First year mom SO overwhelmed with choices:)

[Sweetbeebie]

Being that it's my first yr of homeschooling I feel this overwhelming need to find the absolutely perfect program for each of my girls..its like being a new mom all over again:)

First off is D/9 who soaks up everything (except math) quickly and easily. She is easily bored if a program is not challenging enough, can spell and read most anything(level c on iew zoo) and has a good grammar knowledge. With that said I need help with the following choices.

 

Writing- iew, cw or phonics road? I've already started her on Greek and Latin root/suffix words for spelling/voc plus her grammar knowledge makes me think phonics road wouldn't be much help for her?????

 

Language- Now that she see the usefulness of the greek/latin words I would like to start her on one as a language. Which one and what program??

 

Then their is my sweet, mostly fiery B/6:) She has great potential but is easily discouraged by her sisters large shadow...i.e. doesn't like to try anything that she feels she may get wrong. Loves games and also dislikes anything too easy. She has a great phonics base that I'd like to build on and also needs help with becoming a neater writer. The need for neater writing is mostly due to the ADHD.

 

Grammar/writing/spelling- Click n learn phonics, phonics road, any other???? Plus what about writing??

 

I'm currently using/ordered: Real science for kids-Chemistry(pre level 1 & level 1) Rightstart math, greek/latin root/suffix, then everything else has been pieced together online & in workbooks until I can get this worked out:) I spend more time piecing together than anything, it feels like...so thanks to all who can help me get set and actually enjoy the experience:thumbup:!

[Jane Elliot]

You're going to get a zillion different answers because everybody has their own preferences and there really is no "perfect" program. There are so many great choices and choosing is half the fun of homeschooling, IMO.

 

That said I'll throw in a few thoughts. Among the programs you listed, I prefer IEW which I've used for at least 8 years. I've bought and sold CW twice because I liked the idea of it, but figuring it out was beyond me. Actually others have said the exact same thing about IEW while others have done great with CW. Both are effective at what they propose to do, so I don't think you could go wrong with just choosing the one that appeals to you most and running with it.

 

Have you considered WWE? I've been using it with my younger dc and it is wonderfully effective and easy to implement. It seems it would make for a much simpler start in homeschooling.

 

My strong opinion on the language question is go with Latin first. You can add in Greek later if there's interest. All my kids do Latin; then the few who love it and are interested go ahead and do Greek after they've had a couple years of Latin. I don't have time to list all the reasons right now. Hopefully abbeyej will chime in or you could do a search to see if you can find a post about it by her.

 

Have fun with the whole process -- choosing a program and teaching it. And trust your gut on this. You'll choose a few things that you'll end up ditching. Everyone does. But the beauty of homeschooling is you're the teacher and are allowed to do that.:)

[SkateLeft]

Being that it's my first yr of homeschooling I feel this overwhelming need to find the absolutely perfect program for each of my girls..its like being a new mom all over again:)

 

You probably won't find the perfect program right away, and just when you think you've found the absolutely PERFECT program, you might find that it's a huge flop for your kids. Sure, some people luck out and find what works from the start, but there are so many threads on this forum about things like "my most expensive curriculum mistake" and "hits and misses for the year." So don't stress too much about finding something perfect. :D

 

Incidentally, my girls have such similar personalities to those you describe for your girls that I laughed out loud reading them! (My younger daughter also struggles with ADD!). I'm constantly reviewing and reevaluating what we're doing to ensure that it's effective for them. I also enlist their help in choosing materials, to encourage them to take some ownership of their education and think about how they learn.

 

Oh, I really like McRuffy Phonics and Spelling. It covers phonics, reading, spelling, grammar and writing for the K-3 crowd, and it's very easy to use. It might be a good option for your younger one!

[Karen in CO]

First, you aren't going to find a perfect anthing to teach your kids. The perfect thing is you.

 

For writing, I'd highly recommend downloading the audio lectures from peacehill press about teaching writing. They are terrific and will help give you confidence and direction. I use WWE right now which is working great, but that may not be for you.

 

For language, I wouldn't start that at all until you get everything else going smoothly. Then consider what you want to accomplish before you start looking. We get Rosetta Stone free from our school district so we use that in combination with First Start French.

 

For the younger, I'd advise the same thing. Except focus on getting her reading fluently before you start adding other things. The library needs to be your friend.

 

For handwriting, I let my girls look at the samples and choose what style they want to learn. I don't do grammar for the younger years so I can't advise there.

 

Enjoy.

[Sweetbeebie]

Thanks to everyone so far:) I know the absolute perfect program doesn't exist...I just want to make the most informed decision and hopefully avoid a $300-$500 mistake:001_huh:

[Jean in CA]

Welcome to homeschooling! You're right, the first year is just like being a new parent, and as much as we want to avoid making a curriculum purchasing "mistake" I think it is inevitable that you will end up shelving many of the things that you buy the 1st and 2nd years, until you gain experience and learn what works for you, as a teacher and for your children.

 

Having said that, I do caution against newbies picking a bunch of mom/teacher-intensive curriculum. From your list, I'm familiar with IEW, CW, Right Start math and Real Science 4 Kids. They strike me as all quite intense programs, that require a LOT of pre-reading, extra prep-time and have a bit of a learning curve.

 

So, I might not choose all of these to do together for my first year! If anything, I'd keep science really simple for these ages and focus on grammar, math, reading, writing plus history readings/narrations as the core of my curriculum I don't even think spelling is necessary until 3rd grade (they sometimes improve just by being avid readers) and vocab we don't start until 6th grade, after spelling is completed.

 

I love Susan Wise Bauer's reading/writing/grammar books because they are so easy to implement, low stress, and in my opinion, highly effective.

 

So, I recommend Writing with Ease and FLL for 1st-4th graders.

 

My children's most memorable and favorite part about homeschooling is read-aloud time. So whatever happens, we make this a priority!

[Hedgehog]

In addition to all that great advice.. I'll add.. when you choose a program, it needs to be easy to facilitate/logical to you as the teacher. For example, I love the fact that the WTM's way of teaching history is chronological, it makes perfect sense to me to teach history that way.

 

All the best! It is an exciting journey!

[Sweetbeebie]

oh...your so right! That will be my vise, trying to do all the intensive programs. I just want to make sure I satisfied all my oldest need for learning:) What's wtm? I know others had mentioned wwe...it seemed easy and possibly thought of as boring by my oldest. If anyone can tell me different please.

[robsiew]

Welcome and enjoy the ride! It's an exciting learning adventure for everyone! I won't make any more curriculum suggestions as you've gotten quite a few. I would just reiterate... keep it simple in the beginning! Start with the basics (reading, writing, math) and add in from there. I ditto keeping science simple.

 

WTM is The Well Trained Mind book by Susan Wise Bauer (SWB). It is kind of a "classical home schooling bible" so to speak. She lays out each stage (grammar, logic and rhetoric) and gives suggestions on curriculum/techniques for each stage. It has been an invaluable tool for me and lots of others here. I would suggest checking it out of the library first, then purchasing if it's something you think would be helpful.

 

WWE (Writing with Ease) is SWB's writing curriculum for grammar stage. It sounds like your eldest might find it easy if she's a good writer. Your younger may benefit though. It focuses on narration and dictation to develop early writing skills. I have seen it do wonders for my kids. Some like it, some do not.

 

Just keep in mind, that while it is good to challenge, you and the girls are also getting used to a new way of life. You may want to explain to your older daughter that while you all adjust, there may be some things that seem "easy" to her. That's okay. There will be time for challenging... it just may not be from the get-go. Maybe if you explain that to her she'd be more accepting.

 

There is A LOT of information here! I'd start with a couple subjects, research those by doing searches here, checking WTM and asking questions you can't find the answers to... then proceed from there adding in subjects as you get comfortable with what you have. :001_smile:

[Sweetbeebie]

thanks Jean:) I cheat a little on the science 4 kids making it less intensive. As for the rightstart math, I haven't received it in the mail yet. But math being my oldest "weak" subject I don't mind spending that extra time needed for the program. Your right though I have to be careful not to over schedule, or all will be unhappy. I thought not having to piece together subject work would alleviate me not being able to get anything done during the day. I guess that won't change if all my programs are so labor intensive. I still would like to know if the wwe is as dry as it appeared. I thought iew wasn't terribly intensive...isn't some of it video's?? I was thinking of having my 9 yr old watch the teaching cd's with me...

[Jane Elliot]

I still would like to know if the wwe is as dry as it appeared. I thought iew wasn't terribly intensive...isn't some of it video's?? I was thinking of having my 9 yr old watch the teaching cd's with me...

 

You are absolutely right about decreasing the intensity of IEW by watching the DVDs with your daughter. If you have the money and you choose to go that route, I'd recommend choosing the appropriate level of SWI and SWICC. That would be a simple and enjoyable way for you and your daughter to learn the program. IEW's customer service is outstanding. You can get a lot of good advice and help calling them directly.

 

I've never thought WWE was dry. We really enjoy it.

 

As others here have noted, Susan's writing lectures are immensely helpful no matter what writing program you choose and you can download them quite inexpensively from the Peacehill Press website.

Edited September 3, 2010 by Luann in ID

[snipsnsnailsx5]

Its my first year homeschooling also! I spent all summer researching curriculum. I swear I changed my mind 10+ times. lol

 

I finally came to the realization that I need to keep it a lot more simple this first year. I had picked IEW for a short few weeks, and even joined an IEW users yahoo group. Then I just realized its too much right now. Its going to be a big adjustment for me to have all my boys home (ages 11, 8, and 6 - also doing some preschool with my 3 yr old and maybe my 19 mo old too).

I was also advised to not spend a lot of money at first on expensive programs, because I may not like it or it may not even be a fit for our family! This first couple years is a good time to figure out what we like, how we like to teach, and what fits our kids best.

So I was advised to stick to more inexpensive programs (or get together with other homeschooling parents to see what they use before I buy expensive programs).

 

My final decision was to use FLL and WWE for my 6 and 8 yr old. I'm not quite so such about my choice for my 11 yr old, but I got it all used and at good prices so it didn't cost much-but for him I'm doing LLATL and Winston Grammar.

I'm doing Math U See for all the boys (again, shopped around and bought the parts and pieces used, off ebay, etc)

ANd I'm doing All About Spelling for all the boys too. I really like the idea behind that program, and that all boys can start on the first level. It was $97 total with shipping for all the boys' books for spelling.

I'm also doing Story of the World with all the boys.

Oh and I got some Explode the Code books to use as a supplement for my 6 yr old. He probably doesn't *need* them, but I think they're cool and they're quick. We'll do it as "fun". lol

 

HTH!

[Jean in CA]

thanks Jean:) I cheat a little on the science 4 kids making it less intensive. As for the rightstart math, I haven't received it in the mail yet. But math being my oldest "weak" subject I don't mind spending that extra time needed for the program. Your right though I have to be careful not to over schedule, or all will be unhappy. I thought not having to piece together subject work would alleviate me not being able to get anything done during the day. I guess that won't change if all my programs are so labor intensive. I still would like to know if the wwe is as dry as it appeared. I thought iew wasn't terribly intensive...isn't some of it video's?? I was thinking of having my 9 yr old watch the teaching cd's with me...

 

About the writing program.... I've modified my philosophy on this over the course of homeschooling. I personally, would not take the time to do a very involved writing program but focus on narrations/dictation and paragraph writing only through 4th grade.

 

You mentioned your dd is easily "bored" if things are too easy.... what subject areas are you referring to? My children loved copywork and dications, although any adult would find these activites mind-numbing! They also loved to memorize and chant (again, not my favorite things to do). But these are developmentally age-appropriate and even *enjoyable* for younger elementary children.

 

Also, seeing that you have a 3 year-old, if I had to do it over, I would free up some time to enjoy the youngers, go to the park, make cookies... I would choose that over a high-prep science program. But RS4K is only a 10-week program (LOL!) so you'll have some flexibility! :)

[Sweetbeebie]

I was hoping once I actually had text/programs to use instead of piecing it together from the state standards page that it would go smoother and I would have more time for my 3 yr old. I've tried to get her involved but she's just not interested yet..there has been several days that I just look over at her playing quietly for 60% of the day and just feel terrible. I didn't send her back to her little half day "preschool" in hopes that we could all bond and learn together but she's gotten the bad end of the deal at the moment.

 

As for my d/9 every subject except for math needs to be super challenging or she's just not happy. Which is why I started homeschooling her this yr after waiting till 3rd, testing and then finding out the gifted program was a bust here. Plus as a side note, it really disturbed me that they didn't teach the children AD and BC. My 9 yr old last yr came home telling me about BCE, before common era...ACE, after common era and had no clue what BC/AD was. I'm not super religious and are very accepting but this really bothered me..a little too politically correct for my liking. Sorry got off on a tangent!

 

She loves to write, has a good grammar base and has asked to be taught sentence diagramming. I've heard and wonder if it's possible just to do the student intensive on the iew? I spent so much on getting the whole sets for the girls for rightstart that it pains me to spend almost $300 on another subject.

[HollyB]

Sorry, I don't have any writing advice. Have you looked at Cathy Duffy's book 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum? It really helped me sort through all the options. She talks about learning styles, and rates curriculum according to thing like prep time, teacher ease of use, education philosophy, etc. I wish I had read it before I started.

[Lovedtodeath]

I can tell you that you most likely won't find the perfect thing your first year. You will be learning about what works for you and your kids. Most of us make the mistake of switching too soon or too much though. Out of all of the programs I have used* I recommend Writing With Ease and Phonics Road the most. Get both of your kids in WWE and the younger in Phonics Road.

 

I can't recommend much for your older child as I am not there yet!

 

I have also learned a lot from recommendations and reviews by Susan Wise Bauer, Cathy Duffy, and Carrie Austin. HTH!

 

Okay, I will give you a run down of what I have used with DD by age:

 

3: Accelerated Achievement demo disk. Great phonics and math, she was done with K requirements by the time she was 4. Some of the books were okay, but we like picture books better. Enter tanglewoodeducation.com: their reading selections are perfect. Wishing I had done the core book and the health curriculum.

 

4,5: Horizons K for Math: I didn't like the lack of instructions in the TM or the incremental, spiral approach; it made very little sense. Tried MFW K but I felt that it was way below her ability by a long shot so I stopped using it. The phonics were very similar to what the AA disk already had me doing. I think that I would have been much happier if we would have stuck with it. The extra books, lauri letters, and music were wonderful. The science with scriptures is a very sweet homeschooling memory. The math is integrated into the activities. The phonics includes writing and spelling. I really should have kept this. Started OPGTR and ETC but quit due to health concerns with me and new baby. Put her in PS K, going in reading at 3rd grade level and done with K math.

 

6: This year was basically a bust. MUS Alpha seemed to work at first, but she couldn't learn her facts and was extremely bored. She forgot everything she learned before this year and we had to start over. Tried to finish OPGTR but she fought it because it was too babyish and because she had learned bad sight word habits in PS K and from ETC and didn't want to sound anything out. Besides that, the stories are boring and printed in the book along with the instructions. Not very many kids enjoy this. Tried Sonlight core 1 and hated all of the read alouds. Did about half of the Sonlight 2 Easy Readers but balked at the others. Sonlight Science activities were "stupid". How to Teach Spelling: good program, but we weren't ready for it. WinterPromise Science; Shoot and Sprout, Buzz and Bite: We had fun for a couple of weeks, but mom can't keep up that pace and juggle so many books and activities. FLL: Yes, we like this one. The poems give Emily a confidence boost, the stories are fun, it teaches name, date, address, etc.

 

7: Abeka Arithmetic 1: Yes! Math that makes sense, has an excellent teachers manual, is colorful it is working! Uh, oh... she doesn't understand place value? time to add Math Mammoth, which is working better than anything; we will be keeping this one. All About Spelling: very good! Now mom can teach spelling at the level we need. She is learning to sound words out again! Phonics Road: The ultimate Language Arts curriculum! We are now doing this instead of AAS and it will be replacing all LA. Orton-gillingham (phonetic and rules based) spelling, handwriting, writing, grammar, literature... I will be using this with Jake from the start! FLL, WWE: Not necessary with Phonics Road, but we started out with them. Hard to juggle doing both of them. They are different styles by different authors. Excellent programs. I like stopping at the end of FLL 1 and then doing WWE alone. WWE pulls in literature in small doses, which is perfect for us. If I could only recommend one program, it would be WWE. Ancient Explorations:She loves the books in this and reads most of them independently. Yes! Getting her to read was a real struggle before this. She doesn't have the patience for some of the more involved activities, but remembers mommy doing some of them. The Egyptians Kid Kit from Usborne was the best. She really enjoys ancient history. Star Spangled States, Wonderful US History workbook that really stretches Emily in her abilities but she enjoys it, so happy to have this resource. Chemistry: RS4K and Elemental Science, Science that gets done. RS4K has wonderful explanations. Elemental Science requires some work in the student pages. I really like both of these. Sonlight readers 2 Intermediate: Mom loves the guide with questions and maps. DD starts out cooperating but gets really bored. We are still trying, but this usually doesn't get done.

 

8: In my sig. It is going well so far!

Edited September 3, 2010 by Lovedtodeath