Curriculum 2013-14

The new school year is beginning in only several weeks! Enough of my friends have asked me about our curriculum choices that I am posting them here.

John will be in first grade and Mary in preschool. Even though Mary will turn five shortly and is doing real school work, I am calling this one more year of "preschool" in order to preserve the two-year grade difference between the children. (With a fall birthday, she wouldn't have qualified for public school Kindergarten anyway, so we're not doing anything exceptional.) We want the children not to graduate high-school early, so their grade levels are based on age, not on academic content (which can be as advanced or slowed-down, as needed).

I am going to try the planning paperwork as designed and shared for free by Shower of Roses as well as the work box system as designed and shared for free by Confessions of a Homeschooler. I have planned a 40-week school year, with two weeks off at Christmas, one week off at Easter, and nine weeks off over summer.

MATHEMATICS
Right Start Math (J and M)

LANGUAGE ARTS
Phonics: All About Reading (J and M)
Spelling: All About Spelling (J and M)
Grammar: Growing with Grammar (John)
Latin: Prima Latina (John)

RELIGION AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The Golden Book Bible (J and M)
The Baltimore Catechism No. 1 on CD (J and M)
Illustrated Catechism for Little Children (Mary)
Treasure Box series (Mary)
Catechism for Children by Quinet and Boyer (John)
"First Confession" and "First Communion" by Mother Mary Loyola (John)
Program for Achieving Character Education (J and M)

PENMANSHIP
Seton Handwriting (J and M)
(Note that I think I would have chosen Memoria Press penmanship had I discovered it before buying the two books from Seton. I might switch us next year.)

SCIENCE
nJoy Science classes (John)
TOPS Science experiments (John)

HISTORY
Connecting with History (John)

GEOGRAPHY
Evan-Moore Daily Geography Practice (John)

MUSIC
Piano lessons with an in-home teacher (John)
Children's Latin choir (John)
Classics for Kids composer studies
Words with Wings Gregorian chant program (John, Mary if she shows interest)