Our 2014-15 Curriculum Kindergarten, 3rd, and 5th Grades

Over the last couple of weeks, I have had several homeschooling moms ask me about my curriculum for this year. Although I understand the school season is beginning, I admit my deeply intellectual response resembled, “Ummmm…..I dunno yet!”

I’m not sure what happened this summer, but there must have been a rift in the space-time continuum because it’s really mid-July and not September, right?!? Can anyone else relate?

As the yellow bus began chugging through our neighborhood last week, we were busy completing and delivering fair projects. Our local county fair has proven to be a great location for homeschooling students to showcase their crafts and projects. With the littles entering both crafts and baked goods, it seemed only logical to wait a week to formally begin school. Baking does, technically count as math though…..just saying!!

Although I’m sure you’re at the edge of your seat to learn about our fair projects, I’ll have to later share our amazing (spoiler alert) blue ribbon crafts, and how we made them.

We began school this week!!! Monday was our first day, and we trudged through an academically laborious day at the fair. Oh fine, we had fun!! We saw friends, checked out the judging on our crafts and baked goods and those of our friends, strolled through the animal barns, scrunched our noses at the overly fresh smells in the cow barn, stuffed ourselves on fair food, and overall had a giggly grand time!!! In our defense, there are a ton of educational displays, and we enjoyed reading them. We even asked questions of the attending livestock owners. I know, I know, crazy inquisitive unsocialized homeschool kids! Little Bear even wore the t-shirt!!

Tuesday marked our first day of classroom time. Outside of officially moving up in grade, there was an overall lack of excitement. With a bit of prompting I learned the littles were upset at not yet having a “box day.” You know, the day when new books arrive for them to peruse through.

Between assigning a budget and my personal ambiguity on curriculum decisions, I had only just ordered new books. I was able to pacify the littles with a quick explanation of our curriculum plan.

Little Bear is very excited to begin Kindergarten and will start the year with:
Rod & Staff preschool/kinder workbooks
Math U See primer
Handwriting Without Tears kindergarten
Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons
Apologia Science Zoology 3 Land Animals
Awana Club Sparky

Magoo begins 3rd grade with:
Completing Math U See alpha and adding Life of Fred
Handwriting Without Tears 3rd grade beginning cursive
Sequential Spelling
Apologia Science Zoology 3
Read aloud – moms book list
Keyboarding – Typing Instructor
Awana club T&T
Beginning Tennis

Columbo begins 5th grade with:
Completing Math U See Gamma and adding Life of Fred
Handwriting Without Tears cursive
Completing A Reason For Spelling level D
Adding IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Apologia Science Zoology 3
Reading – mom’s book list
Keyboarding – Typing Instructor
Awana Club T&T
Beginning Tennis

Together the littles will finish the second year of:
Beautiful Feet Early American History a Literature Approach
Beautiful Feet Geography through Literature (mapping for Columbo and Magoo)
Beautiful Feet Teaching Character through Literature

Spring testing confirmed what I already knew. My boys learn with literature. Although they do not test well when given a standard math problem, they will accurately complete almost every mathematical story problem presented. With the encouragement of a friend, I am adding Life of Fred as a supplement to their current math curriculum. As our use of Math U See had initially been a mid year change, I expect we will update our levels in a few months.

Although Magoo enjoys the foundation of A Reason for Spelling, and Columbo had thrived with it, the overall program is not working for Magoo. We’ve not used Sequential Spelling before, but it came recommended by a fellow homeschooling mom.

IEW was my largest curriculum expense. It came highly recommended for establishing a strong foundation in communication, grammar and writing. The moms I spoke to that have used it insist it’s worth it.

Our week has been filled with review. We are enjoying reading new history books where our history studies had left off last spring. Next week we will pull out our maps as we begin reading Sea Bird.

Although our school year has begun a little bumpy and undecided, a plan is coming together. I usually like a firm plan and schedule, but am learning the importance of being flexible. I expect we will have a number of new activities as our year progresses and we discover what is working or what is not.

How is your school year starting?

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