Our homeschool curriculum arrived back on May 17th.
And, I have spent almost every free moment since then buried under our new books (and loving it!)…organizing, thinking through, and planning out our year! Yes, I plan out an entire year’s worth of lessons. I realize that things happen – sick days, sleepless nights, cranky baby days, impromptu family days – and we will probably not stick to my lesson plans exactly as written. But, for me, it is helpful to have a goal mapped out. So when (not if) we do get off course, I have somewhere to go back to.
We are continuing with BJU Press Homeschool again this year – for everything. I have thought about branching out, and varying our curriculum a bit. But, I have really appreciated the consistency that having a unified curriculum has provided. I love how our books are so interconnected. Concepts from our Phonics lessons are reinforced in our Spelling lists. Biblical character qualities and principles are addressed in our Math lessons! History and Science are both taught from a solidly Biblical perspective.
I realize that some people think that the “traditional textbook method†squelches creativity and impedes a child’s desire and ability to learn. But, our experience has been quite the opposite. Hannah really enjoys them, and it has been a joy to see her excited – about school each day, and learning in general. Our textbooks have been a great springboard for cultivating and developing other interests. (Our library card has been very well-used these past few years.) And, the (mostly) “open-and-go†set up has been a real sanity saver for this mama!
With that said, here are our curriculum choices for 3rd Grade:
Bible:
 Bible Truths3: Following Christ
Math:Â 
Math 3Â
Language Arts:Â 
Reading 3
English 3 (Writing & Grammar)
Spelling 3
Handwriting: 
Handwriting 3
(Yes, by “Handwriting” I mean cursive. I know many schools – and even many homeschoolers - are no longer teaching or requiring cursive in their curriculum. But, not being one to go along with the current fads, it is still something that I think should be both taught and learned.)
 Science: 
Science 3
History: 
Heritage Studies 3
We have already jumped in, and we are both already enjoying our new books…and anticipating a great year ahead!
(And, I just love the fact that my husband came in from walking the dog one night, to find his wife snapping pictures of our homeschool books, and hardly batted an eye. After 12 years of marriage, and 4 years of homeschooling, he has accepted his crazy wife, and has learned it is probably better not to ask.)
