Thanks all for your suggestions. I will definitely look into Joy Hakim's History of Us -- just glancing it over briefly online now. Seems like it might hit the spot, though perhaps geared for older kids. I'm also going to check out History Odyssey. Also, to the poster who posted about my saying "somewhat biracial" -- that was in order to distinguish my children from the vast majority of people who identify as biracial, which commonly means 50% one race and 50% another. My children are not in that category, hence the use of the word somewhat. I didn't mean it literally. Of course I understand the difference between race and culture, etc. And I agree that obsessive focus on race can prevent one from acquiring a holistic view of American and world history.

Can you tell me more about Hakim's Story of Us? If it includes African-American history and contributions then it will fit the bill. I am truly not looking for some sort of slanted program, just for one that is respectful and acknowledges that African-Americans have had a role in shaping the country. There doesn't need to be a special emphasis on or deference to black history, just basic inclusion and respect.

Our children don't look it (both are blond and blue-eyed), but they are somewhat biracial, with about 15% African-American heritage. It's not the major portion of their ancestry, but it is something we celebrate and appreciate (just as we celebrate their English, Irish, and Scandinavian heritage). To that end, I am looking for an elementary-level curriculum or text that respectfully includes African-American history as an integral part of American history. It's hard to have any sense of this without skimming through the books/programs themselves (since few programs would claim to be incomplete and/or insensitive), so I figured I'd ask here, where people have experiences with a wide range of programs. To be clear, I am not seeking a separate African-American history curriculum or an Afro-centric curriculum. I am not seeking a curriculum that denigrates the contributions of "dead white males" or that provides a slanted view of history. At the same time, I would like to avoid a curriculum that ignores or glosses over black history, or one that reduces it to merely a few iconic figures without context or substance. And I certainly don't want a curriculum that implies that slavery "wasn't really that bad" or that the Civil War was solely about states' rights and had nothing to do with slavery, etc. (I've heard such programs exist. My children have ancestors who fought on both sides of that conflict, as well as ancestors who were enslaved, and I'd like to avoid any program that misrepresents such an important episode in our country's and our family's history.) I seek a solid American history curriculum or text that includes the contributions of African-Americans in a way that would make a child of mixed race heritage feel like a valued part of the story. That's all. Thank you for any ideas!

My son hasn't been diagnosed officially, but he is very spacey/inattentive, and sometimes hyper, and the support team at his school (he receives occupational therapy twice a week for sensory issues) all seem to think he has ADHD. I'm a teacher, and he does seem a lot like many of the students I've had who have ADHD. We are going to get him evaluated, but in the meantime, we're trying to treat him without medication in the hopes of avoiding having to give him any. His biggest issue in school that he doesn't pay attention when the teacher gives directions and is highly distractible when asked to do anything that requires sustained effort. So far (as in, for the past month or so), we've been giving him high-dose fish oil with a 2:1 EPA/DHA ratio, B-vitamin complex, and Pedi-Active, an over-the-counter supplement. So far we do see some good results. Nothing dramatic, but he is more focused overall and his episodes of serious inattention and hyperactivity are short-lived, though they still occur. His mood has also improved; he has fewer meltdowns, and the ones he has are very short-lived. Of course, since we are doing several things at once, it's hard to know which is helping or whether they are working together. But that's what we're doing for now. No miracle, and he still definitely has attentional issues, but there is an improvement.

My 4.5-year-old is at about the same stage as yours and has been enjoying Hooked on Phonics (Kindergarten). We're almost done with Level 1. The level of challenge seems just right, and the lessons only take about 10 minutes a day (we skip the DVD component). He likes that after every lesson there is a short story he can read himself before earning his star sticker. I like that the lessons are sequential and include review from previous lessons, so he is constantly practicing what he learned in the past even as he moves forward. In addition to the short stories after each lesson, after every two or three lessons your child gets a little book that they can read by themselves, and at the end of each level, they get a proper book (professionally written and illustrated). The layout is very child-friendly, and it's completely "open and go" on the part of the parent. I do plan to supplement with BOB books and The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, as they cover more than Hooked on Phonics. But I'm happy with Hooked on Phonics as our core program -- my son enjoys it, it's easy, and it's working.

Thanks!

Hi All, I have recently taken great pleasure in (and learned a lot from) reading through the "Kindergarten Roundup" thread here, where everyone posts their full plans for the K year in each subject. Is there a corresponding thread for pre-k? I would love to know what everyone is doing or planning for their 4-year-olds this year.

My son's only 4, but his "chore" is to help his dad take out the garbage. He also has to clean up after himself (we help) if he makes a mess. Otherwise, nothing yet, but I do want to instill in him the sense that we all contribute to the household.

We both work full-time, so we after-school mainly on weekends and summers (I'm a teacher). The only formal after-schooling we do on weeknights is a short (10 minutes or so) phonics lesson.

Thank you for that terrific link! (and for the moral support)

Thanks, everyone. I toured the local public school yesterday and found out that they don't even have a handwriting program -- teachers just wing it. So I guess it'll be fine. I also appreciate the reassurances about his not being good at writing yet. He's my first, so it's all new to me. I've seen friends' kids his age who can write so neatly already, but maybe I got a little too alarmed. I'll start him gently.

The public school that our son will probably attend next year for K just switched from Balanced Literacy to ReadyGEN (Pearson). I don't know much about ReadyGen except that it's supposed to be aligned with Common Core and it does incorporate phonics, which is a plus. I am not a big fan of Balanced Literacy. To my surprise, though, they said they don't use any handwriting programs at all -- each teacher just teaches it how he/she wishes. And they never teach cursive. It's not a requirement, they said, so therefore there's no budget for it. They seemed sorry as they said this; I got the strong feeling from the teachers and principals that there is so much more they would do if they only could. Tough going here in New York City at the moment.

I second the recommendation for Let's Read and Find Out Science books. Different in style and feel to Usborne but just as educational/informational. (I don't like National Geographic or Discovery Kids books, either -- too glossy and busy; too many little text boxes and weird, alternating fonts.)

I teach 5th and 6th grade English at a private school, so based on what my students have loved most, I can recommend: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis -- historical fiction set during the Great Depression; very likable 10-year-old narrator, lots of historical background info woven throughout, humorous and very touching read A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon -- historical fiction set in the pre-Civil War era; touches on Irish immigration, urban poverty, Westward expansion, orphan trains, and abolitionism. Great suspenseful plot with a strong female protagonist. If she likes it, there are several sequels. The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin -- a retelling of The Odyssey, perfect for a 5th grader, beautifully told, engaging

Thank you!

Hi All, I'm new to all of this (son is 4), and I find I can't translate many of the abbreviations people use for different curricula or programs. As I've read through posts, I've gradually begun to piece some of it together, but there are still many acronyms I can't decipher. (For example, what is CLE? What is TT?) The link on the abbreviations thread does not work, and it seems quite old anyway. Is there any possibility of making a new one? Or is there another one somewhere that you could direct me to? Thanks! L

Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers, Gordon Neufeld -- Presents a convincing case for why peer-pressure overtakes young minds, the detrimental effects, and what parents can do to avoid "losing" their children to youth culture. This book challenged some of my assumptions in a very good way. I always appreciate a book that actually makes me reconsider and think. Testing For Kindergarten, Karen Quinn -- This book is aimed at parents trying to boost their children's scores on entrance exams to private school, gifted programs, etc., but as bad as that sounds, it is an absolutely wonderful book. So many suggestions for games and activities to do with your kids (2-6) that will boost their cognitive skills, regardless of testing. Goes beyond the obvious and the scope of other books I've read. It is not a "test-prep" book, despite the title. I've also recently read The Well-Trained Mind, but I assume that's already widely known on these forums. :-)

Thank you -- very reassuring! I appreciate your reply.

Thank you -- this is helpful. He can copy basic shapes, but not well. His lines wobble and he just doesn't have good control. That's what I'm hoping to work on with him. I'm thinking HWT is our best bet.

Hi All, I'm looking for a good handwriting program for my 4.5-year-old, who doesn't like to write much and has underdeveloped fine motor skills. It seems from the reviews that Handwriting Without Tears would be the best program for him, but I'm concerned because he will probably be attending public kindergarten next year, and I don't want him to have to unlearn everything. Has anyone been there, done that? Is the transition from HWT method to standard handwriting fairly straightforward, or would I be setting him up for frustration? Can anyone recommend a good "standard" handwriting program for a young child who's a little resistant? (He'll try, but he gets frustrated and gives up easily.) For what it's worth, I'm not trying to force him into beautiful penmanship so young -- I just want him to begin to develop better fine motor control, for his sake, so that he won't struggle next year.

Hi All, I'm looking for a good handwriting program for my 4.5-year-old, who doesn't like to write much and has underdeveloped fine motor skills. It seems from the reviews that Handwriting Without Tears would be the best program for him, but I'm concerned because he will probably be attending public kindergarten next year, and I don't want him to have to unlearn everything. Has anyone been there, done that? Is the transition from HWT method to standard handwriting fairly straightforward, or would I be setting him up for frustration? Can anyone recommend a good "standard" handwriting program for a young child who's a little resistant? (He'll try, but he gets frustrated and gives up easily.) For what it's worth, I'm not trying to force him into beautiful penmanship so young -- I just want him to begin to develop better fine motor control, for his sake, so that he won't struggle next year.

I am new to this site and this is my first post, so I hope it's okay if I just jump right in. (My son is in Pre-K (4 years old). He attends a nursery program since we both work full-time, but I am "after schooling" (enriching) where possible. Right now I have absolutely no formal plans or programs I use, but looking ahead to K, I am trying to get ideas, hence I joined this site.) For science and social studies/history, we mainly just read a lot of high-quality non-fiction: The Usborne Beginners books are great, with topics in science (trees, flowers, chicks and eggs, caterpillars and butterflies, etc.) and in social studies (China, Ancient Egypt, etc.) all geared for 4-6 year-olds. The books are small and short, yet quite informative, and are hardcover so they last. They're also cheap. The only pitfall is that they are from the UK, so some of the vocabulary is not what we would use. Make small adjustments and it's fine. For science, the Let's Read and Find Out Science series is also terrific. There are two levels, and the books have beautiful illustrations and lots of information, presented in an easily-digestible way. We have about 10 of them, but there are many more. We also have What Your Preschooler Needs to Know and What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know, and they cover a lot of science and history topics quite well. Beyond books, we let our son watch some educational videos on the computer (we don't have a television) -- Reading Rainbow is his favorite, and it's great. The shows cover all kinds of topics, from science to history, and it's all centered around books and literature. We have a world map in our living room, and he has a U.S. map on his bedroom wall. At this point we don't do much formal with it, but he can identify the continents and the major oceans. We just bought him a globe that he loves looking at. Finally, we go to the museum, zoo, park, etc. and just talk about what we see and experience. I have enjoyed reading through all of the previous responses and look forward to exploring more of what this site and these forums have to offer.