Thank you all so much for your responses. We're using Singapore Math as our primary curriculum and while my DS loves doing worksheets and playing games, I wanted to try something computer-based for supplementing. Your responses convinced me to give it a try for my K'er. :001_smile: I figured that math from all different angles (workbooks, games, and computer) will be the most beneficial for him. But, as you all have posted, for the younger ones it seems I'll have to stick close by him as he works on this to make sure of his comprehension and in regards to the informal logic problem mistakes (thank you for the heads-up on that one!). Thanks so much!

I am looking into the Stanford EPGY Open Enrollment program they have for math (http://epgy.stanford.edu/openenroll/index.html). Has anyone tried this with their kiddos before? I have a Kindergartner who I am looking at starting in this program as additional math enrichment aside from what we already do. Thanks so much for all input! :)

I grew up with parents that were very tough when it came to academics and extracurricular activities (i.e. piano, violin, etc). We're Polish and I grew up there for the first 8 years of my life before my parents, sister, and I came over to the US. So, the way these children in Hong Kong go about their lives is very familiar to me. When we were in Poland, we lived in a small flat in a coal mining town surrounded by hills. We did not have a toilet but shared one with other apartments. We took baths in a bucket and dumped warm water over ourselves. Our backyard in the apartment complex was a pile of coal or the street out in front. So, I had first-hand experience living in less-than-desired conditions (to which my family overseas still deals with, albeit not the bathroom part). Concentration on academics and discipline was stressed to bring future career success and wealth. I sure as heck knew that I better work my tail off, go to extra classes after school, and excel in everything I do to achieve what I want and be able to live comfortably when I am older and help out my family that continues to reside in Poland. I don't think it's sad to persevere and work hard to make more money. A lot of times, be it Asians, SE Asians, Eastern Europeans, etc, have seen true hardship and know that the way to a better life is by studying and working hard to someday land an amazing job that will bring in the wealth. I think this kind of mentality is buried deep in the roots of these people, as it is with me. All in all, I really great segment. Thanks for sharing and to all for adding their opinions. Really love hearing the different viewpoints and being able to offer my own.

Thank you so much to all your responses. It has cleared things up for me and I'm excited to hear there really isn't that much difference. Should be easy for my kiddo then to hop right in with Math at the new school. :)

I'm sorry if this is going to sound like a stupid question but we are preparing to change our kiddo from PS to a private school. They use Singapore New Math as the math textbooks. We've been using Singapore Primary Mathematics Standards 1A and 1B. What is the difference between Singapore's New Math and Primary Math Standards? Am I getting confused with these as they are two different companies with books that utilize the Singapore curriculum? Thanks so much!

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll look into that book. Does it require a lot of materials to collect on the side for each of the units? Does it require a significant amount of prep time for each lesson? Thanks so much!

Our PS is heavily deficient in science for Kindergarten. I've really been wanting to start a science program at home during the weekends that we could use. I've looked into RSO, RS4K, Elemental Science. While they all look interesting, I came upon Intellego Unit Studies. Has anyone had experience with these unit studies? I'm thinking this might be a better route for us to follow, starting with the Life Sciences, then Earth/Space, and then Chemistry. I also got recommended Charlie's Playhouse that has some great evolution material. Do any of you have any other suggestions? Thanks so much!!

We are afterschooling our K'er now. He goes to school from 9:15am to 3:45pm and the bus drops him off at 4pm. There are days when he is more tired and we just do a bit of writing and our usual evening reading. Other days, we fit in things like math, logic, and AAS. On the weekends, we usually spend 2 - 3 hours doing learning activities in math, spelling, science, geography. We don't do them for a straight 2-3 hours, just fit it in throughout the day. Hopefully, next year we can switch him to a school that runs 7:45am to 2:15pm! But, getting into schools in this school district (wake county in NC) is one big ball of craziness. We've been afterschooling since DS1 was in 3-year half-day preschool and so the routine has been set and he really doesn't feel like he is getting schooled twice during the day. We keep it fun and engaging.

Hi Aly, Thank you so much for your recommendations. For the vocab - I can't believe I didn't think of that myself! He's reading some early-reader books (i.e. Tom got a hot dog. Tom ate his hot dog in his car.) But there are words that we come across in those readings that are not familiar to him. I looked up "I Love Dirt" on Amazon and it looks awesome! It will be something easy for us to do after school (once it cools off in this crazy NC 100-degree weather) and on weekends. For writing, it's really the writing process. He learned to write all his letters in composition-type notebooks back when he was 4. In his Kindy class, they just started the basic HWOT and he is BORED! So, I want to do some actual work around the writing process/creative writing in. I can imagine how difficult it will get to do the afterschooling gig. Your advise is taken to heart- I can definitely tell you that much! For HW right now, it takes him 7 minutes (tops) to get it completed and with the year-round calendar at our school, we are 9 weeks in school and 3 weeks out of school year-round, except for in June when we have 6 weeks off between grade-levels. I was hoping to use that off time during the year for extra work. Spelling words don't begin at our school until early 1st grade year. Sigh...I still don't understand why they do not correct a child's spelling in Kindy. For example, my son came home with a paper where he spelled car and fly as "kar" and "fli" and got a sticker saying excellent!!? But, I digress...that's a topic for another post...hehe

We are kind of new to the afterschooling gig. My oldest DS just started Kindergarten in July (we have year-round PS in this part of NC). Sadly, we didn't win a single spot at any of the 6 charter schools we applied to and private school is way outside our budget. However, our neighborhood school is good and the teacher seems great but they are required to follow curriculums set in place by our County (insert big heavy sigh here). With that being said, I'm going to do be doing some afterschooling. I've done a number of things with him already, like started Singapore Math, Headsprout to help with reading, and All About Spelling. I'm totally confused in finding a great writing program, science program, and vocabulary program to supplement at home. Do you all have any good ideas/opinions on types of programs that would be great to begin for a Kindergartner? Thanks so much!!!

If it makes you feel better, I did not use a handwriting program for my almost 5-year old. I went to my local teacher's supply store, purchased an enormous wad of that handwriting paper that they use in the early grades, got him a good pencil, and practiced a letter (upper and lowercase) a week. Every day we sat down and every day he had to write, at a minimum, a half of a page worth of that letter. It worked and the repetition helped make him quite a neat handwriter. Honestly, you should give it a try and see how it works for you. If you see not much progress, then possibly a handwriting program might work better. IT really boils down to the child and how they learn best. For my oldest, this type of method worked. Hope that helps a little!

Thank you all for your suggestions and just letting me know what you do. We do a lot of imaginative play (and lots of following the older brother and trying to do exactly what he does). But I always get stuck sneaking in academic stuff, so to speak. I'll also do a search for the Tot Schools online. Thanks again ladies!!

Hi All, So, this is my first time posting here. We've been lurking awhile and I have used so many of your suggestions on curriculum, etc. I've gotten great information on Kindergarten and preK curriculums. However, I seem to always come to a roadblock for the 2 year old age group. My youngest DS just turned 2 and I'm curious what you do or have done as far as learning with that age group? I understand doing letters and numbers but are their particular things you have done that have/had worked for your little ones? Any help and advice would be awesome! Thanks so much!

Hi All, We're new here to the WTM forums. I haven't had any formal experience with my kids in schools here. My DS1 will be starting Kindergarten this Fall. We failed to get into 3 charter schools in the area, the private schools are too expensive for us (and we got no scholarships either), and having toured 6 magnets, we found that magnet schools didn't offer anything more intensive in the curriculum than the regular public schools. So, after all that drama, we have no choice but to end up going to our neighborhood PS. It's not bad at all and from the parents I hear, it's really good. I'd love to homeschool but DS1 gets VERY bored at home and really has been doing quite well at his preschool (granted, it's church-based and has like 8 kids to 2 teachers whereas the PS has 24 kids to 1 teacher and 1 TA). I've had experience in the US school system as a kid and with the school system in Poland (parents are Polish immigrants) and my husband is from India and has told me alot about the schooling there. So, having that background and knowledge, I'm disappointed in the school system here and, in general, in the US. So, although DS1 will be going to PS this Fall (something we are not too happy about but can't really do much about it), I will continue to beforeschool and afterschool like I have been doing now. I wish we had more luck with the Charters or were rich enough to afford a private. There is no way that my DH could work extra jobs because his job is already demanding and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS works. Sigh... But we'll be reapplying for charters every single year until we get in.