I often get emails from readers wondering what curriculum etc. we use for school.
Over the years I have come to really enjoy putting our curriculum together…where as when we started (6 years ago) I bought an all inclusive curriculum.
I love the freedom that putting my own curriculum together gives and I truly believe I am picking the best in each subject for my children.
There has been wonderful games, books, videos etc that we use each year that I wanted to share with you.
Here is my top ten product highlights of our school year!
I found this reading curriculum while Jack was in first grade.
I wish I had found it when he was first learning to read.
Jack became a stronger reader because of this curriculum and Ben and Maddy learned to read with it.
I LOVE these videos. Heck, we ALL love these videos. Maybe we need to get out more…but we die laughing at his humor.
I am a huge history buff. These are so fun that your kids will enjoy history too…when was the last time THAT happened???
Really well made and worth the money (my sister has even been able to find them at the library)
This is the book we use for Jack for logic. It is fun to use and the results have been so noticable.
Jack really thinks through things and even notices examples on the news, commercials and politics that show how you need to use your own logic and not just believe what you are told.
This is a perfect beginning logic book for any child 10 and up.
4. National Geo Bee Challenge Board Game
I think it can be hard to make geography fun. We have used this game for awhile now and everyone enjoys playing it. They are learning and they don’t even realize it.
Be careful though….they start to get really good:-)
We obviously love art in our house:-) I always enjoy new ways to introduce the children to new artists and new techniques.
This book shows different artists and really helps the children to LOOK and STUDY the paintings.
There are always opportunities for the kids to then make their own art while mimicking the featured artist’s style.
I loved seeing my children learn Latin. It has helped them tremendously with foreign vocabulary and it is an incredible foundation for any language they learn next.
I have shared the link to purchase but we DID NOT pay that.
You can find this set at the library and also on Craigslist.
Because I was a history major and that is basically all that I read for pleasure….it is important to me that my children not only have a wonderful grasp of historical events…but that they ENJOY learning about history.
From the beginning of homeschooling our children we have studied following the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric stages). We also study history chronologically and start over every fifth year.
This was Jack’s fifth year in school and we started all over with the ancient world.
Each time you dig deeper.
I was so amazed at how much information he remembered from FIRST GRADE!
I add to this curriculum but I have been very happy with it and my children enjoy it too.
I always get these at Barnes and Noble so I can look through them first. This is a whole series that gives prompts for different subjects.
Wonderful resource to keep in your cabinet whether you homeschool or not.
These are creative story cards. Each pack (they have different themes) is full of cards with pictures on them. The child is given a certain amount of cards and they have to make up a story based upon the cards in front of them.
Wonderful creative writing prompt and easy for even the children that are not writing yet. For Benjamin I just write his story down for him.
10. The Dopple Ganger Chronicles
I bought Jack the first book in this series for Christmas. I bought it based upon really great criteria…how it looked:-) He loves to draw comics and this book had a different layout of regular pages, great art, comic pages and pages with black pages with white letters. It looked interesting.
It was also an amazing read.
Jack has read all three now and his sister gobbled them up too.
If you are looking for a new, fun series for your children (that has nothing to do with school) this will be sure to please.
Thanks for letting me share some of our favorites of this school year.
We are busy wrapping up our year and we are hoping to be finished by the end of next week.
We are ALL ready:-)
I then will attack this house like it hasn’t seen since last June!!!
If you have any school recommendations I know I would LOVE to hear. Please share in the comments.
Jeanne, every piece of curriculum you shared looks, fun, informative and interesting. You do a great job of making learning appealing! Remind me never to play the geography game with the kids:)
this is great, jeanne! from anyone who has taught for many years, i always love hearing about “favorites” in education. these look so good; i am already getting excited for h’s 1st grade year…yes, i really am and we haven’t finished this year, yet.=)
I feel the same way! I am excited to really do school with Benjamin! I can’t believe he will be in Kindergarten!!! I always love planning for the next year.
I also love Story of the World and Drive Thru History. They are so great. Thanks for doing this post. I’m always looking for other great resources.
-FringeGirl
We love all of the above as well! I can’t believe our 3 are now moving into 6th, 8th, and 11th grades! Wow! We finished up last week and attacking the house this week. 🙂 Here are a few of our favorites: Apologia Science, Ann Voskamp’s Geography Books (they are GREAT!), Excellence in Writing materials (all of them!)….and, yes, even after all these years I get excited and have fun planning for the next year! So many adventures await…… 🙂 Blessings~ Daune
I have heard wonderful things about Apologia…we use God’s Design For Life and really like it. We also use Excellence in Writing:-) I will have to look into the geography books. Thanks for sharing.
jeanne, i just bought ann voskamp’s geography book. i haven’t gotten to read through it, yet, but i had heard wonderful reviews. i’ll bring it for you to see!
We also use Apologia and love it. I have been considering Ann Voskamp’s geography…good to hear that you enjoy it.
Jeanne, Thank you so much for these suggestions!
Thank you for sharing, Jeanne. I know we have talked about curriculum a few times but it is so great to see it all at once! We miss you all… Michelle and the Girlies
Call us when you are free this weekend! We would LOVE to catch up!
Thanks for the fresh curriculum ideas. We’ve successfully home schooled forever……..18 + years. It’s nice to see what works for other families. Sometimes you just need a great curriculum to keep you moving forward and focused on the goal of turning out well educated, articulate, thoughtful adults. Two down, three more to go here! Enjoy your summer! You’ve earned it, I’m sure. lol
18 years! Amazing. You deserve your summer break more than I do:-)
Great resources. We have that same Art Book. We also follow the trivium (although I think my kids are going to public school next year 🙁 ).
I hope it is a really smooth transition for your whole family!
We used a few of those when I homeschooled my kids last year. And my husband absolutely loves Drive Thru History. That is what he got for Father’s Day, his birthday and Christmas last year 🙂 If you like that humor, you may like Visual Latin. He is a local Latin teacher that has an online course. I have heard good things, but have not personally used it. I think he might be pretty cheesy (on purpose) but it looks like fun. http://www.visuallatin.com
Thanks for the suggestion…we will look into it!
hey jeanne 🙂 thanks for the good list. we just wrapped up out 3rd year of homeschooling (which i CANNOT believe it’s been that long!) and i’m planning for next year. i love that too. i was thinking about doing a whole “prepackaged”…i’ve never done that before. i usually just piece mine together too and we do units throughout the year. i was thinking about My Father’s World for next year, but i’m not sure yet…you guys must do a really “classical” type of school. we tend to teeter on classical and charlotte mason…there’s so much to choose from! good luck on choosing for next year 🙂
Jeanne, thank you, thank you, thank you for this post!!! I think I might try to snap up most of it! I am excited to get it all:)
Thanks for this post. I am in the midst of planning our fourth year of school. I will have to look into that art book. I had been considering Artistic Pursuit, but that was the only option so I am happy to find something else to consider.