What is everyone using this year?

Thanks for asking and how timely too.

Because verbal skills are so emphasized on the SAT, we are

doing three hours of language arts per day. For the most part, my daughter is doing middle school level work so she will have reading for fun, reading comprehension, writing, grammar, spelling, Latin/vocabulary and handwriting/keyboarding.

For reading, she has joined the book club at the local library. For reading comprehension, I'm using Reading Achievement Grade 7 and 8, Spectrum Test Prep, SSAT and ISEE test prep books.

For vocabulary, I use Learning Works Greek and Latin Roots Book 1 and 2 and Prefixes and Suffixes, Key words for high Achievement, The Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder (High S), Pinocchio Vocabulary Builder (Middle S) and Vocabulary in Context.

For writing she goes to a writing group at the library. She is using Traits of Good Writing and she is writing essays, short stories, poems etc. and entering a writing contest.

For grammar, she finished the All-in -One English Series by Garlic Press and their Sentences book. She is completing their Clauses and Phrases book and she has started Wordtext, Diagramming sentences. There is an excellent but extremely challenging grammar site on the Internet: grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ and she is going to do this website this year. This site contains tests that are nearly impossible to get right, so she is just going to chart her scores over the year and aim to improve rather than aim to get everything right.

For keyboarding we are getting a CD out of the library or we will use our copy of Mavis Beacon. It doesn't seem to be geared toward children though.

Elizabeth is done with middle school math. I don't like the idea of heading straight into algebra. To me, schools are remiss in not offering random and challenging math word problems. These teach children to think mathematically rather than simply regurgitate memorized math processes. For this year, I have copied numerous state grade 8 math practice exams off the Internet. Many of them do not contain rote problems but have very unique problems. I also copied problems off the history section of the Mathcounts website. I also bought Creative Problem Solving in School Mathematics by Lenchner, my best mathematical and logic puzzles by Gardner and Mensa Challenge your brain math and logic problems. I built a little workbook on Venn diagrams too. Mindware has some interesting math/logic books, but similar problems are available for free on the Internet.

For science we are finishing an invention, doing a few experiments and exploring the body. I purchased the Bodyworks computer disk and we are going to read that bestseller body book by Dr Oz. Also she is finishing "The Big Book of Tell Me Why" which answers 750 mostly science-oriented questions about the world. In the middle of the year, I give her a state standards test to see what she is missing and then I grab library books on these science subjects. The ACT has a great science reasoning section, so I usually copy a few of these science selections for her to do.

For social studies, she's reading "What your Child Needs to Know" and she is going to watch "The Families of the World" DVD series which is available from our library. She would like to study World War II (don't know why), so we will probably do that.

For art, she goes to professional art classes for children (not those crappy crafts classes). For physical education, she did swim team this past summer and will continue with this later in the year. She will probably take tennis and golf lessons next summer.

For specials, she seems interested in more art, jigsaw puzzles, sewing and cooking, but that changes as time goes on.

For thinking skills, she will use some of the math logic books above and I've printed out some analogies. The LSAT contains a great deal of logic that I'd love to teach, but I can't find a companion book for younger children.

For personal education, I have given her Jay McGraw's book and Sean Covey's books and workbooks and I will try to guide her through Daniel Goleman's "Emotional Intelligence" book.

Her school day is about seven hours per day. She does a half hour for most subject areas except math is 45 minutes and language arts is 3 hours, 20 minutes. She does logic and personals every other day.

I should mention that I bought all the above books through eBay, Half and Amazon and on average, they cost less than the shipping fees.

I use my books from Penn Foster. I do about an hour of this each day.

I am also using extra books, like Points of Views: An Anthology of Short Stories Edited by James Moffett and Kenneth R. McElheny. I read a story and do a personal outline of what I feel about the story.

Other books I am using are grammar workbooks. I have about 10 different ones I use.

I do 1-2 hours of personal writing. I use regular journals from Wal-Mart.

I'm Using Algebra The Easy Way along with about 4 other math books that range from Algebra to tech math.

I'm not sure if I'm going to do Chemistry, but I do have a text/workbook for it.

I'll also be working on learning different writing styles. One books that I am using is called If you're trying to teach kids how to write, you've gotta have this book! By Marjorie Frank. I figured that I'd start with something simple and work my way up.

As you can see, I focus more on writing then anything else. My goal is to be able to write a book. I haven't decided on the type of book I want to write, but that's why I'm doing so many different types of workbooks and doing a lot of reading.

For my Second Grader:

Alpha Omega Horizons for:

Math

Phonics

Spelling

Penmanship (I don't do every page in this, just enough that he learns how to form the letters, afterward I feel he gets enough practice by writing in his other subject areas)

Then for writing and grammar we use "First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind" and "Writing Strands Level 2"

My Kindergartner and Second Grader are using "Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space" for science, and "Story of the World Volume 2" for History, and Explorers Bible Study Beginnings for Bible.

My Kindergartner uses Horizons for Math and Phonics.

My 9th grader:

Bible: Explorers Bible Study "Faith at Work"

Math: Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1"

Science: Apologia Physical Science

Language Arts: Hewitts "Lighting Literature and Composition" (Both American Literature Courses)

Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 3000 (Book 6)

Foreign Language: Rosetta Stone French

State History: Switched On School House (this is a subject that I would probably skip if my state didn't require it, so we are doing it the "easy" way with SOS)

Health: Switched On School House (Same as above)

PE-Curves

Added: For all my kids an Art- co-op drawing class taught by former Disney, plus my younger ones do History related Art.

artist.

Language Arts: Learning Language Arts Through Literature, www.spellingtime.com, IEW

Math: Math U See Delta-Zeta, will be switching to VideoText for Algebra

Science: Apologia, Hands of a Child lapbooks

Spanish: Easy Spanish

Greek: Elementary Greek

History: All American History, Homeschool in the Woods Time Travelers and timeline figures, Hands of a Child lapbooks

Geography: Hands of a Child lapbooks

Literature: the library

Bible: the Bible, AWANA

Scouts

Baseball, Swimming

Art History: Homeschool in the Woods Artists pack, library books, KinderArt.com

Various unit studies as the urge hits us: Hands of a Child lapbooks

Should be a fun year!

Saxon Algebra 1/2

Literature and Writing- used text books

J Vernon McGee- Bible

We have a rich source of materials that we have accumulated over last 3 years. We buy at yard sales and Goodwill/Salvation Army stores.

I could not begin to list the things we have on hand for electives. We have text books, literature books, and learning CD's. We use the library and internet.

We will make some choices on electives about 3 weeks into the school year.

This is a great age to home school. Learning is easy with the resources that are within easy access of everyone who wants an education. My son does not understand the importance and learning is a chore for him. He is learning more than he did in public school but so far, is not an independent learner.

I enjoy teaching him and learning with him.

We gave him the choice to go back to public school, but he wants to continue home schooling through high school. He knows that this style of learning is best for him.

We use several, but Christian Liberty Press is our foundation.

We use Sonlight, and Bethlehem readers, Saxon math, Key books for additional math practice in concepts that need it, Write Shop for writing, Wordly Wise 3000 for vocabulary/reading comprehension/spelling, Memoria Press for Latin, Apologia, and CLP for science (biology), and Bible.

Later for Bible we also include some books from Positive Action for Christ; over the years you will pick what works best for the children; it is on hand when they want it, and when they are ready for it.

For the ones that prefer to do the piano on their own, although they do enjoy their lessons, I have Piano for Life on the book shelf; this is a self taught video/DVD series that is really good.

Over time we have added some character education books, the are Created for work, and Boyhood and Beyond by Bob Schultz.

We also like the books, and DVDs by Joshua Harris, like I kissed dating goodbye.

We also often enjoy using computer software, the Internet, and board games, community resources, museums, and classes at the museums.

Language arts: library books, pens, paper, pencils, dictionary, worksheets I will be creating for grammar, spelling, etc., A Beka cursive workbooks, MadLibs, the LanguageWise book, various other things I have around here

Math: worksheets I find online or create myself (either on my own or with Basic Facts Worksheet Factory), bingos, dice and manipulatives, Ray's Arithmetic, maybe Saxon as a support or extra practice here and there.

**ADDED**: I forgot about the Key To books I purchased for my older child.

Science: library books and videos, and minimal science supplies

Social studies: library books, printable maps, a binder with a fold-out timeline

Art: various art supplies (basic watercolours, tube watercolours, watercolour pencils, watercolour paper, construction paper, plasticine, playdough, pencils, pencil crayons, crayons, markers, fine-tipped markers), instructional books from the library, crafts

We'll mostly be using the library and our imaginations. We're doing unit studies and lapbooks. I also use Spell to Read and Write, Math U See, and a computer typing program. My one son will do Spanish, and my other German.

Grade 12 ABeka

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