Curriculum

Homeschool Curriculum
(Favorites & Highly Recommended)

   Note:  In addition to ordering directly from the sites below, a lot of curriculum is available at discount prices at Christian Book Distributors (CBD).   You can request a homeschool catalog from them and look through their many titles.
  Another source for curriculum is Homeschool Classifieds.  This is a site where homeschoolers buy and sell used and sometimes new curriculum  I have been using it for years, and have never had any problems with honesty and such matters.  You can often find curriculum as much as 50% off, so search their site for desired resources.
   Finally, please realize that I am sometimes reluctant to "recommend" curriculum because each family and child is so different.  Yet, I also realize that sometimes homeschool moms are at a crossroads and are in desperate need of knowing they CAN do this, and need some specific resources and tools.  So, for that reason I share with you some of my favorites or some that I've heard good things about, while also expecting you to do your own homework and decide if a title is a good fit for your family.
   I will say this about curriculum choices.  I hear from some that are concerned about giving their students a proper, college prep education.  It can be intimidating.  Because of this they gravitate towards full curriculum publishers, such as Abeka.  While these full curriculum options have many great resources for high school, they also are often a ton of work to complete.  And it just isn't necessary.  So, if you and your students are doing well with a full traditional textbook approach, great.  But if you are about to jump ship because the work load is just too much, or you feel inadequate in any way, don't do that before you make some changes.  
  By choosing curriculum that is often a better fit for a tutoring/homeschool environment, your students can learn tons, but you won't be overwhelmed with the busy work of textbooks across the board.  My recommendations below reflect an option that I believe is more "doable" for a homeschool lifestyle.
    Also, if you begin to falter or grow weary, I would encourage you to revisit the reasons you chose to homeschool in the first place.  For me, it is primarily about keeping and training the heart of my children.  And homeschooling is a great opportunity to do that.  It does take sacrifice.  But it is worth it.  No one cares more about your child's education... academic and spiritual ... than you do.  So, step on out and trust the Lord to meet the needs of your family and children, as you are faithful to complete this calling He has placed on your life. 

  Be sure and check out the Great Resources page for info. on homeschool methods, book list/sources, homeschool magazines, and more.

   Curriculum is listed below, by subject and then broken into general age groups.  Some curriculum overlaps ages, so it's listed twice.

 A good article: Tips for Choosing Curriculum

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CURRICULUM SOURCES - General

 
• Homeschool Classifieds - This is a site where homeschoolers buy and sell used and sometimes new curriculum  I have been using it for years, and have never had any problems with honesty and such matters.  You can often find curriculum as much as 50% off, so search their site for desired resources.
• Christian Book Distributors (CBD) - Discounted books and resources, sometimes significantly less expensive. From their website request a "Homeschool Catalog" or shop online.  
• Rainbow Resource
• Timberdoodle - Lots of educational toys as well as a nice variety of curriculum with detailed reviews.  One of the pioneer homeschool resource catalogs.
• Excellence in Education
• Northwest Homeschool Group - Lots of ideas and links for all ages
• Old Fashioned Education - Directory of FREE homeschool curricula, literature and text books organized for the use of homeschooling families.
• Kahn Academy - Online lessons and tutorials for many subjects.  FREE.  Great resource, especially for math.  But I cannot recommend most of the science, due to the secular, evolution worldview that is referenced or taught.  Be a good Gatekeeper and be careful what false info. you let through the gate of your child's mind.  : )

     MATH
Note on Math:   Many homeschoolers are funneled into the most "popular" math curriculum because we don't have any idea of the resources out there, when we first begin.  While I personally have used and enjoyed advanced math programs, such as Abeka, I have learned through teaching my children, that indeed, not all children can learn math concepts at an advanced pace.  The good news is that it is not a race, and there is really no benefit to requiring a 7 year old to memorize multiplication facts, when learning that material will be so much easier in another year or two.  And twelve year olds don't have to begin Algebra I.  High school math is another area of intimidation that is very doable for homeschool parents, and there are several resources to ease the challenge. So if your students are struggling in math, and you are struggling to teach them, don't despair.  There are excellent curriculum choices available that have been designed for the teaching parent, that can help equip you to get the job done.  So, do your research, and find a good fit and don't be afraid to change your course in order for you and your children to succeed. 

  ~  ELEMENTARY - MIDDLE SCHOOL (approx. gr. K - 8)

• Teaching textbooks  -  Computer based cd-rom program for grades 3 and up, offers video instruction and tutorial with solutions for each problem.  Very kid and teacher friendly, especially for the middle grades and up.  Very incremental approach, yet a thorough program when completed.  A great resource for parents intimidated by teaching middle and upper math to their children.  I have to confess this is my favorite math program for the simple reason that it takes so much of the frustration out of doing math, for all ages.  It's a bit pricey, but worth every penny if you can afford it.  Also, it resells nicely, so you can put the resell money towards the next year's purchase. Finally, you can save a lot of money by looking for it used, on sites such as www.homeschoolclassifieds.com or Amazon.com, ebay, etc.  Read Cathy Duffy's review here.
• Live Online Math - A locally owned (but available to anyone) business that offers math classes, workshops and tutoring for pre-pre-algebra through geometry, via live, real-time, online sessions and interactive video based courses.  I have personally known several families who have used this resource and they have been very satisfied and pleased to have a personal math teacher/tutor for their student. Check out the website at the link in the name, to see the pricing and many details offered through this program.  You can also read testimonials here .
• Math-U-See - While I haven't used this program personally, I have heard so many good reports from many friends. Do check out this option for math, K-12.  See Cathy Duffy's review here .
• Horizon Math - from Alpha Omega publishers.  Colorful workbooks with teacher's manual, designed with homeschoolers in mind.  From what I have seen of it, it is similar to Abeka in the early grades.  Read Cathy Duffy's review here .
• Abeka - While I enjoy K-2, I must caution that this program moves very fast, expecting 2nd and 3rd grade students to have multiplication facts memorized.  If your student has no problem, great.  But I have seen time and again, young students (and the moms!) get very stressed out because of the pace this moves.  Personally,  I'd move onto something else by 3rd grade, for most students.
• Saxon Math - Especially for K-3, this is an incremental approach to math for all levels. In the "early days" of homeschooling Saxon Math was "the answer" for homeschoolers.  And it is still widely used today. But there are many other options to look at today, so take the time to read reviews, etc.  The K-3 is a little involved (my opinion), but I used it with my 3rd child, so I tweaked it and eliminated certain activities.  For the new homeschooler, it could get a little tedious, following all the scripted activities.   See Cathy Duffy's review here .
•  Rod and Staff Math - Usually academically solid curriculum, and quite affordable compared with many other publishers.   Read Cathy Duffy's review here .
• Times Tales DVD - Excellent program for teaching upper multiplication facts to students.  If your students just can't seem to memorize their math facts, this program just might be your answer to prayer... it was mine! 
• Free Math Worksheet Printables

  ~  HIGH SCHOOL

•  Teaching textbooks  -  Computer based cd-rom program for grades 3 and up, offers video instruction and tutorial with solutions for each problem.  Very kid and teacher friendly, especially for the middle grades and up.  Very incremental approach, yet a thorough program when completed.  A great resource for parents intimidated by teaching middle and upper math to their children.  I have to confess this is my favorite math program for the simple reason that it takes so much of the frustration out of doing math, for all ages.  It's a bit pricey, but worth every penny if you can afford it.  Also, it resells nicely, so you can put the resell money towards the next year's purchase. Finally, you can save a lot of money by looking for it used, on sites such as www.homeschoolclassifieds.com or Amazon.com, ebay, etc.  Read Cathy Duffy's review here .  Note:  I have heard some criticism of the geometry course, but those reviews have been mixed.  Some praise it.  Just something to be aware of and because of that, I also included other geometry options below.  But we have LOVED the algebra programs.
• Live Online Math - A locally owned (but available to anyone) business that offers math classes, workshops and tutoring for pre-pre-algebra through geometry, via live, real-time, online sessions and interactive video based courses.  I have personally known several families who have used this resource and they have been very satisfied and pleased to have a personal math teacher/tutor for their student. Check out the website at the link in the name, to see the pricing and many details offered through this program.  You can also read testimonials here .
• Math Relief by Leonard Firebaugh - Another DVD based program for upper math.  Solid, traditional approach to algebra.
• Saxon Math -  Incremental, spiral approach to teaching math. There are DVD teaching resources for these courses as well.  See Cathy Duffy's review here .  
• Stewardship Math - This is a Biblically based, financial math course from Math-U-See, that covers many topics related to handling money in the adult world.  It is similar to a consumer math course, but it includes the Biblical concept of being a good steward of our finances, thus the name. It is geared towards ages 15 and up and is recommended to follow an Algebra I course, but not required. There is a short video overview to watch at the link above.  The concepts are presented on a DVD (yay!) but there is also a short chapter to read on the lesson (about 2 pages) in an Instruction Manual.  Other items in the course include a Student Text (the actual problem sets), an answer key and a Devotional book that goes along with each lesson.  I love the idea of rounding out my children's education with a practical course such as this.  It's always a bit sad to meet the young adult who has completed pre-calculus but doesn't have any idea how to responsibly evaluate a car loan. 
• Math-U-See - While I haven't used this program personally, I have heard so many good reports from many friends. Do check out this option for math, K-12. See Cathy Duffy's review here .   From their website: "Math-U-See is a complete K-12 math curriculum focused on homeschool and small group learning environments that uses manipulatives to illustrate and teach math concepts. "  
• Thinkwell Geometry - Online math courses mainly for high school.  See Cathy Duffy's review here .
• Kahn Academy - Online lessons and tutorials for many subjects.  FREE.  Great resource, especially for math.  But I cannot recommend most of the science, due to the secular, evolution worldview that is referenced or taught.  Be a good Gatekeeper and be careful what false info. you let through the gate of your child's mind.  : )
• Cool Math - online tutorials for pre-algebra - calculus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ECONOMICS

• Unlce Erics Books -  From their website: "The Uncle Eric series of books is written by Richard J. Maybury for young and old alike. Using the epistolary style of writing (using letters to tell a story), Mr. Maybury plays the part of an economist writing a series of letters to his niece or nephew. With stories and examples, he gives interesting and clear explanations of topics that are generally thought to be too difficult for anyone but experts."   Even if you only get through the first few, you and your student will gain much understanding of economics.   There are also Study Guides to go with most of the books for an easy way to document your reading.  Bluestocking Press has put together 2 Economic Course packages:
• Economics Course for High School
• Business/Economics for middle school  
• Notgrass Company Exploring Economics - Very nice, Christian based economics course for high school math credit.  Intended for one semester, from two of my favorite authors, Ray and Charlene Notgrass.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LANGUAGE ARTS
Note on language:  Subjects like writing and grammar often intimidate the teaching parent.  This seems to be partly because of the type of textbook curriculum we tend to choose, especially for those younger students.  So again, look at your options and consider a variety of resources that are sometimes a gentler pace or more teacher/student friendly than traditional textbooks. 

      PHONICS

• Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons -  This phonics program is based on the DISTAR reading method, and like it or hate it, it works.  Many homeschool moms ( me inculded), did not warm up to this program because of the odd method and silly stories.  But after hitting a reading wall with one of my children, I broke down, since I had stood back and watched many families rave about the success they had with this program.  It is scripted and short lessons, and it will almost always produce a reader.   We worked with Explode the Code at the same time, and then as I mentioned above, we then did the Abeka phonics levels 1 & 2.
• Explode the Code -  An effective phonics series, that is simple to teach and fun to do.  This program is especially useful for teaching at a gentler pace than some of the textbook publisher's phonics programs.  You can stay with this phonics program for several levels to make a complete phonics program.  Highly recommended.   You can read a few reviews of this program here .
• Abeka Books Phonics Series - Letter and Sounds K - 2 is another widely used phonics program.  This is a solid reading program, however, it does move along at a quick pace, skipping a few concepts along the way.  Personally, several of my children breezed through this program, but for some, they needed a more incremental approach that included some extra ear training, taught more clearly in other programs like Explode the Code.  Once that child was reading, we went back through the Letters and Sounds 1 & 2, which is an excellent phonics program to follow up with, even for students ages 6-8.  The phonics foundation is important so find a program that will drill these skills. Also, for the first time parent/teacher, this programs has a lot of teacher prep recommended, that can be overwhelming.  Just a note of caution.
• Phonics Pathways - Heard good things about this program for a long time now.
• Leap Frog DVDs - These are just too wonderful to skip.  Simple and fun but very educational dvds, that expose children to the world of reading (and math!).  I have to confess that my youngest learned all her letter sounds from Letter Factory dvd, before I even started working with her formally.  Guilt free video time with a great result!
•  Rod and Staff  -  as soon as they are reading a little, find some fun early reader books for them to read aloud to you each day.  The library has a ton, and there are others out there too.  Rod and Staff has several nice series for early readers, including Pathway Readers and Little Jewel Books.  These are very sweet, quiet, gentle readers that honor God and family life.  The Little Jewel books make nice read alouds for younger children too.   They also have a really nice set of workbooks for pre-K. 

      GRAMMAR - All Ages

• Easy Grammar - All ages - Just like the name says, this grammar program is a simple approach for both teacher and student, but it gets the job done and takes some of the pain out of the process.  This is the textbook that goes along with the popular review book Daily Grams, that many homeschoolers use alone. This grammar program is not teacher intensive and the lessons are not involved.  Simple yet effective.    If you are starting older than 7th grade, it is recommended that you go through the Red Easy Grammar Plus book first, to get acquainted with the program. Then you can follow up with the grade appropriate Daily Grams or Ultimate Grammar (high school 9-12th grade) review books.
• First Language Lessons - Elementary - Series on grammar and language, that is teacher scripted and moves at a gentle pace.  There are 4 levels available.  This program is teacher intensive, meaning teacher must be present for all part of the student workbook.  But for some, the clear presentation of grammar is worth the time spent with your student, especially for the younger students.  This series is written by Jessie Wise, mother of Susan Wise Bauer of The Well Trained Mind.  You can read a review of this program here .
• Abeka books - Language books for all grades.  I especially appreciate the content of the K - 3 books, noting that the K - 2 coordinate with their phonics program as well. 
• Primary Language Lessons - grades 2 & 3, by Cynthia Albright (reformatted the originals).
• Intermediate Language Lessons -  Upper elementary (4^th, 5^th, 6^th ).  Originally by Emma Serle, these are workbook formats done by Cynthia Albright, that go with the original books, that make “teaching” much easier and make the program a more independent one for the student.  Very affordable too.                          Here is a Sample Lesson
• Rod and Staff - All ages (Gr. 2 - 10) - Affordable, traditional, simply presented, yet academically rigorous English curriculum.
• Learning Language Arts Through Literature - A Ruth Beechick/ Charlotte Mason approach to language arts.  You can read Cathy Duffy's review here .
• Daily Grammar - An online Grammar program with over 400 lessons and quizzes. 

         LITERATURE

• Windows to the World review   - Literary Analysis, published by IEW.
•  For Such a Time as This - by Dr. James Stobaugh, offers American, British and World Literature courses.  Often described as a classical approach to literature, it has a heavy emphasis on Christian worldview.      Review by Cathy Duffy
• Christian Guides to the Classics - Literature guides/commentaries on The Classics.
• Progeny Press -  Study guides for all ages
• Notgrass history curriculum -  Both the middle school and the high school history courses contain a literature element that fully satisfies high school literature and is nicely coordinated with the history you are studying.

 
      WRITING - All Ages

• The Power in Your Hands -  This is a newer, non-fiction writing program by Sharon Watson, designed for high school students.  I've recently started using it with my senior and freshman and I like it a lot, and here is why.   It's  both teacher and student friendly.  The student textbook walks students through the process and I think it inspires and encourages them while the teacher manual is easy to understand and helps parents help their students.  It focuses on essays, and does not spend a lot of time teaching beginning paragraphs, which seems to be what many writing programs focus on for a long time. You can read a REVIEW BY CATHY DUFFY HERE.
• IEW ( Institute for Excellence in Writing) - All ages - A DVD and student notebook writing program used by many homeschoolers.  The earlier versions did not offer a lot of structure for the teacher, but the later versions do offer more ideas and teaching resources.  My children learned so much from this writing program, and they learned a lot of grammar!  This is a great place for grammar skills to be put to use.  Levels A - C, Student Intensive Writing DVD course.
• Jump In Writing Program - From Apologia - Listed as a Middle School course, it is also described as appropriate for older/high school students who don't have a strong writing background or skills.  Students work quite independently, since there are not actual lesson plans or teacher manual.  The teaching guide is more for helping the parent know how to evaluate writing.  You can read a  Review by Cathy Duffy.
• The Elegant Essay - High school -  Following many methods and tools learned in IEW, this course focuses on essay writing.  Distinctly Christian.  Updated versions now have a separate Teacher Manual, instead of a combined student/teacher book. You can read a Review by Cathy Duffy here .
• Essentials in Writing - All grade levels - DVD course and student notebook writing program.  I discovered this program recently, and am highly considering using it.  At the link above, you can access whatever grade level you are interested in, and watch a sample lesson being presented. Also, read a Review by Cathy Duffy here.  Affordable, not teacher intensive ( I like that!), and according to Cathy Duffy, it is academically challenging, but not difficult.
• Write With World - Titled a Middle school writing course from World Magazine.  I looked it over and appreciated the way it tackles some worldview issues at a kids level.  A few of the topics apply more to public school children, but overall the issues apply to Christians.  I think this program is also appropriate for the average early high school student.  Cathy Duffy has this to say:  "Write with World stands out from among a number of excellent writing programs because it is “mission minded.” It has a very clear goal of training young men and women to be excellent communicators who can think and write from within a Christian worldview—writing to make a difference. I expect that the purposeful nature of this course will be a very positive motivational force for both eager and struggling writers."  You can read her complete review here .   
• Time4Writing Online Writing Course - 8 week, online writing classes for all levels and ages.  $99 for each 8 week course.  Accessible online from any computer, self-paced, regular feedback.  Definitely grabs my attention!  You can watch a short overview video HERE .
•  Writing Program Reveiws - This is a page from Homeschool Advisor, reviewing several of the more widely used writing programs.   

       SPELLING

For spelling...  I will admit right away that I'm not real concerned about spelling/grammar/writing for my younger kids (K-2 or 3).  That doesn't mean I don't do anything with these subjects, but I don't get too formal about it in the younger grades.  My reason is that it seems to me that most of the info. just goes right over their head, because until they are reading well, and formulating sentences in their own brain, the info. is just so abstract.  I suppose the exposure can be considered a worthy thing, as it lays somewhat of a foundation.  But honestly, it is often very labor intensive and I just haven't seen a lot of fruit from the time spent on early elementary students.

   I'll also admit that spelling is often a frustrating subject, because sometimes it is difficult or impossible to see the results we expect, no matter which program we use.  From all that I have seen and heard, spelling is one of those things that a person is either good at or not.  The brain either thinks sequentially, which makes a great speller, or it doesn't, which means they always struggle a bit.  That doesn't mean we don't work on it, of course, but I'm just alerting you that if you have a great speller, you'll kind of know it early on.  And if you have one who struggles, they probably will somewhat forever.  One of the best activities that improves spelling, is reading.  So, as they read over the years, their spelling and vocabulary improve.  That's why it's important to get them reading and then set a timer if needed, and have them read every day.   Other than that, we pretty much have to bounce around and find a spelling program that we can endure.

  There are a couple different formats to think about.  Do we want a traditional workbook?  Or, if we find that we don't have a natural speller and our student is not retaining the spelling lists, we might want to consider a program that utilizes more of a "method" to teach the brain to remember spelling.  There are several spelling programs that are built around a method, that may be a  better fit for many students.  

    The advantage of a spelling workbook, is that it gives them some independent book time.  But, there is the issue of busy work, and these often feel that way.  In the workbook category there are many options, from every major publisher, and they are pretty much the same... Abeka, BJU, etc.  For my youngest, I didn't even bother with a formal spelling curriculum until about  4th grade and she is my best speller ( she's a really good speller - she's just wired that way).

Workbook options:

•  Spelling Workout - For a workbook choice, I like the way they present and review the actual spelling rules, such as "aw" says aw at the end of a word, while "au" says aw in the middle of a word.  Even though these are not as colorful and pretty as the Abeka or BJU, I think the content is a bit better for older students (gr. 3-7-ish).  Spelling Workout also has a little story at the beginning of each lesson, and I like the content of those.  And they also have a section where the student proofreads a paragraph, and I find some value in that exercise.  CBD carries this series.
• Apples Spelling - for the older student who could use more work on spelling, there is a series intended just for them.  Review by Cathy Duffy .

Method options:

• Sequential Spelling - A spelling program often recommended for students who struggle with visual problems, such as dyslexia, but not only for those students. Sonlight curriculum carries this program for all students. The idea is to build on small root word families (as small as the word "in") and build up through prefixes and suffixes, which leads to rather complicated and advanced spelling words.  A wonderful component of this program is that it is available on DVD, and I'm all about spelling lists on a DVD! : )

Here are a few reviews:
Review by Cathy Duffy
Review by Sonlight

•  Spelling Power -  The author recommends students be in at least 3rd grade, and must have completed their basic phonics programs.    The drawback is that it is a little confusing to learn to use, but I believe she has fixed most of that in the newest (4th) edition.  Although I like some of the workbook format of Spelling Workout (above), I agree that a lot of the pages seem like busy work, and I question the benefit.  Spelling Power is not a workbook. It is a huge book of spelling lists, presented in a particular order, and students work through those lists, and only have to spend time on the words they miss.  It's a rather efficient approach. It's a bit pricey, but it lasts their entire school years, and can be used with multiple students, so in the end it's cheaper than buying new spelling books for several students, every year. 

Watch a short intro. video here .

Here are a few reviews on this program: 
Review by Cathy Duffy
Review by SonLight
Homeschool Reviews

• Phonetic Zoo-  From IEW... each level has about 5 audio CDs that recite spelling word lists to student.  Student self corrects from the cds, so program is very student independent.  Based on research and spelling methods from IEW. 
•  Here is a page of reviews by Cathy Duffy , on lots of spelling programs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     HISTORY

           I must confess that I love history, and I love to use all different methods of studying it with my children. So, I tend to blend resources.  For instance, I will often use a textbook as  a "spine" to follow, but will add in living books and read alouds that correspond to the textbook.  Or I'll do the opposite.  I'll follow a guide for a literature approach to history, and read from a textbook as one of our reading sources.  I use catalogs, such as CBD or Sonlight or Veritas  Press, to make reading lists, then I may purchase a few, but more often I take that list to the library and check books out along the way.  This works well for me, but if you have a strong preference for a particular method, just stick with that.  Note: My method drags out the study of history, because we are taking out some extra time to read extra books to cover a time period.  But I'm okay with that.  :)

All Ages -

• Mystery of History, Vol. I, II & III  -  World History - Great choice for teaching wide age span of multiple children, but also for just 1 student.   A history program for K-12, that includes a strong Biblical worldview.  Short reading lessons, followed by a selection of age appropriate activities that you can assign to multiple aged students.  While the reading information is "meaty", the author states that for high school students, they are expected to do the extra research or writing assignments. (I actually don't do many of those, but instead use a second history curriculum to supplement and enrich MOH.)  The author offers suggestions for map work and a timeline. These activities are certainly optional, but not necessary if that's not your style.  And finally, there are pre-tests and quizzes to document student progress. 

   Note:  MOH reads a lot like Story of the World, but is from a Christian perspective, which is very important to me. Because of that, I don't particularly "recommend" SOTW.  There are just too many other options for Christian resources.

•  Abeka - Personally, I love this publisher for history, especially for the early grades.  K - 4th is a great spine for history, and if you add in read alouds or early readers to go along with the scope and sequence, it makes for a rich study in American History.  (I like to follow it up with MOH {above}, starting with Ancient History. )
• All American History Vol. 1 & 2 - From the publishers of Mystery of History, a course for American history.  Review by Cathy Duffy.
• Notgrass Company - American history and a Civics course, for middle school students.  I found America the Beautiful to be a great history course for 8-9th grade, although it is marketed for students in 5-8th grade.  It actually has options for the lesson and review material.  You can choose to use materials more suited to older elementary/early middle school students or you can use materials well suited for the 7th - 9th grade student.   Review of America the Beautiful by Cathy Duffy.  Review of Uncle Sam and You by Cathy Duffy.
• Homeschool in the Woods - Hands on, unit studies covering a variety of historical time periods.  Uses a computer cd to print resources.  No textbook needed. Very fun projects.   Check out there other resources as well. 
• Timeline figures - Homeschool in the Woods  by Amy Pak - They can be purchased either printed or on a cd that you print from. They are very detailed in black and white, and my daughter loves to use fine colored pencils to finish them. They work very well with Mystery of History, but they should go with any history curriculum. We have enjoyed them for a few years, and I thought some of you might also like them.
• KONOS Timeline figures  These are colorful and a little whimsical, and very appealing figures, that can be used with any history curriculum.  Visit their website at the link above and scroll down and click on the See Davey Crocket link to view an example. And if you love the idea of a creative, hands-on, unit study approach, check out their time tested curriculum as well. 

            
High School

• Notgrass Company - * FAVORITE* World and American history from a Christian worldview that also includes full credits in literature and Bible.  Both courses are offered as one year courses, rather than breaking up into volumes, which is common for world history, but sometimes there just isn't time for that. Learn more at this  Review by Cathy Duffy.
• Drive Thru History  * FAVORITE* - DVD series hosted by Dave Stotts, and published by Focus on the Family.  There are 3 in the series:  Ancients, American History and The Holy Land.  Each series has several DVDs in it.  I can't say enough how much we have enjoyed these.  They are incredibly informative, engaging, and funny all at the same time.  Taught from a Christian perspective, these are a painless way to teach history.  My kids LOVE them, and watch them over and over.  I am amazed at how much they retain.  You can watch several clips from the series here .  Finally, there are also discussion guides with answer keys  available to download. 
• Mystery of History, Vol. I, II & III  World History - ( see above)
• Diana Waring - History Revealed -  *FAVORITE*  Unit Study/Literature approach for high school history, covering the 3 time periods in 3 volumes:  Ancients, Middle Ages, & Modern, all from a strong Christian worldview.  For those of us who aren't Unit Study types, there is a test kit that offers traditional evaluation/testing for the course.  Honestly, I'm not a "unit study" person for the most part.  I don't want to cook and dance and do drama along the way, but all of that is offered in this curriculum.  I use this for the excellent student articles/text as well as the teacher commentary, reading lists and audio cds.  And if you do enjoy unit studies, it's all there for you.  This curriculum is also designed to be used with multiple ages, if needed. Review by Cathy Duffy.
• All American History Vol. 1 & 2 - From the publishers of Mystery of History, a course for American history.  Review by Cathy Duffy.
• For Such a Time as This - by Dr. James Stobaugh, American, British and World history curriculum designed to go nicely with the same publisher's literature courses. Review by Cathy Duffy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    GEOGRAPHY

Elementary/Middle School -

• Galloping the Globe - unit study approach, for grades K - 4 ( but I think it's quite good for K - 6th easily).  Very fun way to cover an introduction to world geography, with maps and other fill-in-the-blanks information for each country.  Includes studies in geography, Bible, History, Literature, Science, Vocab., Maps & Flags, with puzzles, games & crafts. 
• Cantering the Country - The United Sates version of above, with a similar format.  Again, a fun way to learn geography, along side several other subjects.
• Timberdoodle geography resources 
• Trail Guide to Learning Series - This series is written by Debbie Strayer, with principles taken from the heart of Dr. Ruth Beechick, and uses a Charlotte Mason approach.  This is a full unit study curriculum, not just geography, for grades 3 - 7.  Read Cathy Duffy's review here .

All Ages -

• Visualize World Geography - A little pricey, but this is a curriculum to highly consider.  It uses mnemonics and clever pictures to teach all the countries of the world, as well as exploring the culture and general geographic information of each country.  While the pictures/stories may seem a little juvenile, this is sort of the "point".  I used it with a group of high school students, and yes some of the stories were a little corny (but still clever), but the bottom line was that the ability to retain the information was amazing.  Very successful for my older kids.   Read Cathy Duffy's review here

 High School/Middle School -
     For high school, we tend to study geography as part of our history curriculum.  But there are some specific geography programs out there.

•  Visualize World Geography  - See above
• Runkle Geography
• Geography Matters 
• Timberdoodle geography resources 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    SCIENCE

All Ages -

• Answers in Genesis Homeschool Curriculum - lots of resources for science and more!

Elementary/Middle School -

• Science Shepherd -  Fairly new curriculum that offers an alternative to the popular Apologia below.   This course is a video course for elementary students.
• Science Shepherd - Life (general) science - Fairly new curriculum that offers an alternative to the popular Apologia below. This course is designed for middle school/jr. high students.
•  Apologia - This series is marketed to elementary students, but the later titles in the series are very appropriate for many middle school students, through 8th grade. I have even used the Physics & Chemistry book with my 9th grade student and found it to be a challenging introduction to those topics. While it says the books can be used in any order, they do get more difficult in language and concepts as the series progresses, so keep that in mind.  I think the Astronomy, Anatomy, and Physics & Chemistry books are detailed and challenging for younger students.  The notebook options (regular and junior) are great companions to the books, especially for younger students.  This science is taught from a Biblical/Creation worldview.  
• Christian Kids Explore Series -  From the publishers of Mystery of History, comes this series of science books for middle school students.   Read reviews here .  I have also heard from a few that this series is not as in depth as the Apologia series for middle school students, which will be a better fit for some, and not for others.
• Newton's Workshop DVD Series - * Favorite *   - A set of 4 DVDs that have 2 episodes each.  Published by Moody Bible, these dvds explore different areas of science in a fun and engaging manner.  My kids loved these, and learned soooo much.  The stories are in live action, and are told from a strong Christian worldview, and focus on a brother and sister and their grandpa, in a family setting.  The grandpa is a science buff and ends up responding to everyday situations by doing an elaborate science experiment.  One caution, is the sister's behavior, occasionally.  It is  mild, but they have written the character to be a bit whiny and sometimes a little bossy or unkind to the younger brother.  Sort of a stereotypical brother/sister relationship.  CBD carries these at the link above, at a great price.  
•   The Magic Schoolbus DVD Series - While these are not from a Biblical perspective, they are still fun science stories that teach young kids a lot about many areas of science, from bugs to space, to physics, botany, anatomy, etc.  I think I have seen them all, and the only one I found any objectionable content in is the dinosaur episode, because an evolution timeline is referenced, so I did not include this one for my children.  Walmart carries the entire series at the link above.  

High School -

• Apologia - This series begins with General Science, followed by Physical, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and advanced courses.  The company offers General Science for the 7th grade student, but I have found that many 12 year olds are not ready to tackle this material.  It is not uncommon to begin General Science in 8th or even 9th grade, which allows the student to mature a bit, and still leaves plenty of time to complete higher science courses, such as biology and chemistry.  The beauty of this series is that it is written directly to the student, and is very teacher friendly, even though it is academically rigorous.  It is seriously college prep course material.  If you have a student who is clearly not a science major (math, engineering, health professional), you may want to look at a gentler approach to upper sciences like biology and chemistry, for the non-science majors.  There is more than one way to skin a cat.  :)  This science is taught from a Biblical/Creation worldview. 
• Ace Biology - PACES (Accelerated Christian Education) -  This biology course is a high school level course, but is presented in a slightly less college level textbook approach than Apologia or Shepherd's Science (below).  Instead, the course is presented in a series of colorful booklets, covering the typical biology topics. Great option for those who have a student who needs/wants a solid high school science course, but is not heading into health/medical/science fields post high school.   
•  Shepherd Science Biology -  If science has you intimidated, and dissecting is not something you or your students are looking forward to, this curriculum may be a great fit for you. This is a fairly new curriculum that offers an alternative to the popular Apologia below.   From talking with those who have used it, and have been very pleased with it, the main difference is that there is not as much rote memorization required, while still a rigorous and thorough course.  And the labs are on DVD!  I see many homeschool parents put their children into public school primarily because they are intimidated by teaching science, and completing the required labs.  This course offers a wonderful option for those families.  Written from a Biblical/creation worldview, you can read a review by Cathy Duffy HERE.
•  Principles, Theories & Precepts of Biology - A high school, college prep biology course, that may offer an alternative to the highly rigorous Apologia, if that course is found to require just way too much rote memorization. Written by a Christian, but for public schools, reviews say it is secular, but Christian friendly.  
• Integrated Physics and Chemistry - A high school chemistry/physics course that deliberately does not include the complicated math often associated with these courses. Written by a Christian, but for public schools, reviews say it is secular, but Christian friendly.  A possible option for those students who want to satisfy those courses in high school, but either don't need the intense math preparation for college courses or find the math intimidating.  As much as I appreciate the Apologia series, I'm so glad there is an alternative to the incredibly rigorous science courses they offer.  You can read a review by Cathy Duffy HERE 
•  High School Biology, Charlotte Mason style -  Discovering Nature Series, by Sandi Queen. 
• Biology 101 - Creation based, DVD course for non-science majors(with accreditation supplements) .  If not used as a primary curriculum, makes for a great supplement.  Read Cathy Duffy's review here .  And another Review Here .
• Chemistry 101 - Creation based DVD course for non-science majors (with accreditation supplements). If not used as a primary curriculum, makes for a great supplement.  
• Body of Evidence Anatomy DVD Course - High school anatomy course on dvd. Published by Answers in Genesis.  Read Timberdoodle's review here (they also sell this product).

  
    FOREIGN LANGUAGE

• Visual Link Spanish - computer download program, that uses a game format to learn the language.
• Duolingo - FREE Online language lessons in a wide variety of choices.  Haven't used this personally, but have heard good feedback from friends as well as online reviews.    
• Monarch Online by Alpha Omega -  In addition to many other subjects, foreign language is offered via this online program and may be a good option to consider.

    ART AND MUSIC

All Ages

•  Wee Sing America  I first heard this CD years ago when Sonlight sold it as a cassette.  I still have that cassette in my car, where it has been riding around since my son (now 23) was about 5!  I sincerely love the timeless music from America's past and this is a very enjoyable way to pass on those special songs to our children. 

• See the Light - DVD based drawing instructions for ages 6 - high school, depending on which program you choose.

ART CLASS: 9 DVD/36 lesson curriculum 
ART PROJECTS: 9 DVD/36 lesson curriculum geared for ages 10+ 

 A school year's worth of lessons drawing from the work of 9 famous artists (Perfect for high school fine art credit, according to the website.)

BIBLE STORIES WITH RELATED ART LESSONS: 5 DVD Boxed Set, Story: ages 3+,  

Art Lessons : ages 6+

  

 

 DISTANCE LEARNING
     This can be either for high school AP course credit, or grading and evaluation services or duel high school/college credit earned in HS, or college credit earned after graduation. 

• For Such a Time as This - Writing Mentorship and Single-essay evaluations
• Thomas Edison State College - Earning a degree through distance learning and earning credit through CLEP course work.