warriormom Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Hi, I am new to homeschooling. I started teaching my 5 year old with TYCR100EZ lessons. I am getting ready to start Singapore Math. I am considering the Scrambled States of America and Spelling Power. Can you tell me your FAVORITE curriculum choices and why? I would love to have some recommendations. I am also thinking about using the classical conversations cd as a supplement (not actually attend cc). Advice?:) BTW, I would LOVE to find a great curriculum to teach my child Spanish. I know very little spanish myself, but my DH is Puerto Rican. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Hooked on Phonics followed by All About Spelling First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind 1/2 Writing with Ease 1 Right Start Math A & B Singapore Start-Up Science plus library resources Unit studies using library resources following Story of the World Activity Guide (my oldest didn't care for the main SOTW book) I'm using Spelling Power with my oldest and while it's a good fit for her, it doesn't have the explicit teaching of the spelling rules that AAS does. That's fine for students who are "natural" spellers like my DD, it wouldn't be a good fit for my 2nd child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Make sure you check out these threads: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234216 http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233764 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Oak Meadow, because it's very gentle/laid-back/hands-on and not overly academic in the earliest years. One of its main philosophies is that "childhood is a valuable period and nothing is to be gained by rushing through it." It "focuses on the child as a whole" and it's got a really sweet blend of nature, stories, crafts, music and movement, hands on activities for learning the uppercase letters of the alphabet and so on. That type of early childhood really resonates with me. And even in the later years while being more at age level, it manages to continue to be thoughtful and hands on and creative rather than dry and textbookish... my daughter and I loved Oak Meadow last year for 4th grade, and we're enjoying it this year for 5th, and next year I will be doing OM6 with her and OMK with my son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Favorites for K: Right Start Math - hands on with very few worksheets, but a lot of fun and taught concepts well. Ariel actually got upset if we didn't do a math lesson from level A every day. Atelier Art - taught on DVD with clips of kids working on their own version of the assignment, very easy on mom and fun for the kiddo La Clase Divertida - also taught on DVD, lots of projects, my child enjoyed it Dancing Bears - phonics/reading program, very simple to use, takes very little time but builds strong readers. Ariel preferred Jolly Phonics (which we also used) because it had more games and worksheets to color, and motions for each sound, which actually helped her recall them better (she learns visually and kinesthetically) until she had the sounds mastered. Sonlight Science 1 - taught with "real" books instead of a text, really maintained my child's interest level and she likes to read some of the books even though we are no longer using them for her schoolwork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cindie2dds Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Well, we did Oak Meadow for kindy and had a blast. My dd loved the crafts, stories and art. She could read and do math already, so we weren't using it for phonics or math. It does not cover that at all in K, just so you know. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallory Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 BTW, I would LOVE to find a great curriculum to teach my child Spanish. I know very little spanish myself, but my DH is Puerto Rican. I would say just add a phrase or two to your day. Start with those things you say all the time anyway- What time is it, Brush your teeth, shut the door, it's time for lunch. Get your dh to teach you how to say them then start using them ;) It might help if you make a poster or list somewhere. The other thing to do is start reading books in spanish. Does your library have spanish books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I love MFW for K and 1st! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I love Handwriting without Tears Pre-K & K. It is so multi-sensory, fun and gentle and starts with such basic skills that any kid, with or without fine motor issues, can learn to write like a pro. It absolutely can take your kid from zero (I mean not even holding a pencil or making a mark) to writing full sentence copywork. My second choice would be Word Mastery/Classical Phonics. If OPGTR goes too quickly for your child, Word Mastery & Classical Phonics help get the repetition and fluency up like nothing else (and I have tried nearly everything). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinsfamily Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We love Sonlight's P4/5 for Kindy. I use it along with Spell to Write and Read and Singapore Math. I'm starting my second round in June. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 For reading we love 100 easy lessons and word mastery found at old fashioned education. Everything else is Ambleside and we love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 My Father's World, Hooked on Phonics, CLE Learn to Read and Reading (1st grade), CLE K workbooks (Going on Eagerly)... I'm a big fan of Sonlight Core 1 (but not before 1st grade). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Ok, I'll put my favorites for K-1st but they are a little different and more laid back because I like to lead my children gently to learning. These are my favorites but it is more a pick one from each group sort of thing. Core: A Little Garden Flower's K and 1st grade materials Oak Meadow Five in a Row just doing lapbooks from Homeschoolshare and reading good books Math: Rod and Staff 1 Gnomes and Gnumbers A Little Garden Flower's math lessons Phonics: Spell to Write and Read-but I adapted it to include key words, pictures, physical movements and stories each week as you learn the phonograms and spelling rules That is pretty much it. For this age, I like to concentrate on math and learning to read with a little bit of fun stuff thrown in. They still need a lot of free time to play and explore the world around them naturally. I usually encourage lots of outdoor time and have arts and crafts material on hand for them to be creative.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We like: Saxon Math (we begin 1 at age 5) Phonics Pathways A Reason for Handwriting K Be Amazing Science Color Lab Song School Latin Writing With Ease I haven't used it, but I like the looks of Flip Flop Spanish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie in MS Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 By far the best part of our day is FIAR! :001_wub: There is so much fun in learning with that one. And it keeps my wiggly dd's attention. She learns well from it because of the repetition. For Bible I use various readers. Phonics- neither of us like so we just use a nice *getter done* curriculum that doesn't require me to rob a bank to purchase it. Phonics Pathways. She reads from various materials. McGuffey is one of our favs. The Rod and Staff ABC wkbks are lots of fun while working on motor skills and more. For math we just have lots of fun with hands on manips . We use a play clock, number line, domino card math, word problems, etc. Dealing with a wkbk right now would be a nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomesteadMommy Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 By far the best part of our day is FIAR! :001_wub:There is so much fun in learning with that one. And it keeps my wiggly dd's attention. She learns well from it because of the repetition. :iagree: FIAR is our fav to. It covers social studies, LA, art, science and applied math. For math I've used MUS love it and my kids did as well. It's hands on and fun and easy for littles. Now we are using MEP (free) and they like that just as much, and MM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 For K and 1st we love McRuffy (Not to confused with McGuffey). We are using their SE Phonics, Color Math, and Science. For 1st we are still using McRuffy Science but adding in Purposeful Design (well, we are still using the math and phonics too). Another thing we are really enjoying is Pathway Reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 saxon math - it's very very gentle for grades K & 1. starting in grade 2, i like to use CLE math. handwriting without tears - perfect for teaching a child to write. very gentle, easy & includes lots of fun hands-on activities. CLE Learning to Read. i am using this with my son in first grade now. i wish i had known about it with my daughter. in grade K, we used hooked on phonics K, but for first grade, i think CLE is fabulous. all other subjects I have no preference on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I like A Beka for the younger primary years and this is why... 1) It is very structured and I am a very structured person. The TM is scripted and I have very little prep to do. 2) It is a solid program. My boys have learned to read and read well. People comment on how well they read for their age (and my boys are not overly brilliant or anything, they're just normal little boys). Their math program is solid, too. 3) It's a complete program. You don't have to order from this company for phonics and from that company for math. 4) It's relatively inexpensive. A lot of people don't like A Beka because it is very workbooky. As my kids are getting a little older, I am slowly moving away from A Beka. They are weak in the content (science & history) areas, esp. if you are Classically minded. But, for K4, K5 and 1st grade, I feel that A Beka is a very strong curriculum, esp. for a homeschooler just starting out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) . Edited July 9, 2022 by SilverMoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Singapore Math, Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, and Cursive First. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warriormom Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 (edited) I think I may go with this list. Seasoned home schoolers please encourage me or dissuade me over any of my choices. Is this too much "to tackle" or too little? Please be opinionated :bigear: BTW, I am close to completing TYCTR100EZ lessons. Spelling Power :bigear: Singapore Math :bigear: First Language Lessons :bigear: Leading Little ones to Christ :bigear: Handwriting without Tears :bigear: Classical Conversations Memory Work CD Cycle 1 (at home not in the co-op) :bigear: Living books for history and science :bigear: Ok I know I added a lot of the big ear pictures but I really want to hear your opinions Edited January 5, 2011 by cabreban Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 http://www.amblesideonline.org/ Why: 1. It's free...with the exception of a few books you'll need to purchase. 2. Wonderful living books 3. Charlotte Mason style 4. Offers a booklist & schedule, yet it's flexible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Robyn Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I'll add another vote for OM K! I also really like the books used in Sonlight's P4/5 Science, SSRW K (but not 1), WWE, Saxon K (but not 1, 2, or 3 and we never tried anything above that), and McRuffy Color Math. I think I may go with this list. Seasoned home schoolers please encourage me or dissuade me over any of my choices. Is this too much "to tackle" or too little? Please be opinionated :bigear: BTW, I am close to completing TYCTR100EZ lessons. Spelling Power :bigear: Singapore Math :bigear: First Language Lessons :bigear: Leading Little ones to Christ :bigear: Handwriting without Tears :bigear: Classical Conversations Memory Work CD Cycle 1 (at home not in the co-op) :bigear: Living books for history and science :bigear: Ok I know I added a lot of the big ear pictures but I really want to hear your opinions Is this line-up for K or 1? I definitely wouldn't do this much for K. Maybe some people would, but it just seems like too much to me. I'm sure that's more of a personal philosophy thing. I don't know enough about any of those programs to have an opinion for grade 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 MFW K was super fun - we did that our first year of Kinder. Second year of Kinder and continuing with 1st grade we love: OPGTR ETC Abeka Math Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarrieF Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I think I may go with this list. Seasoned home schoolers please encourage me or dissuade me over any of my choices. Is this too much "to tackle" or too little? Please be opinionated :bigear: BTW, I am close to completing TYCTR100EZ lessons. Spelling Power Singapore Math First Language Lessons Leading Little ones to Christ Handwriting without Tears Classical Conversations Memory Work CD Cycle 1 (at home not in the co-op) Living books for history and science Ok I know I added a lot of the big ear pictures but I really want to hear your opinions * Spelling Power: I would wait until dc is reading well before introducing a formal spelling curriculum. * Singapore Math: I have no experience with this curriculum, just make sure YOU love the math program you choose! :001_smile: * First Language Lessons: I would recommend starting with OPG (Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading) and wait on grammar until 1st or even 2nd grade. * Leading Little Ones to God: a lovely book! :001_smile: * Handwriting Without Tears: a good choice (for most kids) in teaching the mechanics of writing * Classical Conversations: I have no experience with this at all, but it SOUNDS fun! :001_smile: * Living books for history & science: always a good choice! Oh, just saw that you are almost through TYC100EZ, so forget the OPG rec.. I'd still just let dc read and read and read before doing formal spelling or grammar. Just my humble opinion! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 You've gotten good recs already, but I want to second the recommendation for First Language Lessons. It is mostly oral and such a fun, nice program for mom and kid. My kids have loved it. I think it has been my very favorite curriculum so far.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 I think I may go with this list. Seasoned home schoolers please encourage me or dissuade me over any of my choices. Is this too much "to tackle" or too little? Please be opinionated :bigear: BTW, I am close to completing TYCTR100EZ lessons. Spelling Power :bigear: Singapore Math :bigear: First Language Lessons :bigear: Leading Little ones to Christ :bigear: Handwriting without Tears :bigear: Classical Conversations Memory Work CD Cycle 1 (at home not in the co-op) :bigear: Living books for history and science :bigear: Ok I know I added a lot of the big ear pictures but I really want to hear your opinions You might consider looking at A Reason for Handwriting (just as another HW program to consider). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warriormom Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 Thanks for the recommendation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Wizards Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Elemental Science Intro. to Science -My DD loves it and it's easy for me to do every week with her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Ok you asked what my fav. curriculum for K-1st was and why? Well hmmm.. I'm gonna say. FLL - My K5er and 2nd grader love this. We do it verbally. Hooked on Phonics - Love that it's not only reading but it's also alot of review. Fun kid friendly and kid sized books for them to read, a reward chart as well as a little spelling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.