Homeschool curricula for elementary gifted kid?

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This is truly heartbreaking… we are failing as a society …(I’m talking about the bulletproof backpack)
 
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Definitely on the trial and error approach! This is why am so excited about this thread and how many great ideas people have for us to try, especially as regards to history. I think this is one of the hardest topics to find solid resources on, and I appreciate all of the history specific recs here.

By the way, are there any UK folks here? I’m curious as to what some of the curricula look like over there, especially with respect to history. Do people do the equivalent of homeschooling over there? ( I’m from the US)
 
Interesting, everybody seems to use Saxon these days, So it’s good to hear another perspective. I’ve never heard of Math-u-see, I’ll definitely have to check it out. I’m starting to like beast academy As math enrichment,but it seems more contest math-like or puzzle based, and I’m not sure it’s really particularly comprehensive. Sometimes you want to make sure your kid knows how to subtract first!
 
I’m seriously blown away by Angelicum Academy’s Curriculum for elementary, and keep coming back to the website! I’ve never seen people introduce philosophy in K-5, certainly not in a homeschool curriculum! What a great idea! The support for great books is a bonus as well!
Having bought the great books myself in high school, with no opportunity to discuss or engage with this, I am almost a little jealous seeing this, and wish I had exposure to this when I was in school! Seems like the curriculum is flexible for for those of us who work also.

Sometimes I wonder if we tend to have very low expectations for students in general in this country…
 
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God was taken out of public schools all over the Western world a long time ago.

Most other first world countries don’t have mass shootings. It is a cultural problem in the USA. Certainly no evidence to suggest it is a lack of Christianity problem.
 
We use ALEKS for high school math, after transitioning from Math-U-See.

I love Math-U-See, but it is worth mentioning that kids using Math-U-See don’t tend to do well on standardized tests, so if that bothers you or your kids, it is worth noting. It is only because of the different approach a standardized test is likely to test on things that a child has using Math-U-See hasn’t yet learned.
 
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Peaceable said:
By the way, are there any UK folks here? I’m curious as to what some of the curricula look like over there, especially with respect to history.
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Not from the UK, but on the online homeschool groups I’m part of, everyone seems to get excited whenever they stumble across a copy of “Our Island Story” (1905) in the wild. 🙂 I doubt it would be anyone’s prime source for rigorous British history— but for the younger kids, giving them that first introduction (Albion and Brutus, to the Romans, to Queen Victoria’s death) in an approachable, friendly, storybookish manner— and then when they’re older, they’re familiar enough with the outline of the history that they can tackle it more in-depth.
 
Peaceable said:
I’m seriously blown away by Angelicum Academy’s Curriculum for elementary, and keep coming back to the website! I’ve never seen people introduce philosophy in K-5, certainly not in a homeschool curriculum! What a great idea! The support for great books is a bonus as well!
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Yes! They’re awesome, and definitely the source of a lot of gems!

Although I only used to consult them for their curricula/age-appropriate booklists, I was really intrigued that they allow you to do dual-credits, so that you can get your Associate’s at the end of high school, and be positioned to get your BA the next year through Holy Apostles College online. With the skyrocketing price of tuition, it seemed… efficient!

When I had homeschooled as a high schooler, I’d taken classes at the local community college-- Inorganic Chem, Organic Chem-- and transferred the credits to save myself 8 hours of hard science. Then when I was enrolled in my BA, I took Spanish I and Spanish II over a summer session, and saved myself another 8 hours of a difficult class, because foreign languages aren’t easy for me. That was not only a full 16-hour semester I saved myself-- but I got to earn it at $85/hr instead of $350/hr! 😛 I definitely recommend dual credit classes whenever you can get them, whether anyone plans on using them for a full degree, or just to ease the burden.
 
midori said:
What kind of high school math are you wanting for your kids? Are they prepping to be engineers/astrophysicists, and need super-rigorous/advanced math, or are they less likely to go into a hard science?
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CAF is lecturing me for posting too much (more than 26% of the replies). These algorithms get annoyingly paternalistic, lol!

But you’re asking me questions, and it would be rude not to answer, right? Oldest kid is in the I-hate-mathematics camp. I won’t get this one beyond Algebra II/Trig.

Middle kid doesn’t enjoy math but is quick to pick it up. Engineering fascinates him, but he finds multiplication tables too dry. I keep reminding him of some wise words from a friend of mine who teaches math: Once you get past the “boring” stuff, math gets really fascinating.

Youngest is starting first grade and obsessed with math, (e.g. spends a lot of time tinkering with calculator).

If/when tastes and abilities in math get beyond my ability, I may move them to Homeschool Connections, Kahn Academy, or even classes at community college.
Peaceable said:
What did you think about Bookshark?
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How old is your student?

Pros: A 4-day program leaves wiggle-room for homeschool co-ops, field trips, catch up work, or just some time for your gifted kid to tinker with a project.

Cons: Some of the books were age-inappropriate, but your gifted child may be able to handle them. I didn’t find the lesson plans very user-friendly. They also use a lot of Usborne books. Those drive me, (and my kids), crazy because the pages have too much stimulation going on; lots of bright colors, photos, and text boxes presumably to cater to today’s short attention spans. Very expensive, but paying for one kid may not make a huge impact.
babochka said:
I love Math-U-See, but it is worth mentioning that kids using Math-U-See don’t tend to do well on standardized tests, so if that bothers you or your kids, it is worth noting.
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I’ve heard this, and we’ve decided not to worry about it. I hope I don’t later regret this decision, but for now, I’d rather know that they’re LEARNING math!
 
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Thank you! Not sure exactly what I’m prepping my kids for, but he does seem interested In math and engineering.

By the way I only know about eBay. Does anyone know of any good sources for used homeschooling items? Both faith based and not?
 
This is so great! I’m definitely going to get at least something from them, again super excited about the philosophy and ethics Sections. I might just have to get the great books stuff for myself ;).

Something to be said for a unified and deeply thoughtful approach to developing a curriculum. One that is focused on developing character as well as intellect. Whatever happened to developing good citizens? Even in secular public schools, this was a thing .
 
I don’t know, I went to a school that was totally secular. But there was still a sense of there are just some things you don’t do. I tend to blame certain kinds of video games, and a tendency to depersonalize the other. Also a lack of healthy esteem and pride in one’s self with respect to how one behaves. Not to mention too much unsupervised Internet time. Again, we used to have discussions in class on citizenship. How to be a good member of a group (school, state, and country) and belong. And I’m certain there’s a way to re-engage these topics of citizenship and public responsibility. Just not sure why it’s less robust or so difficult.

I also think bullying in this country is out of control at pretty much every level (in school, later in the workplace). There’s just too much tolerance of bullying, no real solutions. This

I would also love to see people of faith engage more in secular/interfaith discussions and projects (not just ones that only people of their faith would see) about topics like stopping bullying and being a good citizen. It would be terrific if there was some compelling online content about these kinds of issues. If kids are going to go online, why not direct them to a good place rather than make them guess about how to behave by what they randomly see online?
 
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Peaceable said:
Does anyone know of any good sources for used homeschooling items? Both faith based and not?
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I buy most of my books used-- there’s the popular website named after a South American river, but I’m also fond of Abebooks. They used to be better for vintage stuff about fifteen years ago, but now, enough people have found them that a lot of stuff gets cross-listed.

I bought a few sets of used Math-U-See manipulatives from eBay, and it was very affordable. (It retails for $83.) I also picked up a complete set of Pre-Algebra for $35 (student workbook, test booklet, instructor book, DVD) on eBay. (The instruction pack retails for $68; the student pack retails for $43.) I used to buy my workbooks from their store, but I got annoyed paying PA sales tax when I live in TX, so I ended up trying to buy their stuff from other Christian bookstores, if I’m going to pay full retail for something. 🙂

There are homeschool resource groups/curriculum swap groups on FB and connected to other forums— the Well-Trained Mind forum has one, I’m sure Charlotte Mason has one, etc-- it’s nice to p(name removed by moderator)oint the kind of educational model that appeals to you, so that you know the people whose resources you’re considering purchasing are going to have similar priorities and will have good stuff to choose from. It’s also okay to be fond of, say, Charlotte Mason’s approach to character/habit/routine, nature study, and handwriting, but not be fond of her approach to early reading. Take whatever’s useful from wherever you find it. 🙂
 
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