Recommended Curriculum Links

ALAN Program Library

Here is a link to our Library resources list. We are just setting up data base to manage our growing bank of resources. In our first six months we have spent over $14 thousand dollars with more to come.

English
There are a growing number of english programs out there and it really depends on the needs of your students. However, the LLATLs strengthened with additional Writing activities that I can set for you or by using Word Smith or Writing Strands is for some a good place to start. Here is a link to the Common Sense Press site the publishers of the LLATL -Learning Language Arts Through Literature, you will be able to see what the curriculum is like at the Common Sense Press Site:
Learning Language Arts Through Literature

Australian Supplier for LLATL:
Here is a link to the Chariot Press site (formally Open Vision) -Check with us first if you are enrolled with us as we often have copies available that have been donated by families.
Ph 1800706548
who supplied the Learning Language Arts Through Literature Material and also Wordsmith Series

or Writing Strands - the link for Chariot Press:
http://www.chariotpress.com.au/

When ordering it is best to ring through your order so that you know they got it and the postage costs...

You are also able to order the material directly from the publisher Common Sense Press who are located in the USA. Several of our families have already ordered this material direct from the publisher and suggest that it works out about a third cheaper and that supply seems reliable and efficient.
The link for Common Sense Press www.commonsensepress.com

List of good Reading books
Here is a wonderful list of classic and good readers and novels http://www.homeschoolchristian.com/Library/ReadingLists.html

Early Readers
Early readers are very empowering to new readers as they are designed to give the reader success. Again there are many different products out there but I strongly recommend the PM Readers as the are very well leveled.
These are fantastic products and your older students will enjoy sharing these readers with younger siblings. What is so great about these readers is that they are using simple patterned texts and limited vocabulary and yet they have high narrative and reading for meaning content as opposed to the 'Fat cat mat bat' type readers.

ALAN program has a large bank of these readers and our students receive 3-4 sets of these leveled sets at a time. this is very impowering. If you are not with us you can get these Readers directly from the supplier Cengage Press. They are however expensive at $60 to $124 a set of 10 to 12. .

The Read Me Bible is great for shared reading and is the best Bible product I have found for young students.

Here is a link for ordering the Read Me Bible series of readers:
http://orders.koorong.com.au/search/details.jhtml?code=0570047072

The price at Koorong is quite high and you may be able to negotiate a cheaper price for a set.

Students as young as 2 and 3 learn to read using these early readers, Alphabet Charts and the techniques explained in Jason’s reading notes.

Preschool students will need to start on Magenta then Red.

Maths
Here is the Link to the Maths U See site:

Maths U See

This has been very popular material within the home schooling community in Australia. Some of our families this year may be using Go Maths for younger grades and Maths Quest for older students these are Queensland Texts used within Day Schools your teacher will advise.

Order form for MathsUSee

The Supplier for Maths U See:

GO MATHS
More and more I am finding families who use GO MATHS as a suppliment start to move over totally to the Go Maths as they grow in confidence, and often because the become frustrated with the monotony of the division and fraction years. Go Maths can be ordered directly from ORIGO http://www.origo.com.au/index.php?page_id=shop

Maths Quest by Jacaranda for Queensland
Here is a link to the Jacaranda Site for information on the secondary Year 8 to 12 texts . We recommend this option for students who have a high level of confidence and ability in Maths. Please discuss this option with your teacher.

Place Value
Place value is the system that underpins all decimal system mathematics. I usually use a place value table and MAB blocks (ones, tens and hundreds blocks, if you have the Math U See blocks they are great) to demonstrate to young students the concept of numerals representing a vastly different value depending upon which column they are in.
If you do not have the Maths U See Blocks and do not want to pay $90 then I recommend the normal MAB or Place Value Blocks that are made out of wood. They can be purchased from.

Base Ten Blocks:

mab_blocks

are essential concrete maths materials that aide in the development of place value and number concepts. They help childrenmastering the base ten numbering system -10's 100's and 1000's

Order Online from this School Supplies Shop

or try http://stores.ebay.com.au/countlessfun $39 plus $9 Postage

Here is a great site that demonstrates how to use these blocks:

http://www.math-drills.com/baseten.shtml

Science
The Science product that I recommend is A Beka Science. It is Christian, colourful and engaging.
Here is a link for your reference to their web site.

When you get to this page look at the following Science Text titles:

  • God’s World Student Text
  • Exploring God’s World
  • Understanding God’s World
  • Investigating God’s World
  • Observing God’s World
  • Order and Reality
  • Matter and Motion in God’s Universe
  • Science of the Physical Creation
  • Biology: God’s Living Creation
  • Chemistry: Precision and Design
  • Physics: The Foundational Science

The Supplier for ABEKA in Asutralia is LEM (Light Education Ministries).  LEM have compiled a cheap text keys book and this is helpful, but these days it is just as cheap to purchase ABeka materials directly from the States. If you are ever ordering form ABeka and they say it is on order make sure you ask for an arrival date, sometimes they have people waiting  a whole term.  Still here are links to their site as it is good to support local suppliers if we can:
Order Form for Light Educational Ministries
Phone: 02 6259 3944

A Beka Products and alternative supply -US


Stellarium
Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. Just set your coordinates and go. Link to download site...


Bible Subjects
For students up to Grade 7 we like to encourage interactive family based Bible Study, where the family is working together examining, discussing and praying about issues that are relevant to them.

For older students we like to recommend Alpha and Omega for the secondary Bible Subjects instead of the ACE Old and New Testament Survey. The Alpha and Omega site is: http://www.aop.com/Cultures/en-US/HomeSchooling/ The site can be a challenge to navigate so you can try this link that goes directly to the Bible Material. This Material is supplied by Kingsley Educational Pty Ltd.

Their site http://www.kepl.com.au/links.html

Order Form for Kingsley Educational

We have also negotiated a discount for our families and the Lifepac is $7.70 instead of $9.90 and the Teachers book is $19.80 .

Word Processing Course
It is good for students to gain word processing skills and in Grade 9 or 10 we give credit for students who complete a Word Processing course, for part of this course they will need to demonstrate the ability to type 35 words per minute. Learning to type at this speed does not happen overnight and we recommend students practice with a typing tutor from a young age.
One free typing tutor that is available on the internet is: http://typingsoft.com/stamina.htm

I hope these links are helpful to you.