This year I’m once again (officially) home educating five of our children. We have a 12th grader, 10th grader, 8th grader, 5th grader and a 3rd grader … plus two college students, a toddler and a baby. Life is full!
– Excerpted from a speech originally given by Fr. John Hardon, S. J.
Technically she only needs to take Chemistry+LAB, Theology, and just one elective to complete the requirements for the Summa Cum Laude diploma from Kolbe Academy!
Theology: (1 Credit)
Our Moral Life in Christ
with Our Moral Life in Christ Student Workbook
Science: (1 Credit + LAB)
Exploring Creation with Chemisty (2nd Edition) plus Solutions and Tests
Chemistry: Essential Practice for Key Science Topics (The 100+ Series)
Student Lab Notebook, Lab Kit and Kitchen Scale
Muse on the Loose: Survey of Greek Literature in Translation (Fall)
Muse Re-Loosed: Survey of Latin Literature in Translation (Spring)
She has really loved taking Dr. Fisher’s Latin 1 & 2 the past two years (completing Wheelock Latin) but, rather than move on to translating, decided to take her Literature course this upcoming year.
Additional English/Literature: (1/2 semester each)
The Illiad by Homer with Joseph Pearce
The Odyssey by Homer with Joseph Pearce
using the recorded courses at Homeschool Connections
Mathematics: (1/2 Credit)
Foundations in Personal Finance (Fall)
Possible dual credit Math course in Spring 2021, still undecided
History: (1 Credit)
Government, Democracy, and Citizenship with Ed Rivet (Fall – 3/4 semester)
American Elections:Democracy in Action with Ed Rivet (Fall – Audit Class Oct 1-Nov 5, 2020)
Economics as if people matter! with Philip Campbell (Spring)
using the recorded courses at Homeschool Connections
Fine Arts: (1/2 Credit)
Choir
High School Golf (hopefully competitive!)
Theology: (1 Credit)
The History of the Church
Saxon Algebra 2 Solutions Manual and Homeschool Testing Book
English: (1 Credit)
Elegant Essay (Fall)
Live Online Class through Stylistic Scibe
Portable Walls for the Essayist
Speech Boot Camp (Spring)
Mansfield Park, Oliver Twist and North and South
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (Fall)
using the recorded courses at Homeschool Connections
Additional literature chosen from Connecting with History, Volume 2 – The Arrival of the King and His Kingdom, New Testament and Early Medieval History:
One Hundred Saints, Their Lives and Likenesses Drawn from Butler’s Lives of the Saints and Great Works of Western Art
A Graphic Life of Jesus Christ
Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome
The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History
Lives from Plutarch
Mythology
Unit #1: Julius Caesar, Ben Hur (audio)
Unit #2: The Spear: A Novel of the Crucifixion
Unit #3: Story of the Last Days of Jerusalem from Josephus, Quo Vadis
Unit #4: Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch
Unit #5: St. Athanasius, St. Monica, Beowulf: Illustrated Edition, Confessions of St. Augustine
Unit #6: Two Lives of Charlemagne
Unit #7: Hamlet, The Ballad of the White Horse
Chemistry + LAB with Mrs. Taylor over at Taylor Science
Exploring Creation with Chemisty (2nd Edition) plus Solutions and Tests
Chemistry: Essential Practice for Key Science Topics (The 100+ Series)
Student Lab Notebook, Lab Kit and Kitchen Scale
Latin II using Wheelock Latin, 7th Edition
Live online class, Lukeion
Fine Arts: (1/2 Credit)
Choir
Physical Education: (1 Credit)
High School Golf
The Highway to God: Highway to Heaven Series Book 7/8
with Practical Problems in Religion
Additional Reading Assignments/Saint Stories
Mathematics:
Saxon Algebra 1/2 with Solutions Manual and Tests
Mastering Algebra John Saxon’s Way: Algebra 1/2 DVD Set
Language Arts:
Phonetic Zoo, continue Level B
Writing Our Catholic Faith – Grade 8 Cursive Writing
Literature:
The Chronicles of Narnia, Part One and Part Two with Kevin O’Brien
using the recorded courses at Homeschool Connections
Chronicles of Narnia Book Set
History & Geography:
Light to the Nations, Part One
57 Stories of Saints
Famous Men of Rome
Famous Men of the Middle Ages
Roman Britain
Augustus Caesar’s World
A Graphic Life of Jesus Christ
Unit #1: Julius Caesar, Ben Hur (audio)
Unit #2: The Bronze Bow, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Unit #3: The Ides of April, Beyond the Desert Gate
Unit #4: The White Isle, Galen and the Gateway to Medicine
Unit #5: Beowulf the Warrior, St. Helena and the True Cross, The King’s Thane
Unit #6: Fingal’s Quest, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, St. Benedict: Hero of the Hills
Unit #7: The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow, The Sword of Clontarf
Various Mapping Assignments, Activities, Puzzles and Games
Science:
Exploring Creation with Physical Science (3rd Edition)
with Solutions and Tests and Student Notebook
Golf
St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism (with Dad on Sundays)
Mathematics:
Saxon 5/4 with Solutions Manual and Tests/Worksheets
Saxon Teacher Math 5/4 Lesson and Tests CDs
Language Arts:
Fix It! Grammar: The Nose Tree (Book 1 Teacher/Student Combo)
Writing Our Catholic Faith – Grade 5 Cursive Writing
Supplemental Readers and Additional Literature
Literature:
The Chronicles of Narnia, Part One and Part Two with Kevin O’Brien
using the recorded courses at Homeschool Connections
Chronicles of Narnia Book Set
History & Geography:
Additional literature chosen from Connecting with History, Volume 2 – The Arrival of the King and His Kingdom, New Testament and Early Medieval History:
57 Stories of Saints
Famous Men of Rome
Famous Men of the Middle Ages
Roman Britain
Augustus Caesar’s World
Ancient World (Usborne)
Spend the Day in Ancient Rome
Twelve Bright Trumpets
A Life of Our Lord for Children
The First Christians
Unit #1: Cleopatra, City, Ben Hur (audio)
Unit #2: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Mary My Mother, Good St. Joseph
Unit #3: City of the Golden House, St. Peter the Apostle, The Apostles of Jesus, St. Paul the Apostle
Unit #4: The Roman Colosseum, Gladiator, No Tears for the Bride: A Story of St. Perpetua
Unit #5: St. Helena and the True Cross, Beowulf: A Hero’s Tale Retold, St. George and the Dragon, Word to Caesar
Unit #6: St. Benedict: Hero of the Hills, The Silk Route, Life in Celtic Times Coloring Book, Color Your Own Book of Kells, Bring Me and Ax: A Story of St. Boniface, King Arthur: Tales from the Round Table
Unit #7: Beorn the Proud, Hide the Children: St. Bernard of Clairvaux, D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths
United States Elections Unit Study
Science:
Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
with Audiobook, Lab Kit and Notebooking Journal
Fine Arts:
Bud :: 3rd Grade
The Life of the Soul (Highway to Heaven Series Book 3)
Supplemental Religion Books and Saint Stories from Our Monthly Book Baskets
Mathematics:
Math Mammoth- Little Blue Series 3
Language Arts:
Structure and Style for Students: Year 1 Level A
Writing Our Catholic Faith – Grade 3 Beginning Cursive Writing
Supplemental Readers and Additional Literature
History & Geography:
Additional literature chosen from Connecting with History, Volume 2 – The Arrival of the King and His Kingdom, New Testament and Early Medieval History:
Once Upon a Time Saints
More Once Upon a Time Saints
Famous Figures of Ancient Times
Famous Figures of Medieval Times
Time Traveler
Spend the Day in Ancient Rome
A Life of Our Lord for Children
The First Christians
Unit #1: How to be a Roman Soldier, City, Ben Hur (audio)
Unit #2: Mary My Mother, Good St. Joseph, The Miracles of Jesus, Jesus With Us: The Gift of the Eucharist, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Unit #3: Pompeii- Buried Alive, Story of St. Peter, Story of St. Stephen, Story of St. Andrew the Apostle, The Adventures of St. Paul
Unit #4: St. Valentine, Story of Agatha, Story of Cecilia, Story of Cyprian, Story of Sebastian, Story of Lawrence, Story of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Story of St. Christopher, Story of St. Lucy
Unit #5: St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland, The Saint Who Fought the Dragon, St. George and the Dragon, Nicholas, the Boy Who Became Santa (DVD), Brigid’s Cloak, Story of St. Blaise, The Queen and the Cross
Unit #6: We’re Riding on a Caravan, Story of St. Benedict, The Sword in the Tree, Celtic Treasures (CD), Caedmon’s Song, Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus
Unit #7: Vikings: Dress, Eat and Play Like the Vikings, Margaret, Story of St. Wenceslas, Leif the Lucky, D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths
United States Elections Unit Study
Science:
Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
with Audiobook, Lab Kit and Junior Notebooking Journal
Fine Arts:
Meet the Masters
Physical Education:
Self Defense / Martial Arts: Jiu Jitsu
The rest of our science books finally arrived and these two (three?) are so excited to dive into marine biology this year! I had been considering an introduction to chemistry course, since our high schoolers are both taking chemistry this year, but they begged for this instead. Their eldest brother (who got scuba certified this summer) might have had something to do with it… This was his favorite science book as a child!
Grace :: Pre Pre-K (Age 3)
Catholic Children’s Treasure Box Books 1-10 and 11-20
Feast Day Picture Books
Seasonal Picture Books
Lots of fun learning Toys and Puzzles
Occasional Crafts and Baking with Older Siblings
Nothing formal, yet… basically just living life in a large family!
#1 – Kolbe Academy
Our high schoolers all work towards the Magna Cum Laude Diploma. I love the flexibility offered by Kolbe and that we can continue tailoring our curriculum to our family’s preferences and our children’s needs. I submit graded samples twice a year and they keep all the necessary records for the transcripts. We have two students currently enrolled in Kolbe Academy.
#2 – The Lukeion Project
Charlotte was the one to introduce us to Lukeion and the live classes my high schoolers have taken have all been excellent. After just completing Wheelock Latin, our eldest daughter is moving on to a Literature Course and daughter #2 is taking Latin II.
To quote Lukeion: “There are many programs now available for younger students. In our experience, however, these programs demand a lot of busy work but deliver very little in the way of learning the functional nuts-and-bolts of Classical languages. Students are not generally prepared to master these languages until they have reached the logic stage. You will accomplish much more in a fraction of the time if you wait until your student is 12 to 15 before you start formal instruction in Latin and Greek. Better still, waiting to start these logic based languages may mean your student will enjoy them more.”
We’re still paying the $30 per month for access to all of their recorded classes which the kids can take at their own pace. Middle School favorites have included science classes with MacBeth Derham and history classes with Philip Campbell. For high school we have loved Joseph Pearce, Gregory Pyne, and Eleanor Bourg Nicholson’s literature classes, as well as American Sign Language. My high schoolers can’t get the “Kolbe designation” on the non-Kolbe courses, but they still qualify for high school credit (the high school level courses do anyway, with pre-approval from Kolbe) and they have worked well for us!
My three oldest all loved Mrs. Taylor’s biology class. This year the older girls are taking her recorded chemistry class. So awesome!
After taking a couple year break from IEW’s Structure and Style writing classes, I’m so excited to get back to it this year! I was just going to dust off all my old materials, but after checking out the awesome new updated versions, we are making the switch!
I popped on with a cup of coffee during nap time for my toddler and I am so happy to see this lovely post! Have a great year! We are on week 11 because I'm expecting our fifth baby this November. Your blog is the only one I read. Deo Gratias!
2020-09-22 18:33:40
We are in our 5th year homeschooling (4th gr, 2nd gr, k, 2 toddlers, currently) and I still struggle with committing to curriculum. Jessica, I know you have so many years of experience! How do you determine what to select? I moved to Mother of Divine Grace this year (most families in our community use it) with several swap-outs mainly because I felt I needed a syllabus to follow. I also like Well Trained Mind which I used as a guide last year. I am curious about IEW too and plan to start it next year but maybe I should be starting this year. Additionally, I cannot figure out how or when to carve out time for planning. With a 19 mo old that doesn't sleep well and no napping kids above that, there aren't many breaks. And evenings involve a lot of parenting. I appreciate any wisdom!
2020-09-23 15:52:57
Hang in there! You are at a really challenging stage. Be easy on yourself and focus on the necessities. It does get easier once the children are just a little older, reading well, and able to work more independently! I've tried many different curriculum options over the years – switching around a lot when my older children were younger – and have settled on the ones that either I like best and/or the ones that work best for certain learning styles (I have a couple children with learning challenges), as well as those that make life a little easier for me (like the various online classes for my older children). I've never been very successful at following a syllabus, I need more flexibility and really hate feeling "behind" if we get off track for one reason or another, but I'm glad you've found something that seems to work for you! I know many families that use and love MODG! It's not ideal, but most of my planning happens at night after everyone is in bed (like right now), early in the morning, or while nursing a baby… It really is hard to find time to focus! I have older children that can help with the little ones some of the time, but I also work from home 25+ hours a week in my "free time" (secretarial work) so it's just plain hard to keep up with it all… Once I've chosen my curriculum for the year I try to make a general weekly schedule for each of the kids, leaving lots of flexibility, and then fine tune it and add to it as we work through the material.
2020-09-24 06:15:11
Thank you! ♥ Congratulations on your new little one! How exciting! I'll say a little prayer for a healthy baby and safe delivery!
2020-09-24 05:43:51
Amazing and admirable that you do all of this. God bless you for doing this for your children.
2020-09-23 16:53:04
Love reading the curriculum for all the children. Joan
2020-09-23 19:05:39
I enjoyed reading this post about all the subjects the children are taking. I think Joy wants to be schooled. Marion
2020-09-23 21:06:14
Your family is absolutely adorable! I have been following you for a while and I really admire you. This is our first year homeschooling! We have 6 children ranging from ages 11 down to just turning 2. I am happy with the educational materials/lessons we have chosen for this year but am struggling to lay out our days and when to do what? Any suggestions or advice when planning out our daily schedule? Thanks so much and God bless!
2020-09-23 21:21:04
Thank you! So grateful to be able to stay home and home educate them. God bless you too!
2020-09-24 06:15:45
Thank You for this interesting and enjoyable post. The children have a full list of subjects. Grace has a nice schedule. Lily looks interested and ready to start her studies. Marilyn
2020-09-23 22:53:26
How do you structure your day to accomplish everything with all your kids?
2020-09-24 00:46:56
I am in awe of the amazing dedication you have done in teaching all of your children!!!! Your home is filled with such enthusiastic learners. It is wonderful what you are doing for your Dear children homeschooling them! I so admire your dedication and hard work Jessica! Have a wonderful new school year with your sweet children…
2020-09-24 00:53:00
How exciting that you are all homeschooling this year! It IS hard coming up with a daily schedule…I tend to plan more of a routine, rather than a schedule, with what I would like to accomplish each day, without giving specific time slots to each thing, leaving lots of margin and flexibility. Every day is different with outside activities and appointments, work obligations, or the various online classes for my older children, not to mention the little ones and not being able to get them on a consistent nap schedule (not sure how I was able to accomplish that with my older ones and not these last two?!)… We tend to start with Math and English/Writing/Spelling in the mornings, and afternoons are spent on other subjects. I do make my children each their own weekly checklists (and one for myself too) so they can work on their own as much as possible. I'll try and share those soon to give you an idea of how I implement and keep up with everything! My children (including the 8 and 10 year olds) also all take a shift each day playing with and watching the little ones, so I have time for one-on-one time with whoever needs me. I hope you can find what works well for you and your family soon! God bless you all!
2020-09-24 16:29:37
I just shared a little bit up above in my response to Alicen. I'll try and share more soon, along with all of our weekly checklists!
2020-09-24 16:31:12
Thank you for sharing! Our family enjoys the Apologia science books too. May I ask which lab kits you are using? I bought my kits from Rainbow Resources and they correlate with the experiments in each book. However, my high schooler would like lab work for general science for Apologia and I am not sure if the lab kits I bought will work. I like the notebooks you linked. As always, may God bless your beautiful family and thank you for sharing all that you are doing this school year.
2020-09-26 22:46:26
Hi Jessica, I hope you got the soccer videos of John that I sent you. I went to your Scribd uploads trying to find two checklists but I couldn't locate them: Latina Christiana I and Maps Charts Graphs Eastern Hemisphere. I found similar looking documents from 2012 to 2013 school year, but not these. I looked all over but couldn't locate them. They are color coded for each school quarter on the side of the documents. I have these exact same ones I downloaded many years ago from you that are filled in ( I wish I had printed a blank spare). Can you assist me please? Thanks and God bless, Sherri
2020-09-29 22:04:31
I have been meaning to email you back.. the videos actually didn't come through. I'm not sure why or how to suggest sending them.. If you could try again that would be great! I'd still love to see them!! I will see if I can find those checklists online and get the link to you, otherwise I can search my old computer and see if I still have the documents. I'll let you know either way!
2020-09-30 04:36:32
I found the blog post: https://www.showerofrosesblog.com/2013/08/curricu… … but I'm not finding the documents – no links and I don't see them in Scribd or Dropbox. I'll see if I can find them on an old computer.
2020-09-30 04:46:26
I taught mathematics in middle school and high school most of the time in Catholic Schools. I am a strong believer in mnemonic devices to remember formulas, etc. If anybody out there is teaching the quadratic formula and needs a way of helping children remember what x is equal to then here it is: The negative boy couldn't decide whether or not to go to the radical party. The boy was square and was turned down by 4 awesome chicks. The party was all over by 2 am. (but you whisper m because there is no variable m in the formula.
2021-12-15 07:33:50
Hi Jessica, Thank you for sharing your curriculums. I am just wondering how you manage it all each day. I am assuming most of it is self led by the child? From what age do they do most of the study themselves?