This was my first school year to homeschool all 3 boys at the same time. Facing another move, they asked to be homeschooled while we got settled and learned the dynamics of our new city. Our boys have attended almost every type of school- public, private university model, international school, and homeschool. Although I have homeschooled them previously during transitions, or when a school environment was not a good fit for one of them, homeschool was never my ideal choice for them. However, it really was a perfect fit for us this school year for many reasons: being able to address gaps in learning due to many moves, being able to set a more restful pace as we processed through reverse culture shock, and then a surprise blessing of being able to maintain a semblance of normal during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although I have a bachelor’s degree in education, I feel like I have learned more about the field through navigating my own children’s education. I describe my educational philosophy as eclectic, but lean towards the classical approach of pursuing truth, goodness, and beauty, with a Charlotte Mason twist.
Maybe not surprisingly, education continues to be a passion of mine, despite being disillusioned as a brand new public school teacher. I never expected to homeschool, but seeds were planted early on in various ways- through that disillusionment, friends who homeschooled, and trying to find a place for my very out of the box oldest child (more on that later, in time).
As we face an uncertain new school year, my hope is that in sharing our homeschool journey, it may be an encouragement to anyone who is considering this path.
Overall, the year went well, and C (7th grade) and S (4th grade) will continue homeschooling next school year. I will post our curriculum choices for the coming school year next. L will attend a private classical Christian school for high school next year.
I use the Well Trained Mind, along with Cathy Duffy Reviews as a starting place for researching homeschool curriculum options. The following is a list of the curriculum that we ended up using, with a brief review of each. There is some repetitiveness within the post where the same curriculum was used for multiple grade levels.
3rd Grade
Math: Beast Academy– We used the level 3 books as well as Beast Academy online. S loved the comic book format, the presentation of new material, as well as the puzzles and games. My older boys often express that they wish that they had Beast Academy at that age. They all read and re-read the books for fun. Although this is a rigorous curriculum, we had a lot of fun with it. We will continue to use Beast Academy for 4th grade.
Language Arts: Michael Clay Thompson– We worked through the level 1 language arts program, excluding the literature trilogies. Michael Clay Thompson makes learning grammar fun- truly! S was always excited to hear what would happen next during Mud’s adventure on Grammar Island. We will continue to use this curriculum for 4th grade.
Handwriting: The Good and the Beautiful– This is more than a handwriting curriculum. The pages include images, artwork, poetry, Bible verses, drawing, spelling and grammar practice, and quotes that support high character, faith, nature, and creativity. We will continue to use this curriculum for 4th grade.
Typing: typing.com
History: Notgrass Our Star-Spangled Story– This curriculum was new to us, but appealed to me for its simplicity. I knew that the boys would be able to read through the chapter and complete the assignments (map work, timeline, and activity book questions) independently, which is what I needed during our time of transition. S worked through Our Star-Spangled Story, while the older 2 worked through America the Beautiful. Generally, they were on the same topic throughout the year, which helped with discussion around historical events. There is a lot that I like about Notgrass, but we will not be using it again this next school year. My boys love History and would like a more in depth study, so we will be returning to The Story of the World with Sonlight literature selections.
Literature: Notgrass– The books that S read this year tied into our History curriculum.
Science: Master Books- Soil, Sea, and Sky– I chose to use this as the spine of our science curriculum for 3rd and 6th grade because it was advertised as a Charlotte Mason approach. Although it is a solid science curriculum, it was not a good fit for us. I felt like it was too worksheet oriented.
The Good and the Beautiful Marine Biology– I knew we wanted to focus on Marine Biology since we were moving to a city by the ocean. If you join their email list, you can receive the Marine Biology unit for free. We loved this unit. Another win from The Good and the Beautiful.
Additionally, he attended a homeschool science class at the local aquarium.
Latin: Song School Latin– This is really geared towards younger grades, but it is a fun introduction to Latin. S will be moving on to Latin for Children A for 4th grade.
Bible Study: We started our day reading from Character Sketches at breakfast. You can read more about the book by clicking on the title, which will take you to a previous post titled Morning Time. We also did a bible study called My Brother’s Keeper, and are currently working through Fruit of the Tongue, both by Not Consumed Ministries. I highly recommend both of these studies. Additionally, we are reading through the Bible as a family this year, using the YouVersion app. We discuss the questions and comments that were made in the “Talk it Over” section over dinner.
Logic: Mind Benders
Music: guitar lessons
PE: S played soccer and basketball with local leagues. When my husband began working from home, he took over as the PE teacher, which was so nice. I will dedicate a post to PE ideas at a later date.
Technology: Coding through Scratch
Additional: 4H Rabbit Project
6th Grade
Math: AoPS Pre-Algebra 1 and Pre-Algebra 2, self-paced courses
Language Arts: The Potter’s School Writing Fundamentals 6– I can’t say enough good things about our experience with The Potter’s School. They are an online homeschool resource for grades 4-12. They offer academically rigorous courses with a biblical worldview. C really grew in his writing this year and is looking forward to taking English from the same teacher next year!
Grammar: Fix It! Grammar– We have experienced a lot of gaps in grammar. Some schools that the boys attended barely touched on grammar, so we are working on filling in those gaps. I love this program and how it works through passages that cumulatively tell a story. It takes 10-15 minutes a day. Short and sweet.
Vocabulary: Vocabulary from Classical Roots 6
History: Notgrass America the Beautiful– This curriculum was new to us, but appealed to me for its simplicity. I knew that the boys would be able to read through the chapter and complete the assignments (map work, timeline, and activity book questions) independently, which is what I needed during our time of transition. C and L worked through America the Beautiful, while S worked through Our Star-Spangled Story. Generally, they were on the same topic throughout the year, which helped with discussion around historical events. There is a lot that I liked about Notgrass, but we will not be using it again this next school year. My boys love History and would like a more in depth study, so we will be returning to The Story of the World with Sonlight literature selections.
Literature: Notgrass– These books tied into our History curriculum
Science: Master Books- Soil, Sea, and Sky– I chose to use this as the spine of our science curriculum for 3rd and 6th grade because it was advertised as a Charlotte Mason approach. Although it is a solid science curriculum, it was not a good fit for us. I felt like it was too worksheet oriented.
The Good and the Beautiful Marine Biology– I knew we wanted to focus on Marine Biology since we were moving to a city by the ocean. If you join their email list, you can receive the curriculum for free. We loved this unit. Another win from The Good and the Beautiful.
Additionally, he attended a homeschool science class at the local aquarium.
Logic: The Fallacy Detective, Mind Benders
Foreign Language: Latin for Children A
Handwriting: The Good and the Beautiful– This is more than a handwriting curriculum. The pages include images, artwork, poetry, Bible verses, drawing, spelling and grammar practice, and quotes that support high character, faith, nature, and creativity. We will continue to use this curriculum for 7th grade.
Typing: typing.com
Bible Study: We started our day reading from Character Sketches at breakfast. You can read more about the book by clicking on the title, which will take you to a previous post titled Morning Time. We also did a bible study called My Brother’s Keeper, and are currently working through Fruit of the Tongue, both by Not Consumed Ministries. I highly recommend both of these studies. Additionally, we are reading through the Bible as a family this year, using the YouVersion app. We discuss the questions and comments that were made in the “Talk it Over” section over dinner.
Music: piano lessons
PE: C played basketball with a local homeschool league. When my husband began working from home, he took over as the PE teacher, which was so nice. I will dedicate a post to PE ideas at a later date.
Technology: Coding through Scratch
Additional: 4H Rabbit Project
8th Grade
Math: Harold Jacobs Geometry, self paced
Science: Physical Science with The Potter’s School– I can’t say enough good things about our experience with The Potter’s School. They are an online homeschool resource for grades 4-12. They offer academically rigorous courses with a biblical worldview.
English: The Potter’s School with Grammar Supplement
Vocabulary: Vocabulary from Classical Roots B
History: Notgrass America the Beautiful– This curriculum was new to us, but appealed to me for its simplicity. I knew that the boys would be able to read through the chapter and complete the assignments (map work, timeline, and activity book questions) independently, which is what I needed during our time of transition. C and L worked through America the Beautiful, while S worked through Our Star-Spangled Story. Generally, they were on the same topic throughout the year, which helped with discussion around historical events. There is a lot that I liked about Notgrass, but we will not be using it again this next school year. My boys love History and would like a more in depth study, so we will be returning to The Story of the World with Sonlight literature selections.
Literature: Notgrass– These books tied into our History curriculum
Logic: Discovery of Deduction, Mind Benders
Foreign Language: Spanish through Duolingo
Bible Study: We started our day reading from Character Sketches at breakfast. You can read more about the book by clicking on the title, which will take you to a previous post titled Morning Time. We also did a bible study called My Brother’s Keeper, and are currently working through Fruit of the Tongue, both by Not Consumed Ministries. I highly recommend both of these studies. Additionally, we are reading through the Bible as a family this year, using the YouVersion app. We discuss the questions and comments that were made in the “Talk it Over” section over dinner.
Technology: L took Computer Programming in Java through The Potter’s School. He participated in a homeschool Robotics league for part of the year, and he also enjoys coding through Scratch.
PE: L played basketball with a local homeschool league. When my husband began working from home, he took over as the PE teacher, which was so nice. I will dedicate a post to PE ideas at a later date.
Additional: 4H Agricultural Mechanics Project
The freedom of homeschooling allowed our family time to pursue individual interests, travel during the off season, raise a flock of chickens, start a garden, include our boys in home improvement projects and much more. I plan to elaborate on those endeavors and much more in the near future.
In Every Season 