What curriculum is everyone using this year?

I'm using MCP Mathmatics, and Spelling Workout, which both worked out great last year.
For reading, we're trying the EMC Masterpiece Series, Understanding Literature and Language Arts. It looks like a really good course.
I'm also going to try Switched-On Schoolhouse for Science, History, and some additional Language Arts.


Can anyone who has used SOS give me some pointers? I think I have it figured out, for the most part, but I'd love to hear from experienced users.

 

I'm using SoS for the first time this year, but only for Bible. It's pricey, which is my only hesitation. I manually input my CLE L.A. lessons into it, as well as my Apologia Science. Meaning, I made assignments that said "LA 801 day 1" or "Science Module 2, day 3". I didn't write out page numbers or anything. But that way, it populates in her calendar which for some reason makes me really happy cuz I'm a bit nerdy. LOL I won't be doing that for history because my history is not already broken down for me into daily lessons so it'd be too much work. Also because I'm having her do history all five days of the week and getting as far as we can in the school year so there's no specific "end" in sight. For that we're using both A Beka History of the World, and TruthQuest packs thrown in at places we want to slow down and spend time in. For the first few weeks we'll be using the rest of the MOH we didn't finish last year, too.

Haven't decided on math yet. I'm thinking Math-U-See. She was supposed to start Geometry, but our review of Algebra is showing she didn't retain or absorb much of what we did last year, so I'm torn between the two.

 

SOS is pricey, but I was very fortunate to inherit an almost complete collection from 6th to 9th grade! All I had to do was buy a new installation disc, because the one I was given was from 2007, and it wasn't compatible with the new version of windows that I have. I purchased one of their state history courses for $30, and it came with the 2011 installation disc. I hope it works out well for us, because I'll have curricullum for years to come!

 

We used SOS for math and language arts last year, and I wasn't impressed. I found the math in particular to be very scattered. My ds picks up math concepts very quickly, but the program jumped around from concept to concept so much he never got a chance to really retain anything.

For math this year we're using Math Makes Sense, which is mental math and the same curriculum our public schools use.

Other subjects: Learning LA Through Literature, Words on the Vine, Mystery of History, Apologia Science, as well as provincial unit studies.

 

I didn't like SOS AT ALL!!! We do a little of this and that. MOH History for Phillip, Streams of Civilization for Faythe. TT6 for Phillip, a "retired from public school" Algebra 1 book for Faythe. Apologia General (Phillip) and Physical (Faythe). Easy Grammar for Phillip, not sure for Faythe (!!!). And Rachael is with ECOT (on-line school, French and Honors English) and the community college (Calculus, Psych, and Government...this quarter).

 

I have read a lot of bad reviews for SOS math. I'm going to give the other subjects a try, but I'm going to use it more as a base and supplement the material with external resources. The EMC book I have is the main LA course. The SOS LA has more grammar, so we'll use that part, but not as the main LA course, and I blocked all the spelling lessons from it, since we're using another spelling curriculum.

 

I've never tried SOS, but this is what I'm using for 2nd grade:

Saxon Math 2, Story of the World Middle Ages, Writing with Ease Year 1, First Language Lessons Level 2, Spelling Workout B, Usborne First Encyclopedia of Space, and Usborne First Encyclopedia of Our World. My son is very much into computers and wants to program games so we also use Typing Instructor for Kids and Snake Wrangling for Kids which uses Python programming language one day a week. For music and art, I just find things related to the history we're learning about that week.

Oh yeah, I forgot I was starting a curriculum with my 4 year old in September. It's called Harvest Time and I found it on www.weefolkart.com. It has 4, 12-week sections that go along with the seasons and it's very much relaxed. Sounded fun for both of us. I also got Explode the Code, but I'm not really getting it, so we're mostly just using Bob books and starfall.

 

Together: Mystery of History Vol. 2, Apologia Zoology 1 and possibly starting 2

Nathaniel, grade 2: Math U See Beta, Sequential Spelling, Easy Grammar grade 2, Wordly Wise 3000 grade 2

Seth, grade 1: Math U See finishing the second half of Alpha and beginning Beta, Spellingcity.com, Scott Foresman reading workbook for grammar/writing, Explode the Code books 4-wherever we end up

 

I really like SOS for some subjects - this year we have 9th grade SOS for Science and Spanish... Secondary spanish, we have History I think too.. I am almost ready to set it all up.. OH Civics we got for SOS as well this year to get the updated lesson disc to bring our old lessons up to date.
Then we have LP for Language Arts 9 and Bible, and if we did not do History sos we have life pak history. I forget really.
But I like them because I can keep on track with them My kids graduated from a high school for senior years at least that use that curriculum, (SOS and LP and also ACE and CLE are used at the school but mainly SOS the years my kids went)
I am doing Math U See for geometry this year and some drive thru history discs as well.
PE may be at the church school that my ds does Band in... and I may be volunteering as play ground person for a trade off.
NOt sure if I am joining co op this year have to see if it fits in. I have two in College too.

 

oooh! You're using MUS for geometry? Do you like it? That's one I wanted to try for my daughter, although I must confess she doesn't seem to have retained anything from Algebra 1 last year. We used yourteacher.com for it.

 

YES! we got MUS for dd for geometry after doing two years to get through life pak algebra 1. She did great with MUS, and went on to do SOS algebra2 with a bit of MUS in there too with an A grade!
So ds used ALgebra 1 MUS and he did great has an A- because he had to retake his final exam but got them correct the second time around. first time he had not studied first.

MUS Geometry was so cool for me because I learned so many reasons why we did things back when I took it in school. MUS makes you understand the math, not just do it.

 

No SOS here, but here's our list:

Reading: WJCR phonics lessons continue for dd, in conjunction with Progressive Phonics books for practice reading. Starting blend phonics (D. Potter's website) for both. Spectrum phonics for both.

LA- Spelling power for both, various resources for dictionary skills, newspaper skills, and possibly web printouts. Not sure yet if I will suppliment with workbooks, will depend on how it is going.

Math- Spectrum for both.

Science- finishing up our sci texts (Harcourt) from last year, printouts from the web and homemade printouts. Sci experiments from Everything Book of sci experiments and homemade sci inq sheets. Doing a nature study, so also using real resources (bird book, insect book, etc).

Social studies/Geography- Core skills ss for both (haven't gotten these from Amazon yet so hoping they are decent). Complete book of map skills and Geography for some basics (time zones, latitude and long, etc), world map and web sources for country studies along with Material World book for a look at the people.

Health- online resources, whatever I think needs to be addressed, and later a study of the human body (great section on that in the sci textbook as well)

Gym- this year I've splurged on a homeschooling book of gym activities. Hoping we can do something more engaging than last year.

I've also gotten a great list of websites and info on art from a member of this website (thank you!!!), along with the Usborne complete book of art ideas (which also shows some interesting techniques). Have a book on order for music we can sing, plus have found some online resources for sheet music of songs. Not getting intense with music this year (last year was an appreciation of different types, this year I want more singing!).

As always, I will add/subtract as I find things I like . Not planning on any history this year, but it will still come up in our geography studies and in (at least) our music class.

 

For PE, we're using the Wii. DS loves the Michael Jackson Experience.

 

My original plan was with the wii as well, and we will probably still use it this winter . This past spring my kids wanted to jump rope or run in place (that's a lot of jogging!) instead. I love our wii fit, though!

 

we're using so man different curriculums. SOS by request of my kids. They love doing school on the computer.also Bob Jonees, AOP, Streams of civilation, horizons, scinece sheperd and probably more I can't think of off the top of my head. We jsut started school yesterday. The kids really liked SOS in the past, its not my favorite but as long as they are learning.

 

Oh good! I may be able to get my hands on a free copy of MUS too, so that'd be good. She hates algebra and wants to get on to geometry, but we started with review of A1 this week and even the earlier (easier) chapters, she's needing reminders and jump-starts. The mention of possibly retaking it this year did not go over well. I'm just nervous about moving on to geometry if she isn't remembering what we did for algebra. But the two aren't based on each other so it may not matter. Is there any harm in taking geometry before algebra?

 

Justamom... I'm hoping DS likes SOS too. He saw me messing with it, and was intrigued, but I didn't let him try it out yet. I'm trying to build the suspense, lol. I plan on making him write out the vocabulary words an their meanings before playing the arcade games. He tends to retain a lot more when he writes it down. Then, I'll have him re-read the lesson and do the problems on the second day of the class, so each lesson will be split up between two days.

 

I am using the vocab as spelling words this year. Cause mine is in 9th they dont have that in the LP 9s so we are using the vocabs in all his classes as his spelling words. He is already a great speller. We did BJU back when he was in grade school for English.

 

We're trying HOD for history and science and bible, McGuffey Readers and Harvey Grammer for LA, Systematic Math. So far I am not at all happy with the science in HOD, so I'm saving up to replace it with the Human Anatomy from Winter Promise. I should be able to get it in the next few weeks, so science is on the back burner for now.

 

Sonlight for History/LA

Teaching Textbooks, Saxon, and Singapore for Math. (One for each kid.....)

Spelling Power, Easy Grammar, Wordly Wise, Vocabulary from Latin Roots, and Pictures in Cursive.

And Real Science 4 Kids and Singapore Science for Science.