Our Homeschool Curriculum SY 2010-2011

Teacher Mama Tina asked what Homeschool Materials/Curriculum our family uses.

Choosing your learning material is quite a daunting task, because there are so many to choose from and they're all quality materials! Before picking your "tools of the trade," make sure you know what DepEd requires of your child for his grade level.  Fellow homeschooling mom and blogger Blessie has the Philippine Basic Education Curriculum on her site.

The curriculum we chose for this school year are a fit to the learning/teaching styles of our family, something we figured out after much trial and error.

So here are the materials we are currently using for SY 2010-2011.



GABY (Grade 1)
Math -- Math U See - Alpha (and soon Beta). Gaby grew to love math lessons because of Math U See, because the manipulatives help her visualize the problems and she finds it fun.

English -- And old Houghton Mifflin English Grade 2 book. I had to drop the English program I initially got because it confused me to no end. I'm now using a text book I found at a second hand shop, coupled with other materials. As long as it meets DepEd requirements :)

Filipino -- PACES Filipino Curriculum which I got second hand from another homeschool mom. We also use the Adarna House "Ready for School" series.

Civics -- One Country, One People from Vibal Publishing. A local textbook which is a household favorite because it comes with an interactive CD-Rom which helps the lessons. A must buy!

Vocabulary and Spelling -- Spelling Connections. Another second hand find! It comes with an interactive game online. We've only started with this book, but Gaby's already excited about it.

Science -- A Beka Enjoying God's World and AOP LifePac Science 2. While I love the colored Abeka books, Lifepac is easy on a new homeschooler. The Science Lifepac was another material handed down by a fellow homeschool mom.







Jaime and Joaquin (Kinder/Prep):
Math -- Math U See Primer, Early Bird Kindergarten Mathematics (Singapore Math). The boys also love Math U See, but I'm also supplementing it with Gaby's old Singapore Math curriculum.

Language Arts -- Sing Spell Read and Write is a household favorite! It has everything -- grammar, reading comprehension, and spelling. I highly recommend it for pre-schoolers. The boys are almost done with their Off We Go books, and can't wait to start on the Raceway books. I stumbled on C&E Publishing's gorgeous store along Quezon Ave, and they distribute the books locally.

Other materials we use:
Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills -- a gift to the kids from a US relative, it has everything the kids need for their grade level.




Online Interactive Websites -- We love Brain Pop, and Starfall! While Brain Pop requires you to subscribe, Starfall is free! Also, check out my link page with all the fun sites I find and use.

Childcraft Series -- I managed to keep my 1982 volumes in shape, and am now reading these to my kids; the same books I read from cover to cover! I also buy the supplementary volumes whenever I find one at a second hand store.




We also use Gaby's old school books from her pre-school, and all of which are by St. Mary's Publishing. We're also grateful to our homeschool community, which has a culture of sharing materials to other families.