mlgbug Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Im pretty sure MFW is. im thinking for like K-1. for next year, call me crazy. i think i might like it all to be from 1 place. im struggling to get organized with all my different things. i havent even officially STARTED! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Everyone is different, but I hate to see people spending big bucks on stuff for kinder/first. It just isn't needed, and I think that the money makes many people determined to 'get through' curriculum even when it's not the best fit, or simply takes too much time. All one needs for kinder/first, imo, is math, phonics, copywork, and a big ol' stack of library books. There comes a time when things need to get more organized and scheduled, but k/1 is not that time. Enjoy this relaxed couple of years, because I promise you will be missing it when your kids hit 4th and 6th like mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlgbug Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 this is silly, but what is copywork? i hear it everywhere here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Copywork is simply copying a short sentence in her own handwriting. As she gets older, the sentences become longer and she will copy paragraphs eventually. As for a complete curriculum, I agree that an expensive one isn't necessary. Handwriting, phonics, math, reading, reading, reading together, etc. is all that is really necessary. However, I have both MFW K and 1st and I really LOVE MFW K. Complete, fun, easy to teach, lots of good books to read, Bible, little bit of science, art, music, social studies, etc. but all in nice little bite-size pieces. But, I also don't beat myself up when we don't get to everything. If we do phonics, math, some reading and handwriting but no science or art or whatever...it's okay! I also like FIAR for that age...just starting that with my dd4, ds6 and ds8. Literature based unit studies using really awesome children's books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radish4ever Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I use the book Home Education Curriculum: Kindergarten There are books all the way up to 6th grade. The next one published once that went out of print is the Learn at Home series. They are full curriculums covering all subjects. I supplement reading and math just because my DD seems to want more than is offered with the curriculum and I *love* it. We'll probably continue using these books (and supplementing with phonics/writing/grammar as time goes on) for quite some time. :) It's fun for the kid and easy for the mom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlgbug Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 mfw has always caught my eye. but i dont know if id want to save for the k program for the 1st grade. she will be 5 in may, so,....we are doing k work this year....ug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 from what you have in your siggy I think the K program would be too easy for her. For me the easiest thing is to purchase individual subjects that have schedules or are very clearly laid out. So for science we are using real science odyssey and for history Sonlight, for phonics McRuffy. Math is just Critical thinking company bu that is just 2 pgs a day so it is easy to get done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlgbug Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 hey how do u like the hooked on handwriting??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmschooling Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Math and Language Arts....just add library books for fun, history, science, etc. I agree with the poster that mentioned not spending much on curriculum for the early years. I've btdt and I would have been so much better off had I started of using the info in the link above. And so would my dd. My son is off to an amazing start this year for K thanks to this. Oh, a plus is that this is free, loads of fun, and complete...as in many moms have said they can start a 5th, and many say even 6th, grade level math program in 4th grade after completing the math portion in 3rd grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 My son loves the hooked on handwriting. It is the first handwriting program that he actually likes. He watches the video of the letter being traced and then he traces each letter. It is the first time that he actually tries to do the strokes correctly. If the computer tells him what to do, he listens. If I tell him what to do, he gets mad. So it is working really well so far. I think they are discontinuing the program. Hopefully it just means that they are coming out with a new edition.:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 DD (k) (4 years old):singapore math singapore science 100 ez lessons FIAR HOP k-1 DS (prek) 22 months HOP pre-k 100 ez lessons with sister,...SLOWLY lots of having fun! Just remember, your kids are only little once! They have sooo many years of schooling ahead of them.....Let them be kids while they still are! :001_smile: LOTS of reading to them, letting them explore, lots of walks and playing, listen to classical and other music, read to them, cook/bake with you, play with measuring cups and different sized containers to learn concepts like volume, read aloud to them..................oh, and did I mention that it'd be good to READ A LOT to them? :D It's good to see the "having lots of fun" part! That should be in there for both of them at their ages! Don't get too ansy to push'em through. Studies have actually shown that kids who start later do just as well as those who start early, and pick up on things quicker, because they are more ready---their brains have matured more, the synapses are connecting, and it comes easier to them! Okay, so, that's just FYI, you can take it or leave it, of course! Just at least consider it! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlgbug Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 i completeley agree. the ything is they WANT to learn. they ASK me for it, and im so unprepared. today ds picked up the 100 ez lessons on his own and points to e and says eeee. points to a and sas aaaa. its like they are ready, im not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 i completeley agree. the ything is they WANT to learn. they ASK me for it, and im so unprepared. today ds picked up the 100 ez lessons on his own and points to e and says eeee. points to a and sas aaaa. its like they are ready, im not. Yep, that's what my oldest and youngest did (my middle guy could care less about it all until he was 7 and the lightbulb went off! :D) The angle I'm coming from is that you can go with their interests, and at their pace, absolutely. HOWEVER, there is a tendency for parents to want to continue that pace and keep going. The child, on the other hand, may get tired of that thing and move on to something else they're interested in. That leaves us back at this other place going, "C'mon, DO this, you did it yesterday!" So, I guess this is a pre-warning: Allow them to get tired of something and move to something else. If they're not interested in math or reading or learning numbers or letters, go ahead and back off for awhile and allow them to go to the next thing, then help them with that. They WILL learn math! They WILL learn to read. But they MAY NOT keep at the pace they are now, and, imho, at these young ages shouldn't be pushed to continue on. KWIM? I'm not saying that WILL happen, or that you are pushing or will push. I'm just warning you beforehand that it could happen, so to be aware of it, and know that it's okay! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlgbug Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 yeah i agree. dd is already bored with 100 ez lessons at lesson 29. so id like to continue but with something new and more fun.... now im just iusing what she knows and writing silly sentences like dad is a cat and she reads it and laughs. .... so at least shes thinking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 mfw has always caught my eye. but i dont know if id want to save for the k program for the 1st grade. she will be 5 in may, so,....we are doing k work this year....ug If she knows her alphabet and letter sounds, the MFW K would probably be too easy and I would suggest going w/ the 1st grade program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlgbug Posted September 6, 2009 Author Share Posted September 6, 2009 you see she doesnt know it ALL SOLID, but for the most part. i mean i wouldnt start till say may with that and by then i believe she will know all upper lower and sounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna A. Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 you see she doesnt know it ALL SOLID, but for the most part. i mean i wouldnt start till say may with that and by then i believe she will know all upper lower and sounds If you keep doing what you're doing now until May, I would say that by *then* she may be ready for MFW 1st grade. However, You may want to wait until then to re-evaluate. After the first few weeks of MFW 1st, it picks up the pace and moves at a pretty good clip through the rest of the year. Meanwhile, a child can take big leaps when going from age 4 to 5.... or she may hit a wall and slow waayyyyy down. Right now she's loving school and taking it in like a sponge, BUT, she's still very young, so you may hit a wall with either her reading, math, or fine motor skills. If that happens, don't worry, it's normal. :) Just take time to read a lot and play games, and then pick up with your "formal" lessons again when she appears ready. All that said, I wouldn't decide on whether you'll need K or 1st grade until you get closer to being ready to place an order. September to May is a long time for a 4yo-turning-5. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 I started off with FIAR. I hated it, but it taught me what I wanted out of hs material. I didn't want a list of neat activities and ideas. I wanted an actual schedule already laid out, preferably day-by-day. I did like the literature based of FIAR. I ended up going with SL. It seemed to consist mostly of curling up on the sofa with good books. I didn't buy the complete program. I piecemealed it. I already owned a lot of the books and picked up most of the others used. I have used SL for over 10 years now and it was only cost-effective to buy a complete Core once out of all that time. It's very fast and easy to check on prices for all the books on amazon and put the books that are cheaper that way in my cart to hold on to. It's also fast and easy to mark the books in the catalog that my library has at least 2 copies of (I don't buy those) and to see if any of the expensive books that are quick reads are there. Paddle to the Sea is an expensive book that can actually be read in one sitting. I got it from the library rather than paying for it. My SL order only had books that I couldn't get cheaper at amazon or Half-Price Books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyAberlin Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Yeah I tried BFIAR and it taught me that I needed a schedule as well. Plus my son doesn't enjoy reading the same book everyday. He'll sit for the Sonlight chapter books, but not the came picture book 5 days in a row. We did sonlight K last yr for pre-k and it was a big hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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