kmacnchs
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Posts posted by kmacnchs
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have you looked into SWO? It is a workbook (you give pretests and tests at the end of the week)...
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Not sure what LLATL is but I agree - Abeka is too wksht-focused for us as well. My kids were readers WELL before they could even write their names! We use Ordinary Parents' Guide to Teaching Reading - NO worksheets, VERY thorough, starts from the beginning (A says "a") and goes until the end (4th grade - multi-syllabic words) - no need to buy multiple programs (one book only). I'm sure you didn't want another suggestion but... sorry :)
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This is what I have so far for this year. We're coming out of parochial school, so keep in mind I have no idea what we're doing. LOL Hence, the need for help filling in the gaps.
For my 1st grader:
All About Spelling w/Cobweb the Cat
A Reason for Handwriting
Rod and Staff Math 1
Elemental Science
Fluent reader already? If not, finish up your phonics work! (we do OPG)
Grammar? (FLL 1)
That covers everything I think is important - unless you want to add a language...oh, and did you mention music & art? (not must haves, just trying to help you think of EVERYTHING) :)
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One thing I learned with my oldest is that we don't always have to work at the highest level he's capable of. I don't make him do things that are boring, but always challenging him at the highest level can be exhausting.
Good point - never thought about that.
The best thing about a young advanced learner is that you can't keep them from learning. At this age it doesn't have to be organized. I think it's hard for us to get out of the school=seat work train of thought. I think that having advanced learners has forced me to discover my creative side :).
Unfortunately, I have NO creative side - that is why I LOVE the era I am living in (Internet and mainly BLOGS) :)
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If your dc is an 'only', this suggestion may not apply to you but for my dd1, we do math when her younger sibs are having roomtime (playtime in their room alone after breakfast), then we all play outside for about an hour or so, then when ds goes down, she and her sister do the rest of their school work (trading off 30 min time increments with me). Oh, and when the youngers take naps at 2:30, we do our reading, narration, etc. until she goes down at 3:00. Oh, and I read read-alouds at breakfast time. Spacing her schooling out makes it WAAY more bearable to everyone (it seems). Does that make sense???:D
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3-5:30 pm (everyone is napping/resting) and 8:30-I go to bed (everyone is asleep/in bed). YES - I need the quiet time - it is WONDERFUL! I also get from 6:30-7am (before everyone wakes up), if I choose to wake up...
I am very strict on naps & bedtimes - everyone needs a break :)
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HUGE! 4-5 bedroom with a study on the main level. A finished walk-out basement and a 3-4 car garage. Beautiful kitchen! In a very upscale neighborhood, too!
I want one.
OMg! Our house has 4 bedrooms (though should really have 3 - we forced the 4th - it is 1600sqft) and it was $157,000. I can't imagine what that much dough would buy for us!!!
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What kind of car do you drive, and what kind of car seat do you use? We have a Honda Odyssey, with 5 seats in the back, but somehow can't fit three car seats across the back row. Any suggestions?
We have an Odyssey and are able to fit 3 car seats in the back. Two are what I would call bulky (with bases). The one in the middle is the kind w/a 5 point harness but also can be used as a booster seat (has "hooks"? on the sides by the head for a seat belt to go through so the child can buckle normally when they get older). We buckle the booster seat like a car seat (no room for our daughter to be able to buckle herself in like a booster seat) but it is less bulky so it fits. I hope that made sense.
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Are you opposed to OPG?
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I haven't read all of the responses so sorry if I am repeating...
I'll tell you what I have been told - go DEEP & WIDE! Instead of moving onto the next 'grade' in math, do 2 diff. 'advanced' math programs at once so each grade will take longer (ex. MEP & Singapore). Have the child spend more time on certain interests (science, for example?). They are some good suggestions from the forum over the years.
I CERTAINLY wouldn't worry about your child graduating at a certain time - a lot can happen by the time 12 rolls around. Also, I just found out our state has a "learn & earn" program so whenever your child reaches hs age, they can take college classes even at an early age... So, when the time rolls around, you can see if your state has some kind of dual enrollment like that...
hth!
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As far as I know, you do not have to use YOUR state's 529 plan. You can pick a state with the best one and invest in its 529 plan. We are in NC and I think our 529 plan for our kids is an Iowa 529 (my parents set it up)...
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What do you think is a reasonable amount to spend on one student for one year? Say a 1st or 2nd grader?
My research...
History/Lit./Bible... $300 (curr.) + $300 (books)
What are you using?
Try to buy everything used that you can (look on here!)
I have yet to see a Bible curriculum that is better than reading God's Word with your child, discussing, praying, singing, memorizing scripture, maybe coloring a paper printed on your printer...
Literature - use a LIBRARY! :)
Math... $90
Grammar/Spelling... $70
Other Misc... $50
Total= $800+
This seems like alot...
I know much of it will be used again, but how can you cut costs???
Or is this just part of the "package" of homeschooling?
imo, it IS a lot. Many on here will attest to switching curricula many times - I would HATE for you to spend all that $$ just to switch next year (or in a couple of years even). I'm telling you - USED and the library are the way to go!
Oh, and if you care (b/c I see that others have done this), I have spent about $15 on MEP, got SWO, FLL and CHOW used. I think I spent a total of $65? on 1st grade. Also, FLL and CHOW are not consumable so nothing to buy for the next one, or the one after... :)
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It doesn't sound like you need to do any more than you're doing! I would add some sort of spelling program though.
:iagree:Once my 3yo finished OPG, she was at the same place - still needed practice sounding out words. Your challenge is to get challenging books (and it's perfect that she reads them too you so you can make sure she is sounding out said difficult words) that are appropriate :\
Someone suggested to me to have her read read alouds for her age - this guarantees they are age appropriate but also challenges her (as read alouds are generally not on that age's skill level - make sense?). Look at some suggestions from Ambleside Online. We are a big fan of Kipling (I see you are already reading him). Have you looked at Dahl? His books are challenging but if you are particular about certain words, you may want to skip HER reading them. (I read them aloud & skip over parts)
I also agree with others about a Spelling Program. We did SWO A when dd1 was about finished w/OPG. It was easy but it worked on her writing skills as well, which was good. We are now on SWO B and I am expecting it to challenge her a bit more this year.
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First, I agree with the living math and everyday math options. However, if you decide to do something more formal, I can make a few suggestions about MEP.
Maybe I missed it, but have you tried MEP's Reception year with her? If you have or think it's too easy, then you could give Year 1 a whirl. My 5 y/o found the (first) Horizon K workbook in the book closet and started doing it. We don't use workbooks, but he was doing it on his own, so I let him go at it. (I got it off of PBS to take a peek at it.) He flew through it and, much to my (anti-workbook) irritation, seemed to like it... up to a point.
He finished both Horizons books somewhere around 3-4 months. He had no problems with it, but he didn't really like it toward the end. When we started MEP, he was instantly engaged. I think we were on Lesson 111 when we stopped for a summer break. So far, he loves MEP and doesn't feel as if he's really doing math (like he does with the workbooks). For him, the repetition in Horizons was too boring. I finally let him skip problems because he was becoming so frustrated "because I already know this," he said. You won't have that issue with MEP.
The thing that I love about MEP is how it makes you think in a different way than you normally would. (If you are a math nerd, perhaps you may not find this to be so! For me, a non-math nerd, I feel as if I'm working some weird IQ puzzle! LOL) Anyway, if you do all of the suggested classroom activities, then your math time with your daughter would really drag on too long for her (most likely). When I've done that, we've ended up running at 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you're okay with that, then go for it, but that seems like too much time to me, esp. for a young one.
What I started doing with our MEP lessons was scanning ahead and choosing one example (or two, if I thought there was one not-to-be-missed) and then just doing the five or six math problems on the page. Since there are only a handful each day, it would only take around twenty minutes to do it all, on most days. I have a boy, so he LOVES the MEP activities like tossing a ball back and forth and doing math facts. He gets to move around instead of sitting down with a workbook. Maybe your daughter, being younger, would like that as well.
Hope this helps.
Yeah, MEP R looks too easy for her. We are starting MEP 1a this Monday. I have heard WONDERFUL things about MEP so I am (cautiously) excited :) It looks like more interaction than Saxon so I think the switch will be fun for her. Thanks for the insight :)
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I would ditch any curriculum and go with living math books. If she likes listening to stories living math books will teach her math skills in an informal manner. Go here to see a huge list of books you can find at your local library.
I have never seen this website - it's great! Thanks! I have heard of living math books but only recently and vaguely from the forum...
While no direct instruction is necessary it is a wonderful time to get outside and explore bugs, birds, flowers, caterpillars changing into butterflies, tadpoles changing into frogs, etc. If you want to start exploring history then it can be done through reading books, watching videos, and fun activities.
We do plenty of outdoor exploring on our daily walks but I think we are going to start taking pics (hubby's a photographer so both girls have cameras already), maybe make a "book" and go from there - just a little beyond, "what's that?" - "a cricket"
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Nobody is telling you to stop academics and just let her play. But you can teach academics without a formal curriculum, such as by doing activities from the Family Math books and so on. You have 13 years ahead of you for formal academics- why rush into it when it seems clear from what you've described that your DD is not ready? Seriously, your DD will be just fine if you :chillpill: on the formal "seatwork" for another year or two.
I am fully planning on checking out Family Math - it looked good and many recommended it - thanks
It's not that she's not ready for math - it's just that I'm not sure she's ready for the 2nd 1/2 of 1st grade math - that's when it seems to get difficult - maybe it is me (not a good math teacher?), maybe it just hasn't "clicked" yet (probably a little of both)
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I am excited to hear how MEP goes!!
Me too! We start Monday!
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Trying to put this gently, but this statement seems incongruous with this one:
Did you read the rest of my post? I said that first statement in regards to reading but I agreed with the poster in regards to math (I started dd1 b/c I thought if she could do one, she could do the other - I admitted that was a foolish thought). So now I am seeing what math will not drown her, just challenge her...not sure if I didn't explain well or what? (makes sense in my head :))
I don't necessarily think dd is "gifted"...I posted this on the "Accelerated Learners" board so I wouldn't get the "let her play" posts. Those are not real suggestions imo, more judgments of my parenting (that's how it seems). I'm not going to go on and on about our schedule; trying to convince people that my children are not being made to do 'seatwork' all day and that they get plenty of time to be kids - I asked specific questions and I appreciate those who have tried to answer those questions.
This is NOT an attack on *you*, Crimson Wife, I am just seeing that the majority of the posts are not trying to help, just judge so I am posting it at the same time that I am replying to your post (the ONLY reason it is on your post!).
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Readiness is more important than chronological age, and essential to avoiding frustration
I AGREE! Which is why I started teaching her "formally" when she was ready (not when she was 5). She has been doing "school" (structured learning) ever since she dropped her morning nap (under 2 yrs).
Okay, that was my defensiveness - now to step back and really think on what you wrote - I need to take that into account when doing Math, I think. When it gets to a certain point, it *does* get frustrating to her - which is why I will be looking into some of the books suggested...
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No, she didn't talk to him at all, beside asking his name. Her basis for the comment was because I told her, that he can read collection one(from costco) of the Bob books and is not all the way through collection 2. I told her he knows CVC words really well, but we have not covered long vowel sounds. But he would not have been able to read her little "test". Their curriculum is Abeka.
We are on lesson 50 in OPGTR. We usually do 2 lessons a day. He hasn't had any problems with it so far.
Abeka is hardcore. Their K curriculum finishes around lesson 105. However, OPG is SOO thorough, I bet by the time he is finishing the 1st grade, he will be AHEAD of the Abeka curriculum. It is hard to hear from discouragers, especially when they are not necessarily wrong (for her school). You have gotten some great advice: writing out what YOUR goals are and only worrying about them; that hsing is a journey (not a race), etc. If none of that encouragement helps, KNOW that if you stay diligent, your ds will probably "catch up" if not surpass his peers (even private school peers) in a few years if for no other reason, b/c he does not have to compete w/20-30 other students to learn - he has his own private tutor who has his best interest at heart! Keep it up!
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We finish the book even if said child has taken off in reading, the ending chapters are really beneficial.
:iagree::iagree:For those of you contemplating NOT finishing it, I want to echo M&M! Those last chapters are very beneficial AND very challenging!
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Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions! It has made me feel better about my plans. I was feeling pressure to do a "formal" history & science program but I think I will stick with CHOW and WTM/child-led science and not worry about it.
I am going to see how MEP goes (we are starting Monday)...If it goes well, GREAT! If I run into the same problems, you'll be hearing from me :) Oh, and I will look into the book suggestions :)
Any more suggestions/ideas are welcome :)
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At 4yrs I would be really cautious about having her do "seatwork," unless she really wants to but I would limit it. At this age, experiencing learning through play, discussion and picture books is key.
She is not a "seatwork" gal - I think it's more because her writing has not caught up with reading yet. She will sit still for hours but to sit still and write? Even when we did Saxon, we would only do 1 wksht/day. She would do a wksht for Spelling as well (but that was easy!) No wkshts other than that. I'm not much of a wksht person anyway - seems like a lot of busy work to me!
I think I am leaning towards your (and others') suggestion about history being a CHOW read aloud this year and *maybe* dive into SOTW next year and making science child-led. Really, what has always scared me is that she will *like* science (gasp!) and I would not know what to do with her! :) I think of science = experiments but I am going to try to be more open minded about it. We live in the country so she already knows the names of many birds, animals, and bugs - maybe she can take some pics, we can listen to sounds on the Internet, go that route...that's not so scary :D:tongue_smilie:
Who is really doing it the Well Trained Mind way?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
I am doing it the WTM way (I think). We have our Language Notebook, do Reading, Grammar, Spelling, Writing, and Narration. We do Math (though I use MEP - suggested from the boards, not the book). We do not do activities for History (may start that next year) but I am reading it aloud to them 3x/day. We are doing Science the WTM way. What's left? Art (don't do but would like to start 1x/week), Music (trying to talk MIL into giving piano lessons), and Latin (we chose to do Spanish instead since 1/2 of our family is from Ecuador).
Many say the WTM way is overwhelming but (for the early grades, at least), it has given me a HUGE amount of freedom and relief. My 1st grader does about 2-2.5 hrs/day but I space it out so that it seems as though she is only doing 1 hr/day. I read History at breakfast then she does Math, we play as a family for 2 hrs, she does 30 min of school, she watches some TV, we eat lunch, we do science while we spend time outside (right now, we are taking pics of butterflies), then, she reads to me & we do narration for 30 min before she rests in the afternoon. It is so spread out! And it's not like I am doing everything everyday! I only do reading (30 min), math (30-45 min) and spelling (15 min) everyday. Everything else 2-3x/week and only 15-30 min!