Curriculum

I promised to give you a rundown of the curriculum we've used during the last 5 years homeschooling.

Reading/Language/Grammar:

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons - I'm now using it for the fourth time with Charlie and Iris. Love this book! Requires no prep time. Takes 15-20 minutes max per day. Here's an example of what they are reading by Christmas of their kindergarten year:

"A mouse had a house that shined. Every day, that mouse got a rag and went from room to room. The mouse picked up every bit of dust. The mouse was very proud. 'This is how I like my house.'"

Abeka's Special Sounds
After they learn to read, we use these flashcards to emphasize phonics rules. Also helps with spelling.

Abeka Language
I used their workbooks up until this year. I like them and have nothing bad to say about the curriculum but just wanted to try something new. So this year we're using...

Rod and Staff English
So far the kids and I like this curriculum. It's simple but thorough. Also inexpensive.

Math
Abeka Math
I love Abeka math. I've used it every year except last year (review to follow) and am using it again this year.

Saxon Math
I used this last year because I had heard in later elementary grades to switch from Abeka to Saxon. I liked the setup. I think it was thorough. And I may switch back and forth between Abeka and Saxon.

One thing to note: Saxon is a grade level behind Abeka. Last year Emma used Saxon 65 which is Saxon's 5th grade math. That was equivalent to Abeka's 4th grade math.

Science (Emma, Gray and Jackson together)
I haven't pushed Science that much because I think I don't remember anything I learned in elementary school in those subjects, why stress myself with it too early? So we've just lived science with snakes, frogs, caterpillars ,butterflies, squirrels, chickens, gardening, etc.

As far as books go, this year (and last year) we're using:
Rod and Staff's Patterns of Nature
Abeka's Understanding God's World

History (Emma, Gray and Jackson together)
Last year we used Abeka's Our American Heritage
and read:
"By the Shores of Silver Lake" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Stories of the Pilgrims" by Margaret B. Pumphrey,
"Ten Boy Who..." by Irene Howat
Missionary Stories with the Millers
and picked up books at the library on a couple of the Presidents

This year we're reading through biographies and autobiographies on people such as: Anne Frank, Clara Barton, Benjamin Franklin, Martha Washington, George Washington, Daniel Boone, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller.

Also we'll be reading historical books like Sarah Whitcher's Story, Red Cap, Dear Levi, Lilly's Crossing, The Sign of the Beaver.

Geography is done when we read something and I show them where it is on the map then relate it to something like "That's right next to Uncle Larry and Aunt Kara" or "That's where Meme and Papa are right now."

Literature
That's the fancy word I'm using for the time I spend reading chapter books to the kids. My spelling/vocabulary words are coming from these stories.

Latin
Prima Latina
I scoffed last year when my friend suggested that our kids need to learn Latin. But the curriculum she used is so simple that I'm using it this year. It is supposed to be great for spelling, grammar and vocabulary. We do one lesson twice a week.

Handwriting
I buy pads of paper from Rod and Staff.
For cursive, I use Abeka's writing pads.