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I can’t believe that my family will soon be starting our twelfth year of homeschooling!
It’s amazing to me that I’m getting to be more in the “seasoned homeschooler” category and out of the newbie homeschooler category. Didn’t we just start this journey?
I’m even more shocked that I now have two highschoolers!
One important part of getting everything ready for homeschooling is choosing the curriculum. Obviously you need to know what books you will be using when teaching.
Every year, we seem to change our curriculum a little bit (at least for my oldest two children as they are my homeschool guinea pigs.)
Usually, that means that we are just adding in a few more subjects or beefing up areas that seemed to be lacking the previous year.
This is of course, on of the wonderful things about homeschooling; we can change anything to best help our kids learn!
For those of you who are curious as to how we afford all our curriculum, you’ll want to check out my post on saving money on curriculum!
I seem to average about $100/kid in school curriculum each year.
Some years are lighter if we didn’t change curriculum or I don’t have too many consumable curriculum books to buy. Other years, it might be a bit more than that if I’m having to buy a more expensive curriculum (Rosetta stone, I’m taking about you!) or we need a laptop!
Note: You will find two curriculum lists below. The first one is my new current curriculum style (Classical with a dash of Charlotte Mason). The second one is what we used to use (Charlotte Mason/Classical).
There is nothing wrong with the second curriculum list and I still lend it out to friends. It’s just that through the years, I’ve learned more about classical education and have grown to love it so much which is why we switched curriculum styles.
Homeschool Curriculum (Classical with a dash of Charlotte Mason)- Preschool to 8th Grade
Preschool
I do not do too much for preschool, however the year before my kids begin Kindergarten, I do like to help prep them just a bit. You can read all about it in my post explaining my preschool techniques.
We use a Big Kindergarten Activity workbook. Yes, we use Kindergarten even though they’re in preschool… the preschool version is just too easy.
Phonics: Progressive Phonics Alphabetti books
Kindergarten
Bible: The Gospel Story Bible (stories 1-50)
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 1A & 1B US Edition (our family starts out a grade ahead)
Phonics/Reading/Writing: Progressive Phonics Beginner and Intermediate Books
Enrichment (includes light history/science/language arts/music & art appreciation): Memoria Press K Enrichment (note we’d typically do this in our homeschool group)
1st Grade
Bible: The Gospel Story Bible (stories 51-100)
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 2A & 2B US Edition
Science: God’s Wonderful Works
History: Picture books that cover famous Americans, inventors, holidays, etc.
Phonics/Reading/Writing: Progressive Phonics Advanced Books and Heart of Dakota’s Emerging Readers (2nd semester)
Cursive: New American Cursive 1
2nd Grade
Bible – The Gospel Story Bible (stories 101-end)
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 3A & 3B US Edition
Science: Exploring God’s Creation
History: Overview of World History (A Child’s History of the World)
Reading: Historical fiction readers which line up with the world history
Grammar: Easy Grammar 2
Vocabulary/Spelling: Wordly Wise 3
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for 2nd Grade
Latin: Song School Latin 1
Cursive: New American Cursive 2
3rd Grade
Bible – The Gospel Story Bible (beginning to end)
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 4A & 4B US Edition
Science: Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space
History: US History (plus state history) – Our Star-Spangled Story
Reading: Historical fiction readers which line up with the US history
Grammar: Easy Grammar 3
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 4
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for 3rd Grade
Cursive: New American Cursive 3
Latin: Prima Latina
Copywork: Prima Latina Copybook
4th Grade
Geography: Kathy Troxel Geography Songs (Southern Europe, Middle East, North Africa)
Historical Literature/Vocabulary: D’Aulaires Greek Myths
Grammar: Easy Grammar 4
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for 4th Grade
Composition: Classical Composition I
Latin: Latina Christiana
Copywork: quotes from Story of the World I and Latina Christiana
5th Grade
Bible: The Golden Children’s Bible (New Testament)
Math: Saxon 65
Science: Christian Kids Explore Physics
History: Story of the World I (picking back up with beginning of Rome – End)
Historical Literature/Vocabulary: Famous Men of Rome
Geography: In Famous Men of Rome/Story of the World maps
Reading/Vocabulary: Historical fiction readers which line up with Story of the World I
Grammar: Easy Grammar 5
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for 5th Grade
Composition: Classical Composition II
Latin: First Form Latin (possibly split into 5th & 6th grade)
Copywork: quotes from Famous Men of Rome and First Form Latin
6th Grade
Bible: Memoria Press Christian Studies IV
Math: Saxon 76
Science:Christian Kids Explore Creation Science
History: Famous Men of Middle Ages
History Reader: Story of the World II
Geography: included in Famous Men of Middle Ages
Reading: Historical fiction readers which line up with Story of the World II
Grammar: English Grammar Recitation II
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for older students
Composition: Classical Composition III
Latin: First Form Latin or Second Form Latin if completed First Form the previous year.
Health: LifePac Health Quest + Sex and the New You
Typing: Typing.com
7th Grade
Bible: Included in Notgrass history + Case for Kids
Math: Saxon 87
Science: Christian Kids Explore Chemistry
History: Notgrass America the Beautiful
Geography: Memoria Press United States
Reading/Vocabulary: Historical fiction readers which line up with US History
Grammar: English Grammar Recitation III
Composition: Classical Composition IV
Latin: Second Form Latin
Music Appreciation: Meet the Great Composers 1 & 2
8th Grade
Bible: Memoria Press Book of the Ancient World (it’s also part history)
Math: Saxon Algebra I
Science: Tiner’s Exploring The World of Physics & Exploring the World of Biology (with Memoria Press)
History: Memoria Press Book of Ancient Greeks and Book of Ancient Romans
Historic Literature: Illiad and Odyssey (with Memoria Press)
Reading/Vocabulary: Historical fiction readers which line up with Ancient History
Grammar: English Grammar Recitation IV
Composition: Classical Composition V
Latin: Third Form Latin
Logic: Memoria Press Traditional Logic I
Home Ec: Weekly activities to teach basic skills
9th Grade
Bible:Memoria Press Story of Christianity
Math: Saxon Algebra II
Science: Apologia’s Physical Science
History: Memoria Press Book of Middles Ages and Renaissance & Reformation Times
Historic Literature:Poetry, Prose, & Drama I and Midsummer Night’s Dream (both with Memoria Press)
Reading/Vocabulary: Historical fiction readers which line up with Middle Ages – Reformation
Grammar: English Grammar Recitation V
Composition: Classical Composition VI
Latin: Fourth Form Latin
Logic: Memoria Press Traditional Logic II
Elective of Child’s Choice
10th Grade
Bible: Included in Notgrass Exploring America (see history below)
Math: Saxon Advanced Mathematics (this wraps up Saxon’s triple set which means all of Geometry is covered! So basically we get Geometry tossed in as an additional “year” of Math)
Science: Apologia’s Biology
History: Notgrass Exploring America
Historic Literature: Historical literature from US History
Composition: Classical Composition VII
Latin:
Logic: Memoria Press Material Logic
Consumer Math: Demme Learning’s Stewardship
Elective of Child’s Choice
Homeschool Curriculum (Charlotte Mason/Classical)- Preschool to 8th Grade
Preschool
I do not do too much for preschool, however the year before my kids begin Kindergarten, I do like to help prep them just a bit. You can read all about it in my post explaining my preschool techniques.
We use a Big Kindergarten Activity workbook. Yes, we use Kindergarten even though they’re in preschool… the preschool version is just too easy.
Phonics: Progressive Phonics Alphabetti books
Kindergarten
Bible: The Gospel Story Bible
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 1A & 1B US Edition
History & Literature: Sonlight Core A
Phonics/Reading/Writing: Progressive Phonics Beginner and Intermediate Books
1st Grade
Bible: The Jesus Story Bible
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 2A & 2B US Edition
History & Literature:Heart of Dakota’s Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory
Science: God’s Wonderful Works
Phonics/Reading/Writing: Progressive Phonics Advance Books and Heart of Dakota’s Emerging Readers
2nd Grade
Bible – The Awesome Book of Bible Facts
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 3A & 3B US Edition
Science: Exploring God’s Creation
History & Literature: Sonlight’s Core C
Reading: Sonlight’s 3rd Grade Readers
Grammar: Easy Grammar 2
Vocabulary/Spelling: Wordly Wise 3
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for 2nd Grade
3rd Grade
Bible – Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing
Math: Singapore Primary Mathematics 4A & 4B US Edition
Science: Christian Kids Explore Biology
History & Literature: Sonlight’s Core D
Reading: Sonlight’s 4rd Grade Readers
Grammar: Easy Grammar 3
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 4
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for 3rd Grade
Cursive: New American Cursive 1
4th Grade
Grammar: Easy Grammar 4
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 5
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for 4th Grade
Cursive: New American Cursive 3
5th Grade
Bible: Case for Kids
Math: Saxon 65
Science: Christian Kids Explore Physics
History & Literature: Sonlight’s Core F
Reading: Sonlight’s Core F Readers
Grammar: Growing with Grammar 5
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 6
Spelling: Fry’s Word List for 5th Grade
Critical Thinking: Building Thinking Skills Level 2
6th Grade
Bible: Sonlight’s Core G
Math: Saxon 87
Science:Christian Kids Explore Creation Science
History & Literature: Sonlight’s Core G
Reading: Sonlight’s Core G Readers
Grammar: Growing with Grammar 6
Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 7
Writing: Winning with Writing
Spelling: Words from Vocabulary
Critical Thinking: Building Thinking Skills Level 2
Latin: Getting Started With Latin
Foreign Language: Rosetta Stone Japanese
Art: Draw & Write Through History
Typing: Typing.com
7th Grade
Bible: Kay Arthur – How to Study the Bible for Kids
Math: Saxon 87
Spelling: SOS LA 7000
Vocab: SOS LA 7000
Grammar: SOS LA 7000
Writing: SOS LA 7000
LA: SOS LA 7000
History/Geography: SOS H&G 7000
Science: Christian Kids Explore Chemistry
Foreign Language: Rosetta Japanese
Latin: Latin First Form
Health: SOS Health Quest + Sex and the New You
Music Appreciation: Meet the Great Composers 1 & 2
Reading: Select classics (Robin Hood, Secret Garden, Don Quixote, etc)
Typing: typing.com
8th Grade
Bible: Apologia Who Is God
Math: Saxon Algebra 1
Language Arts: SOS LA 8000
Grammar: Easy Grammar 8
History/Geography: SOS H&G 8000
Science: Abeka Space & Earth
Latin: Second Form Latin
Reading: Select historical fiction for American history
Critical Thinking: The Thinking Toolbox
Home Ec: Weekly activities to teach basic skills
Those are our basic subjects. Other subjects such as health, P.E., etc I take more of an unschooling approach and just incorporate them into our lives as they fit in naturally.