Homeschool Curriculum Revealed 2015 - 2016

Well, this post will show you all the curriculum we will be using this upcoming school year. & if you want to see what it all looks like -- then watch the video below to get a glimpse of what our school room is like.

Everyone Together

We try to do as many subjects together as we can. So, here is a look at what we will be doing together this year.

Bible: Apologia is not just for science! We are going to be starting Apologia's four-part series on What We Believe. We are starting with their Who Is God? book. My older boys will use the notebook journals that go along with it. My younger kids will use the coloring book designed to go along with the reading. Really looking forward to it!

History, Read-Alouds, & Independent Reading: We will be using a mixture of Sonlight books, Answers in Genesis's History Revealed, & a bit of good ol' fashioned mish-mash. :) We are not following a specific history curriculum this year as we study U.S. history. We are just going to enjoy some great books and do some notebooking on key people and events as we go along. We will also be reading Tricia Goyer's Prayers that Changed History. It looks so good!

Writing: We love IEW in this house. You'll see we use it for a lot of subjects. My oldest two will be taking an IEW co-op class this year. They are doing IEW's Medieval History writing book. Looks like fun!

Science: Everyone except my 7th grader, see below, will be studying Apologia's Swimming Creatures this year. I'll also use a little bit of Answer in Genesis's God's Design for Science. I'm looking forward to some of the fun field trips we have planned to reinforce what they are learning!  I'm actually teaching this class at co-op this year.

7th Grade

Independent Reading: He will be reading through several US history-based books this year as part of our history.

Grammar & Penmanship: This year my son will be using IEW's Fix-It Grammar. It's a grammar program focused on learning to edit. It also has an element of copywork, so he will focus on good penmanship.

Spelling: We just started IEW's Phonetic Zoo Level C last year. What I love is that he can do his spelling independently using headphones to listen to his spelling test.

Math: We love Math U See! My 7th grader has used it since the first grade (Alpha). He will be jumping back into where he left off at the end of the school year in their Algebra book.

Science: My big guy is doing Apologia's Physical Science this year. He works independently through this science book and notebook. He will do the experiments in his co-op class.

At Co-op:  We are taking several fun classes with our co-op this year, included in these are an art class, speech & debate class, & an apologetics class. I'm really excited about these classes. I hope he is, too. :)

6th Grade

Independent Reading: Same as above, he'll be reading through several US history-based books this year.

Grammar: We've been using Growing with Grammar now for three years. I really like it. It has a student booklet that allows my kids to read the lesson, then do the assignment on their own. Again, encouraging independent work.

Penmanship: A Reason for Handwriting Level F. I love this workbook. The last day of work is neatly writing out a Bible verse.

Spelling: My 6th grader will also be doing IEW's Phonetic Zoo again this year.

Math: Again, my son will be finishing up his Math U See Epsilon book from last year & starting the next book mid-year.

At Co-op:  My sweet kiddo will be talking most of the same classes as his older brother, with the exception of science, at co-op this year. So, he will also be doing an art class, speech & debate class, & an apologetics class.

1st Grade

Language Arts: For our phonics and beginning writing we will be using Primary Art of Language by IEW ("PAL"). We started it last year. It is a K-2nd grade curriculum. So, we'll just pick up where we left off. {Be sure to see the video for more on this curriculum}
*Update: Here's a few other things we ended up using--
--Sing, Spell, Read, & Write Level One
--Get Ready for the Code Books A, B, & C
--Explode the Code
--Primary Phonics Workbook 1

Penmanship: My little guy will be starting his first A Reason for Handwriting Book Level A.

Spelling: We had just started our first few lessons of All About Spelling level 1 last year. Excited to jump back in and see what he remembers.

Math: We'll be continuing with Math U See Alpha. We started this last year and will just pick up where we left off.

Science: (see above)

At Co-op: My "Joy Boy" will be taking several fun classes at our co-op this year. A few of them include: Math Games, Bible Explorers, & Art.

Preschool

I'm a firm believer in NO CURRICULUM for preschool! Learning at this age is all about fun! I "sneak" learning into her day. I did pick up some fun workbooks for her to do though. I did pick up my friend Karen Fernandez's book ABC Trace & Say.

At Co-op: My little munchkin will be taking a Montessori Preschool class & Art class at our co-op this year. She's so excited to officially join in in our co-op fun!

Toddler

Homeschooling with a toddler in the house is a crazy juggling act! It takes lots of planning! Check out this post to see my tips about how to incorporate your toddler into your school day!

Here it is: The Video Behind the Blog Post!!

Here's the video for you to get a first-hand view of the material. I go into detail about how to use all of the above curriculum -- & why! It's really a MUST SEE!