Our eclectic homeschool combines the classical method à la Susan Wise Bauer, some Charlotte Mason ideas, and the Moore Formula.

For the 2014-2015 school year, we follow The Well-Trained Mind suggestions for first grade, add a bit more art and music appreciation, and take a relaxed approach to it all. After all, when the 180 days of official school are over, learning does not stop. We homeschool year round, with lots of breaks. As such, I don’t feel compelled to finish a textbook by a certain date in spring. 

We go at the pace of the students. And since they are very, very young still, my main concern is for them to

• play outside a lot
• have limited screen time
• help more around the house with age-appropriate chores
• build character
• learn to know God
• add vocabulary (I recently logged our 1,000 books before kindergarten.)

Here are our 2014-2015 curriculum choices:

My daughter, PreKindergarten

• Horizons Preschool
• Rod and Staff Preschool
• Romanian preschool workbooks
• Random preK materials we picked from bookstores
• Violin and piano lessons with me for now
• She joins us for Bible, History, Arts and Crafts, Lapbooking, French, Romanian, read-aloud books and Science experiments.

My son, First Grade

Reading

• The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading
• Books from The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
• WTM literature recommendations
• Whatever he picks at the library

 

Writing Logic of English Rhythm of Handwriting Cursive

 

Math

• Right Start Mathematics, Level B
• Math Mammoth Light Blue Series, First Grade
• Life of Fred

 

Spelling Spelling Workout – second semester

 

Grammar First Language Lessons, Level 1 – second semester

 

Writing Writing With Ease, Level 1 – second semester

 

Bible

• Through the Bible in Felts (Betty Lukens)
• GraceLink Primary Lessons
• Adventurer Club (he will be a “Busy Bee” this year – it’s like scouting, but with a religious component)

 

French

• Petra Lingua
• French books for children
• Toupie, Wakou – magazines
• Caillou and other French cartoons on youtube

 

Mother Tongue – Romanian

• Romanian books which I read to the kids on a regular basis
• I speak to him in Romanian 90% of the time
• Romanian primer similar to the one I used as a first grader

 

Music

• Violin lessons in town
• Piano lessons with me
• Daily practice
• Alfred’s Music Theory

 

Home Ec

• Chores around the house
• Helping with cooking

 

Science

• Ripley’s Aquarium Science classes
• Science in the Ancient World (Dr. Jay Wile)
• Kingfisher First Human Body Encyclopedia
• DK Animal Encyclopedia
• Green Thumbs
• LEGO EV3 Mindstorms (he is teaching himself robotics through this software – a total splurge of a curriculum, but it’s really taking him places slowly, at his own pace)

 

History – Story of the World, Vol. 1

 

Art

• Knoxville Museum of Art
• Arrowmont Galleries
• Home Art Studio

 

Crafts

• Lapbooking (maybe one or two, as he does not enjoy it all that much)
• Sewing buttons (he loves it!)
• Beginning embroidery (on cold winter days)

 

P. E. 

• Soccer at Berean Christian School (one hour per week, for fun and to develop gross motor skills; he is not part of their soccer team; this is called soccer practice, which they provide for those interested)
• Homeschool P.E. at the Pigeon Forge Community Center (probably volleyball)
• Swim lessons

 

Field Trips – Too many to list

 

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