A home for their hearts Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Okay, maybe a strange title to a thread but it's how I'm feeling. I have a three week old baby and have been dealing with a lot this year (I'm just putting it all out there) There curriculum I have is very teacher intensive and is just not getting done due to my lack of motivation and many other factors. I have Right Start for math. I loved the idea and approach and drooled over it for two years before we could actually afford to buy it. I thought my dc would love it but they seem to hate it. I was wanting to use Spell to Write and Read to teach my ds6 to read and my ds9 who is a struggling reader to help fill in some gaps and for spelling for my dd10. Again I love the theory behind it but I've owned it for 3 months and am too afraid to teach it. I was planning on who Classical Writing Aesop for my dd10 and ds9. I've never used this and I'm thinking it might be a little teacher intensive also. Right now nothing is getting done. I'm so overwhelmed with my curriculum choices, although I think they are great and really want to use them, I just can't get into them. I really don't have a budget to buy anything new, plus I don't think I can convince my dh to buy anything else. I need something that is free and easy to use for the time being. Any suggestions? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Can you sell the ones that are not working for you and use that money to buy new ones? Check the sale and swap boards here, homeschoolclassifieds.com, ebay - you can find good deals out there if you're able to patiently do some shopping. MEP is a free math curriculum, but it's not one that a student can use without the parent/teacher directing most of the lesson. It is very good, though. I would pay for it if I had to, but I'm glad it's free. http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/default.htm Phonics Pathways is a good beginning reading program - MUCH easier to teach than SWR, just open and go. It's inexpensive, and you might be able to find it used as well. For writing, I think (haven't used it yet) that Meaningful Composition is addressed directly to the student, and doesn't require much work on the parent's part. It's also more affordable than many writing curricula. I doubt you'd be able to find this one used, though, since it's a workbook format. There is a free grammar program available online called KISS. And if you do a search, I know there have been threads about free curriculum in the past. If you have access to a public library, you can do quite a lot with just that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Congratulations on your new little one :grouphug: Can you sell the rightstart and SWR and buy CLE instead? If not... how about playing games with a purpose? Education.com has a ton of free activity ideas for all subjects and grades. Check and see if your library has Phonics Pathways, OPGTR, 100 EZ Lessons or The Reading Lesson and just use that to teach reading. Use starfall.com to practice phonics/reading (can be done independently). Check out science videos from the library, along with a good science experiment book. Your older DD could do most of them on her own. For math: card games, board games, puzzles, mind-benders... See the education.com link above for ideas. Once you teach them how, your two older children could play on their own. Other than that, just snuggle up every day and read a few good books together. You can cover literature and history this way. Almost everything I've mentioned can be done will holding a newborn. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 One of my favorite websites is this one: http://www.freelyeducate.com/ The mom who maintains this website is a friendly, kind woman. I have exchanged e-mails with her occasionally. There are wonderful resources linked at her website, and readers can submit their own candidate resource websites for consideration. Also consider purchasing this book (info swiped from Amazon.com page): Homeschool Your Child for Free: More Than 1,400 Smart, Effective, and Practical Resources for Educating Your Family at Home (Paperback) ~ LauraMaery Gold LauraMaery Gold (Author) › Visit Amazon's LauraMaery Gold Page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheryl h Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 I am sorry your having a rough time of it. I am sure your children are learning more right now about how to adjust to adversity than you think and that is worth a lot. Here are a few 'freebies' that we have enjoyed. Spellcity.com for spelling games, you put in the list, or they can make one for you based on age/grade. Hangman, crossword puzzles, wordfinds, vocabulary. My kids love it. Donnayoung.org-she is a former homeschool mom that has put all kinds of freebies on her site for all to use. She is more a Charlotte Mason kinda gal, but that might be more up your alley for the time being. It is really mind boggling the amount of stuff she has, for all different subjects. I am sorry I don't have more to offer, hopefully more people will chime in. :001_smile::001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 I don't have any additional curriculum ideas, but I do have a suggestion. Take a nice long summer break! We normally homeschool year round and get a lot done during the summer when it's blazing hot, BUT I had a baby last July and all that went out the window. I know it can be frustrating, and if you're like me, you may already be a bit behind from not feeling great while pregnant. But, the newborn time period can be so exhausting emotionally and physically and so I think you have to give yourself the breathing room you need right now! Try to have a relaxing summer with your kiddos and let them learn lots of "life lessons" instead: helping mom with the new baby, exploring outside, reading books from the library, playdough projects, going for a nature walk, meeting up with friends at the park, cooking dinner with you, sorting laundry, etc. It was hard for me to let go of formal schooling for a while until I got my footing again, but it was easier once I realized it didn't have to mean TV and video games all day. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thowell Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 We have used alot of free resources because we just don't have the money. Living on a yearly budget of under $30,000 with 5 kids can make it almost impossible. So my best resources so far have been Scott Foresman Grammar a complete program for 1-6 grade. Progressive Phonics free online, you can print the books and worksheets or read the books from the screen. Old Fashion education has tons of free public domain books for all subjects. I have even bought used workbooks for $.50 and erased all the writing to reuse them. My library has been a Godsend. We picked up a used copy of Abeka American History for about $2.00 and used it as a spring board and checked out tons of books from the library to cover all the people and events. We made our own time line and the girls draw their own figures. For most of our math we have used materials and probably have less then $30 in it all. Worst case scenario you may be able to check your local PS to see if they have a warehouse where they send all their used books. In my town these are all free and you can pick from whatever they have. It can be really tough but I have come to believe it is not the books and programs we use but rather how we teach it. You can have the best most expensive programs but if you can't use them because of different situations it's not going to work. You obviously have the desire to teach your children and that is what is most important and will ultimately be what gets the job done. I wish you all the best!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishmommy Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Have you looked at Lesson Pathways? It is now free and has tons of resources, it might take some work to get it all together, but it might work. http://www.lessonpathways.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra in va Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 (edited) :grouphug: Big hugs! Everything's going to be okay. I've had times in our homeschooling journey where it feels like everything is falling apart - it will pass, and you'll get back on track again. (There are times I didn't do much of anything, which was so hard at the time, but as the years have passed, it ended up being just fine!) Right Start, CW, SWR are very teacher-intensive programs (I've looked at CW, tried to use SWR, and used RS for many years). Don't feel bad about not being able to make it work. Just get through this time and next year, you'll be better able to make curriculum choices. So many times in the past, I've chosen things b/c they are the "best" instead of what I need to actually get the work done. It's a hard lesson to learn b/c we want to use "the best", but often the best is what gets done. There are great suggestions above, here are some I could think of: - go to the library and get lots of books and let the kids read on their own (appropriate level readers and just fun books that they will want to read) - play RS games (let your oldest two play them together) - the corners game was a big favorite with my kids, even the easy games will be great review - let them have fun with it. - don't worry about teaching your 6 yo to read...there will be time for that later. you can print some coloring/activity pages from enchanted learning - call on some friends and ask if they can help you - taking the kids out, letting you rest. Enjoy your little one and hang in there! Edited May 28, 2010 by sandra in va Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomLovesClassics Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 What about studydog.com for your younger child? It is free to download, and you child can do it alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TundraAcademy Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 I know some of these aren't free, but here are some ideas... Reading - Ordinary Paren'ts Guide to Teaching Reading is easy, quick and gets the job done for reading. It is good for the new reader and reinforces for the older. Takes about 15 min and you're done! We used Nora Gaydos readers on the side. Spelling - Flashkids Spelling. A cheap workbook found at Barnes and Noble. My kids can do it on their own. History/Literature - Books on tape from library! You can get a lot of the Sonlight books on audio. Interlibrary loan has been wonderful for us. Bible - Calvary Chapel has a free online curriculum. History - Guesthollow.com has free history and science schedules. They are wonderful. Vocabulary - I am going to use Oxford/Salier vocabulary workbooks. They are inexpensive and I think the kids can use independently. I have found that sometimes the easiest thing for us is to use workbooks when I'm short on time. Good luck and it will get easier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Create Your Ritual Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Mr. Qs Life science is free for the year's lesson, except for the downloading and printing of it. My library also has all the SOTW books and even the activity guide that I copied out of. Does your state have a virtual academy perhaps that you might be interested in joining? My kids are enrolled in CVA (Columbia Virtual Academy) and it gives me the funds and the freedom to pick curriculums for my children and school at home. So, that might be an option for you to look into as well? Good luck with your journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
at the beach Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Okay, maybe a strange title to a thread but it's how I'm feeling. I have a three week old baby and have been dealing with a lot this year (I'm just putting it all out there) There curriculum I have is very teacher intensive and is just not getting done due to my lack of motivation and many other factors. I have Right Start for math. I loved the idea and approach and drooled over it for two years before we could actually afford to buy it. I thought my dc would love it but they seem to hate it. I was wanting to use Spell to Write and Read to teach my ds6 to read and my ds9 who is a struggling reader to help fill in some gaps and for spelling for my dd10. Again I love the theory behind it but I've owned it for 3 months and am too afraid to teach it. I was planning on who Classical Writing Aesop for my dd10 and ds9. I've never used this and I'm thinking it might be a little teacher intensive also. Right now nothing is getting done. I'm so overwhelmed with my curriculum choices, although I think they are great and really want to use them, I just can't get into them. I really don't have a budget to buy anything new, plus I don't think I can convince my dh to buy anything else. I need something that is free and easy to use for the time being. Any suggestions? Thanks I'm going to suggest you take a look at Ambleside Online. They have an emergency plan for folks who are looking for something to use in times of life when they are experiencing a need for something easy to implement. It is listed under the curriculum and titled "Help" and then it goes to Emergency Plan. If anything, just reading it might give you ideas for how to simplify things. I do believe you have chosen intensive materials, which may really not be the best option right now. A book that I love is the Moore's "The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook." It will definitely help you feel like all is not lost if you are not getting as much done academically as you think you need to right now, and it might actually make you feel like maybe there's an easier way to achieve what you want to achieve with your children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfall Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 I'm a new home schooler and only have one kindergarten (rising first grade now! so exciting!) child to teach, but I also had a baby recently (mine was in March) and it has been so, so, so difficult getting anything done. The new baby is such a fussy baby that it was impossible to really get anything all done for several weeks. We're a military family, so we have no help nearby and it was so overwhelming. Just to let you know you're not alone in the "home schooling with a newborn" aspect of life right now. We use MEP and we really enjoy it, so I second that as a recommendation for free math. It's fun, interesting and very challenging. I also have SWR and am seriously considering chucking it for PR, but I do also sometimes think about keeping it. You probably already know this, but just in case you didn't, in the back of the book is a schedule for lesson plans for the first several sections of spelling words. Like I said, you probably already know, but I didn't until someone here told me. :blush: I just sat staring at those books for weeks, wondering what the heck I was supposed to do with them, until someone pointed those out for me. SWR really doesn't have to take a whole lot of time every day. For us it's maybe 20 minutes or so. Oh, gotta run...my newborn's crying....again. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted May 28, 2010 Author Share Posted May 28, 2010 Thanks everyone for all the advice and suggestions. I do feel like we need to just take the summer off but we are so far behind I fear we will be in trouble when it's time to turn in our narrative of where we are at to the local school board. That is the main reason I'm feeling so overwhelmed. This is our first year actually having to do any kind of reporting and I'm really scared they we see how far behind we are and then who knows what will happen. I think that was one of my main reasons in choosing the curriculum I did, I felt it would get it us where we needed to be but it's hasn't since we aren't using it! I also get frustrated with my ds6 and ds9 since everytime I sit down to work with them I met with a very bad attitude. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 Read aloud using either Sonlight's book lists or Ambleside Online, do a math page or have them add, subtract, or even multiply using manipulatives (pennies, counters, beans, dolls, toy trucks, etc.), have them read something and give a narration, go outside and play, draw something they see, breathe in - breathe out, and relax. I have been there a time or two. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkermamaof4 Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 in 2008 we had a crazy year of changes and did all dvd's from bju - not my cup of tea. so, we decided to have a fun but educational summer last summer. here is what we did: bought andrew pudewa's poetry for memorization plus the cd. memorized tons of them together. the kids were proud of their accomplishment and their memorization skills really improved! we learned every bird we saw in our yard. i think the kids now know more about figuring out things on their own. and i 2nd the ambleside suggestion. we switched to it and found the list of all ambleside choices that are on librivox.org for free audio download. we are all doing year 1 together and love it. we found the burgess bird book drawings that are online and printed them to laminate and also printed the cornell bird coloring books. love coloring birds as we see them in the yard. hung feeders and a hummingbird feeder in the window. bought visualizing world geography and learned several continents together. super fun. ages 5-13 all learned them. and i just bought the grades 1-6 download of math mammoth after reading tons of posts here comparing it to singapore. we are so excited about it and it seems so much less teacher intensive than rightstart, which i did last summer but haven't touched all year since. ambleside also lists great read-alouds and we are listening to pinocchio on librivox.org right now. great! switched to all about spelling instead of SWR. my kids ALL love it and so do i. started having all 4 kids read aloud to me. now we round robin reading our apologia science, which we all love too. we bought SOTW on cd's and also listen to it. so we only do math separately and some grammar. oh - we even are all loving doing Sentence Family together. the older ones do shurley together and the youngers do fll together, but evryone prefers sentence family! hope you find some things you can all say you love! forgot-my girls also say they love wwe, a first for us to love writing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkermamaof4 Posted May 28, 2010 Share Posted May 28, 2010 p.s. we also started tea time after reading about it here. we want to do it daily and cover poetry memorization and ambleside then. loving it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 What about doing unit studies using library resources? That's a good choice for relaxed HS while you recover from childbirth and PPD. You could also ask around your local support group to see if anybody has any materials they could lend you. I've loaned things to friends that my oldest was done with and my 2nd wasn't yet ready for. So long as I got it back in decent condition (which has always happened), better somebody get use out of it than it gather dust on my shelf. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2boysmom Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 Hi there. I think I could help you. Pm me if you're interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 (edited) I haven't read all the posts, but I was at the point of burnout the year before last from all the very teacher intensive programs I had chosen to use with my kids. I switched them both to CLE LA and my daughter to CLE Math from RS. I felt a little guilty about doing this, but I just got their IOWA test results back and my son increased 2 grade levels in the LA portion of the test (after scoring abysmally low since 1st grade) and my daughter's scores went from average in math and LA up to the 95th percentile. I couldn't believe it. Lisa ETA: Now, after posting all that, I see you need free resources. I missed that. CLE is reasonably priced, but it's definitely not free. Sorry! Edited May 29, 2010 by LisaTheresa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GVD22 Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 One of my favorite websites is this one:http://www.freelyeducate.com/ The mom who maintains this website is a friendly, kind woman. I have exchanged e-mails with her occasionally. There are wonderful resources linked at her website, and readers can submit their own candidate resource websites for consideration. thanks for this link....what a great website!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momof4boys Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 No suggestions, but a word of encouragement. I too purchased Right Start and wanted desparately to use it, but it was teacher intensive since I had not learned that way. I finally decided I should be fully capable of teaching elementary level math and switched to a more straight forwad program. I have not regretted it and feel that a program that gets done (since I can easily teach it) is better than the best program that only sits on a shelf. I am also desparately trying to get geared up to use my SWR that I even took the trainging for but still find incredibly teacher intensive. I know that I need to invest time somewhere, but with four boys to teach and keep track of, there are only so many hours in a day! So it isn't only you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted May 29, 2010 Author Share Posted May 29, 2010 Thanks for all the great suggestions. where did you find the burgess book online? I have a few more ?'s but baby is crying. we found the burgess bird book drawings that are online and printed them to laminate and also printed the cornell bird coloring books. love coloring birds as we see them in the yard. hung feeders and a hummingbird feeder in the window. bought visualizing world geography and learned several continents together. super fun. ages 5-13 all learned them. and i just bought the grades 1-6 download of math mammoth after reading tons of posts here comparing it to singapore. we are so excited about it and it seems so much less teacher intensive than rightstart, which i did last summer but haven't touched all year since. ambleside also lists great read-alouds and we are listening to pinocchio on librivox.org right now. great! switched to all about spelling instead of SWR. my kids ALL love it and so do i. started having all 4 kids read aloud to me. now we round robin reading our apologia science, which we all love too. we bought SOTW on cd's and also listen to it. so we only do math separately and some grammar. oh - we even are all loving doing Sentence Family together. the older ones do shurley together and the youngers do fll together, but evryone prefers sentence family! hope you find some things you can all say you love! forgot-my girls also say they love wwe, a first for us to love writing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 You have a three week old baby! Relax for a few weeks. At least! You can look up (for example) "fourth grade language arts worksheets" or "fourth grade math worksheets" on the internet and find free printable ones. Read to them, and let them read on their own. Get educational audiobooks from the library. Watch educational shows together on The Learning Channel, The History Channel, the Documentary Channel, etc. Give them free reign of a bunch of craft supplies. Let them help when you're making dinner and whatnot. Let them play educational computer games. Let them play board games together. Let them run around outside with magnifying glasses and binoculars and sketchpads and colored pencils and whatnot. Re-evaluate when your baby is six or eight or twelve weeks old and see how things are going. Don't stress too much. Everything will be fine :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenninMN Posted May 29, 2010 Share Posted May 29, 2010 (edited) Well, since it's summer, maybe you could get them each one of those summer workbooks from the bookstore. They cover reading, LA, & math and sometimes other subjects as well. If that's too much, here are my suggestions. I would do www.progressivephonics.com with both of them--beginning level for the 6yo and advanced level for the 9yo (unless he's beyond them.) And don't forget Starfall for your 6yo. Then for math I would have your 9yo use this math site. It has a game or video for each lesson, followed by a self-check quiz. You can have him leave the page open until you have time to check it. The first grade has the games and videos, but not the self-check quizzes. http://www.mhschool.com/math/2009/ca/student/grade3/index.html Or, if you prefer worksheets, http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_1.html has several workbooks available online for each grade. I like the reteach workbook, because it has the lesson explanation. They could practice their spelling here. If you register, this site keeps records. http://www.spellingconnectionsonline.com/ There are worksheets to print out as well. Then I would have them watch all the Liberty's Kids & Magic School Bus that I could find. :D I suggested online and video resources so that you can just be close by. And perhaps they wouldn't complain as much. ;) One more thing: Are you sure they are as behind as you think they are. Perhaps you could do the free trial at http://www.smarttutor.com It begins with placement tests for reading & math. Then, depending on their score, maybe you could just relax for the summer. HTH, Jennifer Edited May 29, 2010 by JenninMN To add one thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted May 30, 2010 Share Posted May 30, 2010 :grouphug: During times of high pressure or distress, I have kept my schooling to absolute minimum by just reading literature. I started by using the Sonlight catalog as a library book list, and finding 30 minutes sometime in the morning to read to all my children at the same time. We discussed each chapter a little if there was time or energy to do that. Give the kids each a spiral notebook and have them draw things they see outside, or copy poems or short paragraphs from books you already own. Play sweet music in the background. Attempt to set a few *anchors* into place, like lunch every day at 12 noon, outside play for the kids each morning at 10, etc. Look in the mirror and smile. Everybody sit outside on a blanket and look at the clouds and smell the fresh air. Ditch everything else...to everything there is a season. Rest, recharge, pray for lovely ideas, drink some sweet herbal tea and breathe, and stop demanding so much of yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A home for their hearts Posted June 1, 2010 Author Share Posted June 1, 2010 Thanks everyone for all your great advice and suggestions. I'm trying my best to just take things one day, sometimes even one hour, at a time. I know stressing out about things will not help but just makes things worse. I feel that taking the whole summer off would just worse my anxiety. I've decided to try to just take it one subject at a time. This week and until we get into a better routine, we are just concentrating on math and reading. Once we've got those under control I will add in more. I'm also planning on spending more quality time with my dc. I've been so stressed out lately that haven't been able to just let myself go and have fun with them. I know this will help us all a lot! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Can your 6yo and 9yo play a few games together? Go to the Dump? Phonogram memory? Checkers? (...whatever else might be remotely educational and sitting on your shelf?) :grouphug: Don't be hard on yourself! Take care of yourself and your little ones...school will still be there when baby is sleeping for more than 2 hours in one spurt.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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