2020-2021 Curriculum

 Our school year began a few weeks ago. I decided to get an early start so that we have room for camping throughout the fall, and maybe, if the borders open, a trip to the states eventually during the school year. This is my 10th year homeschooling! So I've had time to refine and figure out what works for us. I have never found a boxed curriculum that meets our family's style, so we use the following hodge podge.

This year, Z is in 8th, H is in 7th, A is in 5th and B is in 1st. And then we have M who just wants to "Mom, mom, mom" all day. :)

• Saxon 1/2 Alg Math for Z and Math 7/8 for H with Nicole the Math lady. She does a little lesson for the book and then grades the work! Absolutely worth the money this year, as checking math had been my biggest hangup in checking work. 
• A is using Teaching Textbooks 5 again and B is using MCP Math Level A
• Bravewriter- everyone is using Bravewriter again, a mix of Arrow and Boomerang. We're also adding in a lot more of the writing program. This month we have been doing Stella By Starlight all together. Bravewriter is absolutely my favorite program and is all of the language arts for our family
• Two Truths and a Lie (There's several options)- The older three read a chapter each week to work on being skeptical about information they receive, and not just trusting everything they read. 
• Foundations in Personal Finance- This year I decided to add a finance program in to start working/learning important financial principals. We're using Dave Ramsey's Middle School program. 
• poetry- We're using "A Kick in the Head" and reading one poem a week, and discussing the type of poem. This book has one poem, the type of poem it is, and a definition of that type of poem. THen I make the kids write a few as well. Super easy, but they love it. 
• History- I have combined TAN's Story of Civilization Vol 4, RC History, and some great ideas from this video to make a very in-depth US History program for us. My goal is to finish it all this year, but i'm honestly not sure if we will. I suppose that's ok. If the borders open back up for next summer, we plan to do a large Washington DC trip to wrap up the school year. 
• The girls are all sticking with piano, via zoom for now, and Zach is sticking with guitar for music.
• Duolingo for all the kids for foreign language.
• Abby is doing typingclub.com for typing.
• Z and H are taking several live classes through Homeschool Connections- How Things Work for Z for Science, Geology for H for science, plus both are doing a writing class and a logic class. They are also doing the recorded class for history that matches up with what we're studying.
  
• A&B are doing Planet Earth for science.
• B is continuing to work through the Little Angel Readers for reading, and using Handwriting Without Tears for handwriting.
• and finally, everyone is required to read for 20 min of fun reading each day, which usually happens in bed. 

We do not do these subjects daily. Math, Bravewriter and History are daily. Poetry is usually on Tues, Finance on Wed and Planet Earth on Thurs. Friday is always finish up other school work and do Tidy Friday. 

I've been doing a lot of personal reading lately, to help me learn about things in general. But this book is what i'm currently reading, so that I hopefully have a better understanding of our US History with regards to the indigenous-An Indigenous People's History of the United States for Young People. I also have Lies My Teacher Told Me: Young Readers' Edition: Everything American History Textbooks Get Wrong to read later. 

If you're on the homeschool journey, I strongly recommend The Bravelearner to all parents. 

I hope that helps someone who may be looking for a specific piece of curriculum. I'm happy to discuss any of them in further details, but also check out my other homeschool labeled items on the side, to see where I've discussed some of these curriculums in great detail. I hope everyone has a great homeschooling year!