Having homeschooled now for going on 18 years, I have learned a thing or two about choosing curriculum.  There are many variables that will affect a wise choice and they will be different for every family.  Some of those variables are:

• learning style of students
• learning style of teacher
• age and number of students
• finances

The beauty of homeschooling is the freedom we have to choose what works best for our family every year {or every month – if needed}. This year we have 6 children at home, 5 of those are school-aged;  two 9th graders, 4th grade, 3rd grade, Kindergarten and Preschool.  Because a post including all grades would be waaaay too long, I am breaking up my 2012-2013 Curriculum post into three posts:  This post –  The Highschoolers, The Middles – for our 3rd and 4th graders and The Littles where I talk about Preschool and Kindergarten.

Also, I will be discussing in detail how each curriculum is working for us on Fridays in a Weekly Wrap Up.  Check back to see how well {or not} my plans are working out!

Ninth Grade Curriculum

This year we have two 9th graders.  No, they are not twins – but almost!  They were born 13-months apart and I have always schooled them (starting my younger daughter at 4 1/2 years old) together with minor variations for learning style differences, etc.  Because both of them have differing degrees of dyslexia, we tailor their curriculum choices to accomodate their preference for auditory learning.

Strategy:

• Focus on higher level writing
• Increase vocabulary through reading
• Incorporating more compensation techniques like use of spell checkers and text to speech technology
• Teaching them to take more and more charge of their personal time management

Curriculum:

Bible:

• Personal Bible reading – listening to the Bible in a year with the iPad app Bible.is
• Apologia Who Is God (And Can I Really Know Him?)  Over the course of my 17 years of homeschool {and having graduated and launched two of my kids} I have come to know the importance of teaching our kids to discern our world through the lens of the Bible – cultivating a Biblical Worldview.  These books are geared for kids from 6-14 and are great for stimulating thought and conversation.
• Supplement their studies with other Answers in Genesis apologetics resources.

Art:  See the Light:  Art Class   It is a year-long series of 9 DVDs with 36 fifteen minute lessons teaching how to draw with a bible tie-in in each lesson.  I like this because all of my kids will do it together at the same time.  Art has always been one of those subjects that I put off for lack of knowledge with the subject.   I plan on watching the lessons with the kids and learning alongside them!

Math:  Teaching Textbooks:  Algebra  I can’t say enough about how much I love this program.  The kids listen to a lecture, work a few practice problems and complete their assignment write on the computer (with the newer version).  Problems are corrected automatically and if the student really doesn’t ‘get it’, they can watch the solution right there and then.  What could be better in a math curriculum?

History:  Alpha Omega Switched on Schoolhouse  We made our first attempt at this curriculum last year when I needed to have my two oldest working more independantly to free me up for my younger kids.  It is a bit of a love/hate relationship.  Overall the kids liked it and it did free me up for the other kids so we will use it again this year but only for History.

The pluses:

• It is very customizable – number of days per week, days off, type of school year schedule, skip projects – all easily programmable
• The lessons are very concise – the kids always knew what was expected of them each day
• Has built in text-to-speech program so text can be read aloud to student
• Fantastic customer service
• If they got behind, the computer nagged them – not me!

The minuses:

• Becuase it is computer-graded, you can have the right idea and still get the answer wrong (this is fixable by the parent but annoying at times)
• Very text book-ish and not great for discussion or doing together as a family
• Text-to-speech voice is computerized and lacks intonation.  (You do get used to this.)

Science:  DIVE Integrated Chemistry and Physics  This is a new find for us and an asnwer to prayer.  Switched on Schoolhouse Science was quite boring last year.  I wanted a course on video but could not afford the online video curriculums currently available.  DIVE is one DVD that contains video lessons, an online guide to links for required reading – no textbooks needed.  There is also an iPad app coming out next week for practicing vocabulary words.  

Spanish:  Rosetta Stone  Our older kids (now graduated) used this.  Great for the visual learner.  Also of note, our older version no longer worked on our newer computers.  Rosetta Stone offered us an upgrade to their latest addition for only $99!  

Language Arts:  Eclectic this year to fill some gaps caused by delayed reading and writing skills.

• Institute for Excellence in Writing:: Student Writing Intensive B  This is actually geared for 5-8th grades but we already own it, finances are an issue and it covers nearly all of the same subjects.  Next year we will progress to the IEW Continuation Course Level C that includes in depth essay writing instruction.
• Easy Grammar
• Easy Writing
• Daily Grams
• MovieLit (Movies as Literature):  A course designed to teach through the films of 17 classics of literature while they learn to write college level essays of literary analysis.
• Reading Horizons:  A computer-based program that enhances reading and spelling skills for the older struggling reader.  I will be reviewing this product on August 20th.

This is the line up for now.  I reserve the right to change any and everything if we choose.

Do you have any curriculums that you have had success with with your visual learners?  Please share!

Linking up today with the iHomeschool Network’s “Not” Back to School Blog Hop.  Head on over and see what others are using this year or post your own curriculum choice blog post.

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