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Curriculum for next year

I'm finally done choosing my curriculum for next year. We finish up school at the end of this week. Yay!! I tested Autumn and she has a 1st grade, 4th quarter reading level/instructional 2nd grade reading level. I think she understands about half of the kindergarten math so we will continue on with that in the fall. Other than that, she is ready to start first grade material in all the other subjects. Really, she wouldn't be starting school in the public school until next year, so she isn't behind in her math. At the beginning of the year, I read a great article that made me realize how important it was to give her time until she was ready.

Anyways =) these are my choices for next year:
Math: Singapore Math Earlybird B and Primary Mathematics Standards Ed. 1A
Reading: Harcourt Trophies Gr. 1
Phonics: Phonics Pathways and Explode the Code (which also takes care of spelling)
Handwriting: Letter Workbooks and Write from the Start
Writing: First Semester: The Writing Spot
Second Semester: Write One and Writing with Ease Bk 1
Grammar: First Language Lessons
Science: Harcourt Science
Social Studies: Harcourt Social Studies: About My World
Health: Harcourt Health and Fitness Gr. 1
History: Second semester: We'll start with the Story of the World Vol.1

Art: Adventures in Art by Laura Chapman Gr. 1

Music: We're going to try violin lessons with a friend
P.E.: Dance and a homeschool PE program nearby

I think that covers it! For the Harcourt subjects, I bought everything used and will be able to copy and use it later for Eli and Sami. I found that I needed the Student book and Activity book for Health and Social Studies. I bought the Tchrs Ed because they were cheap, but next year if I can't find them affordably I won't buy them. I will also buy the assessment guide for that subject next year if I can find it. For Reading, I bought the student books (5 of them), the practice books, the reading anthology, and the tchrs editions. Again I'm glad for the tchrs editions, but I don't think I'll buy them if they're too expensive. And then with the science, I bought the student book, lab manual, reading homework book, and teacher's editions.

I just really liked the Harcourt books. They have so much color and the questions and activities are all in the books. So, if I didn't have the teacher's manuals, we could definitely still get by.

It is really a relief to know that I'm done choosing books!

Comments

becky.onelittle said…
I love choosing curriculum! Micaela has used First Language Lesson, and she and I both loved it. She finished both levels, and we're slowing down and using a simple Charlotte Mason style intro to grammar before we begin the next level of language lessons. It's geared for third grade, so I'm trying to wait till we're about part way through 2nd to start it. I wish we were closer, I'd lend you my story of the world books- I'm just using them here and there to supplement Tapestry of Grace. I used SoW for ancients almost exclusively, but I began tapestry with the Romans, and we're LOVING it. I like that it covers so many years in so many levels with a great Biblical perspective, that I can go very in depth or just skim the surface, and that I can reuse it with each child till they graduate.
May 17, 2009 at 9:44 AM
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