2011-2012 Curriculum for Home Education (aka Home-schooling)

Here is what we are doing this year.


Math: We will continue with Math-U-See because it works so well for us.  The nice man gives the lesson on DVD, the children do the practice exercises. It's great.  We've found that when the Epsilon text pairs nicely with the Fractions text from the very charming Life of Fred series.

Bible:  Bible Study Fellowship's Study of Acts, AOP's Monarch curriculum.

Language Arts: We will continue with the homey Amish curriculum Pathways Readers and Workbook.  We will also finish up -- but won't re-purchase -- last year's Monarch curriculum from Alpha-Omega Press.

Writing: I am looking into the Institute for Excellence in Writing products, particularly the one that pairs with the Beautiful Feet Books' Geography Through Literature packet.

Latin: We have left-over from last year both Prima Latina and  English From the Roots Up material, though I think we are joining a group this year to hire a teacher and have an actual Latin class.

Geography:   Geography Through Literature packet from Beautiful Feet Books; Maps, Graphs and Globes from Steck-Vaughn; finish up -- but don't re-purchase -- last year's Monarch curriculum.

History: We are just now starting Beautiful Feet Books' Gilgamesh packet.  When we finish this, we'll move onto Beautiful Feet Books' Ancient History packet, which we'll augment with the Story of the World material.  After the new year, we will need to listen to Washington - Our Home Audio Book as Washington State History is required of us this year, as Andy is entering -- on paper at least -- sixth grade.

Science:  Beautiful Feet Books makes a great Learning Guided titled History of Science.  It walks us through the great scientists via engaging biographies.  We will augment each topic with hands-on Science in a Nutshell experiment kits -- that is, when we are studying Thomas Edison's life, we'll also be doing experiments with electricity.  We will also finish up -- but won't re-purchase -- last year's Monarch curriculum from Alpha-Omega Press.




Music:  Piano Lessons

Cursive: Handwriting without Tears

Hillsdale Academy, affiliated with Hillsdale College -- where I should have gone to college if I hadn't been so young and foolish -- makes available online their complete curriculum.  I found several useful resources here, and was pleased to note that that many of the set reading lists are echoed in the Beautiful Feet lists -- though that is hardly surprising, as one of the Beautiful Feet curriculum writers was a graduate of Hillsdale College.

How about you?  What are you using this year?

psssst

I've started updating the other blog, btw.

Cookery

I started the blog as a diary that I couldn't lose under the couch.  And then I got readers.  And then I started writing for my reader's benefit.  That became too much pressure.  So I stopped blogging. I'm guessing that all my readers have lost interest and drifted away.

So here, just for my own record-keeping, here are some summerish dishes/menus to help me make yummy but no-too-fussy dinners this summer.

Sides

• rosemary polenta Barefoot Contessa: Family Style p 130
• scalloped potatoes: Andy can make.
• loaded salads
• pesto
• roast sweet potatoes
• white beans with rosemary and olive oil
• roasted leeks
• roasted corn salad Pioneer Woman Cooks p 26
• Corn Fritters
• Lentil Salad Recipes from a Greek Island p74
• Pea and Almond Salad Alice Bay p 81
• Potatoes Romanoff Alice Bay p 95
• Glazed Carrots
• Cucumber Yogurt Soup
• Summer Beet Soup Turtleback Farm Inn Cookbook p 60
• Panzanella (use up dry old bread) A Flavor of Tuscany  p 20

 Breads

• Tortillas -- use up the mix that you have.
• Biscuits

 Mains

• Piperade 50 Ways With Vegetables p 70
• Potato and Zucchini Roast 50 Ways With Vegetables p 72

• zucchini ratatouille
• gazpacho Linda McCartney's Home Cooking p 55
• fritattas
• meat pie
• grilled chicken Caesar salad
• supper onion pie How to be a Domestic Goddess p 85
• zucchini and chickpea filo pie   How to be a Domestic Goddess p 93
• mustard pork chops Nigella Express p 11
• real mac and cheese
• rib-eye steak with whiskey (or red wine) cream sauce Pioneer Woman Cooks p 166
• chicken clove enchilada (Christy's recipe, my recipe book)
• Penne with Prawns Pioneer Woman Cooks p 166
• Eggplant with Bechamel -- Mollie Katzen?  look up
• Quiche Alice Bay p 110
• Stuffed Vegies Recipes from a Greek Island p 68
• Stuffed Cabbage Recipes from a Greek Island p 68
• Chicken Bake
• Shrimp and Scallop Fettuccine Alice Bay p 107
• Halibut baked in Mayo and Tomato

Desserts

• key lime pie: recipe book
• trifle
• bread pudding
• semolina cake Recipes from a Greek Island p 68