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Newbie and all over the place! LONG!


twacademy2010
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Hi! I pulled my 8 yo DD KK out of PS before Christmas. I originally planned to HS my two preschoolers, but found this board and started researching and reading like crazy and decided I wanted to go ahead and HS her as well.

 

We took about a month off from everything and I am already wondering what I have done! :confused: KK is great, but I have already learned right off that she absolutely HATES the reading program I bought, but now am wondering if maybe she doesn't need it. She is into greek mythology and is an avid reader. She just finished reading the whole series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

 

So far I have SOTW 1 to use with HO, but I haven't started those because I don't want to overwhelm myself and I thought I'd hold off and start that with her and N (4) next year.

 

So for KK, we are using spellling workout level D, which we both LOVE. We are doing SM 3A, which seems to be going well so far. We have God's Design for Heaven & Earth - Astronomy and so far this seems to be a good fit as well. She LOVES astronomy! We're using MCT Island Level and this is going really well, too. I had bought BJU Reading 3 before I purchased MCT and decided to do only the comprehension parts of BJU, but she is 100% uninterested in it. I need to find something different for reading... or should I even worry about it. Before she left PS, I was told she was reading on a 5th-6th grade level, but I'd like to find that out for sure. That's probably why she is bored with BJU Reading 3, eh? lol

 

For N (4), I have SM Earlybird A, which he will only tolerate the pages where he can cut/paste. He doesn't want to write and that's okay - I know it's kindergarten level and he just turned 4 in November, but he's very smart, so I wanted to see what he would do. I am looking for RSM Level A to try with him so it is more hands on instead of worksheets. We also have History for Little Pilgrims, which he loves to listen to and talk about. He doesn't want to color in the coloring book though. He isn't into coloring. And I also have ETC Primers A, B, & C. He has fun with this, but gets bored quickly. Again, I know he's young and I am not pushing it at ALL. I also have HOP, but he doesn't want to participate in this either. I KNOW he wants to learn to read. He keeps asking me how to spell words, etc. I'm just trying to figure out the right path to take to keep him interested in learning to read. I downloaded Funnix, but haven't tried it yet.

 

Then I have the 3 yo and 20 month old runnng around screaming and getting into absolutely EVERYTHING they can get their hands on. They will both sit at a different table and "do school too mommy" and color or glue and in 5 minutes they are over it and into something else :D I seriously need to figure out a better schedule so I can quit getting frustrated with the two younger kids and make sure the older two are getting what they need!

 

I've noticed with KK that if we don't eat breakfast and start school immediately after that, she is not really interested in doing her work throughout the day. But, it is so hard for me to help her and keep the little guys busy. I considered getting KK up two hours earlier than everyone else and then maybe doing the last two hours during naptime, but I'm worried I won't be able to get back on track after all the free time.

 

So I guess I am looking for support to keep going and wondering if anyone has any advice or opinions about what I am doing b/c I honestly feel like I have no clue what I am doing :tongue_smilie:

 

I also want to say how thankful I am for this board! I would't have had the courage to start HS and probably never would have. My husband has been trying to convince me to HS since KK went into kindergarten, but I didn't think I had the brains or the patience to do it. So, THANK YOU ALL!!!! You are all so wonderful! :)

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First of all congrats on your HS decision!!!! Next, BREATHE!!!! Relax!!!! I can say that your first year is getting your feet wet. Figuring out what works and what doesn't. What your kiddos like and what they don't. You have made some great picks for dd8 and if she is reading 5th-6th level she doesn't need a reading program. Just let her read. Make sure she reads out loud to you everyday and you can have her narrate some of her quiet reads to you. As for your 4 year old, I would be the one to say not to push. If there is anything I regret it is not taking more time to enjoy them at this age. You have the next 14-15 years to teach them so just enjoy. Have you looked at Five in A row for him? It may be something you would both enjoy. Try out different schedules and see what works for your family. Remember the great thing about HS is you can do it your way! Good luck and keep up the good work!!!

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On the 4 year old. My oldest wanted to read at that age, but if I tried anything that looked remotely like school, he majorly resisted. I completely backed off trying to teach him to read, and I just read a lot of books to him and let him play starfall.com. At 4.5, he picked up Go, Dog, Go! (which we hadn't read yet) one day and read 30 pages to me with very little help. So the best thing I did was to stop trying to teach him to read. By time he started KG, he was reading at a 2.5 grade level, and he was also ready for more formal school. Now in first grade, he enjoys school and loves workbooks.:tongue_smilie:

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Hi :)

 

I think that if your daughter is already reading well, she doesn't need a "reading program" per se, especially one she detests. Just let her have lots of time for reading! Read to her, let her read to you, let her read silently, discuss the books, tell her she can let you know if she comes across any unfamiliar vocabulary words so you can tell her what they mean, ask her (sometimes) what the book/chapter is about, etc.

 

Your 4 y/o IS very young and I wouldn't try to push him into doing ANYTHING he doesn't want to do right now insofar as "school" stuff goes. I'd want to keep things informal/conversational, creative/hands on, "real life" (helping with things and so on), read alouds, crafts if he's interested, free play, nature walks, preschool board games, etc. Especially if you're already overwhelmed with trying to get into the swing of things your first year- you really don't have to do "curriculum" stuff or much formal stuff at all with one that young.

 

My son turned 5 in November and wasn't interested/focused enough for most "school" things this year- even with the hands on, gentle, laid back K curriculum I chose, so I just put it off. We'll try again in the fall. No biggie.

 

You could get some of the Leapfrog DVDs for him, you could play on Starfall.com with him, you could see if he likes Funnix, you could answer him when he asks how to spell things, it's okay to keep it very simple right now.

 

3 and 20 months... heh. Tough ages! Hopefully this time next year the 3 y/o will be a bit easier to deal with. You know what time of day they are the most relaxed/calm and what types of things hold their interest the longest, so try to focus on school with your oldest during those times.

 

Remember that school doesn't have to be done all in one sitting. You can break it up however you need to which might have you doing some stuff a bit earlier in the AM (two hours sounds rough though!), taking a break for the youngers while your daughter does independent reading or a craft or an independent assignment, then going back to her... you could even wrap up with things she enjoys in the evening if that works...

 

You're sort of finding your way now but I think it will all fall into place and you will find your rhythm. Just don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to do ten million things with all of them- you don't!

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Hi! I pulled my 8 yo DD KK out of PS before Christmas. I originally planned to HS my two preschoolers, but found this board and started researching and reading like crazy and decided I wanted to go ahead and HS her as well.

 

We took about a month off from everything and I am already wondering what I have done! :confused: KK is great, but I have already learned right off that she absolutely HATES the reading program I bought, but now am wondering if maybe she doesn't need it. She is into greek mythology and is an avid reader. She just finished reading the whole series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

 

If she is a good reader then kick back and don't worry about a formal program. Just pick and choose books from the SOTW activity guide for her to read to deepen your history studies, and don't miss it when they list a classic literature text, but you don't have to use a formal program.

 

So far I have SOTW 1 to use with HO, but I haven't started those because I don't want to overwhelm myself and I thought I'd hold off and start that with her and N (4) next year.

 

Sounds fine. History is the last thing to worry about. You are just showing them there is a bigger world out there then the little house in which they live. It is good, but not something to stress over.

 

 

For N (4), I have SM Earlybird A, which he will only tolerate the pages where he can cut/paste. He doesn't want to write and that's okay - I know it's kindergarten level and he just turned 4 in November, but he's very smart, so I wanted to see what he would do. I am looking for RSM Level A to try with him so it is more hands on instead of worksheets. We also have History for Little Pilgrims, which he loves to listen to and talk about. He doesn't want to color in the coloring book though. He isn't into coloring. And I also have ETC Primers A, B, & C. He has fun with this, but gets bored quickly. Again, I know he's young and I am not pushing it at ALL. I also have HOP, but he doesn't want to participate in this either. I KNOW he wants to learn to read. He keeps asking me how to spell words, etc. I'm just trying to figure out the right path to take to keep him interested in learning to read. I downloaded Funnix, but haven't tried it yet.

 

He sounds like a good candidate for RS. My ds hates to color too, don't worry about it.

 

You can try Funnix. I haven't looked at it yet, but its free, so why not? Boys often develop mentally at a slower rate than girls (but physically faster), thus don't be surprised if it takes him longer than your dd to learn to read. My ds didn't start reading till this year (2nd grade), but he is reading and at grade level. Just keep working on it.

 

Then I have the 3 yo and 20 month old runnng around screaming and getting into absolutely EVERYTHING they can get their hands on. They will both sit at a different table and "do school too mommy" and color or glue and in 5 minutes they are over it and into something else :D I seriously need to figure out a better schedule so I can quit getting frustrated with the two younger kids and make sure the older two are getting what they need!

Toobtoys, pattern blocks, interlocking base 10 blocks, geoboards, all can help. For ds the key was buying an exercise ball. He can bounce and play on that thing for hours (and it used to be bigger than he was). :D But I did go through a season where I could only get about 1-2 hours of school done a day, because he would systematically dump everything in the room. I would correct him, but I had to ignore some of it in order to get something done. I took 6 months to train him out of it, and in those 6 months I only got the bare basics done. But that season did end, and we caught up and it is long behind us now. This is a long term race, not a sprint, so time is on your side.

 

Mostly just keep swimming....

 

Heather

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Good for you!

My kids did PS for K-2 and K-1...while I dug in my heels also!

We are half way through our second year and just finding our stride. I know that isn't super encouraging, but this is new for all of you...even the little ones. Give everyone time to establish new routines.

 

Curriculum wise we love God's Design too! We are doing Chemistry this year and I am constantly surprised how much they are learning and loving it. Next year is Bio and I can't wait :) to see what we'll learn.

 

Let her read read read! I found a simple plot diagramming printable online and get my kids to do it after they finish each novel. We do it mostly for portfolio submissions that we do thrice yearly, but it gives me confidence in what they are reading, and retaining.

 

You sound like you already have a good idea of what she needs to do and when. If my kids get up, chores and eat and don't then head straight into their work we never get back on track. I give them a list of all things they need to cover in a day, they pick the order and check in with me for the things I cover or we do together(science, spelling). You didn't say how much you are spending one on one with her, but she may be more capable of independent work than you think. I think my biggest misconception in the beginning was that I needed to hold their hand through everything. As they get bigger I have realized I want to produce independent learners which I hoping will come from giving them some freedom in the way things work and the things we cover.

 

Hope that was a bit encouraging!

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Thanks so much everyone! I REALLY appreciate everyone's responses and the welcome :) I am going to hold off on any formal teaching with N for a little bit and just let him be 4, but will continue to read aloud to him... and I will sell the BJU Reading 3 that I have and use the plot diagram idea to make sure KK really understands what she reads :)

 

I found this list of ideas for activities for little ones while you homeschool:

 

http://mothersruleoflife.com/free/ActivitiesforLittleones.pdf

 

I like having her long list, it makes me feel like I have options if one thing does not work = less frustration.:001_smile:

 

I printed this list.. THANK YOU! Great ideas!

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