Search Results for: blog on the great curriculum hunt

A Review: Great Scientists in Action: Early Life, Discoveries, and Experiments

In my years of homeschooling, one of the most asked questions is, “Which science curriculum should I use?” I know I have asked that same question many times. Then one day I asked that question to a physicist friend of mine. I was very curious what a homeschooling physicist thought was important to teach his children about science and what curriculum he used. His answer was surprisingly simple. He suggested starting out teaching science on the foundation of history. The explanation was that children will learn equations and the periodic table for many years and still may not have developed … Continue reading →

Homeschooling Our Gifted Son: The Hunt for “Gifted Curriculum”

I have to first say that it’s not necessary to find curriculum specifically for gifted kids if you have a highly gifted child. But someone recently asked me a question about whether or not you should go deeper or wider when homeschooling a gifted child and what do you do about curriculum. (In other words, do you use ‘regular’ curriculum and just keep advancing grade levels. . .or do you take your time to explore grade level curriculum in depth with lots of investigation.) I think the answer depends on the family and the child, but I’ve offered some thoughts … Continue reading →

Homeschooling and Public Teaching Comparison: Choosing a Curriculum

I really enjoy checking over in the homeschooling section to see what new topic or idea Valorie is discussing. As a teacher and as a parent, homeschooling has always been an interest to me. I have never really considered doing it but I find it intriguing and I am always up for learning more about it. One of Valorie’s more recent articles discusses how homeschooling parents can find a curriculum that meets their children’s educational needs. I think that this is one aspect of homeschooling that I would definitely enjoy more than public school teaching. When teaching in a school, … Continue reading →

On the Great Curriculum Hunt

Yesterday, I got my first homeschooling curriculum catalogs in the mail. The first of the season that is. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I am sure that I will continue to accumulate a growing pile of homeschooling curriculums all of which claim to meet my child’s needs. If you haven’t been inundated yet, let me encourage you to take a few minutes to sit down and think about it. Why? So you won’t be tempted to spend more than you need on “cool” stuff. What Do You Really Need? The truth is, there are tons of … Continue reading →

Review: The Phonetic Zoo

Ever since my daughter was in Kindergarten she has struggled with spelling. We had a few good years due to a great curriculum and active hands on word studies. However, as she hit the junior high level she was no longer interested in spelling games yet still lacked spelling skills. She is a very intelligent girl but spelling is not her forte. I thought that she would simply have to live out the rest of her life as a poor speller. After all, I know plenty of people who have resigned themselves to be poor spellers. My daughter, now in … Continue reading →

The Very Hungry Caterpilar Unit Study

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a much loved book by little ones and parents alike. In fact, it was my son’s favorite book when he was little. This book is beautifully illustrated and teaches lessons that you can apply to your little student’s homeschool curriculum. If you intend on teaching from a literature based approach or simply want to add in book studies or unit studies to keep your child interested, here is a way to incorporate use this book for those purposes. A great choice for a number focus for this book is seven based on … Continue reading →

Stick With What You’ve Got

As someone who runs a homeschooling support group and someone who writes about homeschooling, I find that I’m constantly talking to homeschoolers about curriculum. What do you like? What don’t you like? I have met numerous homeschoolers that make radical changes in their homeschooling curriculum every year. I have mentioned before that I think taking the time to write out a philosophy is very helpful in avoiding the curriculum flip flop. However, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. There Is Not a Perfect Curriculum If you go the pre-written boxed curriculum route, you need to understand … Continue reading →

The Comprehensive Phonics Handbook by Eagle’s Wings

As the mom of five young children, I am often on the hunt for resources that will get used time and time again. I need resources that are flexible enough to meet the needs of all five kids–from my gifted child to my very hands-on learner who needs lots and lots of practice. This book definitely fits the bill and is a huge asset to any homeschooling mom who is teaching phonics and reading. How It’s Laid Out The book is organized into various charts that coincide with a particular sound and spelling rule. Most charts have exceptions called “every … Continue reading →

Phonics, Whole Language, and Teaching Literacy

Warning: if you’re looking for the definitive step by step instructions on how to teach a child to read, you won’t find it here. However, if you’re at the beginning of your schooling journey, and you’re at a loss as to what to teach for reading, this might be the place for you to start. Decades ago, phonics used to be all the rage. Phonics is the systematic instruction of the sounds of the alphabet. Kids who study phonics memorize blends and learn things like “Two vowels get together and they play a game, the first vowel speaks, it says … Continue reading →

Homeschool Family Relationships

I received some email questions this weekend from a student who is researching homeschooling. This student had some very good and informed questions, and so I thought I would present some of his questions here, with my answers. The first questions involve my decision to homeschool. Another question asked about criticism and support. This question is about the family relationship. Personal communication: how close are you to your children, and how close are your children to you? I feel that my children and I are extremely close. We are at least a lot closer than I ever imagined we would … Continue reading →