Wednesday 12 August 2020

Homeschool High School Curriculum Choices for 2020

Welcome to day three of the Homeschool Review Crew Not Back to School Blog Hop.  Today we are talking about Curriculum.

 Over the years I have used multiple curriculums.  You can read a Time Line of my Homeschool Journey here.  I just realised this does need some updating as it lists what we've done up until 2012. It will however give you a good overview of some of the things we have used. We joined the Homeschool Review Crew and spent a few years actively using different curriculums and writing reviews on them.

Last year we changed tack when Nathaniel asked what he needed to do to finish school.  We have chosen to switch back to Sonlight Curriculum basic package and work through four Cores in order for him to graduate.  He worked diligently last year and the begining of this year and completed World History Year One and ten weeks ago commenced on World History Year Two.

This year we are finishing our journey through World History which we started last year. We are covering history as it happened from 17th century to about 1990. One of the reasons I love Sonlight is it's not consumable.  I used this package with Jane and Timothy ten years ago and the beauty of history is it doesn't change! Sonlight uses twaddle free literature and so reading these books again brings back many happy memories for me.

 

My all time favourite math curriculum is Teaching Textbooks.  We invested in this program before it was available online.  So we are using the book and CD option.  This year Nathaniel is working his way through Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1.  I love Teaching Textbooks because it's like having an on call math tutor to explain every single sum.  It is also the first math program that was built for homechoolers from the ground up. 

For bible we are using Cover to Cover (Aff link) by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor Partridge.  It's a bible reading program that takes you through the bible chronologically. This hardback bible is over 2,000 pages containing scripture, maps, timelines, illustrations and diagrams to make the bible come to life.  We have diveded the readings to cover the last three years of high school. Cover to Cover is available in two biblical versions: Cover to Cover NIV Edition: Through The Bible As It Happened  and the Holman Christian Standard Edition.

I've added in two extra books to read.  The first is The Dig Tree: The Story of Burke and Wills. This gorgeous hardback book is unabridged and tells the story of discovering the interior of Australia. Sarah Murgatroyd uses original source documents to take you back to the events surrounding this famous part of Australian geographical history.  Read more about the book here

Lastly I have added in a new book by the author Dr Caroline Leaf: Think Learn Succeed. I have chosen this particular book as it helps you understand yourself, your potential and the people around you. It dispels some learning mythes and equips the reader with tools to learn and use our brains to the very best of it's ability.  Read more about this AMAZING book here

Dr. Leaf shows readers how to combine these powerful tools in order to improve memory, learning, cognitive and intellectual performance, work performance, physical performance, relationships, emotional health, and most importantly a meaningful life well lived.

Do you have any books on your must read for you and your teen list?

 

This year we are continuing our Language Arts journey with resources from  The Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). For grammar we are finishing off Fix It! Grammar: The Nose Tree and will continue onto book two Fix It! Grammar Robin Hood. For composition and report writing skills we are utilizing Teaching Writing: Structure & Style DVD set. If you would like a more detailed look into these programs please read my review here: Institute for Excellence in Writing Review

We are working through book two of Trail Guide to World Geography by Cindy Wiggers.

Last but not least we will continue working through Getting Started with Latin by William E. Linney.(Aff Link).

 

More Posts on this blog on Curriculum

  1.  5 Days of Curriculum Choices {Fine Arts, Math, Science, History & Geography}
  2. 5 Days of FREE Homeschool Resources {Fine Arts, Language Arts, Science, History & Geography}
  3. Homeschool 4 FREE Resource List
  4. Virtual Curriculum Fair {Art and Music Appreciation, Social Studies and Science, Math and Logic, & Language Arts}

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 Don't forget to read some of these great posts from Day two of the blog hop where our team talked about Must Have Resources ...

Kristen @ A Mom's Quest to Teach shares Homeschooling Must Have Resources and Supplies in Our Home.

Annette @ A Net in Time shares Nature Study Bring Alongs.

Jessica @ My Homeschool with a View shares My Top 5 Homeschool Supplies.

Dawn @ Schoolin' Swag shares Must Have Supplies ... For Mom.

Vicki B @ Tumbleweed News shares Homeschool Must Have Resources / Supplies.

Yvonne @ The Life We Build shares her Top 5 Favorite Homeschool Supplies and Resources.

Lori @ At Home: Where Life Happens shares Homeschool Supplies... Squirrel.

You can find more from this blog hop in the NOT Back to School Blog Hop Pinterest board or in the linky below.

Not Back to School Blog Hop Homeschool Review Crew

 Don't forget to see what the Crew have to share on Homeschool Curriculumn


Tuesday 11 August 2020

My Must Have Homeschool Resources

Yesterday we looked at homeschool traditions and why to have them in your homeschool.  Today we are asking the question "What are your must have resources for your homeschool?  That's a good question. I'm an easy homeschool Mom to please as I don't have a very long list. One word of caution when looking at the picture below.  You do NOT need your own library in order to home educate. Books are my passion and love and as a result I have spent almost three decades investing in these shelves.

 

Quality Twaddle Free Literature

As a bibliophile our family is surrounded in books. I feel so blessed that Paul has allowed me to indulge in my passion. One word of caution when purchasing books at your local book fair/secondhand trader or catalog becareful that you do not purchase twaddle.  Twaddle is a word describing low quality literature.  You can read about twaddle and how to know what it is here:  How does Charlotte Mason define Twaddle? Over the years our family have enjoyed many wonderful books and I hope to keep sharing them here in my Tuesday's Treasures Collection.

IF you are wondering where to start or how to create a list of books to have on your shelf take a look at this post:  Book Resource List it's my confession as a book-a-holic.

 

I-Clips Magnetic Book Marks

My second must have are i-clips.  These magnetic clips come in numberous colours and patterns to suit your taste.  Search for i-clips on Book Depository (Aff link). These clips measure 57 mm from tip to tip when open, 18 mm wide and 28 mm from edge to tip when closed. I-Clips are magnetic and therefore will not fall out of your book.  The pointed end also helps you to mark the precise spot on the page.

 

Stationery

This is one that I think we sometimes spend too little on.  We choose to buy cheap in order to save money and in the end we end up with frustrated students because the tools we supply are lacking in quality.  I highly recommend purchasing Faber-Castell with SV Bonding.  To read more about pencils, erasers and glue take a look at my post on Stationery My Homeschooling Essentials.

What are your Homeschool Must Have Resources??

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 Don't forget to read some of these great posts from Day one of the blog hop where our team talked about traditions...

Yvie @ Homeschool on the Range shares 20 Best Educational Subscription Boxes (we let the kids choose a new one at the beginning of each school year)

Dawn @ Schoolin' Swag shares Back to School Traditions

Vickie B @ Tumbleweed News shares Homeschool Traditions {NOT Back-to-School Blog Hop}

Adrienne Brown @ Practicalmindedness shares on Traditions that seal the heart.

Teresa B @ Teresa Brouillette shaes Homeschool Traditions.

Annette V @ A Net in Time shares Starting a New School Year

Kristen @ A Mom's Quest to Teach shares Homeschooling Taditions for the New Year.

Lori @ At Home: Where Life Happens shares Traditions for Back to School.

Yvonne @ The Life We Build shares Our Homeschool Traditions.

You can find more from this blog hop in the NOT Back to School Blog Hop Pinterest board or in the linky below.

Not Back to School Blog Hop Homeschool Review Crew
 Don't forget to see what the Crew have to share on Homeschool Must Have Resources.

Monday 10 August 2020

Homeschool Traditions

Welcome to the Annual NOT Back to School Blog Hop 2020 which is being hosted by the Homeschool Review Crew. Today's topic is Homeschooling Traditions.  Traditions in your homeschool can be as complex or as simple as you or your family want to make them.  My personal journey into traditions started almost 25 years ago when I wanted to know how I could create memories with my children at Christmas.

Traditions within a family are the core and foundation of your family identity.  They can be created on purpose or they can evolve over time. Traditions are special moments that happen through intentional planning.  

“Celebrations are the ritualized interruptions in the continuum of daily life which remind us who we are, where we came from and where we are going.” -Milo Shannon-Thornberry 

 

Define Tradition

  • a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time
  • a long-established custom
  • the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation
  • an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior
  • cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
Dr. Dobson says:‘The great value of traditions comes as they give a family a sense of identity, ‘belongingness’. All of us desperately need to feel that we’re not just a cluster of people living together in a house, but we’re a family that’s conscious of its uniqueness, its personality, character and heritage, and that our special relationships of love and companionship make us a unit with identity and personality.’ 
 Traditions can take place daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.  Some are holiday specific, life changing or milestone, graduation, birthday or seasonal.

Some ideas to cultivate as a traditions

  • Read a book aloud together Every Day.
  • Not Back to School Party This is one that surprised me. We never set out to make it a tradition but it's one Nathaniel and his friends ask about every year.
  • Celebrating Advent
  • Christmas Traditions This is one I'm particularly passionate about!
  • Enjoying a cup of tea together as a family before beginning your day.
  • Weekly family movie night
  • Favourite weekly family meal on a certain day of the week (Our family meals was macaroni and cheese and to this day it's the meal my siblings want when we get together with a particular pudding!)
  • Holding hands when we pray a blessing on the meal.
  • Board games night
  • Attending certain annual events (for us this is Night Zoo, Christmas in Melbourne and Winter Fireworks in Docklands) 
  • Eating a particular treat over the holidays which is ONLY eaten then.  We have a waffer biscuit we all enjoy and I only purchase them for eating during Advent.
  • Going out once a month for a special treat (ice cream, donuts, lunch etc)
  • Taking a picnic basket with a pre-packed flask on field trips. 

 Now a tradition is not a rut. A rut is doing the same things year after year because you don't have enough imagination to do anything new. A tradition is something you do once and discover a joy so deep that you do it again, Christmas after Christmas, to keep on savoring it and make it last -  Franklin Saunders (page 23 At Home in Dogwood Mudhole )

Nathaniel enjoying a ride 5 years ago at the Not Back to School Party
 Our Family Homeschool Traditions

  • We start our new year each year by attending the local Not Back to School Party at  Geelong Adventure Park. We've loved doing this each year with the same group of families and watching one another's children grow in confidence and create memories together.
  • Ice-Cream parties on days when things are hard or we are struggling.
  • Each morning we meet in the lounge and enjoy a cup of tea together.  It's a great way to connect before we commence the new day ahead.

You can find more from this blog hop in the NOT Back to School Blog Hop Pinterest board or in the linky below.

Not Back to School Blog Hop Homeschool Review Crew
 

Don't forget to see what the Crew have to share on Homeschool Traditions.