lindsrae
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Posts posted by lindsrae
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A Cricket in Times Square is delightful. My girls love the Sally Field version of Alice in Wonderland. Charlotte's Web read by E.B. White is a must.
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:bigear:
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It sounds to me like "time" was what worked as far as reading goes. I don't think the programs you used made much difference.:001_smile:
I would not worry too much about figuring out her learning style. They are way overrated, IMO. Pick programs that YOU are comfortable teaching and that help meet your goals. Tweak to make more hands-on if necessary, drop some crafts if your child doesn't care for them but I wouldn't worry too much about it.
:iagree:
From one former PS school teacher to another...:grouphug:. Whew! I really beat myself up when things were not going along swimmingly with my eldest DD for K last year. I mean, how hard is it to teach your own child--whom you love and care for--when you are used to wrangling a room full of kids? It's actually very hard, I found! I was SO personally invested in her success that I pushed way too hard. And DD6 is smart, but school is not her "thing" as it is her mother's :) So give yourself a little break. Relax. If you are second guessing everything, you are probably spending a little too much time on it. (I know I have!) Research, ask questions, try samples, attend a homeschool convention in your area so you can hold the books you want to try in your hands--but realize that you aren't going to ruin your daughter if something doesn't click right away. We spent all of last year sobbing our way through OPGTR; started Phonics Road this year, and it has fit us like a glove. From the list of phonics programs you tried, I would say (in the most loving way possible) that perhaps you are obsessing a little too much. Take it from someone who knows!
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I don't know that it helps you now, but Target always has them in the dollar section at back to school time. By the time you factor in the time commitment and the cardstock and ink, two dollars for a matching set is probably the better deal.
Wish I had thought of this earlier... :)
Have you looked at flash cards? Buy 2 sets so you can have pairs.I have...but I wanted ones with a blank back; a lot of sets have the state on one side and the answer on the back.
How about this? I just did the Indiana one for you but when you do a search, you'll find the other States as well. We're doing the coloring pages.http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/us-state-flash-cards-indiana-coloring-page/
These are super cute too! Thank you, everyone, for your help!
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What I did was to save all the state/capital maps from this website into one file. I printed the entire set all at the same time onto card stock. If you are not certain how to do that: hold Control and left-click on every file you wish to print. Once they are all highlighted, right-click on any of the files and select print (hold control until you you click print). I set my printer "page scaling" (in the printer dialog box that pops up when you click print) to multiple pages per sheet, 4 per sheet. I also had it print page borders to make it easier to cut them out lol!
You could laminate them for durability or even cover them in clear contact paper.
This is EXACTLY what I wanted! Thank you! And thank you for explaining how to make them into flashcards...I am really dumb when it comes to the computer!
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I would like to make a "go fish" game to help my DDs 6 and 3 learn about the states (the 3 yr old to recognize states and 6 yr old to learn capitals). I would like the picture of the state, the state name, and the capital on the same card (don't know if I can find that last one...) I found these: http://www.justmommies.com/unit_studies/alabama-florida.pdf which are ok--the shape of some states are not well defined though. Does anyone else have something better? Thanks in advance for any help you can give :)
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We love RightStart Math and Phonics Road. One thing I learned the hard way...if the program is causing tears--don't continue doing it! One day of tears may happen occasionally, but multiple days of many tears means get the thing out of the house!
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Did RS level A for kindy last year, and working on level B for 1st grade. I bought Singapore 1A because so many people seem to use 2 math programs (to make sure kids are getting everything, because one is mastery and one is spiral, etc.). We've barely used the Singapore at all. RS is so easy to use because everything is right there in the teacher manual. It is not exactly a script, but it has that "flavor," so it might bug someone who is against scripted programs or who is naturally mathy. I am not mathy, so I appreciate the explanations in the book. I also love that little ones can get started right away at their own pace because there are so few workbook pages. Kids can understand math long before they have the fine motor skills to write numbers!
If you are still on the fence, see if you can find someone who has it and page through the book--it always helps me to hold a book in my hands. If that is impossible, order the book and and abacus. (You MUST have the AL abacus--no Melissa and Doug substitute will do.) Almost all the other manipulatives you need for "A" can easily be obtained as you need them. You would only need the "tally sticks"--which are just popsicle sticks you could get at a craft store--and the abacus in the very beginning. You wouldn't even need to get the student workbook right away. There might be a few practice pages in the first few lessons, but it won't hurt to skip them while you are trying it out. If you start using the book and find out it just won't work, I'm sure you could resell it fairly easily on this board and re-coop most of your purchase price.
Have you looked at the RightStart website? I just checked, and they have samples of each book--table of contents, the overview of how the curriculum was developed, and a nice sampling of lessons.
That's my 2 cents!
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We are only in PR 1, but reading Spalding's The Writing Road to Reading helped me to better understand the scope and sequence of the philosophy used in PR. I borrowed it through the library, but I am thinking of purchasing my own copy because it made so much sense! And it filled in the "blanks" for me--I love what Mrs. Beers has done to make the method accessible to busy home school moms, but I'm the nerdy type that likes to get all of the background theory and research. The first time I watched the videos of Mrs. Beers going through the spelling words and talking about all of the ways to mark the sounds, I thought I was going to go crazy, and I seriously doubted the program. After reading through most of Spalding's book and seeing my DD begin to analyze words on her own, I see the logic behind it; I'm committed to PR for the long haul! (And a big "shout out" to Tina Gilbert for all of the encouragement she gives to other PR mommas!)
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I need to track the hours we are spending HS; I want to get used to it and make sure I am on track before I am "required" to do so by law. I was hoping to find a free/cheap Excel file already created to add up the hours by subject and by week, but I haven't found one. I know I could create one, but if one already exists, why re-invent the wheel? Know of any out there? Thanks!
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I second The Phonics Road suggestion. It sounds like everything you mentioned--systematic, logical, etc. My DD is in first grade, and we had tears with two other programs I tried. No tears with PR, and I feel that it makes so much sense to teach ALL the sounds each letter and phonogram makes. We are only in week 4 of the program, but I love it already!
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We are using it this year, and I love it because it is free and very flexible. You do not need very book listed...i think it would be too much any way. (Pay no attention to my siggy, way old!)
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Thank you, Tina! You are a blessing, as always!! And thank you for leading me to PR in the first place :)
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We are beginning our school year in two weeks, and I am a little uncertain about how to begin with PR. My DD will be in first grade, and she knows how to print all the letters and knows the sounds--although we will be learning all the sounds together :)
My question is what our LA time will look like once we hit week 5 with the spelling words. Do you review the other spelling words every day, or just the ones that were missed the day before? And is writing the words sufficient for copywork? I also have WWE1 and was wondering if I should follow that schedule simultaneously or if that would be overkill?
I've viewed the video through week 8 and have tried to take extensive notes, but I am just wondering what the big picture looks like.
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Going there on a trip--any recommendations? We will have the kids (ages 6 and under, so it has to be family friendly!)
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To study for the GRE!
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Make it as fun as possible now so that he'll want to keep helping momma!
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Backstory: I was a high school English teacher in my former life before I had kids. So I have high standards for LA, but I'm not really sure what is best for the elementary years!
My to-be first grader is a very visual learner. She has a low tolerance for frustration. We are wading our way through OPGTR; we are on Lesson 95. (Reading was a HUGE challenge for a while there, and I was ready to chase down the school bus a few times, but things are improving.)
I own WWE1--bought that last year at the convention because I am very nervous about teaching narration/dictation, and I felt that that book would help. I borrowed FFL from the library, and that looks...boring. (I don't know if grammar can be made very exciting, however.)
I have heard great things about R&S, Shurley, and Phonics Road. I think I *might* like PR, but the price is a bit prohibitive. But I am also scared to death of the "gaps," and I hear Tina and others promise the gaps won't be there with PR. I'm willing to commit the time to PR, but I just wish I could hold it in my hot little hands and look at it to see if I think it would work.
I guess my question is...How do I know PR is worth it? OR if you use something else and love it, feel free to talk me into your program. And tell me what you use for writing/vocab/spelling, etc.
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I agree. She's five. You are expecting too much of her. That dream you have probably won't come to fruition until she's maybe 12, so you might just want to shelve that for now.
Really?? <sigh>
My DD (5.5 yo) is so distracted all the time. We'll be in the middle of quoting a scripture passage - in the middle!- when she interrupts with a random thought about squirrels or something later in the day.When drilling her phonograms, I had to say that if she didn't START to give me the answer in 5 seconds, it was going into the 'missed' pile. Her eyes would be somewhere else in the room, and she'll be talking about various random things.
What really gets me is - when I'm giving her spelling words - she forgets them! I'm frankly S&T (sick & tired) of having to repeat the word 2, 3 or 4 times before she starts to write it down. SCHOOL TAKES FOREVER when it really, really shouldn't! (and, most regrettably, I end up losing my cool over her lack of focus and she ends up in tears)
So - how in the world are we ever going to dictate sentences when she can't even remember 1 spelling word in enough time to write it down?
(I do want to give her credit - she does a pretty darn good job during reading lessons. Her body is all over the place, but I can tell her mind is focused and she works hard to sound out the words, and rereads the sentence if she didn't comprehend it the first time. But, between sentences or even in the middle of a sentence, I'm tapping the page to get her to read the NEXT word!)
So, I am also open to suggestions for
how do you gently get a distracted child to focus and complete work without being a broken record, cutting them off in the middle of a story (in other words, always disrespecting what they want to tell you) and/or loosing your cool?
In the back of my mind, I tell myself, "If she was in public school, she wouldn't be allowed to engage the teacher in any conversation she wanted during the middle of a lesson or to talk while the children are supposed to be working..."
So - need to enforce some focus/discipline, but desperately need a new method other than getting mad!
(Is it just lack of maturity? But #4 is due soon, and I'm SO dreaming of the day when she'll focus, get the subjects done one at a time with minimal oversight, and school will be over in 1 or 2 hrs rather than our short Kindergarten easy load taking sometimes 3 hrs to complete!)
Thanks in advance for all suggestions (and prayers!)
My 5-year-old is exactly the same way, and it drives me crazy as well. Here are some things I've tried:
--Put on a timer. She doesn't like it, but it really helps her stay focused.
--Tell her she has x number of minutes to complete something (I make sure it is more than adequate!). Whatever she doesn't finish, she has to do for "homework" after dinner. Although this seems like more of a punishment for you, it has actually been effective. I have younger kiddos too, so it is no fun to enforce, but Dad steps in to help, and it gives her a reason to stay on track during regular school time.
--Give her a reason to finish. (I think my DD likes to take a long time because she thinks she'll have to do less work that way.) I let her know, "After you finish reading to me, I will read to you."
--Break up the work. I started this year trying to get the "hard work" out of the way first, usually math and reading...especially when the baby was sleeping! But sometimes that just bombs because it takes so much mental effort. So I might let her color after breakfast while we listen to classical music, do a reading lesson, continue to color while I read to her, then do math, etc.
HTH! :grouphug:
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Maybe posting this will help solidify some of my decisions... :)
Math: Singapore and RightStart
Phonics: Phonics Pathways and OPGTR
History: Guesthollow's American History Year 1
Science: RSO Life
Art/Music: TBD
Latin: SSL
LA: Ack! I don't know! WWE/FLL or PR?????* Have never looked at Shurley or R&S, but I see them a lot on the boards too...
Extra Curricula: Classical Conversations, ballet
*I taught high school English is my former life, and I am AGONIZING over this decision.
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Sounds like you have the basics covered. Are you also doing read-alouds? That's been my favorite part of this year of K.
Is there anything else specifically that you need help with? There are lots of knowledgeable veterans on this board!
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I've started and abandoned some classics...I figure if the girls don't ask about them, they aren't ready for them :) We are reading A Little Princess right now, and they both ask to read it, even if the three-year-old wanders off to play with the cat or the baby periodically. But I know they are getting something, because they were playing "Lottie" the other day--she's the little girl who throw temper tantrums. ('Course, this was a fun way to have a temper tantrum too.)
If they aren't in love with Alice, try it again in a few months. There's lots of other things you can try in the mean time. I just went to the library and loaded up on read-alouds. Sometimes they should just be for fun...I picked up The Borrowers, Betsy-Tacy, The Cricket in Times Square. And DO get audio books...I love SWB's justification for continuing nap time long after they have grown out of the nap. My five-year-old isn't reading independently, but she will listen to an audio book for hours.
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Originally Posted by Mrs Twain
Have you ever heard of Edward Eggleston's books: A First Book in American History, and Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans? We used both of them for our American history this year, and they were fantastic. They are reprints of the originals from 1895, so they contain a lot of interesting history that it usually cut out of the modern, revisionist texts.
Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans is FREE on the Kindle! A First Book in American History is only 3.99.
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LOVE these ideas!
PR 1 week 5
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
And you just give a few words every day, not the whole list. You review the ones they have trouble with, but you don't wait to test all the words on Friday.
The first time I sat down and watched the video, I took extensive notes so I wouldn't have to watch them again for DDs 2 and 3. I love Mrs. Beers, but watching her spell out Every. Single. Word. gets a little old :)