I was thrown into the Home Schooling situation, but did my research for which curriculum I would want. There are so many choices out there. I wanted to know what Mothers of the like mentality were saying. We are a Christian family and I absolutely wanted some of the curriculum to have Christian principles. This is simply what we chose and it is working well for our family. So, let’s see what our curriculum looks like.
For Mathematics, we chose Master Books. MATH Lessons For A Living Education by Angela O’Dell and Kyrsten Carlson 2019.
This curriculum has Math lessons that are family oriented and has basic and complex concepts. It works great for us and I have no complaints about the way the curriculum is set up. It meets their individual grade level Math and it is not overwhelming.
I also use Math cubes which makes hands-on learning fun. It promotes kinisthetic learning and also allows for color-coded patterns.
For Language Arts, we use Christian Light Education. I was quite impressed to see that it is actually very challenging and uses proper grammar from the beginning. There are spelling quizzes and historical facts from U.S. History that is also a great way to learn other subjects. It keeps my daughter busy because it is intensive content and the lessons are not short.
Our Handwriting is by Manuscript a Worktext and keeps their writing skills active. It is a Christian workbook with Bible verses and most importantly, it teaches values and life lessons at the same time.
For my Fourth Grader’s Science, we chose Science In The Beginning by Dr. Jay L. Wile, published by Berean Builders 2013. As Christians, it was very important to give our kids a Scientific view that supports our Christian values and this is great. The lessons are very in depth. They are given from a historic Biblical account and introduces numerous scientific concepts. The only complaint I might have is that the language is sometimes more of an adult level, but the new vocabulary is good for learning scientific terms.
For Science, we use a Learn and Climb lab kit to conduct over 50 experiments. Everything is provided in the kit and my kids love the experiments. It also comes with a DVD.
We enjoy Science Max too. It is a fantastic kids show that has a great host, who makes learning fun and keeps my kids’ attention. Many of their experiments contain home products. It helps mix it up
For my First Grader, we chose Life for beginners, by God’s Design from Master Books and written by Debbie and Richard Lawrence, 2018. These lessons are definitely at grade level and it has language that is easy to understand for a First Grader. My son likes it and so do I. The lessons are based on plants, the Human body and animals. It is a Christian curriculum as well that makes readability fun and at his grade level.
The bottom line is that workbooks help with lesson planning, when you are super busy. In my case, it works and still allows for one-on-one learning.
For World History and extra Geography, we have Tapestry of Grace. It is an app that can be downloaded, after purchasing. It is a conglomerate of different credible resources/companies that has done the research and have legitimate resources. For example, National Geographic is one of the links that is provided and gives children the researched information, but at their level. There are printable pages one can download and print. It ranges from Geography, History, Arts and Crafts that go with the topic, Literature, Government, Civics and Writing lessons. It is so extensive and amazing because it has endless information, truly worth the investment!
Homeschooling Schedule
Monday
Morning Chores- Getting dressed, brushing teeth, brushing hair and making bed.
Breakfast-35 min.
Choosing Scripture of the week to memorize and morning prayer-15 minutes
Epic Reading App/book or Chapter book-45 min.
Break/Snack- 10 minutes
Piano/Music -45 minutes
Lunch- 1 hour
Mathematics-45 minutes
Break/Snack -10 minutes
Grammar/Spelling – 45 minutes
Starfall App/Typsy -45 minutes
Clean-up/prayer-15 minutes
Tuesday
Morning Chores- Getting dressed, brushing teeth, brushing hair and making bed.
Breakfast- 35 minutes
Memory verse and prayers – 15 minutes
Language Arts-45 minutes
Snack/Break -10 minutes
Piano/Starfall App- 45 minutes
Lunch -1 hour
Mathematics-45 minutes
P.E.-45 minutes (Go Noodle, park or scooters
Break/Snack -10 minutes
Science-45 minutes (Kaboom box, Science Max, Lego Gadgets Kit or Circuit Kit)
Clean-up/prayers-10 minutes
Wednesday
Morning Chores- Getting dressed, brushing teeth, brushing hair and making bed.
Breakfast- 35 minutes
Memory verse and prayers – 15 minutes
Handwriting-30 minutes
Break/Snack -10 minutes
Arts and Crafts-45minutes
Lunch -1 hour
Mathematics- 45 minutes
Music/Piano- 45 minutes
Break/Snack – 10 minutes
Game with Grandpa -45 minutes
Clean-up and prayers-10 minutes
Thursday
Morning Chores- Getting dressed, brushing teeth, brushing hair and making bed.
Breakfast- 35 minutes
Memory verse and prayers – 15 minutes
P.E.-45 minutes
Break/Snack-10 minutes
Piano/Literature/Reading-45 minutes
Lunch-1 hour
Mathematics -45 minutes
Language Arts-45 minutes
Break/Snack -10 minutes
Tapestry of Grace/Geography- 45 minutes
Clean-up and prayers -10 minutes
Friday
Chores/Field trips/Doctor’s Appointments
We homeschool Monday through Thursday and have Friday for other things and necessities.
New Curriculum For 2021
As of 2021, we have added and all in one curriculum from Schoolhouse Teachers found at www.schoolhouseteachers.com. As a family, we are so excited about the price!! I wish I had found this at the beginning of our Homeschooling research. The resources are fantastic and the price is amazing! A family can literally educate and Homeschool 10 kids for a small price of $18.97-$24.97 per month, depending on what you want. Our first go-round was expensive, but this new curriculum is one that we will stay with. From a Christian perspective, it offers an abundant amount of resources that will keep your kids from getting a secular world view. Nothing is perfect, but this works for our family. Be sure to check it out and see for yourself. I will add updates as I find any complaints or challenges. Thanks for reading!
