Year in Review and Looking Ahead

At this time of year I begin to get ready for the next year school. I attend the Kitchener Waterloo Christian Home Educators Conference, so I begin to look forward to the coming year as I like to buy my curriculum at that time. Our school year doesn't follow the typical year that building school does. Essentially we do school all year round, with breaks sprinkled here and there that works for our family. For instance, we take the entire month of September off as we go away for that month to a cottage. :)

For the past year and half we have been working through American History/Geography, Science Apologia: Astronomy, and our regular Math and Language Arts programs. I chose to do American History first because I wanted the eldest two to be grouped together when doing History. I held off so they were both at a good age to remember their Country's history. We are definitely ready to get to Canadian History though! Heather told me the other day that she can't wait to do Canada's History, because all she knows is American History (she, of course, is happy to learn American History though, as she was born in the US). But she is waiting for Canadian History and Geography with great anticipation! So off to the races we go at the end of April! I'll break our next school year down in terms of curriculum and ideas:

Bible
- daily devotional (scripture reading)
- memory work
- prayer time

Language Arts:
Heather:
Growing with Grammar - level 6
Copy work - a selection from her personal reader done in cursive
Wordly Wise - level 6 (once a week)
Sequential Spelling - book 2
Graham:
Growing with Grammar - level 1
Copy Work - a selection from his personal reader done in printing
Spelling - taken from Sonlight's word lists
Esther:
- ACE learn to read/print program
- Sonlight's P 4/5 Core Program - includes science, geography, art appreciation etc.

Math:
Heather, Graham & Esther:
Right Start

Science:
Heather and Graham:
Apologia Zoology 1 - Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day in conjunction with the lap books by

Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the 5th Day Lapbook Package (Lessons 1-14)

Canadian History and Geography:
Northwood Press - Canadian All Inclusive Bundle. It includes a whole host of books, read a louds, geography - 27 items Courage & Conquest: Canada: A People's History DVDs Set 1 and Set 2; 7 novels, 16 non-fiction books; 1 CA history Game. We're VERY excited to start on this.
We have been looking through Newspapers and Usborne News Paper Books so we can make our own Canadian Newspaper. This will help them reinforce what they are learning about their country.

Art Appreciation:
The Group of Seven ArtPak by Cyndy Regeling (Maple Tree Productions)

Music/Music Appreciation:
- piano lessons for the older two
- voice lessons for Heather
- listening to various composers
- The Story of the Orchestra
- Symphony field trips

French:
L'Art De Dire

Extra Curricular:
- swimming lessons
- girls Club
- Judo
- ball hockey
- nature class at a Local Nature Reserve

Shakespeare Unit Study:
We'll study a play but I'm not sure which one yet. We'll use these two books to assist:
Tales from Shakespeare
Usborne Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare

I don't think I've missed anything! But if I have I'll come back and modify my post.