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Parenting & Farm Kids:  Homeschooling Curriculum  |
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babysmama
True Blue Farmgirl
931 Posts
Elizabeth
Iowa
931 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 06 2009 : 6:52:51 PM
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I would love to know if anyone here uses set curriculum for their homeschooling? I am preparing for teaching 1st grade to my daughter this year and would feel more comfortable with a whole set of curriculum, instead of picking and choosing my own plans. I am looking at Rod & Staff but am also interested in seeing what everyone else uses. And by any chance does someone have 1st grade sets (the books, I can purchase the workbooks seperatly) for barter or sale?
-Elizabeth |
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
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Mother Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Cindy
Peck
ID
USA
604 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2009 : 9:52:28 PM
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Elizabeth, I don't have a set curriculum, I make my own, however, I had checked into Abeka (not sure if that's how you spell it) and I liked that one a lot, but my daughter isn't a really self motivated learner so I didn't choose it. Abeka is Baptist based. I'm not Baptist but was wanting a "christian" based curriculum.
OH, check out www.sonlight.com that's one I looked at also. I like the honesty of the reviews given there.
Good Luck to you,
Cindy
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1 |
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StarMeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
940 Posts
T
MI
940 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2009 : 06:14:09 AM
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Ever check out the books What Every Child Should Know In ___ Grade? They have them for every grade. Might give your curriculum some direction. Another place to get some direction is to check out your state's curriculum standards. If you go to this website http://www.iowa.gov/educate/content/view/674/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1350&Itemid=2287 you can see the benchmarks for your state. At the bottom of that page are some grade level indicators as well. That will break it down even farther for you. (it opens as a pdf)
Or...(and I'm not saying this is better) you can look here http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753_33232---,00.html for our MI grade level content expectations. If you scroll down to first grade, you'll see the GLCEs for science, social studies, ELA (English Language Arts) and math. When you click on ELA for example, it will open up even more info.
And then there is this site http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/regional/Iowa.htm that links you to other sites that talk about homeschooling in Iowa. MI seems to have a lot of homeschoolers and I know the families in this part of the state have activities and a network for help. I'm guessing you probably do too.
Good luck! (and have fun) |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
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lara916
True Blue Farmgirl
170 Posts
Lara
Washington State
USA
170 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2009 : 3:25:31 PM
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I use Calvert which is secular but if you are looking for Christian I have heard good things about BJU
http://www.pennywiselearning.com/Bob-Jones.html
Good luck! Searching out a Curriculum can be alot of fun, but very stressful as well!
Lara #327
"Boots" Becker Homestead Farmgirls |
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yasmine
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
yasmine
wappingers falls
ny
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2009 : 05:31:36 AM
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| Hi! We use, christian liberty for Spelling Phonics, History , Handwriting, and A Beka for Science, Math and English. Not perfect choices for everyone, but this year it is fine for now. Math , there is a lot of work.... |
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tziporra
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Robin
Seattle
WA
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - Feb 23 2009 : 10:57:32 AM
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I'm in the group who don't use a set curriculum. We're Orthodox Jews and there isn't a full curriculum that meets all our needs that I know of. This is also my first year homeschooling (my oldest is kindergarten-ish aged) so I wanted to be able to be free to change course or decide that this whole thing just wasn't for me without a big monetary outlay.
However, now that I've been homeschooling for four months and know that I've found my passion and joy IS teaching my children, I'll be using a lot of suggestions from The Well Trained Mind. It's definitely more work to develop my own course of study, but the things I am interested in working on most (like Bible study, Hebrew and Music) just aren't included in commercial curriculum.
I also really enjoy the freedom that comes from being able to pursue whatever subject catches our interest or fit our needs. For penmanship we are able to write thank-you notes, letters and birthday cards rather than doing a workbook. My daughter also enjoys copying the dictionary (it's a fun picture dictionary). These things can't be done in school because of class size, but at home there is so much opportunity to kill multiple birds with one stone.
I know this doesn't answer the initial question, but I'm so new to this whole thing I just want to jump on every topic that comes along ;)
Best,
Robin |
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corporatefarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
389 Posts
Tamara
Pikeville
TN
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - Feb 27 2009 : 11:28:34 AM
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Elizabeth - I used to head up a homeschool division. Our company was the first ever to have an entire line of homeschool products in christin bookstores. See if any of the christian bookstores around you have Homeschool Headquarters ( that was my divison before we moved several years ago). If so you can review cirrculum sets.
One simple set that I think is great for begining homeschoolers is Alpha and Omega sets They come in boxed sets or individual books. They cover every subject and testing and teachers manuals are included in the boxed sets. GOOD LUCK!
live well,
Tamara
www.thegoodearthfarm.com
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children"
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pearlgirl
Farmgirl in Training
14 Posts
Lydia
Holland
MI
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2009 : 7:33:34 PM
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I was homeschooled from the very start and we tried nearly everything out there. For the past few years my Mom has been using Christian Liberty Press http://ebiz.netopia.com/clpress/(they combine several different curriculums and their own stuff for you) on my brother; I have really liked their books. I am already graduated but I hope to homeschool my own children someday. I am reading a really good book called Teaching the Trivium on a homeschool classical education that I hope to implement myself, but for a first generation homeschooler a little more guidance may be helpful.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Pro 31:30,31
http://pearlsgleanings.blogspot.com/
http://www.pearlgirl901.etsy.com/ |
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MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2009 : 10:55:02 AM
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That's what I kind of like about Calvert tz. It's just the basics, then that leaves you enough time in the day to put in your own extras.
I'm also of a small religion, and wanted to have religious courses added to the cirr. However, my religion doesn't really offer any courses. BUT, there's plenty of childrens religious books/cds/dvds that my religion does offer, so between those AND another man of my religion put together a computer program that you can personalize completely, I've made up my own cirr.
Also I made up my own cirr based on my daughter is only 2, and there is no formal cirrs for her.
But, when she turns 4, we will do Calvert, mixed with the loose religious cirr I have made up-it will get more in depth as she gets older.
But, like I said the great thing about Calvert, is it's just the bare bones of all the basics that all kids need, and leaves plenty of time for what ever your families extras-weather it's religious, dance class, sports, etc.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
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City_Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
509 Posts
Christina
Omaha
Nebraska
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2009 : 7:48:00 PM
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We have always loved Oak Meadow which is based on the Waldorf style for K-8. It is a secular curriculum. I also loved the book the Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer. I would recommend to anyone that homeschools to read it. She is amazing and the book is very detailed for all grades. One of the series of books she suggest is the Story of the World. You can purchase guides that go with these and they can be used for various grade level. THe books are great and my husband and I even learned some things from them while reading them with the children. Also the phonics book she recommended worked great for my son. It is called Phonics Pathways I believe. My children are 13 and 17 now so it has been a while since we used that one!
You may feel like you need a full set of curriculum but I would highly suggest that you buy used first because history taught me many expensive lesson in finding my childrens learning styles and it is not necessary to have a full set of any one thing. Especially when they are still so young. Trust your heart and let it guide you in this journey. You won't fail your children and they will always be learning whether they are unschooled or book schooled. We are very eclectic in our style now. Which is sometimes the hardest thing to learn as parents.
Christina
Farmgirl Sister #195
City Chick & Friends Chapter Mama
http://justacitychick.blogspot.com/
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Edited by - City_Chick on Mar 14 2009 7:53:19 PM |
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cowgirlandboys
True Blue Farmgirl
308 Posts
Rachael
Missouri
USA
308 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2009 : 10:19:19 AM
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For First grade, if you need to buy an all-in-one kind of curriculum, I would suggest Oak Meadow. It is a great curriculum, academic yet artistic, using quality art supplies and real books. We loved it when the boys were little.
Happy Trails, Rachael
Heaven is
The place where Happiness is
Everywhere.
Langston Hughes |
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farmgirl blessings
True Blue Farmgirl
777 Posts
Lea
TN
777 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2009 : 09:15:21 AM
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I have homeschooled my 3 boys and used a different program for each of them. But one of my very favorites for the early years is My Father's World. http://www.mfwbooks.com/ My son loved it too! We added lots of real books and spent lots of time outdoors observing nature based on the book "A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Art of Gentle Learning." It changed my entire perspective on educating my children and inspiring their love of learning.
Enjoy every sweet moment!
Blessings, Lea
www.farmhouseblessings.blogspot.com
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Parenting & Farm Kids: Homeschooling Curriculum |
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Homeschooling Curriculum
