Resource recommendations

Amy Wallace · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Atlanta, GA

I'd love to hear what you all are using for school! Other moms' recommendations are the best places to find great resources for my girls. In fact, I'd say learning from other moms has helped me not have a pile of curriculum I didn't use or hated having to use. I've loved the things we've chosen and so have my girls.

Here's our list...

Veritas Bible and History
Sonlight readers and read alouds and Science 3
Sam's Science Adventures (to suppliment Sonlight's lack of experiments we enjoy 3rd Grade)
Math U See
God's World News
Shurley Grammar
Meet the Masters Art
Power-Glide German
Brighter Vision workbooks
Sing, Spell, Read, and Write

Whew! I'm so glad it's God's energy I run on! Very Happy

Amy
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Amy Wallace
Wife to wonderful hubby David 12-31-94
Mom to three incredible blessings
Beloved child of the King
I Thessalonians 5:16-24

razorbackmama · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:32 pm Post subject:

Currently we are using a combination of Bob Jones HomeSat and Bob Jones that I teach myself for everything except art and handwriting. We use Art with a Purpose and Handwriting Without Tears for those.

Next year I'm planning to switch to Tapestry of Grace for history and writing (it also covers some literature and such), Apologia Elementary for science, and Rod & Staff for English. I don't dislike BJU at all for those subjects, but I think it will be easier on me and even more fun for my kiddos for them to do history and science all together. Smile

I like BJUs English, but it is VERY heavy in writing, and I knew it would be overkill with the TOG writing. So I'm switching to R&S because it's not as heavy in writing.

We'll keep using HomeSat for reading, math, and spelling. I'll continue to teach Bible myself (I combine the older 3 for that). My youngest son will start PreK next year, and he is chomping at the bit to start it with the HomeSat - he remembers when my oldest dd did it last year, and he CAN'T WAIT!!! Smile

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momma to an 8.5yo ds, a 7yo ds, a 5.5yo dd, a 3.5yo ds, and a 1yo dd

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Amy Wallace · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Atlanta, GA

Isn't it so cool when you find what works for your family and your kids are excited about school???

My oldest loves writing, so our grammar is very heavy with writing and she loves it. Next in line loves being like big sister, so I think we'll start her next year just like we did the oldest. With little-bit I may have to try something new because she marches to the beat of her very own drum. Laughing

Thanks for sharing what you all are doing!

Amy
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Amy Wallace
Wife to wonderful hubby David 12-31-94
Mom to three incredible blessings
Beloved child of the King
I Thessalonians 5:16-24

razorbackmama · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 4:25 pm Post subject:

Oh come on...she likes writing? I never would have guessed that! Wink

Hey a neat tidbit - if you do Shurley English in the secondary level, my senior English teacher wrote that curriculum! Teddie Faye Raines is her name, and I LOVE HER!!!!! She experimented on us all the time with her jingles LOL.
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Kirstin
wife to a great guy for 11.5 years
momma to an 8.5yo ds, a 7yo ds, a 5.5yo dd, a 3.5yo ds, and a 1yo dd

Visit my blog!

Amy Wallace · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Atlanta, GA

Kirstin,

I read your tongue in cheek reply about my oldest liking writing and I had to think about it! Surprised

And then it dawned on me.... oh, yeah. I'm a writer. Laughing

My oldest actually submitted her first story to Stone Soup magazine. We still have about three weeks until we figure they're not interested. I'm praying they will be. It was an adorable story! Guess I'm a bit biased though.

Anyway, she really loves to write and so does my second dd too. Guess God knew what he was doing putting our family together. Very Happy

How cool you know the curriculum writer for Shurley English. I'll have to tell my girls that when we start using it. I'm guessing we'll stick with the Shurley Grammar since it works so well for us.

Isn't it great there's curriculum to fit our strengths and weaknesses as teachers and our kiddos too? I'm overwhelmed by all the choices, but glad for them too.

Amy
_________________
Amy Wallace
Wife to wonderful hubby David 12-31-94
Mom to three incredible blessings
Beloved child of the King
I Thessalonians 5:16-24

razorbackmama · Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 10:40 pm Post subject:

triciagoyer · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Montana

I use mostly Switched on Schoolhouse for my kids. They like working on the computer . . . and I like the fact that it grades the work for me!

My youngest son (11) (who doesn't like the computer as much as the older two) works through a variety of workbooks. We've also discovered Educational videos through our library system. His favorite is Popular Mechanics for kids, who have a lot of fun videos, on how rollarcoasters work, slimy things, etc.

I'm blessed that our library system has a big network and tons of educational videos. He's been watching a new video every day for three months and we still haven't run out yet.

Tricia
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Amy Wallace · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Atlanta, GA

Tricia,

We've looked at Switched on Schoolhouse, but at the time they didn't start until after third grade. Then we found Veritas and my girls so love reading I doubt I'd be able to switch them to another program. Smile

Which is good, but more work for me. <big flour patted on the nose sigh> LOL

Amy
_________________
Amy Wallace
Wife to wonderful hubby David 12-31-94
Mom to three incredible blessings
Beloved child of the King
I Thessalonians 5:16-24

pam_musone · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Georgia

I know that this is coming in way after this thread was started, but we use so many different things that I'll list below.

Robinson Curriculum
Saxon Math
Winston Grammar
Spelling Power
Christian Studies 1
Apologia Elementary Science
Learnables Spanish

These are just a few of the things I do with my kids. That doesn't include all the other things we might suppliment with. I'm seriously looking at what we will do next year. I am really struggling with the question, "Are we doing to much?" Not only do we do our regular homeschool studies, but then my children attend Masters Academy of Fine Arts one day a week for a half day where they cover Art, Drama, Music and History. We were also involved with swimming lessons, spanish lessons, piano lessons, gymnastics and karate. I know that this is just too much. My heart is being drawn toward home. That is where I want to be, but how do you weed out the best from the good? I've been praying hard about this, but still feel in the dark with it. I guess the pressure is coming, because next year, I will start to incorporate teaching my son as well. At least I have the summer to sort this all out. Smile

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Pam Musone

Amy Wallace · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Atlanta, GA

Hey Pam!

Thanks so much for posting what you all do in your home school! It's always fascinating to learn what other homeschoolers are using curriculum wise.

We struggle with the "are we doing too much" question too! I think most of us do, whether it's about curriculum or extra-curricular activities. I think the most important things to consider in choosing best are these...

Will this activity, lesson, or cool thing help my kids love Jesus more?
Will this activity help my kids grow in Christ?
How will this activity help my family grow closer to Christ and each other?
Is this activity in line with who God created my child to be?

Pondering those issues have helped me to weed out good from best and some days even to chuck the schedule and follow the Holy Spirit's lead to just enjoy my children or deal with a specific issue. We don't toss the schedule often, but we are growing to enjoy God and each other as we learn~ scheduled school time or not. Smile

A good thing to remember is that the questions above have no cookie-cutter answers. For example, all church related activities don't automatically earn a "yes" to the questions. All non-church things don't earn a "no" answer either. It truly depends on your child and on listening to the Holy Spirit's direction for each child and your family as a whole. Budget, time, personalities, stage of life, all those things factor into every activity choice we make. But most of all, what we do needs to be in line with what God says is best for our children.

Thanks for posing this question, Pam! Hopefully others will jump in and add to the discussion too.

Blessings,
Amy
_________________
Amy Wallace
Wife to wonderful hubby David 12-31-94
Mom to three incredible blessings
Beloved child of the King
I Thessalonians 5:16-24

~*LakenJade~* · Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 10 Location: Sugar Hill, Ga

My Mom is homeschooling my two younger sisters. She is using "Abeka."
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~*Laken Jade Bailey~*