Friday, August 30, 2013

Curricula Series 2013-2014: Literature Curriculum

I will be talking about literature today. My daughter and I LOVE reading! I noticed this past year that I wasn't reading aloud as often as I wanted. The recent moves and other stress related circumstances had a huge impact on our schedule and activities. I fully intend on reading more often with my daughter this year.

Even though we weren't reading aloud often, my daughter was constantly reading. I require Alyssa to read books of her choice for a minimum of 30 minutes each day. We call this her DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time - a little activity I used to do when I taught at a public school. Most days she will read for a longer period of time. We'll continue to use this technique to encourage quiet reading time.

Without further ado, I would like to share with you our curricula and literature choices.

Literature Choices

Core Curricula
Hewitt Homeschooling Grade 2 Lightening Literature (Preview)
I will provide the company with any suggestions and feedback as we complete the lessons. The book selections look wonderful! I read a handful of positive reviews about the higher grade level curricula. The second grade level includes literature, discussion questions, grammar, mechanics, workbook pages, writing compositions, and other activities.

Supplemental Resources
Confessions of a Homeschooler Classic Literature Unit Study Mega Pack
We received this pack last year as part of an Omnibus collection I purchased. It was well worth the price! You may want to read Erica's 10 Days of Classic Literature Series for more information about the units included in this pack. Alyssa helped me assign one chapter book and lapbook to work on each month. This will give us plenty of time to read the book and complete the activities. Check out the literature titles we will read this school year!
  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
  • Treasure Island
  • Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
  • Black Beauty
  • Mr. Popper's Penguins
  • Stuart Little
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
  • Charlotte's Web
  • Little House in the Big Woods
  • The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
Independent Reading and Read Aloud Books
My daughter also helped me create a list of books to read in addition to those listed above. This is by no means an exhaustive, final list. I won't mention ALL of the books we plan on reading, but I wanted to include our top choices.
  • The Story About Ping
  • Henry Huggins
  • Heidi
  • A Little Princess (again)
  • The Wizard of Oz (again)
  • The Secret Garden (again)
  • The Railway Children (again)
  • The Hedge of Thorns
  • Charlie's Choice
  • The Trumpet of the Swans
  • A Bear Called Paddington
  • In Grandma's Attic
  • My Father's Dragon
  • Dolphin Adventures
  • Dolphin Treasure
  • The Hundred Dresses
  • Beezus and Ramona (again)
  • The House at Pooh Corner
  • The Light at Tern Rock
  • A Grain of Rice
  • Boxcar Children #1 (again)
  • Five True Dog Stories
  • Apple in the Arrow
  • The Year of Miss Agnes
  • Call of the Wild
  • Wild Fang
  • Mary Poppins
  • Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Treasury
  • American Girl: Samantha (almost finished)
  • American Girl: Felicity (again)
  • The Courage of Sarah Noble
  • Little House Animal Adventures (redo - never finished)
  • Shiloh
  • Tornado
  • Where the Red Fern Grows
  • Lassie
  • Prairie School
  • Homer Price
  • The Mouse and the Motorcycle
  • The Blue Fairy Book
  • The Red Fairy Book
  • The Jungle Book
  • Peter Pan
  • Pinocchio
  • The Raggedy Ann Stories
  • The Velveteen Rabbit (again)
  • The Wind in the Willows
  • The Sword in the Tree
  • Hellen Keller
  • Farmer Boy
  • The Whipping Boy
  • Rascal
  • Five Little Peppers and How They Grew
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
  • Sarah Plain and Tall
  • Understood Betsy
  • Little House on the Prairie
  • Johnny Appleseed
  • Aesop Fables for Children
  • Pippy Longstocking
  • Five Children and It
  • The Five Chinese Brothers
  • Billy and the Blaze Series
  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
  • The Littles
  • First Flight
  • Thornton Burgess Stories
*I will most likely add more books to this list. I have NOT read all of these books so please use your own judgement as to whether or not they will be appropriate for your children. I glanced at several booklists online and chose books that we have readily available either at the library or on our bookshelves. A few of the booklists I used to help me create this list in addition to Alyssa's interest-based suggestions were My Father's World, Sonlight, Heart of Dakota, and Simply Charlotte Mason.   

Other Coordinating Lapbooks
All About Ping from In the Hands of a Child
American Girl: Meet Felicity from Knowledge Box Central
Johnny Appleseed from In the Hands of a Child
Plain Tall Sarah from In the Hands of a Child

*You can see my list of Popular Chapter Books for Girls on my blog. Alyssa is currently working her way through several of the books on this list. You may find a few books of interest worth reading aloud. Keep in mind these could also be books that your child reads independently. 

No comments:

Post a Comment