Reading Curriculum: ABeka Book and BJU Press

Woodjie is reading the book with the yellow marker, and Rose is reading the book with the pink marker.  It's a big deal to finish a book in our house.  Children get 50 cents and a big congrats from Mom and Dad!

Did you know that in the state of Missouri, homeschoolers must teach reading as a separate subject?  I don't know how anyone could homeschool well without teaching their child to read... but OK. 

I got many of my ABeka books used and collected them over time.  I'm glad I came across these readers early in my homeschooling years.  It teaches children to read step-by-step.  I don't think I've seen a more effective reading program for the elementary years.  The children love the stories, and what I appreciate about them is that there is a rich and varied language even in simple-to-read books in this series. 

My set is pretty old, and some are even from the 1960's and no longer listed in the reading series.  I think if I had to do things over again somehow, I think I'd just spend on a curriculum set and be done with it.  That's the thing, though, with homeschooling.  By the time you figure out what the perfect curriculum is for you, your children have graduated.

About halfway through the second grade reader set, we'll only have a few third and fifth grade ABeka readers left in my cubby.  That's when we'll pull out our BJU second and third-grade books.  They're pretty old, too.  I dig the shag carpet and station wagons in the illustrations.  So groovy.

Can you tell some of our books have been repaired with Super Mario duct tape?  Just because.

Books Woodjie has read since Thanksgiving break, when he began homeschooling.