Each year, I make a grid with all of the subjects we plan on covering for the next school year and then I start filling in what curriculum I think I want to use and notes about where to buy, cost, prep work involved, etc. This year, I had almost the whole grid for next year filled in by the end of this past school year, which I think is the earliest that has happened!
Some subjects, such as math, grammar, and spelling, will be a continuation of the curriculum we already have been using. For other subjects, such as Bible, Art, and History, we will be using curricula I had become familiar with over the past year or two and was just waiting for the right time to incorporate.
And this is the first year we are going to do formal science and writing curricula. I felt now that Big Fish is older, we needed to be more intentional in these areas and formal curriculum keeps me on track. We will still do plenty of science learning in the natural environment as well.
Here is what we are planning on using for 4th grade with Big Fish. About half of his subjects, he will learn individually and the rest he will participate with his brother. Throughout the summer I will be writing longer posts with more details about each subject and why we have chosen the curricula we have.
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Individual Subjects:
Math: Teaching Textbooks, Math 4 This will be our second year using Teaching Textbooks.
Spelling: All About Spelling Level 5 Big Fish has used this curriculum since 1st grade.
Reading: I have picked 3 fiction and 3 non-fiction books for Big Fish to read next year. We will have comprehension activities related to each and vocabulary activities with a couple of them that I will create. Our non-fiction reads will be Lost on a Mountain in Maine, I am Malala-Young Reader’s Edition, and A Long Walk to Water. Our fiction reads will be The Magician’s Nephew, Frindle, and Five Little Peppers and How They Grew.
Grammar: Growing With Grammar 4 Big Fish has used this curriculum since 1st grade.
Writing: Write Shop Primary Level C This will be our first year with a formal writing curriculum.
Cursive Writing: We will continue to practice cursive by copying various texts related to our subjects such as the poems we study each month, Bible verses and maybe some Spanish.
Keyboarding: Keyboard Classroom Big Fish started this program this past year, but was too anxious to move through each level without actually using the correct finger technique so we put it away for awhile. I may reintroduce it this coming year.
Computers: Code.org, Course 3 This is a FREE resource! I also want to teach Big Fish how to create PowerPoint presentations this year.
Latin: Song School Latin Book 1 This will be our first year using this and it is a bit young for Big Fish, but I know the only way I will get his buy in is to keep it fun and easy.
Subjects grouped with Little Fish, Grade 2:
History: Story of My World, Volume 1. I plan on expanding on the map work to cover world geography. Stay tuned on what I come up with for that!
Science: R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey-Chemistry
Art: Take Time for Art, which will be aligned with the chapters of Story of My World and will cover ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and ancient Egypt.
Spanish: Foreign Language For Kids We already started this at the boys’ request and we love it!
Poetry: I am going to pick nine poems from the Book of Nature Poetry by National Geographic to study in a similar way to this past year’s poetry study.
