I thought I’d start a new weekly feature and discuss various curricula, magazines, DVDs, and other resources we use in our homeschool. Hope it is helpful to someone out there in the blogosphere. I am not compensated in any way for my reviews on this blog, I don’t sell these books, etc., so while you might disagree with me, at least you know these are my honest opinions. Both my husband and I feel very strongly about kids learning critical and creative thinking skills, skills that are not tied to any particular subject area or content, but can...

Daegan is using Math-U-See for the formal part of his math education, and it has proven to a be very good fit for him. I know he learns very well off DVDs and videos (dinosaurs, anyone? or bugs? <g>), so the way this program is laid out—watch a short lesson on DVD, then do the exercises in your workbook—is an excellent fit for him. He quite surprised me in how he approached the first level, Primer, back in September. Daegan chose to watch all 30 math lessons in a row (over 2 days), and only then go back and watch...

No, we don’t. There’s no requirement for homeschoolers in Alberta to do so, and given the number of pages to wade through I am grateful—the Kindergarten to Grade 6 Math Program of Studies alone is 51 pages, to say nothing of other years or other subjects! I do peek at the official curriculum from time to time, to get a general idea of what kids of certain ages are typically doing, but I don’t worry much about it. An awful lot, especially in subject areas like science and social studies, is unnecessarily specific. Trust me, your kid can turn out...