Decisions, decisions

I've been thinking about it, and I've changed my mind. I think it does matter what curriculum I choose, but I'm not obsessed with choosing the best curriculum for each individual subject anymore. Also, I'm not obsessed with what subjects I teach beyond the basics. I guess I should have clarified that in my last post. So, here are my thoughts on the final decisions for next year's books, and I'm also going to let you in on the short list of choices I was considering. I should probably mention that this is one of my most favorite parts of homeschooling. I absolutely love the decision process and then getting the new books in the mail!

Preschool: Seth and Mr. C
You would think I would have this grade all figured out by now since it will be my third time teaching it, but I don't. Lorelai, God bless her, was and still is my guinea pig in a lot of ways. I have tried so many books and parenting strategies on her. I am relying on God's grace for her to turn out ok! Actually, I'm expecting that for all of them, and I know I can't do it without His grace.

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

So, for Preschool my choices were narrowed down to Little Hands to Heaven from Heart of Dakota and Horizons Preschool 3s. I liked both programs, but in the end I chose something that has everything included. I have decided to stick with curriculum that has a strong Biblical focus that is interwoven through practically all subjects and requires minimal preparation and scheduling on my part. I am so excited to use this curriculum, but I can't believe Seth is starting school! Yikes! Including the little boy I babysit, I will be teaching four kids next year; all in different grade levels except the two youngest! I feel like I should be on Little House on the Prairie!

1st Grade: Toby 

This was tricky for me because Toby isn't technically on grade level. He is doing 1st grade math, spelling, and reading already. The only thing is that I don't know how that translates to a different curriculum. I thought about it long and hard and decided to keep him on the right grade for his age. I considered Lifepacs  because I knew I wanted some kind of booklet format for him, but I ended up going with Christian Light Education because of the reviews I read. The affordable price didn't hurt either. 

5th grade: Lorelai

I feel like she is old enough now to do most of her school work independently, so I chose Switched On Schoolhouse for her. I considered online public school, but the main drawback with that was the fact that she would still have to take the STAAR test. I can't stand how much emphasis is placed on those tests. I considered Christian Light Education for her as well, but I'm looking for easy at this point; not easy for them, easy for me. 

So, there you have it. That was easy.

I do want to add that I would still recommend our previous curriculum. Math U See, All About Reading, All About Spelling, Easy Grammar, BJU Press, and My Father's World are all fantastic choices if you have the time to plan it all out. BJU Press is great as a whole curriculum, but it is on the expensive side. I only used it for Language Arts. 

I don't know why I ever had anything against buying a prepackaged curriculum. I guess it was pride. I like to think it was my sense of adventure and love of research. When we first started out homeschooling, I was enamored by the array of curriculum choices out there and didn't want to miss out on anything. Now I can say that I've been there, done that. Ha! I feel like in some ways I failed (and surely will fail again), but now I've regrouped and am inspired for a new season. I'm not perfect and while curriculum choice is important, it's not the ultimate goal. Year by year, moment by moment, I want to be led by God and His eternal purpose in my life and the lives of the children He has given me.