Homeschool Tailor Made

We hold to the philosophy of 'one-year at a time' concerning our children's education. One just never knows what a year will bring as well as how the needs of our children will change from year to year.  I have been homeschooling on and off for 8 years. This year will look a lot different for us as the boys go back to school; so it will just be Sissy and me.  I hold this coming year as a gift; one on one time to pour into my daughter whom is quickly becoming a young woman.  She still thinks that I know some stuff and that I am on her side.  She listens to my advice and doesn't think I've just fallen off from another planet.  That said, I am going to run with this station in life and give it all I've got.  I want to open to her some 'old-fashioned' precepts that the world looks down upon.  I want to reveal to her the difference between feminism and femininity.  I want her to know what propriety looks like and why it is a dying breed.  With all that in mind, the compass pointed towards the Victorian Era, hence, that will be our focus of study .  Here is an overview of the curriculum choices for her 8th grade year of schooling:

**BIBLE**

*One Girl Can Change the World

*In the Flower of Youth

*Millie's Prayer Projects

*Violet's Hidden Doubts and Devotional Sketchbook

*Preparing My Heart for Advent

*A Young Women's Call to Prayer

*The Lost Art of True Beauty

*True Love

*Before You Meet Prince Charming

*Raising Maidens of Virtue

*DVD's*

*The Return of the Daughters

*What is Biblical Femininity?

**HISTORY**

*The Mystery of History Volume III-this covers the Renaissance, Reformation and Growth of Nations.  I am really excited as this curriculum is for all ages and has lots and lots of hands on projects if you have a crafty learner that is older but still enjoys creating.

*The Timetable of History...this book gives a sweeping glance of what was happening around the world, simultaneously, through history.

*Our Island Story (4 CD's) to listen to in the car.

**CURRENT EVENTS**

*Top Story from World Publishing

**LANGUAGE ARTS**

*Learning Language Arts Through Literature: Gray Book (a Charlotte Mason based curriculum)

*How to Write Clearly

*Vocabulary Vines

*Total Language Plus:  Anne of Green Gables, Jane Eyre

*In the Hands of a Child- A Christmas Carol

*Themes in Literature Vol 3

*Comprehension Guide Little Women, Veritas Press

**LITERATURE**

Mastering good writing skills is key.  For journaling this year we are going to let her start a private blog to get the creative juices flowing.  She is extremely excited about this idea.

*Anne of Green Gables

*A Christmas Carol

*The Edwardian Lady

*Pride and Prejudice

*Beware, Princess Elizabeth

*Little Women

*The Basket of Flowers

*Emma

*Sense and Sensibility

*Wuthering Heights

   *Tales from Shakespeare

     *Jane Eyre

     *A Girl of the Lumberlost

 **FINE ARTS**

This was the initial inspiration for picking this era.  We will both keep a nature journal during our daily romps with the dog.  This particular book is like an art class.  It shows you how to approach sketching and drawing.  

*Keeping a Nature Journal

*Learn Watercolor Pencil Technique

*The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady-I am in love with this book!

*Elegant Writer-Calligraphy

*Pressed Posies Card Kit

*What People Wore- a great reference book

*A Very Victorian Christmas Kit-we gave this to my mom as a Christmas present last year so she and Sissy will do this together.

**MUSIC**

*Gift of Music:Great Composers and Their Influence

**GEOGRAPHY**

*Maps, Charts, Graphs of The World

**LOGIC**

*The Art of Argument

*The Fallacy Detective

*Wicked Whodunits

*2 Minute Mysteries

*Mind Benders CD

**MATH**

*Algebra 1 Teaching Textbooks

*Brain Math Vol 1

**SCIENCE**

*Botany Adventure

*Handbook of Nature Study

*Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature

*National Audubon Society Field Guide of Wildflowers


**FOREIGN LANGUAGE**
Spanish 1 from Bob Jones University

**POETRY**

*Painless Poetry

*Anne's Anthology

Her outside activities will include a sewing class, drama and public speaking, girl's choir, soccer (in the spring) and horseback riding.  Our schedule varies from day to day.  I am working on our lesson plans right now.  We will continue working on her cookbook and mealtime preparations. My girl is such an independent learner.  She focuses and stays on task and accomplished the work before her.  She is a joy to teach!  I pray for a fruitful, life-giving year.


Blessings,
E.W.