Curriculum

A Work in Progress
June 2015

I still use Mardel as my organizer - there is nothing better!  The difference is that our core curriculum - My Father's World (MFW) - comes with its own weekly matrix that overlaps beautifully.  As a result, I plan supplemental curriculum around MFW in the planner.  Why the shift from a complete custom curriculum model?
    
   1.  There are several families in our circle that schools multiple ages on MFW, adding to the enrichment and focus of key principles for the entire family.  I do not have children in the same MFW programs yet, but am looking forward to it! 

   2.  There are multiple group opportunities to work together on current modules, participate in field trips and hold 'synergy group' sessions - a unique MFW system for bringing families together.

   3.  This model promotes continuity yet allows for flexibility in math and language arts - in addition to science and foreign language  in secondary education.  I select the math and language arts programs that work best for my child, though the MFW staff recommends various curriculum and enrichment options to supplement the core curriculum.

For math, we still use Teaching Texbooks and LOVE IT!  Language arts continues to be a struggle... we are about to jump into the third curriculum in three years with Institute for Excellence in Writing.

Nothing is set in stone and we are a work in progress.  With the hustle-bustle of curriculum decisions being made and the annual Texas Homeschool Coalition Conference and Expo in the Woodlands this month there is still research to be done.  Curriculum is a process of matching needs with desires and learning style... there are as many options as the uniqueness of each child.
 

The Beginnings
December 2013

I did not consider myself knowledgeable enough to create a comprehensive curriculum from scratch when we began this journey. We started with a ‘big book’ of activities in Pre-K 4, and then moved to a bigger ‘big book’ in Kindergarten.  We deeply focused on reviewing what we liked and didn’t like each year.

 

Oh no – “Real School”

By 1^st grade, I knew my son’s style – how he liked to learn, what he excelled at – but I didn’t have a clue about pacing and organizing my curriculum for ‘real school’.  As a result, we selected a ‘canned curriculum’ for 1^st and 2^nd grade.  We loved the consistency and Biblical application in every subject provided by Accelerated Christian Education PACES (A.C.E.).  The goal cards helped the novice teacher organize each subject and look at our schedule two weeks at a time.  This also helped my son get an idea of his week… an asset in his learning because he loves the tangible accomplishment of his efforts.  A.C.E. workbooks also provided great retention practice to reinforce key concepts through ‘check ups’ and ‘practice tests.’  There is one exam per workbook, per subject.

For two years my son thrived in this type of structure – and LOVED getting grades. But by the end of 2^nd grade, it was clear that he began to get bored with the content and the format … it was time to move on.

 

The custom approach

For the 2013-2014 school year I worked diligently most of the summer to customize a curriculum for my oldest son and my next oldest son coming up behind in Pre-K3.   Foundationally, Pre-K3 was a fairly easy selection… I looked for a variety of skill requirements, reinforcement, and presentation that would capture his attention through fun activities. I selected ABecka for numbers and letters plus the Positive Action Pre-K4 bible curriculum with lots of cut-out/coloring activities that had a corresponding iPad audio book. 

To create the custom curriculum for my oldest son, I asked myself:  “What does he need to learn?” and “What does he want to learn?” First and foremost, he needed a curriculum steeped in Biblical application and scholarly teaching in addition to the fabulous AWANA materials/experiences from church.  He loves computers and anything of the like, yet I wanted to curb that desire with a love for traditional learning.  He excels in math and science, yet desperately needed to hone his writing skills. I went into research mode!  I looked for anything and everything that could be a possibility for him.  Obviously I just scratched the surface… there is SO much out there!  This is what we ended up with (aside from extra-curricular activities, such as sports and intermittent arts enrichment) and why…

 

Subject	Work Load	Curriculum	Why?
Bible	Full Time	Building Life Castles (Positive Action)	Age-appropriate study of Jesus’ life and his disciples that show the child ‘why’ we are charged to live a spirit-filled life.
Math	Full Time	Grade 4 Lessons (Teaching Textbooks)	Computer-based lessons and interactive assessments that engage the student.
Science	Full Time	God’s Design for Heaven and Earth (Ham and Lawrence)	Repeat lessons in each book build in complexity for varying grade levels for multiple-year reinforcement
English/Grammar	Full Time	Intermediate Language Lessons (Serl)	This classical approach combines multiple language elements with interesting activities
Latin	Full Time	Latin for Children (Classical Academic Press)	Introductory Latin vocabulary with companion activity book of mazes, crosswords, and word searches that keeps the student engaged
History	Full Time	History of our United States (ABecka). 4th Module “My State” Workbook	Easy organization of History with stories and great assessments – including geography.  Also purchased 4th 9wks state notebook as an extensive research project.
Writing	Part Time	Cursive Success (Handwriting Without Tears)	Outstanding reviews and easy methods for remembering letter formation.
Literature	Part Time	Classic Stories (Memoria Press)	Flexible, supplemental materials for reading comprehension of various classics. I chose the books that would best fit my child’s interests.
Spelling	Part Time	Grade 4 (Rod and Staff)	Workbook based lessons with phonetic approach to spelling – Biblically based and strong review sections for struggling spellers
Art	Part Time	Home Art Studio (Volin)	Easy lessons with a background discussion that can be completed in one session. Interesting projects and engaging instructor that captures the attention of the child.

   

Finally, I needed a detailed lesson plan books to keep all this wonderful material organized.  This is especially important if you do not have lesson plans provided by a one-stop-shop curriculum.  I use the Simple Plan planner by Mardel Homeschool.  It’s the best one I found that provides a drill-down approach to each subject. It contains a 36 week grid for each subject that I could write a high-level overview for the whole year in each that subject – by week.  This planner then drills down into weekly/daily assignments per subject that I write each week or two.  It is a fabulous tool and I recommend it to any mom that organizes their own curriculum.