Well, it is that time of year again! The summer is almost over and a new school year is right around the corner! Where oh where did the summer go?!?! I can hardly believe that I will have a 3rd grader, two 1st graders, and two preschoolers! Man oh man! With that said, here are our 2011-2012 curriculum plans…
Bible: Grapevine Studies AND My Father’s World Exploring Countries & Cultures
Spelling: Spell to Write and Read AND SpellQuizzer
Grammar: Primary Language Lessons (with the Teacher Guide & the PLL Workbook) AND My Wise Grammar (goes along with SWR)
Reading: McCall-Crabbs: Standard Test Lessons in Reading
Math: Singapore Math 3A (will finish up 2B first)
Science: My Father’s World ECC
History/Geography: My Father’s World ECC AND Expedition Earth
Arts & Crafts: My Father’s World ECC
Music: My Father’s World ECC
Typing: Typing Instructor
Life Skills: Keepers at Home
Spanish: Undecided…
PE: Undecided…
Bible: Grapevine Studies AND My Father’s World 1st Grade
Spelling: Spell to Write and Read AND SpellQuizzer
Grammar: My Wise Grammar (goes along with SWR)
Reading: McCall-Harby: Test Lessons in Primary Reading AND McCall-Crabbs: Standard Test Lessons in Reading (after McCall-Harby)
Writing: Cursive First
Math: Singapore Math 1A & 1B
Science: My Father’s World 1st Grade
Arts & Crafts: My Father’s World 1st Grade
Music: My Father’s World 1st Grade
Life Skills: Little Contenders for the Faith (will be done with the preschoolers as well)
Spanish: Undecided…
PE: Undecided…
I really feel like I have not made “teaching” the little guys as much of a priority as I should have. Rather than providing intentional learning opportunities, I just found activities to “occupy” them so that I could work with the older kids. However, that is all about to change…once I decide what I am going to use with them! 
That is part of my Mission of the Month…so that it WILL get done!
Final Thoughts: I am excited about this year. I have been working hard…very hard…at planning out our ENTIRE school year! I am hoping to avoid the Sunday night panic, when I realize that I am not ready for the upcoming school week. So, having most of the lesson plans already done has already provided me a HUGE sense of relief and accomplishment! I am sure that I will have to make adjustments as we go along, but the base of it is all planned out! I used my new editable pdf planner for my daughter’s lesson plans! I am so thrilled b/c I will be able to use those very same lesson plans for the rest of my kids when they reach 3rd grade! Plus, I will only have to edit it to create lesson plans for all subsequent school years! Yay!!!
FYI…I have created and will create printables and activities to go along with many of our subjects. As I have them ready, I will be sharing them with you all!
With that said, those are our 2011-2012 Curriculum Plans. I am sure I have forgotten something, but this IS already enough…right?!?!?! Is it REALLY that time of the year?
2010-2011 Curriculum {Recap}
We love MFW too!!
Hi Dyan! Thanks for your questions!
1) I use all of ECC and most of MFW 1st. I use a different reading program so I don’t use that portion of the curriculum. While I do try to do most of the activities in both curricula, I also try not to beat myself up if life happens and we have to skip parts. As for scheduling, I use the workbox method. I plan the assignments so that (hopefully) my 3rd grader doesn’t need me at the same time as my 1st graders and vice versa.
2) On a normal day, we start school at about 8:30 and are done with our core subjects by lunchtime, around noon. The afternoon is for science experiments, crafts, etc. Using the workbox system definitely helps me with being organized and efficient because I have all the kids assignments ready the night before.
3) Next year will be our first “official” year of homeschooling “together” with MFW. I am really looking forward to it! But, I have yet to decide how I will implement the workboxes next year. I think I will just continue to use them for the independent activities b/c I love how it “forces” me to plan ahead, which make our homeschool day run SOOOO much smoother!
Hopefully that helps a bit. Please let me know if you have more questions!
Hi! I really love your blog, and am learning a lot about MFW through it. We are planning to use ECC and MFW 1st grade next fall. We will have a 5th grader, two third graders (twins, too), a first grader, a preschooler, and a toddler. I know what it is like having lots of little ones, and feeling like they get short-changed! I have found that it helps me to start the day by spending time with the little ones before the bigger ones need me.
I have a few questions for you:
1. How did you scheduled ECC and MFW 1st grade? Did you use only parts of each, or all of it?
2. How much actual time did it take you to do it all every day? Right now, school drags on all day (mostly becuase I am disorganized), and I want to be more efficient, which leads me to my next question:
3. I love the idea of workboxes, but am confused as to how to use them when we have so much together school time. Basically the only independent work we do is some of the math, handwriting, and grammar for my oldest. Everything else is together, and I am assuming will be together for MFW next year.
Thank you so much! I know you are very busy, and I so appreciate your downloadable worksheets and things. I cannot wait to use them!
Dyan
Dyan,
Yes, we will be using MFW next year. In fact, I just recently ordered Creation to the Greeks…just waiting for it to arrive. I have only used Primary Language Lessons with my daughter and it has worked well for us. I will start it this upcoming year with my boys…so we will see how it goes with them. But, I also use Spell to Write and Read, which incorporates some language and grammar skills as well. I never did start a Keepers Club and I didn’t find one to join. I’m still a bit disappointed about that one!
Thanks, Jenn! I ordered MFW 1st grade as well. I will probably supplement it with ABEKA reading/phonics. Do you like Primary Language Lessons? We used Rod and Staff’s grammar for the past two years, but I’m not crazy about it. Also, do you like Keepers at home? Are you part of a Keepers club? And lastly, do you plan to go on with MFW next year?
Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Dyan,
Well, it seems like my boys who are in MFW 1st listen in quite a bit with me and my daughter doing ECC. So, they are getting some of the material though I am not “officially” using ECC with them. We don’t use the reading portion of MFW1st…so I easily could have just had them tag along on ECC but, I really love the Bible reader and the Bible Notebook. So, I decided to just stick with 1st. If you depend on the MFW for the reading portion, then you may want to do both. But, if you 1st grader is fairly proficient in reading or if you use another reading program, you could have him do ECC with his sisters. Overall, I didn’t find it too difficult to be in both manuals. The hard part for me was and is keeping my 4 year olds busy while I work with the other kids. So, I have actually been busy finding “stuff” that my little guys can do “for school” while I teach the older ones!
I guess that is a long answer to a fairly short question. Hope I was able to help a bit!
Hi, I am considering using MFW ECC with my rising 10 y.o., and rising 8 y.o. twins next year. I will also have a rising 1st grader, and a preschooler, and a 2 y.o. I noticed that you used both the ECC and the 1st grade MFW this year, and was wondering how that is going (being in two manuals with different activities)? I was considering just letting my 1st grader tag along wiith her sisters on ECC. What do you think?
Thanks so much!
Dyan
That Little Contenders of the Faith looks great! Definitely going to be looking into that for my three boys! Looks like a great line-up!
OH MY GOODNESS! WOW, that was a HUGE typo!!! I am doing MFW 1st grade with my boys NOT Adventures! I need to go correct that right now! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!!!
I have to ask! LOL Why are you doing Adventures with your 1st graders and not just jumping them into the cycle with their sister in ECC like MFW suggests? I have not see anyone trying to do both and also for a 1st grader? isn’t adventures a 2nd to 3rd grade program? I am new to MFW really. We are finishing up 1st grade this summer and jumping into Adventures with my oldest but my middle child will be doing 1st grade this year along side him. she will be joining in on Adventures also since its the only time I will be going through it. thats what i have been told anyways. 🙂
Yep, I am printing it off right now! 🙂
What!? I had no idea there was a PLL workbook. Thanks for sharing!
Monica
Thanks! I will have to check it out!
Thanks! I will have to check it out!
Thanks! I will have to check it out!
Mama Jenn, this is the spanich group url
http://groups.google.es/group/aprender-jugando-con-doman?lnk=srg&hl=es
it is in Spanish language only, but, We also exchange useful information and have got a shared account where there are over 400 bits, reading or mathematic files in Spanish (also some in English and German because we use a bilingual template based on the famous palmchristy template that changes the sequence of the files automatically).
Another thin, this is the page the program in spanish, and another laguage: “baby star” http://www.babystar.com.co/
See you there!
Hi Shawon~
You are most welcome! I will have to head over to check out the MFW Blogroll!
Yes, it REALLY is that time of year again-LOL! You have some great choices here! Thanks for sharing your printables. I downloaded a few things last night for our calendar and math meeting book. Hoping to link up for the mission of the month-I missed it last month. I have a first grader this year too, but decided not to use MFW for her just yet. By the way, the MFW blogroll linky is up at Mishmash Maggie. Here’s to a great year!
Good for you for getting the whole year planned out! I probably should have scheduled in a few more breaks too! 🙂
Good for you getting the year all planned out! I probably should incorporated more breaks! 🙂
~ Jenn
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Hi! I’m a relatively new reader of your blog and had to comment! This coming school year is the first year I planned the ENTIRE school year, as well. And I feel as you do — a HUGE sense of relief. I did not do this the last two years and both years were quite unproductive…The biggest relief I felt in planning the entire year was when I decided when to have breaks. I’m very afraid of burn-out, so I planned in a few week-long breaks. I’m hoping it will keep things going, but give me some “me” time and the kids a chance to forget about school once in awhile. 🙂
Thanks for the post! I enjoy seeing curriculum other moms are using…I never get tired of it! 🙂
I need to sit down and plan out my school year. Love your picks.
Thank you for sharing!
I know what you mean about not wanting to buy more!
Thanks for helping me test everything.
Thank you so much!
~ Jenn
Looks like you got a great line up for school. I love Grapevine but am struggling to decide on a Bible curriculum. I know what I want but just don’t want to buy one more thing I don’t utilize.
Thanks for sharing (saw your post on Facebook, testing the disqus) Have a great day!
LOVE the Mccall-Crabbs! Great choices. Have a Blessed school year. I need to add life skills good idea!
We are using Grapevine too.
Blessings for a wonderful year!
Ok love the graphics they are too cute. I too am working on planning in advance. It just makes the year more enjoyable. Blessings and have a great school year.
I have used your planning pages this summer to plan our entire school year. Thank you so much for sharing those pages. For years I kept struggling to find a planning page that worked in a homeschooling atmosphere. Thank you!
Jade, you are too sweet! Trust me, I go to bed exhausted every night! 🙂
You will certainly have your hands full, lady! Dunno how you have time/energy/sanity left enough to come up with such amazing printables and fun things to share with us! You… are my hero! =)
Thank you for sharing. I love your printable planning worksheet