From Life Take 1:
Gifted Children at Home by Maggie Hogan
Creative Homeschooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families by Lisa Rivero
Support Groups
Homeschool Gifted Yahoo Group -- Maggie Hogan's group for homeschoolers with gifted children. It has a lot of great information and help.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Hoagie's Gifted Children
From Life Take 1:
Hoagies' Gifted Education Page -- This site has a ton of information on it. This is the best place to start if you are wondering whether or not your child is gifted. I still have not been able to go through the whole thing yet. There is that much information. Happy researching!
Hoagies' Gifted Education Page -- This site has a ton of information on it. This is the best place to start if you are wondering whether or not your child is gifted. I still have not been able to go through the whole thing yet. There is that much information. Happy researching!
Parenting Helps
From Life Take 1:
These little ones sure can cause problems!!! It seems like just when I solve one discipline issue another one arrives and I am back to the drawing board trying to figure out a new tactic that will work on their new problem. Shouldn't these guys come with a manual!!?? Well -- I am assuming they forgot to give me mine at the hospital as its missing. Below are some books that others have suggested I try. Hope these help you as well!
Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson
The New Strong Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson
The New Dare to Discipline by Dr. James Dobson
Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel
Seasons of A Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson -- check out other books by this author as well.
Your One Year Old: The Fun-Loving Fussy 12-24 Month Old by Louise Bates Ames
Your Two Year Old: Terrible or Tender by Louise Bates Ames
Your Three Year Old: Friend or Enemy by Louise Bates Ames
Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful by Louise Bates Ames
Your Five Year Old: Sunny and Serene by Louise Bates Ames
Your Six Year Old: Loving and Defiant by Louise Bates Ames
Your Seven Year Old: Life In A Minor Key by Louise Bates Ames
Your Eight Year Old: Lively and Outgoing by Louise Bates Ames
Your Nine Year Old: Thoughtful and Mysterious by Louise Bates Ames
Keeping Our Children's Heart by Steve Maxwell
Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell
These little ones sure can cause problems!!! It seems like just when I solve one discipline issue another one arrives and I am back to the drawing board trying to figure out a new tactic that will work on their new problem. Shouldn't these guys come with a manual!!?? Well -- I am assuming they forgot to give me mine at the hospital as its missing. Below are some books that others have suggested I try. Hope these help you as well!
Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson
The New Strong Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson
The New Dare to Discipline by Dr. James Dobson
Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel
Seasons of A Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson -- check out other books by this author as well.
Your One Year Old: The Fun-Loving Fussy 12-24 Month Old by Louise Bates Ames
Your Two Year Old: Terrible or Tender by Louise Bates Ames
Your Three Year Old: Friend or Enemy by Louise Bates Ames
Your Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful by Louise Bates Ames
Your Five Year Old: Sunny and Serene by Louise Bates Ames
Your Six Year Old: Loving and Defiant by Louise Bates Ames
Your Seven Year Old: Life In A Minor Key by Louise Bates Ames
Your Eight Year Old: Lively and Outgoing by Louise Bates Ames
Your Nine Year Old: Thoughtful and Mysterious by Louise Bates Ames
Keeping Our Children's Heart by Steve Maxwell
Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell
Gifted Children
From Life Take 1:
Parenting children with advanced skills is one of the hardest things I have done. They are constantly challenging and always changing my plans. Just when I think I have a grasp on what they are doing -- they change again. Sometimes they are fast, sometimes they are slow. Sometimes they need more, sometimes they need less. I find myself constantly juggling the needs of each child and of the three of them together. Most days I feel like I am never going to get it right but then there are those days when the clouds part and the sun comes gloriously shining through. BUT! no matter what I wouldn't change the adventures I have shared with my children do to their special needs for anything in the world!
I am sure that those of you reading this -- understand exactly how I feel. These special little ones were crafted from above and I am sure that God sent them down just so he could have a good laugh every now and then, as we race around always trying to catch up or stay ahead of our little ones. Each day they present us with new challenges and Blessings!
A friend of mine asked me to create this page -- dedicated to all those family who like mine are constantly trying to do what is best for our unique little ones. I hope this helps. Once again -- I have been blessed by some many people -- its hard to thank them all for their wise counsel. If you are one of the many -- THANK YOU!
Parenting children with advanced skills is one of the hardest things I have done. They are constantly challenging and always changing my plans. Just when I think I have a grasp on what they are doing -- they change again. Sometimes they are fast, sometimes they are slow. Sometimes they need more, sometimes they need less. I find myself constantly juggling the needs of each child and of the three of them together. Most days I feel like I am never going to get it right but then there are those days when the clouds part and the sun comes gloriously shining through. BUT! no matter what I wouldn't change the adventures I have shared with my children do to their special needs for anything in the world!
I am sure that those of you reading this -- understand exactly how I feel. These special little ones were crafted from above and I am sure that God sent them down just so he could have a good laugh every now and then, as we race around always trying to catch up or stay ahead of our little ones. Each day they present us with new challenges and Blessings!
A friend of mine asked me to create this page -- dedicated to all those family who like mine are constantly trying to do what is best for our unique little ones. I hope this helps. Once again -- I have been blessed by some many people -- its hard to thank them all for their wise counsel. If you are one of the many -- THANK YOU!
Core 2 + History Odyssey + Hands N Hearts
From Life Take 2:
Combing For Core 2:
Activity From Hands And Hearts Middle Ages Kit
History Odyssey Grammar Middle Ages
Sonlight Core 2
Illuminated Manuscripts
Lesson 4
Week 2
Game: Fox & Geese
Lesson 7
Week 3
Game: Nine-Man Marris
Lesson 37
Catapult
Lesson 11
Week 14
Royal Crown
Lesson 12
Week 13
Making Chain Mail
Lesson 13
Week 8
Personal Coat of Arms
Lesson 14
Week 8
Lay Siege To A Castle
Lesson 14
Week 8
Jigsaw Puzzle
Lesson 15
Jester Puppet
Lesson 36
Stained Glass Window
Lesson 17
Week 13
Kings Coins
Lesson 20
Tell Time with a Candle
Lesson 29
Make Candlestick
Lesson 29
Treasure Chests
History Odyssey Grammar Middle Ages
Sonlight Core 2
Knights
Lesson 13
Week 8
Vikings
Lesson 7
Week 3
Leonardo Da Vinci
Lesson 37
Shakespeare
Lesson 42
Combing For Core 2:
Activity From Hands And Hearts Middle Ages Kit
History Odyssey Grammar Middle Ages
Sonlight Core 2
Illuminated Manuscripts
Lesson 4
Week 2
Game: Fox & Geese
Lesson 7
Week 3
Game: Nine-Man Marris
Lesson 37
Catapult
Lesson 11
Week 14
Royal Crown
Lesson 12
Week 13
Making Chain Mail
Lesson 13
Week 8
Personal Coat of Arms
Lesson 14
Week 8
Lay Siege To A Castle
Lesson 14
Week 8
Jigsaw Puzzle
Lesson 15
Jester Puppet
Lesson 36
Stained Glass Window
Lesson 17
Week 13
Kings Coins
Lesson 20
Tell Time with a Candle
Lesson 29
Make Candlestick
Lesson 29
Treasure Chests
History Odyssey Grammar Middle Ages
Sonlight Core 2
Knights
Lesson 13
Week 8
Vikings
Lesson 7
Week 3
Leonardo Da Vinci
Lesson 37
Shakespeare
Lesson 42
Core 2 + Homeschool Odyssey Middle Ages
From Life Take 2:
This is my schedule for the combination of History Odyssey and Sonlight Core 2.
HO Grammar Middle Ages
Core
Core 2
Lesson 1
Wk 36 Dy 2
Lesson 2
Wk 36 Dy 4
Lesson 3
Wk 3 Dy 2
Lesson 4
Wk 2 Dy 1
Lesson 5
Wk 2 Dy 4
Lesson 6
Wk 2 Dy 5
Lesson 7
Wk 3 Dy 4
Lesson 8
Wk 3 Dy 3
Lesson 10
Wk 12 Dy 2
Lesson 11
Wk 14 Dy 5
Lesson 12
Wk 13 Dy 4
Lesson 13
Wk 8 Dy 3
Lesson 14
Wk 8 dy 2
Lesson 17
Wk 13 Dy 2
Lesson 18
Wk 12 Dy 3
Lesson 19
Wk 12 Dy 4
Lesson 23
Wk 13 Dy 5
Lesson 27
Wk 2 Dy 3
Lesson 35
Wk 17 Dy 3
Lesson 37
Wk 18 Dy 3; Wk 14 Dy 3; Wk 15 Dy 4
Lesson 38
Wk 16 Dy 3; Wk 16 Dy 5
Lesson 40
Wk 19 Dy 5
This is my schedule for the combination of History Odyssey and Sonlight Core 2.
HO Grammar Middle Ages
Core
Core 2
Lesson 1
Wk 36 Dy 2
Lesson 2
Wk 36 Dy 4
Lesson 3
Wk 3 Dy 2
Lesson 4
Wk 2 Dy 1
Lesson 5
Wk 2 Dy 4
Lesson 6
Wk 2 Dy 5
Lesson 7
Wk 3 Dy 4
Lesson 8
Wk 3 Dy 3
Lesson 10
Wk 12 Dy 2
Lesson 11
Wk 14 Dy 5
Lesson 12
Wk 13 Dy 4
Lesson 13
Wk 8 Dy 3
Lesson 14
Wk 8 dy 2
Lesson 17
Wk 13 Dy 2
Lesson 18
Wk 12 Dy 3
Lesson 19
Wk 12 Dy 4
Lesson 23
Wk 13 Dy 5
Lesson 27
Wk 2 Dy 3
Lesson 35
Wk 17 Dy 3
Lesson 37
Wk 18 Dy 3; Wk 14 Dy 3; Wk 15 Dy 4
Lesson 38
Wk 16 Dy 3; Wk 16 Dy 5
Lesson 40
Wk 19 Dy 5
Combining Programs
From Life Take 1:
It seems like homeschoolers just can't leave well enough alone! And I am no exception!! We are always tweaking this curriculum or adding that or taking something away in the search for the perfect curriculum. History is no acceptation to this -- in fact! It seems to be worse with history. At least for me!!
Story of the World (SOTW) -- This is an excellent curriculum. Used in Cores 6 and 7 -- so many people add it to Cores 1 and 2. This comes in book format or audiobook. I prefer the audiobook for use with Cores 1 and 2. We listen to it by CD rather than chapter. This is also great for car schooling. There is an activity guide for this that has lists of additional books, map, worksheets, and activities. Activities require prep work and purchasing of supplies in advance. Since I am not very good with either of those things -- we did not use this. I am hoping to though when we get to Cores 6 and 7 -- then Kris can do the prep work for me for his little brothers! : -) There are 4 volumes in this series. Volumes 1 and 2 are used in Core 6, Volumes 3 and 4 are used in Core 7.
Mystery of History (MOH) -- This is a great series!! It does an amazing job of combining biblical and world history. This one also includes activities, maps, and worksheets. It has pre- and post-tests. Requires the child to memorize 6 dates per volume. There will be 5 volumes when this series is complete. I had a really hard time combining this as this comers so much more biblical history than SL does. We ended up doing this as a separate thing. Mainly we are now using it as a family devotional every few weeks. It will take us longer than a year to complete but I think it is still worth the effort. I think this is one that is better off done on its own than combined with something else.
Children's History of the World (CHOW) -- This is a great book for the early years! I have been very pleased with it. It reads like a story. It gives just enough detail for a young child to understand what is happen without giving them to much to overwhelm them. Their have been some complaints about the dates in this book. At this point in time, I am not worried about dates so this has not been a problem for us. We read them and then pretty much ignore they exists. I am more concerned with my son knowing the order of events than the dates at this point in time. In the future I will worry about dates. This is used as the spine for SL Cores 1 and 2.
Hand and Hearts History Kits -- I love these!!! Hands on activities with no prep work or surprise purchases. It even came with crayons and paper towels!! Now this is one thing that will get used around here as it requires nothing of the teacher other than pulling out the box and helping when needed! I hope they come out with even more kits soon!!
History Odyssey -- Is a classical history program but is great for those who want more hands-on stuff for use with SL. It combines CHOW (spine for Cores 1 and 2) with SOTW (spine for Cores 6 and 7). It also adds in activities, audio books, coloring books, a library list, and map work. It has some notebooking involved as well. This was easy to add to SL and provided the hands-on things my son needed. I supplemented their activity book for the hands and hearts kits because their activity guide again required prep and purchasing in advanced.
HO Grammar Middle Ages
Core
Core 2
Lesson 1
Wk 36 Dy 2
Lesson 2
Wk 36 Dy 4
Lesson 3
Wk 3 Dy 2
Lesson 4
Wk 2 Dy 1
Lesson 5
Wk 2 Dy 4
Lesson 6
Wk 2 Dy 5
Lesson 7
Wk 3 Dy 4
Lesson 8
Wk 3 Dy 3
Lesson 10
Wk 12 Dy 2
Lesson 11
Wk 14 Dy 5
Lesson 12
Wk 13 Dy 4
Lesson 13
Wk 8 Dy 3
Lesson 14
Wk 8 dy 2
Lesson 17
Wk 13 Dy 2
Lesson 18
Wk 12 Dy 3
Lesson 19
Wk 12 Dy 4
Lesson 23
Wk 13 Dy 5
Lesson 27
Wk 2 Dy 3
Lesson 35
Wk 17 Dy 3
Lesson 37
Wk 18 Dy 3; Wk 14 Dy 3; Wk 15 Dy 4
Lesson 38
Wk 16 Dy 3; Wk 16 Dy 5
Lesson 40
Wk 19 Dy 5
History Pockets -- These are another easy hands-on thing to add to SL History Program. There are several of these in the series by Evan-Moor some are for younger grades some for older. Mainly these involve coloring, cutting, and gluing. If you have a child who loves to color -- these will be a great addition. If your child hates coloring -- this would be a waste of money.
Veritas Press -- This reminds me of several other programs. They utilize a lot of literature in their programs as well as some hands-on activities - primarily history pockets. I use their catalog as a book list for the library. Getting ideas for more books to add to a particular topic if need be. I did use their cards and tapes at one point. But again -- since I did not schedule it. It never really got used. We played a rummy type game with the cards. Where we tried to collect 5 events in history in a row to win. That was fun and helped my son learn when things better happened. But Veritas Press is more specific than SL is in covering events at a younger age so it was hard to play unless you took out the things we did not cover in depth -- which was a lot! So then we were left with only a few cards. For our family -- this was not a good purchase. If I was just using Veritas Press materials -- I think this would make an excellent learning tool. I still really like Veritas Press and do recommend some of their other products else where on this site.
So what do you do if you do decide to combine programs?
Well ....... there are several schedules available that combine these items. Paula's archives has a few of them. I would start there. Ask around.... several people have created their own. If you are part of the SL Preschool Yahoo Groups ... I believe it was Debra that created a schedule combing MOH, SOTW, and SL.. If you are looking for hands on ideas to combine Cores 1 and 2 with SOTW -- check out the History Odyssey Program. For those of you combining Cores 1 and Core 6 or Core 2 and Core 7. Email SL -- they have a sample schedule for how you can combine these two cores. Of course -- you can always create your own as well. I included my combined schedule for Core 2 and History Odyssey. Enjoy your journey into the past as you find the right program or programs that work best to help you on this adventure!
It seems like homeschoolers just can't leave well enough alone! And I am no exception!! We are always tweaking this curriculum or adding that or taking something away in the search for the perfect curriculum. History is no acceptation to this -- in fact! It seems to be worse with history. At least for me!!
Story of the World (SOTW) -- This is an excellent curriculum. Used in Cores 6 and 7 -- so many people add it to Cores 1 and 2. This comes in book format or audiobook. I prefer the audiobook for use with Cores 1 and 2. We listen to it by CD rather than chapter. This is also great for car schooling. There is an activity guide for this that has lists of additional books, map, worksheets, and activities. Activities require prep work and purchasing of supplies in advance. Since I am not very good with either of those things -- we did not use this. I am hoping to though when we get to Cores 6 and 7 -- then Kris can do the prep work for me for his little brothers! : -) There are 4 volumes in this series. Volumes 1 and 2 are used in Core 6, Volumes 3 and 4 are used in Core 7.
Mystery of History (MOH) -- This is a great series!! It does an amazing job of combining biblical and world history. This one also includes activities, maps, and worksheets. It has pre- and post-tests. Requires the child to memorize 6 dates per volume. There will be 5 volumes when this series is complete. I had a really hard time combining this as this comers so much more biblical history than SL does. We ended up doing this as a separate thing. Mainly we are now using it as a family devotional every few weeks. It will take us longer than a year to complete but I think it is still worth the effort. I think this is one that is better off done on its own than combined with something else.
Children's History of the World (CHOW) -- This is a great book for the early years! I have been very pleased with it. It reads like a story. It gives just enough detail for a young child to understand what is happen without giving them to much to overwhelm them. Their have been some complaints about the dates in this book. At this point in time, I am not worried about dates so this has not been a problem for us. We read them and then pretty much ignore they exists. I am more concerned with my son knowing the order of events than the dates at this point in time. In the future I will worry about dates. This is used as the spine for SL Cores 1 and 2.
Hand and Hearts History Kits -- I love these!!! Hands on activities with no prep work or surprise purchases. It even came with crayons and paper towels!! Now this is one thing that will get used around here as it requires nothing of the teacher other than pulling out the box and helping when needed! I hope they come out with even more kits soon!!
History Odyssey -- Is a classical history program but is great for those who want more hands-on stuff for use with SL. It combines CHOW (spine for Cores 1 and 2) with SOTW (spine for Cores 6 and 7). It also adds in activities, audio books, coloring books, a library list, and map work. It has some notebooking involved as well. This was easy to add to SL and provided the hands-on things my son needed. I supplemented their activity book for the hands and hearts kits because their activity guide again required prep and purchasing in advanced.
HO Grammar Middle Ages
Core
Core 2
Lesson 1
Wk 36 Dy 2
Lesson 2
Wk 36 Dy 4
Lesson 3
Wk 3 Dy 2
Lesson 4
Wk 2 Dy 1
Lesson 5
Wk 2 Dy 4
Lesson 6
Wk 2 Dy 5
Lesson 7
Wk 3 Dy 4
Lesson 8
Wk 3 Dy 3
Lesson 10
Wk 12 Dy 2
Lesson 11
Wk 14 Dy 5
Lesson 12
Wk 13 Dy 4
Lesson 13
Wk 8 Dy 3
Lesson 14
Wk 8 dy 2
Lesson 17
Wk 13 Dy 2
Lesson 18
Wk 12 Dy 3
Lesson 19
Wk 12 Dy 4
Lesson 23
Wk 13 Dy 5
Lesson 27
Wk 2 Dy 3
Lesson 35
Wk 17 Dy 3
Lesson 37
Wk 18 Dy 3; Wk 14 Dy 3; Wk 15 Dy 4
Lesson 38
Wk 16 Dy 3; Wk 16 Dy 5
Lesson 40
Wk 19 Dy 5
History Pockets -- These are another easy hands-on thing to add to SL History Program. There are several of these in the series by Evan-Moor some are for younger grades some for older. Mainly these involve coloring, cutting, and gluing. If you have a child who loves to color -- these will be a great addition. If your child hates coloring -- this would be a waste of money.
Veritas Press -- This reminds me of several other programs. They utilize a lot of literature in their programs as well as some hands-on activities - primarily history pockets. I use their catalog as a book list for the library. Getting ideas for more books to add to a particular topic if need be. I did use their cards and tapes at one point. But again -- since I did not schedule it. It never really got used. We played a rummy type game with the cards. Where we tried to collect 5 events in history in a row to win. That was fun and helped my son learn when things better happened. But Veritas Press is more specific than SL is in covering events at a younger age so it was hard to play unless you took out the things we did not cover in depth -- which was a lot! So then we were left with only a few cards. For our family -- this was not a good purchase. If I was just using Veritas Press materials -- I think this would make an excellent learning tool. I still really like Veritas Press and do recommend some of their other products else where on this site.
So what do you do if you do decide to combine programs?
Well ....... there are several schedules available that combine these items. Paula's archives has a few of them. I would start there. Ask around.... several people have created their own. If you are part of the SL Preschool Yahoo Groups ... I believe it was Debra that created a schedule combing MOH, SOTW, and SL.. If you are looking for hands on ideas to combine Cores 1 and 2 with SOTW -- check out the History Odyssey Program. For those of you combining Cores 1 and Core 6 or Core 2 and Core 7. Email SL -- they have a sample schedule for how you can combine these two cores. Of course -- you can always create your own as well. I included my combined schedule for Core 2 and History Odyssey. Enjoy your journey into the past as you find the right program or programs that work best to help you on this adventure!
Learning Styles:
From Life Take 1:
Both your learning style and that of your child will affect what curriculum you want to use. Here is a short description of each type of style. See if you can find yourself and your child below. Most children before the age of 5 are kinesthetic. After this age, their true learning style is more evident.
Visual
See it
Watch demonstrations
Remembers faces not names
Writes things down/takes notes
Plans, organizes, lists
Doodles
Watches others
Tends to be quiet, short answers
Meticulous Dress
Auditory
Hear it
Needs Verbal Instructions
Remembers names not faces
Memorizes easily
Talks out problems
hums, sings to self
Asks Questions
Long, detailed discussions
Matching Clothes not necessary and can explain why
Kinesthetic
Touch it
Needs Direct Involvement
Tactile Approach
Remembers what did, not what saw or heard
Impulsive
Fidgets
Touches everything
Gestures when speaking
Neatly dressed to begin with but soon becomes wrinkled
Both your learning style and that of your child will affect what curriculum you want to use. Here is a short description of each type of style. See if you can find yourself and your child below. Most children before the age of 5 are kinesthetic. After this age, their true learning style is more evident.
Visual
See it
Watch demonstrations
Remembers faces not names
Writes things down/takes notes
Plans, organizes, lists
Doodles
Watches others
Tends to be quiet, short answers
Meticulous Dress
Auditory
Hear it
Needs Verbal Instructions
Remembers names not faces
Memorizes easily
Talks out problems
hums, sings to self
Asks Questions
Long, detailed discussions
Matching Clothes not necessary and can explain why
Kinesthetic
Touch it
Needs Direct Involvement
Tactile Approach
Remembers what did, not what saw or heard
Impulsive
Fidgets
Touches everything
Gestures when speaking
Neatly dressed to begin with but soon becomes wrinkled
Approaches to homeschooling
From Life Take 1:
Based off of the research I have done, below is an outline of the main approaches used in homeschooling. I hope you find this useful in deciding what is the best way to approach educating your family at home.
Classical
Literature-based Approach
Learn/Study Ancient Languages
Religious Studies (particularly Christian)
3 Stages to a child's education each requiring different levels of mastery or knowledge
grammar: memorization, classification, gain knowledge
dialectic: abstract reasoning, analytical thought
rhetoric: logical thinking, debating, philosophy
4 year cycles
Character and Discipline are essential
Study the Greats of History, Literature, Music, Art
Charlotte Mason
"living books" not twaddle
Copywork/Dictation
Notebooking/Journaling
Narrations
Follow the child's lead; spend lots of time exploring the world around you
Brief instructional periods with lots of time for self-discovery
Study the greats of art, history, literature
No Tests
Curriculum includes: Ambleside
Ruth Beechick
Learning in a natural way
Slightly easy is always better than a challenge
Builds child's confidence in their abilities
Instill Love of Learning is Primary Focus
UnSchooling
Follows the Child's Interest
Later start to formal education
Child learns at their pace
Curriculum is limited; Environment is the curriculum
School At Home
Similar education to what one receives at a local school
Types of include: distant learning, tutoring, CD-Rom based programs, Satellite Programs
Waldrof
Storytelling and Art
Learn Through Imitation
Hands-On Approach
Discovers Self and the World through whole body experiences
Instill Love of Learning in Child is goal
Unit Studies
Great for large families - each child can study the topic at his level
All subjects integrated into one theme
Curriculum includes: Konos, Amanda Bennett, Alta Vista, Heart of Wisdom
Eclectic
Combines one or more methods together
Homeschooling an only child seems to have issues and needs of its own and some even think of this particular challenge as a method in its own right. For more information, please visit Homeschooling an Only.
Based off of the research I have done, below is an outline of the main approaches used in homeschooling. I hope you find this useful in deciding what is the best way to approach educating your family at home.
Classical
Literature-based Approach
Learn/Study Ancient Languages
Religious Studies (particularly Christian)
3 Stages to a child's education each requiring different levels of mastery or knowledge
grammar: memorization, classification, gain knowledge
dialectic: abstract reasoning, analytical thought
rhetoric: logical thinking, debating, philosophy
4 year cycles
Character and Discipline are essential
Study the Greats of History, Literature, Music, Art
Charlotte Mason
"living books" not twaddle
Copywork/Dictation
Notebooking/Journaling
Narrations
Follow the child's lead; spend lots of time exploring the world around you
Brief instructional periods with lots of time for self-discovery
Study the greats of art, history, literature
No Tests
Curriculum includes: Ambleside
Ruth Beechick
Learning in a natural way
Slightly easy is always better than a challenge
Builds child's confidence in their abilities
Instill Love of Learning is Primary Focus
UnSchooling
Follows the Child's Interest
Later start to formal education
Child learns at their pace
Curriculum is limited; Environment is the curriculum
School At Home
Similar education to what one receives at a local school
Types of include: distant learning, tutoring, CD-Rom based programs, Satellite Programs
Waldrof
Storytelling and Art
Learn Through Imitation
Hands-On Approach
Discovers Self and the World through whole body experiences
Instill Love of Learning in Child is goal
Unit Studies
Great for large families - each child can study the topic at his level
All subjects integrated into one theme
Curriculum includes: Konos, Amanda Bennett, Alta Vista, Heart of Wisdom
Eclectic
Combines one or more methods together
Homeschooling an only child seems to have issues and needs of its own and some even think of this particular challenge as a method in its own right. For more information, please visit Homeschooling an Only.
New To Homeschooling
From Life Take 1:
My Journey
Each of us has our own special story of how we became a homeschool family. I, too, have a story to share with you.
Prior to our wedding, my husband and I took a six-month counseling session as required by our church to get married. During one of those sessions, education our future children was brought up. My soon-to-be husband said he wanted his children homeschooled. His sister homeschools, how hard could it be? So I agreed. I thought homeschooling was when the public school sent all the work to be done, you did it with your child and then sent it back to them. We would do this back and forth. Simple enough! Right? Wrong -- I had no clue what homeschooling was!
A Definition
Homeschooling -- I tried looking it up in my dictionary to no avail. So here is my definition. It is the formal education of ones own children at home rather than in a school with materials they have selected at a pace determined by the parent.
Who Homeschools?
I have been privileged to know a wide variety of people who homeschool Those who live in the city, in the country, on farms, and around the globe. People of all different races and religions. Some have learning disabilities and learning challenges. Some come from traditional families and some not so traditional. Most of the time the mom is the primary teacher but sometimes it is the dad. There are an estimated 1.6 - 2 million homeschool families in America and the numbers continue to rise. I have yet to meet another homeschool family exactly like mine. They are all unique and different.
Why do people homeschool?
This is a harder question -- one that everyone has a different answer to. Just as we are all unique in where we live and who we are. There are a few major reasons why but most homeschool families have more than one reason why they homeschool.
Religious Reasons
To provide a better education than the local schools can provide
To meet the needs and interests of the individual child
To better serve a child with special learning requirements whether that be a gifted child, a medically-challenged child, or one with a learning disability
Safety Issues
Flexibility
Is it legal?
Yes, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states and many other countries as well. To find out what the laws are in your state, order the free guide from HSLDA entitled "You Can Homeschool." With it you will receive information on how to get started and what the laws are for your state. Each state has different laws.
How To Get Started
This was one of my biggest challenges. Where to begin. If you go to my Other Curriculum page, you will find a long list of publishers that sell curriculum and other materials to homeschoolers. When I first began, I ordered every free catalog that related to homeschool as I could find. This is not an exhaustive list by any means but it will get you started. When you receive the catalog, read through it. Do you like the style? Why or why not? You will be amazed at all that you can learn just from these. You will also be surprised at just how many options you do have.
I suggested earlier that you get the publication from HSLDA. Make sure you do this, it will help you a lot!
Next, start researching. The catalogs will give you an idea of what you prefer. Textbooks or living books? Workbooks or Notebooks? Unit Studies? Religious or Secular? Once you start to answer these questions, you can find books that relate closely to your style.
In the beginning, you will need to find curriculum that fits your style. Later on, you can adapt those materials to fit the styles of your children. As you homeschool, your style of educating your child will mature. I thought I had a very good grasp on my style from the beginning but I have since found that the longer that I homeschool the more my style changes into something as unique as my family.
Don't go out and buy curriculum right away. See if your local library has what you are looking for or try to borrow it from another homeschool family. Test it, see if you really like. If you can, the best thing to do is to go to a homeschool convention where you can have the chance to see the materials up close and personal.
Above all -- remember this one thing! Each family and each child is different. There is no right or wrong way to homeschool just different options. Don't compare your child's success and failures to anyone but themselves.
This is doable -- it just takes time, dedication, patience, and prayer!
My Journey
Each of us has our own special story of how we became a homeschool family. I, too, have a story to share with you.
Prior to our wedding, my husband and I took a six-month counseling session as required by our church to get married. During one of those sessions, education our future children was brought up. My soon-to-be husband said he wanted his children homeschooled. His sister homeschools, how hard could it be? So I agreed. I thought homeschooling was when the public school sent all the work to be done, you did it with your child and then sent it back to them. We would do this back and forth. Simple enough! Right? Wrong -- I had no clue what homeschooling was!
A Definition
Homeschooling -- I tried looking it up in my dictionary to no avail. So here is my definition. It is the formal education of ones own children at home rather than in a school with materials they have selected at a pace determined by the parent.
Who Homeschools?
I have been privileged to know a wide variety of people who homeschool Those who live in the city, in the country, on farms, and around the globe. People of all different races and religions. Some have learning disabilities and learning challenges. Some come from traditional families and some not so traditional. Most of the time the mom is the primary teacher but sometimes it is the dad. There are an estimated 1.6 - 2 million homeschool families in America and the numbers continue to rise. I have yet to meet another homeschool family exactly like mine. They are all unique and different.
Why do people homeschool?
This is a harder question -- one that everyone has a different answer to. Just as we are all unique in where we live and who we are. There are a few major reasons why but most homeschool families have more than one reason why they homeschool.
Religious Reasons
To provide a better education than the local schools can provide
To meet the needs and interests of the individual child
To better serve a child with special learning requirements whether that be a gifted child, a medically-challenged child, or one with a learning disability
Safety Issues
Flexibility
Is it legal?
Yes, homeschooling is legal in all 50 states and many other countries as well. To find out what the laws are in your state, order the free guide from HSLDA entitled "You Can Homeschool." With it you will receive information on how to get started and what the laws are for your state. Each state has different laws.
How To Get Started
This was one of my biggest challenges. Where to begin. If you go to my Other Curriculum page, you will find a long list of publishers that sell curriculum and other materials to homeschoolers. When I first began, I ordered every free catalog that related to homeschool as I could find. This is not an exhaustive list by any means but it will get you started. When you receive the catalog, read through it. Do you like the style? Why or why not? You will be amazed at all that you can learn just from these. You will also be surprised at just how many options you do have.
I suggested earlier that you get the publication from HSLDA. Make sure you do this, it will help you a lot!
Next, start researching. The catalogs will give you an idea of what you prefer. Textbooks or living books? Workbooks or Notebooks? Unit Studies? Religious or Secular? Once you start to answer these questions, you can find books that relate closely to your style.
In the beginning, you will need to find curriculum that fits your style. Later on, you can adapt those materials to fit the styles of your children. As you homeschool, your style of educating your child will mature. I thought I had a very good grasp on my style from the beginning but I have since found that the longer that I homeschool the more my style changes into something as unique as my family.
Don't go out and buy curriculum right away. See if your local library has what you are looking for or try to borrow it from another homeschool family. Test it, see if you really like. If you can, the best thing to do is to go to a homeschool convention where you can have the chance to see the materials up close and personal.
Above all -- remember this one thing! Each family and each child is different. There is no right or wrong way to homeschool just different options. Don't compare your child's success and failures to anyone but themselves.
This is doable -- it just takes time, dedication, patience, and prayer!
Core 3
From Life Take 1:
We are just now getting ready to start core 2. More information to come on Core 3 in the next year or so.
Core 3
3 Advanced Readers
Science 3
Lyrical Life Science Vol. 1 & 2 I really like the look of this program. My kids love learning things through music. If we have success with this program this year I plan on following up next year with Lyrical Life Science Vol 3 and Lyrical Earth Science.
Trail Guide to US Geography and Notebooking CD
Come look With Me: Early American Art
Come look With Me: Native American Art
SOTW Volume 3
Usborne Books
Here is the list of Sonlight Usborne Books for Core 3 and Science 3.
Mysteries and Marvels of Nature
Usborne Science Encyclopedia
Supplementing Ideas:
Maptangle -- US version (they also have a world version available)
Sea to Shining Sea: Stories From America
Cooking Up U.S. History
The Harp and Laurel Wreath (Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum) Has great Poetry readings from Early America.
Our Country's Founders
We Were There, Too! 67 stories of children in early America. Some recognizable some not but provides a lot of detail on life back them. This is a great addition!
We are just now getting ready to start core 2. More information to come on Core 3 in the next year or so.
Core 3
3 Advanced Readers
Science 3
Lyrical Life Science Vol. 1 & 2 I really like the look of this program. My kids love learning things through music. If we have success with this program this year I plan on following up next year with Lyrical Life Science Vol 3 and Lyrical Earth Science.
Trail Guide to US Geography and Notebooking CD
Come look With Me: Early American Art
Come look With Me: Native American Art
SOTW Volume 3
Usborne Books
Here is the list of Sonlight Usborne Books for Core 3 and Science 3.
Mysteries and Marvels of Nature
Usborne Science Encyclopedia
Supplementing Ideas:
Maptangle -- US version (they also have a world version available)
Sea to Shining Sea: Stories From America
Cooking Up U.S. History
The Harp and Laurel Wreath (Poetry and Dictation for the Classical Curriculum) Has great Poetry readings from Early America.
Our Country's Founders
We Were There, Too! 67 stories of children in early America. Some recognizable some not but provides a lot of detail on life back them. This is a great addition!
Hands-On Ideas from Core 2
From Life Take 1:
The Great Dinosaur Mystery and The Bible
In AZ, visit the Repirian Preserve and participate in their dino dig event.
Audio-Memory Geography Songs
Owl and Mouse
Enchanted Learning
Web Geography For Kids
Discovery School
Geography Games
National Geographic Online
Another Geography Games
Outline Maps
Red Sails To Capri
Create a picture of the Blue Grotto. Use crayons, markers, paints ... whatever you wish but make sure you use only various shades of blue to create your art work.
Draw a map/picture of Capri. What do you think it looks like based off of what you read?
Eric the Red & Leif the Lucky
Leif the Lucky
Vikings
The Vikings
Links
Kids Research Center: Vikings
History for Kids: Vikings
A Viking Childhood
Vikings
Vikings
Explorer's News
Social Studies for kids: Explorers
Kids Konnect: Explorers
Kid Explorers
Explorers
Good Queen Bess
Queen Elizabeth I
Michelangelo
Web Gallery of Art: Michelangelo
WebMuseum: Michelangelo
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Michelangelo Sistine Chapel Jigsaw
Michelangelo Word Search
Michelangelo's David Scramble
Renaissance Artists Word Search
Social Studies for kids: Michelangelo
Leonardo Di Vinci
Leonardo di Vinci for kids
The Inventor
da Vinci's Inventions
Exploring Leonardo
Vinci: The Leonardo Museum
WebMuseum: Leonardo
Art for Kids: da Vinci
Why is Mona Lisa Smiling?
Leonardo da Vinci
Castles and Knights
Castles and Knights
Shields knights and heraldry
The Middle Ages for kids
Castles on the web
Medieval Knights
Maps and Globes
MapMan Game The Aesop for Children
Librivox -- Listen to the stories on you i-pod or mp3 player. They also have lots of other things available to listen to as well. Bookmark this site -- its great!!
The Great Dinosaur Mystery and The Bible
In AZ, visit the Repirian Preserve and participate in their dino dig event.
Audio-Memory Geography Songs
Owl and Mouse
Enchanted Learning
Web Geography For Kids
Discovery School
Geography Games
National Geographic Online
Another Geography Games
Outline Maps
Red Sails To Capri
Create a picture of the Blue Grotto. Use crayons, markers, paints ... whatever you wish but make sure you use only various shades of blue to create your art work.
Draw a map/picture of Capri. What do you think it looks like based off of what you read?
Eric the Red & Leif the Lucky
Leif the Lucky
Vikings
The Vikings
Links
Kids Research Center: Vikings
History for Kids: Vikings
A Viking Childhood
Vikings
Vikings
Explorer's News
Social Studies for kids: Explorers
Kids Konnect: Explorers
Kid Explorers
Explorers
Good Queen Bess
Queen Elizabeth I
Michelangelo
Web Gallery of Art: Michelangelo
WebMuseum: Michelangelo
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Michelangelo Sistine Chapel Jigsaw
Michelangelo Word Search
Michelangelo's David Scramble
Renaissance Artists Word Search
Social Studies for kids: Michelangelo
Leonardo Di Vinci
Leonardo di Vinci for kids
The Inventor
da Vinci's Inventions
Exploring Leonardo
Vinci: The Leonardo Museum
WebMuseum: Leonardo
Art for Kids: da Vinci
Why is Mona Lisa Smiling?
Leonardo da Vinci
Castles and Knights
Castles and Knights
Shields knights and heraldry
The Middle Ages for kids
Castles on the web
Medieval Knights
Maps and Globes
MapMan Game The Aesop for Children
Librivox -- Listen to the stories on you i-pod or mp3 player. They also have lots of other things available to listen to as well. Bookmark this site -- its great!!
Core 2
From Life Take 1:
2006-2007: My oldest son is moving right along through the cores at a pace of one per year despite the fact that he is a year younger than the SL recommended age. He loves learning and while it is true that he would get more out of it if he were older, I am still satisfied with what he is retaining. We all get more out of something if we come back to it with a little more wisdom and experience in out lives. That's why I continue to learn from the cores as well.
The boys have been anticipating this core for about 3 months now. They are fascinated with knights and castles at the moment. They can't wait to learn more about them.
Each year, I ask my children what they want to learn or what improvements I can make to their learning experience. This year the request was for more hands-on things to do. I am trying to make their wish come true and have added quite a bit of hands-on things.
Core 2
Readers 2 Intermediate I was surprised to see that this level still contained some level readers. SL tends to schedule these books with light reading and then a longer chapter book and then back to lighter leveled readers throughout the year.
Readers 2 Advanced
Sonlight Science 2 I love SL science but some people may have problems with the dinosaur book SL includes with this level. Pre-read it and decide for yourself whether or not this is a good fit for your family.
Classical Writing - Aesop A We are really enjoying this LA program. It is exactly what our family needed. We made 1 slight change though to better fit my sons needed for not a lot of handwriting in one day. Instead of doing the entire writing project on Friday. We space it out over the week. Monday we do the outline, Tuesday the rough draft, Wednesday we edit, and Friday my son types up his final draft and creates a picture to go along with the Fable. This is working great for us!
Classical Writing - Poetry for Beginners A This was originally recommended to be the second semester to Aesop A. The recommendations for this have recently changed and it has been moved to a second semester with Homer. I have not yet decided what to do with this.
Math-U-See Alpha, Beta, and Gamma? We have tried a ton of math stuff over the year. Please see school subjects for more information on why we choose this for this year. Alpha and Beta are both a review for my son and I am expecting each to take him around 1-2 months to complete.
Primary Grade Math Challenge I love this book! This is a great critical thinking math book and I highly recommend that everyone purchase this no matter what program you are using. It is fun for the kids and challenges them in a way I have seen no other book do. There is a follow-up book to this for older children.
The Story of the Orchestra Well... I am finally getting around to this. About time, right? :-) Debra has a great schedule for this. I will have to see if she will let me share it with all of you are not. If not -- you will have to ask her for it.
Art With A Purpose I found this last year at Rainbow Resource Center for about $5. It is a cheap easy to use art program. You need 2 packets. one to create samples for your child and one for your child. This teaches all the basics of art that I never thought of teaching. It also introduces art terminology. We will be using level 2 this year.
Color the Classics - Composers II There is 1 more book in this series that I am hoping to add to our year and then we have completed this series. I really like it a lot! We will also be finishing up the Christmas one from last year.
Prima Latina The DVD is instrumental for my family in using this program despite the fact that the teacher has a Southern Drawl. So far we are not finding the CD so helpful but that may change as the year goes on. Not all the vocabulary words are included with the flash cards. Teachers manual for this level is optional.
Signing Time I have recommended this several times already but just in case you haven't heard yet. BUY IT!! I love this program for teaching young children American Sign Language. They have a series to teach infants as well. There are free lesson plans and worksheets to use on their website. As well as activities. They are coming out with more and more videos all the time and now it is on PBS as well.
The Amazing Pop-Up Geography Book This is a great book! But for an older child who can be very careful as there are lots of flaps, strings, things to spin, pull, push and more in addition to the pop-ups. This is a really fun book to look at geography. Not sure how educational it is but lots of fun!
Computer Basics This book teaches basic computer terminology and parts. A great introduction to the computer. We will be studying more about computers in the future.
The Kids Guide to First Aid This is great! A simple book that teaches kids the basics from what is an emergency to have to clean a scrap. Includes some hands-on activities as well.
Life Skills for Kids This is one book that I wish I had purchased when my kids were still PK age. Well --2 of them still are but I wish I had it when the oldest was in PK. It has a lot of tips on how to help your children to grow up to be independent in a variety of different ways. Includes suggestions for chores for toddlers.
History Odyssey - Grammar Stage Middle Ages This is a history program that combines CHOW and SOTW along with some hands-on things. Since if it is not in a schedule then it probably won't get done -- I needed this for all the things I plan on using this upcoming year.
Equate A math version of scrabble. We spend a week using this as a review during our math time prior to moving up to the next level book.
Scrabble Junior We are using the junior version with my three year old to teach blending, recognize letters, etc. It is an interesting game we made up. My older one does spelling with this. He could use the regular version but alas -- I went with this to combine them.
Ant Farm We ordered our ants with the coupon we got from Insectlore but never received our ants and we have been waiting for 2 months now. I emailed the company and I got the ants within 3 days of my email. About half died within the first day, the rest died within 4 days. In other words -- our ant far was a big flop!
I Dig Dinosaurs This is so much fun! We got the t-rex version. It took us about 3 nights to un-dig all the bones. Another night to put it together and paint it. I used several books about archeology with this and we recorded our findings using a grid sheet. Guessed how we might put it together and what our dinosaur might look like. We used this along with the first 2 weeks of Science 2 when we were learning about dinosaurs. We ran out of paint. It you are planning on painting your model only 1 color - you will need to buy more.
Hands and Hearts History Kit - Middle Ages Love this, love this, love this! I only wished I had used it last year when so many people on the SL forums recommended it. It is worth the money I spent and more!
and.............
Usborne Books
Here is the list of Sonlight Usborne Books for Core 2 and Science 2.
Usborne Living World Encyclopedia
The Usborne Book of Knowledge
Science Activities, Volume 3
Time Traveler
Usborne Book of World History
Teacher Resources I used for the year are:
These are the books that I purchased for me this year. To help me learn more about homeschooling and to become a better teacher.
When They Rise Up
Generation Joshua
Life Skills For Kids
What Your Third Grader Needs To Know
The Latin Centered Curriculum
Other Supplements:
100 Things to Know about Knights and Castles We got this from the library as an introduction to our new core book. It was great! It has a good overview of the middle ages, quizzes about things covered, and some simple activities to do.
Usborne Supplements:
You can purchase these from you local consultant, retailer, or me!
The Great Castle Search Along the lines of an I spy book. Not a lot of learning is going on but it is fun for the kids and sometimes you just need some fun! The Great History Search Along the lines of an I spy book. Not a lot of learning is going on but it is fun for the kids and sometimes you just need some fun!
Uncle Pete the Pirate (Young Puzzle Adventures)
Uncle Pete's Pirate Adventure (Young Puzzle Adventures)
First Encyclopedia of History (IL)
1001 Things to Spot Long Ago Along the lines of an I spy book. Not a lot of learning is going on but it is fun for the kids and sometimes you just need some fun!
Puzzle Journey Through Time This is a fun book to do but not much learning is happening.
Puzzle Castle This is a fun book to do but not much learning is happening.
Puzzle Dungeon This is a fun book to do but not much learning is happening.
The Usborne Castle Jigsaw Book This is a great book for those who love puzzles!!
Castle of Intrigue Stories of Pirates
Treasure Island (Young Reading CD Packs) My boys love listening to things on CD and these stories are no exception. I tortured my oldest son (according to him) by making him read the book before listening to the CD. : -) The much rather just picture it in their heads without the book.
Gulliver's Travels (Young Reading CD Packs) My boys love listening to things on CD and these stories are no exception. I tortured my oldest son (according to him) by making him read the book before listening to the CD. : -) The much rather just picture it in their heads without the book.
Knights (Young Reading CD Packs) My boys love listening to things on CD and these stories are no exception. I tortured my oldest son (according to him) by making him read the book before listening to the CD. : -) The much rather just picture it in their heads without the book.
Pirates (Young Reading CD Packs) My boys love listening to things on CD and these stories are no exception. I tortured my oldest son (according to him) by making him read the book before listening to the CD. : -) The much rather just picture it in their heads without the book.
The Adventures of Sinbad the Sailor (Young Readers 1)
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Young Readers 1)
Stories of Knights (Young Readers 1)
See Inside Castles This one comes highly recommended from several people I know. If you want to buy a book about castles -- this is the one to get! This is one of the books on my wish list as well.
Aladdin and his Magical Lamp (Young Readers 1)
True Stories of Pirates better for Core 7
Stories of Pirates (Young Readers 1)
The Story of Castles (Young Readers 2)
The Story of Ships (Young Readers 2)
Tales of King Arthur (Young Readers 2)
Treasure Island (Young Readers 2)
Robinson Crusoe (Young Readers 2)
Gulliver's Travels (Young Readers 2)
Make this Model Trojan Horse
Make this Model Medieval Castle
Stories from Shakespeare
King Arthur
King Arthur's Knight Quest
Tales of Robin Hood
Tales of King Arthur (Paperback Classics)
Elizabeth 1 (Beginners)
Castles (Beginners)
Knights (Beginners)
Knights (IL) (Discovery)
Who Were the Vikings?
What were Castles For?
Alexander the Great (Famous lives)
Florence Nightgale (Famous Lives)
Victorians
Viking World
Castles (IL)
Knight's Handbook
Explorers (Famous lives)
2006-2007: My oldest son is moving right along through the cores at a pace of one per year despite the fact that he is a year younger than the SL recommended age. He loves learning and while it is true that he would get more out of it if he were older, I am still satisfied with what he is retaining. We all get more out of something if we come back to it with a little more wisdom and experience in out lives. That's why I continue to learn from the cores as well.
The boys have been anticipating this core for about 3 months now. They are fascinated with knights and castles at the moment. They can't wait to learn more about them.
Each year, I ask my children what they want to learn or what improvements I can make to their learning experience. This year the request was for more hands-on things to do. I am trying to make their wish come true and have added quite a bit of hands-on things.
Core 2
Readers 2 Intermediate I was surprised to see that this level still contained some level readers. SL tends to schedule these books with light reading and then a longer chapter book and then back to lighter leveled readers throughout the year.
Readers 2 Advanced
Sonlight Science 2 I love SL science but some people may have problems with the dinosaur book SL includes with this level. Pre-read it and decide for yourself whether or not this is a good fit for your family.
Classical Writing - Aesop A We are really enjoying this LA program. It is exactly what our family needed. We made 1 slight change though to better fit my sons needed for not a lot of handwriting in one day. Instead of doing the entire writing project on Friday. We space it out over the week. Monday we do the outline, Tuesday the rough draft, Wednesday we edit, and Friday my son types up his final draft and creates a picture to go along with the Fable. This is working great for us!
Classical Writing - Poetry for Beginners A This was originally recommended to be the second semester to Aesop A. The recommendations for this have recently changed and it has been moved to a second semester with Homer. I have not yet decided what to do with this.
Math-U-See Alpha, Beta, and Gamma? We have tried a ton of math stuff over the year. Please see school subjects for more information on why we choose this for this year. Alpha and Beta are both a review for my son and I am expecting each to take him around 1-2 months to complete.
Primary Grade Math Challenge I love this book! This is a great critical thinking math book and I highly recommend that everyone purchase this no matter what program you are using. It is fun for the kids and challenges them in a way I have seen no other book do. There is a follow-up book to this for older children.
The Story of the Orchestra Well... I am finally getting around to this. About time, right? :-) Debra has a great schedule for this. I will have to see if she will let me share it with all of you are not. If not -- you will have to ask her for it.
Art With A Purpose I found this last year at Rainbow Resource Center for about $5. It is a cheap easy to use art program. You need 2 packets. one to create samples for your child and one for your child. This teaches all the basics of art that I never thought of teaching. It also introduces art terminology. We will be using level 2 this year.
Color the Classics - Composers II There is 1 more book in this series that I am hoping to add to our year and then we have completed this series. I really like it a lot! We will also be finishing up the Christmas one from last year.
Prima Latina The DVD is instrumental for my family in using this program despite the fact that the teacher has a Southern Drawl. So far we are not finding the CD so helpful but that may change as the year goes on. Not all the vocabulary words are included with the flash cards. Teachers manual for this level is optional.
Signing Time I have recommended this several times already but just in case you haven't heard yet. BUY IT!! I love this program for teaching young children American Sign Language. They have a series to teach infants as well. There are free lesson plans and worksheets to use on their website. As well as activities. They are coming out with more and more videos all the time and now it is on PBS as well.
The Amazing Pop-Up Geography Book This is a great book! But for an older child who can be very careful as there are lots of flaps, strings, things to spin, pull, push and more in addition to the pop-ups. This is a really fun book to look at geography. Not sure how educational it is but lots of fun!
Computer Basics This book teaches basic computer terminology and parts. A great introduction to the computer. We will be studying more about computers in the future.
The Kids Guide to First Aid This is great! A simple book that teaches kids the basics from what is an emergency to have to clean a scrap. Includes some hands-on activities as well.
Life Skills for Kids This is one book that I wish I had purchased when my kids were still PK age. Well --2 of them still are but I wish I had it when the oldest was in PK. It has a lot of tips on how to help your children to grow up to be independent in a variety of different ways. Includes suggestions for chores for toddlers.
History Odyssey - Grammar Stage Middle Ages This is a history program that combines CHOW and SOTW along with some hands-on things. Since if it is not in a schedule then it probably won't get done -- I needed this for all the things I plan on using this upcoming year.
Equate A math version of scrabble. We spend a week using this as a review during our math time prior to moving up to the next level book.
Scrabble Junior We are using the junior version with my three year old to teach blending, recognize letters, etc. It is an interesting game we made up. My older one does spelling with this. He could use the regular version but alas -- I went with this to combine them.
Ant Farm We ordered our ants with the coupon we got from Insectlore but never received our ants and we have been waiting for 2 months now. I emailed the company and I got the ants within 3 days of my email. About half died within the first day, the rest died within 4 days. In other words -- our ant far was a big flop!
I Dig Dinosaurs This is so much fun! We got the t-rex version. It took us about 3 nights to un-dig all the bones. Another night to put it together and paint it. I used several books about archeology with this and we recorded our findings using a grid sheet. Guessed how we might put it together and what our dinosaur might look like. We used this along with the first 2 weeks of Science 2 when we were learning about dinosaurs. We ran out of paint. It you are planning on painting your model only 1 color - you will need to buy more.
Hands and Hearts History Kit - Middle Ages Love this, love this, love this! I only wished I had used it last year when so many people on the SL forums recommended it. It is worth the money I spent and more!
and.............
Usborne Books
Here is the list of Sonlight Usborne Books for Core 2 and Science 2.
Usborne Living World Encyclopedia
The Usborne Book of Knowledge
Science Activities, Volume 3
Time Traveler
Usborne Book of World History
Teacher Resources I used for the year are:
These are the books that I purchased for me this year. To help me learn more about homeschooling and to become a better teacher.
When They Rise Up
Generation Joshua
Life Skills For Kids
What Your Third Grader Needs To Know
The Latin Centered Curriculum
Other Supplements:
100 Things to Know about Knights and Castles We got this from the library as an introduction to our new core book. It was great! It has a good overview of the middle ages, quizzes about things covered, and some simple activities to do.
Usborne Supplements:
You can purchase these from you local consultant, retailer, or me!
The Great Castle Search Along the lines of an I spy book. Not a lot of learning is going on but it is fun for the kids and sometimes you just need some fun! The Great History Search Along the lines of an I spy book. Not a lot of learning is going on but it is fun for the kids and sometimes you just need some fun!
Uncle Pete the Pirate (Young Puzzle Adventures)
Uncle Pete's Pirate Adventure (Young Puzzle Adventures)
First Encyclopedia of History (IL)
1001 Things to Spot Long Ago Along the lines of an I spy book. Not a lot of learning is going on but it is fun for the kids and sometimes you just need some fun!
Puzzle Journey Through Time This is a fun book to do but not much learning is happening.
Puzzle Castle This is a fun book to do but not much learning is happening.
Puzzle Dungeon This is a fun book to do but not much learning is happening.
The Usborne Castle Jigsaw Book This is a great book for those who love puzzles!!
Castle of Intrigue Stories of Pirates
Treasure Island (Young Reading CD Packs) My boys love listening to things on CD and these stories are no exception. I tortured my oldest son (according to him) by making him read the book before listening to the CD. : -) The much rather just picture it in their heads without the book.
Gulliver's Travels (Young Reading CD Packs) My boys love listening to things on CD and these stories are no exception. I tortured my oldest son (according to him) by making him read the book before listening to the CD. : -) The much rather just picture it in their heads without the book.
Knights (Young Reading CD Packs) My boys love listening to things on CD and these stories are no exception. I tortured my oldest son (according to him) by making him read the book before listening to the CD. : -) The much rather just picture it in their heads without the book.
Pirates (Young Reading CD Packs) My boys love listening to things on CD and these stories are no exception. I tortured my oldest son (according to him) by making him read the book before listening to the CD. : -) The much rather just picture it in their heads without the book.
The Adventures of Sinbad the Sailor (Young Readers 1)
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Young Readers 1)
Stories of Knights (Young Readers 1)
See Inside Castles This one comes highly recommended from several people I know. If you want to buy a book about castles -- this is the one to get! This is one of the books on my wish list as well.
Aladdin and his Magical Lamp (Young Readers 1)
True Stories of Pirates better for Core 7
Stories of Pirates (Young Readers 1)
The Story of Castles (Young Readers 2)
The Story of Ships (Young Readers 2)
Tales of King Arthur (Young Readers 2)
Treasure Island (Young Readers 2)
Robinson Crusoe (Young Readers 2)
Gulliver's Travels (Young Readers 2)
Make this Model Trojan Horse
Make this Model Medieval Castle
Stories from Shakespeare
King Arthur
King Arthur's Knight Quest
Tales of Robin Hood
Tales of King Arthur (Paperback Classics)
Elizabeth 1 (Beginners)
Castles (Beginners)
Knights (Beginners)
Knights (IL) (Discovery)
Who Were the Vikings?
What were Castles For?
Alexander the Great (Famous lives)
Florence Nightgale (Famous Lives)
Victorians
Viking World
Castles (IL)
Knight's Handbook
Explorers (Famous lives)
Friday, July 9, 2010
Ray's Arithmetic
So.... it's that time of year again for curriculum planning. Thanks to the every growing wealth of knowledge from my friends and fellow homeschoolers... another gem has been found!
I am leaning more and more toward a classical education (which I have been for years). I love the idea of living books but I am still textbook oriented and I have always believed that education long ago was truly an education. Not the washed-out version that is currently offered by our school systems.
This looks to be an excellent combination... you can get all of the books on CD for $60 or $100 for all the books. It not based on grade levels and goes through calculus. This would be a great fit for my guys! I think we might have found our math curriculum for the year.
For Information:
http://www.mottmedia.com/pages/publications.asp?Pub=rays
http://www.dollarhomeschool.com/raysarithmetic/
For Sample:
http://books.google.com/books?id=eopZHDoOTMMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ray's+arithmetic&source=bl&ots=iLLX6HWqa1&sig=AOkbnxz0k8MA-dUVQTUBxW3ct9k&hl=en&ei=Lsk3TKHPMIW-sQP3gv1R&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CCwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
US History
Hi all,
I found this great link while searching for a copy of the Declaration of Independence. It is completely free and so far I like the materials. Then again we have only read the introduction. It talks about using stories as a basis for studying history just like Sonlight and we have been doing for years.
http://www.ushistory.org/
Please post your review of thus site in the comments section for other readers. Thanks!
- Posted from my iPhone
I found this great link while searching for a copy of the Declaration of Independence. It is completely free and so far I like the materials. Then again we have only read the introduction. It talks about using stories as a basis for studying history just like Sonlight and we have been doing for years.
http://www.ushistory.org/
Please post your review of thus site in the comments section for other readers. Thanks!
- Posted from my iPhone
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