Preschool for 4.5 year old?

[staceyobu]

I'm still debating if sonlight p4/5 is worth the money. I have a $25 off coupon if I order by Monday... so I'm trying to make the decision. My kids are book lovers... so money for books always seems like money well spent!

 

A few questions...

1) Should I talk myself out of ordering this and just continue doing library runs for another year? (Well... we'll do library runs either way...)

2) If I do decide to order it, should I get some easy math to go with it? If so, what kind of math do you recommend? I'm thinking I want to use singapore and miquon when we get to kindergarten and up.

3) I think DD reads on about a 1st grade level. Would it be beneficial to order some readers with the p4/5 so we have some books around that don't frustrate her? Or should I hold back on that? Right now we have bob books and I just let her pick them up as she pleases. I don't really suggest for her to read aloud.

 

Thanks for any advice. I know nothing!

[MeAndTheBoys]

For us, it was worth it in the long run but rather frustrating in the short run--I had to add a lot to it for reading and math because my son wasnt' interested in books at the time. (I LOVE to read, so that broke my heart, lol).

 

So it was more of a torture year and a half getting through the p 4/5 books as we also zoomed ahead in reading and math--

 

The books in P 4/5 don't take long--that's one thing people want to weigh when putting the money into it--maybe 30 minutes per day? Some moms with book lovers find themselves reading a week's worth of books in a day, and think--very expensive for so few books!

 

But for us, looking back, and knowing how much my boys love books, reading, and listening now, and seeing that about half of the p 4/5 books have become favorites--it was worth it. They are certainly different books than ones we already owned or that I would have chosen at the library. Doing MFW this year, I'm wondering how much I'll miss SL's unique book choices and may have to add some in :)

 

If you love books, go for it :) Just know that it may not be enough books, it has no hands-on, you may need to add reading/math.

 

Betsy

[LivingUnderGrace]

1) Should I talk myself out of ordering this and just continue doing library runs for another year? (Well... we'll do library runs either way...)

2) If I do decide to order it, should I get some easy math to go with it? If so, what kind of math do you recommend? I'm thinking I want to use singapore and miquon when we get to kindergarten and up.

3) I think DD reads on about a 1st grade level. Would it be beneficial to order some readers with the p4/5 so we have some books around that don't frustrate her? Or should I hold back on that? Right now we have bob books and I just let her pick them up as she pleases. I don't really suggest for her to read aloud.

 

 

 

Answers of course, will vary by mom...but, here are mine. :001_smile:

 

1. I would just use library books, myself. Eh, you can probably find most of the Sonlight titles there anyway and frankly no way would I want to follow a program for a 4 year old, but then again I have five children to teach and there is only so much time in the day. ;)

 

2. Informal math is key here. Funtastic Frogs, Hundred Board, Dice, Dominoes...just 2-3 days per week.

 

3. Bob books are great, when you feel she is beyond those, I like the McGuffey's, Pathway Readers, and Christian Liberty Nature Readers, myself.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I don't have any advice on Sonlight, but I've just been getting readers from the library for my 4.5yo dd. We do have some readers that we've bought from library sales or that others have bought for us, but everything else comes from the library. There is such a wide selection there so dd always has something new to read and if there is something that she really likes we just check it out again. She has begun to read some of our "regular" picture books from our home collection as well.

[Sue G in PA]

I wouldn't spend the money right now. That's just my opinion b/c my budget is tight. :) Keep PreK light and fun...not that Sonlight isn't...I don't know much about Sonlight. You might want to check out HOD's programs for her. Of course, it might be just as expensive as Sonlight. i don't know! Just a though. HOD included hands-on math activities, science, history, story time, etc. There was a good discussion on the board recently about HOD.

[3Rivers]

For me.....

 

Having just completed a year of preschool with my little dude.....*sigh*, *sniff*...

 

A SL package would be a luxury, but not a necessity.

You could do a complete preschool program with these things:

 

 

• library books
  
• Preschool activities in a bag ( for ready to go hands on projects)
  
• a simple math/numbers workbook OR just the bags (above) OR just incorporating math into life
  
• visit these sites: www.magicalchildhood.com, www.homeschoolblogger.com/jaminacema www.starfall.com
  

Have fun! I love preschool! :)

[FO4UR]

I've got a 4.5yo and I won't be doing an organized curric with her. She can do Singapore EB math 2-4x per week, sit in with her brother for phonics, and just pick books off of our shelf for read alouds. I fill our shelves by shopping GCF and library sales, etc... She enjoys the Kumon coloring/pasting/mazes. I teach her penmanship too, mostly at the chalkboard.

 

Considering I have been able to find many of those same titles used and cheap, I would have a hard time justifying the price of SL4/5 for me and mine. I do always check SL's website to see what books they recommend.

[3Rivers]

I second the Kumon workbooks. My little guy loves those. Very colorful and has variety.

[matrips]

we have Sonlight P4/5 but we bought it used so it was a savings. my kids, also 4.5, really enjoy reading and I love that they have such good books. we used P3/4 this past year and loved that too! as for 'readers', I go to lots of yard sales or buy in bulk off ebay so we have a variety of kids books around. we use the library too, but I like having lots of books so they can develop favorites if they want. I don't buy the readers from Sonlight; they're too easy to find elsewhere, much cheaper.

 

as far as what level, you always want to have some books that can be read easily without frustration, but also more challenging ones. as soon as mine mastered the very easy readers, I took them away so they could continue building their reading skills. we probably have about 500-600 kids books in our home library, all inexpensively obtained! I try not to spend more than a dollar on a book, and 25 cents is even better! I also try to make sure to buy 'good' books for them instead of junky type ones that aren't well written.

 

we are doing Sonlight P4/5, AAS, Singapore EB (way too easy, but that's okay), MUS Primer (also very easy so far), Handwriting Without Tears (K level), and FLL, plus just playing games with flashcards or dice etc. we're just taking it nice and easy; I have weekly goals I aim for, but playtime at this age is still my priority for them. so we fit in school throughout the day, as time allows, instead of scheduling a set time for each day. I like having an activity to do with them.

[rousselab]

I am using Five In A Row with my children (2 1/2 and 4 1/2) and they both LOVE it. Of course, the 4 1/2 year old is getting a little more out of it, but they are both developing a love of reading using this exciting literature (unit study) approach. They look forward to it every day.

 

The TM is inexpensive on the used curriculum boards, and I have been able to find almost every book for Volume 1 though our library system. It can be as in depth or as gentle as you choose to make it. There are so many options using this curriculum. There is also a FIAR board where many who have already studied the books post incredible ideas. Homeschoolshare.com is another great site to use with FIAR for additional ideas. There is a Christian/Bible supplement for FIAR that you can purchase separately if you choose to use it. This supplement has wonderful ideas for weaving in Bible with each book.

 

Here is a link for FIAR with a books list and sample.

http://fiveinarow.com/FIVEINAROW.html

 

HTH. Wishing you a year filled with fun learning....

:)

Anita

Edited August 8, 2009 by rousselab

[jewel7123]

I am currently using LHTH with my just turned 4 year old and 2 1/2 year old daughters. I am adding Singapore Earlybirth 1A & 1B and Phonics Pathways for my 4 year old and also B4FIAR as storytime for both girls. However, if I was in your situation and only had one PK'er and my child was already reading then I would do Little Hearts for His Glory and perhaps add the emerging readers set.

 

http://www.heartofdakota.com/little-hearts.php

 

http://www.heartofdakota.com/emerging-reader.php

[Guest Cindie2dds]

I used SL's P4/5 last year when my dd was 4.5. I really loved the books, especially for the long term. It was an amazing learning experience for a first-time homeschooling mom! Below are my opinions, take some (or not) and throw the others out the window. ;)

 

Pros:

 

Amazing books to reread over and over. We really loved their science book selections.

Structure for a new hs mom.

A weekly schedule of reading to learn how to organize your day.

 

Cons:

 

Not really a lot of fun. There great books, but my daughter would look at me like, "Is that it?"

 

The schedule is that, just a schedule; no more and no less. There aren't activities scheduled around your read alouds, any narration questions, math games, songs, etc. This could be a disappointment for you if you were looking for a "preschool program." This is literature program for 4 - 6 year olds.

 

I learned a lot about myself and my philosophy of education during this past year, and I am very grateful for that and the books on my shelf that we reread all the time. We are currently doing Winter Promise's JOI/IRL with both of my girls this year (5.5 and 3), which is more of a preschool program, IMVHO. We are truly enjoying it and are having a lot of fun with school.

 

If you have the money, P4/5 is a great collection of books. If you are a creative type who can easily add fun to this program, I would say go for it. I am not and am glad I have activities, songs, math games, crafts, internet-related sites, etc., planned out for me with what we are doing this year.

 

HOD is also a fun "preschool program" too. I prefer a weekly schedule rather than a daily one (which HOD uses), so it depends on how you like to organize your time.

 

HTH!

 

ETA: We did the Readers K from SL last year. Bob books are about the same. I would definitely do math, if your child is interested; mine was. We did Singapore Earlybird and loved it, gentle, fun introduction to math. We are going to do Miquon Orange and maybe Red before we go back to Singapore 1A.

Edited August 8, 2009 by Cindie2dds

[HomesteadMommy]

I also use Five in a Row. Our little ones (and momma to) love it! It's very easy to adjust to each child's likes and levels.

[Mama2Three]

We have the SL PK 4/5 books. In the spring I bought a set from the FSOT board that included almost all of the books and saved about 50%. My DD will officially start K in the fall and we've read through many of them already. I'll add them in again as they fit into the MFW K program (26+ unit studies). For us, they were a bit of a luxury but if you can find them used I think that they are well worth the splurge.

 

We also use ETC for phonics (did about half of PP but I was getting bored with the lists) and Singapore for math. She was very workbook-y but has moved away from them this summer, so I'm looking forward to doing more hands-on phonics and math, like AAS and Miquon or RightStart. It's always a work in progress.

Edited August 8, 2009 by Mama2Three

[krisp]

My ds is 4.5 and we'll be doing a combination of Sonlight 4/5 (read a few of the books last year) and K, along with RightStart A and Phonics Pathways. He doesn't read quite as well, though (probably due to the fact that he taught himself ;) )

 

What I've done with Sonlight is buy the IGs (though I'm not sure I'd even consider it necessary for 4/5 and I haven't looked at the K yet) and get the majority of the books from the library. Since this is my youngest (and looks like he'll stay the youngest), I don't really need to buy the little kid books that our library system already owns. (Plus my new decluttering strategy is to let the library store the books they own and I'll borrow them ;) ) This way I can spend my money on the books the library doesn't have :)

 

The sonlight website is great for looking up books, bumping up a level of readers or down a level.

[FairProspects]

We are currently doing SL P4/5 and I have mixed feelings about it. I LOVE the science part and so does DS. I know that some people don't like the Usbourne books format because it is factual blurbs, and doesn't teach kids to think in narrative, but DS is very much a "just the facts, thanks" kind of kid, and I do read narratives for literature, so I don't find it to be too much of a problem. I also love the IG, the use of a Bible story a day, and a Mother Goose nursery rhyme per day. My kids have learned more from Mother Goose than I ever could have thought possible!

 

I am less enthusiastic about the "storybook" literature selections. I much preferred the P3/4 selections. P4/5 uses a lot of world fairy tales, edited and retold with easier vocabulary. I have ended up just substituting these out with AO's year .5 suggestions of the originals. I think SL does this because many of the originals are out-of-print or hard to find, but to me they are still more valuable for the richness of vocabulary and context of plot. Anyway, just some things to think about as you make your decision from someone who is currently using P4/5! Take them or leave them!

[Sahamamama]

I like to ask myself, "Is this how we really want to learn and spend our days?" I could NEVER follow a teacher's guide with little check-off boxes, but that's just my non-conformist personality. I don't like people telling me what to do in my house with my kids. :D That's why we homeschool.....

 

My 4.5 year old is "doing school" this year. When I looked at programs like SL, I couldn't justify spending a large amount of money on books that we could (mostly) find at our library. If you have book lovers in your house, so much depends on your library. At ours, we can reserve books via the Internet and pick them up in 10 minutes, and we can renew on-line. Truly, we read so many books that to buy and store them all would be impossible, not to mention pointless. Some books are not worth reading once, some are written at the wrong level for my students, some we read and keep around for a week, some we check out again and again and again, and SOME books are so loved by us that we finally BUY them. These books we cherish, and the children treat them rather reverently. ;) I think using the library system in this way teaches our children that not all books are of equal merit. I also think it teaches them that loving particular books is highly personal -- no one can really choose your books for you. We do research and use lists, we even buy books on lists, but we don't "buy the list." We are book lovers because we have experienced first-hand many books worth eventually owning. For us, a book has to earn a space on our shelves.

 

If you think your library will continue to serve you well for picture books; a children's atlas; well-written and illustrated books about black bears and oceans and salamanders and farming and how tadpoles become frogs; children's poetry; and beginning chapter books (Frog & Toad, for example), then lean on that resource for your Read Alouds. We do daily Read Alouds in two ways: (1) with ALL the kids on the sofa just after lunch and before Rest Time (our sofa sags); and (2) only my older daughter gets Reading-on-the-Bed-with-Mommy time just after supper and before Bed Time (that's to motivate her to eat dinner without dawdling). ;)

 

For the whole crew Read Alouds, we are focusing this year on picture story books (e.g., The Story About Ping, Angus and the Ducks, etc. -- check Before Five in a Row, 1000 Good Books, and MFW for good lists of these), Mother Goose/Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Tales (e.g., Gingerbread Man, 3 Pigs, etc.), a few ABC/123 books for the twins, Aesop's Fables, Bible Stories, and Leading Little Ones to God -- so, "Literature" and "Bible." ;)

 

For our evening reads, we do "Reading Practice" (we do this first, usually with Bob books, Jonathan James series, her little Bible reader, or something simple to practice); then we read "Poetry" together (right now it's Child's Garden of Verses for 2 months, then it's on to A.A. Milne's poems, Family Poetry Treasury, Edward Lear, and William Blake for children); then I might read "Science" (we're just going through biomes, reading library books, one biome per month); and/or "Geography" (we're studying continents, same way); and then we get really snuggly and read one chapter from our chosen "Chapter Book" (we're reading through Farmer Boy, and the other Little House books for younger readers); and then my voice is gone.....

 

For phonics we have been using OPG: http://www.peacehillpress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=72

 

It's tough to know what to do now, because she's reading well beyond the lessons we've "covered," but we are still going to work through all the lessons until we finish the book.

 

For math we're doing a variety: Evan-Moor, School Zone, Horizons K, hands-on math, and library books about math (e.g., Math in the Kitchen, Math in the Backyard, etc.). We do a lot hands-on, but we are also doing traditional skill practice and drill in counting & skip counting; beginnning math facts +0, +1, +2, -0, -1; time (hour & half-hour, with cards and Judy clocks); money (penny, nickel, dime, quarter names, coins, & values); measurement (using "inch-worms" and "inch-worm" rulers, she loves this).

 

FWIW, because all my kids are young and because I think Pre-K/K-4 should be a year of balance between:

 

 

• Freedom: Play, Art, Music, Dress-Up
  
• Structure: Seatwork, Drill, Memory Work, Daily Chores
  
• Language Learning: Read Aloud, Conversation, Going to Grammy's House, Audiobooks
  

 

...I'd rather (1) Utilize the library heavily for most Read Aloud & Reading Practice materials, audiobooks, music CDs, and the ocassional DVD; (2) Use hands-on materials for math & science activities; (3) Invest the $ in more "hands-on" resources, such as art supplies, craft kits, real tools, Wee Sing CDs, simple musical instruments, toys and equipment, and a costume basket for pretend play (this week, the little Rainbow Fairies were dancing here), books for the children, and teacher-training resources for ME (minus the check-off boxes). ;) HTH.

[petepie2]

We did p4/5 last year when my DD was 4. She loved it. We ordered from Sonlight. The reading was very light and we repeated almost all of the books with the exception of the storybooks. I'm looking forward to repeating this program with my other children in the future. Last year she also did Sonlight's Readers 1, OPGTR, Explode the Code, A Reason for Handwriting and Singapore Earlybird Math. We found the "I Can Read" books in Readers 1 to be great for reading practice. Many of the Readers 1 are Dr. Seuss books that you may already have at home.

 

Some of the p4/5 books were available at my library. But having 3 kids to get in and out of carseats and nursing the youngest one, made many trips to the library unattractive for me. It was convenient to have all the books at home and have them available to repeat at any time. If you decide to use the p4/5 books, whether you buy from Sonlight or shop used or use the library is really a matter of how you want to use your time vs how much money you want to spend.

 

Now, I just need to get me one of those $25 coupons!!