Our Cup of Tea: July 2012

Monday, 16 July 2012

Back to (Home) School 2012: Our Curriculum (in a Nutshell)

I’ve already posted about curriculum for each of our 3 children, but I don’t want to link up all 3 to the blog carnival, so I’m going to list our family’s curriculum for 2012 in this post, with links back to the others for more details. (Click student name to see those posts.) I’ve also included links for each product mentioned, which I did not do in the earlier posts. Note: The curriculum lists may look long, but some things will be done only 1-2 days a week.

Isaac, Grade 6

Bible—Discover 4 Yourself series (Genesis and 2 Timothy). This is our 3rd year using this series.

Math—Teaching Textbooks 6 and Life of Fred: Fractions. This will be our 3rd year with TT and our first with Life of Fred.

Reading—Drawn into the Heart of Reading. This is our 3rd year using this program.

History—Story of the World, Volume 4: The Modern Age. This is our 4th year using this series.

Read-aloud time--Classics

Language--Easy Grammar, Daily Grams. This will be our first year using this program.

Vocabulary--Vocabulary Cartoons. This is our 2nd year using this book.

Handwriting--copywork

Spelling--All About Spelling (Levels 4-6). This will be our 3rd year using AAS.

Writing--Story Builders: World of Animals (and possibly WriteShop Junior, book D). We used WriteShop last year. Story Builders is from the same company.

Science—Investigate the Possibilities set (Physical Science) and Exploring Creation with Botany (Apologia). This will be our first year with Investigate the Possibilities science but our 3rd year using Apologia elementary science.

Extracurricular—Fine Arts, P.E., Art, Music, Thinking Skills (Critical and Creative Thinking Activities), and Typing (Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum).

Moriah, Grade 3

Math—Primary Mathematics 3 (Singapore Math). This is Moriah’s 5th year using Singapore Math. Isaac also used it for preschool and kindergarten.

Reading—Doors to Discovery (Reading to Learn series). This is Moriah’s 3rd year with this series. Isaac also used it for grades 1-3.

Bible—Wisdom and the Millers, book of Proverbs. Isaac also used this book for 3rd grade Bible.

Language—All About Spelling (Levels 3-4), Language Lessons for the Elementary Child 1, Explode the Code (books 5-7). This is Moriah’s third year using AAS, her first using Language Lessons (Isaac used it, too), and her third year using ETC.

History and Geography—Story of the World, Vol. 1: Ancient Times and Galloping the Globe. This is Moriah’s second year using this SOTW (she did volume 3 last year with Isaac). This will be our first year using Galloping the Globe, although I have been coming up with my own units using the same sort of ideas.

Science—Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space. Isaac also used this program in 3rd grade.

Story Time—various books and lapbooking

Extracurricular--Fine Arts, P.E., Thinking Skills, Seatwork (Spectrum Test Practice), and Typing (Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum)

Gabriela, Preschool

Main core—Early Education at Home. I used this program with my other two children.

Story Time Units—Before Five in a Row. This will be our first year using this program, and I will only be using it for the 15 books I own (unless I purchase some more throughout the year).

Math—Math Play! and Early Bird Kindergarten Math 1A and 1B (Singapore)—We used 1A and1B for preschool and 2A and 2B for kindergarten. I’m not sure they sell them that way anymore, though. They have new editions that are textbook/workbook. I used both of these programs with Isaac and Moriah.

Montessori Activities—Teach Me to Do it Myself. Only Gabriela has done Montessori activities, and we used this book some last year.

That rounds up our curriculum choices for the coming year!

I’m linking this post to “Back to (Home) School ~ Curriculum and Resources” at Classic Housewife.

Field Trip Chronicles: Winter/Spring 2012

January

Lake District, Cumbria—We did a lot of hiking in the mud and chilly weather, but it was fun…honestly, it was!

February

Quarry Bank Mill and Dunham Massey estate, Cheshire—Toured the mill (we go there a lot) and then met up with friends for a walk at Dunham Massey.

The Mill:

Dunham Massey:

March

Nantwich, Cheshire:

Conwy Castle and Llandudno (North Wales):

Chester, West Cheshire:

Snugburys, Cheshire:

Fountains Abbey and York—We explored this ruined abbey. The kids delighted in rolling down the hills and also pretending to battle each other inside the abbey. Later we walked around York, particularly around the cathedral and the historic street “The Shambles.”

The Lake District (again):

Moffat, Scotland and Grey Mare’s Tail:

April

Lyme Park, Cheshire: This one was Gabriela only, as the other 2 were at a church Easter event for kids.

Airports/Flying to the US:

Back in Missouri and touring their aunt and uncle’s house (which they saw during the beginning building process the last time we were home)—here’s Gabriela on their deck with her grandpa:

Silver Dollar City (Branson, Missouri): World Fest—We went to nearly all the shows and saw performers from Africa, Italy, Peru, Switzerland, and Ireland.

Fort Scott, Kansas—We didn’t intend to go this way to Iowa, but we were glad we did.

Iowa and Nebraska—The kids got to see their grandparents, two great-grandmas, aunts, uncles, and cousins…and some family friends, too. They also got to tour their great-aunt’s bed and breakfast house:

May

I’m only covering the first half of May in this post. I’ll put the rest in a post about summer vacation field trips, since we finished school half-way through May.

Field Museum, Chicago

This was a cool exhibit, especially neat since we had studied Mongolia earlier in the year. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures in this special exhibit.

This is me holding Sophia, the tarantula. Isaac held her, too, but his photo didn’t turn out very well. Don’t I look excited? Actually, I was surprised how soft she was.