Curriculum Survey Results

 Curriculum Survey Results-Jan 2010

The results are in.
The votes are tabulated.
No hanging chads here.

What we have is the unprecedented response from our Sizzle Bop members to the question What Works with Your Child?
I’ve gathered all the responses into one document.

Here’s how to use this document.

In each category, the item with the most votes is the first one listed and is underlined. 
Anything with more than one vote is given an asterisk. (sort of an honorable mention)

I didn’t include P.E. in my survey, which tells you something unfortunate about my children’s education. My bad.
Some of you included some thoughts on this anyway, which I’ve thus included here.

There is also some material specific to Canadian homeschoolers. (You’ll know it when you see it.)

I am so pleased to have gathered this information, if for no other reason than I wanted it for myself. 
I intend to print this out and take it with me to the next homeschool conference where I will be reviewing and deciding on our material for next year. I think this is one of the more valuable things we’ve done as a community here at Sizzle Bop. Plus, when people say “What Curriculum should I Use?”, I will now have a really useful answer to send them. 

Have an OUT-OF-THE-BOX Day!

Thanks heaps!

From all your friends at Sizzle Bop
and…Carol Barnier
Delightful Speaker, Entertaining Author, Adequate Wife, Pitiful Housekeeper 
www.SizzleBop.com
 
Author of…
How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and On To Learning
If I’m Diapering A Watermelon, Then Where’d I Leave the Baby?
The Big WHAT NOW Book of Learning Styles
 
Want Carol to speak at your next event?

Visit www.CarolBarnier.com  

 

 

RESULTS OF WHAT WORKS?

SURVEY

MATH

 

• Math-U-See — WINNER
• Teaching Textbooks (a pretty close second place)
• Dorling Kindersly (for K-2)
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse, *
• “Rev-up for math” pre-k (Alpha Omega)
• Singapore Math *
• Miquon Math
• Saxon *
• Learning Wrap-Ups
• Key To . . . workbooks (Fractions, Decimals, and Percents). 
• Times Tables (http://multiplication.com/order.htm
• Math Games: http://www.multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm
• A Beka *
• RightStart Math *
• Cornerstone
• Life of Fred *
• Making Math Meaningful
• Horizons *
• Schiller Math *
• Themathworksheetsite.com
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Video-Text Algebra
• Maths Enhancement Programme (MEP)–excellent and free!!! Favorite overall
• Critical Thinking Math Core *
• P.A.C.E.S www.schooloftomorrow.com
• Living Math Books
• Calc-U-Ladder *
• Moving with Math *
• Livingmath.net
• time4learning.com 

LOGIC

• Critical Thinking Company — WINNER
• The  Fallacy Detective *
• The Art of Argument
• Building Thinking Skills
• Memoria Press
• Brainware Safari
• PathPix that my son found at www.krispixton.com
• Doctor Funster’s 

WRITING

• Institute for Excellence in Writing — WINNER
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse
• “rev-up for writing” (Alpha Omega) for pre-k
• Writing With Ease *
• Sonlight
• Draw Write Now
• Handwriting Without Tears *
• Writer’s Jungle
• Grammar Key
• Winston
• My Father’s World
• Shurley English
• Bob Jones
• BraveWriter *
• Writing Strands
• Create-a-Story Books
• First Language Lessons (for grades 1-2)
• Wordly Wise
• Easy Writing

ENGLISH

• Easy Grammar / Easy Grammar Plus- WINNER
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse *
• First Language Lessons *
• Learning Language Arts Through Literature *
• Sonlight *
• Time4Learning.com
• Institute for Excellence in Writing
• A Beka
• Simply Grammar
• Bob Jones *
• Shurley English *
• Primary & Intermediate Language Lessons
• My Father’s World
• Daily Grams *
• Prentice Hall / Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes
• Emma Serl’s Book
• Winston Grammar
• Critical Thinking (Editor in Chief, Word Roots)
• Literary Lessons from LOTR by Amelia Harper
• Growing with Grammar
• Word Mastery” free, found at donpotter.com
• Primary Language Lessons, Intermediate Language Lessons are very good
• Rod and Staff
• Vocabulary from Classical Roots
• Brian Cleary Books (like Quirky Jerky Extra Perky — More about Adjectives) also Ruth Heller and Michael Dall
• Total Language Plus

SCIENCE

• Apologia – WINNER
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse, “How does God Do That”
• Considering God’s Creation *
• Sonlight
• Rod and Staff
• Critical Thinking
• A Beka *
• Answers in Genesis *
• Jeanne Fulbright *
• A Reason for Science *
• Knowledge Box Central Lapbook Journal
• Supplement with TOPS, Usborne and Dorling Kindersly
• Real Science for Kids
• My Father’s World
• time4learning.com
• Lentil Science by TOPScience

GEOGRAPHY

• My Father’s World – WINNER
• Sonlight *
• Geography Songs *
• Trail Guide to US/World Geography
• Geography Matters
• Galloping the Globe
• Rod and Staff 
• Maps & Charts
• Donna Ward Curriculum (Canadian content)
• Mapping the World by Heart
• P.A.C.E. (www.schooloftomorrow.com)
• Seterra (computer game)
• The LIttle Man in the Map
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse
• Around the World in 80 Days
• 10 Days in the USA – games

SPELLING

• Sequential Spelling – WINNER
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse
• A Reason for Spelling *
• All About Spelling *
• Spelling Power *
• SpellingCity -  http://www.spellingcity.com/ **
• A Beka *
• Diane Craft’s Speller
• Word Their Way
• Phonetic Zoo (Institute for Excellence in Writing) *
• Explode the Code
• Phonics  Road to Reading & Spelling
• Reading Reflex
• Wordly Wise on line http://www.wordlywise3000.com/
• Spelling Workout
• Total Language Plus
• AVKO Spelling.org *

HISTORY

• The Story of The World — WINNER (tied with)
• Mystery of History — WINNER
• History Revealed
• Standard Deviants – DVD’s
• Sonlight *
• History Pockets
• Heroes of History books
• History Odyssey
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse *
• American History- Time Travelers (www.homeschoolinthewoods.com)
• My Father’s World *
• An American Story
• The History of Us 
• Henty Books
• Omnibus I
• Life in America
• Ancient History: Adam to Abraham by Robin Sampson
• “Discovering Canada” series (by Robert Livesey and A. G. Smith
• My First History of Canada (Donna Ward Curriculum)
• A Beka *
• Artner’s Guide
• Greenleaf Press

READING

• Sonlight – WINNER
• Bob Jones HomeSat video program
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse
• Missionary Biographies
• Bob Jones
• Explode the Code *
• Reading Plus, Guided Reading- Reading A to Z
• Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons *
• Right Brain Phonics
• Reading Made Easy
• Reading Reflex
• My Father’s World *
• Rocket Phonics by Critical Thinking (not to be confused with new program by Dr. Guffanti) *
• Word Mastery
• Hooked on Phonics
• A Beka *
• Barton Reading (see more below)
• Latin Centered Curriculum Homeschooling Guide by Andrew Campbell
• Scarey Cat Reading by Joyce Herzog
• Phonics  Road to Reading & Spelling
• time4learning.com
• bookadventure.com
• SRA Basic Reading Series
• www.starfall.com
• Total Language Plus

ART

• Artistic Pursuits – WINNER
• Mark Kissler’s Art lessons *
• How-to-Draw _____ books
• Draw Write Now *
• How Great Thou Art
• Sister Wendy Books and DVD’s
• Barry Stebbing Programs *
• Charlotte Mason’s Picture Study Method
• My Father’s World

MUSIC

• ACE – WINNER
• Alfred’s Interactive Musician & Music notes
• Classical Kids (music appreciation)
• Traditional lessons
• Music for Little Mozarts
• 6 CD set called “Listen”
• How to Grow a Young Music Lover
• Simply Music
• Piano Mouse
• Let’s Learn Music

TYPING

• Typing Instructor – WINNER
• BBC Dance Mat (free-web based / a VERY close 2nd)
• Typing Tutor Deluxe *
• Rapid Typing
• Jump Start Typing *
• Mavis Beacon
• Sponge Bob *

BIBLE/CHARACTER

• AWANA – WINNER
• Switched-On-Schoolhouse
• Explorer’s Bible Study Series
• Bible Study Guide for All Ages
• The Bible
• Bob Schulz Books
• Answers In Genesis
• Veggie Tales Devotions Book
• Kaye Arthur Studies
• http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/curriculum.htm
• The Navigator’s Materials
• Character Sketches at www.iblp.com
• Train Up a Child
• My Father’s World *
• http://biblestudyplanet.com/bible-teaching-for-kids/childrens-bible-studies/
• YWAM Biographies with Activity Guide (Youth With a Mission)
• Sonlight *
• Sing the Word www.singtheword.com
• Grapevine Studies
• Ergermeier’s Bible Story Book
• P.A.C.E. (Program for Achieving Character Education)
• Faith and Life (Catholic Catechism)
• Memoria Press
• Precepts for Kids
• 365 Trivia Twist Devotions for kids
• Ilumina Bible
• St. Joseph’s children’s catechism
• Picture Bible
• Picture Saints
• Pilgrim’s Progress
• Finding God

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

• Rosetta Stone – WINNER
• Pimsleur Approach
• Virtual Homeschool Group (free on the web)
• www.cyberitalian.com
• Henle for Latin & Elementary Greek
• Fast and Fun Way to Learn Japanese
• I Can Read and Speak in _____.
• Prima Latina

OTHER?

• Zoodles.com, Reader Rabbit
• God’s World News
• Inspiration 8
• Ditties (oh yeah!)
• Lapbooks
• www.homeschoolshare.com  for freebies
• Plaid Phonics
• History Websites that are waaay cool 

Ancient Egypt: http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html
Ancient Mesopotamia: http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/
Ancient Greece: http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/
Ancient China: http://www.ancientchina.co.uk/menu.html
Ancient India: http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/
For Ancient Rome go here: http://earth.google.com/rome/index.html#utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk-earrom&utm_term=ancient%20rome

MANY SUBJECTS IN ONE PACKAGE

• For my 4th grader, I’m also using another online program called time4learning.com.  That uses animated characters to teach the lessons.  It holds his interest nicely.
• Moving Beyond the Page
• I love My Father’s World because someone else has done my thinking & planning for me. I can still tailor it to my day/week. The projects for science & history are fun and adaptable. We do a lot of cut & paste for our note-booking which cuts down on writing. The library book list is excellent. Taylor the reading times to fit your child’s attention span.  One thing to note is that I do not use what they recommend for language arts & math, but I really like everything else. I do allow longer to finish a unit. We are just now finishing  a unit we started in late summer/fall ’08. The point is that my boys (10 yr old sizzler with behavior & learning challenges and 8 yr old possible sizzler? or maybe just a boy) are learning.
• Classical Conversations for geography, history, science and a bit of music.
• Five in a Row

THINGS FOLK INTEND TO TRY–

Lesson Pathways I love using a relatively newer program – I have the opportunity to be a beta tester this year, but next year we will be purchasing it.  It is an online program – www.lessonpathways.com.  Basically, you pay a monthly fee, but you can set up as many children as you want to for the same price.  It includes all the subjects, but they’re set up in a way that you can pick and choose how and what you want to teach.  For my 4th grader, I’m also using another online program called time4learning.com.  That uses animated characters to teach the lessons.  It holds his interest nicely. 

With Lesson Pathways, I like the fact that I can use any grade level and whatever units (or pathways) that I want to.  It’s very versatile, which is what I like.  The only “downside” is that it is relatively “mom/teacher” focused – meaning I still have to be very involved in the daily prepwork.  However, it’s a very multi-sensory based – it has on-line game links, videos, worksheets to print off, arts and craft ideas, etc.  I love it!

So, that’s the other reason I’m enjoying the Lesson Pathways – I can pick and choose.  My daughter is 6, has some visual/spatial struggles, SPD (sensory processing disorder) as well as vision tracking and auditory processing struggles.  Makes a solely phonetics-based approach impossible!  So, with LP (Lesson Pathways), we were able to go back to Kindergarten phonics and rework through all the “rules” and now we’re on our way to learning some more sight words, etc.  She can do her 1st grade math and Kindergarten phonics and I can just pick and choose where she is supposed to be!

Veritas Press Interested in their introductory logic program.

Heart of Wisdom by Robin Sampson. A study of our Hebrew Roots

Computer Science.  Rainbow Resources has a couple of courses available, but I don’t know much about them.  I believe we need to get the children up on programming.  Robotics is also a big deal around here and Carnegie Mellon offers a lot of info on their site.  Medical Sciences especially the “Biomedical” field is fascinating as well and a great site for the kids to check daily is www.sciencedaily.com  

Want to try the “Peterson Handwriting” course (http://www.peterson-handwriting.com/)

 

 

COMMENTS–The Good, the bad and the ugly

LOVES Switched-On-Schoolhouse

We do mostly computer. I have 7 homeschooling, don’t have time for grading, paperwork, etc. I find with my Sizzler, the SOS program keeps him on track – I’m not the bad guy. I do dictation to keep the handwriting up to snuff. SOS is a good all-around program. The drawback is that you have to have enough computers for all your students to use it, and computer glitches are a big delay and can be a setback if you don’t backup faithfully. Advantages are numerous, if you can overcome the technology barriers of it.

 

If I didn’t have enough computers, with my sizzler I would be lost. I would have to go with workbooks (not ACE, it’s too repetitive for my sizzler). I’m a sizzler too, I can’t handle the paperwork involved in textbooks and neither can he.
Have a blessed New Year,                                                                        –Dawn

MATH & Busy Hands
Math should be driven by manipulatives (including an abacus) and LOTS of games to learn concepts – plus less seat work and more mental math We also use Quarter Mile Math computer games, Flashmaster drill tool, and real-life applications (games, cooking, etc.)

Not a Fan of Full Package Programs
My two kids that are in school are both “challenged” with various struggles, so I’ve found that pre-packaged curriculum has unfortunately never worked for us.  I’ve wasted at least a thousand bucks trying them – it was such a nice concept to have everything laid out, but alas.  Always – there is something that I’d have to completely rewrite or rework, and I’m not a curriculum designer! 

Manipulative Lose Him
In the past I’ve also used MathUSee – which I love – however, my son with his building mind could never see the math problems.  Instead, he’d have to build sky scrapers and machines out of the math blocks.  We rarely got through the math lessons.  As soon as he touched the blocks, off his mind would go to creating bigger and better things than addition and multiplication problems!  I have also used Switched on Schoolhouse, which I liked the concept.  For my son, it was too much like worksheets on a computer screen.  I love the idea behind it, but it didn’t work the best for our family.

Spelling is a Waste of Time
We feel spelling is just busy work and complete waste of time. Instead we do vocabulary by studying Greek and Latin word roots.

Can’t Get Enough of Audio Input
We use a lot of audio books. All my kiddos seem to be great auditory learners and we love “Your Story Hour” and “The Story of the World” for history “Johnathan Park” for science Focus on the Family Radio Theater, “You Are There” history stories. We download and buy lots of stuff from Homeschool Radio Shows (www.homeschoolradioshows.com) covering all aspects of education lots of history and science though so they can listen on the go. My oldest son with ADHD loves to listen to stuff all throughout the day as he plays. I’ts amazing what he has learned this way.

Third Tries a Charm
I have tried 2 different curriculums so far and looking into a 3rd because I haven’t found something that works for all of us. I used The Weaver from AOP and the kids loved it, but it was so much work on my part I couldn’t do it again. This year we are trying Sonlight and there is too much read-a-louds and no hands on, so that is a no-go. I am looking into Heart of Dakota now. I will have a 2nd and 4th grader next year. I hope to get some good info from your poll.

Auditory Products
Auditory Processing and Listening Products- Linguisystems- pricey, but great! Cd’s, games, dry erase listening activities, inference, cloze books-from Christian Book distributors

Swashbuckling Sizzlers
fencing lessons, loves using the sword to hit others!, which is actually the object of the sport

What Your 6th Grader Should Know
I purchased all of E.D. Hirsch’s “What Your X Grader Should Know” and use that as a spine. It’s really helpful in knowing what I should teach when. Mostly I use “real” books from the library (or Half Price Books) to delve deeper into any topic. The foundation “Core Knowledge” has a website with tons of lesson plans for these books. I don’t always follow the plans BUT they all have a fantastic bibliography AND activities AND cool worksheets that tie into the subject for FREE. Then the state of Colorado has a website with assessments for most everything in the books. I use these as reading guide because they generally follow the book. So, as Logan is reading, he is also completing the worksheet and that helps him remember what he just read!

NOT a Fan
We were using Life Pacs for science and all I can say BLECKKKKK

Fan of Simply Music
Without question, learning to play the piano with “Simply Music’  It is on video (purchase through their site) or there usually is a Simply Music teacher in the area.  My son played a song by the second lesson and has enjoyed the piano ever since. 

Writing for REAL
I use ONLY “real-live” writing – thank yous, pen-pals, assignments from other subjects  — NO busy-work!

Judo
Gentle, no kicking/hitting involved (they don’t need encouragement in those areas), provides good defense & control in a close situation, teaches you how to fall to avoid hurting yourself. Confidence building, individual sport, respect for others taught; good, focused energy release in class & in friendly competition.

Diane Craft Methods
Though I do not have a “sizzler”, I do have one with auditory, visual, and writing processing glitches, which makes left-brain curriculum of no use to him. I have been helped most by Dianne Craft methods across the board. I just implement right-brain techniques into the curriculum I already use. Her website, diannecraft.org, and http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/ are places to start.

Loves Barton Reading for Dyslexic Kids
I’m very glad and excited to have the opportunity to share and recommend a curriculum that has been life changing for our family. The curriculum is Barton Reading, It covers English reading and spelling. While written for Dyslexic children (which two of mine are) it would be a fantastic curriculum for anyone but I’ve learned that Dyslexia and ADHD often go hand in hand so I hope this will be helpful to your readers. The program itself is amazing it is totally multi-sensory very easy to use (comes with a video on how to teach each lesson and is totally scripted if you need that  too) and it WORKS!! But even better than the curriculum itself is the support you receive when you buy the curriculum. Susan Barton herself and her staff of fantastic people have spent hours with me on the phone helping advising and walking me through my childrens’ reading struggles. Susan besides being a world renowned expert on Dyslexia is also an expert on ADHD and is totally passionate about helping people of all ages with learning struggles learn to read. She will actually talk with you and advise you even if you have not purchased her program but while the curriculum is spendy it along with her help which she freely gives has saved us thousands and thousands of dollars. To get the help my kids are receiving from this program from a “Learning Center” nearby was $90 an HOUR which was not an option for our family but now, finally, my kids are reading and spelling and learning all the ins and outs of the english language far better than I ever have before and far better than most adults I know.  Her web site is a wealth of information with free videos about dyslexia. The web address is

www.bartonreading.com

Choose Your Philosophy First
I would like to share one piece of very wise advice on choosing curriculum with your fellow Sizzle Boppers that was shared with me when I was first starting out (10 years ago now!).  I sat down with a friend who was a veteran homeschooling mom and asked her about curriculum and where did I start.  She told me that the first thing you do is develop your philosophy of education, and then you choose curriculum to match.  Ever since then I have carefully weighed considerations such as personal goals for each child, our family lifestyle, the child’s likes and dislikes and/or strengths and weaknesses, learning styles, my needs as a teacher, and last but not least what I felt the Lord was trying to show me that we needed.  My younger two children, for instance, hate workbooks, so I’ve tried not to use them too much.  My oldest is extremely gifted in Math but hates History.  And so forth and so on.  So don’t just use what your friend is using or what looks cool on the surface.  It might not work with your family.  And give yourself a lot of grace as you discover what works and what doesn’t.  You are in a process and a process takes time!

 

Don’t Really Like Curricula
This mom really doesn’t care to use published materials. She has come up with her own material. I thought it was good to see the freedom of homeschooling at work. It can be done without standardized material.

ENGLISH – I write down her made up stories into books or film them, so she can revisit them any time she wants.

 

 

SCIENCE – Science songs are great and my girls know many of them by heart. Their faves are about thunder and lightning, colours of the rainbow, electricity, satellites and what makes the weather and Charles Darwin. There are many songs out there – just google science songs.
GEOGRAPHY
SPELLING
HISTORY- Living history stories, especially about people they know and relatives such as grandparents, great grandparents…..
READING – any books with repetitive rhymes and rhythms seem to engage her.
ART
MUSIC – watching endless dvds of ballet while dancing along in her tutu. She knows the music to Swan Lake inside out. Also Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are great resources for getting to know classical music.
TYPING
BIBLE/CHARACTER
FOREIGN LANGUAGE – we make up bingo games to play, sing songs, all in Indonesian
OTHER? Constantly talking and doing stuff, especially outside where she seems to concentrate and absorb better than she does indoors.
No Curriculum….Just lots of Life
HOME ECONOMICS KITCHEN   CHEMISTRY  KITCHEN  SCIENCE
COOKING = MATH AND SCIENCE AND  CHEMISTRY
 
PE = EXERCISE FOR  US  AT;EAST  AN  HOUR  A  DAY INSIDE  RUNNING  UP  AND  DOWN  STAIRS  FOR  1/2  HOUR 
PLAYING  IN  SNOW  WALKING  ,  SWIMMING  DANCING, EXERCISE VIDEO OR  DVD
TRAMPOLINE JUMPING  AND  SPINNING   OF  COURSE  HAHA  LOL  WE  CANT  FORGET  SPINNING  AND  TALKING  NON   STOP  IS  SPEECH  AND  LANGUAGE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  ALL  DAY  EVEN  IN  HER  SLEEP  .
 

COMPUTER GAMES,SOCIALIZING ON  FACEBOOK,  AND  RESEARCH  FOR  LEARNING   MORE

Anything’s Fine Made into a Game
Try using any curriculum and see how it can be turned into a game, it is usually more interesting than just reading a book, or write on a board the subject and turn it into doodles. Be creative this year. This is a creative site that really helps to lift the teacher, but remember if the parent or teacher is down, so is everything you teach (big or small) have fun with it http://www.creativeteachingsite.com/
When in doubt play it out.