I won’t say what this is about
Thursday, Jun 1, 2006
Not trying to alienate my non-homeschooling friends, but I get asked this question a lot. Plus, it’s an easy post to answer, as all I have to do is copy and paste the question from my email box and the answer from my desktop schedule. I only mentioned that I homeschooled for the first time last month (I believe), and now I’m out of control with the homeschooling posts. (How many times can I say it? Homeschool. Homeschool. Homeschool.) It’s one of the things everyone just assumed about me—kind of like the cloth diaper thing.
I’ve never contacted you or left a comment, but I was just curious about your last blog about purchasing new homeschooling books. I will be starting to homeschool my 3 children this fall, after a couple of years in public school. (My oldest son will be in gr. 4 this fall, my daughter will be going into gr. 2 and youngest little guy starting Kindergarten) I was just wondering which books you did purchase. There is so much choice out there. I’ve looked up the websites and find it tough when you don’t get to see the product. Anyway, I’m getting long winded (lol), but if you have a chance, could you please let me know which ones you’d recommend or have heard others recommend. I truly appreciate it. Thanks again for your honesty and humour on your blog. God richly bless you and your family.
Natasha
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Third Grade
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Math: MCP (Book C)
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Reading & Grammar: Pathway Readers and worktexts, Chapter Books
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Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 3000 B
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Spelling: Spelling Workout C
First/ Second Grade
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Math: MCP (Book B)
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Reading & Grammar: Pathway Readers and worktexts, Chapter Books
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Vocabulary: Wordly Wise 3000 A
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Spelling: Spelling Workout B
Kindergarten
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Phonics: MCP. Level A and Bob Books
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Math: Bob Jones, K5
Other stuff laying around:
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Art: How to Draw
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Science: God’s Design for Life series, Electricity kit, stuff with my husband
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History: From Sea to Shining Sea, History Stories for Children, Your Story Hour CD’s, etc., etc., etc.
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Logic: Critical Thinking Books
These aren’t the best choices out there necessarily. Just the best choices for our family at the moment. (I think. I hope.) I don’t buy teacher guides, so what we do might look very different from anyone else who uses the same material. I’m sure others will have lots and lots of advice for you. (1-2-3–Brace yourself.) Get your non-consumable texts used, so you don’t feel so bad when you ditch it in the middle of the year. Or in the middle of the first week.
Just another thought— do what it takes to enjoy your first year. Your kids won’t turn ADD if you don’t do Spelling for a year. Organize the day so that there is plenty of time for Bible and devotions in the evening with your husband. Everything else is just fluff.
OK. I’m almost done with the homeschool, homeschool, homeschool stuff. I have some books on the subject to review soon, and some free ones for a few lucky providentially chosen readers too! I can tell you can hardly wait.
(I’m working my way through the email on blueberries, birth control, and babies slowly. Be patient. I have a house to run and all.) That’s it for now.
The blah, blah, blah, blahhhhh curriculum post has now ended. Everyone say, “Amen.”
p.s. I sold my cloth diapers on Ebay when we bought a two-story house.
18 Comments
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I forgot to italicize the book titles. Apologies.
Comment by Amy Scott (June 1, 2006 @ 3:41 pm )
Thank you Amy. I will definately check those out! Have a wonderful day! God bless you.
Comment by Natasha (June 1, 2006 @ 4:02 pm )
I too appreciate seeing what others use…and I enjoy the fact that everyone can use what works for them the best and still come out w/ similar results
I am personally doing a wide hodge podge of “cirriculum” : a little CM, a little FIAR, and some other things that seemed to be interresting to me or the kids (it helps if they are a little interrested also) 
LOL
Christy
Comment by Christy (June 1, 2006 @ 4:31 pm )
New to this, so this may be a dumb question, but what is MCP? Thanks!
Comment by Wendy (June 1, 2006 @ 4:37 pm )
Wendy, I use it for my young ones also. MCP stands for Modern Curriculum Press. Great little math books for young children. My older ones moved nicely into Saxon from MCP. Janet.
Comment by Janet (June 1, 2006 @ 6:40 pm )
Thanks Janet!
Comment by Wendy (June 1, 2006 @ 6:56 pm )
I gave up cloth diapers when we lived in a second story apartment with a ten minute walk to the apartment laundry. But I started to use them again after moving back into a RANCH house.
Comment by Laurie (June 1, 2006 @ 8:15 pm )
Does your husband do electronics kits with your kids. My hubby did a kit with my 6yr old and 3yr old this evening. They built an Electronic Bird, and an Electronic Organ. They had a blast.
That is currently the main part of 6yr old’s science, besides his weather studies he is doing with me.
Comment by Candy (June 1, 2006 @ 9:56 pm )
Okay, I have to ask: what does a two-story house have to do with cloth diapers? Use ‘em or don’t, up to you, but this one has me curious!
Comment by Lora Lynn (June 1, 2006 @ 10:32 pm )
I can’t vouch for Amy on that one, Lora Lynn, but as a resident of a large two story house (4 bdrm, 2 1/2 baths –thanks to the great military housing here), I can say that two floors = more than twice as much work/trouble. With the baby’s room (therefore changing table) on one floor and the laundry room on another, you are talking about lots of extra work. It may not seem like a big deal, and before I lived in a two story, I wouldn’t have thought it would be, but amazingly it is. If I have my choice next move…I’m going for one story.
But, that’s just my opinion. Knowing Amy, she probably has a completely amazing reason for why a two story house is connected to not using cloth diapers!
Comment by Amanda (June 2, 2006 @ 3:40 am )
I hope you don’t stop using MCP because it is used in public school.I have seen homeschool magazine articles that have stopped using Saxon Math because it has changed due to public school standards.My daughter is in public school and we have had MCP and Saxon Math. After seeing what you use for your method-electic is a good word to describe you and your teaching ways.
Comment by Tammy (June 2, 2006 @ 10:08 am )
We use many different curriculums as there are so many quality products on the market. I have had great success teaching 2 of my children to read using the A Beka books. We also LOVE Pathway Readers. Beautiful Feet Books makes great study guides for a literature approach to learning history–you can check out books at your local library or buy the ones you want. Now that I have a high school student, a jr. high, and 2 elementary (plus a toddler and baby due) things have gotten interesting. We’ve tried a lot of things. Homeschooling is a joy!!! Thanks for your encouragement of others, Amy!
Comment by Nancy (June 2, 2006 @ 5:31 pm )
Just wanted to let Natasha in Calgary know. There is a terrific email discussion group called Tidbits of Wisdom for Home schoolers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tidbitsofwisdomforhomeschoolers
which is based right here in Alberta and most of the gals on the list are home schooling in Alberta. You can find what these gals are using, you can find new friends, you can link up with home schoolers in Calgary, and best of all, with those connections, you can see all the curriculum before you buy it.
The group is Christian.
And since you are in Calgary, check out Canadian Home Education Resources which is in the SE. Excellent excellent book store, and home schoolers who run it.
Grace in
central Alberta
who reads Amy’s blog regularly.
Comment by Grace (June 2, 2006 @ 7:30 pm )
I’m all for one story too. That is the reason I thought of too - the running up and down stairs having the change baby and dirty stuff brought down, clean stuff hauled up and over and over you go.
Years back (I’m aging myself here) it was the young families who couldn’t afford more, that had to live in two story houses. Those that had gotten ahead financially a bit could not afford single story - and less stairs.
I’m in a bungalow now and love it. We’ll never go to 2 story.
Comment by Grace (June 2, 2006 @ 7:33 pm )
It’s Friday night in the Scott house and we did the first couple of 750 experiments in the super Snap Circuits Extreme kit. Yep. We’re wild and crazy.
Nope. I hear they use paper and pencil there too, and we haven’t outlawed them yet.
Yes, it’s the hauling. Plus, you have to have more than one pail–one for each floor (twice the stink).
Comment by Amy Scott (June 2, 2006 @ 11:09 pm )
An excellent source of homeschooling textbooks and other materials from many publishers is Christian Book Distributors at http://www.christianbook.com
My sister has two sons ages 24 and 21. Both boys were homeschooled from kindergarten through high school graduation. The first time that they attended class in a “regular” classroom was when they went to college. The younger of the two graduated from college last week.
BTW I’ve never posted to this type of forum before and I don’t have a clue as to what quicktags are, so I’m leaving them alone
Comment by Ann (June 3, 2006 @ 10:39 pm )
But you do still grind your own wheat, churn your own butter, make your own dress patterns and make your own candles, right?
…and your husband built your log home all by himself, right?
Comment by Jim Bob Howard (June 8, 2006 @ 4:18 pm )
Thank you Grace for the link. I will check it out. I’m new to Calgary and new to homeschooling so this will be an adventure!!! God bless.
Natasha
Comment by Natasha (June 10, 2006 @ 9:41 pm )