Charlotte Mason Homeschool Curriculum 8th, 5th and PK

I love planning and preparing for a new year!  And that’s one of the things I’ve been doing on our lazy (yeah, right!) days of summer break.  After much consideration, here’s the plan – but it comes with pinkies crossed.

Charlotte Mason Inspired Curriculum for 8th and 5th grades and preschool. #charlottemason #homeschoolcurriculum

This post contains affiliate links.

8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum

We’re jumping to Algebra 1 a little early.  I have Algebra 1/2 we can fall back on if this gets too tough. Logic is a very important subject to me!  We’ll get an introduction to formal logic along with continuing logic puzzlers this year.

Algebra 1: An Incremental Development, 3rd Edition (Saxon Algebra 1)Algebra 1: An Incremental Development, 3rd Edition (Saxon Algebra 1)Mind Benders Grades 7-12 Book B-2: Deductive Thinking SkillsMind Benders Grades 7-12 Book B-2: Deductive Thinking SkillsThe Fallacy Detective: Thirty-Eight Lessons on How to Recognize Bad ReasoningThe Fallacy Detective: Thirty-Eight Lessons on How to Recognize Bad Reasoning

I know the language arts section looks pretty slim.  We’re taking a break from grammar this year, while our history program will include tons of reading, writing and drama. Our history program (below) will cover plenty of research & factual types of writing – this will fill in the creative writing gap.

Story Starters: Helping Children Write Like They've Never Written BeforeStory Starters: Helping Children Write Like They’ve Never Written BeforeApples 2: Daily Phonics Drills, For Secondary StudentsApples 2: Daily Phonics Drills, For Secondary StudentsSpelling Power, Fourth EditionSpelling Power, Fourth Edition

Other:

5th Grade Homeschool Curriculum

Saxon and logic are 5th grade math choices as well!

Saxon Math 6/5: Homeschool Kit, 3rd Edition (Student Textbook, Tests and Worksheets, Solutions Manual)Saxon Math 6/5: Homeschool Kit, 3rd Edition (Student Textbook, Tests and Worksheets, Solutions Manual)Mind Benders Grades 3-6+ Book A3: Deductive Thinking SkillsMind Benders Grades 3-6+ Book A3: Deductive Thinking SkillsLogic Safari Book 3Logic Safari Book 3

Simply Grammar is a new-to-me curriculum this year and I’m in love!I’m also beginning the year with All About Spelling to reinforce some basic phonics rules, then we’ll jump into Spelling Workout. We have about 1/3 of the cursive book to go, then we’ll just use Spelling Workout as handwriting practice.

Simply Grammar: An Illustrated PrimerSimply Grammar: An Illustrated PrimerAll About SpellingAll About SpellingSPELLING WORKOUT LEVEL E PUPIL EDITIONSPELLING WORKOUT LEVEL E PUPIL EDITIONWrite-on Handwriting Conquering Cursive Left-handWrite-on Handwriting Conquering Cursive Left-hand

Other:

Together

Ancient Civilizations and the Bible is an amazing curriculum! It will cover Bible, history, language arts, science, art, music, drama, and so much more!  I *think* most of our art and music studies this year will come only from this study.  (Gasp!)  If I feel like we aren’t diving into art and music enough, I’ll supplement.

Ancient Civilizations and the Bible SET: A Biblical World History Curriculum from Creation to Jesus Christ (History Revealed, Volume 1)Ancient Civilizations and the Bible SET: A Biblical World History Curriculum from Creation to Jesus Christ (History Revealed, Volume 1)

Another gasp!  I’m using a full-blown traditional textbook for science this year!  What??  Let’s just say I’m giving this type of learning a shot this year.  If it works, awesome – I won’t have to keep planning my own lessons!  If it doesn’t work, no biggie – we’ll keep on keepin’ on the way we always have.  Caleb will be following along with us on many of these lessons, but I have separate reading and activity plans (following the same subject) on the days when this is information overload.

Exploring Creation with Physical Science SET with Textbook, Solutions/Tests and Companion CDExploring Creation with Physical Science SET with Textbook, Solutions/Tests and Companion CD

And, of course, nature study author can’t leave out nature study!

NaturExplorers can be used for nature walk ideas or science unit studies.

I’m trying a new, informal approach to foreign language this year.  We’re using this program for 5-10 minutes a couple times a week as a fun game/flashcard drill time.

English from the Roots Up, Vol. 1: Help for Reading, Writing, Spelling, and S.A.T. ScoresEnglish from the Roots Up, Vol. 1: Help for Reading, Writing, Spelling, and S.A.T. ScoresEnglish from the Roots Up Flashcards, Vol. 1English from the Roots Up Flashcards, Vol. 1English from the Roots Up Flashcards, Vol. 2English from the Roots Up Flashcards, Vol. 2

Other:

Early Preschool Homeschool Curriculum

We’re going to have a fun time learning the alphabet this year with one letter per week as a theme.  I have each letter planned with fun crafts, activities, experiments and such that will make Eli beg for “school”.

It’s a do-it-yourself curriculum with hodgepodge ideas from every corner of the internet and my brain, so I can’t give you a specific link.  You can check out my preschool links, though, to find many of the sites I visited when planning.  A few of the major items I’ll be pulling from include:

The Memory Bible: The Sure-Fire Way to Learn 52 Bible VersesThe Memory Bible: The Sure-Fire Way to Learn 52 Bible VersesThe Little Hands Art Book (Little Hands!)The Little Hands Art Book (Little Hands!)Preschool Art: It's the Process, Not the Product!Preschool Art: It’s the Process, Not the Product!The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities for Children 3 to 6: Written by Teachers for Teachers (The GIANT Series)The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities for Children 3 to 6: Written by Teachers for Teachers (The GIANT Series)Math in Minutes: Easy Activities for Children Ages 4-8Math in Minutes: Easy Activities for Children Ages 4-8Science Play (Williamson Little Hands Series) (Williamson Little Hands Book (Paperback))Science Play (Williamson Little Hands Series) (Williamson Little Hands Book (Paperback))

It’s going to be a great year!

Other posts you might like:

 5th and 12 Grade Curriculum Choices 4th and 11th Grade Curriculum Choices 3rd and 10th Grade Curriculum Choices

10 Comments

  1. Hmmm…I’m also going back to Spelling Workout this year feeling I should have never left and we’re going to … a textbook science (apologia-zoology I). I said the same thing, it’s a trial thing. The more I’m looking at them though, the more I think I’m falling in love with these books. We’ll see how it goes.
    .-= Shannon´s last blog ..Blog Walk for Week 5 =-.

  2. Wow, Cindy…I’m a little shocked at the textbook included in your line-up 🙂 I’ll be interested to see how that goes. It looks like we’re using some of the same stuff…Saxon, Spelling Power, Nimble Fingers. Looks like you’re all ready to go! Enjoy the rest of summer.
    .-= Alicia´s last blog ..My- How Youve Grown! =-.

  3. As supplemental curriculum for spelling I would suggest that you go to spellingtown.com for their freebies. They are a amazing. For cursive and handwriting in general, I would recommend http://www.Fonts4Teachers.com My students love. Just an idea.
    Great post and great resources!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  4. Looks like a great year. We are also studying Ancient History this year and I am so excited to start. I hope you have a great year.

  5. SO glad to have found you as I feel we have a similar style and find your bog post encouraging. I am using AC & B by Diana Waring also to give us a help into using more of a unit study approach. I’ll be back tp visit , wishing you all the best for 2011. Blessings, Renelle

  6. We use Ancient Civilizations & Bible also…we love it!! Thanks for sharing. Next year…my soon-to-be 8th grader will use the Apologia Physical Science and The Fallacy Detective. 🙂

  7. can I see your tentative schedule for the week for PK? Thanks

  8. Bess, you probably don’t want to hear this…but I don’t have a tentative schedule for PK at this point. 🙂 Next year I will, but this year has been very casual.

    Last summer, I put together several ideas for each letter of the alphabet. At the beginning of a new week, I pull out the ideas for a new letter. I also search my bookshelves for books, games and toys that go along with the letter of the week. I put everything on a shelf in our schoolroom and then we just pull out whatever strikes our fancy each day.

    I do try to make sure we do something with numbers, colors, and shapes each week, along with small and large motor skills. But, if we miss something, it’s no big deal to me. His more “official” year of preschool will be next year, so the laid back approach has worked for us.

    A big help I am, huh?

  9. Nimblefingers site is not working ,
    plz check and remove the dead link
    also i like to share a similar tool called https://www.typedojo.com/

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *