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Many friends have been asking about our 2021-2022 Homeschool Curriculum Picks, and I’ve been meaning to write this up for a LONG time, but other things have gotten in the way. I originally started this blog as an easier way to convey lots of information in a convenient format. In writing this post, I realized just how many different individual pieces we have going! I hope this final product is informative, and more importantly: helpful!
This post contains many many links, some are affiliate, but most are not. I have linked to small businesses that I would love to introduce you to, such as the Steiner College Bookstore, a Waldorf materials provider. If you would like to learn more about the Waldorf approach, please visit Christopherus Homeschool Resources. Donna has curated an extensive list of audio files as well as written curriculum and other wisdom, much of it applicable to parenting or homeschooling in general.
Greeks & Romans (and Physics)
Something I started trying to do last year (see) was to have a common History & Science thread that all of the kids had in common. However, due to their personal interests and charter requirements, it didn’t happen exactly perfectly. Does it ever? But, I did want to try again. So, this year, we will be studying Greeks & Romans, and Physics sorta together.
I chose Greeks & Romans after I learned that the Hunger Games series was based a lot on famous Romans and Classical Mythology, as well as after learning about the foundation of American Law touches on a lot of Roman Law. (I attended this webinar last fall, listen for my shoutout from Prof. Epstein 🙂
Book List:
- The Trojan War, Coolidge (Steiner)
- Greek Myths, Coolidge (Steiner)
- Caesar’s Gallic War, Coolidge
- The Myths of Greece and Rome, Guerber
- Ancient Rome, Kovacs (Steiner College Bookstore
- Ancient Greece, Kovacs (Steiner College Bookstore;
- The Story of the Romans, Guerber
- The Story of the Greeks, Guerber
- Augustus Caesar’s World, Foster (I recently learned that BF Books originally started as a re-publisher of old books, such as this one, in addition to being a curriculum company, which I think is just so cool)
- Theras and His Town, Snedeker
- The Children’s Homer, Colum
- The Aenid for Boys and Girls, Church
- The Iliad for Boys and Girls, Church
- The Golden Windows, Richards — I have no idea where I got my copy
- The Children’s Plutarch: Tales of the Greeks, Gould
- The Children’s Plutarch: Tales of the Romans, Gould
- Herodotus and the Road to History, Bendick
- String, Straight Edge, & Shadow, Diggins (Jamie York Press is a really cool Math Waldorf company that I think sells math curriculum directly)
- Ancient Greece (Eyewitness Books) — we got ours from the thrift store a long time ago, I’ve also seen them at garage sales or library sales
- Draw and Write Through History Greece and Rome, Gressman & Dick
- Ancient Greece Activity Book, Edupress (we also own History Pockets – Ancient Greece & History Pockets – Ancient Rome — not sure if we’ll use them or not)
- Physics Experiments for Children— pretty sure this was also either a thrift store or library purchase
I got inspiration from many different sources, including:
- Pepper & Pine’s videos (see below). She also has additional info on her blog, can’t recall where, the links may be listed in her video descritions.
- Simply Charlotte Mason’s Podcast,
- Audiofiles from Christopherus, such as this one ( I own several of Donna’s talks, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Even if I do fall well short of the Waldorf ideal)
- Pinterest: I created a board with ideas I came across
Other books I don’t have yet, but look good:
- Homer’s Odyssey, by Isabel Wyatt (Steiner; ) Wyatt is a well known aldorf author, exceptionally touching storytelling ability
- Helen and Penelope by L.F.C. Mees, MD (Steiner
- Roman Lives by Dorothy Harrer (Steiner;
Pre-Kindergarten
Moving Beyond the Page age 4-5 – we are doing this loosely, at our own pace, and procuring the books from the library
Painting, library, bike riding, the occasional educational website etc.
LOTS of play! (see)
2nd Grade
Math
Science
Blossom & Root Wonders of the Physical World (scroll down for samples). We will only do the Physics portion, which is 18 weeks. We will either stretch it out, or move onto something else at the end of the year.
Bookshark Science (Animals, Astronomy and Physics)— this has gone through an update, but it looks substantially similar. I have done this level with my 3 older kids, and it’s an absolute favorite. Just rigorous enough, and in depth scientifically accurate information on interesting topics. We are finishing this up from last year.
History
Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans
Diary of an Early American Boy; Noah Blake 1805, Sloane (this might be available through thriftbooks or similar site)
English & Language Arts
Teaching Character Through Literature— I appreciate that the guide contains information for both younger and older kids. Please note, there are many Biblical references in the guide. However, while some of the books are Christian, many are secular. We have been able to make it work for our non-Christian family.
Memoria Press Second Grade Literature — we got the guides only, as well as one of the harder to find books. We will get the rest of the books from either the library, or our home library.
Dart 2021-2022 Read Aloud List (Copied & Pasted from BW site, list contains BW affiliate links):
August: The One and Only Bob (Katherine Applegate)
September: Rickshaw Girl (Mitali Perkins)
October: Skunk and Badger (Amy Timberlake)
November: Peacemaker (Joseph Bruchac)
December: Heartwood Hotel: A True Home (Kallie George)
January: Wishtree (Katherine Applegate)
February: Ways to Make Sunshine (Renée Watson)
March: Julieta and the Diamond Enigma (Luisana Duarte Armendáriz)
April: The Turtle of Oman (Naomi Shihab Nye)
May: Nim’s Island (Wendy Orr)
- Learning Without Tears Grade 2 Student Package Plus
- Spelling Workout B
- G.U.M. Grade 2
- Copywork Lessons in Manners
Second Language
Song School Latin Book 1 (cont’d from last year)
5th Grade
History
Memoria Press 5th Grade American/Modern Studies Supplemental Reading Sets & Discussion Questions — this may be too intense for him, so we may stretch it way out, or even eschew some of the books once we get going.
Build Your Library Year 5: American History Year 1 — I plan to incorporate this into lessons for both my younger kids and older kids. Some of the titles will be either read aloud or read by them, depending on age, etc. For example, my 5th grader will engage with Trickster: Native American Tales A Graphic Collection, and possibly An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the U.S. for Young People (all of the titles are linked on BYL’s page please click through to order through her affiliate links)
Memoria Press States & Capitals — we hadn’t dedicated extensive instruction time to this, and my son is interested in mastering them.
Finishing up California History Titles
Building Character Through Literature — see above
D’Aulaire Greek Myths Set (Steiner (book only) — did not realize there were flashcards, will probably get those later!
Science
Blossom & Root Wonders of the Physical World, see above
MP- Book of Insects — after watching the review below, I thought this would be really cool. Especially considering my son is obsessed with Bear Grylls Adventures Books, as well as his shows, such as You vs. Wild
Math
English & Language Arts
BW Darts– see above
MP Lassie Come-Home Set— not sure how this one will go, but thought perhaps because there’s a dog, it might go over well 🙂
- Spelling Workout 2001 Level E Student Edition
- Zaner-Bloser GUM: Grade 5 Student Edition
- Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Grade 5 Student Edition (2012 edition)
- Copywork Lessons From Leaders
7th Grade
History
Build Your Library Year 7: Exploring Your World, A Year of World Geography– super pumped about this
(Description from the site: “Get ready for an exciting voyage around the world! This year your child will travel to all seven continents and learn about the land and cultures of the world. While studying Grade 7: Exploring Your World, your child will meet families from around the globe and get a fascinating look at how they live and what they eat; you’ll explore various landscapes, from the tropical rainforests of Brazil and Papua New Guinea to the Sahara Desert and the frozen wasteland of Antarctica and you’ll complete a variety of projects, from creating different types of maps to creating international works of art. This year is packed full of great books and open-ended projects!”
Famous Men of Greece Set (Book, Student, and Teacher)
English & Language Arts
Brave Writer Arrow Program — good chance she’ll take an Arrow Book Club Class
Arrow 2021-2022 Read Aloud List (list copied from BW site, contains BW affiliate links)
“Be sure to preview the books to ensure that you are comfortable with the content for your children.“
August: Amari and the Night Brothers (B. B. Alston)
September: Leon Garfield’s Shakespeare Stories (Leon Garfield)
October: Before the Ever After (Jacqueline Woodson)
November: Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids (edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith)
December: The Lion of Mars (Jennifer L. Holm)
January: Front Desk (Kelly Yang)
February: Becoming Muhammad Ali (James Patterson & Kwame Alexander)
March: The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden (Karina Yan Glaser)
April: Show Me a Sign (Ann Clare LeZotte)
May: Midsummer’s Mayhem (Rajani LaRocca)
- Zaner-Bloser GUM: Grade 7 Student Edition
- Spelling Workout 2001 Level G Student Edition
- Wordly Wise 3000 3rd Edition Student Book 7
Math
Saxon Math 6/5 3ED Homeschool KIT — finishing this up and will move on to the next level
Science
Focus on Middle School Physics (f/k/a REAL Science 4 Kids)
Second Language
Latin for Children: Primer A Text
Spanish for Children A & IXL
8th Grade
Math
UC Scout Pre-Algebra Class — this may entail a lot of review, but I want her to be confident and completely prepared for Algebra I next year, and I think this class will further strengthen her foundation.
Science
Oak Meadow Physical Science— we had ordered this her 6th grade year, but it was too advanced, so we tabled it until this year.
English & Language Arts
Lightning Lit & Comp Eighth Grade Pack with Stories and Poems — this looks super intensive, so we will likely adjust
Poetry & Short Stories: American Literature Set
Brave Writer Boomerang Program
The 2021–2022 Boomerang Book List (list copied from BW, links are BW affiliate links) — good chance she’ll take a Boomerang Book Club class!
“We encourage you to review the books yourself to be certain that you are comfortable with the content before giving them to your teens.“
August: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition) (William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer)
September: The Beast Player (Nahoko Uehashi, translated by Cathy Hirano)
October: Bamboo People (Mitali Perkins)
November: The Sea in Winter (Christine Day)
December: Great American Short Stories (Dover Thrift Editions) (edited by Paul Negri)
January: The Barren Grounds (David A. Robertson)
February: Hidden Figures (Young Readers Edition) (Margot Lee Shetterly)
March: Dragon Hoops (Gene Luen Yang)
April: Jazz Owls: A Novel of the Zoot Suit Riots (Margarita Engle)
May: Fever 1793 (Laurie Halse Anderson)
Note about Brave Writer: when we were in our charter, I would purchase all of the books with our funding. This year, since we are a private homeschool, I am utilizing all of our local libraries, with thriftbooks as a backup, and extreme sales on other sites for those books I can’t find (which have been not many!).
- Zaner-Bloser GUM: Grade 8 Student Edition
- Spelling Workout 2001 Level H Student Edition
- Wordly Wise 3000 3rd Edition Student Book 8 (she said there was some awkward topics in here, so we’ll see)
History
From Bookshark: “From the development of ancient Sumerian calendars to today’s exploration of quantum physics, BookShark’s History of Science provides an in-depth study of how science and history intersect. You will study thousands of years of history, learning about the success (and failures!) of the scientists, philosophers and mathematicians who have contributed to our knowledge base today.”)
U.S. History, Selections from Build Your Library Year 5, American History Part 1 (click to see book links on her site)
- An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the US For Young People
- A Different Mirror For Young People: A History of Multicultural America
- A Young Peoples’ History of the United States (I believe we got this separately, not sure if it is a BYL book, as it is typically listed as a high school book)
Book of the Ancient Greeks, Set from Memoria Press
Memoria Press Geography III Complete Set
Second Language
First Form Latin Text Set — this is meant for younger students, but is very rigorous, see video below for more info!
Et al.
The 4 big kids will do regular Math practice on Khan Academy, and the youngest 3 will do reading & ELA practice on Reading Eggs or Reading Eggspress. I will also pull stuff from education.com, mathdrills.com, and teachers pay teachers, as needed.
Feel free to leave any questions in the comments, or email me directly at ddchomechool1@gmail.com
I’d love to hear what you have planned for your homeschool next year!
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