Spring 2010 Curriculum

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Great Fun Language School
Spring 2010 Curriculum
Grade: K

Primary goal: create a nourishing homeschool environment in which joyfulness, self-governance, and a relaxed playful childhood can flourish.

English
The Well-Trained Mind, first grade reading list ( “Ancients”). Old Testament, Greek & Roman mythology, and others.
Time4learning.com, phonics and spelling.
Phonics Pathways by Dolores G. Hiskes, for learning phonetic spelling/writing.
Bedtime and daytime read-alouds by parents.
Independent reading, weekly public library visits. (Picture books, easy readers, some chapter books.)

Math
Singapore Math, Standards Edition, 1A
Time4learning.com.

History & Geography
Story of the World, Volume I: Ancient Times, by Susan Wise Bauer, with Activity Book and related supplements on myth, stories, and art, w some map work. Ancient Greece, Ancient Americas, Ancient Rome …

Science
Children of the Universe: Cosmic Education in the Montessori Elementary Classroom - Michael and D’Neil Duffy. Related books on themes of cosmology, big bang, creation, evolution; atoms, cells, ecosystems. Jennifer Morgan, The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story series.
Lawrence Hall of Science, 2x/mo.
Bill Nye the Science Guy videos (50 episodes on SpiralOut11235 YouTube channel.)
Gardening with Dad.  Monthly visits to UCB Botanical Garden.
Computer programming with MIT’s Scratch.

Mandarin Chinese
BetterChinese.com, My First Chinese Words, online lessons 13-24. Workbook lessons 1-12.

Spanish
Brighter Child Spanish, Grade 2 workbook.
Reading Rainbow beginning readers from public library.

Values, Religion, & Character
Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco, 3x/mo.
Jewish, Christian, Humanist, Pagan, and Chinese traditions.
Teaching Your Children Values, by Linda and Richard Eyre. Courage, Kindness.

Large Motor
Gymnastics  at UC Village Rec Center, 1x/wk.
West Berkeley Family Dance Jam, 2x/mo.
Strawberry Creek and other local playgrounds.

Small Motor
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting, K, page 65-
Lots of self-directed drawing, painting, cutting, gluing, stapling, etc; also activity books, kids magazines, etc.

Social
Friends! Attachment parenting. Classes and group activities, structured and unstructured, same-age and multi-age.

Other

  • Art: Tuesday art class at UC Village, Jan-Feb. Friday ceramics class at community rec center, Jan-Feb. Sunday art classes at UUSF, 2x/mo. Art history books related to Story of the World. Visits to San Francisco museums.
  • Music: Beethoven’s Wig series by Richard Perlmutter, CDs 1-4. Progressive Keyboard Method for Beginners, Book 1 with DVD, by Gary Turner. Music Ace Deluxe software by Harmonic Vision.
  • Dance: West Berkeley Family Dance Jam
  • (ASL Sign Language – seeking a workable curriculum or way)
Links to online activities – PaiGames site:
http://paigames.blogspot.com/

Curricula under evaluation:
Sophie’s World: a Novel about the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder (hardback, cd, and dvd)
CCEA New Sprouts Chinese School (Saturday morning classes)
Miquon Math
Math-U-See, Alpha. Addition and subtraction 1-20.