2013-2014 Curriculum Rundown

Here is what we are using this year.  J is in 7th grade, and he is doing two online classes through Freedom Project Education.  Science uses Exploring Creation with General Science and English uses Bob Jones Writing and Grammar, Spelling Workout, Penmanship with George Washington's Rules of Civility, and numerous literature guides for books like The Hobbit, Bridge to Terebithia, Paul Revere's Midnight Ride, Song of Hiawatha, etc.  I have been pleased with the selection of books FPE has chosen to use.  I am still getting use to having to scan and upload the handwriting and spelling tests and eventually the grammar tests, but this takes a load off my hands.  J is learning to scan, save, and upload, so he can do that eventually by himself.  He is studying history using Mystery of History 2 and Story of the World 2.  Teaching textbooks is a computer based math that he is using this year for Pre-Algebra.  We are trying to do Latina Christiana with C, but it is going slowly.

C is in 4th grade.  He is doing reading with Bridges Beyond a workbook to guide him through the lessons.  We are doing History with Winter Promise's American Story 1.  I did this with J several years ago.  It's fun to revisit the books that we enjoyed the first time around.  L is joining us for this history.  C is starting the 3 year cycle of Christian Studies that uses the Golden Children's Bible.  He is using Teaching Textbooks also, Level 5.  For English, he is using Spelling Workout, First Language Lessons, and Wordly Wise (actually we dropped it after the first week).  For science, he is reading Exploring Creation through Astronomy and doing a science class co-op.

J and C are both active with our fine arts co-op.  They are doing art and drama.  This year, they are doing the Disney Jr. Aristocats.  J is O'Malley and C is one of the kittens Toulouse. C is also doing choir while J does creative writing.  Matt has started a group for boys that meets once a week, and they are enjoying that too.  Matt is looking to charter the first Trail Life USA group in our area.  We are very excited about this new opportunity to raise up our young men!

L is 2nd grade, and he is working through Saxon Phonics and Right Start Math.  He is also doing history with C and a science co-op class.  I think he is anxious for next year to be able to join the fine arts co-op and also the boys group.  He doesn't like being left behind with me and the littles!

Speaking of the littles, they start preschool in a couple of weeks.  It has been hard getting school done with them here.  A will be starting back with the school speech therapy at preschool, and I am eager to see how the therapist feels she has progressed over the summer.  She is talking more, but she is still dropping final consonants and using minimal words to express her thoughts (mah mil ~more milk~, instead of Can I have more milk please?, just as an example).  T is happy just about anywhere, so I know he will enjoy having fun at preschool instead of hanging out with us trying to get school done.