Heidi {AK} Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I was turned on to WTM and SWB a couple of years ago by a friend HSing with CE. DD was 2 at the time! :) I went ahead and bought WTM and WEM by JW and SWB, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I was on board with doing just 30 mins a day and focusing on reading. DD is now 4 (dob 7/22/06), and is attending the Christian school where I got a job in the meantime. Before that happened, I stumbled on Five in a Row and had just received the curriculum when I was offered the job. I still want to HS. I think I will work while we live here in AK (we're military), and when we PCS, we'll start the HSing process. I like the idea of FIAR, doing the unit study idea with the basis of literature, reviewing a subject a day. You do math, phonics, and HW every day as well, and we'll add Bible. What else would I need for a CE? I'm thinking the Trivium is where I start. Is there a thread here to walk you through how to start with a K? FWIW, I also have a 18 month old who will only be 2-1/2 when DD starts K. I know this will make a CE at home interesting! Also, what do I do now (if anything, teaching is BUSY!!!) to afterschool? Again, links are ok. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the afterschooling forum, although thankful for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 I really just wanted to bump you up, so others can get a chance to respond. FIAR is a great start. Kindergarten is really light. Basic intro to math, letters, and writing. You can do that for after schooling too. Just lots and lots of read alouds as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi {AK} Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Thanks, Lauren! I appreciate that. I wanted to add we had gotten the Ordinary Parents' Guide to Teaching Reading a while back and have done one lesson out of it. :) I figure we have a while before she has to be really interested! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Heidi, you might want to try OPGTR again. The poems and rhymes aren't too bad :) Welcome to the hive and the wonderful world of homeschooling. I wish I could help, but have no experience with anything else you have listed :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Hi and welcome! I haven't used either :tongue_smilie: but I think FIAR and OPGTR are a great plan for K. They are both gentle and would be easy to implement in an afterschool setting. Maybe reread TWTM in the meantime. If I remember right she has a whole section on afterschooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi {AK} Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 Thank you, Tracy! I'll go back and look at the book. I have a relatively old edition, but I'm trusting it will come in handy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Hi, I also wanted to add...make sure you know your homeschooling laws for whatever state applies to you (since you're in the military, I'm wondering if there isn't a special hsing law your family would fall into). Here, in Texas, there is a small list of subjects that we are supposed to teach in our homeschool, but that's pretty much where it ends. Also, unit studies are awesome, too. Some kids do really well with the unit study approach. (ahem, us - lol) :D Have fun!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Heidi, I think your plan is wonderful. When we do OPGTR we do it on the white board, on the porch in chalk, with blocks, anything to keep it fun. My son would have lost interest long ago if I worked with him out of the book. We are almost finished now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Heidi, I think your plan is wonderful. When we do OPGTR we do it on the white board, on the porch in chalk, with blocks, anything to keep it fun. My son would have lost interest long ago if I worked with him out of the book. We are almost finished now. We make games out of OPGTR as well, and I just bought a white board last week so we could work that in also. We're only on lesson 14, but my son will be 4 next week. So far, it's working very well, as he's catching onto the letter sounds pretty quickly (and this is a child with speech delay and weird pronunciation that is habit instead of inability to say a sound, still learning to say "milk" instead of "nolk", things like that... and when I presented the letter 'L' today and gave some examples, he said "lahler", which is how he says "water" :tongue_smilie:, but at least he's starting to hear how words begin with letter sounds! :lol:). So far, we are enjoying OPGTR as long as we make games with the letters we've learned already. Also, I do the review via the games after we do the new letter in the book. That has helped immensely. If I did the review as written, he was "done" before we finished reviewing. He's happy to work through a new letter and then do the review, even if it consists of just laying out all our cards and me saying a sound of a letter and having him pick it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi {AK} Posted October 25, 2010 Author Share Posted October 25, 2010 I'm not worthy; I'm not worthy! DD is 4 and we did lesson 1 and she YAWNED through it and asked to stop! So, thanks for the tip; I like the white-board idea. My friend's DD did it out of the book, but she is a different kid! :grouphug: :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 (edited) I'm not worthy; I'm not worthy! DD is 4 and we did lesson 1 and she YAWNED through it and asked to stop! So, thanks for the tip; I like the white-board idea. My friend's DD did it out of the book, but she is a different kid! :grouphug: :iagree: I totally agree with using the whiteboard. We used a Magnadoodle sometimes, too. We also enjoyed spelling the words with a movable alphabet. You might also want to look into math curriculums. DD used Right Start A last year and ds will probably continue with MEP and do level 1. As far as your 2yo, it will totally depend on your child's personality how that will work out. My youngest (at the time) began the school year last year as a 1 1/2yo and she joined right in. She's 2 1/2yo now and still wants to be included, and is starting to ask for her own work. You never know! Edited October 26, 2010 by Lisa in the UP of MI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi {AK} Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share Posted October 26, 2010 Ok, I am a little confused. I think I'm going to have to work quickly through the book to see where DD rightfully needs to start. She knows all of her phonetic alphabet, and knows the letters too. HW is a different story; she's getting warmer to actually start writing letters out. So, recognition's there, and I think we're ready to sound out words. She was pretty put out by going through the vowel poem yesterday, lol! We have a Magnadoodle and a white board. Where does HW fit into phonetic recognition? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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