Excelsior! Academy Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 This will be our first year not to send one of our kiddos to Pre-K. While they all learned a lot, it was mainly social. We have that aspect covered;)so I am not concerned so much about that. I would love a preschool in a box that is very teacher friendly. I gather from several sorces for our K and up curriculum, but want something put together for me for preschool. Yes, I know they can just play, but I have a 4yo that begs for work. I figure that if I have a preschool program then dd4 will "feel" like she's doing school. Things I have considered are My Father's World, Rod and Staff, and Phonics Museum. Anyone use any of these? What are other choices that you may have used and liked? What are some I should avoid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon in MO Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 You can use Before Five in Row as well, but the regular Five in a Row (FIAR) program is a little more structured. The guides are like $25 (or you can find them used - check their boards) & most of the recommended books can be found in the library or on swap boards cheap. Check it out! Blessings, Shannon PS - I used to teach preschool & often the easiest way to organize planning was thematically - like a unit study. So we'd have farm week in the spring & hatch baby chicks, make scrambled eggs, glue feathers onto a pic of a chicken, do puzzles & read books about farms, visit a dairy farm, "milk" a "cow" using a rubber glove, etc. I tried to hit all areas of learning surrounding that theme for a week or two. It was so much easier to do that at the preschool age than with my older ones now!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in WA Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 It is so cheap and my kiddos love them. My 3yr old dd is just eating them up and wants to do them everyday. She also likes the Get Ready for the Code. We are just using book A as a coloring book and tracing with our fingers. She thinks its great. I like R&S and ETC because they are cheap. We add lots of reading time and singing and call it good. She listens to dd (8) in all the rest as she plays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profmom Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Five in a Row here too! I'm looking forward to using it again with my youngest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvergreenEclecticAcademy Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Since I've just ordered it, but haven't received it yet, I'm not sure if it will be my *fave* or not...but we're going to use Horizons Pre-K program next year. I know I could find something for *free* (like Letter of the Week's preschool) or that I could pull together myself, but--like you--I wanted something already planned out & easy to use. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch at Home Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Not a boxed program but my little guy is using a combination of Singapore Earlybird Math, Get Ready for the Code, and Kumon Maze and Cutting books. He is also sitting in on his sisters' history, science and latin. If he was the oldest I would probably be doing a lot of read alouds in lieu of history, science and latin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I think I would try this one Picture Book Preschool. I never used it, I found out about when I only had one preschooler left and I was not sure how to deal with his learning issues. But I think it looks so cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 How old is your preschooler? Ah, just read back and saw 4 year old. There is also Little Hands to Heaven by Heart of Dakota. They also have other levels. I think it is Little Hearts for His glory? I haven't used this by my sister has used Little Hands to Heaven and loved it. It is very laid out for you. Sonlight Curriculum has a Core A for preschool. I,personally, haven't found Five in A Row(or before)to be an open and go curriculum. Next year with a five(almost six) and four year old I am going to use Living Books Curriculum Foundation Year. Just some other ideas, Rebecca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Since he's asking for "work", I'm guessing you'll need workbooks. My favorites are R&S, although the later books might be too hard right now. They are meant to be a light K, but they're fine for PK. Both of my kids have also loved Kumon workbooks, especially Cutting and Pasting. Singapore EB Math and the ETC primers are a huge hit here as well. HWT PK is great for early hwing. You would need the slate, IMHO, but the rest of the manipulative can be made/substituted easily. If you'd like to buy your read-alouds, SL Core A and Core B are very handy. Just put them on a shelf or in a basket and you'll have enough read-alouds for a year. You can also get most of the books from the library and save yourself some cash. FIAR is great, but it isn't open and go. I always request complimentary books and videos a couple of weeks in advance and most people do arts and crafts that coordinate with the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trivium Academy Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 We are too, in both counts! For next year and waiting for it to get here. Want to compare notes when both receive it? ...waiting for the mail... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvergreenEclecticAcademy Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 We are too, in both counts! For next year and waiting for it to get here. Want to compare notes when both receive it? ...waiting for the mail... Would love to compare notes! Can't wait till it gets here... Impatiently waiting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I looked at Calvert School PreK. Also Handwriting Without Tears has a cute PreK book/program. I am in the same boat. My 3rd will be 4 and is SOOO ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseballmom Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 My favorite for this age was Five in a Row. We also liked MFW K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted January 30, 2008 Author Share Posted January 30, 2008 I think I would try this one Picture Book Preschool. I can't get the link to work. Would you mind posting it again, so I could cut and paste? Thank you. I had FIAR and gave it away. It was neat, but I would find myself waiting for books through the library or not getting to the library in time for the next unit. We do have everything in the HWT program. I am wanting something else, too. Handwriting Without Tears has been our all time favorite program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcyM Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 We tried letter of the Week here at the beginning of January. And it was a total flop. Unlike the readiness you all are talking about, mine is not. He will be 5 in May, but developmentally about a 3 year old. He is exhibiting signs of either major developmental delay or dysgraphia. He can not recognize shapes (like letters) to mean anything. Although he can sing his ABCs he cannot recognize a single letter - not those in his name, not even /O/ which we spent 5 days on. I gave up, recognizing it wasn't clicking. I recently bought ETC B and C (still haven't found A for a good deal yet) and we'll begin a preK program in May when he turns 5. This is all new territory for me. My older sons were reading and writing all the letters at 4/5. One started reading right after his 4th birthday. He will sit in for read alouds and anything else his brothers may be working on (he colors on the maps and history projects, though I doubt he gets very much out of them). I hope it all comes together for him. He sure likes to worry his momma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in VA Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 For actual work we are really enjoying Phonics Museum and Shiller Math. I also read lots of books, watch LeapFrog and Magic School bus videos, puzzles, Playful Patterns, playdoh and anything else that keeps her hands moving. She's an active kid (understatement of the year) :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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