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WHY am I having such a tough time with this ...

I have two children that I need to plan a curriculum for and I just can't seem to CHOOSE. There are moments that I wish I would just stick with a straight across the board curriculum provider, but I just CAN'T do it. Coming from a Catholic school that I felt had so many gaps, I just want to pick and choose what I think will be best for {K} and for {M}.

So far I have ...
  • Math-U-See for {M}, my 2nd grader
  • Teaching Textbooks for {K}, my 5th grader ... although I can't get the program until September. We will have to practice other stuff before that.
  • Scott Foresman Science for {M} ... we may just use this rather loosely. She is only 7.
  • Write Source writing and grammar for {K} ... this may only be a supplement, but writing is her weak point and I really want to improve on this.
  • Total Language Plus for {K} ... we are going to use this intermittingly. I hope it will make her a better reader, but most importantly I want her to LOVE reading. Right now it is a total chore and that makes me very, VERY SAD.
  • A Year with God. I bought this last year. Even though I was not "in love" with it when I got it, I will try to make some good use of it. Celebrating the liturgical year is important. My girls crave this stuff, and I want to give it to them.

Weighing my options on ...

  • Catholic Heritage Curricula (their Language of God and My Speller books)
  • From Sea to Shining Sea for {K}, my 5th grader
  • Evan Moor supplements for each girl
  • ABEKA for phonics, reading ... to buy their books, lessons plans, etc. is quite pricey, but maybe I am confused.
  • Seton Books ... I wish I could get some feedback from others who use their stuff. What do they like best?????

At a loss with ...

  • A social studies curriculum for my 2nd grader (and maybe my 5th grader). I would love to combine them in some way. Obviously my 5th grader would get more work with it.

My worries ...

  • I am pulling my girls from a traditional Catholic school where they are used to textbooks and workbooks. The program was very structured and I worry that I may try to stick to that format too much. If I get away from the structure too much, I worry that my girls (especially my 5th grader) will not be receptive.
  • Pulling a schedule together for them. I am a perfectionist and want things right the 1st time ... yikes!
  • Giving them too much of what I didn't like about their old school (workbooks, lectures)
  • Overbuying books that I will not like or use
  • The actual organizing of my year ... curriculum plans, lesson plans, paperwork, projects, and fun stuff.
  • I want there to be "FUN" in our homeschooling, and I worry that I may be too focused on the plan and not the journey.

OH GOSH! I can go on and on. Time for me to get a move on our day. The library is my next stop where I will be taking my almost 5 and 7 year old to story time. Many great books await me at the check-out counter too ... yay!

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Comments

Hen Jen said…
take a deep breath..you will do o.k.!! Yes, you will probably buy some things you won't use, that's o.k., sell them and move on.

yes, the abeka phonics stuff can get up there, you might want to look at buying some of it used, like the teacher's manual and flashcards. uh, the blend ladder wall cards are a waste of money..they are huge, made for a classroom, and one of the booklets you get with the program has them printed inside, I ended up using the booklet.

have fun at the library, we always find good books to run off on a tangent with!!
12:44 PM
Anonymous said…
I liked Seton Faith and Freedom Readers, their Grammar books (English I for last year), not so much their handwriting, geography or history. America for Young Catholics was actually a bit too Catholic, discussing mainly the influence of Catholics in America - but there is a TON of stuff left out.
My daughter used Abeka for kindergarten. I liked the handwriting and math. It wasn't bad, it wasn't spectacular. I think you get a solid math program with Abeka - is there something about it being anti-Catholic in the later years though? I don't remember if that's right.
I buy more wrong choices than right choices. I wish I could manage to get to a Catholic curriculum fair so I could check things out ahead of time.
2:16 PM
Karen Edmisten said…
Welcome to Blogger!

And, yes, just take that deep breath that Jenny recommended. You *can* do this. :-) We all worry about the gaps, the choices, the stuff we bought but didn't use ... It's just part of the journey. Look, examine, see what you're drawn to, what seems to best suit your style and your children's, and make your best guess. :-) And then, know that it's a *process* ... I'm still in the process, seven years into this.

You're going to love it!
9:13 PM
Unknown said…
We used Seton this year (our first homeschooling) enrolled for 1st & 4th. I'll answer any questions if you want. But I didn't re-enroll for next year. We're going to try a charter hmscl. I'm planning for a 2nd & 5th like you. But I am using their religion and spelling for 2 & 5 english 2, Math2-their new book, science 2. lvmarr @ cox . net
12:29 AM
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