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Curriculum 2011-2012
 As a beginner I thought it best to start basic and build each year deducting things that didn't mesh well with my kids and add new curriculum as my kids grow. 

Junior's Core Curriculum: For him, I selected the K4 curriculum from Confessions of a Homeschooler. It GREAT! It covers everything from A to Z such as Handwriting, math games, blend ladders, word families, phonics, etc. You name it, It's got it. Also I'm adding a few of the activities from the Confessions: Letter of the Week Curriculum because Jr did not begin with that last year I want to make sure he has a solid foundation with the education games that the K4 Curriculum builds on. Additionally, he didn't get to do the LOTW Palm Tree stuff so we're including it just for fun. JUST a side note if you buy the K4 Curriculum be prepared to print out A LOT of stuff but its well worth it! 

Left to Right: The Leap Frog Read and Write Leap Pad is probably one of my favorite learning tools, and it doesn't hurt that the kids love it. Next the Top Reader (by level) Education books are fun and neat, also I got them for cheap at a Barnes and Noble clearance sale, they come in every category from Egyptian Pyramids to Human Anatomy plus they are by reading level. Right: Found this Mead education books from Wal-Mart and it works well and of course a bargain. What makes this book special is that the letter tracing is grooved into thick paper so the feel it with the pencil when they go over/past the top and bottom lines.

We will use these books every week all year long, as long as the boys are interested we will use them. The Usborne lift-the-flap book is totally awesome because every page focuses on a category with a flap word under the picture then on the adjacent page the reverse-the picture under the flap...so cool. Also Jr.'s speech therapist recommended these Fisher Price Little People Ready Reader Books which are categorized by age level and each have 10 stories, Jr. loves these and they are a frequent   bed-time reader. Last are fun flash cards. We will practice a category of flash cards every Tuesday.

Geography/History: Because he's only 5 and is the oldest Jr's going to do a home-made version of the Confessions of a Homeschooler Road Trip USA mainly because I think he needs more of a foundation to build on before he goes into that study. Thus, this year he will earn about all the states, their capitals, state flower/plant/animal/population and a simply history. Also I found this great USA map with attachable stickers so as he and his little brother go through it they can add the state sticker. Also I created a list of fun activities to do with my kids throughout the year and will be posting pics.

Science: Jr loves to experiment and see how things work so for science I'm using a Science Projects workbook Physics Tricks from Target I picked up for a DOLLAR. Also I found a great website with cool Kindergarten science projects: check it out at http://educationaltoyfactory.com/kindergarten_science_projects.htm. We'll do these throughout the year and record them in our composition notebooks. 
Math: We're using Saxon Level 1 which comes conveniently in homeschooling format. All the manipulative stuff I needed for the program I either made or bought from a school resource store.





 Phonics/Spelling: For beginning reading we're using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons plus PDF form. 

• Because Jr is still in the learning and listening stages and needs extra work daily to learn not just letter sounds but how to use his mouth, tongue, cheeks, facial muscels, etc. I'm using Mommy Speech Therapy because it offers support for both parents and child and gently teaches parents how to unlock their child's voice.

Art: This first year we are focusing on learning the basics of art: different art terminology, primary vs. secondary colors, lines, shapes, textures, and mediums of art forms. My reason for this is that the boys are young and new to school and need a solid foundation before I throw them entirely into the world of art, plus I want to keep things light and fun.

Bible: for Biblical education I've decided that we're going to do project studies such as Fruits of the Spirit (2-3 weeks), the Books of the Bible (learn about 2-3 books each week), Major Characters in the Bible Study, Who God Is, the 10 Commandments, memorizing scripture (the Engineer goes along with the LOTW and Jr's goes along with his Awana's Bible Stuff). Also we're using various literature and CD's to go along with our studies. In future years we will narrow our focus and study and follow a Trivium Curriculum. More to come on this as the year progresses.






My Pre-Pre-K little man, the Engineer is using the Confessions of a Homeschooler Letter of the Week Curriculum which is simple but still lays down a good foundation for his beginning school years. He will follow a watered-down version of Jr's science, geography/history and Bible studies.

That's all she wrote folks.


Hi Everyone! Well its that time of year again as the start of our school year is quickly approaching. I've many changes to our curriculum from last year and I think its going to be great.

Junior (first grade):

• Language Arts: Alpha Omega LIFEPAC Level 1, All About Spelling Level 1
• Handwriting: Horizon Penmanship Level 1
• Arithmetic: Saxon Math Level 1
• Bible: LIFEPAC Bible Level 1
• Science: I.ScienceMaTe Level K/1, Apologia Zoology 1 and up
• History/Geography: Alpha Omega LIFEPAC Level 1
• Music: Famous Composers Unit Studies, Piano Lessons
• Art: Meet the Masters 
• P.E.: Weekly Workout Fitness Program at our YMCA, Horizons Health/P.E. level 1
• Unity Studies: Stay Tuned!

Supplemental Books (other then books used in his curriculum studies):

• KUMON workbooks: Time, Money, Mazes, Amazing Art Projects
• A+ workbooks: Addition, Subtraction, 50 States books 1 and 2, Famous Landmarks, Presidents, Insects, Sea Creatures, Dinosaurs, and Space Exploration (these are $1.00 from Target whoohoo!)

The Little Engineer (pre-k):

• Confessions of a Homeschooler K4 curriculum which includes:
• Bible
• Math 
• Reading 
• Writing
• Art 
• Music and Movement
• Sight Words
• Vowel sounds/blends
• Motor Skills

• Books:
• Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons
• KUMON: Mazes, Alphabet Games, Numbers, Easy Telling Time, Easy Counting Money
• Level pre-k reading books

The Tiny Queen Bee:

• Anything we're doing that she's interested in besides complicated science stuff :)

 How do I keep it all organized?

Last year I found that if I didn't have anything planned for the week or day then I didn't know what to do with the kids other then a random art project. That's why I love these books. I organize my curriculum by weeks not by dates on a calendar because some weeks just don't go well and this way I know we're not skipping lessons in the books to stay "caught-up" but still can go through 180 days of school. Another reason why is that it helps me to keep track of what units are coming up so I know what books to check out from the library, supplies we need, etc. Lastly, these books work well because they help to keep track of what we've accomplished for our portfolios throughout the year. 

School starts tomorrow, wish us luck!