Rainbow Starter Package Secular Grade 4

"I need your 7th grade curriculum package." How often we've heard similar pleas, but didn't have a package option to offer. Now we do! With the new homeschooler in mind, we wanted them to be easy to jump into and get started. They are! We also wanted them to be solid and strong in academics. They are! And we wanted them to utilize a variety of homeschooling products, so you would have a better idea of what works well for you and your students. They do! Can you tell we're just a bit excited about these packages? They include products we have used in our own schooling. They include products that have a proven track record in terms of success. They include products that are effective with a variety of learning styles. New for 2013, we are offering two packages at each grade level, one that includes items with a Christian perspective and another package that does not. Getting started - and starting strong - has never been easier.

Complete reviews of included products are found in their appropriate sections of the catalog, but we'll give you the highlights here.

Math for the Christian content starter set is Saxon Math, which has been the homeschooler's good friend for over twenty years. Known for its thoroughness and comprehensive coverage of math topics, Saxon takes an incremental approach and builds in much review and repetition. In the primary grades (K-3), it is manipulative-based and scripted (the teaching words are provided in a "script"). This means little preparation for the teacher - just open the teacher's manual and start reading through the lesson. The lessons encourage teacher-student interaction and you can expect them to take 30 - 45 min. You will need specific manipulatives to complete the course and we offer manipulative kits as required resources with each grade level. At the middle school level and higher, Saxon encourages the student to work more independently by addressing all instruction directly to the student. At the 8th grade level you can choose either a starter set with pre-algebra or an "upgrade" which includes Algebra 1. Our sets include texts, solutions manuals, answer keys, and tests.

Language Arts are covered by a variety of products. For grades K-3 the choice is Horizons Phonics and Reading courses from Alpha Omega - complete, phonetically-based word recognition and reading programs with an emphasis on general language arts skills and reading comprehension. Noted for their balance between teacher/student interaction and independent student work, the Teacher Guides, which assume very little teacher preparation, provide easy-to-follow concept presentation and activities. Included for each grade level are bright and colorful workbooks, readers, and the teacher guides. The K set also includes an alphabet floor puzzle and a small (8.5" x 11") wipe-off lined writing tablet.

For grades 4 - 6, we've chosen to include the Learning Language Arts Through Literature (LLATL) courses plus editing and spelling supplements. LLATL integrates all aspects of language arts instruction - composition, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary - with quality excerpts and book studies from classic children's literature. Books required for the course are included, and the answers are in the Teacher's Manuals. G.U.M. Drops provides editing passages from classic literature along with brief presentations of each rule or concept before the exercises. Answers are in the back of the book. Spelling Workout is a phonics-based weekly-list spelling program. Since answers are fairly predictable, we have not included Teacher's Manuals in the sets - purchase additionally, if desired.

For grades 7-8 we have included Saxon Grammar & Writing. If you are familiar with Saxon Math, you will see the same approach applied to teach language arts. Carefully sequenced lessons with continual review are written to the student, and the end result is a user-friendly yet academically rigorous and comprehensive program.

For Science from a Christian perspective, Apologia products are hard to beat. With a line of products from K to 12, all facets of science are covered in a manner easy to implement in a homeschool setting, yet the student will be well prepared for college level work in the sciences after graduation. Known for home-friendly experiments (most "ingredients" are household items) and interesting textual information, these courses are a favorite of seasoned homeschoolers. Our sets include the textbook, a solutions manual, and a set of tests for each grade-level course. To make it even more convenient, we have included lab kits which contain all those needed but hard-to-find science items.

For History, the popular Story of the World series is the backbone of the package for grades 2-5. Over four volumes, author Susan Wise Bauer presents history in a story-like format in bite-sized chunks appropriate for one sitting. Accompanying activity book adds review questions, supplemental reading suggestions, map activities, coloring pages, and project suggestions. Grade 6 uses AOP Lifepacs, 10 worktexts with good content and easy-to-use format. Two offerings from the Notgrass family focus on American history in grades 7 and 8. Good readability, daily lesson plans, Bible study, map and timeline study, extensive reading lists, and even creative writing and suggestions for family activities are included in these courses.

As you progress in your homeschool experience, you will get a better feel for the types of materials that work best for you and your students. But for now, our main goal in putting together these sets is to make it easy for you to get started. We want you to be able to Homeschool with Confidence! ~ Janice

We offer two math choices for our secular packages: Saxon Math for those wanting a traditional approach, or A+ Tutorsoft for those wanting a computer-based math program. Known for its thoroughness and comprehensive coverage of math topics, Saxon takes an incremental approach and builds in much review and repetition. In the primary grades (K-3), it is manipulative-based and scripted. This means little preparation for the teacher. The lessons encourage teacher-student interaction and you can expect them to take 30 - 45 min. We include the required manipulatives at each grade level. At the middle school level and higher, Saxon encourages the student to work more independently by addressing all instruction directly to the student. Our sets include texts, solutions manuals, answer keys, and tests. You can watch and listen to the multimedia lessons, view the suggested lesson plans, print out or just view the curriculum book (same content as that of the multimedia lessons), print worksheets and tests, answer keys for both, and reference sheets. A+ Tutorsoft math is software-based, although there is a printable book for reference(printed versions also available for purchase). The pace is slow and methodical and the lessons are straightforward, with a plain, uncluttered design. I feel like this course might work well for students who are distracted by a lot on a page. An interactive Q & A button is found at the bottom of the page that allows the student to practice the concept and get immediate feedback on the accuracy of their answer.

For Language Arts in the K-3 package you'll find McRuffy Phonics & Reading. Ruff the dog introduces this program, a complete but somewhat relaxed approach great for wiggly youngsters not wanting to spend all day reading and writing. Everything you need is in the box - teacher manual with detailed daily lesson plans, student workbooks, weekly assessments, readers, spelling lists, phonics manipulative/charts/flash cards/games/etc. Handwriting is incorporated into the program as well.

The foundation of the secular package for grades 4-8 is Saxon Grammar & Writing. If you are familiar with Saxon Math, you will see the same approach applied to teach language arts. Carefully sequenced lessons with continual review are written to the student, and the end result is a user-friendly yet academically rigorous and comprehensive program. To provide exposure to great reading, EDCON and Standards Based study guides provide the literature component.

For Science, the secular packages start out with McRuffy Science for grades 1 and 2, Science Odyssey from Pandia Press for grades 3 through 5, and includes Science and Technology programs from long-time educational publisher Holt for grades 6 to 8. The McRuffy Science courses offer the same user-friendly format providing interesting lessons with an emphasis on hands-on activities. Science Odyssey provides well-constructed lesson plans with a focus on specific branches of science each year. Again, the emphasis is on user-friendly, hands-on activities. The Holt Science and Technology series provides solid, academic content in a traditional format in a colorful textbook format.

The secular History packages for grades 1 to 6 is the myWorld Social Studies series from Pearson Learning. (We previously offered the Core Knowledge series from the same publisher, but it has since become unavailable to us.) The all-encompassing myWorld course uses the medium of storytelling to personally engage students with the stories of the past. Grades 7 and 8 include geography and U.S. history study from Holt. Both include well-illustrated texts to hold a student's attention and all the teaching materials that you will need.