Our 2013-2014 Curriculum Choices

I am a wanderer.  I love a curriculum, but then I wander because I see a great review of something else.  I always come back to my first curriculum love--Heart of Dakota.  It seems to be the only curriculum that satisfies my educational goals and teaching style   We have used 4 of their guides. Something new and enticing comes out every year to tempt me, but my heart belongs to HOD.  I need to just surrender and stop my wandering eyes.  So here are my official choices this year.  I will not be doing all of these things every day!


Disclosure:  This post contains some affiliate links.

Together
History/Science/Bible Heart of Dakota Creation to Christ.  I love that HOD uses living books for history.  My kids have learned so much through our read aloud times--even though CTC suggests having the student read the books independently, I will be reading them aloud.  Buddy is not ready to read at that level and Pickles is more of an auditory learner.  Besides, I enjoy our relaxing times reading together.  Science this year utilizes Apologia's Zoology 3: Land Animals of the 6th Day.  I already own this, so now I will finally be using it!  I also really like the cementing of information through notebooking.

Amanda Bennett Unit Studies  Throughout the year, we take occasional breaks from the norm and do unit studies.  I have found Amanda's studies to fit the bill for what we need.

I also often supplement what we are doing with offerings from Currclick. They have everything under the sun!


Bible Grapevine Studies  Use discount code AUGBLOG for 20% off any non-sale item!
Worldview  Apologia's Who is My Neighbor?--love, love, love this series!

Art and Music  We will be taking co-op classes to meet these requirements.

Pickles 5/6 grade
Math  She asked to go back to Horizons this year.  We'll see how it goes.  This has been our hardest area to find a suitable fit.

Grammar  Winston Grammar

Reading/Lit.  BJU Reading 6  Pickles is not a big reader so I decided to go the textbook route here.  I read aloud a lot, but she needs smaller chunks with comprehension checks.  This will be my first time using a textbook!

Writing  We are planning on signing up for an online class with Bravewriter, Partnership Writing

Thinking Skills  Critical Thinking Company Building Thinking Skills 2  She is finishing this up from last year, it's a big book!

Word Study  Critical Thinking Company Word Roots A1

Geography  Trail Guide to World Geography(finishing) and then Trail Guide to U.S. Geography

P.E.. Pickles takes tap and jazz dance and gymnastics,  she is also on a very aerobic worship team

Buddy 3rd grade

Math  He will finish out Math U See Gamma and move on to Delta

Grammar Winston Grammar

Reading--our main focus this year.  All About Reading Level 2, hoping to move on the 3 when it is available, lots of reading together

Writing  Bravewriter Jot it Down, Partnership Writing

Thinking Skills  Critical Thinking Co. Building Thinking Skills 1, finishing up from last year

P.E.  gymnastics, tap dance

F is for Fidgets

I have kids that can't sit still during read aloud time.   They insist on doing somersaults across the room, jumping on the couch, touching each other and being distracted in general.  I know that some kids are just wired this way and can still absorb information.  I'm okay with that.  I am the one with a problem focusing when they are doing all these things while I try to read.  My solution has become fidgets.  My kids are now better able to sit in one location and still be "busy" while I read.  I check for listening and comprehension often through narration and questions so I know that they aren't distracted.

Here are a few of the items that we keep in our fidget basket.

Relaxing items--scalp massager, body brush(leftover from brush therapy), bendy wire and who can resist Troll hair!

Zoomorph connecting animals

Zome Tools

Squishy Toys--we love the mice in the cheese!

Keeping hands busy with Unifix cubes, tangle toy, marbles, magic worm, hacky sack, wire puzzle

Etch a Sketch, Mars Mud and Thinking Putty

C is for Compassion International

Help a Child

I began sponsoring a child with Compassion when I was in high school.  His name was Jose and he was from the Dominican Republic.  I enjoyed getting letters from him and I kept his picture on my dresser.  Now, my family sponsors two children from Guatemala.  We chose Guatemala because that is Buddy's birth country.  We sponsor a girl named Maria and a boy named Nelson.  We have really cherished our letters from both children and we pray for them often.  They are an extension of our family and we are glad that we can bless them and pray that our sponsorship is able to pull them from poverty and bring them into a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

We recently had an opportunity to tour the Compassion headquarters here in Colorado Springs.  There are 900 people that work there!  They work with 26 countries around the world, making life better for families in poverty and more importantly, introducing them to Christ.  It was a great learning experience.  Our tour guides were super informative and kind.  We walked through areas that depicted a typical home in Africa, the children hauled their water containers and ended up at the trash dump.  We learned that many families(usually the children) dig through the dump to obtain items to make everyday household items we take for granted--pillows, blankets, window coverings, toys, dishes, etc.  Next we moved back to the home with the water containers to show how a family that has a sponsor, can now have a water filter so that they can have fresh water.  Next we entered a model of a typical Child Development Center.  The children are able to go to this safe place to learn God's word, sing, play with friends, learn personal care, create and be educated.  Pickles and Buddy were able to make some cards for kids that do not yet have sponsors so that they too can receive something at Christmas.  Letters are so important to these kids!

                                       Toys made of trash


Another opportunity we had was to learn about about a young man named Ben.  He gave a short talk about being a sponsored child at our church's presentation of The Thorn.  Ben lived in a village in Kenya, that was literally a trash dump.  The people there have little hope and think of themselves as no more than trash.  He was able to go to school and become a Christian due being sponsored by someone in Austin, TX when he was a boy.  He is now living in Colorado and going to college!  What a great testimony to the work of Compassion.  As Ben said, he was once a "packet".  These kids are real and our sponsorship makes a real impact on the rest of their lives!  You can see Ben's story here.

Please consider becoming a sponsor to make the difference in a child's life and to further the kingdom of God. 

Do you run?  Consider joining Team Compassion

USA Today article--how Compassion's mission is working

Did you know that Compassion has a homeschool curriculum on their website?  Awesome stuff!  Go check it out! 
Homeschool curriculum

If you are currently a sponsor, and don't know what to do for your child check out these letter writing ideas:
Letter Writing FAQS
Pinterest Board

For your kids
Play Quest for Compassion online game to learn about poverty

Explorer magazine --read online
Pickle's friend Elise is featured as the Compassionate kid this month! Please check out her partnership with Compassion here--Kids Like John  Pickles has been able to participate in fundraising for this amazing cause!

Follow Compassion on Facebook and Twitter!  Read their blog

A is for Acting

A is for Acting

Acting has become a huge part of our lives.  My once very shy, Pickles, has become a budding actress.     She became interested through taking a co-op class a few years ago.  She was still bashful back then.  Last summer, she and Buddy did an acting camp at a local children's acting academy.  She caught the bug!  She has since enjoyed being a part of two semester long classes with plays performed at the end.  She also had a main part and solo in The Secret of Snowflake County, our church's Christmas musical.  This has also led to her taking tap dancing lessons and joining our church youth worship team and choir.  My laptop crashed, so I lost all pics, but found this tiny bow on Major Dad's computer.

We have obviously seen the benefits of acting when it comes to shyness.  It may not happen for every child, but Pickles has really blossomed.  Buddy was even able to perform the play for camp last summer.  He has high social anxiety and usually shuts down when it comes to speaking to anyone other than family.  I was so proud to see him up there on stage, delivering all of his lines on cue.  There are many other benefits to acting.  It can increase confidence, self esteem, reading skills, focus and attention.  It provides children with opportunity for socializing and teamwork.  Acting is valuable for teaching kids to problem solve and communicate effectively.

Perhaps you aren't interested in signing up for acting classes or doing a community play.  You can still enjoy acting in your own home!  My kids sometimes spend hours making up plays for us to watch.  They are exercising their imaginations and using up some of their extra energy.  Pickles and Buddy also enjoy putting on puppet shows.  If they are really into pretend play on a school day, I don't feel guilty about letting them go.  My couch cushions rarely stay in place!  I prefer letting them make up their own plays, using their imaginations or something we have studied.  It really helps get their creative writing juices flowing.  They are also big into improvisation.  You can also purchase/borrow books with plays written for you.  Reader's Theater books are great for squeezing in some school subjects like science or history!  The possibilities are endless.

We have also been able to enjoy Broadway shows and local productions of plays like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Thorn.  I believe that quality theater productions and movies are enriching to children's(and adults') lives.  

Resources:
Christian Crafters  Christian plays, skits and puppetry
Puppet Resources  Christian puppet plays
Evan Moor Reader's Theater
Reading Lady free Reader's Theater scripts
Scholastic
On Stage

Homeschooling with a Chronic Illness

I suffer from two different illnesses.  I have Crohn's Disease (a disease that affects the small intestine) and I also battle depression.  A lot of my days are difficult.  I am either really tired, achy or having stomach pains.  My kids understand, but it is hard to get back in the groove after I take a break from teaching.  I have learned to take better care of myself in order to be a better mom and teacher.  I try to eat right, exercise and sleep enough.  Our days go well when I get an afternoon nap.  I usually lie down around 2 and the kids play quietly.  I used to feel guilty about napping in the middle of the day, but it is a necessity for me.  If I take care of myself, I am a better mom and teacher to my kids.  Not to mention, a better wife!

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Sometimes we do schoolwork at night and that is okay.  Thankfully, we can school when it is convenient for our family.  Homeschools can look different from family to family. I also think that there is no shame in asking for outside help.  Maybe a relative or other homeschooling friend can take over a subject or two during a season.  Co-ops, enrichment classes, athletics, etc. have been helpful to me.  I know that my kids are still learning, but some of the burden is off of me.  I use this time to refresh myself by reading or doing something for myself while my kids are being instructed.  At times, we have had more outside activities than other times.  It is wonderful to be able to change how much or how little we do from season to season.

A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.  Proverbs 17:17


If you have a daily battle with your health and homeschooling, I encourage you to keep at it.  Don't let guilt creep into your conscience.  If God has called you to keep your children home, He will equip you and your children.  Pray and trust.  With God, nothing is impossible.(Luke 1:37)  Spend time in the Word and keep your spirit strong.  If our spirit is strong, we can soldier through the tough days.  Choose joy.  Never give up your hope for healing--God still performs miracles.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.  Psalm 103:2-5

Easy Sun Craft

We studied the sun last week and found a fun craft to make--a wax model.  We broke up red, orange, yellow and brown crayons into small bits onto a paper plate.  We then microwaved the crayons 15 seconds at a time until all were melted.  Using a craft stick, we then swirled the colors around.  After hardened, we added a few more shavings of yellow and orange to make solar flares and prominences.  My kids thought that their suns were too red, but I think they turned out great!  You could also use this idea to make the planets.

Inspired by this

New Curriculum for the New Year

As is common with a lot of homeschool families, it's time for a reevaluation of curriculum.  A fresh start has come to our home with the new year.  I don't usually make resolutions, but I do like to see what is working and what is not from the past semester.  We had a very odd fall.  We jumped into several activities and had several health issues that put us into survival mode when it came to schoolwork.  The 3 Rs tended to be my main focus.  This semester will still focus on those things, but we are adding in much more in the areas of arts and science.  Our main curriculum will come from Geomatters . We used Galloping the Globe several years ago for Kindergarten/1st.  This year we will use it again with more depth.  Last time we didn't use Considering God's Creation with it and are going to use it this time.  We will also do various stand alone science experiments.  Pickles will also be completing the notebook for Trail Guide to World Geography by Geomatters.  I have a degree in geography, but I love that I don't have to do all the planning!  As a side note, I am planning to use their Trail Guide to Learning Series next.  Love this company!  We will add in add in more art and music with Harmony Fine Arts Level 4.  I used her 1st grade plans a few years back, as well. 
As far as everything else, we plan to keep most things the same(we don't do all these things every day!)  I categorize my kids as hybrid grades because of their birthdates and abilities.

Buddy 2/3 grade(autism, learning differences)
All About Reading Level 1/2--finally something that works!
All About Spelling Level 1
Math U See Beta/Gamma, Life of Fred math
Evan Moor 6 Trait Writing
Brave Writer Jot It Down
Queen Homeschool Language Lessons for the Very Young vol. 1
Who Am I (Apologia What We Believe Series)
daily family devotions
gymnastics

Pickles 4/5 grade

Math U See Gamma/Delta
Queen Homeschool Language Lessons  for the Elementary Child vol. 2
Queen Homeschool Learn to Spell Through Copywork
Who Am I
Critical Thinking Co.Word Roots
Critical Thinking Co. Reading Detective
daily family devotions
gymnastics, dance, acting