Packaged Curriculum - What are my options?

[Stugroupie]

Hi, all. We have been eclectic homeschoolers from the start. Next year, my oldedst will be doing 2nd grade work and my middle will be doing K. I have always just pieced together our materials, choosing individual curriculum for each subject and doing my own lesson plans. I'm thinking that next year I would like to get a packaged curriculum for both 2nd and K, but not sure what my options are. We have bee loosely following TWTM and doing a classical-ish education, but am not set on continuing with that. We are Christian, but not hsing for religous reasons, so a Christian curriculum would be nice, but not necessary. Online schools would be OK, too. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[skueppers]

If I were a Christian, I would seriously consider Sonlight. Especially if the classical model appeals to you, as Sonlight emphasizes history and incorporates a great deal of real-book reading, de-emphasizing textbooks.

You could probably combine both kids into Core 1, unless you have already been doing Ancient History with your older child this year. They would have separate math and language arts curricula, but it would all be scheduled for you in the Instructor's Guide.

[A Mom's Love]

If I had the $, I would go with Sonlight. I love their emphasis on books and follow their booklists for checking out books from the library.

[kittie313]

I like Sonlight too, I've used them for preschool with my 2 oldest and now my two youngest are in the younger preschool core together. We chose instead of continuing with Sonlight to use k12 through a state virtual academy (yes we are ps at home, what's your point) and it is a much better fit for those two than SL was at this time.

[sbgrace]

We do Heart of Dakota. It is a Charlotte Mason approach, literature based, hands on, Christian. You can download a weeks worth of materials for any level to look at and see if it fits your kids. You can easily sub your own math curriculum instead of theirs (singapore I believe). We use RightStart with it.

[ebethmom]

If we could swing it (and right now we can't), I would love to try Sonlight. I have friends who really like it. Maybe someday!

[blessedmum]

Some options:
Sonlight
Veritas press
Rod and Staff
Oak meadow-not Christian
Beautiful feet books-unit studies
My fathers world
You can look at homeschoolreviews.com for more.
Blessings on your journey!

[elizawill]

we have used heart of dakota also, and i liked it. the TM is the most user friendly i've ever seen. i've also looked at winter promise & my father's world. i won't buy them (can't afford it & packaged curricula just doesn't work for us unfortunately), but they inspire me for sure when choosing books. i like sonlight's reading list also, but i do not like the TM - so i just use their lists for ideas as well. each year, we've incorporated books from rod & staff and christian liberty press. i really LOVE the materials from these companies and we go back to them every year. CLE is also supposed to be excellent, but i've not used their materials. be sure to look at homeschoolreviews.com - you will get a lot of ideas there. hth.

[sierramv]

We use Winterpromise and it could be used for two grades at once, especially in the younger years. It has a Christian option, and LA, Math, Science add-ons. It is full of wonderful books and adventure reading. We use just the American Story 1 and I use different Math and LA, but they can integrate it all for you as well as tying in a curriculum for your kindy. Little Acorn I think goes to second grade, it's a little light but has a nice flow, especially if you are expecting another baby. Good luck!

[kgianforti]

A beka offers packaged curriculum as well!

[ChinaDoll]

We're loving Sonlight - especially read their 27 Reasons NOT to buy SL, for me, #11-15 struck a chord. I love that they are Christian but that they try hard to cover a subject from all angles.

http://www.sonlight.com/not-to-buy.html

[Stugroupie]

This is all very helpful and overwhelming! We are currently doing Book 1 of SOTW (ancients) and we are/ were really excited to do the middle ages next year.

Sonlight seems to be highly recommended and most of it looks great. We are already using HWT (which they use) and Saxon Math (which they don't but could be substituted). Not sure yet what to do, but have some time to figure it out!

The Homeschoolreview website has been very helpful, too.

Thanks so much to all of you!

[Reebekah]

i plan to use sonlight...and i'm actually using p3/4 and p4/5 (along with other supplements) right now for preschool....but if it doesnt work out, my back up plan is a package by either a beka or alpha omega or bob jones...check out their websites. good luck.

[kittie313]

Originally Posted by Stugroupie

This is all very helpful and overwhelming! We are currently doing Book 1 of SOTW (ancients) and we are/ were really excited to do the middle ages next year.

Sonlight seems to be highly recommended and most of it looks great. We are already using HWT (which they use) and Saxon Math (which they don't but could be substituted). Not sure yet what to do, but have some time to figure it out!

The Homeschoolreview website has been very helpful, too.

Thanks so much to all of you!

You don't have to buy the full packages that they offer in the lower levels. It doesn't save anything that way, other than the one-click option. If you like Saxon math, you can do it easily. Just do a "custom core" option. You can pick your core, lang. arts, math, science, and handwriting individually. Have you checked out the forums over at Sonlight yet? If you go to their choosing forum and post your kids' ages and what you are currently studying and the level of math your in, they can help you figure out the right core better (my money is that they suggest core K over core 1 just because of your younger child unless you plan on teaching them individually and not try to combine them into one core)

[ChinaDoll]

Originally Posted by kittie313

You don't have to buy the full packages that they offer in the lower levels. It doesn't save anything that way, other than the one-click option. If you like Saxon math, you can do it easily. Just do a "custom core" option. You can pick your core, lang. arts, math, science, and handwriting individually. Have you checked out the forums over at Sonlight yet? If you go to their choosing forum and post your kids' ages and what you are currently studying and the level of math your in, they can help you figure out the right core better (my money is that they suggest core K over core 1 just because of your younger child unless you plan on teaching them individually and not try to combine them into one core)

Seconding all of that (Hi, Cat )