Probably THE hardest part about starting homeschool is selecting the curriculum. There are a mind-boggling amount of places you can choose from, and it can all feel like a bit much. When I started in earnest, I referenced lots of different Facebook groups, and even then, it was exhausting.
So, I want to share with you what we’ve used, why we chose it, and what we like about it. Not to convince you, but just to give a rundown of why you might look into those things too, if you’re looking for similar things to what we were.
Keep in mind, our daughter in a 1st/2nd grade area, and I have a 4 year old, too, so that’s the age we’re working with. Several of these curriculum can go much high than that, but not everything will.
As for our aforementioned values: I am keen on the Montessori method, but have no experience teaching it or even learning in that environment. Plus I’m not looking on spending hours a day in a sort of free-learning experience. I want my kids to just have free time, outside of the classroom. However, I want subjects to be hands on. My husband’s other stipulation was that we only use secular curriculum, which is harder to find in the homeschool world.
Let’s take a look at what we use!
English – The Logic of English. I got this recommendation from another homeschooling friend. I cannot say enough good things about it, we have l o v e d it! It does hold your hand, but it’s very montessori-inspired, and has lots of activities to keep my daughter interested and engaged. We went for the cursive model, though you can choose print, too. I do recommend getting a second whiteboard, though, so there’s one for the student, and one for the parent.
Math – Stern Math. Again, I wanted something in the montessori vein. However, having 0 experience with it myself, the way they did math just wasn’t really clicking for me (I have disliked math, despite being decent at it, since I was in 1st grade). It was important to me that my children have a stronger and more positive experience with this subject, so we went with Stern. It was created by a Montessori teacher who felt the beads and other materials weren’t quite as clear as they could be. So, they created a block math system. We started with with Set B, because we’d already done a chill trial-kindergarten the year before we bought it. That did mean I spent a few months doing the activities to ensure my daughter was 100% up to speed. I plan to get Set A next year, when my son turns 5.
History – Honest History. Right now, really studying history isn’t a huge priority. But I do want to introduce different important things, and time periods, and places. We have loved Honest History, because it introduces things in small enough bites to keep my young kids interested, but could also be used to springboard into deeper dives as they get older. I’ve learned a lot, too!
Science – Blossom and Root. Waseca. Nature School. Kiwi Crates. Last year, my daughter wanted to study ‘space science’, so we used Blossom & Roots science Level 0 for that (though you can just use their entire curriculum). B&R give you lots of flexibility to either just follow along with them and get things done, or take more time to get a better understanding of the subject. We had just 1 of their suggested texts last year and did all the supplemental activities, and found it just right. We supplemented that with hands-on materials from Waseca, which are of unbelievable quality, but that price does reflect that. This year, we aren’t doing anything at home for science, but my daughter is enrolled in a nature school, as she was last year, where they learn about a lot of natural science. We have also gotten Kiwi Crates for 3 years now, and the kids l o v e them. I even attribute my daughter’s outstanding ability to create and execute her own—honestly impressive for her age—art projects to Kiwi Crates, and working through those activities for so many years.
Geography – Atlas Crates. Culture Packs. Letters From Afar. This year, in lieu of science, we are studying geography. As someone who has always had a big interest in world cultures, it was important to me to teach my children about how people around the globe do things differently, and how rich, diverse, and exciting human culture is. Because we love Kiwi Co., we decided to base our studies around their Atlas Crates. To supplement, we also have a couple of books about the world, and plan to get or check out more from the library. I also determined to get culture packs off Etsy to help round things out. For example, our first Atlas Crate was Brazil, so I bought an Ecuador pack to help us learn more about South America, and get a bigger picture. We also are planning to get corresponding Letters From Afar, and Honest History magazines, as well as learning steps to dances, trying recipes, and maybe even finding restaurants.
Exploring Technology – Outschool Courses. Typing. Robotics. This year, my daughter said she wanted to study robotics, so we purchased a Cubetto robot, because it works well for both of my kids to use. With that, my husband, a computer programmer, wanted to get her started learning about computers and typing, so he set up a class for her on Typing.com. We also got an Apple Pencil so she can take some digital art classes on Outschool.com, since she already l o v e s art.
Foreign Language – Books. Flash cards. Magazines. For me, foreign language is the one thing that, like it or not, I’m making my children do. This year—as we’re already 2 years into our language learning—in addition to their au pair, I have invested in Habbi Habbi books, which we have loved. In fact, I’ll probably make an entire post about them. I also bought more flashcards off Etsy, because that’s a great way to just drill, and make little games that work for both my 6 year old, and my 4 year old. I also recently discovered a magazine in English and our target language on Etsy, which I think will be fun just to read, but also useful when trying to learn!
That’s what our year looks like this year (aside from physical activity extracurriculars)! If you have any further questions about anything we use, I’m more than happy to answer them. I hope this helps you figure out where you might like to go with your learning in some areas, too.
Good luck!
