nukeswife Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I'm trying to do more with my 4 year old this year, and although we're doing ok with the Kumon books I have, I'd love more hands on stuff and a bit more formal program. I love the looks of LHTH, but would prefer a secular program and just can't find one. Although I'm ok to fly by the seat of my pants with my oldest for the youngers I need something that's really all laid out for me. I guess I'm looking for "Fun Preschool for dummies" Anyone have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 My dd is almost 4 (September.) I'm doing MFW K with her, 1/2 speed. I didn't intend to, but I"m using it in a secular way. We skipped the first 2 weeks on creation. We do the letter, number, handwriting activities and use the theme to get books from the library. We do some of the science activities to match each theme. So far, it's been a good fit. If she's not ready for the blending ladders and easy readers, when we get there, we'll just skip it. She likes the predictability of the calendar work and hundreds chart. We're also using the ETC primers. I'm not even coordinating it with MFW. We just started at the beginning and do a page or two each day. If I wasn't doing MFW K, I would: keep ETC primers, get the Singapore EB books for math, a handwriting program and call it good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 With my 4yo, we do art (Celebrating Art, a Usborne How to draw book, or just free art), math (her choice BJU K, MEP 1a, Ray's Pirmary, or Miquon), copywork (either words from Spelling Power that her sister uses or a sentnce from SWR, or part of a poem she is learning), and she gets a story or her choice. She has her own shelf of books and her own supplies. It is a bit more than fly by the seat of my pants, but still very open. I am just happy to let her be happy to join us. I also love to see what things she chooses. Sometimes she imitates what her sister is doing, and sometimes she does her own thing, and sometimes she goes for days without ever wanting to join us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patchfire Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Ds wants so desperately to do things just like his big sister. I knew we wouldn't get through a whole program, though. He's doing phonics, handwriting, and math, and he's doing memory work and reading Bob books to me as well. I have a list of books I want us to read sometime this year, but it's not any defined order or coherence. I probably *should* be more thematic about it, but he doesn't seem bothered. I have bought science activity kits for him. He loves to "do an experiment!" I also have "art time" scheduled for him most days, which I rotate between crayons, markers, play dough, and so on. Every once in a while I'll direct his art, but not usually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 There are 2 I like. Bright Beginnings http://www.bright-beginnings.net/index.htm ( RR sells it) and Learn and Grow Pre k http://www.homeschool-your-boys.com/learnandgrowpreschoolcurriculum.html BB has a Bible portion, but it would be easy to skip. Learn and grow every once in a while will have a christian resource recommended, but it is very rare and it doesn't effect anything by skipping it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 We did A Beka's workbooks and FIAR. I found if I followed FIAR without adding activities, I didn't really have to plan. HTH! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidbits of Learning Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 I'm trying to do more with my 4 year old this year, and although we're doing ok with the Kumon books I have, I'd love more hands on stuff and a bit more formal program. I love the looks of LHTH, but would prefer a secular program and just can't find one. Although I'm ok to fly by the seat of my pants with my oldest for the youngers I need something that's really all laid out for me. I guess I'm looking for "Fun Preschool for dummies" Anyone have any ideas? I have done about 1/3 of LHTH and found it became very repetitive. I am going to do Hewitt's Preschool Plus when he gets to be 4. It looks really good. http://hewitthomeschooling.com/book/bgroup.asp?i=8052 The sample gives you a really good idea of what to expect from it and the books you would need. http://hewitthomeschooling.com/book/bxpp.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 How about FIAR? Secular, flexible, fun, lots of great activities and awesome books! We are going to use it this year along w/ MFW K for dd4 and as our main program for ds6 and ds8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devotional Soul Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 (edited) MFW K is pretty easy to make secular and is flexible, just leave out the lesson's motto and the Bible quotes. I started it when my ds was 4 and stretched 1 week of lessons to last 2 weeks, adding lots of library books. At 4 1/2, he had a big shift and was able to start 1 week on each animal/subject. We had a lot of fun learning with this gentle introduction to animals, geography, the alphabet, writing, and reading short vowel cvc words. It was perfect for my 4 year old, but wouldn't have been enough for my ds at 5. Here is what I put on my blog about our year with MFW K: http://holisticfamily.blogspot.com/search/label/Homeschool Edited August 24, 2009 by Devotional Soul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted August 24, 2009 Author Share Posted August 24, 2009 Thanks all, You've given me some great ideas to check out. So far I like the looks of learn and grow prek but I'll check out the others after I get home from dropping the little guy off at camp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sarathan Posted August 24, 2009 Share Posted August 24, 2009 Funny, when I read your title, my first thought was LHTH. :) Anyway, you could check out Carol's Affordable Curriculum (www.carolscurriculum.com) for a fun, hands-on preschool curriculum. Then you could add Sonlight P3/4 books for read-alouds. I'm not sure if that would be formal enough for you, but it would definitely be a fun and well-rounded pre-k year! That's probably what I would do if I weren't doing LHTH. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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