Deciding if I want to use Calvert and either K or 1st?

[Angel in FL]

To begin, I did use Calvert for 4th & 5th for two of my sons and enjoyed it. I would have kept going but with two, it was too much. We went back to our eclectic studies and really enjoyed them.

 

Now I'm starting over with my daughter and I did buy Calvert Pre-K last year for my daughter who was 3 at the time. We stopped using it because it was too simplistic for her. We did other little studies for fun, etc.

 

Now my daughter will be 5 next month and I have been trying to do more school with her but putting together unit studies or eclectic studies ala WTM isn't going to work. My parents have moved here - they're living in our house now while the guest house is being built but even when they move out I will be the main caretaker for my dad. He has ALS and my mom has health issues too. Add two more people to cook, clean and care for along with dr. appointments, etc. I just don't have the time to plan, etc. But I don't want to send her to school either.

 

So, that leads me back to Calvert. I did the assessment and she can do 99.9% of what is covered on the K assessment. The only thing is she doesn't know her address because we recently moved. That should only take a day. She can do all of the 1st grade assessment and only had a little trouble reading the sentences on the last page of that. BTW, she isn't really reading but can do beginning BOB books as well as beginning to sound out words.

 

So, I'm afraid Calvert K would be a waste of money. Calvert 1 may get challenging once she's into it a good bit but since she is turning 5, we can take our time and stretch it if needed. BTW, she wants to do school so I'm really not pushing. I'm not sure I would start before the summer either.

 

Thanks for any advice. I know this isn't a Calvert board but there are some present and former users here. I do love WTM but can't do it fully and I'm not sure I will be able to within the next few years. So school in a box may be best for us at this time.

[mamasducks]

Well, i am a calvert user (right now 3rd and 5th and starting 1st in january), and i would not get the K. i have heard it is way too $$ for what you get, and if she knows most of it, i wouldn't bother. I have done 1st before, and it is challenging, but by summer, think of how much more she will be reading.

 

I have a 6 year old (sept. bday) and she is starting the 1st grade after the holidays. she is reading the Bob books, and finishing the hop for kindy now. there is a yahoo calvert users group where you might get a better feel, but my gut says, $500+ is too much for what your daughter sounds like she can do. unless you can buy kindy used elsewhere for cheap.

 

i have 5 kids home and totally understand the boxed curriculum idea. I would love to do it differently, but i need to get it done, kwim? i love and hate calvert... love the manual, everything is done for me, hate other parts, price included. but overall, it is working for me this is year 3 for us.

 

i hope this helps some!

amy

[5Wizards]

I did Calvert K with my first and we breezed through it. We doubled up on lessons as it was very easy and finished around January, then moved on. I felt that it was good reinforcement for some of the skills she already had as well as introducing some stories/discussion ideas that I wouldn't have come up with on my own at the time. I originally planned to do the same with my second, but decided that I wanted to go a different direction with her. It was extremely helpful for me with my first as I had a baby at the time and I needed the structure to make sure that I did something with her. One of the things about 1st grade is that they do start cursive in the middle of the year, so that's a consideration. My K daughter is reading words with "ch," "sh," long vowel sounds, etc... already, so K would have been very boring for her in that respect as they don't touch on those things at all. I can't remember how much of a step up 1st grade is though as it was a long time ago (or at least seems like it! lol).

 

If you do decide that you want to go with K, I have the K curriculum in good used condition (older version) that I'd be willing to sell. You can PM me if interested.

 

Good luck making your decision.

[....]

What about CLE 1st grade? CLE is NOT simple - in any way, shape or form. If that can't challenge her...:glare: It's a lot cheaper than Calvert (altho, I've heard that Calvert's good).

 

CLE is just workbooks - $3.20 per workbook. No textbooks or anything, but there's a reader. If you bought every subject, it would be Reading, LA, Math, Social Studies and Science.

 

I've said this before...if we were having another baby...or moving...or going through some dire circumstances, we would just do CLE for each kid and be done with it.

[Lovedtodeath]

I have a friend who did Calvert K with her boys and she had to borrow all of my phonics things because Calvert is mostly sight words and doesn't give them a good foundation (her words). So, I would definitely supplement phonics if you go with either one.

[Angel in FL]

I have a friend who did Calvert K with her boys and she had to borrow all of my phonics things because Calvert is mostly sight words and doesn't give them a good foundation (her words). So, I would definitely supplement phonics if you go with either one.

 

I wonder if that is K only and they do more phonics in 1st?

 

I will look at CLE. I'm just really torn right now.

[....]

I wonder if that is K only and they do more phonics in 1st?

 

I will look at CLE. I'm just really torn right now.

 

If you're doing phonics, CLE also has Learn to Read - it's under a separate heading than 1st grade on their website. I think LTR is supposed to be done during the 1st semester and then CLE Reading (with I Wonder reader) is done the 2nd semester.

 

Choosing the perfect curriculum is always such a daunting challenge...:D

[Lovedtodeath]

I wonder if that is K only and they do more phonics in 1st?

 

I will look at CLE. I'm just really torn right now.

That is a good question. I really don't know. Most public schools seem to work that way (with more phonics in 1st).

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

The placement test at Calvert is hard to judge where you really need to put that child who is slightly advanced in some areas. I would put her in 1st and take it slow. Calvert is a good curriculum if you are looking for an all there for you program. I used for a year when our lives were turned upside down and the year went great (school wise). I would use it again if we are ever in a situation like that again.