2011-2012 Homeschool Curriculum!

Our homeschool year has begun! This year we registered with Columbia Virtual Academy. We decided to do this because not only do they have the usual charter school options of online school or using their curriculum, CVA also has the option of funding curriculum of your choice! This option has been amazing as we have been able to order and try curriculum we would have not been able to afford to try before. I started my planning this year by reading two books reccommended to me by a dear friend. The first being "The Core - Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education" by Leigh A. Bortins. I learned so much from this book about Classical Education and it describes exactly the type of rich education I want for my kids. The second book is, "The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home" by Susan Wise Bauer & Jessie Wise. This book took what I learned and helped my apply it to my own homeschool and was the basis of our curriclum choices and lessons plans for this year.

So here is what we chose for our 2011-2012 Curriculum:

Kaylee - 2nd Grade

* Bible - Bible Bee Sword Study (1 Peter) & Verse Memorization
* Math - Saxon Math 2, Audio Memory Songs (Additon & Subtraction)
* Language Arts:
- Reading - Progeny Press (The Courage of Sarah Noble, Frog & Toad Together, & Bears on Hemlock Mountain), Rod & Staff Grades 1 & 2
- Grammar - Rod & Staff, & First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind
- Spelling - SpellingTime.com & Spelling Workout B
- Writing - Printing Penmenship, Copywork, Cursive, & Writing Strands 2
- Vocabulary - English From the Roots Up, Rummy Roots & WordSmart Level A
* History - Story of the World Vol. 1 (Ancients - 5000BC to 400AD)
- History Ad-ons: History in Art (Ancient China & Rome), Hands-On History Activity Books (Ancient Egypt, Greece & Rome)& a Hierogliphics Treasure Chest.
- Geography - Expedition Earth (confessionsofahomeschooler.com)
- Social Studies - History of Washougal Unit Study
* Science - Animals, Plants & The Human Body - Living Learning Books Level 1, Creation through Astonomy, Dover Coloring Books, Ladybug Land Kit, Live Butterfly Garden, Nature Walk with Aunt Bessie, Science on a Tracking Expedition Kit, Magic School Bus Journey into the Human Body Kit.
* Music - Music Ace Gold, Piano Lessons & Classical Kids CD Stories
* Art - Easy Watercolor Techniques, Vol. 1 DVD, Get to Know Great Artists & Start Exploring Masterpieces.
* PE/Health - Swimming Lessons, Soccer & Rod & Staff Proper Manners & Health Habits
* Foreign Language - Rosetta Stone Spanish

Plus ad in lots of reading!

Micah - 3rd Grade

* Bible - Bible Bee Sword Study (1 Peter) & Verse Memorization
* Math - Saxon Math 3, Audio Memory Songs (Multiplication & Division)
* Language Arts:
- Reading - Progeny Press (The Long Way to a New Land, Sword in the Tree, & Stone Fox), Rod & Staff Grade 3
- Grammar - Rod & Staff English Grade 3
- Spelling - SpellingTime.com & Spelling Workout C
- Writing - Cursive Penmenship, Copywork, & Writing Strands 3
-* History - Story of the World Vol. 1 (Ancients - 5000BC to 400AD)
- History Ad-ons: Ancient Egypt Treasure Chest, Classical Kids Guide to Life in Ancient Greece & Rome, History in Art (Ancient Egypt & Greece), & a Knowledge Quest Timeline for the Ancients.
- Geography - Expedition Earth (confessionsofahomeschooler.com)
- Social Studies - History of Washougal Unit Study
* Science - Animals, Plants & The Human Body - Living Learning Books Level 1, Creation through Astonomy, Dover Coloring Books, Science with Plants, Green Thumbs, etc.
* Music - Music Ace Gold, Piano Lessons & Classical Kids CD Stories
* Art - Easy Watercolor Techniques, Vol. 1 DVD, Get to Know Great Artists & Start Exploring Masterpieces.
* PE/Health - Swimming Lessons, Soccer & Rod & Staff Proper Manners & Health Habits
* Foreign Language - Rosetta Stone Spanish

Plus lots of reading:)

Whew! It feels like a lot but we won't be doing everything every day. I'm still working on our daily schedule and using Workboxes has helped immensly in setting up our routines:) I'm sure we'll change some things as we move through the year but I'm pretty excited with how it's looking so far!