Tag: Artistic Pursuits

Homeschool Curriculum 2012-2013

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

Here’s my curriculum for the forthcoming school year (my kids are 3rd grade, 2nd grade, and preschool):

Math:  Singapore Math 3A and 3B and 2A and 2B and Miquon Math and Kumon Math Workbooks for Grade 2 and 3

Science:  Apologia’s Astronomy Textbook, Journal, and Lab Kit.  I do want to do an Earth Science unit but I’m seeing how long Astronomy takes us before I decide.

Writing:  IEW’s Medieval-Based Writing Lessons

Handwriting:  Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting

Grammar:  Michael Clay Thompson’s Caesar’s English, Grammar Voyage, Paragraph Town and Practice Town

Spelling:  Riggs Institute Level 2 and Level 3

History:  Story of the World Volume 2:  Medieval History and accompanying Activity Book

Bible:  BSF’s study of Genesis and leftover curriculum

Latin:  Latin for Children A

Spanish:  Spanish for Children A and Rosetta Stone Latin America

Greek: Greek for Children A

Geography: The Complete Book of Maps and Geography

Art:  Artistic Pursuits Book 2 and Art of the Middle Ages (Art in History)

Music:  Guitar Lessons and Note Study from Hirsch

Nature Journaling:  Weather Permitting

Miscellaneous purchases:

Medieval History Wall Timeline from Knowledge Quest

National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers

What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know

The Kingfisher Atlas of World History

Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations by C. E. Thompson

Note for Preschooler:  My goal is just to teach him to read, which I will start with the phonograms and then move on to The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading by Jessie Wise and Sara Buffington.  Anything else he picks up from our daily school is just an added bonus.  He won’t be Kindergarten until next school year but I’m hoping to jump start him.

Review of Artistic Pursuits

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

Introductory Note:  I purchased this on my own.  I did not receive a free copy to review.  Hence, these are my honest opinions and assessments on the curriculum.

Artistic Pursuits is an art program put together by a homeschooling Mom.  This is a review for Grades K-3 Book.

My kids love art as all children do and I have been well pleased with this book.  It offers lessons that pertain to history so we do those lessons as we discuss those historical areas.  It also offers lessons on different aspects of art such as what artists do or see.  I particularly like the historical background and the paintings covered in this book.  It was definitely unexpected and a welcome addition to my curriculum.

On their website you can order their pre-packaged bundle which comes with all the art supplies you need.  I ordered the supplies from one of their links so I could customize it to what I needed and didn’t need.

Art as most of us know is pricey.  It is for public schools as well.  But the kids love it and it is so good for them to express themselves in different mediums.

There are 5 levels from preschool through high school that focuses on different areas.

Conclusions:  Overall great job on educating the student on art and how it pertains to history.  It covers the basics as well.  I am not interested in perfect form or drawing lessons per se since I doubt my kids well be the next Picasso so this book fit well for our needs.

I am unsure if I will continue with this next year.  I like it but I want to focus more on famous artists and am considering the Core Knowledge area as well.  There are some Medieval Lessons in this book that I will save for next year however.  Highly recommend.

Homeschooling Curriculum 2011-2012

by atozmom, posted in Homeschool

I have been promising to update you all on my curriculum choices and I finally got it all ordered.  I had to wait until after we moved so I wouldn’t miss anything.

Disclaimer:  I haven’t tried any of this.  It’s merely a product of my months of research.  Later in the school year, I will post individual reviews after we have tried it for a few months.

Math:  Singapore Math Level 1A & B and Level 2A & B  Plus, I bought the Home Instructor’s Teaching Manual and the first set of tests.  I’m unsure if I will use the tests but wanted to have them on-hand in case I do.

Grammar:  Shurley Grammar Homeschool Level 1 & 2

Writing:  Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) Teacher/Student Combo Pack Level A

Writing with Ease: Strong Fundamentals by Susan Wise Bauer

Handwriting:  Getty-Dubai Italic Handwriting Book B, C, & D

Spelling:  The Writing and Spelling Road to Reading and Writing Teacher’s Edition Level II

This is put out by the Riggs Institute (a little company out of South Dakota) and I love them!  I love everything about their program.  I did Level I with my oldest and my youngest will be doing Level I this year but everything they do is superb in my opinion.  I credit them with my kids’ ability to spell and read so well.

History:  Story of the World Volume 1:  Ancient Times and the accompanying Activity Workbook by Susan Wise Bauer.  I skipped the Test book and will in the future as I feel my kids should be tested on more important subjects such as math and grammar. Plus, I intend to have my kids do memory work from History, which will be test enough.

Science:  Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) K-2

Of all my orders, this is the one I’m taking the biggest chance on. I’m not sure how it will work but we’re going to give it a try.

We are also doing a Nature and Weather Journal this year.

Foreign Language:  Rosetta Stone Spanish (Latin America) Homeschool Edition

Song School Latin

Song School Greek

Bible/Religious Studies:  Foundations 1:  Preparation for Christ by Anne Elliott

Art:  Artistic Pursuits

Music:  The Gift of Music by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson

Guitar Lessons

Memory Work:  Select Poems and Historical References

Supplemental Material:

The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise

I love this book.  This is the book I first bought when I was considering homeschooling.  This book does a great job of laying the case of Classical Education.  What I don’t like about it is now that my kids are in 1st and 2nd grade, I think Susan underestimates the capabilities and abilities of students.  I read about what kids their age used to have to do in the mid-1800’s and this is peanuts in comparison.

I just finished perusing Susan’s Writing with Ease: Strong Fundaments, which I bought as I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do for writing.  I like the idea of narration, copy work, and dictation but I think it’s unnecessary to do that alone.  I think you need to do this in addition to something else (hence why I bought IEW).  Further, I think she spends way too many weeks on doing it.  All my opinion, of course.

Map Trek: The Complete Collection by Terri Johnson

What Your Third Grader Needs to Know by E D Hirsch, Jr.

This is the Core Knowledge Sequence, which I’m a fan of.  It’s a good reference book for where your child should be. It has great history sections (although not in Chronological Order.  It’s all covered.  It just jumps around–something I’m not a fan of).  I also have the Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade Editions of these which I used a lot in my previous homeschool year.

Student Atlas:  I ordered a student Atlas but it was cancelled by Amazon (couldn’t get it).  I have a globe and I think I will be doing enough as it.  I think the historical maps but the study of a continent a month will be sufficient for now.

Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock

Keeping a Nature Journal by  Clare Walker Leslie

The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia

The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of the Ancient World

Final Advice About Choosing Curriculum:  It’s funny because I went into this having an idea of what I wanted to use and then once I started delving into it, I changed virtually all of my orders/decisions.

It’s hard ordering curriculum sight unseen but “you do your best and forget the rest” as Tony Horton says.

Due to the increase in competition in homeschool curriculum, I would say there are a lot of good choices out there.  I would first choose your overall philosophy (classical, biblically-based, unschooling, unit studies, etc) and then go from there.  I think you will find there are amazing choices out there and choosing which one is the hardest part!

Good luck and happy schooling!