2013-2014 Curriculum Choices

Wow, I’ve just finished planning our curriculum choices for our upcoming year.   Olivia will be  5th grade and Lindsey will be 3rd grade.   I’ve decided to change our homeschooling schedule to a year around schedule, with a lighter load during the summer months.

Bible:  We’ll be working through Superkid Academy The Heart of a Superkid in the first half of our year.  Once we finish that up, we’ll most likely move on to The Sweet Life.

Math:

We’ll be using Math Mammoth.  Math will be the only area where they will be working on different grade levels.    During the summer months, Olivia will be working on Clock, Money and Early Geometry.  I realized these are for grades 1-3, but the program we have been using has covered VERY LITTLE on these topics and she needs to get up to speed.  Olivia will then move into Grade 5 work after the summer schedule.

To strengthen weak areas, Lindsey will be working through Add & Subtract 3, Measuring 1, and Multiplication 1this summer.  She’ll move into Grade 3 work when she finishes her summer schedule.  

Language Arts:

Both girls will be working through Jr. Analytical Grammar from  Analytical Grammar.  In theory, this is an 11 week curriculum for 4th/5th grades.  Since Lindsey is a bit younger, but quite capable, we will work through the program at a slower pace and focus on mastery of the material.

In addition to Jr. Analytical Grammar, we’ll be using Basics of Diagramming and the Diagramming Extra Practice Sheets from Christian Light Publications.   Olivia will also be working through Research Paper 1.

Spelling:

This one is going to be a big change for us.  We’re going with Webster’s Blue-Backed Spelling Book.  Yes, we’re kicking it old school.  There are 146 spelling lists in this book, so I do not plan on finishing it this year.

History:

I had high hopes of using a particular all inclusive history curriculum this year.  However, after much deliberation I just couldn’t bring myself to spend over $1,200 in the next three years for history.  So I’m writing my own.  Writing may be a stretch, more like “outlining”.  This year we will start with early explorers and work our way through early American history, ending with the Civil War. 

I went through our own stash of books and realized that I had some really great resources already.  We will be working on a wall timeline as well as individual notebooks, including copy work and creative writing assignments.

Our official first day of the 2013-2014 school year will be August 19.

Have you finalized your plans and got a back to school date on the calendar yet?