So what are we going to use??

Whenever I would talk to other homschooling Mommas about curriculum, I was never a mother to say, "A little of this and a little of that."  There's nothing wrong with that, it just wasn't me.  Or so I thought.  I had always liked buying a curriculum that had everything needed.  No guess work involved, you just knew it was there.

So when we made the decision to do a big change up this year, I began researching all in one curriculums.  I talked to several friends and did some trials on complete sets.  There were many good things out there, but nothing that just felt right for my three.

Then I asked myself, "Was I going to be one of those mothers that does a little of this and a little of that?"  As I searched according to subject and not complete sets, I found some really neat resources and companies.  It was fascinating, time consuming, and exciting to really look further into options for school.  

In the end, I did choose a little of this and a little of that.  And I'm so excited I did! I was able to tailor my kiddos classes for what they are interested in, how they learn and where they need a little extra boost.  Did I mention how excited I am for this school year??

 So, here' what we are doing:

For Bible we are meeting together for what we call our Genesis Moment.  I will post more on that soon.

For Math, we are using Teaching Textbooks. There are so many reviews out there of this curriculum for Arithmetic.  So many mommas and students love it!  When I showed it to Patrick he said it looked exciting, like a math game.  It's all on the computer and the lessons are divided in a way where it's not overwhelming.  My kiddos tested pretty well, so I know they will be challenged where we placed them.  They are  looking forward to doing some work on the computer.

For Grammar we are doing Fix It Grammar.  This is another that has a ton of amazing reviews.  Basically we will do a lesson at the beginning of the week where a grammar concept is taught.  Then, each day,  they have one sentence where they correct, find the parts of speech and rewrite it.  And they are done!  Each sentence is a story.  So each day they hear a little more in the story.  Fun, fun!

Language/Writing/Reading  we are using books by Debra Bell that were originally written for Apologia.  These books are colorful and make me want to buy my own!  These books are to really grow their writing abilities, a skill they will need and use in the future.

For History I let them really have a say.  We ordered books from Masterbooks.   It was hard for them to pick!! Micah chose to learn about the Middle East.  He's learning all about history, culture, geography and even some fun foods from each region.  Silas and Callie are doing "For You They Signed" together.  It's all about the lives of the men that signed The Declaration of Independence.

For Science we also went with Masterbooks.  Micah chose a class on Paleontology.  It is very creation based and backs up the Bible as truth even in Science.  I love it!  Silas is learning Applied Engineering, and it is so fascinating! Callie chose a Survey on Geology and Archaeology.  

For Literature I am assigning books for them to read.  I'm going to incorporate classics, missionary stories, biographies, and some of their choice.  I have had fun researching different ways they will report what they have learned.

And then we have what we are calling, "Enrichment"  this can be handwriting, calligraphy, art, typing, or anything extra that I feel they need.

It has been very time consuming deciding what to use.  I've researched and watched videos galore.  I was thankful when I finally had peace about what to pick.  I wish I could say that each of these curriculums are King James Bible referenced.  Unfortunately, they are not all that way.  And that's important to me.  As I've read through to make sure the material is Bible based, I've also grabbed my white out.  When I see another version reference I white it out and leave the reference.  My kiddos know to go and look up that verse in their Bibles.  It's been a great way to open up communication on the subject of Bible versions.  I want my kiddos to know why I ( and their Daddy) believe what we do.  The whys are so important at this age.  We are past the "because I told you so" in parenting.  I want them to open the Bible and know why! 

Training and schooling my children is a joy to me.  I love it!  I'm looking forward to a great school year.  Have I mentioned how excited I am?? :o)