Our Curriculum Choices for 2013-14

I just have to say this....we're about 9 weeks into the homeschool year, but we've added a curriculum component this year that I just LOVE. It just pulls our whole school day together. I loved it from the first week really, but now, I can already see amazing results!

It's a 20 minute session together of memory work based on Classical Education. We're doing Classical Conversations Timeline and the history, Latin, geography, skip couting, grammar and science facts... I know we're not doing it the true CC way - since the closest CC group I can find is in New York state a few hours away... but we're having fun learning the songs and facts - and it just ties everything else we're doing together.

If you are curious about classical education I'd recommend this book:
The Core by Leigh Bortins

and check out her website:  http://leighbortins.com/

I would say that our homeschooling style is eclectic leaning on Neo-Classical.
   We study the trivium, but also use teaching textbooks and workbooks and lean toward a lot of reading especially living books. We do a lot of nature studies with a bit of unit studies and tactile learning thrown in.

So our typical day is...

CC Memory Work (20-30 minutes) - Cycle 2 Quite a bit of it is put to song, etc...and I thought the boys would resist, but they've actually really enjoyed it and it lightens up our morning to watch the videos and learn and laugh together.
Timeline ...each week we add about 7 points to the timeline - we started at creation in week one and just this week we've gotten up to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Geography ...so far we've memorized all the continents, oceans, European mountains, rivers, seas, western European countries/ capitals, penninsulas and the Mid Atlantic World 
History ...each week we learn a new history sentence about significant people/ events like Charlemagne, The Reformation, The 100 Years War, etc.
Math ...various skip counting songs, measurements or laws of math
Science ...Biomes, Life Cycles, Forms of Pollution, Names of Planets, etc.
English Grammar ...parts of speech and grammar laws, etc.

We've been using this Timeline video on Youtube and This One

Scripture Memory Work (5 minutes)- Psalm 91 - we've chosen to continue working on this instead of the curriculum choice.

Bible Study - (10 minutes) Promiseland by Lori Zenker

Math - Math U See (25-30 minutes) - Delta   Gamma and Primer/ Alpha

 

Language Arts - (25-30 minutes) - Learning Language Arts Through Literature

Reading - the LLATL comes with Readers, but we supplements with recommended reading from History/ Science and seasonal/ other topics of interest from library, Abeka Books, etc.

Spelling - All ABout Spelling, The Phonetic Zoo (5-10 minutes)
     Here's a review  to check out on Youtube.

Carter - Learning to Read...

  

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Phonics - Explode the Code (10 minutes)

Tuesday, Thursday
Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears (10 minutes)

Two Afternoons a Week (usually 30 minutes each)
Science - Apologia - Astronomy

One Afternoon a Week - Activities Daily - Audio Books/Read Alouds
History - Story of the World 2 - The Middle Ages

One Afternoon a Week (15 minutes)
Geography - Canada My Country by Donna Ward        A Child's Geography by Ann Voskamp

Friday Afternoons (20-60 minutes)

Fine Arts - How to Teach Art to Children; Discovering the Great Artists; Classical Music for Dummies

Twice a month - Heartland Forest
Once a month - Mad Science

Extras
FALL- French, Soccer, Cross Country, Track & Field, Hikes/ Nature Studies, computer
WINTER - French, Guitar, Basketball, Ball Hockey, Track & Field, Hikes/ Nature Studies, computer
         
That's it in a nutshell...so far anyways!