Homemade Homeschool Curriculum?

Question

I plan to homeschool my children next year, and I don't have any support from family or friends - I am going to join a local support group, though. I am devising a plan and trying to put together a curriculum. I will have a second grader, Kindergartener, and Preschooler. This is what I'm thinking so far:

1. I like the Charlotte Mason idea of being outside in nature a lot - especially since all three are boys. I'm also going to have them do written and oral dictations on a regular basis, and have them write in their journals at least weekly.

2. I want the main focuses at this age to be the three R's. I want them to be as proficient and accomplished in these areas as possible. So, I will have text books for these subjects, they'll do lots of drills, lots of reading and writing of stories and poems.

3. Then, we'll have unit studies about whatever subjects they are interested in. This will include lots of library books, field trips, science experiments, and other hands-on activities.

Answer 1

Good for you :)

  Now a small piece of advice..........set yourself a budget and STICK TO IT, otherwise you will spend a fortune on stuff.

I have been homeschooling my little girl for 4 yrs and I have found that going to Thrift Stores, the Dollar Tree, Big Lots are good for the budget....now with that said, please be aware that while you don't have to limit yourself, being resourceful can pay off big time ( I found some really good science stuff at Micheals Crafts and only paid about $8).

Take advantage of the websites that are out there...www.krampf.com (science experiments for free), www.oldfashionededucation.com and various other sites. Magazines like Teach and The Old Schoolhouse are great for homeschoolers and even have websites.

The 'IMAGINARIUM' section of Toys R Us is getting good science stuff  in, but pace yourself as some of the stuff can get pricey.

Now a piece of advice if you are religious ( if not then just take it for what it's worth).......there is a group called Keepers Of The Faith and they have 2 programs for the kids that are similar to Boy/Girl Scouts, but more religious based ....for girls it is called Keepers At Home and for boys it's called Contenders Of The Faith.....many of the skills INCLUDING sewing ( my husband sews better than me because his mom taught him) and the kids can earn pins (silver for starters/ Gold for  more advanced) as they learn a skill.

There is no Main Organization to join so no dues, the book will cost you about $14 bucks and the pins are about $3 each ( I have a main book and then as my daughter does her skills, I make a copy and put it in her Keeper Binder)....you can start your own little group if you so choose or just make it a family thing.

I also have 'school' binders for my daughter ( I bought the ones that hold 600 pages and you make your own picture for the front) and in one I put 'Today in History' which you can cut out of the daily paper or subscribe to Arcamax.com and is great for 'quickie' history starters or ideas for lessons, in another I have a thing called 'Shortcuts' which I find on the back of the Sunday Comics and gives a brief overview in kid language on a different subject each week...... we also have Plants and a main homeschool binder and animals....you can go in a lot of directions.

Bottom line is that creating your own curriculum allows you to head in the direction you think you need to go at the time without being 'strapped' to a schedule or dealing with a learning situation that doesn't work for a certain child (most 'bought' curriculums are pretty rigid) and you can piece things together that work for EACH child ( what one child learns easily may take another much longer to master).

Check your State laws at www.hslda.org, have fun and good luck.

Answer 2

Great.

I would just buy the math book and perhaps some early readers for your oldest sons. Writing can come from those things such as a science notebook, dictation, story telling, etc.  I do like AVKO spelling, you might look into that for the 2nd grader.

The main thing is to let them learn things they are interested in, and add to those interests.  If they want to build a dam in the creek then fit science, writing, story telling, dictation into that.  Perhaps read a book about a ship while they build a dam.  But just let them maintain and keep that natural curiosity that God gave them.

Answer 3

Congratulations on taking on this task mom!

I think all your preplanning is great!  I think the local support group will be of great help to you.

When I read of all of those plans, I get exhausted just reading about them.  I hope you can accomplish all of that.  

I find what is totally necessary is to be flexible.  It will keep you and your children from going nuts.  Also, I didn't hear about dad's role in this?  If you have a plan and a schedule, life has a way of getting in the way of you fulfilling that sometimes.

Answer 4

Whatever your reasons, I commend you for your choice to homeschool your kids.  My kids are loving it.  We use the Sonlight curriculum and we really like it .  It has a lot of great literature.  It's a little more expensive but all of the legwork and schedules are done for you.  My kids are still pretty little, though, so I'm not pushing them too hard.  You'll find that your kids will probably learn quickly and naturally.  My kids are all at least one to two grades ahead in math and L.A.  I'd go easy on things like grammar and drill, though.  If you push it to  early, they'll hate it.  My advice to you would be to have structure, but don't be too rigid.  Don't be afraid to play hooky on a beautiful day.  We live in the country.  I bought my kids waterproof field guides and really good rubber boots.  Their favorite thing, right now, is to find insects, birds, tracks or leaves and identify them using the books.  I have the only four year old, around here, that can identify over twenty local birds!  I find that my kids easily master academic skills, because the instruction is all one on one.  They never miss a concept because we don't move on until they get it.  Science around here is so much fun.  It's a mess, but the laughter is worth it.  Here are some useful websites:

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/

http://enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

http://www.brainpop.com/

http://www.sonlight.com/

Enjoy your journey.  Oh yeah.  Turn a deaf ear to any "socialization" nonsense.  It's just what people stereotypically say when they don't want to admit that your kids are doing better this way.

Answer 5

Hi Runnergirl,

Congratulations on deciding to homeschool and choosing to put your own curriculum together.  It's the best idea - because you are the mother of these three boys and you know them better than any curriculum provider.

I like your ideas, especially the outside time nature study time as Charlotte Mason describes.  Enjoy the informal learning that nature can bring - draw your experiences , make a nature journal.

Focusing on the 3 Rs is a good focus - but be careful not to weary your boys with textbooks just because you think these subjects are important. Your children can be accomplished in these areas without  having a formal text for each area at this age.  For example, in reading - read to them -heaps in a variety of subject areas - read math books to them, science books, experiment books, history, literature, poetry, and so on.  Ask them to narrate to you - orally at this age until their writing skills catch up with their oral skills.  Narrating is a wonderful way for them to express and organize all their thoughts.  It truly is the pre-cursor to good writing.  So, don't be too frustrated if the writing doesn't happen immediately - just work on oral narrations.   When the mechanics happen, then it won't be such an effort to write well - because they have been writing in their head for years.

Also, for maths - don't forget there are heaps of fun math games, puzzles, word problems and every day experiences which teach math.  Yes - get them to skip count and learn their addition facts, multiplication facts as long as they know what they're doing.  Just remember that  there are many concepts which can be taught informally.  

  Unit studies are a great way to fuel their love of learning - read with them, engage in field trips and experiments and hands on projects.  Using their interests to direct the learning is a great way to explore the world around them.

I've always found it easier for myself to set a pattern for the day. ....Independent learning in the morning,...  Reading time after morning tea......unit study projects at 11.30 .... free time after lunch or whatever.  

Also, I usually start with my youngest child and get them on track first, while the others are working on something they can do independently.  It is good to think about what activities they can do on their own - computer activity/ math game/ drawing, and try to plan with that in mind.

Anyhow, I am sure you will do very well in homeschooling.  I can hear your enthusiasm and I am sure your boys will benefit from learning all that you already know.

It will be great to link up with a homeschool support group and  be encouraged there also.

All the best,

You might be interested in reading some of what I have written about designing your own approach to homeschooling.

Marianne

Answer 6

It sounds great - one thing I would caution against, with them being so young, is pushing the writing skills before they're ready.  I felt the same way, and pushed my son so hard at age 6-7 that  at 10.5, he's just now getting to the point where he's wanting to learn those skills.  I basically scared the bejeebers out of him, wanting him to be proficient before he was ready.

Boys often mature in that area later than girls do; they tend to need to dictate, to get used to getting their thoughts out, before they are comfortable putting them down on paper.  This doesn't apply to all boys, of course, but it does apply to many.  There is often an actual "block" that makes it difficult, and becoming comfortable with the mental process of writing - the narration and dictation - makes it a lot easier to later put it down on paper.

Now, my son is growing by leaps and bounds in this area, but I do feel that he wouldn't have had as much trouble in the first place if I hadn't pushed it so much.  If you notice any trouble with it, chalk it up to age and developmental level and put the writing requirements away for a year or two.  It's perfectly fine, I promise :) and as soon as they're ready to tackle it, they will - without the tears and bloodshed.  It's better to do it when they're ready, even if it's a couple years down the line, than to push it too early.  If you wait till the developmental ability is there, you'll be in awe of how quickly and easily they pick it up.

I really wouldn't touch the textbooks and drills for grammar, writing, or anything else like that until around 3rd-4th grade.  Grammar is very abstract, and although they'll complete the worksheets to please you, they likely won't retain a darn thing until that age.  Again, it has to do with developmental level.  (Do bring them through phonics training, gently, but mix it with reading and recognizing whole words.)

Do have them keep journals, but let them get creative with them.  If they want to draw comic strips, pictures, glue in "treasures" that they find and label the date and place, let them.  They're still dealing with the information, but they're more likely to retain it and develop a love for journaling if they can do it in a way that makes sense to them.  They'll learn to love the stories and poems that you read to them, and as they get older, they'll be able to emulate them.

Also, don't be surprised if one (or all) of your boys don't sit still and listen.  Again, it's fine :) it's the way they're wired, many boys are.  It doesn't mean that they're not paying attention, it means that they need to move in order to synthesize the information.  For kinesthetic learners, movement actually triggers the learning centers in their brains.  If you make them sit still and "behave", they'll focus so hard on it that they won't hear a thing you say; if you let them fiddle with a manipulative, draw pictures, or quietly walk around the room, they'll likely be able to teach it back to you.

Overall, have fun!  Know going in that homeschooling isn't anything like "school".  It's a lifestyle of learning, and it can be hard to let go of the way that we were educated.  It really is a whole 'nother ballpark, but it's so worth it.  Trust your kids, trust your gut, and lead them to have a true love of learning.  Dont get caught up in where they "should" be, get caught up in loving where they are and leading them to where they *can* be.

Hope that helps!

Answer 7

Instead of pushing the writing skill so much in the younger ones you might want to try workbooks that teach writing. We use the Explode the Code series and Handwriting without Tears. Since you like Charollete Mason you might like to look at Sonlight for curriculum. She helped write the Language Arts program. You can buy the LA program and skip the rest if you wanted to.

If you want to you can buy woorkbooks at Walmart for next to nothing. I think I spent about $10.00 for my boy last year. He is currently workning on the books i mentioned earlier and enjoying the exersizes.