Since I know some people enjoy reading the curriculum picks of others, I thought I would share mine, followed by why I selected each item. So, here it goes:
This is for a 5th/6th grader -
English: Rod and Staff 6. I chose this curriculum because it is considered one of the most thorough and easy-to-use English curriculums available to homeschoolers. It is also one of the curriculums recommended by Cathy Duffy Reviews and The Well-Trained Mind Press. My son enjoys writing and this has worked well for us so far.
Math: Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra. After doing math with my son since the beginning, we finally decided to switch to an online program. He went straight from Unit 7 in CLE 6 to Pre-Algebra in Teaching Textbooks without an issue. This has really freed me up to spend more time with my younger son. He no longer has to wait for me to review the previous day's math lesson with my older son. The immediate feedback received after each problem has also been really helpful to my son. (As far as I know, Teaching Textbooks is just a "traditional computer program" and does not utilize AI). Update -We stopped using this after a few months and went back to CLE Math. It was a good break, but my son is back to loving CLE.
Spelling: Building Spelling Skills 5: This is published by Christian Liberty Press and has been a past recommendation by Cathy Duffy Reviews. It is very inexpensive and easy-to-use. I especially like Level 5 because it combines geography with spelling. We have been a little light on memorizing the names and locations of countries, so this was very helpful. I also wanted a subject that was an "easy win" for my son. He is advanced in a few subjects, but there is no need for that in every subject.
Reading: CLE Reading 6. We love CLE Reading! It is very thorough, covering reading, poetry, literary techniques/terms, vocabulary and even etymology of words. It also includes a memory Bible verse that is quizzed on. The teacher's guide is essential because it guides us in very fruitful discussions, give or take a few stories that are a bit too simple to discuss. Because CLE Reading covers so many sub-subjects, I am saving a lot of money on buying Language Arts supplements. The stories are mostly realistic or historical fiction, which also adds to his history knowledge. (i.e. a recent story was about the Underground Railroad.) I asked my son if he wanted to switch to a novel/study guide model next year, or to Rod and Staff Reading, and he said definitely not, he wants to use CLE Reading forever. He should probably do something else for high school, but I don't see a problem with him continuing with CLE Reading through 8th grade, or even 10th. He also reads tons of books, including some classics, on his own that are just for fun and not part of school.
Science: Rod and Staff Science. Posted about this one just the other day!
History: Project Passport Middles Ages, The Age of Faith by Vladimir Moss (pages from Emperor Constantine through Emperor Theodosius give or take), Popes, Emperors, and Elephants: The First Thousand Years of Christian Culture by Roy Peachy (still need to start this one and then post a review). My son has been working on Project Passport completely independently once a week. I'm not sure how much he is learning from it, but he enjoys making the lap books and things, so I was happy to buy it for him. It would probably be better for a third grader, but he is having fun with it. (Update 12/04/2022 - Until I have time to write a longer review, I would not recommend Popes, Emperors, and Elephants. We were able to get something out of it, but chose to skip almost half of the book for a few reasons. Next up is A History of the Medieval World by Virgil M. Hillyer. I also read and previewed this entire book and it is a keeper! There were a few minor issues with the book from an Orthodox Christian perspective, including the fact that he had never heard of Orthodox Christianity when he wrote the book, but given a lack of good history alternatives in the English language for this age group, I am very happy with it.)
Music History: A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers: This curriculum is working out well for us as a music history overview. We are enjoying learning about the subtle changes in music over the years as society changed. The lessons take about 20 minutes once a week. One thing I don't appreciate is that the authors judge the Christian faith of each composer and how good and sincere it was, if the composer seemed to them to be one. That is not something Orthodox Christians do to other people so I find it odd, and we skip over the parts of the curriculum that are like this. (Obviously, certain composers had public reputations based on being family men or "partiers" and acknowledging this factual information is different than judging their "faith" or if they were "saved" or not, etc.) Overall, the curriculum is working very well, but I think some of the biographies have been overly simplified with some important details left out. (The Mozart section implies he was a faithful Christian, when actually he was involved with secret societies.)
Music Theory: Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory
Geography: A Child's Geography of the World by Virgil M. Hillyer. If you are sensitive to outdated terms and outdated historical information, DO NOT USE THIS BOOK. If you want a well-written, engaging book that teaches about landmarks around the world, and related history, in an engaging way, then consider this book. So far my personal favorite chapter has been the one explaining why the Panama Canal was made. Also, we are using The Complete Books of Maps and Geography. We just do this once a week.
Memory Work: Bible verses, and poems from The Laurel and Harp Wreath. While we own several good poem books already, I have found that with having a formal curriculum for this we are finally doing memory work almost daily. I have my 5 and 10 year old boys both doing the same poems which makes it more fun.
Art Appreciation: Preschool Art by Mother of Divine Grace. This is perfect for our family and works for both my 5 and 10 year old boys to do together. It takes about 10 minutes or less once a week. It has a beautiful painting with guided questions and we each take turns answering them. I will just keep on keeping my boys together with this as we go through the series. I could never find anything I liked so much until I looked at the MODG website. The options from Simply Charlotte Mason are just way too expensive.
We are occasionally computer schooling using Typing.com and Seterra.
I have no idea if that sounds like a lot of subjects or not, but my oldest son (10) spends about 4 hours a day on school work, including instruction/review time, which seems age appropriate. We do not do every subject, every day.
Well, I think that's about everything!
Happy Homeschooling!
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