What Curriculum do you use/have tried? What do you LOVE??

Krissy - posted on 08/14/2011

oh, I forgot to mention... we DO use the spectrum books, too... but since I wasn't a teacher like Marjani, I find them better as supplemental sheets... I prefer a "guide" or something to go off of sometimes... this way I feel they are getting taught and not just always doing worksheets.... (((not saying that's what she is doing... just how it was working for me since I'm not a teacher. I can go over the instructions and I can grade the work... but if child needed more as the work got tougher, I couldn't "teach" it without teacher guides and suggestions.

Krissy - posted on 08/14/2011

our main curriculum "package" we use is My Father's World. I can teach my two eldest the same stuff (my little is only 3)... and then I'm eclectic with their math and language arts. This year we are trying Bob Jones and Rod and staff in math... Rod and Staff english, and learning language arts through literature (and a few grammar, reading, writing supplements as well as making my own combined spelling list of 3rd and 5th grade words that they both do.)

Lisa - posted on 05/07/2011

We have used Alpha Omega LIFEPACS for our 4th daughter and we have used the textbooks from the used book store for our 2nd daughter. Now we use Connections Academy. Its nationwide and accredited. It's free public school online. Virtual academy. I love it. They supply all the textbooks, all the manipulatives, art kits, science kits, a computer and they issue you an ISP check every quarter. Standerdized testing is a requirement though. You dont have to pay for a thing. All the materials and shipping are paid. There are certified teachers availible for your student, livelessons, it's just amazing! www.connectionsacademy.com

Marjani - posted on 04/01/2010

i was a school teacher for about 4/5 years mostly elementary. then started homeschooling when my daughter was 4. for the past 3 years i have been using the spectrum series made by frank schaffer publications. they are workbooks with the answers in back. each book is $10. and they have all the subjects per grade from pre - to 8th grade. they also have homework helpers for $3 in every area possible. if i don't have the $10 at the time, then i can buy the $3 books. plus they always have some kind of sale going on.

i also suppliment with two internet websites. they have ready made worksheets. and sometimes i make up my own. this system works for me, it is cheap and i don't have to prep. my friend and i group teach from time to time and she also has the books. she has 1st, 2nd, 4th, & 6th grade. i only have pre-k, 1st and 3rd to worry about.

i also have them play games on the internet: www.iknowthat.com http://funschool.kaboose.com/
http://www.wacona.com/kindergartengames/...

www.carsondellosa.com

www.edhelper.com

www.tlsbooks.com

Lisa - posted on 03/08/2010

My root curriculum is History Odyssey by Pandia Press. It covers History, Geography, Reading and Writing. I add Science (Pandia Press also has great Science for elementary school grades), spelling/vocab, math and religion separately.

I like using history as my core subject and then picking and choosing the others to suit the way my individual kids are developing.

Brandy - posted on 10/24/2009

I just started myself 2weeks ago! Both my kids are ADHD! So am I. I have found so wonderful is the free websites that reads to the child. Like for spelling we use spellingcity.com, it teaches, tests, and they play games. Another spelling one we use is KidsSpell.com, this teaches, plays fun learning games, and tests them. We use kidshealth.org for science and health this is a wonderful website there a variety of pictures, a few worksheets, kid oriented movies, and you can print any of the sheets off. On this site there are sections for Kids, Teens, and Parents. I love this one we have used it the most. For more Science you can go to Houghton Mifflin .com and go to their eduplace.com/kids and they have fun games related to Social Studies/Science/Math/English they are related to grade level and their books but I research them to see which suits or lesson better.



The reason I put my kids on the computer, I have learned that with us having ADHD, we learn much faster using Audio and Visual techniques. I am new like I stated but so far I find these have been very helpful. I am hoping to find more Frees websites for Social Studies, Science, and English.



I decided to go with non-religious lessons because they have 2 different churches they attend. One here with me and a different church in with their dad home town. We are Lutheran; I can’t afford to confuse them anymore than are already, attending two different churches doing two different Sunday schools.

Michelle - posted on 08/29/2009

I started homeschooling when my oldest two kids were only 3 and 4, so at first I just made things up as I went along. Printed pages from the internet, art projects, that sort of thing. Then I started using a book called Teaching the Trivium to turn my "do it yourself" curriculum classical. I used Noah Webster's spellers, Alpha-Phonics, Saxon math, and Mystery of History.



I loved all of those, and would totally recommend them, but I am a very disorganized, chaotic, and sort of uncreative person. Eventually I recognized that I needed a curriculum that was all put together for me. Also, because I had five children at the time and only two in school, I needed something that would give my kids more independence. My husband used ACE (School of Tomorrow -- PACES) in private school as a child, so we started using that. It provided everything I wanted, and my children enjoyed it. I even bought the kindergarten curriculum to use with one of my younger kids, and he adored it. It was a lot of singing and games and coloring -- all the things I did with my older ones when they were little, but all organized ahead of time by someone else.



Then, last year the cost of the PACES became too much. Because they are consumable workbooks, you have to replace them every single year. With that in mind, and looking for something that would help with my easily distracted oldest daughter (who we now know has ADD), we decided to try Switched on Schoolhouse. SOS has definitely fulfilled everything we could possibly ask for in a school-in-a-box program. It organizes everything, lets my kids learn independently (which allows me to be more available to all of my now 7 children), engages even my daughter with ADD, and can be reused every year. I do make an effort to be involved every step of the way, and I supplement with history because I dislike the "social studies" program that SOS (and PACES, and many other curricula) uses, but I am satisfied that I will keep using SOS for a good long time.

Cheryl - posted on 07/22/2009

We use christian Liberty press from Christian Liberty academy . We use the Class part of it and it sets up transcripts and they get a graduation and diploma as well as can purchase a class ring. It is christian based and my kids look forward to getting their report card in the mail. you can just by the books you don't have to do the class portion if you don't like to. www.homeschools.org

Heather - posted on 07/11/2009

We love Abeka - especially the academy (video, now streaming version). This year we will do K4, K5 and 2nd grade. Well worth the money and really easy to prepare.

Rebekah Shelton - posted on 07/10/2009

I use www.veritaspress.com it is amazing

Many parents in my community use the abecka and it is good as well, I dont' know if it goes up to HS though

User - posted on 07/09/2009

I was homeschooled for 2 years (5th and 6th). Mom selected A Beka for everything for me, my brother and sister, except Math for me, which was Saxon (I LOVED IT!!!!! So MUCH BETTER THAN A Beka!) I found A Beka too frustrating because whatever skill you learned that day, you had an entire page of - Saxon broke it up a little better - the majority of the problems were the skill you learned, but there were about 1/3 of review problems mixed in, so I wasn't facing an entire page of long division.

Michelle - posted on 04/29/2009

Quoting Chantelle:

Michelle, What are you using for sign language? I've taught my boys to sign since they were each babies but now that they talk we use it less and less. I'd love to continue so am curious what you use.

For now, we are just using internet websites.  We only learned the alphabet and numbers and some basic signs.  Here is the website we used:

http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/lessons/...

We supplemented with library videos and books.  Oh and coloring sheets here:

http://www.dltk-teach.com/alphabuddies/a...

There are programs you can buy too.  We just were trying to save money and so went on the cheap...but its worked.  You can also find YouTube sign videos too if you look.

Karie - posted on 04/28/2009

We use many different kinds as well. All About Spelling: for spelling and learning to read, Mathusee: for Math, Mystery of History: for History,Writing with Ease: for writing, Growing with Grammar: for Grammar, and we do alot of reading with real living books. I love homeschooling though it is challenging at times, with 4 kids :)

Michelle - posted on 04/09/2009

We use The Kolbe Academy http://www.kolbe.org/  It is a classical curriculum that is also Catholic.  I like the science, Literature and math programs.  I find the grammar/rhetoric a bit simplistic and am going to supplement for next year, Theology and History is very heavy on the reading.  I called into Kolbe with my issues, and they helped me learn how to mold the curriculum to my child instead of the child to the curriculum and the satisfaction in this household increased.  I love that it is really the great books not excerpts, it is accreditted and my high school son will earn a diploma-with many honors courses, they have great advisors that are readily available on the phone or e-mail, and the information they give me is so helpful too.

Erica - posted on 04/05/2009

Right now we are using BJU press and i love it. Now i have heard that it gets hard as the years go on. We'll see if it gets to hard that i'll have to find something else but its really working for our family so far. And i use Sonligth for science i really love how its hands on and the kids get to get dirty too. I have to shop around for Canadian History and Geography.

Heather - posted on 03/25/2009

I think that I am in the minority here.

We did use the Alpha Omega Lifepacs and my boys didn't like it at all, neither did I. We found it to ridgid for us.

I went to my local educators store and put a bunch of different things together myself. It was very cost effective and it works for us. I also take advantage of a lot of the free printable online to suppliment and renforce what we have done for the week.

I do think that as they get into the older grades and such that we will have to have a more structured curiculum. I am more on the eclectic side of homeschooling.

Alysia - posted on 03/23/2009

Quoting Crystal:

I use abeka, I love it!

We are also using Abeka.. I have a 9-year-old that finds the history tough at times though.

Nicole - posted on 03/20/2009

We use Konos Curriculum - you can school any amout of children from k-8th grade, and they have high school sets too. You can get it so you have to plan how everything is going to go or you can get it so they have everything planned out for you. It is all based on Biblical princliples and truths, with lots of library time.

Michele - posted on 02/27/2009

We have homeschooled for about 7 years and have used a LOT of different curricula. This is our first year using Sonlight (my 2 oldest are using Core 5) and we LOVE it! It is so easy to use and so thorough! I completely recommend it!

Tiffany - posted on 02/25/2009

I love Winter Promise! I really enjoyed Abeka for the kindergarten years...but love the way Winter Promise is laid out. Very easy to follow. I use Saxon Math with it.

Misty - posted on 02/09/2009

We have used Sonlight Curriculum for the past three years. The foundation of the curriculum is Reading, Literature, and History. There is no preparation time since basically you read and your child reads. The books are awesome! We also use Growing With Grammar, Simply Music for piano - which is amazing!, Getty-DuBay Italic for Handwriting, and Singapore Math. We love each and every day. When we are on an official "break" from school, I go in Kylie's room to find her copying the Latin names of plants and animals in a notebook. So you have to know that school is fun when this is her choice!

Chantelle - posted on 02/08/2009

Michelle, What are you using for sign language? I've taught my boys to sign since they were each babies but now that they talk we use it less and less. I'd love to continue so am curious what you use.

Michelle - posted on 02/06/2009

I have tried about 4-5 different curriculums. I'm in my 4th year of homeschooling. I've used Bob Jones, Ed Plus (Inge Cannon), Ambleside Online, but I have to say the best one I've used thus far and will continue to use is My Father's World. It is pretty much awesome. I love it. I love the fact that I don't have to spend hours and hours preparing. It takes me about 20 minutes to plan out two weeks worth of schedules for my 2 kids. I love that it is Christ centered. I love the nature walks and art/music are incorporated into it. The writers of the curriculum, David & Marie Hazell give the money made from the sales of this curriculum right back to missions. I have learned so much teaching this to my children. My faith has become stronger as a result of reading the missionary stories to my children each day and praying with them over people groups that have so much less than we do here. It's opened my eyes to the realities around he world. We are using Exploring Countries and Cultures this year...next year we will do Creation to the Greeks. I've heard alot of wonderful things about the early curriculum for K & 1st, but I've never personally used them. I wish I had though. This curriculum is awesome. I do add a few things because I'm anal. Like for foreign language, we learn sign language. And I add a health topic once a week and supplement from the library. My oldest struggles in reading, so I also incorporated dictionary skills to her week which isn't apart of the curriculum (although she does use spelling power which you can use as a dictionay skill..i just needed something more in depth for her) I also add hymns that we learn. But other than that, this curriculum is very well rounded. I truly wish I had started using this from the beginning. I will with my 2 year old.

Crystal - posted on 01/30/2009

I use abeka, I love it!

Stacie - posted on 01/27/2009

I never head of that curriculum. I am going to have to check it out. Right now I am using alot of Core Knowledge stuff. I use the Scholastic Sight Word Readers for Reading along with some other reading books I bought. I still am new to this and am exploring new possibilities but right now what I am using is working.