We’ve barely begun this school year…
...and I'm already looking ahead to next year!
This year we are using a mixture of Bob Jones that I teach and Bob Jones HomeSat. The only non-BJU curriculum we use right now is Handwriting Without Tears.
I really like our curriculum. It works well. The kids enjoy it. Well, for being school, they enjoy it. 
They are learning a lot.
However, for history and science I would like to combine them for next year. I think they would enjoy it and learn even more if we had our own little "class" going on. If I stick with BJU I'll have 3 different history classes and 3 different science classes, and although HomeSat makes that so much easier than teaching myself, I just would prefer us all doing it together. (Plus, and I do hope I'm wrong, the 4th grade HomeSat teachers for science and history look so boring from what I've seen!!! *sigh* )
So! Here are my thoughts for next year, in case y'all are just chomping at the bit to know. I'll have a 4th grader, 2nd grader, 1st grader, and PreK.
Bible: BJU Bible 2 for the older 3, done together; haven't quite figured out what I want to do with the PreKer since I'd like to combine him with S when she is in PreK and have them do Bible together. Any suggestions on a PreK Bible curriculum???
Math: BJU HomeSat
Handwriting: HWT
English/Reading: For the 1st grader, most likely HomeSat (or I MAY teach it myself); For the 2nd and 4th graders I'll use HomeSat for reading and Rod & Staff for English. It was a toss-up between R&S and BJU this year for English, and I went ahead with BJU because BJU has a stronger writing program. But for next year I won't need their writing program (I'll get to that in a minute ).
Spelling: For the younger 2 at least, HomeSat; for the 4th grader I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with HomeSat or go with Spelling Power. I like the BJU uses word families, and they love the journal entries involved, but I like the way Spelling Power only has the child work on the words he doesn't know. Suggestions???
History: Oh I'm so excited about this one. Tapestry of Grace. We used it a couple years ago, and it was a total flop, but I'm seeing now where I screwed up. I started at the very beginning, which is majorly ancient history. Well, I was working with a 1st grader. He didn't give a flying flip about ancient history. It was way too abstract for him, even with the hands-on stuff. I also wasn't real sure about just what to expect out of him, how to present the material in an interesting way, what all I needed from the curriculum guides, etc. So NOW, I'm going to start with Year 2, Unit 3, which is Colonial America. It will be right where C leaves off in his history from this year, and G won't mind backtracking a bit. It deals with America, something familiar to them, so they will be able to grasp things better. TOG also has several more articles on their website with tips and teaching suggestions. I'm feeling so much more confident about it!!!!!
TOG includes writing, so that is why I don't need a writing curriculum. 
Science: I'm sort of stumped on this one, so I'd like your input! Right now it's a toss-up between Living Learning Books and Apologia Elementary Science. And really since neither one has 6 different levels, I'll probably end up using both at some point. But I'm not sure which I should use next year. I love how LLB incorporates video suggestions, but I've just heard how wonderful Apologia's is. Decisions, decisions!!! (At some point in time I'm looking at Considering God's Creation, but I think my crew will be too young for it next year. I may wait until J and S are old enough to join in the fun. )
And I can't forget J's PreK: HomeSat HomeSat HomeSat - he is sooooooo excited about getting to do Chester & Friends next year!
So excited! And I'd love to hear y'all's input on my questions!
WeathertopMama wrote,
For pre-K/K Bible, I use Egermeier’s Story Bible combined with the Betty Lukens Bible in Felt set. I got it on ebay (small size) and they all love it. Also some memory work for favorite verses, Lord’s Prayer, etc.
For everything else I’ve sold my soul to Sonlight LOL so I’m not much help!
Link | November 28th, 2005 at 7:01 pm
Barbara wrote,
did you consider SL? just curious, but if you have the TOG, then go for it…i’d love to try that sometime (seems to be a combo of SL and KONOS to me)
i have CGC if you want to get a hand’s on look at it… we started using it and it was a liitle bit over J’s 6 yr old head, he’s much better with Usborne books at this point, just studying what’s interesting to him. You could look at SL’s Science choices too, they are really good, and you can pick it all up used for a really decent price
doesn’t TOG have Science in there?
Link | November 29th, 2005 at 4:55 am
razorbackmama wrote,
WTM,
I’ve heard great things about that story Bible…I’ll check it out!
Barb,
I briefly considered SL, but 2 things stopped me: it’s a pain in the you-know-what to combine when you have a gazillion kids LOL, and I’d have to put together any sort of non-book activity (video, hands-on, etc.). My kids do NOT like living books, so TOG will be somewhat of a stretch for them as it is, but at least TOG has all the hands-on and other stuff already included. You can also use one year-plan for all grades 1-12.
TOG doesn’t really have science. They recommend Apologia for the older kids, and then for the younger ones they have some science readings that go along with what an older sibling might be doing. I need a bit more direction than that.
I think from the sounds of it, LLB might be somewhat similar in practice to SL’s science, except I think the experiments and the content actually would jive with LLB. LOL.
Link | November 29th, 2005 at 10:33 am
Anonymous wrote,
I vote yes on Spelling Power. Yes on Spelling Power! I use it for everyone, all grades. Great stuff.
Apologia is the best science I have ever used.
Dr. Jay Wile, Apologia author, publises and distributes Jeannie Fulbright’s elementary science courses. Available at www.apologia.com. I got the Astronomy, it was perfect so go for them!
Link | November 29th, 2005 at 12:20 pm
Carrie wrote,
I love Bob Jones History and Science, and so far it has worked for me to combine grades. This year I’m teaching my 1st and 3rd graders from the 2nd grade texts. My kindergartener sits in sometimes, and sometimes not, but he gets lots of science and history at read-aloud time and from the movies we check out from the library.
Link | November 29th, 2005 at 2:27 pm
razorbackmama wrote,
Carrie, I thought about doing that too, but I wasn’t quite sure what to do since my oldest has already done the 1st and 2nd BJU history and science (and by the end of this year he’ll have done the 3rd too). What are you planning to do once you’ve got like a 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grader, do you know?
Link | November 29th, 2005 at 3:01 pm
Martha A. wrote,
Who teaches 4th grade History for Homesat now? Does Miss Liston do it or is it one of the others? I remember 4th grade was pretty interesting when I taped it for my sister. History was great, because it showed all the places and stuff. I would sit and watch the science from there for fun as it was so interesting! That was especially what I liked about HomeSat because they showed the experiments that I didn’t have the equipment to do!
Link | November 29th, 2005 at 10:00 pm
razorbackmama wrote,
Miss Van Reijn (I probably just slaughtered her name!) teaches 4th grade Heritage Studies. I’ve been recording it for a friend who is in the midst of moving, and oh my YAWN YAWN YAWN!!!! I’m sure she’s perfectly nice, and *I* would probably be able to watch it with no problem, but my kids…um no. LOL.
Link | November 29th, 2005 at 10:06 pm
Perri wrote,
No help from me - we just went strictly KONOS because the kids are so close together. We use Christian Liberty press books for Bible.
I like the picture of you and your hubby. good to see you. Nice haircut.
Link | December 1st, 2005 at 8:47 pm
DollyMama wrote,
On the spelling, we love Spelling Power. It probably depends largely on your personality or that of your child, though. For us, I hate busy work, and so did my kid. I liked it that he wasn’t spending time writing every word 10 times, etc. like many programs do. SP required no prep time, moved along fast, has very good practice habits (see, say, feel, hear the words you didn’t already know) and it was less than 10 minutes. And, I have all the spelling program I’ll need forever and ever amen. Good stuff, in my opinion.
Link | December 4th, 2005 at 11:16 am