READING

In many ways reading is the easiest part of homeschool curriculum. Give the child books! books! and more books! It's especially easy when you have a child who loves to read and is self motivated. However, the child who has mastered the basic skill of reading - enough to 'get' whatever information he is seeking - but does not enjoy or seek out reading for its own sake is another type of challenge. There are too many theories to elaborate on here, so I will only say: I have one of each.

WRITING

We'll be starting the Excellence in Writing (EW) series this semester. I was drawn to the curriculum because the video described teaching writing in almost a formulaic manner, complete with check lists. If anything can get my reluctant writer's to venture forth into non-fiction writing, it will be clear formulas and checklists. (At least that's how I get them to clean their rooms!)

Other areas covered: The Daily Spark: Grammar & Spelling, AVKO Sequential Spelling, and MavisBeacon Typing

MATHEMATICS

After at least 2 different math curriculum attempts, we've gone back to basics: textbook. I'll do the teaching; they'll do the homework.

For some practical application, Alyssa will be doing selected projects from the NASA Mathematics Website. Ayden's Math Projects are always on-going in that head of his, but we hope to focus it a bit with a venture into Math Club.

For multiplication tables, Alyssa enjoys Timez Attack. We're still looking for Ayden's "key" to memorizing multiplication.

SCIENCE: Chemistry

This was a really really good IDEA. However the level of preparation on my end, the level of time each week, the level of focus required by the children became simply overwhelming. We may still do a project a semester or perhaps do some work seperately, but there is only one blog entry for now.

We'll be keeping a food chemistry blog all semester. Check back to see how science Alton Brown style is coming along. 

SCIENCE: Biology

In Spring 2009, the kids traded their playfort for a garden and planted a late-Spring/early-Summer feast of tomatoes, cantelope, sweet peppers, cucumbers, and cilantro.

Through observation, trial-and-error, and the guidance of green-thumb Daddy, they've learned about the basics of water, heat, and sunlight and about the exact conditions necessary to create a cantelope plant that never stops!  See all the photos of the garden.

HISTORY: Ancient Civilizations

Two fabulous and free resources I'm leaning on heavily are SuffolkWeb out of Suffolk County NY and SchoolHistory out of Cambridgeshire, England. However, my desire to tackle this subject in this way was sparked by this article: What is Civilization? 

FINE ARTS

 From theater to throwing pots to watching Daddy play his trumpet in the Community Band, we cover Fine Arts curriculum in an unschooling-style. We participate, we attend, we create, we make, we watch, we listen, and we stretch the parts of our brains they help us feel our way to a better understanding of ourselves.