Homeschool Curriculum 2019-2020

HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM 2019-2020
Grades 5th-7th with learning differences
We are excited to try a more Charlotte Mason style of learning this year. It’s less rigorous than what we are used to, but will allow me the flexibility to add literature and activities to our lessons and to be more creative.
For reference, I am referring to my 7th grade daughter, my 5th grade son and my youngest daughter who is in 5th grade and who has learning differences.
When I refer to my oldest children in this video, they are 9th and 12th graders, both currently attending Liberty University Online Academy.
The typing class is typing.com
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Music Credit: Pink Horizon, Chris Haugen (copyright free)

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

Hey everyone! Here is what we are doing with our older elementary and middle school students this year including some options for a child with learning differences. Our high school students attend Liberty University Online Academy. For reference: my 'oldest daughter' in this curriculum video is in 7th. Then I have a son and daughter who are both in 5th. We are taking a Charlotte Mason approach this year which will allow me to get more creative with hands on activities and reading options. In years past we have leaned more traditional in our style. Which curriculum are you using this year? Let me know below!

[@chelseyhigdon9335]

Is there any reason other than cost that you don't use Liberty University Online Academy for your younger kids? Considering using it for my Kindergartener this year since I will be both working from home, homeschooling, and caring for our toddler. Any input you could share would be wonderful.

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

@@chelseyhigdon9335 Hi, Chelsey. Cost was certainly an issue but I also really enjoy doing school with the elementary grades. Our kids prefer the same. For me, using an online school for high school is mostly about the ease of transition into college and having someone else manage an accredited diploma/transcript for those years without sacrificing the homeschool life that we are accustomed to. College acceptance was a breeze for my oldest daughter who just graduated from LUOA so we plan to do the same with the others. I'm sure that Liberty has a great Kindergarten program too. It's definitely worth looking into because they are experienced at online learning, while most brick and mortar schools are trying to figure it all out for the first time. Doing it yourself would take about an hour to an hour and a half a day at the table together, using a pre-packaged curriculum. I can see how that would be difficult while also working. Whatever you choose will be the best choice for this crazy year, and you can have confidence in that.

[@Flourgirl4]

I just found your channel. Thank you. A long term homeschool mama myself, but I love seeing what everyone is using and getting fresh ideas. I hope you will show your 2020-2021 choices.

[@faithlovekindnesspeace1942]

This is the first video I've watched of yours and I'm glad I came across it. I appreciate your calm voice, "just right" pace of talking and your being informative but not long-winded. These are important to me because I listen to homeschool videos like they're podcasts. LOL I save some on a playlist to actually watch at a more convenient time. I subscribed and look forward to more videos from you. ☺️

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

Thank you so much for your encouragement! So glad we crossed paths here!

[@jaynebazzell2081]

We have been using MFW Language Lessons+Writing Skills as well! Going on year 3 and we love them!!

[@cindybeehomestead5459]

Always looking for homeschooling ideas! Thank you for this video!

[@EricaLucasLoves]

New subscriber! Love your vibe. We use Spelling U See in our homeschool too. I read the Family Romanov. My kids are too young for it yet but it’s an intriguing read.

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

Hello! We love Spelling You See! And I'm really looking forward to learning more about the Romanov's. Thank so much for following along

[@cynthiadeweese4116]

New viewer here! We school year round and it has made my life so much easier. We use The Good and the Beautiful for LA, handwriting, and history. Horizons for math, Essentials in Writing, and a combo of The Good and the Beautiful along with Apologia (unit study-style) for science.

[@someonerandom256]

Some of our kids are similar ages. My boys are in 7/8, 8, and 9th this year. Great video! We start school in a week and a half and I'm SO excited!

[@marilyngonzalez3970]

So glad I found your channel! Would you mind sharing how long of a day your 9th grader has with Liberty University online? We are considering it with our oldest.

[@callithumpianadventures1949]

We go year round but we tend to travel more during the summer, so less book work. I'm hoping to start traveling more during the school year soon!

[@amydefoy1346]

I would LOVE to see what you are doing for readers!

[@SimplyLivingIt]

Thanks for sharing, mama! I love seeing what other mamas are using! We are using Master Books this year for the first time! I am so in love and feel that it will be the perfect fit for our family!!!🌸

[@katannep7798]

New viewer here too! We love Language Lessons for today!! Now that you are a couple months in, how are you liking it? We just started the Writing Skills book for my 4th grader and so far so good.

[@tarar297]

I'd love to know the same!

[@noells.2485]

Love seeing what others are doing since we just started homeschooling in January. Super interested in all that you’re doing for history! I’d also love to see more of your readers! We did The Good & The Beautiful for Language Arts, History and Science. We did the Marine Biology unit and are in Intro to Energy right now (we’re doing a modified summer schedule). At the time when we started we had a 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th grader. I think Marine Biology was a fun unit to do just coming out of private Christian schooling but it definitely wasn’t on grade-level for my then 5th and 7th grader (and they’re weren’t many extensions for upper grades from what I remember). I absolutely loooove the Lang. Arts curriculum and the literature they’re reading for it though. I’m doing Life of Fred Math for all of them because they came out of doing Saxon and didn’t love it but I feel like I need something in addition to keep up their skills...just don’t have any idea what to do though 😬. Thanks for putting this together Laura! 😊 Noell (@noellsole and @farmhousetours on IG)

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

Thanks, Noell! That is good to know. I have noticed that there aren't many extensions for my 7th grader as well. I will need to look for ways to bulk it up a little more for her. How fun, that you just started in January - Enjoy your homeschooling journey!

[@gbcflower]

I would be very interested in seeing a review on Writing Skills for Today. We have also leaned more traditional previously and are currently switching to a Charlotte Mason inspired approach. We are using the Mcguffy Readers, Harvey's Elementary Grammar for my 5th grader and Gentle Grammar for my second grader. Including a lot of copy work, some dictation, and narration. My 5th grader is doing Ray's Arithmetic and my younger student is using Rod and Staff math. We'll be doing geography all together using Window on the World and From Akebu to Zapotok: a book of Bibleless Peoples. My students are working through a lot of other subjects independently. (We are expecting baby number 6 and I knew they would learn more if they didn't have to wait on me for the majority of their school work.) We'll start at the end of August.

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

That sounds like a great year and a wonderful time of your lives as well! Congratulations!! We have only used IEW for the older two (high school kids now) so Writing Skills is very different. It seems to be a gentler approach which is what I was looking for. I will let you know how it goes!

[@diaryofahomeschoolmama9191]

I'd love another video with all the readers!!

[@abundanceintheson_316]

Also, I would love a video on what a morning basket is, how to use it, etc. In our homeschool, we start off with 30 mins. Of reading picture books, working on our phonics, and doing our catechism...is this a type of morning basket? My eldest and I were watching your video and we are both curious.

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

Yes! This is a morning basket style. We do our history reading, Bible curriculum and readings, devotional time and also review our memorization in the morning. We like to do ours in the living room after breakfast so it's a change of scenery from the table. In our basket I also do a loop, so that we are accomplishing different things on M,W,F and T,TH. Hope that helps!

[@OneMamaToAnother]

I'd love to see the readers you are using as we will be doing SOTW vol.4 a year from now and I'm always looking for extra books! We are using TGTB for science as well and I have a 7th grader too.

[@abundanceintheson_316]

Hi! I just found your channel. This upcoming school year (we start in August). I am doing several things...my foundation is our CC community but I do a more Charlotte Mason/loop scheduling at home. For math, I have a K student (my youngest daughter) and she will be starting with pre-K Smart Alec workbook and then Problem Solving DK Kindergarten level. She has a focus issue so I am trying for a slow/steady approach. My eldest daughter is going into 1st grade-ish and we will be trying out Abeka's 1st grade math book. I made up my own curriculum for math last year (which included using Khan Math Academy as a resource) after trying "life with Fred" and a couple others that didn't work for us. For English, I am doing my own curriculum mixed with CC material (focusing on basic grammar), For writing my 1st grader is doing one of the CC cursive book (the first/basic one), my K student is happily working with "handwriting without tears" books (where is on the purple K book). For reading we are using McGuffey readers (and I might add other things...but it has been working so I don't know if I want to rock the boat...but my K student having the focus issue...is where I am concerned...we will see). I am using the CC foundations book for geography. For history it is a mix of the CC material and living books/stories. For science it a mix of nature walks, CC material, living books, etc. For "languages", I am working on Latin and ASL. For Art, we do that in our CC community days. I feel at this age it is sufficient. For poetry, I am starting out with Chaucer since we will be starting Cycle 2(starts with medieval history) in our CC community. For Bible studies, we do a catechism and morning devotions (We are using "Indescribable" by Louie Giglio). We have a set "music time" where we listen to hymns/classical music/etc. We also hope to do Ballet one day a week. Then there are chores/life (getting sick)/etc. I think that covers our hopeful curriculum for 2019/2020

[@crosscountrycottage3049]

Would you share a little bit about a looping schedule? My kiddos are little, so we are keeping it pretty simple so far. Bible, Math U See, All About Reading, and our CC community. :) Always enjoy learning new ideas!

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

Yes - taking notes for future videos! And those early years are so fun! Enjoy

[@daniellehuddleston1931]

oh the Civil war short stories and poems book looks so good!

[@daniellehuddleston1931]

I love all the reading you shared! Looks like a beautiful year! We are liking Masterbooks so we will be doing more of that this year.

[@annmarie1689]

Hello, I have a 7th grader. Homeschooling is new to us and we only have a few weeks to get it all together. Your video was great, please make more would love to know about your reading picks.

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

Hello! Welcome to homeschooling! I am working on another video. Thank you!

[@debbiegilbert1961]

Hello I have a question what is your morning basket you refer too? Thanks!

[@HomeSweetHomeschoolLife]

We are using Masterbooks and Apologia.

[@zillycrew]

Would like to hear how your children journal while you're doing Bible....how does that look? Yes looping sounds interesting....any reluctant readers.... finding ways for him to enjoy reading is difficult, he reads well aloud but doesn't really enjoy it.

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

Taking notes for future videos - Thanks for the ideas. I have a reluctant reader as well

[@riseupradiant1858]

We are using The Good and The Beautiful! For math- 2 of my kids are doing TT and 1 is doing MUS. My daughter with learning differences, well were not quite sure what to do with her 😏. She will be 6 in a few months. What have you done with your daughter when she was younger?

[@thesimplefarmhouse]

It took us a few years to figure out how she learns and what she needed. I can't say that anything we did those early years was super helpful. But one thing I will say...we ended up putting her in school for 6 months in 4th grade because I just wanted someone to tell me what to do and to help us - I was desperate. And the coolest thing happened. In those six months I found my strength and confidence to be her advocate. I figured out that I knew her (and what her needs are) better than anyone else did. And that confidence set us on the path to where we are today, which is a really good place. I hope that helps!

[@riseupradiant1858]

The Simple Farmhouse, we attempted to put our daughter in school last year… It only lasted about three weeks! I think we will just keep persevering, trial and error, and know that we were meant to be her parents so God will guide us!! I am glad to hear you have found things that work for you!

[@valerienitz3240]

I would like to see your readers and read alouds for