new here with preschoolers :)

[lifesajourney]

Hi, I have a 4.5 year old (boy) and have known from the start we would homeschool. (I also have a 2.5 year old girl, and 1 year old boy). My oldest LOVES being read to, and we have already worked our way through several reading lists such as BFIAR, SL, SCM, Ambleside, and some classic novels. He is not one for 'extension' activities though :) After reading WTM, I knew this was exactly how we wanted to approach homeschooling. I've been going back and fourth about how to actually (officially) "start", as I've never really done much of anything other than real aloud to him. But I would love to start teaching him phonics, and I attended an Abeka curriculum display today, and I'm not sure what exactly happened. Short story is that I ended up with the entire K4 phonics/reading/writing program. I was also talked into the cursive edition by the 'salesman'. My son has yet to form a single letter other than "C", which is what his name starts with. He does not draw, doodle, color, etc. I am starting to get very nervous wondering if I've made the right decision about the curriculum purchase, or just threw money out the window. Thanks for reading. I'd also love to hear your thoughts. :)

[chepyl]

I used the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons when he was 4.5. He learned to read very quickly. We used the Bob Books at the same time. He was reading on his own in less than 2 months. Get the Core Knowledge books - What You ____ Needs to Know, I am pretty sure they have a preschool book. I did not use a curriculum until this year (1st grade) and we are doing all 2nd grade work. Don't stress too much: read, draw, make arts and crafts, practice counting and singing the alphabet, do some nursery rhymes, go over colors, and animal sounds.

[AEC]

we used Hooked on Phonics and LetterFactory DVDs <shrug> to teach the kids to read. There's a great box set they carry at Costco. That and Bob books.

 

Both kids are fantastic readers and picked it up pretty quickly...letter sounds to chapter books in easily under a year (DS at 5, DD at 3-4). Reading is just not that difficult, to do or teach if you do it systematically (phonically). We started gently...just Mom spending 10-15 minutes a day with each of them working through the HOP program.

 

Our primary (really, only) goal that first year was to get them to read as well as we could. That and the usual counting, colors shapes and stuff that just happens normally was plenty.

[Forgiven]

I can only imagine how you felt talking to a rep in person. I always buy more when in that situation. LOL But, I don't think you wasted your money. This is only my first year homeschooling, but my kids attended a private Christian school, until this year, which uses A Beka.

 

Right now, my 4-year-old son is doing the full K4 curriculum with cursive writing. I only chose the cursive because my 1st grader is using A Beka and I refused to pay even more for the manuscript, so he's learning cursive too, figured I'd get them both done with that at once. LOL

 

A Beka is very strong with the phonics. I think the only negatives I've seen people speak about them is the review and reiteration of things already taught in previous lessons. I'm not sure what I think of all that right now as we're only ending our second week of HSing. What I do know is that A Beka's program works and that my kids are learning their phonics and writing very well.

 

Going forward though, I don't see myself using A Beka for my oldest next year. As a matter of fact, I've already begun to transition her off. I don't like that there's not a textbook that she (grade 3) can use to self-teach. I don't have time (work full time with set hours from home) to sit down with each of them individually for each subject. My goal is to get all my children to become independent learners. With A Beka, I just don't see that happening.

 

Come this spring, I'll be looking for text-book based curriculums for her in all of the three R's, but we still do Bible, Science, History, Art, and any other mini-units I decide on together, as a family.

 

See if you like A Beka's set up. For the younger grades, it's okay because they can't self-teach yet anyway, but when they get older, I just find that I don't like the way A Beka is set up. It's really set up for a classroom, not for homeschooling. Even the homeschool curriculum they have is set up for a classroom. I have to keep looking on the front of my TMs to see if the word homeschool is actually written on them, thinking I have the wrong book. LOL Nope, it says homeschool. I think they just took their regular TMs and slapped the word homeschool on the front and that was it. But, like I said. It's not bad for younger kids, or older if you don't care if they become independent learners, but for me, I need something that my child can read on their own and learn with me in the background to answer questions.

 

I got a bit long-winded there. Sorry.

 

Oh, and my son hates coloring and writing so most of the A Beka stuff right now is torture to him. LOL He does it though, and he's learning. He also sits at the table while my 1st grader is doing his phonics and so when we get to a new letter, he knows it and acts all frustrated that I'm teaching him something he already knows. LOL

 

I'd say lessons with my K4er are about 5 minutes in length for each subject, but we don't do them at one time. We break it up. We do Bible and Art first thing in the morning (Charlotte Mason style to art where we study one painter for a quarter, takes maybe 10 minutes a day) and then after that he gets free time while I work with my 1st grader. Then we switch and the 1st grader does typing on the computer while I do phonics with my K4er. After that we switch again and when I get my K4er back after the next switch, we do the cursive writing portion of the lesson, then switch, then snack, then I get my K4er back and I actually do Singapore Math Kindergarten A with him. He can do it, so why not? LOL After that, he's pretty much done for the day but I have him color pictures from the K4 Readiness book or the ABC-123 book, just to keep him occupied so that he doesn't disrupt his sister or brother as they're working.

 

I also have tons of educational preschool games on my iPad that my K4er loves to play. I have games for all the kids on there, so it turns into a fight at times if I have two in free time, but I'm trying to juggle that so that it doesn't happen...

 

Best of luck to you. I don't think you will be disappointed. A Beka is a great curriculum for the younger grades!

 

Angie

Edited September 1, 2011 by Forgiven

[lifesajourney]

Thank you! Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of what's important (and I just keep repeating 'he's ONLY four!' :) I still have this gut feeling that A Beka is not going to work out for him (I think he will actually fall over and play dead the first time I ask him to write a cursive letter!) Since I've already ordered it, I'm just trying to decide if it's worth even trying, as I'd hate for him to be overwhelmed and turned off at our first attempts. He is not exactly an easy going kid...

 

Now that I've looked into it a bit more (and found this site!) I'm starting to think that we would be better off with Get Ready for the Code and Handwriting Without Tears. It certainly would have been much cheaper ;)

 

I am afraid to admit that I am actually a former teacher, and I can't believe how I am struggling and agonizing over teaching my four year old! Thanks so much for your insight, please know it is always appreciated!

[go_go_gadget]

 

This is what we do for Kindergarten. I don't know much about Abeka (just that I'm not a box curriculum person). Hopefully it'll be a good fit for you after all, and if not I expect you can regain at least some of your money. Have fun!

[Dolphin]

When you start looking at Math, check out Right Start A. I was recommended that for this preschool year. I have a 4 year old dd, and she loves it. More so than the whole reading thing.