In my last post, I shared that we would be making the switch to a year-round homeschooling schedule and listed our reasons for doing so.
I also left a few unanswered questions about exactly what we are going to be doing in our homeschool next year!
First of all, as you may have noticed if you've been reading this blog for very long, Big Brother has been working one grade level above his age. He started Kindergarten at age 4, and up to this point I have allowed him to continue advancing grade levels each year. He has done extremely well, and I am very proud of his academic accomplishments.
However, I sense the need to slow him down. Home education should not be a race to see who's child can graduate the earliest. Although I could send him on into the 4th grade level ABeka and R&S textbooks, I do not honestly think it would be fair to him to do so just yet.
I have always said that we would probably at some point need to take a year to just let him mature before going on. And I believe we have reached that point. Childhood is so short as it is, and I see no need to rush him through it.
So what "grade" will Big Brother be in next year??
GOOD QUESTION!
He will be completing his 3rd grade work on May 20th (or so), and then starting the new school year in early June 2016. Then (unless we decide differently) he will be progressing on to 4th grade ABeka and R&S textbooks in June 2017! BUT the curriculum he will be using next year (2016-2017)...is usable for PreK-8th grade!!
So...I'm not sure we are going to worry about assigning him a "grade level" at all next year! Just way too confusing! :)
Now for the big announcement! What curriculum are we so excited about using for the 2016-2017 school year??? Drumroll please...
We are going to be using a complete unit study curriculum for the first time! We have done short week-long unit studies in the past (like "LEGO week" and "Cowboy Camp" the past couple of years before school started), and Big Brother has LOVED them! He enjoys having a unifying theme to explore while covering different academic subjects.
We have purchased Volume 1 of the Learning Adventures curriculum called "A World of Adventure!"
Big Brother is a history buff, and he loves hands-on learning. This curriculum seems to be perfect for him!
A World of Adventure is a full 180 day unit study based on world history. It is Christian based, and it covers all subjects (except math...we will be reviewing his 3rd grade R&S math and using games, etc.).
There are 6 units, and each unit will take about 6 weeks to complete.
These are the historical time periods we will be studying in each unit:
Unit 1 - Ancient Egypt
Unit 2 - Ancient Greece
Unit 3 - Ancient Rome
Unit 4 - The Middle Ages
Unit 5 - Renaissance and Reformation
Unit 6 - Age of Exploration
The science topics covered during each unit relate in some way to the historical time period being studied. These include:
Unit 1 - Deserts & the Nile River
Unit 2 - Human Body
Unit 3 - Geology
Unit 4 - Botany
Unit 5 - Astronomy
Unit 6 - Oceans
Each unit also includes Bible study and memorization, language arts activities (grammar, spelling, writing, etc.), fine arts (hymn singing, hymn studies, classical music, art projects, art history, etc.), and literature for read-alouds that are all related to the specific history or science theme!
The main curriculum is geared toward students in grades 4-8, and I also ordered the supplement books that give more ideas for including younger children in the unit study activities. I am so excited to be able to include Little Brother as he adventures through world history along with us on his own level!
This curriculum is very different from the textbook approach as there are no actual...umm...textbooks. The author, a veteran homeschool mom named Dorian Holt, has written out detailed daily lesson plans to guide parents as they choose their own learning materials (library books, videos, encyclopedia, internet research, etc.) to use with their students as they dive head first into learning about each topic.
The guide is huge! I am going to have to purchase a large binder to keep it in! You can see sample lesson plans on the Learning Adventures website. Everything is very well planned out for me, but there is still plenty of room for any adjustments or supplements we may want to make as needed.
Another awesome aspect of this curriculum is the really neat learning game called "Worlds of Adventure" that we can play to regularly to review and reinforce skills and concepts that are covered in each unit. I ordered this game extra, and it looks like it will be well worth it!
There are so many great projects, crafts, cooking ideas, games, field trip suggestions, and more! We are going to have a hard time waiting until June to get started!!!
We are looking forward to 2016-2017 for a fun, exciting, and refreshing school year for us! I hope to share it with you right here!
Be sure to Follow me on Pinterest as I have already been busily pinning lots of things to use with these unit studies!
I am not affiliated with Learning Adventures. I am not using any affiliate links in this post. I urge you to check out and purchase this curriculum directly from the publishers on their site. All opinions are my own. Thanks!
How exciting! You certainly seem like you love being a teacher!
ReplyDeleteI started teaching Blade to read when he was 3, (he's 4 now) and it worked very well! This last year was really only spent mastering the kindergarten level. We're starting a Classical education next fall! I'm very excited!
Children love to learn, especially when you make it fun! Good job!
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! Wow! Reading at 3? That is so awesome. I have heard great things about the Classical nethod.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post. Thanks for talking about being aware that you child needs to slow down. I have a 6 year old son that just might do the same thing and I was already beginning to wonder if it would be appropriate later on to give him a "break."
ReplyDeleteI'm curious how this year will go for you.
Now that it is 2018, can you share with me some insights regarding your experience in using the Learning Adventures Unit Studies? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteFor whatever reason, I am just now seeing your comment! Our year with Learning Adventures was absolutely amazing! We enjoyed all the literature read-aloud selecrions, the fun hands-on projects, and the heavy focus on history. We only spent one year with Learning Adventures, but I am pretty sure that school year was Big Brother's favorite so far. We have spent the past 2 years using ACE, and coming up for the 2019-2020 school year we are switching most of his classes over to Master Books.
DeleteI would also like to hear about your unit study year. What did you like/dislike about this particular curriculum? Even though you are new to unit studies, is there anything you would change? And, how did your sons like this new (to them) form of study?
ReplyDeleteI am sorry, somehow I am just now seeing your comment! While I was a little anxious about taking a year to do a unit study curriculum, it was a great decision for us! We spent the year totally immersed in the different historical time periods. The only "down side" perhaps was the fact that it was very teacher-intensive with very little my son could complete independently at the time. But we absolutely loved spending that year learning together! His annual standardized test scores vastly improved, especially in the areas of vocabulary and reading comprehension after spending the year with LeaenLea Adventures unit studies, so I was quite impressed with that! We did not stay with Learning Adventures after the one year, however. I had a very difficult pregnancy the next year, and we switched to a curriculum that he could do more independently (ACE). For 2019-2020, we are excited to be switching to Master Books!
DeleteHey there! I just read that you switched from a world of adventure to masterbooks. What masterbooks did you start using? I would LOVE your comparison on the two!
ReplyDeleteI have been using MB's Living education curriculum in math and language arts for my oldest so far. She is in 1st grade now. We have been doing Five in a Row for most her other subjects. I grew up homeschooled and am familiar with A world of adventure. It looks like so much (prep wise and doesn't seem very independent) from a teacher perspective. I have two younger kids that will be in schooling and preschool when my oldest would be starting A world of adventure (or whatever I choose instead). While I dont have a new baby,I am still a little anxious on dividing my help among everyone.
Long story short, what were your negatives and positives to compare the two if you were going to decide which one to do again? Thank you SO So much!