing, I wanted a strict regimented system from one company where I could check the boxes so that I could prove to anyone who asked that my kids were learning and "all the bases were being covered".  Eventually, though, I learned that the flexibility was one of the pluses of hsing.  If something is not working, I can toss it out and try something else, something that's not as much of an option in a traditional school setting.:)  Of course, I try NOT to toss out if possible and choose wisely because I do want to be a good steward.  But I'm at the point as I am finishing up my 4th YEAR (Wow!) of hsing where I actually get excited to pick and choose.

So here is what we have planned for the coming year:

All Kids

Konos Volume II Co-Op - I've written before about how wonderful the online co-op has been for us this year.  It has been such a blessing to really learn how to teach from a veteran homeschooling mom and have an online network of other moms who are all teaching their kids the same topic at the same time.  The Volume II Co-Op will include Explorers, Weather, the Revolutionary War and Government/Constitution and, as important if not more important, the character traits of Inquisitveness, Responsibility, Courage and Wisdom. 

Bible Study Guide for All Ages -  We have really enjoyed using this curriculum for our morning devotionals this year (when there wasn't a specific Konos related Bible lesson).  We will just continue with these and I'm excited that within 2 more years we will have gone through the whole Bible as a family.

3rd Grader - 1st off, I have to say that I can't believe she's already going to be a third grader! Where is the time going?

Character Quality Language Arts - This is a new curriculum we have already switched to because she had finished the 2nd grade Learning Language Arts Through Literature in January.   I came across this initially after a review in a homeschooling magazine where this woman said she had created a language arts program using models of all of her favorite Language Arts Programs (which all happened to be curriculum I have been impressed with and was thinking about using) - Learning Language Arts through Literature, IEW and Easy Grammar.  I had really thought I was going to have to piecemeal Language Arts until I found this one.  (As a side she is having a sale through April 30th.  There is also a month of free samples on the website so you can try it before buying it). 

Spelling Power - We have already started using this as well.  I love that I will be able to use it for all my kids and that instead of spelling lists each week with some words she already knows how to spell, she only has to study the words she misspells. 

Making Math Meaningful - We've struggled with this curriculum this year, but dh who is a former High School Math teacher has promised to be more involved with Girl8's math and we are going to try sticking with it - mostly because we haven't found anything that we really like better.

Handwriting without Tears Cursive Success - Girl8 REALLY wanted to learn cursive this year, but fizzled out in her excitement for it.  Right now, we are doing it 2-3 days/week.  We will continue that(maybe up to one more day/week) in the coming year.

2nd Grade

Language Arts - Boy7 has required quite the eclectic Language Arts compilation this year, but has made huge improvements in his reading from a year ago.  I've made the executive decision to hold off on formal grammar or spelling until his reading is just a little more fluent - probably mid-year.

Explode the Code - For a kid who I never thought would be a "workbook" kind of kid, he has really come around this year and is able to do much work independently now, though he prefers mom to be sitting there for moral support and to see what he's doing.

Abeka Readers - Someone in my homeschool group had blessed us with the 1st & 2nd grade readers and they have been a hit.  He likes that they are short stories(1-2 pages) and there are often boys in them - something that annoyed him with some of the other beginning reader books.

Handwriting without Tears Printing Power - Just continuing with this.  His writing has improved this year, but there are still several letters that he forms from bottom to top rather than from top to bottom - probably something only mom would notice:)

Making Math Meaningful -  Boy7 has really done well with this curriculum this year and, and will be very close to the same level as his sister soon(Shh! don't tell her).  Amazing how each one has their strengths and weaknesses!

Kindergarten - This is another one that I can't believe is old enough to be where she's at, but she is more than ready and really enjoys school (could it be because she has the choice each day to do workbooks OR just be read to for her school time and it will change when she hits the age where she HAS to do the work?  We'll find out...)

Explode the Code - She completed the primer series this year and has already started Book 1.

Everything for Early Learning - This is a workbook that covers all the major kindergarten themes including phonics, math, and critical thinking. 

Abeka Readers - She's one reader behind her brother right now, but the silent e/long vowel sounds have started slowing her down a bit.

Making Math Meaningful Level K - I really enjoyed these activities (almost no workbook pages, but learning math concepts through everyday things around your home) with my older two kids and I think she will have fun with them too.

Preschool 2/3 - My 2yo has one of those dreaded September birthdays - what will we do with him - should we start him early or hold him back someday when he is Kindergarten age?  Well, for now, I think we will just stick to reading his favorite books during his "school time" which right now include Green Eggs and Ham and Goodnight moon.  He will also be soaking up information from the other kids' schooltime.  I really think my younger two are going to have the best education of all when it comes down to it! 

There are still a few unknowns that we are praying about right now.  I really want to find a homeschool support group and Independent Study Program in our new area to take care of the record keeping end of things.  I also need to figure out when we might be taking some breaks this summer and when our "new school year" will officially start.  But it is nice to already have everything ordered and have new things to get excited about.   Now I just hope that no shiny catalogs come in the mail...

Blessings!

-J