Curriculum Thoughts For Next Year

Most homeschooling moms are planning for the next school year every Spring. I am no different. I really want to incorporate some new things for next year for multiple reasons. Grace needs some new different items to jump start a love for learning again. Most of the next thoughts are going to be jumbled because I still haven't figured it all out. In May my family will be attending the GHEA convention for three days. Hoping for lots of inspiration and more research on some of the items I am considering. What we will keep: The Story of the World - Really love this program. Grace can do it on her own, she enjoys the chapters and does well with test booklet that goes with the program. We will be moving in to Vol. 3. Spelling Through Copywork - This program from Queenhomeschool is also a keeper. This year we worked through the first 12 lessons and have 15 more for next year. I stretched it out because we do not do spelling every day. Easy Grammar - Love, love, love this program. By the way, did I mention I love this program. Worked halfway through with the remaining half for 7th grade. Again we don't do grammar every day. What I already have on hand and will be using next year: The Usborne Introduction To Art(Internet-Linked) - I have had this book for a couple of years but wasn't real sure how to incorporate it in to our schedule or how to use it. We are dropping Grace's private art lessons so I think I will have her read through this book a couple of times a week and follow some of the Internet links. Masterpieces Coloring Book - Got this at a used book store recently. For each artist there is a short bio and coloring page of a famous painting. Will also ask Grace to sketch some of the paintings. Wordly Wise Book 7 - Vocabulary Writing Poems by Remedia Publications - This will be the first year that we are diving in to poetry. This book has simplified exercises for learning how to write: rhymes, couplets, triplets, quatrains, haikus and free verse. What I want to see at the convention before buying: Science - Science is a tough one for us. Last week I had started working on putting my own science curriculum together with geology, meteorology, volcanoes, earthquakes, some physical science, and nature studies. But I think it will be alot cheaper to just purchase one of the Jeannie Fulbright books (more than likely Zoology - Marine animals) but I know Grace is also interested in the Astronomy book. Queenhomeschool also has three new nature study books that I am interested in seeing. Grace is at the top end of the age for those. History - A Living History of Our World is also from Queenhomeschool. This is a narrative spine that covers American History in two or three separate volumes. May decide to do history classically with studying World History through The Story of the World and American History through A Living History of Our World simultaneously. Bible - Obviously will continue to read the Bible but something from Doorposts also interests me. Beauty and the Pig which is a Bible study through the book of Ruth. Language Arts - I am still interested in looking at Secondary Language Lessons from Queenhomeschool. We did this program a couple of years ago and enjoyed it's very easy going manner. This particular volume has lots of study about poetry which would tie in nicely the the poetry workbook we already have. Geography - I love geography and Grace has great memorization skills for map drills. Looking at Expedition Earth from Knowledge Quest. Art - Hoping to see something that catches my eye at the convention. Maybe something dvd based to help Grace progress in her drawing skills. Math - Grace's arch nemesis. Unless I see something really great at the convention I am handing math over to the computer and teaching textbooks. So probably 3/4 of our curriculum will be changed up a bit. Looking forward to a great convention with lots of great products to look through.