Don’t miss your chance to save HUGE on elementary homeschool curriculum with the Build Your Bundle sale.
I love this time of year! I have prayed over our curriculum choices, made it past the purchases, and the boxes have arrived! I can hardly wait to dive into the new books. There is just something about those fresh pages… new subjects… It is like Christmas.
I relied heavily on the HomeEd Expert’s recommendations when making my choices for certain items but on other subjects, I trusted my blogging/homeschooling friends.
About my 3rd grader ~ Lira is diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder known as PDD-NOS. She is extremely intelligent with an IQ higher than most doctors. She dislikes writing and is a very kinesthetic learner.
3rd Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks
Math
This year, this was the hardest decision to make. Lira loves math but hate writing. I knew I wanted something she could do on the computer but considered just writing my own curriculum. Then, I read my friend Jimmie’s review of Teaching Textbooks and decided to see if Lira would like it. We worked through the online demos and she loved it.
The only thing I am apprehensive about it the level. Many people have suggested that the curriculum is a level lower than it should be. So, I am prepared to purchase the next grade if the 3rd grade materials are not challenging enough for her.
Teaching Textbooks Math 3 Kit by Greg Sabouri & Shawn Sabouri / Teaching Textbooks Inc
Early primary-grade math lays the framework for all later mathematical skills, and is also vitally important for everyday life. Ensure that your students understand every aspect of adding and subtracting multiple numbers, writing fractions, carrying, multiplication, money, telling time, advanced place value, mental multiplication, whole numbers, decimals, perimeter, area, temperature, the metric system, and bar & line graphs with Teaching Textbooks 3. The workbook contains all the problem and practice sets, as well as written summaries of each lecture; the summaries conveniently allow children to skim over the text instead of re-watching the lecture if they forget a key point.
Bible & History
Whenever I can combine subjects, I will! The more I read about the Ancient Civilizations curriculum by Answers in Genesis, I knew this would be a good fit for our family. The curriculum is completely adaptable for multiple ages and addresses how to personalize lessons to different learning styles.
Ancient Civilizations & the Bible: Full Family Curriculum Pack by Diana Waring / Answers In Genesis
Explore events, civilizations, and personalities from creation to the time of Christ in this redesign of Diana Waring’s exciting one-year curriculum! Featuring dynamic new illustrations, the kit includes teacher’s guide, student manual, and test pack (grades 6 and up); elementary activity book (grades K to 4); and 10 CDs—True Tales, Digging Deeper, and What in the World?
Science
I have to admit that I am partial to Apologia. I love the story behind the company and the heart of those who work there. They are wonderful people.
When I saw the eye-candy photographs at Spell Outloud and the awesome ideas Maureen had for making the children come to life for young children, I was sold on making Anatomy our next science study.
Because of my experience with the Botany curriculum, I knew that we needed the Junior Anatomy Notebooking Journals too.
Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology by Jeannie K. Fulbright / Apologia Educational Ministries
All creation is awe-inspiring, but the work of the human body, created in the very image of God, is especially jaw-dropping! This study of anatomy and physiology showcases the intricacy and design of the human body, from DNA and cell creation to the skeletal, muscular, digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous/endocrine, immune, and intergumentary systems. Integrated with health and nutrition information, as well as plenty of scripture and biblical application, this complete guide to the human body is written in an enjoyable, conversational tone that will keep kids engaged. Experiments, notebooking assignments, narration, and a “personal person project” provide interaction with concepts outside of reading, and help to solidify understanding. 265 pages, hardcover. Index and answers to the narrative questions are included.
Junior Notebooking Journal for Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology by Jeannie Fulbright / Apologia Educational Ministries
Love the regular Apologia notebooking journals, but find the writing a bit too advanced for your student? The Human Anatomy & Physiology Notebooking Journal will remove your concern with activities specifically geared towards students who aren’t as advanced in their writing abilities. Almost the same length as the regular journal, the notebooking pages aren’t designed to just suit lower grades–only writing ability is considered. Perfect for younger students or older, struggling students! Coloring pages, scripture copywork, vocabulary flip-cards, puzzle pieces, “more to explore” ideas, diagrams to label, and other fun lapbooking pages are included, as well as full-color minibooks and two overhead transparencies. 230 pages plus full-color section. Spiral bound, softcover.
Language Arts
In the past, we have separated penmanship, spelling, phonics, and reading into four separate subjects. Since Lira hates to write, this was a big pain. When the HomeEd Expert recommended the Learning Language Arts through Literature program, I remembered some friend mentioning that they highly recommended this curriculum. As I looked closer, I know why they enjoyed it. Everything is combined into this one program which not only saves us time and money but it makes the need for tons of writing obsolete.
Learning Language Arts Through Literature, Grade 3, Yellow by Common Sense Press
This Learning Language Arts Through Literature (LLATL) Yellow Activity book contains independent work activities, enrichment exercises, additional readings, word puzzles, analogies, logic activities and other activities. All answers are found in the sold-separately Learning Language Arts Through Literature, Teachers Guide Gr. 3, and this book cannot be used independently of it. 376 pages, softcover.
Books Needed to use this Curriculum:
- The White Stallion
by Elizabeth Shub
- Madeline
by Ludwig Bemelmans
- Meet George Washington (Landmark Books)
by Joan Heilbroner
- The Courage of Sarah Noble
by Alice Dalgliesh
If you have any questions about my choices, please let me know. I would love to help if I can.
I’m going with Teaching Textbooks this year too! Apologia is land animals.s
We have not done land animals yet… yet. LOL
I’m also planning on using Learning Language Arts Through Literature–Yellow Set with my 3rd grader. It will be our first year with this curriculum. We use Apologia Science too but we are in the Astronomy book. That looks like a great set for Ancient study. Too bad we haven’t even covered Countries and Cultures.
Thank you for sharing all of our choices 🙂 I am so getting the Anatomy book; my daughter has been asking me for months to start learning about the human body and I just was going to wait till I started Anatomy in the fall ( I am a college student) and teach her from there, but maybe it will be good for the both of us to start with a children’s version first 😉
BTW~> My daughter prefers online programs too! Time4Learning is a great program for children like ours 🙂
LOL! I always learn something when teaching my kids. Crazy, right? The Anatomy study looks like so much fun. I hope you enjoy it. I hope we enjoy it too. Ha! I’ve thought about Time4Learning a few times… it is just a little pricey for my budget.
Maureen has so many great ideas for A&P! I felt like I hit the jackpot when I found her posts!!
If you are interested in connecting with other Apologia users, check out the Apologia Blog Roll that I host here:
http://myjoy-filledlife.blogspot.com/2012/07/apologia-blog-role-2012-2013.html
Blessings!
We are practically using the same curriculum. Only difference in we are using Around the World in 180 days. For science my kids are older so apologia biology and zoology 3. I too love the smell of new books!! It IS like Christmas. Good luck this year 🙂
How is school going? I have an 11-1/2 with Aspergers and PDD-NOS and the processing skills issue. I have the most trouble with math and writing and handwriting.
She is an avid reader and learner, but doing work can be a struggle. We are in our second year of homeschooling and she is the primary reason we left the public schooling. She is a delight and I do have my challenges, but would not trade it for the world.
We have those same issues: math, writing, and handwriting. Honestly, it took me three years to figure out what works for Lira. Hands-on, real-life math works best for her. Teaching Textbooks is still serving us well although some of the word problems are phrased in such a way that I have to restate them in a way she can understand. She was apprehensive about writing until I introduced cursive. She loves making the “pretty” letters. She cannot shape them correctly but I am just happy that handwriting doesn’t bring tears anymore. 🙂
I am using TT this year with my 7th grade I-hate-math-and-will-never-understand-it daughter. She loves it and is getting high B’s on all her tests, which is wonderful progress! I may order the anatomy book. That is one we have not done yet. Looks fun! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Do you have posts detailing how you separate the phonics, penmanship, spelling and reading? Can you direct me to the posts?
The Learning Language Arts through Literature curriculum actually covers everything but phonics in the same book. As for phonics, I recommend Horizons by Alpha Omega Publishing. Their study gave us a strong foundation for reading. I do not have a post dedicated to this and I hope this helps. 🙂
I have been looking into All about Readingg pre reading for my child. Autism n non verbal. She is not writing or refused to (not sure). What do u think of this programme? I m trying montessori methods now. Just starting. Is looking into Mathusee for hands on maths. She disliked anything that looks like studying. Though she would sit still to listen for awhile. But either refuse to do the table activities or really dont know. I am still trying to figure this out.
Its the end of 2013…were their any changes that you made to your curriculum? What did you like and what didnt you like!? We did hmschooling from first through half of second and she was begging us to put her in school…so we did. But a few months later she is begging us to pull her out. She hates it! So shes asking us to put her into homeschool again. She’ll be in third grade…
I love the first picture. Box day!! It makes a homeschool mom’s heart skip a beat.
Have a great year.
Blessings, Dawn
I’ve heard great things about Teaching Textbooks. I was considering it this year, but it was a little out of our price range. Looks like I’ll be saving up for next year, though. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!