This will be our fourth official year of homeschooling.
We have spent the past three years discovering our style, getting to know each other better, and learning SO MUCH.
Most of our curriculum centers around a Classical Education philosophy, with a few pieces reflecting a belief in Charlotte Mason and also Interest Led Learning.
I hesitate to call us "Eclectic" this year.... my goal is to move towards a more strictly classical homeschool.
We are believers in Interest Led learning at certain points, but I've found that in order to be sure my children are learning everything my husband and I deem important, a rigorous, classical approach works best.
It's been a journey, to say the least.
Looking back just a couple of years ago I was more than happy to let my children's interests guide all of our days, but as my oldest in now 11, I'm finding that sometimes the interest level isn't always there. Limits and requirements from mom and dad are becoming more necessary.
After rereading The Well Trained Mind and also reading The Core, I've come to agree with much of what Susan Wise Bauer and Leigh Bortins believe about the ways children best learn.
Last year we had excellent results with The Story of the World, Writing With Ease, and Spelling Workout. All of these are recommendations from The Well Trained Mind. This year we will continue with those programs, and add in Saxon Math and classical science study (as recommended in The Core). I did not arrive at the math decision quickly or easily... it took me some time. I researched very carefully!
Following is our plan for the 2012-13 school year:
Anna/Grade 6
Math:
Writing:
Writing With Ease (finish Volume 4), begin Writing With Skill
Bible:
History:
Story of the World (finish Volume 2, begin Volume 3), Heritage History Classical Libraries , Georgia History co-op class
Spelling:
Spelling Workout (finish E, begin F)
Grammar:
Grammarland living book and online worksheets (Writing With Ease and Skill also incorporate grammar)
Science:
Unit studies based on interest, nature study and journaling
The Storybook of Science w/notebooking pages
Music:
Piano Lessons, Spivey Hall Training Chorus, The Young Scholars Guide To Composers
Art:
artist studies monthly
PE:
swimming, bike riding, working out with dad at the YMCA
Home Economics:
Cooking with mom, sewing lessons
Grant/Grade 2
Math:
Writing With Ease (finish level 1 and begin level 2)
Bible:
Hide and Seek The Word of the Lord Devotionals
History:
Story of the World (finish Volume 2 and begin Volume 3), Heritage History
Spelling:
Spelling Workout (finish B and begin C)
Grammar/English:
Grammar Island & Building Language
Science:
Unit studies, nature study and journaling
The Storybook of Science w/notebooking pages
Piano lessons, monthly composer study
Art:
artist study monthly, Discovering Great Artists Co-Op class
PE:
Baseball - 2x weekly baseball coaching, swimming
Please also stop by the iHomeschool Network, where this is the first week (Curriculum Week) of the Not Back to School Blog Hop!