I often wonder how people feel about their curriculum choices AFTER the school year is over. So, I decided to do a RECAP of our 2010-2011 curriculum choices…you know, what we liked…didn’t like…used…didn’t end up using. So let’s start with my daughter who just finished up 2nd grade…
Spelling: We used the Spell to Write and Read Core Kit
. We have been using this for a few years now and will continue to do so! It is a bit teacher intensive, but we are rolling with it!
Grammar: Grammar lessons are incorporated in SWR
. However, my plan was to use the My Wise Guide Grammar Books created to go along with it. I figured it would save me some time having the pages pre-formatted for me…which WAS very helpful with my boys. However, I didn’t end up using this with my daughter…she just used notebook paper.
Reading: For reading comprehension we used McCall Crabs: Standard Test Lessons in Reading. I really liked this and much to my surprise my daughter did too! She would literally get excited to see it in one of her workbags! I guess she liked the idea of being timed?!?!?
Math: We used Singapore Math (Primary Mathematics Std Ed) 2A and 2B. (We are still finishing up 2B. I love Singapore Math…but…I am also a former math teacher. Now, my daughter…on the other hand is not so fond of math. She likes to have it as her first assignment…so that she can get it over with…
My plan was to incorporate some living math books from The Living Math Book List. However, we didn’t really get much beyond just reading a couple living math books and talking about them…
Science: We used the books from the Adventures in My Father’s World curriculum and loved them, though we didn’t get around to doing nearly as many experiments as I had hoped. I think this had to do with us unexpectedly moving to another state during the school year.
History/Geography: The focus was on U.S. History and Geography. We used the Adventures in My Father’s World curriculum. My daughter L.O.V.E.D. American Pioneers and Patriots! Really, all of my kids enjoyed it. You could almost hear a pin drop whenever I would read it to them!
I had planned to use the Liberty Lapbook, along with it, but only ended up using a few pages from it. In all honesty, I forgot that I had it. However, we did supplement a lot with Road Trip USA created by my pal Erica! My daughter liked Erica’s state sheets much better than those with the MFW curriculum.
Art: We used I Can Do All Things
, which is part of the Adventures in My Father’s World curriculum. In all honesty, we did not use this nearly as much as I thought we would have…not really sure why…but we still have LOTS of blank pages in it!
Music: We LOVED all of the music from the Adventures in My Father’s World curriculum. My kids had LOTS of fun dancing around with each other to The Nutcracker and Swan Lake!
Typing: The plan was to use Typing Instructor
. We have it, but never used it. I have no good explanation of why we didn’t use it…we just didn’t. But I plan to use it this year!
So, here are our thoughts about my boy’s kindergarten curriculum…
Spelling/Reading: We used and LOVED My Father’s World from A to Z. Although it is a complete kindergarten curriculum, I did not use all of it. I omitted their ENTIRE reading program and I used Spell to Write and Read instead. I don’t think their reading program is necessarily lacking…I am just used to SWR, so that is what we went with!
Math: While I did use some of the the suggested math activities in My Father’s World from A to Z, I started the boys out with Singapore Essential Math Kindergarten A and B. They completed the books and seemed to like them; as do I.
Science: Science was integrated into My Father’s World from A to Z. We LOVED having our Butterfly Garden
and after months, we still have one single ant left in our Ant Hill
! He’s a trooper!!!
Handwriting: The boys picked up cursive fairly easily! We used Cursive First. It doesn’t really seem like a fancy program, but it worked!
Well, I had some fairly grand plans for Tot School, but I was a Tot School drop-out this past year! I feel like my focus was more-so on the older kids. Rather than intentional activities, I just tried to find things to occupy the little guys so that I could work with the older ones. Yes, I am embarrassed to admit that, but it is true…but I WILL do better!
Bible: Although Bible is integrated in both Adventures in My Father’s World curriculum and My Father’s World from A to Z, I had grand plans of implementing both Polished Cornerstones
and Plants Grow Up
. It didn’t happen. I love the books and the activities, but I just didn’t use them like I had planned…I think they are great and I am really hoping that I can find a way to implement them this year!
African American History: Much like my “Brown Like Me” Book Review, I want my kids to not only read books with characters that look like them, but I also want them to have a sense of their history. So, I had grand plans of coming up with lessons for them based on famous African Americans in history. Well…that hasn’t happened…YET! But it is in the works for this year!
Spanish: Oh, I SOOO wanted to use La Clase Divertida. I love the idea of all the hands-on activities incorporated into the lessons! However, we started the first video and I had to turn it off. They were going over the vowel sounds in Spanish and I was completely terrified that my kids would confuse it with English vowel sounds and that it would set them back in their reading/spelling. I know my fear may not be that valid, but it was enough for me to put Spanish on hold. So, amidst my uncertainty, we just ended up watching some Spanish videos from the library. Needless to say, I am in need of a Spanish curriculum…any suggestions??
Life Skills: Oh, I was SO excited to use Keepers at Home and Little Contenders for the Faith. But we didn’t use them and I didn’t start a Keepers Club, though I did talk to a few moms about it prior to moving…
PE: I found The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book at the library and I had every intention of using it, but never did a single activity in the book. Sad to say, I know, but we did spend lots of time at the park, though I am not certain that really counts as PE! Any PE suggestions???
Nature Walks: I didn’t do so hot at this one either…unless walking to the park counts!
Crafts: Well, we love crafts and we did quite a few of them…just didn’t get around to blogging about a lot of them…
So, that is how our 2010-2011 curriculum panned out. I hope to share our 2011-2012 curriculum choices in the upcoming days!
Ashleysigrest
So glad I found your blog! We use MFW too & love it! I will definitely be coming back to visit!! My homeschool blog is schoolintheboys.blogspot.com
Mama Jenn
Thanks so much for commenting! I do still have the Clase Divertida curriculum! Perhaps I will give it another shot! I have also since gotten Sonrisas Spanish curriculum…but have yet to use either! Man, I have got to get on the ball! 😉 Love that you were able to hand the Spanish lessons to your mother! That is awesome that she is able to help out like that!!!
Mama-molly
I recently happened on this post as I was looking at your spelling and language arts curriculum for your third grader. I just wanted to give a little plug, and perhaps encouragement, to give La Clase Divertida a try. I handed the job of Spanish teacher over to my mother this year. She is not fluent but has a love for the language and is continually improving! Anyway, we picked up two used copies of La Clase Divertida at a curriculum sale at a great price and figured we could give it a try. I was VERY dubious after the first few lessons for the same reasons you mentioned! I have a second grader and a 4 yr old preschooler, who at the time was just learning to read. I was very concerned about him getting confused learning two different alphabets at the same time…BUT…he has gotten it sorted out on his own! There was one time at the beginning of the year where I had to say to him…”English pronunciation!!” but I think only one mistake during the whole school year is not even worth mentioning! Both of my children love the tapes and the activities. In fact, they are preparing to make fried ice cream with my mother as I am typing. Both of my children know the whole Spanish alphabet and can read words in Spanish. They have learned about the culture and have great accents! I think we will keep going with La Clase Divertida for next year and add in an independent computer aspect for my will-be 3rd grader next year to reinforce what she is learning from the videotapes.
All of a Kind Family
We are quickly going through La Clase Divertida 1 (as a refresher) and then planning on finishing 2 and 3 this upcoming year! My girls loved it the first time and I never thought to be worried with the vowels, but I really think mine know its foreign…hehe! We really did enjoy all the hands-on fun.
Monica
We had a great year in Adventures too. We didn’t get to the I Can Do All Things book either! I also feel like we flew through the 50 states a little fast too. I took more time reading about the pioneers. Oh well, we’ll look at this time period in MFW in a few more years.
Looking forward to what you are doing with ECC this year!
Monica
Mama Jenn
Hi Brandy,
Unfortunately I am not familiar with Math Mammoth. So, I would not be able to provide any insight on it.
Brandy
I’m wondering if you can help me with something. I do not have a math background like you (although, I love it), but I was an elementary teacher and am familiar with teaching it in elementary (though, I’m sure you would be more effective). I will be homeschooling for the first time in the fall (2nd, K, pre-k). We looked into Singapore because of its rigor and because I was familiar with it. However, I came across Math Mammoth by Maria Miller (a mathematician turned homeschooler). It was written specifically for homeschoolers and is extremely affordable. So we decided to go with it this first year. Have you heard of it or know anything about it? Almost every review I’ve read has been great and people have stated it’s similar to Singapore. I’ve watched her teach in her youtube videos and gained some great tidbits that public schools don’t teach, but still keep wondering if I should switch to Singapore. Anyway, I’d trust your opinion of it if you know anything about it. Thanks!
Sherry
We are doing MFW 2nd this year. I’ve used it since K and loved it as a base. I looked at the Spanish curriculum you bought and didn’t care for it either. They promote “spanglish” in their writing and speaking. Knowing many who speak more than one language, that is a very confusing way to learn. Rosetta is great for a wide range of ages. The settings can be changed for non-readers and added as they progress. Keep filling us in on your experiences..they are SO helpful!!
Enchanted Homeschooling Mom
I always look at the next year when summer vacation rolls around, not the school year we just finished. What a fantastic way to help evaluate school curriculum! For P.E. might I suggest yoga? Our family does yoga in-between going to the park and other sporting activities. We particularly love Storyland Yoga. If you have a DVR service through your local cable company I would also check under free services (we have over 30+ yoga lessons and many more P.E. lessons for free).
Thank you for all of your hard work on this blog. I hope that you have a wonderful new school year!
Mama Jenn
Shawn, it DOES sound like we had an almost “identical” year! Too funny!!! 🙂
Ticia
What a good idea to go back and look at it afterwards.
mittelmommy
Thanks for sharing…it was fun to read! I will be starting MFW-K this year so I enjoyed reading what you thought of that! Fun idea with the recap, hope to read more!
Anonymous
Wow, Jenn!! It seems we had an almost identical year! We used ADventures with my 2nd grader, Singapore Math, tried to do “I Can Do All Things”, MFW K without the phonics part–I used “The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading” because I am used to it! My K’er also used Singapore Math Essentials. I, too, am “Tot School” drop out! I love the concept, and made some of the activities, but as far as spending an intentional time with my 3 tots, I just filled their workboxes with activities to keep them occupied so I could work with the older 2! I would be very interested in your lessons on Famous African Americans when it is ready, as my youngest son is African American, and my oldest is bi-racial.
Shawn