curriculum
Noun
pl -la or –lums
1. all the courses of study offered by a school or college
2. a course of study in one subject at a school or college: the history curriculum [Latin: course]
curricular adj
Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006
Methodology:
We are an eclectic homeschooling family. In our homeschool you will find some Charlotte Mason, Classical Education, Montessori and Core Knowledge methodologies coupled with lapbooking, notebooking and unit studies.
I love researching curriculum and piecing together my own lesson plans each year. I truly believe that is one of the privileges of homeschooling—-to tailor our children’s learning to their own individual interests, learning style and our family’s personal beliefs and interests.
“Home schooling is a very old way of doing things. If you look at any of the bills in your wallet or the coins in your pocket, they all have a picture of a homeschooler on them.” ~William Lloyd
Since their father is a Road Warrior, and because our children have never seen a hotel room they didn’t love, we enjoy taking our homeschool on the road. Travel is also an important part of our homeschooling experience. When the children are a little older we hope to extend our travels to Europe, South America and Africa.
When creating our Scope & Sequence I did consult Florida State Standards, Core Knowledge Learning sequence and World Book’s typical course of study before finalizing our educational goals for the year. I use them as a general overview but I don’t omit anything our children are showing an interest in, just because it may not have been listed for that grade level.
“I believe it would be much better for everyone if children were given their start in education at home. No one understands a child as well as his mother, and children are so different that they need individual training and study. A teacher with a room full of pupils cannot do this. At home, too, they are in their mother’s care. She can keep them from learning immoral things from other children.” ~Laura Ingalls Wilder
Although I will not have to file a notice of intent until next year (for the boys) I have already begun my record keeping, which I will be required by law to do as each child turns 6. I currently use Homeschool Tracker Pro for my homeschool record keeping in addition to keeping a portfolio of each child’s individual work and progress each year.
- Handwriting without Tears Preschool program
Math
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Saxon Math Kindergarten
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Singapore Math Earlybird Kindergarten & Primary Mathematics
(Preschool)
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Montessori Math manipulatives
Bible Studies:
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A child’s book of Values
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Our 24 Ways Devotional Guide & coloring book
Language Arts
(Preschool)
(Kindergarten)
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BFIAR (Before Five in a Row)
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Worldly Wise book 1
- Zoo-Phonics
* I obviously am not using every part of everything listed here. Hey, I said I was eclectic….
Science:
We do not use a packaged curriculum for our science studies. Instead I create lesson plans using a variety of resources (a few are listed below) based on topics I’ve selected for the year or the children have shown a high interest in. This year we are notebooking our Science adventures and are doing an intensive study based on the book, The Young Naturalist’s Guide to Florida.
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Montessori method
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Janice VanCleave’s Biology for every kid
We do not use a packaged curriculum for this. I combine geography with whatever else we are studying or during our travels. Our children also enjoy consulting a map or globe when their father is traveling . This year we also hope to incorporate a Flat Stanley project into our geography studies. A few of the resources I am using in our geography lessons are below:
(we also have 2 native Spanish speakers in our home weekly that help with immersion type learning).
Montessori
I use a variety of materials based on the Comprehensive list for 3-6 year olds
Additional Resources include:
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Mommy, Teach me! by Barbara Curtis
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Teaching Montesssori in the home: the preschool years by Elizabeth G. Hainstock
- Teaching Art with Books Kids love
- Art for the Very Young by Elizabeth Kelly and Joanne McConville
- How to use Child-size Master-pieces for Art Appreciation by Aline D. Wolf
- Can you hear it? by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
We also attend plays, musicals and other theater productions to extend our appreciation of The Arts.
Physical Education:
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Golf (boys)
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Swimming (all)
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Ballet (pumpkin)
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gymnastics (pumpkin)
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Christian Homeschool PE program (boys)
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Building Thinking Skills: Beginnings
Your line up looks great. We love Giant Science Resource Book too. 🙂
Great line up! I’m gonna have to “steal” some ideas from you. Your thinking is very in-line with mine!
Bernadette
After you left a comment on my blog, I’ve finally found time to sit and take a look around yours. I love your ideas and how you incorporate so much hands-on learning with your children. I’ll be back for more visits and if you don’t mind, I’m linking you in my “family” blog for easier return visits!
Thanks for making the initial contact!!!
OH wow! You're so organized and it really looks like you know what you're doing. My son is currently at a private prek but I'm going to start homeschooling next year. I'm so overwhelmed and nervous about it. I was thinking I could just order a child and parent kit from A Beka and it would be enough. Do you think thats a safe way to start, just to be sure I cover all my basis? And, then may be once I know what I'm doing I could start piecing things together like you??? HELP!