Curriculum Recommendations
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Reading
The best reading curriculum is all-encompassing, but it mainly focuses on phonics in the early years and then switches to language comprehension as your child becomes fluent. Since learning to read can be very systematic, lessons should be hands-on, multi-sensory, and fun.
I highly recommend Logic of English as your reading curriculum. However, some children may not be ready to start this curriculum until 1st or 2nd grade. This is normal. If your child is not ready to begin Logic of English, just keep reading out loud to your child. For more information on how a child learns to read and the age ranges for specific skills, see our Homeschool Skills Checklist.
Logic of English is hands-on and fun. It incorporates games and movement into every lesson. Logic of English is also multi-sensory which means every lesson uses sight, sound, touch, and movement to help your child grasp each concept.
Logic of English starts with phonics and handwriting instruction. Your child should be familiar with letters but does not need to know the names or sounds before starting the curriculum. However, they do need to understand that letters and written words represent spoken language.
This curriculum teaches all the phonograms and rules in a systematic way. One of my favorite things about Logic of English is that it teaches reading through spelling, so you knock out two skills in one lesson. The curriculum also includes vocabulary, grammar, handwriting, and basic writing instruction. However, it is not a full writing curriculum, so please see below for my writing curriculum recommendation.
Writing
A good writing curriculum combines spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and original thought. It also:
- Teaches the steps of the writing process
- Teaches a variety of writing types and genres
- Has fun, engaging, multi-sensory lessons
- Is flexible and allows you to follow your child’s lead
- Gives your child a choice on the topics they write about
- Introduces skills in a way that builds on top of each other
- Encourages dictation in the early years
- Models writing and uses picture books as mentor texts
Logic of English provides the spelling, vocabulary, and grammar, but is lacking in original thought and composition past sentences. That is why I recommend adding WriteShop into your language arts instruction once your child reaches Level B in Logic of English: Foundations.
WriteShop is one of the best writing curriculums I have come across. It includes everything on my list above while making it fun for the kids. The lessons slowly build on top of each other to help your child gain confidence in writing. In the early years, WriteShop encourages you to dictate your child’s ideas so they can really focus on their thoughts rather than on the mechanics of writing.
When I added in WriteShop to Logic of English, I felt like we had a complete Langauge Arts program. Logic of English focuses more on the mechanics of writing whereas WriteShop focuses on developing original thought. It’s the perfect combination.
Math
As you begin your search for a math curriculum, you’ll run across several terms that are only used to describe math curriculum.
Mastery- Focuses on one topic at a time
Spiral- Teaches skills in small chunks and rotates more frequently through the topics
Conceptual- Focus on the why
Procedural- Focus on the how
A good math curriculum has a healthy mix of all of these methods, but most importantly the skills naturally build on top of each other. A good math curriculum should also have a strong focus on number sense and mental math. Mental math helps them think deeply about the operations and how the numbers relate to each other. Games such a Monopoly give kids a good reason to practice mental math.
Our favorite math curriculum is Math With Confidence by Kate Snow. This is a brand new curriculum. Right now, only Kindergarten and First Grade are available. Spring 2022 Second Grade will be released and the following grades will be released one at a time in yearly increments.
This curriculum has a healthy mix of the 4 methods described above. They incorporate spiral review in their warm-ups which helps children build fluency over time. The main lessons are taught in a mastery format where your child will focus on one concept until developmentally appropriate mastery before moving onto the next concept.
All lessons teach the why (conceptual) and how (procedural) of each concept which helps them build a deep, connected understanding of each topic. But most importantly, Math With Confidence is parent-friendly, hands-on, and fun. The curriculum provides lots of games and real-life connections.
Science
Science is such a vast subject that covers many topics and subtopics. With science, there really isn’t a specific order in which to teach the topics. Some topics may lend themselves more to the earlier years such as animal science whereas others lean more towards the later years such as the Periodic Table.
There are two purposes for teaching science. The first is to learn the facts and understand how the world works. The second purpose is the most important…
To teach children how to think, question, learn, solve problems, and make informed decisions.
Choosing a science curriculum can be tough. Every curriculum will teach different topics at different times. There really isn’t a sequential order to teach science which makes choosing a science curriculum based on topics covered a bit challenging.
Then there is the debate over point of view. Will you teach your child from a secular point of view, scientific fact point of view, or from a creation point of view? This choice is ultimately up to your family.
Here’s an example:
Secular Point of View: A hummingbird’s beak evolved to drink nectar from flowers.
Creation Point of View: A hummingbird’s beak was created to drink nectar from flowers.
Scientific Fact: A hummingbird’s beak allows it to drink nectar from flowers.
In my professional opinion, it’s always best to start with scientific facts and then question the science to determine and/or share your own beliefs. By choosing a curriculum that focuses solely on the facts, your child has more freedom to question and learn which ultimately leads to stronger critical thinking skills.
As of right now, I haven’t found a science curriculum that I really enjoy, which is why I am developing my own, but we have science units inside our Premium Membership.
Social Studies
Social studies is straight-forward with only two components: History and Geography.
Learning history helps us understand change, patterns, empathy, present-day issues, and our roots.
Learning geography helps us understand different cultures, global issues, and empathy towards others.
It’s also important to add one more piece to the social studies puzzle, and that is current events. When we take the time to learn about the events around the world today, we can connect them to history. This gives our children a chance to think critically about important issues and see how the past affects our future.
When choosing a social studies curriculum, you want to ensure it teaches REAL history. A good social studies curriculum doesn’t leave anything out, nor does it focus on just one point of view.
You want to find a curriculum that encourages your child to explore multiple viewpoints, tackle challenging social issues, and think critically about past and future events.
You want a curriculum that:
- Encourages your child to explore multiple viewpoints of historical events
- Opens discussions that help them create a deeper understanding and empathy
- Explores current events so your child can make connections to historical events to find the patterns
I currently have not found a social studies curriculum that I am in love with, so we are creating our own. You can find them inside our Premium Membership.
Social-Emotional Intelligence
Social-Emotional Intelligence is the most important subject to include in your homeschool day. Without learning how to regulate emotions, foster confidence, and build self-esteem, the rest of what your child is learning is pointless.
If you want a child who is successful in life and has empathy for others, then you must prioritize social-emotional intelligence in your day.
Most of this is learned through modeling and everyday life, but you may not always be there to guide your child through tough situations. This is why having a social-emotional curriculum is important because it helps you practice different skills in a safe environment.
For elementary students, we recommend using Diane Alber’s social-emotional curriculum. She has two programs. The first is A Little Spot of Feelings and Emotions. This curriculum teaches children different ways to regulate their emotions in a healthy way.
The second curriculum is A Little Bit of Life Skills and Actions. This curriculum is best used after the first. It teaches the social part of social-emotional intelligence.
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What Important Skills Does Your Child Need to be Learning?
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What Important Skills Does Your Child Need to be Learning?
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