Homeschooling: Part 2

My daughter Jessica is 5 1/2 yrs. old and is my little kindergartner this year. For this level I focus primarily on getting a good foundation on reading and math. For teaching reading I've skipped around a lot using bits of this and that. With each of the kids though I gravitate back to two books. Evan Moor's Phonics Fundamentals (Vol.1 & 2)

and the Explode the Code series.

She is also reading aloud little bob books. Soon we will be starting the Pathway reader series.

For math I'm trying something different. I've used Singapore math with all of the other three and I really like it...starting in first grade. I'm not really too keen on the K level. So, I've started Jessica in Math-u-see. She LOVES it. She started the primer level about a month ago and she's already over halfway through!

For Bible she practices her verses for the AWANA club that the kids go to. She does Science & History with the big kids. (see below to see what they're doing)


Stephen is in first grade. (It seems weird to label them with grades really. Some things fall into grade categories and some things the kids all do together, no matter what 'grade' they are.)

The first thing he works on is his handwriting:


I really like these books (A Reason For Handwriting) because the copy work is scripture!

Math is Singapore. He started the year in book 1A and is now part way through 1B. I think he's on track to be about halfway through 2A by summer.

For Language arts/reading he's working on Explode the Code book 3 & Christian Liberty Press Adventures in Phonics.
He also reads aloud to me daily from the Pathway reader book Days Go By.



Once a week he goes to a bible study called BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). During the week he practices a memory verse for this and works on study questions with his dad. He memorizes verses for AWANA's too.

Science and History I read to the kids altogether. We are making our way through Exploring Creation Flying Creatures of the 5th Day. It's been slow progress but we're plodding along. My goal is to finish this book and move on to Exploring Creation Astronomy.

The other book we are slowly progressing through is Mystery of History Vol. 1.

Both of these books are fantastic, so when I say plodding through it's because it's taking a long time at the rate of 2 lessons a week. We have been doing Science on Monday's and Wednesdays; History on Tuesday's and Thursday's.

The one thing that was on my list of goals for Stephen that we haven't accomplished is typing. I wanted to have a time that each of the kids would be able to use the computer for this, but I haven't figured out a way that works with our schedule yet.

Next up: Amanda & Kenny.