EASILY my favourite is this wall map. It just shows the continents, brightly coloured. Not too much detail; it was the perfect "beginning" map for my then- 2- and 5-year-old. Bought at a teacher store for $2.95. We don't have much wall space, so I often create one-page bilingual (English-Hebrew) "posters" for each topic we're covering. Or a series of one-pages, like when we did money, or human body systems. We have to change them often or else our house starts to look "wallpapered" in posters!

It's always fun to practice with familiar names: family members, friends, her street name if it's not too hard, city name, etc. I don't know if you're open to a curriculum, but we have enjoyed Handwriting Without Tears, which someone else mentioned as well. It is hard to write NEATLY if you have never been introduced to correct letter formation and HWT does this flawlessly. I love HWT because it's literally 5 minutes, with cute mnemonics to help remember how to make the letters. My dd6 is on her third book now and it's not her favourite, but her writing is improving steadily. She is only just starting simple sentences, so I think you're right about backing off on that until your dd is more comfortable. HWT is different from other handwriting stuff - especially the awful dollar-store variety - since it doesn't "drill and kill". You practice a few times and that's that. For that reason, it's important that you have your eyes on their work, though, so they don't do the three examples WRONG. I'm working now on finding a balance between hovering and letting her work independently. Stickers help - when she's done a whole page, I reward the neatest word on the page (however short or long, easy or hard) with a special sticker or "neat prize."

:iagree: Someone already mentioned the Easy Make & Learn Human Body book, so that's on my list to check out. What other stuff are you guys buying or have you bought at past sales? I don't NEED anything, but these printables look great. I just have zero time right now to browse!!! :lurk5:

I just started a list on my blog so I can keep track of what we're reading. We're slowly but surely getting through a pretty good list... these are grouped by past, present, future. You can bet that a few of the books on here are going onto the "future" list soon! http://ronypony.blogspot.com/2011/05/our-big-list-of-books-to-read-aloud.html

Tons of worksheets here, though you may have to poke around a bit... http://www.education.com/worksheets/kindergarten/

Here's my review on initial purchase / reading: http://ronypony.blogspot.com/2011/03/elemental-science-love-it-hate-it.html As I mentioned the last time I shared this link, ES is great for pulling many things together and eliminating some of my prepwork. It's not so great at a few other things which I've pointed out here. I suggest you read my comments and those of others on my previous thread before you buy. I don't want to get flamed again, so I will just say that if you have the PERFECT science curriculum, let me know! Cuz I want it! Otherwise, please just accept that ES is good but not perfect and may not meet every family's wishes.

I bought the activity book. I wasn't sure I wanted it and I still think we will definitely NOT get around to doing everything. I don't want to be a slave to the curriculum, but the activity book seemed like a great way to add a bit more interaction, and to give me a bit of guidance since this is my first time doing history. If you don't need the hand-holding or think you won't use it much, maybe skip it, but if you are not that experienced, I think it's valuable even if you don't use it every day.

I like the Five in a Row book list but knew we'd never be able to fit the actual program in with our regular school stuff... so I decided to tackle the volume one booklist over the next 4 months as a "summer reading list" instead. To help us along, I created this printable PDF chart of the books in a couple of different formats, with cut-out book covers you can paste on the chart as you read the books. There are also cut-out flags you can add wherever you like as you read around the world, and titles for "summer reading list" as well as all the other seasons. Download this & many other free homeschool printables from my blog here. (p.s. print the covers and flags on a sheet of sticker paper and save yourself a ton of work!)

Meet the Masters is on sale right now for 50% off this month through hsbc: https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/index.php?option=com_hsbc_epp_order&Itemid=936 I bought this because I'm a moron when it comes to art history and have made several false starts, so I wanted guaranteed success this time around. (Ambleside Online = ugh; this term's artist is Delacroix, who I'd never even heard of...) I figure I can supplement Meet the Masters, but right now, it looks thorough enough for our needs, with enough interaction to keep the kids interested.

I read about this on Montessori sites and was inspired to try it with my youngest. He was definitely sounding out words earlier than the others and some friends have been amazed at his progress! His phonetic spellings (using fridge magnets, because his fine motor is nowhere near where his intellect is at) are a little weird because he still mixes up K and G sounds (grokodyl = crocodile). Also, he gets REALLY irked about double consonants, silent letters, etc; totally takes is personally, more than any of the other kids. :-))) At 3.5, he's not QUITE reading yet, but he's one good "push" away from being all the way there, if you know what I mean. With so much time outside these days, there's not much reading time, which is as it should be. Time enough to sit with it next winter. Anyway, a few of my friends are doing this now, and I thoroughly approve. If the eye chart is all you're teaching them the letters for, there's time enough for that later, too.

Well, I think there is a bit of a difference between doctrinal issues (however major), which can be discussed and, in our case, needing to specially INTRODUCE stories, locations, characters etc from the Christian Bible with which my children would otherwise be unfamiliar. It's not so much that I'm looking for a SECULAR version, but that I had zero hope that a Jewish one existed... :-)

I started doing this with my daughter and we had a good time. We are currently working our way through a continents booklet and some mapping basics and then we'll return to it. Here's our first attempt. I also have a link at that page to another homeschooler who's done it. Apparently, one of the Draw Write Now books has a "geography blobs" lesson as well.

It is, kind of. :001_smile: Rod and Staff has smaller pages that seem slightly more interactive, and I like the pictures. Here's a sample of the Grade 2 English Pupil worktext: http://samples.rodandstaffbooks.com/1-12202-3/ It also seems to cover a greater breadth of material, with some writing practice.

I love the look, layout and concepts of Rod & Staff, but its Christian ideology wouldn't go over well in our Jewish home. We're just starting FLL and I'm going to stick with it for this year, but I'm just curious to know if anybody has found a non-specifically Christian curriculum that does more or less the same thing?

Wow - I forgot to subscribe to this thread and I am AMAZED and happy that there are so many well-thought-out responses. Grammar is important to me, so I wanted to add it to our curriculum (even though I personally never got any formal grammar study - just absorbed it through my pores, I guess), and FLL seemed like the best way to do that. I will stick with it, for now. :-) There really is a lot about nouns - I'm happy to hear that I can accelerate it a bit. Another (quick?) question: glancing ahead, I was disappointed by the quality of the poems. "Monday Mommy baked a cake" stands out in my mind and I'm too lazy/tired to go get the book to look up more. Do they get more "literary" in Grades 2 and up? Thanks again, everybody! It is mostly heartening - and also fascinating to hear why it didn't work for others.

Started our new term today and I'm introducing First Language Lessons 1. We did Lesson 1, which was weird and stilted. Sitting reciting the definition of a noun while dd stared at me. It's just totally out of context. Now, I LIKE the idea of FLL, but I guess I'm wondering how quickly the lessons start to feel more natural... Also, how many times a week would you recommend?

@Karis: I care because Christians have shared their pain at others' misinterpretations of the season - and at bland, meaningless but inclusive "seasonal" celebrations stripped of any Christian symbols so as not to offend anyone (except maybe Christians) And "As for me and my house" is fine, as long as others don't keep insisting on inviting themselves into my house. :001_huh: This may sound hopelessly naive, but please know that I really did begin this thread with the dual intention of "tribe-finding" ie exchanging resources and tips with other Jewish homeschoolers - and discovering resources from any source (Jewish or otherwise) that might be useful in my Jewish homeschool. As an amateur philosopher (My BA is in philosophy, but anything short of a PhD is an amateur!), the religion side of it fascinates me, but the practical side is all about my kids and how to help them experience and be amazed by this wonderful festival. I have learned a lot from the Jews and non-Jews here, and hope we can continue to learn from each other in peace.:seeya:

@Lisa: Just checking back in the midst of the craziness. Thank you for the link. Aish does good videos; I'll have to watch this one thoroughly (in my spare time... :lol:). This may shock some on here, but as a Jew, I'd rather see a Jew get healthy and sober and perhaps (as a result) end up in another monotheistic faith such as Christianity than see that same Jew still Jewish but drinking or (God forbid) dead. In my mind, as a person with a close family member struggling with alcoholism, this is a happy ending. I would question his "rabbinic" credentials only because those must be passed along by another rabbi, but I am happy that his journey has proved inspiring to others.

Lisa: I'm just curious, (seriously not trying to debate anybody - and too busy anyway, even if I wanted to), I'm wondering if he was a rabbi first or a Christian first? Another thought: It occured to me in the depths of my scrubbing today that some of the people who are most vehement about their right to claim Jewish festivals and cultural celebrations might also be vehemently against those who seek to appropriate Christian celebrations like Christmas and Easter, whether to secularize them or to superimpose meanings which dilute the unique nature of the festival (ie, Easter isn't simply a "spring holiday" and Christmas isn't primarily a "universal gift-giving holiday"). I've heard Christians adamantly defend the "reason for the season" and I'm wondering if Jews may indeed have the same right with respect to our God-given festivals. In any event, I haven't the time or energy right now (see time stamp) to discuss at length, but this was an embryonic thought that I wanted to bring to light and see if perhaps that lent some perspective. I'd love to hear others' thoughts when I emerge from the cocoon that is cooking plus Yom Tov tomorrow evening. (what's cooking? check my blog for updates throughout the day!)

Home Instructors Guide I was curious, too, so I looked it up. :-)

Numbers 28:17 - "And on the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast; seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. " I believe the 14th was when the lamb was sacrificed and it was eaten on the 15th. The Jewish days always start in the evening, so this SUNDAY night (ie tomorrow night) and Monday are the 14th of Nissan; Monday night and Tuesday are the 15th. HTH!

@Michelle: There are many MANY people in your position and I can't imagine how hard that is, feeling connected but also feeling, perhaps, like Jews should acknowledge that connection more fully or wholeheartedly. I do know conversion is a very difficult thing. I'm happy that you're keeping yourself and your kids connected to their Jewish roots - it will make the conversion process much simpler if you do decide eventually to go ahead with it. Good luck and happy Pesach! :001_smile:

@Sharon: Perhaps inspired by your post, I did write a guide the other day called "Going to Shul? A Guide for Goyim!" (the word goyim simply means NATIONS and is not an offensive; in fact, it is sometimes used in the Torah to describe the Jews themselves). Shul is synagogue, so if you're ever invited to a synagogue service, perhaps you can keep it in mind. ;-)))

Spell it however you like as long as you pronounce it with a Chhhhhhhhh! (p.s. Some Sefardim, ie Jews from Eastern countries like Morocco, do consider fish pareve (neutral) but nevertheless will not eat it with dairy.) Sorry, OP - back to the kugel and knishes!

No problem! The first night is Monday, the 18th. In Israel, there's 1 day for most holidays; outside, most holidays are 2 days. The reason as I understand it originally was that it took so long for word of the new-moon sighting to spread outside of Israel that there was some doubt as to which was the ACTUAL day. This was clearly before facebook, twitter, etc, where everybody knows everything the second it happens. :tongue_smilie: Trivia: Yom Kippur is always one day, because of the hardship of fasting two days in a row; Rosh Hashanah is always 2 days, even in Israel. As for the steamed snap peas, if you're not Jewish, you can definitely add butter, but religious Jews don't if there is meat served during the meal. We separate dairy and meat totally, to the point of having separate dishes. So no butter with meat - or chicken (fish is okay with dairy for most Jews). HTH!!!