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Over the years I have enjoyed the process of researching learning resources, and we've tried out a fair number. I don't think curriculum products are the most important thing in homeschooling (see my article "It's Not About School!"), but for those who are interested I'm always glad to share my experiences and impressions. Never forget that the tools you choose to use in your homeschool need to fit you and your children; undoubtedly, some of the tools that work in my family will be less than ideal for your family. I hope, however, that some of my comments may help you sort through a small fraction of the many products available out there for the growing homeschool market. History and LiteratureSonlight Curriculum. We started using Sonlight Curriculum with Aimée in 1999. Sonlight is a literature-based Christian curriculum with a history focus and a world mission emphasis. When I first really read through a Sonlight catalog, I realized that Sonlight had put together something very like what I had been doing on my own for a couple years: historical nonfiction coupled with excellent historical fiction, both books for the children to read and books for parents to read aloud to the children. I found that many of the books we have loved are on Sonlight's book lists, and that led me to trust their judgment. We have now done all or parts of Sonlight Cores ("Cores" include history, literature, and Bible and were formerly called "Basics") Kindergarten through 8 and we have not been disappointed in more than a handful of books. That, to me, is saying something! The best way to get a handle on how Sonlight works is probably to request a print catalog from them. Sonlight's cornerstone product is their Instructor's Guides; each guide provides a thorough daily schedule for 36 weeks of schooling. Sonlight sells their guides and books together or separately. The Core packages look expensive, but their resale value is quite high and the books are quality books, many of which will likely find a home in your family's home library. Sonlight also offers an unconditional money-back guarantee on their Core packages, so you can try it out for 8 weeks and see if it suits your family. Sonlight's extensive forums are a great way to gather information on how a wide variety of families are using Sonlight Curriculum. Be sure to visit their Choosing Helps page before you settle on a Sonlight Core for your family; Sonlight levels are not grade levels, and the process of choosing a Core can be more than a little daunting. Fear not: Sonlight users are a friendly bunch and will gladly help you make sense of it all on the Choosing Forum. Tapestry of Grace. Early in 2004 I realized that after five years of Sonlight it was no longer working well for our family. With children in three rather different learning levels, I was no longer able to use Sonlight in such a way that we were all working on the same topic of history at once, with the result that my oldest ended up pretty isolated for much of the school year, up in her room studying church history while I did ancient history with the boys. In addition, I didn't think the literature for the next Sonlight year would be my daughter's cup of tea. I began to ponder other options for her, and around the same time began hearing a lot about Tapestry of Grace. To shorten a long story, we began using Tapestry in the fall of 2004. Because of the way Tapestry is designed, all three children are studying the same topics each week, each at his or her own level. Tapestry, like Sonlight, is reading-rich. Unlike Sonlight, it takes a chronological approach to world history across four years, with the idea being that a child might go through the four-year cycle as many as three times during their school years. We are using Year 2; assuming it works out well for us, Aimée will complete Years 2, 3, and 4 before graduating from high school. Tapestry of Grace includes history, literature, philosophy and worldviews, church history, some fine arts, government, and writing (and probably something I left out). It's part classical, part unit study. I am especially impressed with the way a biblical worldview is woven into the very helpful teacher's notes. Guidelines for Socratic discussion are included for older students. The book list is extensive and flexible; we are able to make use of our sizable home library as well as our local public library and Inter-Library Loan program. MathI have a page devoted to mostly less formal math learning resources, but we also use more traditional math curricula. Miquon. This is the first math program we used when we began homeschooling Aimée, whom we pulled from first grade in school. Miquon is a nontraditional lab approach to math that relies on Cuisenaire rods. I think it builds a strong mathematical foundation. Alas, my children have not loved as much as I do. They have all done parts of Miquon (there are six books of lab sheets) but have in the end preferred other programs. I still recommend that parents of young learners check it out! Singapore Math. We have used Primary Math, part of a conglomeration of math series put out by the educational ministry of the nation of Singapore, for several years. Primary Math is a more traditional math program than Miquon, but it is, to my mind, head and shoulders above most American math curricula for the elementary years. Children really learn to think mathematically with Singapore Math products. It is advanced over American products, efficient (review is built in but not as emphasized as in many other math programs), and uses workbooks. There are not so many problems on a page that children feel overwhelmed (mine are easily overwhelmed by math!), but it gets the job done.
If you have a memory-resistant child, give this program a try. All it takes is a modest investment (less than $15) and an hour or so of reading very short stories while looking at pictures. My children already understood the concept of multiplication; this program doesn't teach understanding, and I wouldn't do this before you had that aspect down. But for mastering those tough ones, this was unbelievably easy and effective. High School Math. After Singapore's Primary Math, Singapore Math offers upper level math, including New Elementary Mathematics. We tried this out after Primary Math, but I frankly felt intimidated by it and felt it needed to be taught--a task I didn't feel up to. Aimée used Elementary Algebra and Geometry by Harold Jacobs for Algebra I and Geometry. I like Jacobs's texts very much, and Aimée has done fine with them. For algebra 2 we are using Intermediate Algebra by Margaret Lial, et al. ScienceI'm a big believer in a relaxed, informal approach to science in the early years. My own children have picked up a lot of science from such sources as Magic School Bus television shows and books, our family's birdfeeder, the Kratt brothers on TV, and a handful of software programs. We have used some more formal programs from time to time as well. Developing Critical Thinking Through Science. This was the first resource I used with Aimée when she was around 7. It is a scripted, discovery-based approach to physical science, and we had a good time with it. There are two volumes available, one designed for grades 1-3 and the other for grades 4-6. I am currently using Book 2 for my boys, ages 7 and 10, and both are doing fine with it; I would take the grade recommendations lightly. The activities are easy to do--and it is pretty much all activities with discussion interwoven through the steps--and use readily available household stuff, for the most part. It is available from Critical Thinking Press as well as from many homeschooling vendors. Considering God's Creation by Eagle's Wings. This is a flexible and easy to use program for teaching natural science to a range of ages. The publisher says it's adaptable for grades 2 to 7; I think it's best suited to a narrower range, perhaps ages 8 to 10. Topics covered include the solar system, weather, rocks, plants, amphibians, the human body, and more. The heart of the program is the notebook the children build using the included workbook pages. These pages are quite well done, in my opinion, with quite a bit of detail and creativity. Children who resist coloring or cutting and pasting may not be good candidates for this approach, however. My children really liked the "detective" pages, by means of which they learned to identify plants, rocks, weather patterns, and so on. There are "Digging Deeper" projects suggested for older students. Throughout is a heavy emphasis on God's work of Creation, and Bible verses are frequently cited. Sonlight Science. As is true of Sonlight's Core programs, their science program is centered on good books. Many are the highly illustrated Usborne books that some folks love and some folks hate; my sons and I like them a lot, while my daughter doesn't seem to care much one way or another. Sonlight also includes experiments in all levels, but because the experiments don't rely on the reading, they are easily separated out for those who prefer not to do them (that's often the category we fit into) or for those who choose to do them, say, during the summer or on weekends with Dad. The science instructor's guides provide schedules for all reading and experiments as well as worksheets (which we have never bothered with). TOPS Learning Systems. TOPS science modules are hands-on topical science units for (mostly) the middle grades. We have used and enjoyed several. They are experiment based and fairly easy to pull off at home--this from a mom who really despises any kind of tricky projects or activities. I have found these to be quite well designed and to really require mostly household objects. The web site includes some samples so you can try some out before you buy. Do pay attention to the grade level recommendations--some of the modules are pretty challenging, but some are appropriate for children as young as 6 or so, with help. Apologia Science. Written by Jay Wile, a one-time homeschooling dad and scientist, these junior high and high school texts are very good. Dr. Wile is a staunch Creationist, and this comes through in the books; for us this is not a drawback. He writes directly to the student; my daughter has done Physical Science, usually an 8th grade text, on her own. Wile writes engagingly and provides helpful study procedures and tests. Labs are designed with homeschoolers in mind and so do not, for the most part, require expensive laboratory equipment. A microscope is recommended for Biology, but even this is optional. We expect to stick with Apologia throughout high school. Sonlight offers Apologia texts and supplies, and we are very happy with Sonlight's microscope as well.
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