Planning for next year? What did you love this year? What did you wish you never bought?

[AAK]

I am already starting to plan next year.  

This year I really liked the MCT series for English, but I wish I would have only bought the teacher's manuals instead of all of them.  I am not sure if we will be ready for the next batch of everything next year or not.  But, I think I will continue to use them.  I use all of it for my fifth grader, but use the poetry and part of the others with my second grader as well.  However, I will be also ordering Easy Grammar grade 3 for next year.  I like the foundation it plants for identifying the parts of speech.

I really wish that I wouldn't have purchased Language Smarts by the Critical Thinking Company.

I did like the Brain Builders book from Critical Thinking Co. as well as Building Visual Perception Skills and Balance Benders.

I love how I do science but wish I was more organized about it.  I use BFSU as well as spontaneous experiments.  My older dd needs something more.  I will get the sequel to BFSU to use with her, but if I could find a cool co-op science class with lots of hands on stuff. . . that would be wonderful.

I also like how we hit history/social studies (library and connecting activities) but as with science I need to be more organized with it. I want to have structured plan for myself for next year.  The past two years we have focused on US history and our state's history.  Next year, we will start world history.  My 2nd grader got the kits from "Little Passports".  She liked them, but we won't be doing it again.  It was nice though because we used it's topic of the month to expand on from a social studies/culture perspective.

Math is fine.  We use Singapore with 2nd grader and a combo of Singapore and LoF for 5th grader.  5th grader recently did a free trial of ALEKS math and really likes it.  I think she might go with that next year and I might supplement with math mammoth or whatever.

We are using Meet the Masters and it meets our needs.  I will also be buying some clay from the local pottery place (my kids love pottery) and we will rent kiln space.  

Amy

[Thandiwe]

I'm so much newer at this, and therefore waaaay less experienced!  I do have preferences and such, and curriculum and workbooks we're using and will for quite a while.  However, how do you plan?  Do you plan your lessons day by day, for weeks at a time, or do you just roll with it as you accomplish one task moving onto the next?

I'm really interested in how people plan homeschool, because I haven't really set up a succesful system for this yet.

[Momma Aimee]

yes i am planning for fall -- but i am looking at kindy -- so i am here to take notes, in gernal, on love and hates and thoughts -- i can't say there is anything i regret buysiung at this point LOL 

[annettemarie]

I am really looking forward to planning for next year. It will be my first year with a middle schooler! I'll be looking for ideas here...

[frugalmama]

We really loved using CHC {Catholic Heritage Curricula} this year - the lesson plans were just what we needed for K, and the books worked well for us mostly.

We liked:

Little Stories for Little Folks - just the right thing for a beginning reader to practice without being distracted by bright colors and artwork.

MCP Math - couldn't be simpler!

CHC Handwriting K - not too much practice, but more than enough to do the job.

Hated:

Who Am I Religion program - babyish and didn't interest dd at all.

We'll be using CHC again for 1st grade next year.

[onyxravnos]

I'm ALWAYS planning for next year I wish I had never bought Teach Your Child to read in100 easy lessons. I'm SO glad I bought it used for only $11 and not new. I know people swear by it but it's BORING and so very scripted. Calvert preschool was also not worth it for the same reasons.

Sonlights books were good though and so was oak meadow and ALGF. Next year I'm plotting lots of books and maybe some fun science/math munipultives

[excitedtobeamom]

Can you explain what MCT series is?  Thanks!

We will be homeschooling for the first time next year!  Yeah!  I will have a 1st and 2nd grader technically.  They currently got to a private school so we are excited to be home more next year.  We will be using Sonlight literature, trying to decide between Horizons/Signapore math, SOTW (Story of the World) for history/geography (my kids love the audio CDs so I just need to get activity books-we are on the 3rd one but plan to start at beginning), A Reason for Handwriting, and we will use First Language Lessons some.  I would love a very cool pro-evolution science program and I need to get a spelling program.  We plan to use the classical homeschooling model similar to The Well Trained Mind.

Any good science suggestions?  We will do Math, Reading, Handwriting seperate but everything else together. I am excited!

[Naturallove]

Oh my gosh. This has been our first year homeschooling and we are completely retooling for next year. Being an educated person who values academics I thought that a classical approach sounded wonderful. Well, in theory it does, but in practice it has been horrible. My son doesn't like to learn that way and I certainly don't like teaching that way. I wish I had never bought Saxon Math. I can acknowledge that it is a quality math program, but it is so repeatative and some of the lessons take so long to get through especially when you add on the "math meeting" that I end up dreading it.

I also wish I had never bought the Nancy Larson Science curriculum. We bought Science 1 and it is horrible. It was really expensive which I didn't mind because it is totally open and go which meant less prep time gathering obscure supplies for me. Well, it is also COMPLETELY scripted and the material is very very simple and dry. I think we did 3 lessons before calling it quits on this one.

Moving on down the regrets list is the phonics program we have been using by Bonnie Dettmer. I am sure that if anyone manages to get through the whole curriculum, they emerge a fantastic reader and speller, but it is so thorough and dry that I am surprised we haven't keeled-over from boredom yet.

The one thing that we have been doing that we both really like is Story of the Wold Vol. 1. I love that you can do as much with each lesson as you like. We always do the map and the coloring/activity page and I try to get some of the suggested books from the library about each subject. The arts and crafts are also really fun to throw in occasionally.

Oh and we both have been enjoying the BOB books for our beginning readers.

So, as I said we are totally retooling and taking a more relaxed approach from here on out. I will be buying our new curriculum sometime in the next couple of weeks. So far I think we are going to get Explode the Code online for phonics, either ETC workbooks or HWT for handwriting, Math Mammoth, continue with BOB books, I really want to try Oak Meadow to use primarily for social studies and science. My son is very high energy and very fascinated by nature so, I think that OM might be a good fit for him. I am unsure if we will continue with SOTW. We have both really enjoyed it, but I don't know if it will really fit in with the other things we are doing/ if we will have time for it.

[PGTlatte]

I LOVE reading reviews of what worked for others.  It is very helpful to me.

There is nothing I really regret buying - I think often the only way to find out how well something will work is to get the materials and try it on.  I can always sell it and recoup some of what I spent.

I am definitely in the mode of planning for fall, and also planning to begin academics with our second child, and making adjustments based on what I tried with our first.

Some things I am giving up on/unloading/deciding not to use again for our 5 yo:

The Reading Lesson - I didn't like the sentences with periods but no capitals, or some of the nonsense words.  The format of the pages was also not interesting to my children.

Singapore Math - I tried the 2A and 2B.  I do not like having a separate textbook that should not be written in.  I also have a strong distaste for horizontal problems that have to be rewritten vertically.  I felt the textbook pages were cluttered.  I prefer the format of the Spectrum or MCP Math workbooks - teaching and problems to work, all in one book you can write in.

Frog and Toad books (I just do not like them at all and there are so many other books to read instead)

Putting to the side for later:

Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding 1 - this is great but takes a lot of planning and putting together.   I just can't make that happen right now with the 5 yo being 5.

My Pals Are Here science - I have the texts and the homework.  Our son wants more specific information and to cover more of it, faster.

New things I am recently using with success or planning to begin:

Explode the Code "pre" series  (5 yo)

Spectrum Math workbooks (loving these !)

Story of the World volume 1 (using as a read aloud)

Knowledge Quest maps

Real Science 4 Kids level 1 student texts (I love the way they are formatted and present meaty science information to young kids.  Our son does not want to wait any longer.)

Usborne Internet Linked Science Encyclopedia (we will probably just read this cover to cover)

various Remedia workbooks for geography

adding poetry and art studies (still working on resources)

Type to Learn Agents of Information (this is more than just typing - it also includes dictation/spelling and you can add your own content as well !)

Singapore Math Challenging Word Problems

First Strokes Handwriting (I used this for dysgraphia intervention but it's a good program that could work for any child, and the workbooks are really affordable)

I am continuing with Click'n Spell, Spelling Workout, Spelling Plus Dictation, Evan Moor Language Fundamentals, Vocabulary Fundamentals, and Basic Phonics series, Scholastic Daily Word Ladders, Spectrum Writing, various Remedia workbooks for language arts, Flash Forward Reading, Magic School Bus books, Bill Nye DVDs, and Schlessinger DVDs

Edited by PGTlatte - 3/16/11 at 12:56am

[PGTlatte]

Originally Posted by excitedtobeamom 

Can you explain what MCT series is?  Thanks!

We will be homeschooling for the first time next year!  Yeah!  I will have a 1st and 2nd grader technically.  They currently got to a private school so we are excited to be home more next year.  We will be using Sonlight literature, trying to decide between Horizons/Signapore math, SOTW (Story of the World) for history/geography (my kids love the audio CDs so I just need to get activity books-we are on the 3rd one but plan to start at beginning), A Reason for Handwriting, and we will use First Language Lessons some.  I would love a very cool pro-evolution science program and I need to get a spelling program.  We plan to use the classical homeschooling model similar to The Well Trained Mind.

Any good science suggestions?  We will do Math, Reading, Handwriting seperate but everything else together. I am excited!

I have not found any science programs for this age that are specifically pro-evolution.  However I know of a few that are secular and do not mention anything of a religious nature or oppose evolution.  These include the science materials from Singaporemath.com, Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, and REAL Science Odyssey.  There is a chart here that might help you:

http://www.hsfreethinkers.com/curricula/sciences

I also have an Amazon listmania list of books that include evolution, the origins of the planet, early humans, etc.  (this is not an affiliate list).  I think I need to add a few more to it, but here is a link to the list:

http://www.amazon.com/Secular-Children-s-Books-About-the-Universe-and-Evolution/lm/R3HRLHFWLRHR1D/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full

I have worked these into our reading. 

[GnomeyNewt]

This year has been pretty great. I added more than took out this year, and most of the things I took out were quick buys at currclick.com that just were overload for us! Before we started this year, I did switch math from Singapore to Miquon & Math Mammoth realizing there was a student textbook, workbook, and teachers manuals for Singapore. I really don't like when there is a separate teachers manual for some reason, too much juggling. The program might be great though, least from what I hear.

For a secular Science, I can recommend R.E.A.L Science Odyssey. We have used it 2 years now and will continue to use it next year for Chemistry. We love this Science. It is very open ended and there is enough room to go deeper into some areas on your own and still finish up the course at the end of the year.


Next year we are going with:

History - Winter Promise American Story 2

Language Arts - Winter Promise LA 2 - Wordly Wise 3000 - Bk. 2, SpellWell Book A, AA, Success with Grammar 2, and I'm switching out their recommended Adventures in Phonics C for ETC 7 & 8. Also we might do some cursive next year but I'm not sure.

Science - R.E.A.L Science Odyssey Chemistry (we have done Life and Earth & Space and loved it! This is a secular science program.)

Math - Continue with Miquon Math and we are going to try Teaching Textbook Level 3, and might supplement with Math Mammoth because I got a package deal up to grade 3

Japanese Language - Continue with speaking, learning words, and writing. Simple easy stuff! No curriculum, haven't found one that will work with this age at all, so just winging this one. I am learning at the sametime and/or weeks ahead and just reteaching DD.

Art - Continue I Can Do Anything (Art) and also books on various artist throughout the year

Music - Piano (hopefully practice more!)

[sleet76]

My kids are in 2nd-3rd grade, and somewhere between K-2nd (he's advanced, but asynchronous).  We are liking and continuing with:

RightStart Math (will be continuing on, currently in levels B and C)

All About Spelling  (is good for reading instruction, too, supposedly--but we haven't used it this way)

Writing With Ease, level 2  (frustrating, but it's helping DD, we waited until halfway through the school year to start it, it overwhelmed her before that)

First Language Lessons

Crossroads American History (DD LOVES this, and I do, too!)

Handwriting Without Tears

Sonlight reading books for both kids--(for them to read aloud)

Time4Learning (as a time-filler while I'm doing one-on-one with the other kid, and my DS LOVES computer time, he will "play" on there happily)

We have tried and discarded (for now!):

Enki Kindergarten

Saxon Math

Sonlight Language Arts

Sonlight Science

Sonlight read-alouds (we do use many of them still, but there were many that just did not capture our attention and excitement--so many other books that do!)

Story of the World

Explode the Code

Explode the Code Online

[AAK]

Originally Posted by excitedtobeamom 

Can you explain what MCT series is?  Thanks!

MCT= Michael Clay Thompson  http://www.rfwp.com/mct.php

[AAK]

Originally Posted by GnomeyNewt 

Art - Continue I Can Do Anything (Art) and also books on various artist throughout the year

Music - Piano (hopefully practice more!)

What is I Can Do Anything?  Is there a link?

[tankgirl73]

For DS 12 -- 

Wish I'd never bought The Easy French.  There are actually incorrect pronunciations with some of the phonemes -- I don't just mean regional accent variations, I mean it says you pronounce the 'm' in '-aim'.  Um, no.  It's also really poorly laid out, and even though we got the level that's supposed to be for older beginners, it starts in right away with reflexive verbs and complex vocabulary.  Um, no.  Maybe the regular young beginner levels are better, but this wasn't just "not the greatest", it wasn't just "not the right fit for our family", it was really terrible.  Probably the only time I've really thought that about any curriculum.

Looking into our past history, I sort of wish I'd never got Saxon math 5/4 for him... Great program, horrible for my son though.  In hindsight, I think it's more that I wish I'd never tried to force him through it... and I wish I'd known more about the other great math options that are out there instead!  Never know, my daughter might end up loving it when she's at that level.

There was a time when I wished I hadn't bought Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra, because when we tried it a couple years ago it was WAY too dry for him and too much too quickly.  But, he's older now, ready for it developmentally, and while it's not his favourite he does mostly enjoy it.  However, if I hadn't bought it and we weren't already halfway through it, I might have signed him up for Live!Online Math instead, which he's tried and really enjoyed... We'll probably do that for Algebra though.

What we're really enjoying and will continue to use:

Life of Fred (all of them)

KidCoder Computer Programming

Intellego unit studies (all kinds of them)
Right Start Intermediate Geometry (fantastic, so glad we switched to RS a few years ago)

L'art de lire (not a perfect program but best I've come across)

Ecoutez parlez

Sequential Spelling

Meet the Masters

Ancient Art and the Orchestra

Boomerang literature units

Make it Real math

Various internet math sites

Various early french readers, worksheets, etc

Ellen J McHenry's The Elements

Philosophy for Kids

The Geography Colouring Book

What we're not currently using but enjoyed in the past and will likely use again:

NOEO Science

History Odyssey

Various crafts/handwork guides

Science Jim classes

Teacher's Book Bags grade 4+ unit studies

Thinking Company logic puzzle books

Mosaic Introduction to World History (and resources needed to go along with it)

What we've "finished" and really enjoyed/got a lot out of:

Italics: Beautiful Handwriting for Children

History Pockets

Hands of a Child lapbooks

Easy Grammar

 

Still not sure whether it was a good purchase or not:

Hands-on History Artists, also the Composers

Learning Geography through Art

Earth Logic: Our Dynamic Earth

Excavating English

All the upper-level Waldorf guides from Christopherus

Whew... and if I looked on our shelf I'd probably find more stuff that's "in reserve" for later lol...

[tankgirl73]

Okay that was stuff for my son... now for my 4yo daughter.

The only stuff I wish I hadn't got was some PK e-book workbooks that got too easy for her by the time she was interested in doing them.

Currently using and enjoying:
RightStart A

ABeka Cursive Handwriting, age 4

Progressive Phonics

Funnix reading (100 Easy Lessons but in software)

BOB books

Seasons of Joy Winter, then Spring

Cuisenaire rod activities

Teacher's Book Bag PK-K unit studies

Meet the Masters

Previously used and loved:

All our Montessori stuff ;)

In store for when she's ready for them:

Bunch of Intellego K-2 unit studies

Various Homeschool Bits unit studies

Hands of a Child and other sources lapbooks

Christopherus Waldorf stuff, art and form drawing for instance

Maybe EarthSchooling... ??

 

I know just listing it like this makes it seem like we're doing an awful lot for a 4yo but we're not!!!  We're very unschooling, Waldorf, and Montessori-inspired, so I'm all about the child-led but with some parental guidance.  DD is gifted and interested in doing lots of this stuff, so when we "do school" this is the kind of stuff we're doing -- but we don't "do school" for very long or even every day, and only when she's keen on it.  Most of her time is just spent in creative independent play.  :)

 

Actually, if I could have one big "I wish I'd never bought this" to encompass them all, it would be "I wish I'd never bought into the idea of traditional school curriculum but personalized at home" with my son.  I wish I'd known all the Waldorf, Montessori, Charlotte Mason and other philosophies I know about now because they would have been SUCH a better fit for him and we would have avoided many of the struggles we had, I'm sure.  My daughter is getting the lucky results of my mistakes with my son -- even though they're very different personalities. ;)

[AdinaL]

Starting to plan and think about next year, as my pre-K kiddo is blowing through K skills like crazy - so I am trying to figure out where she's gonna land for curriculum in the fall. Wondering if we will do curriculum or continue with out unschooling type of thing we have going on right now.

[onyxravnos]

Originally Posted by AdinaL 

Starting to plan and think about next year, as my pre-K kiddo is blowing through K skills like crazy - so I am trying to figure out where she's gonna land for curriculum in the fall. Wondering if we will do curriculum or continue with out unschooling type of thing we have going on right now.

ds1 is doing oak meadow k this year and with the exception of the writing/drawing has just done above and beyond with it. i could easily do OM 1st next year but i worry about jumping his head too much. i figure it would be easier to 'repeat' k this year then have to 'repeat a grade later on kwim? just going to add to our re-do of k and work on those skills that change over the coming year. 

[AAK]

Originally Posted by onyxravnos 

ds1 is doing oak meadow k this year and with the exception of the writing/drawing has just done above and beyond with it. i could easily do OM 1st next year but i worry about jumping his head too much. i figure it would be easier to 'repeat' k this year then have to 'repeat a grade later on kwim? just going to add to our re-do of k and work on those skills that change over the coming year. 

Re-doing might get boring.  You could get OM 1 and just go intentionally slower.  Or, don't worry about any year being labled, and just move at the child's pace.  He might slow down in 3rd, 8th, or never. ;)
 

[AAK]

Oh, I forgot. . . 

Although many people seem to love it, I really wish I never bought Sequential Spelling.  Maybe if we went further with it then it would get better.  The whole thing was not good for us though.  My dd had problems with parts of the words that WEREN'T part of the "pattern" they were on.  So, when we would get to the "test" and the book had the first part of the word filled in, and my dd just had to supply the "patterned" part, she did well.  But, she was not learning anything about spelling!  

Now, both my kids do AAS.  

Amy