Howdy, Back to Home Schoolers! Whether you’re already back to school or waiting for August or September, there’s a good chance you’ve got curriculum on the brain. (Or is it just me?)

Crammed into the holes of my swiss cheese brain are lists and lists of books to buy for the new year. And since we don’t begin until September, I’m in the phase of buying.

Oh my stars, the sweet click sound of the “Add To Cart button.”

But better than the buying is the OPENING. I buy in small groups and they almost never ship together so the UPS man is a frequent visitor these days. I almost feel like I should make him some lemonade or chocolate chip cookies. I mean, why not? The package he brings just made MY day. ; )

Opening the box is like Christmas morning. Riiip, tearrrr, swish…. *inhale the smell of new books, sigh contentedly* It’s a wonderful thing. The smell of a new book. It’s the smell of potential, and knowledge ready to be gleaned from the pages promising to turn my children into super geniuses. Or something like that. But I digress.

Back to the books.

I have lists and lists of books. Some from curriculum we’ve used before, some new things, everything eagerly anticipated. So without further ado I give you our curriculum list for the 2011-2012 school year (and then I’m going to tell you some of my “Must Haves” so stick around to the end– or at the very least skim down to that part if you get bored reading the curriculum list! I won’t tell if you don’t tell.) ; )

2011-2012 Curriculum

Starred items are items that we used before and are continuing in that curriculum but feel free to ask questions about anything!

Bible/Religion

Updated: I originally had a different route in mind for this but after receiving the Who is God curriculum to use and review I’ve definitely decided to go with this instead. I’m excited!

History

Geography

Science

Language Arts

We’ve ordered and received these already, they’re new but I love them already! I hope that we still love it after we get into it and start doing it!

Art

Character Training

I’m thinking about adding some intentional character training to our school day.

Music

Teaching Little Fingers to Play: A Book for the Earliest Beginner over the summer and then:

Health/Nutrition/P.E.

Individual Subjects

Princess, Age 11, Grade 6/7:

Drama Queen, Age 8, Grade 3:

Little Prince, Age 5, Grade K:

For Mom:

I know that’s a lot of stuff!! I’m purchasing the necessary stuff first and then going back to add in supplemental learning. And this year I added a list for me, because, let’s face it — I need to be studying, too! This whole parenting thing (and while homeschooling) is getting more “interesting” you know??

When I look at this list I feel like we’re going to be doing school 24/7 but I know we’re not. The science and history are done on alternating days, art and music share a ‘time slot’ as well, and all the language arts pieces work together so that we’re focusing on different aspects each day. I just remind myself that there’s no need to hyperventilate, no need to hyperventilate, no need to hyperventilate!

I’ve already received my Well Planned Day Planner and my Desk Apprentice rotating organizer and have begun lesson planning the new curriculum as I receive it. If I get to a point where I feel like we’re full up on something then I’ll stop there and not order any other supplemental practice. (I already nixed the idea of needing an ‘extra practice’ grammar workbook after receiving and looking through Our Mother Tongue and knowing that I can print online grammar sheets on specific skills if the need arises.) So it’s all good. There will be no short-circuiting of any brains here. ; )

Speaking of the planner and the organizer… both of those definitely belong on my “Must Have” list! Well, the organizer is new, but DUDE it is awesome. =)

Amber’s 2011-2012 Must Have List

  1. Well Planned Day planner.
  2. Curriculum: Apologia science, Mystery of History, Teaching Textbooks
  3. Printer/Copier — a BIG must have.
  4. 3 hole punch and lots of 3 ring binders (for printing freebies, holding copies, and collecting finished schoolwork.)
  5. Scotch self-laminating sheets (one of these days I’m going to add “laminator” to this list but until then…)
  6. CD binder to hold all of our educational cd’s (toss the plastic cases!)
  7. Our dry erase board.
  8. Camera – capture those memories!
  9. Lots of hugs and kisses (they need those, too!)
  10. Lots of prayer (we ALL need that!)

YOUR TURN!

Share your curriculum plan, new things you’re trying, your tried and trues, or even just a list of ‘must have’ items for this year. Link up a post you’ve already written if you’ve got one.. that’s okay!

P.S. – If you missed it, you can still link up with Week One’s post about your school and your students!

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Amber

Hey, y’all! I’m Amber and I wear many hats. I drink a ton of coffee and I’m constantly sweeping crumbs off the floor. After 20+ years of homeschooling, we are starting over at preschool with our fourth, Lil Miss Mouse. She keeps us young and she’s the main reason for my excessive coffee consumption. Drink up!