Best Afterschooling Curricula

[eloquacious]

Do you wind up using what you would have used at home anyway, or whatever is least like the stuff being used in schools?

 

We are most likely going to be sending our boys to a local classical charter that uses Singapore Math and Riggs Phonics, Vocab, Grammar, Spelling, etc. (a Spalding spin-off). I like the sound of both of those, but so far the plan is to do Miquon and some Montessori stuff on the side during the school year, and "Finland math" during the summer. (Math Mammoth. We have a vacation home in Finland, which depending on finances we try to visit, so it only makes sense to do Math Mammoth there. ;>)

 

I also like the sound of MCT Language Arts stuff, as it could be our "cuddle grammar," and then possibly doing read-alouds from literature heavy curricula like Sonlight to go along with whatever they're studying in history, or the audio book version of SOTW. Bible studies would be done at home anyways.

 

Does that sound like too much in addition to school?

 

And if a school begins their curriculum in K, would you recommend sending your child in K or for 1st grade? I would prefer to send him for 1st grade, but I worry that it would be weird for him to enter then, rather than starting fresh with his classmates.

[BabyBre]

Do you wind up using what you would have used at home anyway, or whatever is least like the stuff being used in schools?...

 

Does that sound like too much in addition to school?

 

And if a school begins their curriculum in K, would you recommend sending your child in K or for 1st grade? I would prefer to send him for 1st grade, but I worry that it would be weird for him to enter then, rather than starting fresh with his classmates.

 

We use what we would have used anyway, but it also happens to be least like what they use in school.

 

I wouldn't say that's too much. We've always accomplished a surprising amount in less than a couple hours a day.

 

It won't be weird for him. If it happens to be, everyone will get over it in a couple weeks and then it will just be normal.

[momsquared]

I am a bit of a tiger mom - I'll admit it :tongue_smilie: Anyway, I got a used copy of the math and reading series being used. I practice some in there just to reinforce what they are working on. However, science and social studies don't get a lot of attention, so I use Story of the World and an Evan Moor science book. My daughter loves the science book, and it uses science to work on reading and vocabulary.

[sleepymommy]

I'm planning on using the same things I have but just focusing on 'core' subjects.

 

The charter school curriculum sounds great!

[Erika]

We have never homeschooled so I make my selections based on how rigorous and how quickly we can do the curriculum. Therefore, TWTM recommendations really help me accomplish my goals for the 3R's. I love that FLL takes 5 minutes but my son is really learning.

[HappyCamper]

We use what fills in the most important holes, which here have been grammar and math.

[eloquacious]

Yes, most bang for the buck time-wise is desirable, as the school is intense. I do like the sound of their curriculum, and even extra offerings like competitive chess in the upper elementary years. They do music and art all the time, as well as P.E. - these are big sells. Also Core Science and History (I'm still not sure if that means Core Knowledge or what - must investigate) and "Touchpebbles" and Touchstone Great Books. Overall, other than the fact that it is not explicitly Christian, it is as good as a school gets. I'm still torn on whether to school at home or at school, esp. for early elementary years, but then we're two years out, so I'll take it one step at a time.

 

I'm just sort of...preparing myself. Sniff.

[eloquacious]

It would appear that I am a Tiger Mom in the making. We're even looking into Suzuki music lessons. ;)

 

But then, she does teach at my alma mater's law school, so....

[momsquared]

It would appear that I am a Tiger Mom in the making. We're even looking into Suzuki music lessons. ;)

 

But then, she does teach at my alma mater's law school, so....

 

 

Rawr :lol:

[Alessandra]

It sounds as thought your school is doing a lot! I wouldn't add too much in core subjects, unless a child were weak. One thing I've noticed is that a lot of schools (at least public ones) don't teach handwriting well. If the school doesn't have a real handwriting program, I would add that in -- at the appropriate age, of course.

 

For enrichment, we like Core Knowledge, because you choose your own way of teaching, your own materials, and your own pace. It's not like having a workbook full of blank pages if you skip something! You may have enough on your plate already, so I am just including this as a general suggestion.

 

Three other things I would include in the next few years: music (like playing a recorder), nature "study" and some kind of handicrafts (Oak Meadow has some great suggestions).

 

ETA Not meaning to suggest that a child's play time be cut into too much... when I suggested music or handicrafts, I meant about 20-30 min/week on each, preferably as a family activity. Also, if you choose toys wisely... for example, puppets can help develop a child's verbal skills.

Edited September 5, 2011 by Alessandra

[Spy Car]

Do you wind up using what you would have used at home anyway, or whatever is least like the stuff being used in schools?

 

We are most likely going to be sending our boys to a local classical charter that uses Singapore Math and Riggs Phonics, Vocab, Grammar, Spelling, etc. (a Spalding spin-off). I like the sound of both of those, but so far the plan is to do Miquon and some Montessori stuff on the side during the school year, and "Finland math" during the summer. (Math Mammoth. We have a vacation home in Finland, which depending on finances we try to visit, so it only makes sense to do Math Mammoth there. ;>)

 

I also like the sound of MCT Language Arts stuff, as it could be our "cuddle grammar," and then possibly doing read-alouds from literature heavy curricula like Sonlight to go along with whatever they're studying in history, or the audio book version of SOTW. Bible studies would be done at home anyways.

 

Does that sound like too much in addition to school?

 

And if a school begins their curriculum in K, would you recommend sending your child in K or for 1st grade? I would prefer to send him for 1st grade, but I worry that it would be weird for him to enter then, rather than starting fresh with his classmates.

 

Using Miquon to get ready for Singapore Math worked very well for us. I doubt I'd supplement Singapore with Math Mammoth (unless I felt my child was struggling, which would change the equation) because it would tread too much of the same ground.

 

Instead I would add supplements from Singapore like the Intensive Practice books, and the CWPs. Then (once they are released) look at the Beast Academy series.

 

MCT has been a hit in our after-schooling home.

 

Bill

[eloquacious]

Using Miquon to get ready for Singapore Math worked very well for us. I doubt I'd supplement Singapore with Math Mammoth (unless I felt my child was struggling, which would change the equation) because it would tread too much of the same ground.

 

Instead I would add supplements from Singapore like the Intensive Practice books, and the CWPs. Then (once they are released) look at the Beast Academy series.

 

MCT has been a hit in our after-schooling home.

 

Bill

 

Hm, I don't think I'd be using the Math Mammoth during the school year, just over breaks. I have a distate for long summer breaks, so I think it would help keep things in mind.

 

 

I still wonder when it would be best to send him, though. For Kindergarten, or after? I guess part of that depends on how big a case of the wiggles he's got at the time. Still, I'd prefer to just plain have him until the elementary years are over. :001_unsure:

[Spy Car]

Hm, I don't think I'd be using the Math Mammoth during the school year, just over breaks. I have a distate for long summer breaks, so I think it would help keep things in mind.

 

We don't take "breaks" either. I just wonder if going MM after doing the core Singapore at school would be boring. Nothing against MM (which I've never used) as I would have the same concerns going the other way around.

 

You will be the best judge of your child, but I know mine preferred it when the extra materials increased the level of challenge and would tend to shrink when he got things that were just "more of the same." I would be concerned that the core Singapore books and MM might be too much of the same thing.

 

Just a thought.

 

I still wonder when it would be best to send him, though. For Kindergarten, or after? I guess part of that depends on how big a case of the wiggles he's got at the time. Still, I'd prefer to just plain have him until the elementary years are over. :001_unsure:

 

It will be unpopular to say on this forum (;)) but at my son's school kindergarten was an extraordinary experience. We were "ahead" of what they were doing academically at school, but I could never have reproduced the rich experience he had during K at home.

 

I would check out the school and see what you think.

 

Bill

[JenniferLynn]

We are using what we would have if we home schooled - FLL, Singapore & Rightstart, WWE. History and geography is being worked in through read-alouds and various videos. My DD in kindergarten likes school and workbook type activities so it has been working well her pre-K year. Now that school has actually begun I am pleased with their reading program but not thrilled with math. We plan to do the 3 R's and history after schooling but I will prioritize based on shoring up the weak areas in PS.

[FairProspects]

We don't take "breaks" either. I just wonder if going MM after doing the core Singapore at school would be boring. Nothing against MM (which I've never used) as I would have the same concerns going the other way around.

 

You will be the best judge of your child, but I know mine preferred it when the extra materials increased the level of challenge and would tend to shrink when he got things that were just "more of the same." I would be concerned that the core Singapore books and MM might be too much of the same thing.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bill

 

It is interesting that you say this about MM & Singapore, because I was flipping through my Singapore 1A and 1B last night after completing MM 1A, looking for any differences to teach ds. We are way farther ahead than I had anticipated and had covered everything in Singapore 1A with MM except for re-grouping by 10s, which is the first chapter of MM 1B, so I agree, MM & Singapore are very similar and both would be overkill. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that many of the word problems in CWP 1 were much too easy for ds since MM works word problems so comprehensively (albeit without graphics). I think both programs are very comparable.

[ApronMama]

It is interesting that you say this about MM & Singapore, because I was flipping through my Singapore 1A and 1B last night after completing MM 1A, looking for any differences to teach ds. We are way farther ahead than I had anticipated and had covered everything in Singapore 1A with MM except for re-grouping by 10s, which is the first chapter of MM 1B, so I agree, MM & Singapore are very similar and both would be overkill. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that many of the word problems in CWP 1 were much too easy for ds since MM works word problems so comprehensively (albeit without graphics). I think both programs are very comparable.

 

Is one easy to teach than the other? Our Ker is very interested in math. I'm undecided how/whether we are going to supplement math for him since we have other things on the agenda. If we do math, my priorities are cheap and user friendly for now.

[eloquacious]

I guess I wasn't clear enough: the Math Mammoth wouldn't necessarily be review, most likely a level ahead or so. (We'll likely start that next year, so he'd have done year 1 or K by the time he enters K if we send him for Kindergarten.)

 

We don't take "breaks" either. I just wonder if going MM after doing the core Singapore at school would be boring.

 

 

 

What parts of the K experience were so wonderful, do you think? And what sort of school does your son attend?

 

 

It will be unpopular to say on this forum (;)) but at my son's school kindergarten was an extraordinary experience. We were "ahead" of what they were doing academically at school, but I could never have reproduced the rich experience he had during K at home.

 

I would check out the school and see what you think.

 

Bill

[Storm Bay]

The dd I'm afterschooling is in gr 8 and has always been homeschooled, so right now we're just doing RS Spanish 1 (she starts in in ps next semester, but I think it's better to do a language year round), piano lessons (I give them to her, so I call this afterschooling, since I also make sure she practices), and are going to start some PSAT test prep by the end of this month. Since she wants to drill with the AFJrROTC (do I have those initials in the right order?), continue with Judo & is back at dance, I think that that's enough for the moment. She is in all honours classes except for band, so I make sure that she does her homework.

 

However, once the PSAT is done (yes, she wants to do this since she isn't a natural test taker and wants to score well when she's older--she's very, very motivated & is good at having fun & being a kid, too, so I'm letting her) we will add whatever I see is lacking in her classes with curricula I have at home already (my eldest was at home for grades 8 & 9, and I have a small library of Algebra 1 & Geometry texts now!)

[Spy Car]

I guess I wasn't clear enough: the Math Mammoth wouldn't necessarily be review, most likely a level ahead or so. (We'll likely start that next year, so he'd have done year 1 or K by the time he enters K if we send him for Kindergarten.)

 

I'd still play Devil's Advocate and ask what your goals would be for working ahead in MM when he will use Singapore in school. Do you just want to be ahead? My concern would remain that you would still be largely re-ploughing the same ground, just in this scenario the work at school would be the review.

 

For myself, rather than having two very "orderly" programs like MM and Singapore, I'd be looking for something that put more chaos into the mix. Things that add a good deal of critical thinking, logic, and reasoning type elements.

 

What parts of the K experience were so wonderful, do you think? And what sort of school does your son attend?

 

My son attends a local public school. It is unusual in being one of the most highly functioning elementary schools in a district that is huge and has a lot of problems. But we are fortunate in having a nice little school, with good families, very good teachers, and a Principal who really cares.

 

My fingers would fall off if I tried to describe all that went on in Kindergarten. I get overwhelmed just thinking about the amount of planning and organization our team of kindergarten teacher put into every day of our children's school experience. It was amazing!

 

When it came to teaching my son math and phonics/reading I was ahead at home and I think I had what was going on in school beat (although they did a pretty fine job with children in the reading department).

 

But, as I said before, there was no way I could have replicated the totality of the experience he had in school at home. It was a rich experience. So for us anyway it truly felt like the best of both worlds. I hope that if you do decide on going to Kindergarten that you have a similar experience.

 

Bill

[eloquacious]

My goal for going ahead in math would be to prepare him for the Basis High School program which, while not totally classical, has classical leanings. These schools offer math tracks which are one and even two years ahead, and he'd have to be prepared to make a bit of a jump coming out of the elementary years, as I haven't found a similar elementary program.

 

https://www.basisschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126&Itemid=188

 

That being said, remaining in the Great Hearts Classical schools for Upper School is also an option... I just wanted to keep our options open.

[EmilyK]

My kids attended their local public school for much of elementary. Kindergarten was probably the best year. It wasn't academically focused which was good for my kids in different ways (older son was way ahead, younger son was a late bloomer) but the teachers were amazing and the experiences were wonderful -- arts, stories, field trips etc. My "beef" with public school was when it got more academic and seatwork oriented and wasn't interesting or challenging for my kids.

 

I would echo what Bill says about not causing repetition of math and other similar subjects. Our afterschooling journeys have been most successful when focused on things not covered well in school -- history, geography, science, mythology, literature -- but those happen to be our family's interests as well.

[Spy Car]

My goal for going ahead in math would be to prepare him for the Basis High School program which, while not totally classical, has classical leanings. These schools offer math tracks which are one and even two years ahead, and he'd have to be prepared to make a bit of a jump coming out of the elementary years, as I haven't found a similar elementary program.

 

https://www.basisschools.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126&Itemid=188

 

That being said, remaining in the Great Hearts Classical schools for Upper School is also an option... I just wanted to keep our options open.

 

Then do look out for the release of the Beast Academy math series from AoPS that is expected to begin next summer. We did the sample chapter they made available recently and it is amazing!

 

If the rest of the series is a good as this (as I'm confident it will be) we really have something to which we can look forward.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

I would echo what Bill says about not causing repetition of math and other similar subjects. Our afterschooling journeys have been most successful when focused on things not covered well in school -- history, geography, science, mythology, literature -- but those happen to be our family's interests as well.

 

To be fair, we do a lot of math at home and my kid looks at the math at school as being way too easy him. So I'm not exactly immune to getting a child ahead in the subject. But they aren't using Singapore Math or another great resource either, so it's not a subject I'm feeling like I can leave to the schools and get the level of depth I want.

 

Bill

[Roadrunner]

I thought the school was doing a good job with science, but then I volunteered in the classroom and ended up at the science table with their books. Let's just say, I am disapointed. I agree with Bill that duplicating isn't worthwhile, but so far the only thing that seems to be slightly challenging in 1st grade is writing. Spelling sheets are a joke, math is a joke (yes, we run a year ahead), books he brings home aren't worth reading, history doesn't exist (there is social studies, but I am still figuring out what it means or what they learn there), study/discussion of literature (anything, take any short story) is nonexistent, you get the point. It's a beautiful school with wonderful teachers, but.... I am finding myself adding more and more and frankly I don't know how sustainable this arrangement is going to be. We now added R.E.A.L. sience (Pandia Press) to everything else we are doing and for the first time, I am beginning to feel despare over a school situation and panic over the future.