Indecisive for K

[flamommy2mygirls]

I know Kindergarten is discussed 1000x over on these boards, but if anyone feels like talking about it some more, please do!

 

I thought I had my core subjects (phonics, math and science) figured out but I am having a hard time committing. I was planning on going with McRuffy K for all 3 since I have heard they are complete and nicely scripted, which for a brand new hsing mom who will be adding another LO in Oct sounds like exactly what I need. I have read practically every thread relating to McRuffy curriculum and was sold on it based on everyone's raves but am still hesitating. I am blaming it on the fact that I have also read one-too-many "Kindy curriculum" threads...and it (of course) makes me second guess my choices.

 

DD likes math workbooks but not phonics. She can sound out CVC and CVCC words but refuses to add the missing letter to a simple word in the workbook. She LOVES art and creating things out of anything and everything so I thought the hands-on aspect of McRuffy would mesh well with her.

 

Some other random thoughts...

If I do go with McRuffy K math, should I add some MM for extra challenge? DD has enjoyed doing addition and subtraction workbooks over the past few months and am worried she could be bored with what may turnout to be a bunch of "review" concepts in McRuffy K Math.

 

And to add even more to the mix...I was SO set on CLE Learn to Read for many, many months and feel really torn on whether I should go with that over McRuffy.

 

Any advice is appreciated! Tell me I am not the only one obsessing over what should be a fun and low stress year. Thanks!

[Luvmy3kids]

Well I am in the same boat regarding CLE LTR. I have OPGTR and do like it. Plus I have always used ETC for my other two. I just thought CLE LTR would include everything. Uggggghhh...there are so many good choices. I don't have any advice since I am with you in the undecided part. I will be reading other replies.

[brehon]

I know Kindergarten is discussed 1000x over on these boards, but if anyone feels like talking about it some more, please do!

 

I thought I had my core subjects (phonics, math and science) figured out but I am having a hard time committing. I was planning on going with McRuffy K for all 3 since I have heard they are complete and nicely scripted, which for a brand new hsing mom who will be adding another LO in Oct sounds like exactly what I need. I have read practically every thread relating to McRuffy curriculum and was sold on it based on everyone's raves but am still hesitating. I am blaming it on the fact that I have also read one-too-many "Kindy curriculum" threads...and it (of course) makes me second guess my choices.

 

DD likes math workbooks but not phonics. She can sound out CVC and CVCC words but refuses to add the missing letter to a simple word in the workbook. She LOVES art and creating things out of anything and everything so I thought the hands-on aspect of McRuffy would mesh well with her.

 

Some other random thoughts...

If I do go with McRuffy K math, should I add some MM for extra challenge? DD has enjoyed doing addition and subtraction workbooks over the past few months and am worried she could be bored with what may turnout to be a bunch of "review" concepts in McRuffy K Math.

 

And to add even more to the mix...I was SO set on CLE Learn to Read for many, many months and feel really torn on whether I should go with that over McRuffy.

 

Any advice is appreciated! Tell me I am not the only one obsessing over what should be a fun and low stress year. Thanks!

 

The bolded is what I think is most important here. Your girls are so very young and you will be shortly adding another one. You may not want to hear this as it is 180* from your question. If not, stop reading here.

 

 

 

You ready? :)

 

 

You don't need to use a kindergarten program. Your daily life will be enough for your 5 year old. I promise.

 

Read with and to her (and, of course, your younger dd), play puzzles and tangrams, bake cookies together, play, go to the zoo/botanical garden/museum/etc, play some more, read, go to library story time, play. Let your girls go outside and find all sorts of neat bugs, leaves, stones, twigs, etc in the dirt while you enjoy a nice, refreshing Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade) in the shade. [Hopefully, it's not the 35th day of over 100* where you are...:glare:]. Help your dd start a nature journal to record those interesting bugs, etc she finds.

 

And, as your dd indicates readiness/willingness, perhaps include a page or two of phonics (or BOB books or whatever beginning readers strike your fancy), mayhap a bit of handwriting (never more than 5 minutes at a time), add some counting bears, M&Ms, etc and hey, presto -- you've got yourself a great kindy "program". Best of all you didn't pay a lot of money for a program you can easily replicate at home!!

 

By the by, my core subjects, especially at this age, are phonics, handwriting, and math. Science is a content area for us. Not saying it's not important -- we're quite big into science. But we use the skills to complement the content. Good luck with everything. I know you'll read lots of threads about various kindy programs and I'm sure they're very nice. Remember that a lot of us have trod the same path and didn't feel that we or our kids missed anything by not using a program. Have fun!!

[hsingscrapper]

You don't need to use a kindergarten program. Your daily life will be enough for your 5 year old. I promise.

 

:iagree: I would use a good reading instruction program like OPGTR and maybe the HWOT Get Set for School and Letters and Numbers for Me books in that order. If you have olders, you maybe have manipulatives from them leftover? Teach her to count. Learning to read, write, and what her numbers are "worth" and how to write them is a winning approach in my book. Legos or Barbie doll shoes could be counted too.

 

I would let everything else be interest-driven icing on the cake.

[Guest]

I would use Memoria Press First Start reading (or full on package) and R&S for math.

 

I have used part of McRuffy Math and felt it was not organized well or developing skills. It has a lot of play with the manips and trace numbers.

[RachelFlores]

I'm going to disagree with the previous posters and if you are anything like me, you SHOULD get a curriculum, something to give you ideas to follow so you know your child is progressing. It will make YOU feel better and it will be enriching for your child, as long as your child is receptive to the method. If your daughter likes math workbooks, then get something workbooky. If she doen't like phonics workbooks look at programs that DON'T use workbooks. My dd can read cvc, ccvc and cvcc words, but we have not covered any vowel parings or other phonics rules. I will be using PAL:Reading with her and I think (hope) it will be perfect. We have tried Phonics Pathways and OPGTR and while both were ok, they were dry and didn't offer fun repetion, starfall.com is great but doesn't have enough explicit instruction for my dd. I have heard Happy Phonics can be great for practice.

 

What IS nice about K is you can't really go wrong as long as you and your child are having fun. And don't be afraid to stop/change a program that isn't working for you or your daughter. This year you will learn so much about how you teach and how she learns, you will have a much better sense of what will work next year.

[*Jen*]

You sound like me last year. I was due with a little one in September and having a hard time making decisions about what to buy. The more I read the more I couldn't make up my mind. I finally made a list of the few things I was thinking about, turned off the computer and thought about each one and what I liked and disliked about it. Then I ordered what I had chosen and then didn't read the Kindergarten threads anymore.

 

Everyone will tell you that this is better than that, or that you should use this over that. But it really comes down to what YOU feel like you need to teach your DD and what will work for your family with a new addition coming.

 

Last year we planned our year to have a month off when the baby came. It ended up that we only took about 2 weeks off while we had visitors and then we jumped back into our routine since the little one slept all the time. We ended up taking the extra two weeks off later in the fall when the weather was nice and DS wasn't sleeping well and I was too tired to think.

 

What IS nice about K is you can't really go wrong as long as you and your child are having fun. And don't be afraid to stop/change a program that isn't working for you or your daughter. This year you will learn so much about how you teach and how she learns, you will have a much better sense of what will work next year.

 

This is what I learned last year. Fun is the most important thing. Learning how your child learns is important. Your child learning is an added bonus.

[flamommy2mygirls]

I really appreciate all the responses so far! So very, very helpful for a newbie!!!

 

I agree with the idea that life right now should be enriching enough for my DD but I feel like she is at a point where she needs more structured content. She is 5.5 now but will be 6 in Nov and I have seen so many posts on kiddos in reading programs at 4 and feel like I am way behind. I know children should not be compared...I just feel that at 6 we should be ready to begin a structured phonics/reading program. I believe we have a good foundation in phonics since we are always sounding out and spelling words and often doing word families with foam letters in the bath, I just feel I need help explaining all the rules and ensuring we don't miss something.

 

And the same goes for math...I want to be sure we hit all the necessary concepts before moving on to higher levels. We have focused on + and - but not so much on reading clocks and money concepts.

 

And then add in my DH who likes to see what we have accomplished for the day...(i.e. workbook pages and such) and while this past year he has humored our "laid-back" days, I know this next year he will want to see real work....as will I. For myself, I need to know she is progressing and that I am not holding her back from her potential. KWIM?

 

Any more opinions? I am all :bigear:!

[Ellesmere]

.

[flamommy2mygirls]

You sound like me last year. I was due with a little one in September and having a hard time making decisions about what to buy. The more I read the more I couldn't make up my mind. I finally made a list of the few things I was thinking about, turned off the computer and thought about each one and what I liked and disliked about it. Then I ordered what I had chosen and then didn't read the Kindergarten threads anymore.

 

This is what I learned last year. Fun is the most important thing.

Learning how your child learns is important.

^^^(SO true! Thanks!) Your child learning is an added bonus.

 

 

Thank you for giving me your experience! I haven't really thought about how much time we will take off b/c of the new baby. I guess I hoped we could still swing the 45 minutes it would take to cover the basics. Prob a little idealistic.

 

As for the lists, yes I have made a couple different ones and felt "great" about each one of them...for a bit.

 

Original list:

Singapore Essential Math K - B, then moving on to Primary 1A

ETC books 1 & 2

Christian Liberty Nature Readers

A reason for handwriting K (wasn't totally sold on that one though)

 

2nd list:

McRuffy Color Math K

McRuffy SE Phonics and Reading K

McRuffy Science K

 

Now that I am still looking (and reading), I realize that ETC might not be so great on its own. The Memoria Press - First Start Reading looks like a nice base and is inexpensive enough. (Thanks training5!)

 

O gosh I really need to just pick something. :blushing:

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

In your place, I would pick a phonics/reading program, a handwriting program, and a math program. Pick ones that are easy to use and that you think would work well with your dd's learning style. Then just borrow books to read from the library. I've read lots of books while nursing my babies.

 

For my oldest dd we did HWT K, AAS 1, and Right Start Math A.

 

For my K ds this fall I plan to do HWT K, not sure what for phonics, and MEP reception/1.

[boscopup]

And the same goes for math...I want to be sure we hit all the necessary concepts before moving on to higher levels. We have focused on + and - but not so much on reading clocks and money concepts.

 

Clocks and money will be taught in grades 1-3 in most programs. You mentioned MM. She doesn't even recommend a K program. She recommends doing real life math in K, learning to write numbers and such, then start with +/- in 1st. The clocks and money are all there. Don't worry! They'll be taught each year, going deeper each time.

 

Picking up a K level math workbook or whatever is totally fine. I'm using Singapore Essential Math K, with the intention of going into MM1 when we're done. We've really enjoyed the program, and it's inexpensive and easy to use.

 

If McRuffy K Math would be too easy for her, I wouldn't use it at all. Give her materials at her level, whatever level that may be. If she's ready for MM1, go ahead and do MM1. You can always take it slower than you would with a first grader. Just let her go at her pace at her level.

[5LittleMonkeys]

 

And then add in my DH who likes to see what we have accomplished for the day...(i.e. workbook pages and such) and while this past year he has humored our "laid-back" days, I know this next year he will want to see real work....as will I. For myself, I need to know she is progressing and that I am not holding her back from her potential. KWIM?

 

Any more opinions? I am all :bigear:!

 

 

Gently, I want to REALLY caution you on this attitude. "Real" work and progress is not accurately measured in workbooks and worksheets. Please don't fall into the trap that you think that unless you complete x amount of worksheets you haven't learned anything in math for the day. I did math with ds5 all week and we haven't put pencil to paper once. (He likes workbooks but I use them as busywork.) He learned greater than, less than and equal to. He learned the number bonds for 5 and learned how to solve for x and balance an equation.

 

I understand your need for a curriculum to follow; to plan what you will teach, but don't be a slave to filling out every worksheet or checking every box. I know that, being new, you feel you need some sort of physical output to prove progress. I felt that way too when I started. One day though, when dh got home from work, I showed him all of the workpages that the dc had done thinking that he would be extremely impressed. He said, "Wow, that's a lot of filling in of blanks, but what did they actually learn today though.":blink::blink: It took me awhile but I got his point eventually.

 

Good luck to you on your new journey and remember to relax and have fun!:001_smile:

[flamommy2mygirls]

Gently, I want to REALLY caution you on this attitude. "Real" work and progress is not accurately measured in workbooks and worksheets. Please don't fall into the trap that you think that unless you complete x amount of worksheets you haven't learned anything in math for the day.

 

I do appreciate you mentioning this! For myself, I know that what she learns is not measured by worksheets, especially since I am not one to encourage their use up to this point, my DH was. Mine and DD's math lessons consist of real world, everyday application. I guess I should have been more specific with that stmt. By "real work" I really meant 'more structured'. I am not a structured, scheduled person by nature so I feel I need to work extra hard to ensure I provide her with what she needs to learn and grow. And yes I have lots and lots to learn. ;)

Edited July 14, 2011 by flamommy2mygirls

[5LittleMonkeys]

And yes I have lots and lots to learn. ;)

 

We all do! I don't think that ever ends, no matter how long we've been homeschooling.;)

 

Edited to add: I agree with boscopup about going ahead with MM 1 for your dd. I started it with ds5...we don't work directly on the worksheets; I just use it as a spine to determine what to teach next and I add other things in from MEP occasionally. He has been doing fine with it.

Edited July 14, 2011 by 5LittleMonkeys

[skueppers]

Since I just finished Kindergarten with my daughter, who turned 6 in November of last year --

 

I do not think it is too early for structured academics. However, I think it's important to bear your goals in mind. Your GOAL is not (at least, I hope it's not) for her to complete a structured phonics program this year. Your GOAL is for her to learn how to read. The same is true for math and handwriting.

 

My goals for last year were something like this:

 

1) Help my daughter continue to improve her reading.

2) Move forward in math, at minimum achieving a solid knowledge of addition and subtraction within 10.

3) Learn to form letters properly and reach a stage where the physical act of writing didn't get in the way of putting ideas on paper.

4) Learn to read and write at a first grade level in German.

 

We accomplished these goals by:

 

1) Having her read aloud and/or silently from a library book for at least an hour a week; she read more as the year progressed.

2) Spending about 2 hours per week on math. For the most part, we used Math Mammoth's first grade materials, but I did not stress about how far we got in it.

3 and 4) Completing a German first-grade workbook series. I would have used Getty-Dubay Italic for (3) if the German workbooks hadn't involved so very much writing. She spent about 2 hours a week on this, also.

 

Note that while we did do work with time and money during the year, I view these topics as pretty much incidental. We did do a LOT of other learning, but my major goals were really pretty straightforward.

[Rosie_0801]

She is 5.5 now but will be 6 in Nov and I have seen so many posts on kiddos in reading programs at 4 and feel like I am way behind.

 

And if you were to ask, you'd find the odd four year old who still can't talk, because they didn't want to learn earlier. :rolleyes:

 

As for your husband, it might be possible to satisfy him without having pages of worksheets. I blog. We have absolutely nothing to show for ourselves at the end of the most days, but if he feels like it, he can read on our blog that I read chapters from such and such a book (literature) while she did a jigsaw puzzle, (maths) that we mooched about with cuisinaire rods (maths)and what we talked about (language development.) How we practiced our fingerspelled letters, (Auslan) recited a nursery rhyme (language development and poetry) watched a documentary (language development, science at a stretch) and how she spent an hour and a half sitting playing with plastic animals in the dirt.(Science, imaginative play)

 

Somehow none of that stuff really seems like anything until it is committed to print.

 

Rosie

[LynnG in Arizona]

I agree with one of the previous posters who said that, if you would feel better with a more structured/scripted K program, then that's what you should get! I am the same way; there is *nothing* wrong with that. Especially for your first year, you could do much worse than to follow a more scripted program. You can always branch out next year!

 

I just finished McRuffy Phonics K, and think it is a very good, solid program. It moves pretty quickly, so if your daughter can already read CVC words, I think it might be a great choice. Give yourself permission to go faster if need be . . . we did that about half way through the year and started covering maybe 5 lessons in 3 or 4 days.

 

McRuffy is very spelling intensive, and gets more so by the end of kindergarten. I personally dropped the McRuffy spelling and added in AAS (All About Spelling) about 2/3rds through the year. I was very happy with that choice; AAS is simply excellent, and will reinforce the McRuffy phonics beautifully. McRuffy spelling is a bit too intense and memorization/list-driven for my taste.

 

I tried HWT, Reason for Handwriting, and Zaner Bloser K last year - yes, all of them! ;) I loved Zaner Bloser as being thorough and manageable. Not too expensive, either (though none of them are). You can also buy the handwriting book that coordinates with McRuffy, but I think it requires a lot of writing for kindergarten students.

 

McRuffy Science was just ok, in my opinion. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It is a gentle, 2 day/week program that makes it easy for science to "get done". Personally, if I had a new baby coming in a few months, I would skip science this year. (And I'm a fairly "rigorous" homeschooler.)

 

I recommend Right Start A for kindergarten. It is scripted, and a fantastic program for laying down real mathematics understanding. If you don't want to do that, my impression of McRuffy Math is that it, too, is a solid "middle of the road" program that will get the job done.

 

Since you're asking for advice, here's what I would recommend:

 

 

• McRuffy Phonics K
  
• Right Start A
  
• Zaner Bloser handwriting K
  
• read alouds (maybe Sonlight 3/4 or 4/5 books - or the Memoria Press Kindergarten list; you can either buy these or get as many as possible from the library; we have either done or are currently doing all of these books, and they are excellent)
  

 

I think the above would be a really nice kindergarten year that could still be manageable for you. And if you feel strongly that you want to add in science, add in the McRuffy Science K as well.

 

Good luck!

[ehommel]

:lurk5:

[kristinannie]

I haven't read all the other responses, but I can tell you about McRuffy Color Math K. I absolutely love it. It is hands on and I would never call it boring. It is spiral and you review concepts, but I really think that is necessary at this age. My son loves math. You spend the first part of the lesson playing with manipulatives and then do a worksheet (most of the time). I am amazed at how much DS5 has picked up on mathematical concepts with this program. Daily practice on writing his numbers has made a huge difference as well. Plus, I love that they use Zaner Bloser numbers since that is what we are using for handwriting. I have been debating switching to Singapore next fall for 1st, but I love McRuffy so much that I will probably just stick with it. I am supplementing with Miquon which I highly recommend. If you are interested in Miquon, I would buy it now and start with that over the summer. It is a great way to teach mathematical concepts using C-rods. It really can't be beat at this age.

 

I can't tell you much about the science although I have received glowing reviews from other WTM moms. Here is one:

 

Ok, we've been at it a few weeks, we're cruising through, we intend to finish by May. So far, I have to say it is simple, easy to do. DD7 loves it.

 

They are quite hands on, short sweet and to the point. She has memorized phases of the moon, is keeping a moon chart for the month, tracking temperatures for a home. Has gained an understanding what a tornado is.

 

My older kids are a little jealous as there is nearly an experiment a day. There is a workbook, not every lesson has a workbook page, but they are very simple and quick to do.

 

There is also an assessment page. I just look it over, ask her a few questions decide if we need to review, so far no, and move to the next unit.

 

I will definitely get Grade 3 for next year.

 

Oh, with it, there is a resource pack. Include laminated charts, masters of the charts and games.

 

Overall, it's a great introduction to various aspects of science for this age group. In many ways it's like how WTM suggests it for grammar stage. Lots of experiments and let them ask the questions, ask them what they saw and learned. The kit comes in a sterilite Pencil box, so it's compact and other than pop bottles and a few other things, EVERYTHING is there!

 

 

Anyway, it looks solid.

 

The phonics looks great as well. The only reason I didn't go with that is because I wanted to use AAS and didn't need the spelling portion of McRuffy. I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any of their products.

 

I think the most important thing to remember for Kindergarten is to teach your children to love learning and to have a lot of fun. We are doing a trip around world this year (spending 1-2 months on each continent). This is truly what I think my children will remember. Just have fun with Kindergarten. Let me know if you have any specific questions. You can see what I am using in my siggy. Feel free to PM me. I just made all these decisions too after MONTHS of agony! :D

[texasmama]

I really appreciate all the responses so far! So very, very helpful for a newbie!!!

 

I agree with the idea that life right now should be enriching enough for my DD but I feel like she is at a point where she needs more structured content. She is 5.5 now but will be 6 in Nov and I have seen so many posts on kiddos in reading programs at 4 and feel like I am way behind. I know children should not be compared...I just feel that at 6 we should be ready to begin a structured phonics/reading program. I believe we have a good foundation in phonics since we are always sounding out and spelling words and often doing word families with foam letters in the bath, I just feel I need help explaining all the rules and ensuring we don't miss something.

 

And the same goes for math...I want to be sure we hit all the necessary concepts before moving on to higher levels. We have focused on + and - but not so much on reading clocks and money concepts.

 

And then add in my DH who likes to see what we have accomplished for the day...(i.e. workbook pages and such) and while this past year he has humored our "laid-back" days, I know this next year he will want to see real work....as will I. For myself, I need to know she is progressing and that I am not holding her back from her potential. KWIM?

 

Any more opinions? I am all :bigear:!

 

Our kindy students are about a month apart in age. You can check out my siggie for what I will be using with her. I did a light kindy year last year because she wanted to "do school" like her brothers and was ready. I have chosen to focus on phonics, math and handwriting. The rest is gravy, and if you don't do any formal science or history in kindy, it is really not a big deal. Read, read, read.:001_smile:

[tuzor]

Sounds like you are exactly where I was last year. I had reviewed so much I finally just made a decision and went with it. After reviewing so many options I decided on McRuffy reading and the color K math. This year I went a completly different direction. For one I decided to implement the classical method but at the end of the day I did not feel that McRuffy was focusing enough on the basics. I had read a few reviews that said it was like a colorful Saxon. I disagree with that completely. I felt that the math was thrown together with no rhyme or reason. The reading was just okay. I ended up not finishing the reading because my son needed to slow down once we got into long vowel sounds. I ended up choosing CLE this year for Reading, LA and Saxon for Math and I am very happy that I made the switch. It is working out very well for us.

[Ritsumei]

You don't need to use a kindergarten program. Your daily life will be enough for your 5 year old. I promise.

 

 

:iagree:We're finishing off K, and I have to (mostly) agree. I have OPGTR, but it's because I didn't know a thing about phonics at the outset. Monkey never sees it, unless I've got it out to get a new batch of word cards or something. We don't use it as intended. We do games based on their word lists (some from Happy Phonics, some we make up; Go Fish is a huge favorite) and I turn the reading parts into little books, and we use Bob Books, though he likes the ones I make almost as well and they're TONS cheaper, as well as actually reviewing rules that we've learned. (2-3 times a week)

 

We use Math Expressions, but I didn't buy the workbook; we do the work on a flannel board, or with cars or M&Ms or whatever else is handy. His fine motor skills are still very much a work in progress, so we either skip the written parts, adapt them to the flannel board, or share the writing like SWB suggests doing for narration in TWTM. We just love it. I've blogged quite a bit about it. I have the teacher's edition, and that's all. The teacher's edition (used) was less than $20 on Amazon. (2x weekly)

 

We did Nature Study, which consisted of going to the backyard/garden or the park/nature center and looking for "cool stuff." I worked on educating myself (and overcoming my phobia of bees) so that I could answer questions and point out cool stuff. Since the fine motor's not there yet, we skipped the nature journal entirely at this point, though I want to do more with that once he's better with drawing. Should be soonish. Even without the journal, I've been amazed at how much this does for him. (2x weekly)

 

I wanted to do some with Mudpies to Magnets, but that was very inconsistent.

 

We did read-alouds. After lunch, before naps, we'd read picture books, poems, and chapter books. The Secret Garden, Little House, Winnie-the-Pooh, etc. He loves that. Snuggly and fun. Depending on what he wanted to read it takes between 30 minutes up to an hour if he's really into it and we had the time. (3-4x weekly)

 

We did a scripture box, and ended up adding new verses roughly once a month. It's supposed to be daily, and we did it at bedtime, mostly every night.

 

In addition, we had playdates, playdoh, cooking, building with Daddy, martial arts, added a little brother, finger painting, messy stuff, learned to do some housework, and oh, I don't even know what else. The formal "school" stuff was seldom more than 1/2 hour on any day, except that the nature study (often followed by a trip to the playground) took longer. But the seat work was seldom more than 1/2 hour a day, and sometimes less. And much of it looked like games. Monkey enjoyed most of it most of the time.

 

And it worked beautifully.

 

And then add in my DH who likes to see what we have accomplished for the day...(i.e. workbook pages and such) and while this past year he has humored our "laid-back" days, I know this next year he will want to see real work....as will I. For myself, I need to know she is progressing and that I am not holding her back from her potential. KWIM?

 

 

Take pictures, and do one of those weekly wrap-up memes on a blog. Blogger has a feature where you can have your posts emailed to someone - like DH. My DH is the same way. Wants to know that something is happening, that progress is being made, that the kids aren't being neglected. So he gets my wrap-up posts. I like in at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers, there's usually a weekly report thread here on Friday afternoons. Either way (or both), you'll get folks come and look it over, and it gives a regular way to be accountable to DH without having to be overly concerned about how much written work you did. When you write it all down in one place, it's really pretty amazing how much gets done in a week; even an easy-going week has a lot in it a lot of times! Pictures are fun, plus they make verbal work & nature study more "real" to someone who wasn't there with you. But simple works too. If she's ready for more seatwork, go for it. If not, take pictures of the other learning you're doing. That stuff is important too.

Edited July 15, 2011 by Ritsumei
to say some more. =]

[flamommy2mygirls]

Thank you all SO SO much!!! All the comments have been very helpful!

 

LynnG in Hawaii - Thank you, thank you for your McRuffy reviews!!! And for the AAS and Zaner Bloser recommendations!!! I have heard (read about) AAS on many, many threads but have never heard of ZB. I just checked out the website and am so happy to have found it. Like you, I have looked into both HWT and A Reason for Handwriting but wasn't sold on either. ZB looks awesome!

I am curious on how to incorporate AAS. Did you just start at the beginning of that book 2/3 into your year? or jump ahead a bit to match what was going on in MR?

 

As for Right Start, it does look nice but the price is a little high compared to MR. In your opinion, it is worth the extra $?

And I am making a list of the SL (level A) read-alouds that are at my local library. Great idea!!!

 

All you advice was more than helpful! :thumbup:

 

Kristinannie - Thanks so much on your review of MR Math and for mentioning Miquon! I have been looking into possibly supplementing that too.

And how amazing that your children get to explore the world this year! Definitely not something you can get from a textbook. WOW!

And thanks for commiserating with me on all the time it can take to figure this out.

[LynnG in Arizona]

Thank you all SO SO much!!! All the comments have been very helpful!

 

LynnG in Hawaii - Thank you, thank you for your McRuffy reviews!!! And for the AAS and Zaner Bloser recommendations!!! I have heard (read about) AAS on many, many threads but have never heard of ZB. I just checked out the website and am so happy to have found it. Like you, I have looked into both HWT and A Reason for Handwriting but wasn't sold on either. ZB looks awesome!

I am curious on how to incorporate AAS. Did you just start at the beginning of that book 2/3 into your year? or jump ahead a bit to match what was going on in MR?

 

As for Right Start, it does look nice but the price is a little high compared to MR. In your opinion, it is worth the extra $?

And I am making a list of the SL (level A) read-alouds that are at my local library. Great idea!!!

 

All you advice was more than helpful! :thumbup:

 

Kristinannie - Thanks so much on your review of MR Math and for mentioning Miquon! I have been looking into possibly supplementing that too.

And how amazing that your children get to explore the world this year! Definitely not something you can get from a textbook. WOW!

And thanks for commiserating with me on all the time it can take to figure this out.

 

Thank you for your kind words! I am glad you got something out of my ramblings. ;)

 

What I did was to start at the very beginning of AAS, about 2/3rds of the way through McRuffy Phonics K. I think that was in February of my dd's K year.

 

Definitely start at the very beginning, because you'll learn all the sounds each letter makes. Feel free to go very slowly . . . the first few lessons may take quite some time as your student memorizes all the sounds. You'll be "behind" where you are in phonics, but that's ok . . . I think it makes more sense to learn spelling behind phonics anyway. (So does Susan Wise Bauer, for that matter. :))

 

We went slowly and deliberately through AAS 1, and finished Step 10 (out of 24) by the end of the calendar year. You'll hear of people zipping through the program at a much quicker rate, but that pace felt about right to us. My daughter was a young K student, and we made sure to do all the reviews, extra words, etc. We worked maybe 10-15 minutes, four times a week on AAS. I still feel like it was excellent reinforcement of phonics. And if anything, we're "ahead"; many people don't start spelling until 1st grade or beyond.

 

As for Right Start Math, well, it definitely is an excellent program. But I won't lie; it's teacher intensive. If you get it, just get the basic kit - you honestly don't need the "deluxe" kit. We completed Right Start A during my daughter's K year, spending probably 15-20 minutes on it, 4 times each week. Definitely break each lesson into two days (just my opinion) - the author actually recommends that in the beginning of the book.

 

If you think you can realistically devote that amount of time just to math - and if you can afford the basic kit - then yes, I do recommend Right Start. I actually can't imagine a better kindergarten math program. I won't lie - it's a little bit "funky", and different from what we all grew up with - but the results are impressive. The scripting makes it easy to follow.

 

I do understand, though, that you may just need to do something a tad less teacher intensive. Especially with a new one coming. :) So if McRuffy feels more manageable to you, then go for it. It has a reputation as being a solid program, and I don't think you can go too far wrong with it.

 

Remember an important truth about homeschooling: "A good curriculum that gets done consistently is better than an excellent/more rigorous curriculum that doesn't get done." I didn't make that up, but after 9 or so years homeschooling, I definitely agree with it - and so do most of us on this board! ;)

 

Good luck - I hope you have a fantastic year, and congrats on your new baby!

[Guest]

My youngest DS is five (turning six in Jan). I am also one who needs a set curriculum. It took me forever to decide what I wanted to use! If you haven't already, read the reviews on homeschoolreviews.com, and also type in each program on here and look for reviews.

 

In the end, I don't really think you can go wrong. You just have to try one and see how your dd responds. I've heard good things about McRuffy. I was considering using it, but I already had all the TM's/non-consumable materials from R&S 1, so I went with that. DS can read basic stories, so I did not want to start with a program that would spend half the year, or so, teaching letter sounds. Anyway, I actually just ordered the consumable workbooks today. However, it does have filling in the missing letter, which my son will do, but if your dd does not like it, I would keep looking.

 

I also considered CLE's LTR. I think that, also, would have been wonderful. This is why I said you can't really go wrong... there are so many good things out there.

 

I don't really know of a phonics program that does not have the student fill in the blanks... maybe Ordinary Parents Guide, but I have not used it, so I don't know for sure.

 

As far as math, same thing. McRuffy looks good... so does CLE. We are using R&S Math 1 because it has a lot of repetition (which I like, some people don't), and it starts from the beginning. I've heard great things about Singapore Early Bird math. I also considered Modern Curriculum Press math. I'm not helping am I?

 

What I am saying is don't stress it. Go with your gut. Pick the one that looks best to you. Maybe show your dd some samples online, and get her input.

 

Last thing... science. I'm just going to order the science from Christian Liberty Press. Affordable and age-appropriate. A Beka would also do the job. My ds will probably listen in when my olders do Apologia, but that's extra... not necessary at this age.

 

I haven't officially decided on social studies. Still looking at A Beka, Christian Liberty Press, and stuff I already have.

Edited July 16, 2011 by Jinnah

[Joyoflearning]

I agree with one of the previous posters who said that, if you would feel better with a more structured/scripted K program, then that's what you should get! I am the same way; there is *nothing* wrong with that. Especially for your first year, you could do much worse than to follow a more scripted program. You can always branch out next year!

 

:iagree: I'm also a newbie so I feel a little silly chiming in here. First I have to say that you know what your child is ready for. If you feel your child is ready for more structure then go for it. Regarding seeing other children that are ready for it earlier, just remember that every child is ready at different times. My first was ready VERY early and I hated when people made comments about not needing curriculum. I felt that I needed that in order to know how to move forward and challenge her. My second child is not nearly as ready for anything academic (although I would love to try out preschool programs), but we will wait until HE is ready.

 

We started using some things with my DD last August and I wish I had found what I had back then. I had to research everything on my own because the only home schoolers I met were unschoolers and told me I didn't need curriculum. (Here I am on my soap box). I think kids do learn things in every day life and myself and my husband go out of our way to teach them things when we are cooking etc..., but they also need to learn skills such as how to form letters correctly. Learning skills through curriculum can be fun!! Only in Feb did I find what I really wanted to use. I'm glad that I have had this chance to test the waters. I'm also glad that I have this next year to try out the curriculums I have picked out so that when we enter first grade I'm used to routine and I know what's going to work for our family. I agree that Rightstart is a great program, but it is pricey and very teacher intensive. It is fun! We are using Heart of Dakota which is also fun!!. I love it because it is open and go, I feel like I am accomplishing something as I progress through the manual, and there are not worksheets. This was something that I needed for my first year getting used to a routine. I also love that you can pick out the most important things such as math and a reading programs but it gives suggestions...you can check my siggy (although I may be over ambitious for the year :001_huh:) Anyways, I love that HOD tied in everything together, but didn't take too much time...it organized everything for me. This is what worked for me, but there are tons of great programs out there. I would consider an AIO for the first year though to make your life easier. :001_smile: HTH

[skueppers]

Kristinannie - Thanks so much on your review of MR Math and for mentioning Miquon! I have been looking into possibly supplementing that too.

And how amazing that your children get to explore the world this year! Definitely not something you can get from a textbook.

 

I am pretty sure she meant that they're studying different continents, not that they are actually going there. :)

 

We did this kind of thing last year for Kindergarten, and it was great! I had my daughter look at a map and tell me what part of the world she wanted to learn about. As the year went on, I guided her to choose a country from each continent. So during the year, we studied:

 

Antarctica

Australia and New Zealand

China

Canada

Cameroon (and other parts of Africa)

Brazil

Germany

 

We watched nature documentaries, read books, did art projects, etc. It was a lot of fun.

[flamommy2mygirls]

I am pretty sure she meant that they're studying different continents, not that they are actually going there. :)

 

^^Haha...ok that makes sense! Newbie misunderstanding. LOL!

 

Making the year a "virtual" trip around the world sounds like great fun too!

[MeganW]

My kiddos turned 6 in April, and we are just starting as well. I tried both phonics and math previously, but they just weren't ready.

 

We try to get to the 4 R's each day

- Religion - Leading Little Ones to God

- Reading - Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading

- 'Riting - Handwriting Without Tears

- 'Rithmetic - RightStart Level A

 

I have a LOT of other stuff that we sometimes get to and sometimes don't. As long as they get the 4 Rs, and I read aloud some, it counts! :) I printed off a few book lists (Ambleside Online, Five in a Row, etc.) to select from.

 

I don't know where you live, but different states have different requirements. Here I have to document 180 days, and show what I did each day. I have an Excel spreadsheet grid printed with subjects/curriculum listed down the side, and five columns of boxes. Then I label each column with the date, and just put "Lesson 42" or whatever in the appropriate box. As long as the main 4 have something written, I count it for the state. (Not that they care about religion, but I always do that first anyway.) It also gives me a place to record everything else that they don't care about, but DH & I do.

 

My goal is to get a minimum of 15 days instruction (3 weeks of 5 days each) of days that count each month. We have been ahead so far, but that gives us wiggle room when the weather cools off to have some park days!

 

At dinnertime each night, we make a point to tell Daddy about everything we learned. Great review for the kiddos, and makes sure that Daddy knows we actually did something during the day! It doesn't have to be a point by point recap - one of my kids last night told about making a Viking ship out of playdough. (They play with playdough during our history readalouds - keeps the hands busy and out of trouble!)