The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child — Volumes 1 – 4

The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child —  Volumes 1 – 4

If you are determining what history curriculum you would like to use this school year, I strongly recommend The Story of the World. The 4-volume series illuminates history in a story-like way making it interesting, digestible and memorable. This is not the dry history many of us had in school growing up where you memorized dates and other facts, took the test and soon forget what you learned. 1933339004

Each fascinating volume is a full year curriculum. Every four years, you can start the history cycle over increasing depth and complexity to your activities and reading. With each volume, the content and activity book are more challenging. If you enjoy audiobooks, the narrator, Jim Weiss, is fabulously engaging. Even my husband and I love listening to him.

Here are the four volumes with the recommended grade levels. You can adjust and tailor each one to different grade levels and also teach Story of the World, Vol. 3 Revised Edition: History for the Classical Child: Early Modern Times (Story of the World)within your own family to different ages. I have absolutely loved reading SOTW aloud to my kids over the years, and there is a four year gap between my oldest and youngest children. 

Volume 1: Ancient Times (1st – 2nd grade)

Volume 2: The Middle Ages (3rd-4th grade)

Volume 3: Early Modern Times (5th-6th grade)

Volume 4: The Modern Age (7th grade +)

In addition to the SOTW book, you may consider purchasing the accompanying activity book. Each lesson provides mapping, reading lists, questions, coloring pages and hands-on activities. If you are a crafty mom, you will probably really enjoy these hands-on activities. I am not crafty but do enjoy the questions and mapping. The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, Volume 4: The Modern Age: From Victoria's Empire to the End of the USSR

The activity book is also very helpful if you want to do this year-long curriculum with your co-op or in a pod. I co-taught SOTW Volume 4: The Modern Age this past year at our co-op. We had a blast! Students were responsible for reading and mapping at home. When they came to class each week, we divided them into two teams and had a game show-style trivia competition. Additionally, we shared a meal from one of the places we were studying that week and also engaged in a Story of the World, Vol. 2: History for the Classical Child: The Middle Ages (Second Revised Edition) (Vol. 2) (Story of the World)hands-on activity–usually one from the activity book.

When we began homeschooling eight years ago, SOTW was the first history curriculum we tried. It helped to open my eyes that you can teach children in many different fun and exciting ways. SOTW is a beautiful way to learn the history of the world. Enjoy!

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How to Jumpstart Homeschooling Your Child: Curriculum Ideas and Outlines for Each K-8 Grade Level

How We Homeschool 4th & 5th Grade

How We Homeschool First Grade

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How Much Does it Cost to Homeschool?

California Leads the Way in Cutting Edge, Personalized Education with Charter Schools for Homeschool Families

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Communism Study through Literature

 

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New Literature-Based Science Curriculum: Earth Party!

New Literature-Based Science Curriculum: Earth Party!

I am delighted to review a literature-based science curriculum that introduces elementary school students to life on the planet starting with single-celled organisms and expanding through the animal kingdom.B088GDFC16

Earth Party! An Early Introduction to the Linnaean System of Classification of Living Things Unit Study from Carrier Shell Curriculum uses story and visual references to enhance your child’s understanding.

Here is an overview:

It is multi-sensory:

  • Students are invited to observe first-hand life forms obtained from materials around the house
  • Video resources are listed for students to better see life move
  • Fun, whole-body lab activities are geared for kinesthetic and olfactory learners
  • Students that like to write will enjoy the Student Book1580896065

It is easy to use:

  • Answer keys make grading and discussions easy
  • Activities are geared for different learning styles and noted
  • Suggestions are made for further study including websites, movies, articles and additional books

I love how this approach teaches advanced content in an age-appropriate way.

If you enjoy literature-based learning, check out Communism Study through Literature and my review of California Out of the Box.

You may also like:

How to Jumpstart Homeschooling Your Child: Curriculum Ideas and Outlines for Each K-8 Grade Level

Top Read-Aloud Picks for Your Family

Communism Study through Literature

Fun Ways to Teach Writing Without Buying a Curriculum

You can sign up to follow The Contemporary Homeschooler via email by clicking on the Follow button. Also, join our community on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/TheContemporaryHomeschooler/

Note: If you decide to make a purchase through my blog link, Amazon will pay me a commission for it.  This doesn’t cost you anything additional. These commissions help to keep the rest of my content free. So, thank you!

 

 

 

How to Jumpstart Homeschooling Your Child: Curriculum Ideas and Outlines for Each K-8 Grade Level

How to Jumpstart Homeschooling Your Child: Curriculum Ideas and Outlines for Each K-8 Grade Level

Are you considering homeschooling but don’t know where to begin? Below is a list of recommendations broken out by grade level so you can easily jump in and get started. The resources selected do not require any expertise on your part. They are either scripted for you or allow your child to work fairly independently.   Do not be intimidated.  You got this!

Kindergarten

  • ReadingTeach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is brilliant.  By spending about 15-25 minutes each day over 3-6 months, your child will be reading on a 2nd-grade level upon completion. It is entirely scripted so you have no prep at all.  My son was so advanced from this program that he had already read the first five Harry Potter books while he was in kindergarten.  This propelled us into homeschooling. For $14.99, it may be one of the best investments you’ll ever make in your child’s education.

  • MathHorizons Math is a colorful and visually-appealing workbook that spirals backs to concepts to better ensure long-term mastery.  The kindergarten year comes with a book 1 and 2. You probably only need 2 since we are in the second semester. There is no need to buy the teacher’s manual. CTC Math is an online alternative though I find pencil and paper most effective.
  • Other resources: Reading Bear, Reading Eggs
  • Enjoy time together at this sweet age. Go out in nature. Cook together. Create art. Play games. Be in the moment and soak it in. There will be enough rigorous academics later. Some European countries like education powerhouse, Finland, and Germany don’t start formal academics until 6 or 7.

First Grade

  • 1933339446GrammarFirst Language Lessons is a beautiful way to do grammar with your child. Sit down with a cup of tea or hot chocolate together and enjoy these lessons that are entirely scripted for you. No prep is required.
  • MathMath Mammoth contains both the instructions and exercises so Math Mammoth Grade 1-B Worktextthe students should be able to work fairly independently.  This curriculum helps foster a deep understanding of math. CTC Math is an online alternative though I find pencil and paper most effective. I recommend the free website, XtraMath, for practicing math facts starting with addition.
  • Writing–Have fun with writing during this time. Here is an enjoyable list of writing prompts for your child to journal each day.
  • Reading–Your child can snuggle up with you and read to you from a book he likes for 15 minutes each day. Also, read aloud with your child as much as you can. Here is a list of some of Mr. Popper's Penguinsour family’s favorite read-alouds.  Some great ones to start with are Mr. Popper’s Penguins, the Poppy series, and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.
  • HistoryStory of the World : Ancient Times is the first volume of four in a very exciting narrative series that reads like a story.  If you opt for the audiobook, the narrator is extremely gifted and our whole family enjoys it. There is an optional activity book with mapping activities, review questions, coloring pages, games, projects, and reading lists.

Second Grade

  • GrammarFirst Language Lessons: Level 2 is a beautiful way to do grammar with your child. Sit down with a cup of tea or hot chocolate together and enjoy these lessons that are entirely scripted for you. No prep is required. 1942715056
  • MathMath Mammoth 2 contains both the instructions and exercises so the students should be able to work fairly independently.  This curriculum helps foster a deep understanding of math. XtraMath is a free website for practicing math facts.  CTC Math is an online alternative to the Math Mammoth workbook, though I find pencil and paper most effective.
  • Writing–Have fun with writing during this time. Here is an enjoyable list of writing prompts for your child to journal each day.0140309578
  • Reading–Your child can snuggle up in a favorite, cozy place and enjoy reading 20-30 (or more if she wants) minutes each day. Also, read aloud with your child as much as you can. Here is a list of some of our family’s favorite read-alouds.  Some great ones to start with are Mr. Popper’s Penguins, the Poppy series, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, and Pippi Longstocking. Story of the World, Vol. 1 Bundle: History for the Classical Child: Ancient Times; Text, Activity Book, and Test & Answer Key (Story of the World)
  • HistoryStory of the World: Ancient Times is the first volume of four in a very exciting narrative series that reads like a story.  If you opt for the audiobook, the narrator is extremely gifted and our whole family enjoys it. There is an optional activity book with mapping activities, review questions, coloring pages, games, projects, and reading lists.

Third GradeAbeka Language 3 Grammar & Writing Worktext, 5th Edition (2019 Revision)   -

  • GrammarAbeka Language 3 Grammar and Writing Worktext  is a delightful, colorful and visually appealing workbook. The child can work independently with minimal assistance from the parent. I don’t find it necessary to purchase the teacher manual. Note: Abeka is a Christian publisher.1481012584
  • MathMath Mammoth 3 contains both the instructions and exercises so the students should be able to work fairly independently.  This curriculum helps foster a deep understanding of math. XtraMath is a free website for practicing math facts.   CTC Math is an online alternative to the Math Mammoth workbook, though I find pencil and paper most effective.
  • Writing–Have fun with writing during this time. Here is an enjoyable, free list of writing prompts for your child to journal each day.The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
  • Reading–Your child can snuggle up in a favorite, cozy place and enjoy reading 20-30 (or more if she wants) minutes each day. Also, read aloud with your child as much as you can. Here is a list of some of our family’s favorite read-alouds.  Some great ones to start with are The Tale of Despereaux, The Secret Garden, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, and Pippi Longstocking. Story of the World, Vol. 2: History for the Classical Child: The Middle Ages (Second Revised Edition) (Vol. 2) (Story of the World)
  • HistoryStory of the World: The Middle Ages is the second volume of four in a very exciting narrative series that reads like a story.  If you opt for the audiobook, the narrator is extremely gifted and our whole family enjoys it. There is an optional activity book with mapping activities, review questions,  games, projects, and reading lists.
  • Typing–Learn to type for free using the BBC’s Dance Mat Typing.

Fourth Grade

  • GrammarFirst Language Lessons 3 is a complete writing text that covers parts of speech, sentence diagrams, and skills in beginning writing, storytelling and narration.  Classical education concepts of memorization, dictation, copywork, and narration are part of this program.  Sit down with a cup of hot chocolate or tea together and enjoy these lessons that are entirely scripted for you. The instructor’s guide is also required. If your child is looking for more challenge and would like to diagram in much greater detail, you may opt for First Language Lessons 4 with the teacher guide.
  • Math Mammoth Grade 4 Answer KeysMathMath Mammoth 4 contains both the instructions and exercises so the students should be able to work fairly independently.  This curriculum helps foster a deep understanding of math.  The $10 answer key is suggested. XtraMath is a free website for practicing math facts.  CTC Math is an online alternative to the Math Mammoth workbook, though I find pencil and paper most effective.
  • Writing–Have fun with writing during this time. Here is an enjoyable list of writing prompts for your child to journal each day. 0440412676
  • Reading–Your child can snuggle up in a favorite, cozy place and enjoy reading 20-30 (or more if she wants) minutes each day. Also, read aloud with your child as much as you can. Here is a list of some of our family’s favorite read-alouds.  Some great ones to start with are The Star of Kazan, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, and Where the Red Fern Grows.Story of the World, Vol. 2 Bundle: History for the Classical Child: The Middle Ages; Text, Activity Book, and Test & Answer Key (Story of the World)
  • HistoryStory of the World: The Middle Ages is the second volume of four in a very exciting narrative series that reads like a story.  If you opt for the audiobook, the narrator is extremely gifted and our whole family enjoys it. There is an optional activity book with mapping activities, review questions, games, projects, and reading lists.
  • Typing–Learn to type for free using the BBC’s Dance Mat Typing.

Fifth Grade

  • Writing–This is an excellent and free list of narrative, persuasive, expository and creative essay writing prompts. Allow your child several days to work on each essay including both a rough draft and polished draft. You can provide editing and feedback on these fifth-grade assignments. This will also serve as his grammar assignment.
  • MathSaxon Math 6/5 Homeschool Kit has incremental step-by-step instructions so the child can work independently. The included solutions manual is excellent because it lays out the solutions in a step-by-step format. There is continual practice and review to ensure mastery.  CTC Math is an online alternative, though I find pencil and paper most effective.
  • Reading–Your child can snuggle up in a favorite, 05457091641416940286cozy place and enjoy reading 20-30 (or more if she wants) minutes each day. Also, read aloud with your child as much as you can. Here is a list of some of our family’s favorite read-alouds.  Some great ones to start with are Caddie WoodlawnDeath on the River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Amazon Adventure, and Cabin on Trouble Creek, and The Great Brain series.
  • HistoryStory of the World: Early Modern Times is the third volume of four in a very exciting narrative series that reads like a story and covers the period from Elizabeth I to the 49ers.  If you opt for the audiobook, the narrator is extremely gifted and our whole family enjoys it. There is an optional activity book with mapping activities, review questions, timelines, games, projects, and reading lists.

Sixth Grade

  • Writing–Here is a list of narrative, persuasive, expository, how-to and creative essay writing prompts. Allow your child several days to work on each essay including both a rough draft and polished draft. You can provide editing and feedback on these sixth-grade assignments. This will also serve as his grammar assignment.1591413494
  • MathSaxon Math 7/6 Homeschool Kit has incremental step-by-step instructions so the child can work independently. The included solutions manual is excellent because it lays out the solutions in a step-by-step format. There is continual practice and review to ensure mastery. CTC Math is an online alternative, though I find pencil and paper most effective.
  • Reading–Your child can snuggle up in a favorite, 0545709164cozy place and enjoy reading 20-30 (or more if she wants) minutes each day. Also, read aloud with your child as much as you can. Here is a list of some of our family’s favorite read-alouds.  Some great ones to start with are Death on the River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Amazon AdventureA Little Princess, Tuck Everlasting, and Sophia’s War: A Tale of Revolution.Story of the World, Vol. 3 Bundle: History for the Classical Child: Early Modern Times; Text, Activity Book, and Test & Answer Key (Revised Edition) (Story of the World)
  • HistoryStory of the World: Early Modern Times is the third volume of four in a very exciting narrative series that reads like a story.  If you opt for the audiobook, the narrator is extremely gifted and our whole family enjoys it. There is an optional activity book with mapping activities, review questions, timelines, games, projects, and reading lists.

 

Seventh Grade

  • Writing–Use the outstanding and free Both Sides of the Issue video series from Stossel in the Classroom for your child to exercise critical thinking, research and persuasive writing skills.  Two opposing viewpoints are presented in short videos on each topic to encourage open discussion and critical thinking resulting in a balanced lesson.  Each video is about 5 minutes. Some examples of topics include What Should we Do About Student Debt, Should We Tax the Rich More, The Climate Debate, and Should We Have Single-Payer Healthcare. You child can watch both videos on a topic and write a persuasive essay about why she supports one of the sides. Further research can be required, if you choose, with sources and data to 1591413508support her viewpoint.
  • MathSaxon Math 8/7 with Pre-Algebra Homeschool Kit has incremental step-by-step instructions so the child can work independently. The included solutions manual is excellent because it lays out the solutions in a step-by-step format. There is continual practice and review to ensure mastery. CTC Math is an online alternative, though I find pencil and paper most effective. 0439669960
  • Reading–Your child can snuggle up in a favorite, cozy place and enjoy reading 30 (or more if she wants) minutes each day. Also, read aloud with your child as much as you can. Here is a list of some of our family’s favorite read-alouds.  Some great ones to start with are The Giver, A Night Divided, Angel on the Square series, and Survivors: True Stories of Children of the Holocaust. 1945841753
  • HistoryStory of the World: The Modern Age is the fourth volume of four in a very exciting narrative series that reads like a story. It covers Victoria’s Empire to the end of the USSR.  If you opt for the audiobook, the narrator is extremely gifted and our whole family enjoys it. There is an optional activity book with mapping activities, review questions, timelines, games, projects, and reading lists.

Eighth Grade

  • Writing–Use the outstanding and free Both Sides of the Issue video series from Stossel in the Classroom for your child to exercise critical thinking, research and The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens: Updated for the Digital Agepersuasive writing skills.  Two opposing viewpoints are presented in short videos on each topic to encourage open discussion and critical thinking resulting in a balanced lesson.  Each video is about 5 minutes. Some examples of topics include What Should we Do About Student Debt, Should We Tax the Rich More, The Climate Debate, and Should We Have Single-Payer Healthcare. You child can watch both videos on a topic and write a persuasive essay about why she supports one of the sides. Further research can be required, if you choose, with 0064462080sources and data to support her viewpoint.
  • MathMr. D’s Algebra I includes 12 chapters of video-based instruction, coursework for each section of each chapter, 12 chapter tests, 2 semester exams and a comprehensive solutions manual. Also included is an online grading book and email access to the Mr. D teaching staff. Note: I have not used this program because my 13-year-old son attends an in-person algebra class each week. However, I have heard many great things about this program.
  • Reading–Your child can snuggle up in a favorite, cozy place and enjoy reading 30 B017WQDIBW(or more if she wants) minutes each day. I suggest he reads The Six Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make: A Guide for Teens by Sean Covey. Also, read aloud with your child as much as you can. Here is a list of some of our family’s favorite read-alouds.  Some great ones to start with include The War That Saved My Life, Red Scarf Girl, The Cay, and  The Scourge.B01LP3J9N4
  • HistoryStory of the World: The Modern Age is the fourth volume of four in a very exciting narrative series that reads like a story. It covers Victoria’s Empire to the end of the USSR.  If you opt for the audiobook, the narrator is extremely gifted and our whole family enjoys it. There is an optional activity book with mapping activities, review questions, timelines, games, projects, and reading lists.

Note: We have always done science at our co-op. The reading and workbooks are done at home while experiments are done with their friends in class. Furthermore, we have significantly augmented our science learning out in the world. Musuems and nature centers, for instance, offer incredible classes for hands-on learning. Additionally, science comes to life on nature walks, tidepooling excursions, zoo visits and more!

Here are some other resources:

  • No Red Ink is an internet-based writing and grammar program that provides free curriculum, adaptive exercises and  actionable data.
  • Khan Academy is a free website offering a wide variety of classes for learners.
  • Learn to type for free on the BBC’s Dance Mat Typing. The animation is delightful.
  • Prodigy Math is a free, Pokemon-style math game kids can play online.
  • DuoLingo is a gamified way to learn six different foreign languages. It is fun and free!
  • Many public library systems offer free access to Rosetta Stone Online with a library account.
  • Scholastic is offering free online resources during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Audible is offering a free Audible Stories for website for children of all ages.
  • Get a work out with Kidz Bop Dance videos.
  • A list of science YouTube channels for kids
  • Common Sense Media shared a list of recommended documentaries to watch with kids.

I’ve been homeschooling my kids who are now in 8th, 6th and 3rd grades for the past 7 years. They take the same standardized tests in the spring that all public students in California do and score very well.  Many of these resources shared above have served us well.  Education is not a one-size-fits-all. While much of the curriculum above will work for many children, it won’t be the best fit for all kids. There is a tremendous amount of curriculum to choose from. You can spend hours researching it. I put this list together for you with quality picks that require little prep work on your part and are laid out very well for ease of use.

If you are consideing homeschooling as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, please know that being cooped up in the house is not what homeschooling looks like or feels like at all.  In my experience, it is exciting and dynamic and the socialization is outstanding. Most homeschoolers are out learning in the world. My family, for instance, is quite busy with sports, on-campus classes 2 days/week, field trips, volunteer work, hanging out with friends, and more.

We are thankful for this flexible lifestyle that has allowed us to customize our children’s education and have more time for pursuing our hobbies and interests. Because schoolwork can be completed much more efficiently than in a large classroom setting, there is quite a bit more time for pursuing passions, play and brain breaks.

You have a big support system in the homeschool community. Homeschoolers are extremely generous in sharing knowledge and wisdom. We appreciate that no two families homeschool the same way and aren’t in competition with one another. When one is successful, our collective homeschool community applauds and shines.

Best wishes to you as you start this journey with your children!

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Review of California History Curriculum: California Out of the Box

Review of California History Curriculum: California Out of the Box

California Out of the Box, an interdisciplinary California history curriculum, uses story as a platform for history study and exploration. There is a big hole for a cohesive California history curriculum, so I am delighted to share with you more about this holistic approach with a strong literature component. If you love Story of the World, then I think this may be a good fit for you.  1726672271

It is a 36-week study with 3-5 lessons/activities each week based on 4th grade California state standards. However, it is designed with 3rd-6th graders in mind. While it was written for homeschoolers, it could be easily adapted for public/private schools. Additionally, I think it would work great for a co-op setting. The curriculum book is also the teacher’s guide.

California Out of the Box is an interdisciplinary curriculum. Your children will make connections as various aspects of learning are woven into the curriculum including:

  • Literature
  • History
  • The arts
  • Life and earth science
  • Social studies
  • Folklore and mythology
  • Geography
  • Poetry and literature
  • Research

I like that there is a strong emphasis on quality literature.  Five historical fictions books are used:

 

Three other resources used are:

 

It’s easy to use:

  • Reproducible sheets found at the back of the guide are easy to find and photocopy
  • Teacher’s don’t have to dig for maps; they are in the book.
  • Answer (keys) make grading/discussions easy.
  • Activities are geared for multiple learning styles.
  • Suggestions are made for further study.
  • Picture book list included to engage younger siblings.

It’s engaging:

  • Students will enjoy the links to videos, etc.
  • Visual learners will enjoy looking at images on Google Earth/Images and drawing their answers.
  • Interesting websites are mentioned such as the David Rumsey Map Collection.
  • Historical fiction books contextualize the time period quickly and create memorable learning.
  • Reflection questions encourage older students to draw inferences over time periods and their own lives.

It’s complete:

  • The curriculum covers prehistory through the 1930’s
  • Timeline activities help students place events in historical order.
  • Review activities are interspersed throughout book.
  • Students will explore the land and habitats as they study about the history of that particular area.

Some unique moments:

  • Exploration of the pygmy mammoth skeleton on Santa Rosa Island.
  • After a discussion about migration to California, students will explore requirements to be a US citizen.
  • After studying the San Francisco earthquake, students will explore a unit on geology where they will conduct rock tests.
  • Students will create models of a Gold Rush town or a “Come to California” poster while studying the Gold Rush.
  • Las Posadas and Dia de Los Muertos as cultural traditions are explored; students will learn how piñatas are made.
  • Students will read stories about ways kids have advocated for natural places and explore issues they are passionate about.
  • Habitats such as the coast, chaparral, oak woodlands, Sierra Nevadas, coniferous forests, salt marshes, desert, and grasslands in California are explored (throughout curriculum).

This is a secular curriculum, so you should be able to use charter school funds.

As I am a big fan of homeschooling with lots of great living books, the author sent me a free copy of the curriculum to review. I hope you found this review helpful and enjoy California Out of the Box!!!

You might also like:

How to Jumpstart Homeschooling Your Child: Curriculum Ideas and Outlines for Each K-8 Grade Level

How We Homeschool 4th & 5th Grade

Top Read-Aloud Picks for Your Family

The State of California Pays Me to Customize My Kids’ Education

Communism Study through Literature

Fun Ways to Teach Writing Without Buying a Curriculum

Join my Facebook page to receive every update and post from The Contemporary Homeschooler. I post many articles and thoughts to the Facebook page that are not on my blog.

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How We Homeschool 4th & 5th Grade

How We Homeschool 4th & 5th Grade

Are you looking for homeschool curriculum ideas for your 9-11- year-old? We are eclectic homeschoolers and try to pull from the best of each homeschool philosophy as well as the best publishers.  Because homeschoolers often don’t fit into just one grade level at any given time, you may consider the curriculum below for your 4th/5th grader and even 6th grader.

Math

We use two math programs because they are completely different offering my daughter alternative ways to look at arithmetic. She does two pages of Math Mammoth and one page of Horizons Math each day.

Math Mammoth, by Dr. Maria Miller, is a mastery-based curriculum that focuses on conceptual understanding, number sense and mental math. While mastery- based is excellent so the students can explore a concept in-depth, I do not feel comfortable without the repetition of a spiral program.You may consider purchasing the color version for just a few dollars more.

Horizons Math is more traditional. I like that is a spiral curriculum so concepts continueB0021KTP2Q to be reinforced.  Each set of exercises are in short chunks, so it does not feel cumbersome like some other more tedious math programs. Additionally, the colorful pages and puzzles make it very visually appealing.

My daughter uses MobyMax as an online math supplement. About 3 times per year, she cycles through XtraMath to ensure she remains fluent in math facts. She sails through it faster and faster each cycle.

Language Arts

We use IEW’s U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons. While enjoying tea together, I sit down  with my 10 and 11-year-old children and do our IEW. You kill four birds with one stone using this program as it covers history, literature, grammar, and writing composition. IEW develops strong writers. I have spoken to multiple homeschool kids who have found writing in college a breeze, and they attribute that to their IEW training. It is scripted making it easy for parents to teach.

NaNoWriMo Junior Writer’s Program provides resources and B008GU1DD4encouragement for young authors to pen their own novels. I taught this class at co-op with the free curriculum during our fall semester. This spring, I am using the IEW Student Resources Notebook to help the writers edit their novels.

My kids love to read and spend a great deal of time engaged in pleasure reading. However, I do have a bookshelf from which they can choose for their 25 minutes of daily required reading. I load up on great books at the library, so they always have many choices. After completion, they email me a summary of what they read. It is only about 4-5 sentences. It also serves as a record of what they are reading. 

Daily Grams are an efficient and painless way to learn grammar. It is short and to the point. There is a corresponding text to which you may want to consider alongside your Daily Grams called Easy Grammar. However, my children do not enjoy it. I feel our time is better spent with me editing their writing as well as using IEW.

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is reading aloud to my children. It is a tremendous bonding activity for our family as we go on so many book adventures together. During snack and meal times, I read from a variety of great books. The morning includes most of our non-ficton.  Later in the day, we shift to novels.  map-pics-002

For spelling, we are using Spelling Workout D. However, my kids also love this well-done spelling website.

History

We are big fans of  living books,  field trips and travel for our history studies. We follow1933339179 the classical method of studying history chronologically. I highly recommend Story of the World audiobooks.  Additionally, I appreciate the many wonderful book lists from Charlotte Mason inspired groups.

Science

We explore science out in the world. We are in a nature group that gets together weekly and learns from experts such as park rangers, naturalists, marine scientists,  and farmers. Additionally, my daughter takes a physics/chemistry class at our co-op, and we all read the material together during the week. Co-ops are great because they can spend the entire class period doing experiments to reinforce what we learned during the week from our reading. My kids also took marine science at a facility on the Pacific Ocean for the fall semester.  Hands-on is best, in my opinion.

 

Extracurricular

We believe music and sports are important aspects of education. My kids race sailboats, and we play basketball together as a family every Saturday morning. They also play woodwinds and piano.  We do other extracurricular activities but believe at least one sport and one instrument are non-negotiable.action kate

I hope you found this post useful if you are homeschooling or considering homeschooling your 4th/5th grader. You can see that you can give your child a quality education spending very little money.

Note: My daughter is actually in 4th grade by her birthday. Due to homeschooling, she has been able to accelerate her learning and use 4th-7th grade curriculum.

You may also like:

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You can sign up to follow The Contemporary Homeschooler via email by clicking on the Follow button. Also, join our community on Facebook.

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Note: If you decide to make a purchase through my blog link, Amazon will pay me a commission for it.  This doesn’t cost you anything additional. These commissions help to keep the rest of my content free. So, thank you!

 

How We Homeschool First Grade

How We Homeschool First Grade

Are you looking for curriculum ideas for your 6, 7 or 8-year-old? After homeschooling her two older siblings, I am now homeschooling my youngest with curriculum I think is well-done and a good fit for her. Additionally, it costs less than $100. We are eclectic homeschoolers and try to pull from the best of each homeschool philosophy as well as the best publishers.

  • Writing with Ease Workbook: Level 1 is a favorite of my daughter’s. It provides 1933339268copywork, dictation and narration assignments as well as reading passages from classic children’s literature. I like that it is also entirely scripted so that I do not need to prepare. The publisher states the workbook lessons “are the only materials you’ll need to provide your student with a complete first year of writing instruction. ” Tip: If your child doesn’t remember a detail from the passage you read when you question her, you may gently give her the information and allow her to answer the question back to you in a complete sentence. 
  • Spelling Workout A is a phonics-based program with a variety of activities including riddles and puzzles. I do not buy the teacher’s manual, and she is able to do most of this independently.
  • Reading for Comprehension: Level B is full of short, fun, non-fiction articles and questions to reinforce reading skills. My daughter enjoys this book a lot, and it builds her confidence. She works on this independently. 
  • Math Mammoth by Dr. Maria Miller is a mastery-based curriculum that focuses on conceptual understanding, number sense and mental math.  It is largely self-teaching and requires little involvement from me. I do not find it necessary to purchase a teacher’s manual for this age. I pay a couple dollars more for the more visually-appealing color version instead of just the black-and-white.
  •  Reading–We do not use a reading curriculum or sight words flashcards. Rather, we go the library often and pick out loads of fun books. We snuggle together and she reads to me. Learning to read and enjoy books organically is so beautiful!
  • Science–We explore science out in the world. We are in a nature group that gets together weekly. Additionally, my daughter takes a physics/chemistry class at our co-op as well as marine science at a facility on the Pacific Ocean.  Hands-on is best, in my opinion.1933339179
  • History–We are big fans of  living books,  field trips and travel for our history studies. We follow the classical method of studying history chronologically. I highly recommend Story of the World audiobooks.  Additionally, I appreciate the many wonderful book lists from Charlotte Mason inspired groups. nice kas sarworkmar sarapple hq mom and kidssweeney ridge sdadbehind
  • Literature and Read-Alouds–One of my favorite things about homeschooling is reading aloud to my children. It is a tremendous bonding activity for our family as we go on so many book adventures together. During snack and meal times, I read from a variety of great books. The morning includes most of our non-ficton.  Later in the day, we shift to novels. map-pics-002

I hope you found this post useful if you are homeschooling or considering homeschooling your first or second grader. You can see that you can give your child a quality education spending very little money.

An upcoming blog post will reveal the curriculum used in our home for our 10 and 11-year-old children.

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Do Parents Need More Patience for Public School or Homeschool?

You can sign up to follow The Contemporary Homeschooler via email by clicking on the Follow button. Also, join our community on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/TheContemporaryHomeschooler/

Note: If you decide to make a purchase through my blog link, Amazon will pay me a commission for it.  This doesn’t cost you anything additional. These commissions help to keep the rest of my content free. So, thank you!

 

 

How Much Does it Cost to Homeschool?

How Much Does it Cost to Homeschool?

Did you know you can give your kids an exceptional and customized education for less than $400/year?

Homeschooling is the epitome of personalized education tailored to your individual child. You don’t have to be wealthy to provide a cutting-edge education for your kids. Many families of modest means around the country and even the world are part of this exciting movement!

As parents, we know our kids better than anyone and also have the greatest vested interest in seeking out the best curriculum and programs for them. In addition to individualized one-on-one teaching, we are fortunate to live in a time when some of the best teachers in the world are offering content online for free.

Homeschool families also recognize the value of libraries. The famous line from Good Will Hunting is not lost on homeschool families:

“You blew $150k on an education you could have gotten in $1.50 in late fees from the library.” — Good Will Hunting

Here is a typical homeschool curriculum for a 4th/5th grader. The cost is around $250/year and would be about the same for most elementary-aged children. Furthermore, many of the purchases can be used again for siblings. Even if you hire a private tutor or outsource a subject to a group instructor, the cost is still significantly less than paying for private school.

I try to buy used curriculum on Amazon when possible. Additionally, Rainbow Resource usually has the cheapest prices for new items.

Experiential learning is one of the most meaningful and memorable ways to learn. We go on a field trip just about every week as well as engage in extremely hands-on learning activities with our weekly co-op. Homeschoolers should make the most of their homeschooling freedom and deliberately seek out experiential learning opportunities. Spending $250 for the year, you could engage in so many wonderful types of experiential learning and could even do it for a lot less. Nature is free. Many organizations and companies offer free field trips, tours and programs.

A big component of homeschooling is customizing to your child’s passions and interests. Sports, music, technology, and music are a few examples of a program each family can uniquely design for their own children.  You will want to factor those costs into your child’s educational plan.

With some research and effort, you can provide your child a cutting-edge, customized education! The homeschool community is extremely generous in sharing information and support. Join our movement. We want you to succeed and are here to help you!

Would you like to share some tips about homeschooling on a budget? How much do you spend homeschooling your kids?

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You can sign up to follow The Contemporary Homeschooler via email by clicking on the Follow button. Also, join our community on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/TheContemporaryHomeschooler/

Note: If you decide to make a purchase through my blog link, Amazon will pay me a commission for it.  This doesn’t cost you anything additional. These commissions help to keep the rest of my content free. So, thank you!

Fun Ways to Teach Writing Without Buying a Curriculum

Fun Ways to Teach Writing Without Buying a Curriculum

There are many so many wonderful ways to teach and foster a love for writing without purchasing curriculum. I have taught writing classes at our homeschool co-op and created writing curriculum. Here are some ideas for your home or co-op: 

  • Lego Writing Club —  Do your kids love Legos or just need something more hands-on and tactile for writing? This blog post outlines a program I created called Lego Writing Club for your Lego loving kids. It is most suitable for 2nd-6th grade.  I taught it at co-op, but you could easily do it at home with just your kids or get together with another family or two. The Lego City People Pack-Fun Fair and the Lego City People Pack–Fun at the Beach are fantastic for this program.

Many students feel it is more meaningful to write when they are writing for more than just their parents or teacher. You may consider a blog for your student or a shared, private site with a group of friends like MeWe.

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  • Blogging–Your kids can write their own blog. Each student is an expert on something. This is an excellent outlet for them to write about what they love and share about all their wonderful homeschool experiences.  Here are my son’s and daughter’s blogs. In The School Revolution, Dr. Ron Paul writes:

“If a student develops a blog with hundreds of pages of essays, plus links to videos, he will have a tremendous asset when it comes to looking for a job. How many job applicants have this kind of publicly available evidence of their competence?An employer will know that the student is capable in two crucial areas: written communication and verbal communication…The student will go to the top of the pile of job applicants.”–Dr. Ron Paul

  •  NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program–I am going to teach this at co-op in the fallImage result for image student writing public domain to 4th-8th graders. It can also easily be done at home with just your children. “National Novel Writing Month happens every November! It’s a fun, seat-of-your-pants writing event where the challenge is to draft an entire novel in just 30 days. For one month, you get to lock away your inner editor, let your imagination take over, and just create!”  You are able to print out the teacher’s manual and student workbook for free! We will spend September and October using the curriculum to spark imagination with exercises to help create characters, build settings and hatch plots.
  • Wordsmithery–This is another free writing curriculum you can do with a co-op or at home with your kids. I taught a creative writing class several years ago to 2nd-6th graders and used much of this as the foundation. Image result for image student writing public domain
  • Writing Prompts–Writing prompts are an exciting way to motivate your kids. I have found they are even more eager to jump in when you tell them they only have 5 minutes to write.  Try setting a timer and see how much quicker they jump into the challenge.
    • We are fond of visual writing prompts. When using those, you may consider giving your kids 60 seconds to formulate a story in their head before the writing begins. I also suggest they write down 5 key words during their 60-second planning process.
    • Journal Buddies offers a free online tool with many writing prompts that correspond to different seasons and grade level.
  • Reading Response Journals–After my kids complete their daily reading assignments, they write a paragraph about what they just read. It can be done in a notebook. However, my kids prefer to do it in Google Docs. They simply send me an electronic invitation, and I am able to view and comment. Every few days, I sit down with them to review what they wrote and help them to find any grammar errors in their writing. Over an extended period of time, this Google Docs file will showcase a vast array of books they have read. 1482532743
  • Books–I have found these books to be masterful with inspiring and fun writing activities: Games for Writing and Write Outside the Lines.
  • Here are some more fun ideas to get your child writing:
    • Movie reviews
    • Restuarant reviews
    • Field trips and vacation recaps
    • Wikipedia entries
    • Books reviews
    • Product reviews of their favorite toys/games
    • Create FAQs about something she is passionate about

I hope you feel inspired to create a writing program for your children that makes them love writing! Also, please share in the comments below some of your favorite ways to teach writing to your kids without purchasing a writing curriculum.

You may also be interested in:

My Favorite K-6 Math Curriculum and Supplements

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Ten Ways to Teach Your Child to Read and Love Books

The State of California Pays Me to Customize My Kids’ Education

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Join my Facebook page to receive every update and post from The Contemporary Homeschooler. I post many articles and thoughts to the Facebook page that are not on my blog.

https://www.facebook.com/TheContemporaryHomeschooler/

Note: If you decide to make a purchase through my blog link, Amazon will pay me a commission for it.  This doesn’t cost you anything additional. These commissions help to keep the rest of my content free. So, thank you!

Six Reasons We Homeschool Year-Round

Six Reasons We Homeschool Year-Round

Let me just start with the fact that I don’t enjoy hot, crowded places or wasting time.  As a homeschooler, I am free to schedule our year in a way that is most desirable for our family without any concern for adhering to the traditional, nine-month school year.

Look at the beach images below. I have a strong preference for the experience on the left over the one on the right.  How about you?

 

 

 

All right, let’s move onto the reasons year-round schooling is a great way to make the most of your freedom and flexibility as a homeschooler.  Here are the top six reasons it works for our family.

  1. Experiential Learning–Instead of tying ourselves to workbooks and a curriculum every day, we like to be out in the world exploring. Knowing we have plenty of days throughout the year to complete our school work, it takes a lot of pressure off of me.  So many wonderful opportunities are open to homeschoolers from September through May that I don’t want to miss.
  2. Summer Slide–The “summer slide, which occurs when kids fall behind in reading and math over the summer, is well-documented” according to U.S. News and World Report.  Forbes asserts performance falls by approximately a month and is cumulative over successive summers. Additionally,  with respect to public school, they point out “reteaching forgotten material when students return to school after the summer costs more than $1,500 per student each year, or more than $18,000 over the course of a K-12 career.”  I don’t like to waste time or money.  By keeping skills fresh throughout the summer, we actually have more time for things we love to do. We don’t have to do buckets of work over the summer to retain skills. Just a little bit of academic work steadily spread throughout the summer can make a big difference.
  3. Summer HeatI don’t enjoy being out in the blazing heat. Rather, I have a strong preference for the more moderate temperatures when most kids are back in school. In fact, on days that are real scorchers, I’d much rather be inside our air-conditioned home doing academics.  I’m grateful I don’t have to cram in all our fun during the 3 months of summer.
    heitsler park with grands
    We take off when Grandma and Granddad come to visit from Louisiana!

     

  4. Crowds–As homeschoolers know, our favorite places are packed during the summer. It is quite a nuisance to many of us. Instead of fighting the parking and throngs of people, I prefer to make progress on our school work during the summer months so we can go back and enjoy those places when the crowds die down.
  5. Structure–My kids do great with a couple hours of structure in the morning.  I hear so many families talk about their kids fighting with one another or complaining they are bored.  This is something we have never really experienced much as a family. I think the combination of structured and unstructured time is helpful.
  6. Vacations--We often take our family vacations in early September. The masses are back in school and work. This means fewer crowds and much cheaper prices. I don’t need to stress out about taking off a week or two from academics since we were diligent over the summer. 

While we don’t do a full load over the summer, we continue to plow through on and off June through August. Sometimes we take off a full day to go have fun. Additionally, we’ll nix school for a week or two for camps, vacations, visitors, etc.

For the days we do school, math is non-negotiable. My kids love to read, so I don’t need to assign that. We alternate between other subjects like grammar, spelling, and writing. A natural and enjoyable part of our lives is the reading, discussing, and experiencing of science and history together. This is a year-round pleasure and does not feel like school work.

It takes discipline to school during the summer.

It takes discipline to school during the summer. Knowing that so many people are off relaxing and playing all day makes it tempting to slack to off.  However, I know well the reasons we make this choice. We push through, and it pays off.

Do you school year-round? How does it look in your family?

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You can sign up to follow The Contemporary Homeschooler via email by clicking on the Follow button. Also, join our community on Facebook.

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If You are New to Homeschooling or Thinking About It….

If You are New to Homeschooling or Thinking About It….

For those of you thinking about or new to homeschooling, I know it can be overwhelming. With a huge smorgasbord of curriculum and activities to choose from and all the information about homeschool philosophies, there is so much to consider. This is a good problem to have.  In this post, I’m going to let you in on some things that I wish I had known when I started homeschooling .

person thinking 2Many of you are spending countless hours researching different homeschooling philosophies and think you have to settle on one. I want to tell you to relax. You will probably start with one and then morph into something else. While there are some purists to a single philosophy such as Classical and Charlotte Mason, I know very few. Most people pick and choose what works best for them. For instance, I like many aspects of Charlotte Mason but not all. One example is that my kids hated copywork. So, we let that go a long time ago.  In fact, we are a hodge-podge of many different philosophies from the homeschooling world.  There are things we like and don’t like from each one. That is okay. You don’t have to follow a philosophy 100%.  Additionally, I mix it up further by adding in ideas from business and technology leaders.

Also, I know many of us have researched curriculum for hours and hours –particularly math curriculum. I wanted to let you know there is a good possibility you are going to change your math curriculum after a few months or a couple of years. Just pick something that seems like a good fit and get started. You are not locked into it. If your child absolutely hates it and is crying all the time, then it is time to change it up. You can either pick a new math program or simply let them do every other problem if it is super repetitive.

You have probably heard it said that you do not need to recreate public school at home. It takes many families 1-2 years to figure this out. Because so many of us were raised in a conventional classroom, it is surprising when we see how quickly are kids are able to complete their work.  You may look at public school state standards and think you aren’t doing enough. I can assure you that many of those standards are taught at a very surface level.  Another important point is you have the benefit and flexibility to make the world your classroom. Learning is not contained within the walls of a classroom. In my opinion, the most memorable and joyful learning takes place exploring out in the world.

Questions, Demand, Doubts, PsychologyHomeschooling is a joyful and sometimes challenging journey. The beauty is you are at the steering wheel. You are the entrepreneur in charge of your family’s upbringing and education. During this journey, you can be agile and change to what best suits your family. You are not locked into any philosophy or curriculum. You do not require the approval of a teacher, principal or school bureaucracy to adapt to the needs of your family. Please make the most of your homeschooling freedom by changing things up as needed.

I’m glad to have you here on my blog. I also have a Facebook page where I frequently share articles and ideas to help you on your journey. Please join us and feel free to chime in with your questions and thoughts.

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Join my Facebook page to receive every update and post from The Contemporary Homeschooler. I post many articles and thoughts to the Facebook page that are not on my blog.

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