"We see, then, that the children's lessons should provide material for their mental growth, should exercise the several powers of their minds, should furnish them with fruitful ideas, and should afford them knowledge, really valuable for its own sake, accurate, and interesting, of the kind that the child may recall as a man with profit and pleasure." --Charlotte Mason
2012-2013
Emma in 2nd Grade & Miley in Kindergarten
This year we continued with My Father's World. My friends from our homeschool group let us borrow their curriculum. For Emma we did the package on the left below, "Adventure is United States History." And for Miley we attempted to do the curriculum on the right below, "God's Creation from A-Z." It was really a good program but it was too many fun but non-essential activities that it was hard to balance two separate curriculum's. So after talking to my friend who let me borrow it, she told me that she didn't do both of these at the same time, which I had assumed she had. And I put the Kindergarten package in a basket, and decided to just teach Miley to read, like I did with Emma, teach her with the Math-U-See book, and let her sit in for all the history, science, and literature reading that I was doing with Emma. That along with the library provided a very rich curriculum for her.
Here is My Father's World's description of their Adventures in U.S. History Curriculum--
Travel back in time and explore U.S. history and patriotic symbols from a Christian perspective with fascinating stories, hands-on activities, a timeline, and a student-created history notebook. Also includes U.S. geography, Bible, science, art, music, and more.
NOTE: Adventures in U.S. History is a one-year program designed for 2nd or 3rd graders who are the oldest in the family. 2nd or 3rd graders with older siblings in 4th - 8th grade should skip Adventuresand go directly into the Multi-age Family Learning Cycle, joining in their siblings' current program. This ensures that a parent is only teaching one program for all 2nd - 8th graders. Teacher's Manual
Bible
- Daily lesson plans are in an easy-to-use weekly chart format that list each subject with the appropriate book titles and page numbers to complete each day. Additional helpful information and directions for hands-on activities are included. We do the lesson planning for you so that you have more time to enjoy teaching!
U.S. History and Geography
- Learn how wonderful Jesus is as you study about the Bread of Life, the Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd, the Rock, and more. Includes hands-on activities and memory verses. Children enthusiastically read the Bible for themselves using the NIrV Discoverer's Bible for Young Readers. This Bible, based on the NIV and adapted for beginning readers, uses large 12-point type.
- Enjoy U.S. history with a collection of great books, all fully scheduled in the Teacher's Manual. The Story of the U.S. provides the framework. American Pioneers and Patriots contains delightful stories about children in the early days of the U.S.
- Hands-on activities reinforce learning.
- Patriotic symbols such as the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Statue of Liberty help children understand American heritage.
- Libraries have a wealth of books about U.S. history that will add to your learning. Our Teacher's Manual includes an extensive, optional, recommended book list.
- Learn U.S. geography with a brief trip through the 50 states, one state per day, and other related hands-on projects.
- Integrate history, geography, art, composition, and handwriting as students create a United States notebook.
Science
- Read-aloud books in the Deluxe Package enrich the study of history.
- Explore the fascinating world of science: stars, weather, plants, animals, atoms, energy, gravity, friction, sound, computers, and much more.
- Enjoy beautiful full-color pictures and interesting information in the First Encyclopedia of Science.
- Hands-on science activities are included in Science in the Kitchen and Science with Air.
Art and Music
- Nature studies include Birds, Nests, and Eggs, and optional weekly nature walks.
- Enjoy hands-on art projects related to history, geography, and Bible.
- Learn patriotic songs.
- Music appreciation lessons focus on Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" and more (in the Deluxe Package).
Math and Language Arts
- Develop a variety of art skills - drawing, using colored pencils and colored markers, and beginning painting - with I Can Do All Things (in the Deluxe Package).
- Add math.
- Add Primary Language Lessons (2nd - 3rd grade) and Spelling by Sound and Structure (2nd grade) orSpelling Power (3rd grade).
- Foreign language is optional but highly recommended.
****The book Primary Language Lessons, seems great in concept. But near the end of this year I felt like maybe Emma hadn't learned as much as she should have. So I bought a standard Language Arts school workbook and began to go through it with her. It was cake. She is doing fine and right on track when it comes to her language skills. I am pleased.
Miley's Kindergarten Curriculum
This is a basic and classic phonics program that worked very well with Emma. I used it with Emma the summer before Kindergarten and it bumped her up to a first grade reading level in just 2 months. She began kindergarten with 1 grade language arts.
So when I tossed the MFW K curriculum, I began teaching Miley to read with this book. Then we moved onto the Bob books. And now she has already surpassed the Kindergarten level reading and we are working ahead with Sonlight's first grade readers and Explode the Code workbooks.
Here is Miley doing her Math U See work
2011-2012
Emma in 1st Grade & Miley in Pre-K
(from 2011-2012) "Last year we used Sonlight K and we loved it. But this year we are going to use My Father's World 1st Grade program that focuses on the Bible. I think it will be a good review for Emma, it will build her confidence, and will reinforce the things she has already learned from the Bible."
Here is My Father's World's description of their First Grade Curriculum:
Learning God's Story is our newly revisedcomplete first grade curriculum with aphonics-based reading program thatfocuses on the Bible. The integrated lessons also include language arts, social studies, science, math, and art. Easy-to-teach lesson plans guide you through an entire school year.
Using a thematic approach, this learning adventure focuses on Bible history from Genesis to Revelation. Phonics lessons develop the needed skills to read Bible stories from our Bible Reader. Students retell (narrate) the Bible story and create a lovely keepsake Bible Notebook in which they summarize and illustrate Bible stories. Weekly memory verses selected from Proverbs help strengthen handwriting skills as well as Biblical character.
Hands-On ProjectsThese projects help the students understand and experience the world of the Bible. Creating a timeline helps to visualize Bible stories as actual events that fit into history. Making a Bible times costume and celebrating a Sabbath meal help students understand the culture of the Bible.
ReadingStep-by-step instruction in phonics makes teaching reading easy. Learning God's Story begins with a quick review of letter names and sounds, followed by in-depth teaching of all necessary phonics to produce an independent reader. The Teacher's Manual provides easy-to-follow daily lesson plans that teach new skills and allows continuous review. Student worksheets reinforce phonics, spelling, and handwriting skills.By week 13 students are reading Bible stories in a special beginning level Bible Reader, which is included with the curriculum.
ScienceLearn about nature, using three age-appropriate, engaging science books included with the curriculum.
MathThe Teacher's Manual includes goals and activities for a hands-on approach to best develop foundational math principles with manipulatives and a supplementary math workbook to reinforce skills.
The first grade program is an ideal follow-up to My Father's World kindergarten program, God's Creation from A to Z, but may be used by any student who is ready for first grade reading. If your child is not yet reading simple short vowel words, he may be more successful if he begins with our kindergarten program. Please contact us if you have any questions about placement.
2010-2011
Emma in Kingergarten & Miley in Preschool
Our first Year of Homeschooling we used Sonlight's program for Kindergarten students and Math-U-See. It was a great program (amazing book) but it was $500.00 for their Kindergarten program. Still I wouldn't change it because we had so much fun with the books.
