Posted on 06/28/2006 4:20:41 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
Free Republic Homeschoolers’ Forum 2006-2007
A spot for homeschoolers on Free Republic to share information
First, a big, hearty CONGRATULATIONS to all those students who graduated this year! May you enjoy happiness and success in all of your endeavors.
For those of us still working toward that goal, this forum has been a wealth of information. News articles and legislative alerts keep us up-to-date here. Many thanks to Jim Robinson and Free Republic!
Last summer, we shared homeschooling advice with each other on this thread.
All of the books, curricula, and resources mentioned on that thread – as well as a few mentioned elsewhere on Free Republic - have been carried over to this one. (See the list in post #2).
Please feel free to post more information to help other homeschoolers and share more advice with each other right here on this new thread.
Best wishes for all of you and your families this year!
I especially liked the price of the Sam's stuff. My big mistake when we started homeschooling was overbuying, especially for the first couple of years. We wasted a lot of money that way.
We used Saxon Math starting at Math 54 and going all the way through Calculus. That's why we chose it, because by not skipping around to different curriculum, we would be pretty sure the kids didn't miss anything.
We used Rod & Staff, the Mennonite publishing company, for phonics and English. By 7th grade the English is pretty rigorous. When I checked out Abeka's high school English, it was the same level as Rod and Staff's 7th.
Rod & Staff also has a reading program I really liked for 1st through 4th grade. The readers were all based on different books of the Bible so the kids ended up with quite and extensive knowledge of the OT and some of the NT, but it was the workbooks that I really liked. The thing about R&S is that the books are pretty inexpensive and they are very basic; easy to read, clear, appropriate sized print, and not filled with lots of distracting inserts and stuff. Color pictures have their place but to much busyness on a page can be distracting. The lack of extraneous stuff, IMO, makes it easier for the kids to focus on just the reading.
After the Sam's stuff for the elementary grades, we ended up with Abeka for science, health, and social studies. I really liked their Health. For S.S. we tried Alpha Omega and my daughter really liked it. She said it presented history from a different perspective. It dealt more with the why of what happened insted of just the facts and dates. That was her opinion and she liked it better.
Hi metmom, what was the name of the science book you found at Sam's? Would that be The Complete Book of Science series?
I don't recall. It's been a while but that seems right. All I remember is that it was supposed to be for 1st through 6th grade and last I checked a couple months ago, it seemed like they were still carrying the same one. It was about $6.
We use the curriculum package from Seton Home Study School. It is an accredited Catholic school which provides transcripts and a diploma.
www.setonhome.org
Both computer science ... maybe you'll run into Eric in Calculus or somewhere . :-)
I'm deep in the middle of this topic right now; will post info soon.
WOW! Excellent list!!
HEY! My dad graduated from GCC!!
Hey -- we are starting SOS for the first time this year. I have been using Sonlight, which I love. But I am now ready to start #3 in kindergarten (using Sonlight) and I have a 19 month old to chase, so I decided to move my 5th and 6th graders to SOS. SO -- here's my big question for you... The one thing that I was having a little hesitation about SOS over was that I didn't see much focus on reading for the kids -- and I mean BOOK reading, not reading the curriculum. Did I miss something? I have considered looking at their history and assigning some extra book reading. I guess since we read so much with Sonlight, I don't want them to lose their joy of reading books!!
THANK YOU for pinging me to this thread!!
There actually is reading on the computer. However, I had the same concern. We just do a lot of Library time and get them the books they want to read. We try to hook the "fun" books into the lessons. Because I have no prep time with their work, it gives me time to do this.
I'm blessed because my kids love to read. Sometimes I have to push them out the door to play and get away from the books. Lots of Mary Pope Osborne. We love her Greek Myths.
The biggest problem I have with SOS is the idea of doing math on the computer. Many, if not all of the lessons I print out and then just eliminate them from the schedule after. And the idea that 3rd graders can type. Mine is six. We do most of the lessons together so I can type the answers.
But I love the ability to print. We take lessons with us. Also, there was MI manufacturing in the 3rd grade so we hooked it into a trip to Cereal City in Battle Creek. It was tons of fun. (I'm not sure if they send the manufacturing for the state you are in or not)
We went to a different curriculm for a year and we all hated it. It was Classical and although this is the way I would like to go, I think one has to start from the beginning to do it. We love SOS and wouldn't go back.
Ping for Later
My oldest reads like a fiend. The 5th grader will read if I make him -- he doesn't protest too much, it's just not something he chooses to do.
We bought laptops for each of the kids because I work part time and we wanted the kids to be able to do their lessons at Grammy's house on the days that I work. I am going to have to monitor the kids to make sure they aren't guessing at answers for Math. That IS one thing that bothers me. BUT -- the computers are a BIG hook for my kids. They are chomping at the bit to get started but our school term doesn't start until July 1...so I'm making them wait 'til next Tuesday! LOL!!
We have been doing Singapore Math with the two oldest, and they are having to switch over. I'm starting the youngest in Horizons though, because I thought it would probably be an easier switchover when she gets to 3rd grade.
Thank you so much for the input! I really appreciate you taking the time!
We're very fond of Horizons Phonics!
Does he take MA 125?
We are starting our second official year of homeschooling. We really love it. We use a variety of curricula, so I guess that would make us somewhat eclectic?
Winter Promise (for history and LA readers)
http://www.winterpromise.com
Miquon Math Materials and Singapore Math
http://www.keypress.com/catalog/products/supplementals/Prod_Miquon.html
http://www.singaporemath.com/Homeschool_s/60.htm
Spell to Write and Read (spelling, reading, and elementary grammar)
http://webs.integrity.com/backhome/BHI_Catalog.html
http://home.mindspring.com/~teachingkids/id23.html
NoeoScience
http://www.noeoscience.com/
and lots of living literature
When we get to formal writing next year we will probably add IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) to the mix. I have Writing Strands already, though. I am studying it and am not sure that it blends well with us (me in particular).
Bookmark
A forum that began this year and has a lot of information is: http://www.ahomeforhomeschoolers.com/forum/
I am considering homeschooling and have found it to be quite helpful.
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