As I've said before, my 7 year old daughter (she'll be 8 before the start of the school year) does everything my 9 year old does except in math. This is what keeps me sane. They have opposite strengths and weaknesses, which keeps them both stretching a little. This was a problem when they were younger, now he understands that she answers first for comprehension questions and he answers first for spelling.
*Links to all curriculum will be at the bottom of the list along with links to samples if available.
Writing - 5x a week
- Bravewriter - This teaches a relaxed lifestyle of reading good books aloud, discussing them, copywork, monthly literary terms, weekly poetry tea parties, art and nature study, and free writing. Bravewriter encourages snuggling up on the couch together with some hot chocolate and reading together. There is nothing schoolish about this curriculum and I love it.
- Writer's Jungle - Written to you, the parent, it will explain everything to you, the lifestyle, the schedule, the writing process, a must-have when starting this program. Homeschool Buyers Co-op has it in PDF format for 50% off.
- Jot it Down/Partnership Writing/Faltering Ownership - This has monthly projects included that are specific for the age range. This is helpful if you prefer more guidance and structure while maintaining a relaxed homeschool. It is optional, she just does the work for you.
- The Arrow/Boomerang - Provides literary terms, copywork and at least one project all for one book. This can be a subscription or you can find your favorite book and purchase single issues separately. HSBC has most of the single issues for 50% off when purchased in 5 or 10 quantity. These are helpful if you prefer more guidance and structure while maintaining a relaxed homeschool. It is optional, she just does the work for you.
- Writing With Ease 2-3 - Some might say this is so very different than Bravewriter, why would I combine the two? Well, I like this as a fall back for when I start to go through those rough months where I don't have the motivation to plan or we've finished our read aloud early and want to keep up the momentum. I use a lower level which allows us to accelerate through it during those months. Then, we are happy to go back to the more relaxed BW lifestyle. I think it makes me feel like I'm covering all of my bases. This combo may or may not work for you. I school year round and try to go with the ebb and flow of our homeschool.
- The workbook is all you need since it includes tear-out student pages in the back. If you have more than one child or know you will need to use it again down the road, you can purchase additional student pages at Peace Hill Press. If you have a printer and like to print as you go, the PDF version is cheaper and that will be all you need for yourself and all of your students. They are huge books, so check the page count before deciding to print it yourself.
- Grammaropolis - for the songs - parts of speech
- Evan-Moor Grammar & Punctuation - For regular review of basic grammar and punctuation rules to go with the curriculum below. It's very short. If you want more grammar, then Evan-Moor's Language Fundamentals might be what you are looking for. It includes rewriting sentences, vocabulary, paragraph editing and more for an all-in-one grammar book.
- All of these below are for editing practice. Sometimes it's easier on kids to see and correct other people's mistakes. We have been using EM Daily Paragraph Editing and they both enjoy it. I wanted to add a little variety and so we'll be working through these over the next year or two. It's not a big deal if we don't get through all of them. The point is to have them practice finding mistakes so they can correct their own work. Keep it simple, keep it fun.
- Scholastic Grammar Cop
- Evan-Moor Daily Paragraph Editing
- Language Mechanic by Critical Thinking Company
Spelling 3-5x a week
- Apples and Pears Spelling - for my son
- Sequential Spelling - Original AVKO Version - for my daughter
Reading Comprehension - 2x a week
- Reading Detective by Critical Thinking Company
- Inference Jones by Critical Thinking Company
Vocabulary
Keeping a folder with A-Z tabs and lined paper. Anytime we come across a word they cannot read or don't know the meaning of, we write it in the folder with the date.
Literature
I have been listening to the Read-Aloud Revival Podcasts and gathering together all kinds of ideas and resources. I plan to read Deconstructing Penguins and use some of Mt. Hope Academy Reading Detectives ideas when reading a book aloud. The key is quality books and lively discussions. I think my 4th grader, who already possesses some lawyer tendencies to question everything, will enjoy these conversations.
Read Alouds - 5x a week
4th grade is the start of many great series. I like reading series books aloud because it keeps everyone interested and wanting to find out what happens next. I have no delusions that I will be able to finish this list. This is what I would like to complete this year, but I do not expect to finish this. I like to read aloud and see how it goes. I may end up reading book 1 and the then having them read the rest independently. They may request we read them all aloud, which would take longer. I don't really care as long as we are reading and having fun.
- Percy Jackson Series - my oldest tore through these when he was in 4th grade. I plan to introduce Greek Mythology at the same time. Completely ignoring the terrible movies, this is a fantastic series.
- The Chronicles of Narnia - BW Arrow - Powerful Verbs
- Redwall Series - BW Arrow - Onomatopoeia
- Harry Potter Books 1-4
- The Hobbit
Science - 2x a week
- Chemistry Level 1: R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey by Pandia Press
- Math Mammoth
- Light Blue Series goes by Grade
- Dark Blue Series goes by Topic for help with mastery
- Golden Series is additional worksheets by Grade including Algebra
- Green Series is additional worksheets by Topic for help with mastery
- Beast Academy
- A comic book study guide with separate practice book by The Art of Problem Solving. This is a challenging set for advanced learners or perfect for reviewing older concepts while keeping it rigorous. It can be stand alone, but I'm using it a grade lower (3 Series) for 4th grade to supplement and mix math up a bit. Great for summer math.
- Reflex Math
- An online math site that uses games to practice and master math facts. My son loves it. The games are actually fun. He unlocks new games as he masters math facts. My daughter, on the other hand, did not like it as much since she really hates being timed.
- Story of the World with Activity Book
- Back to the beginning with Book 1. We'll speed through some sections and slow down on others. I thought it would be fun to go back and really spend some time on Egypt, Greece and Rome since we'll be reading Percy Jackson and learning about Greek Mythology. My son is currently obsessing on Vikings, so I hope to work our way through book 2 by the end of the year. Next year we'll be focusing on U.S. and state history which will be good timing for book 3 and 4. I have the audiobooks as well as the hardcovers, so we listen a lot in the car and repeat. I don't mind jumping around to what interests them as long as they understand where they are in the timeline.
- Using book recommendations to supplement
- Art History included
Mythology - 1x a week
- D'Aulieres Greek Mythology
- National Mythology Exam packets & test
- Art included
Philosophy - 1x a month
- Philosophy for Kids - I plan to have a monthly tea time with snacks similar to the BW Tuesday Tea Time only for lively discussions about philosophy.
- What Would You Do? by Critical Thinking Company - My son loves long deep discussions during math. I'm hoping to channel that towards these monthly discussions.
Critical Thinking/Logic - 1x a week
- The Basics of Critical Thinking by Critical Thinking Company
We tend to block schedule with some subjects. I labeled science and history for 2x a week because that is how the curriculum suggests we do it. What usually ends up happening is we'll run through a few months of enjoying Story of the World and then we'll spend a few months doing science. My 4th grader likes to go deep into subjects, so we've found it's easier to set aside a chunk of time for him to dedicate to research and then follow those rabbit trails.
