Cedar Bend Academy Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I know that Kindergarten is supposed to be gentle. However, in order to satisfy a legal agreement with my Ex-husband, I must provide my kids with full curriculum from K on up. So that said, let me tell you about DS. He will be 5 this summer. He is currently racing through CLP Math K. He is reading cvc and cvcc words very well. We just finished ETC 1, which was too easy for him, but he liked it. I wanted to slow down a little to ensure retention and add substance, so we moved into Queens Lang. Lessons For Little Ones Vol. 2, which is is also loving. He enjoys lollipop logic. He hates writing, lol.... But that is probably the age and I do not push it. His attention span for read alouds is on par with his age as well. I would like something secular (but thats not a must), somewhat laid out, but also flexible (lol). I want to challenge him when he wants to be challenged. I also have a DD who is a year younger but is pretty much at grade level (if there is such a thing for that age). I would not mind her tagging along in the core subjects, but it is not a must. So...what are my options? I was set on OM1, but at this point he is far beyond the math and LA. Another thought is MBTP 5-7. But what else is out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrilth Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Christopherus Grade 1 We used that and loved it. You might have to supplement some (we did) but it is a complete curriculum, all laid out and fun for the kids. Christopherus is gentle but comprehensive. Like any Waldorf curriculum, it teaches "whole to part" which is great for the younger ones. I'm about to post it for sale sometime in the next few days too - gathering my materials this week.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Who says that K is "supposed to be gentle"? I would say that K should be short but that's not at all the same thing. I have my kids do intellectually challenging work even in K because otherwise it's just busywork and a waste of time. Some open-and-go programs that I like and have used in K are: Right Start B, All About Spelling, FLL 1/2, Mr. Q Life Science, and SOTW. All of these are secular/neutral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedar Bend Academy Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Who says that K is "supposed to be gentle"? I would say that K should be short but that's not at all the same thing. I have my kids do intellectually challenging work even in K because otherwise it's just busywork and a waste of time. Some open-and-go programs that I like and have used in K are: Right Start B, All About Spelling, FLL 1/2, Mr. Q Life Science, and SOTW. All of these are secular/neutral. I just about got my head bit off on other boards for pushing him for PreK/K!!!! In fact, I was accused of lying about his math skills. He is so smart, I want to see him challenged. And, he loves learning so it is a win-win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedar Bend Academy Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Christopherus Grade 1 We used that and loved it. You might have to supplement some (we did) but it is a complete curriculum, all laid out and fun for the kids. Christopherus is gentle but comprehensive. Like any Waldorf curriculum, it teaches "whole to part" which is great for the younger ones. I'm about to post it for sale sometime in the next few days too - gathering my materials this week.:) Please PM me when you have it all gathered :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Who says that K is "supposed to be gentle"? I would say that K should be short but that's not at all the same thing. I have my kids do intellectually challenging work even in K because otherwise it's just busywork and a waste of time. :iagree: Gentle in time requirements, but intellectually challenging no matter what the level depending on the child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 You may not find an 'all-in-one' curriculum that best fits your son's needs. Would you still meet your ex-husband's requirement if you chose different curricula for different subjects to fit your son better? You would still be teaching a 'full curriculum' but just using different publishers or products to achieve that. I WISH one curriculum would fit my kids across all subjects. But that is just not going happen. I think you will find that especially as your children get older that they just won't fit into one grade or one level in all things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedar Bend Academy Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 You may not find an 'all-in-one' curriculum that best fits your son's needs. Would you still meet your ex-husband's requirement if you chose different curricula for different subjects to fit your son better? You would still be teaching a 'full curriculum' but just using different publishers or products to achieve that. I WISH one curriculum would fit my kids across all subjects. But that is just not going happen. I think you will find that especially as your children get older that they just won't fit into one grade or one level in all things. The order is a little vague on whether it is all in one one or not. It just states "full curriculu ti be provided and taught for grades Kindergarten through 12." We are eclectic this year for Pre-K and he wasn't overly happy about it. He is 100% responsible for all education costs, as long as receipts are provided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 :iagree: Gentle in time requirements, but intellectually challenging no matter what the level depending on the child. :iagree: Still using the same approach for 2nd and 5th! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 MBTP is hit or miss...you like it or dislike it. We tried the 5-7 Habitat concept when my big girl was 3.5 and I had to seriously beef it up for her. They have samples on their website, make sure you check those out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrilth Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 MBTP is hit or miss...you like it or dislike it. We tried the 5-7 Habitat concept when my big girl was 3.5 and I had to seriously beef it up for her. They have samples on their website, make sure you check those out! I agree with this. We used a combo of MBTP and Christopherus and Enki . . . . Some of the MBTP I REALLY like, others I didn't even use at all. I made the mistake of buying the entire curriculum package one year. Now I just buy what I know I'll use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) Given the ex-H issue, I'd probably get a simple and on grade level box curricula to satisfy the "requirement." Then, I'd supplement with whatever I wanted for the challenge portion. If your child is able to surpass the box materials, all the better because you can get through them quickly and move on to the extras you want to do. I wouldn't set myself up to have my "required" curricula be advanced or evenly overly challenging because then I'd be stuck with having to go higher every year. So basically I'm saying- if your child can do 1-2 grade work but your ex's requirement is that he meet the K standards, I'd offer up proof that he's meeting the K standards by using an open and go curricula and keep the rest to myself. ;) Oh- and I'd find a set curricula that has a nice hefty cost to it as well. You know, ex-DH will think he's getting what he pays for. :) Edited March 31, 2012 by MomatHWTK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 If you're looking at Waldorf, this probably won't suit, but I'm posting it for future thread-searchers too :) ... for something all-inclusive for a bright child, I'd consider Kolbe and skip the religious component (unless you're Catholic ;)). I've linked to their Kindergarten page. For all topics you can just purchase the level that corresponds to the child's actual skills, and their customer service is very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 So basically I'm saying- if your child can do 1-2 grade work, but your ex's requirement is that he meet the K standards. I'd offer up proof that he's meeting the K standards by using an open and go curricula and keep the rest to myself. ;) :iagree: What about a literature-rich curriculum? Sonlight, Living Books, or something along those lines? Such curricula can often be used happily by advanced students because even gifted kids often like picture books (my gifted 7 year old loves picture books, despite regularly reading full chapter books at a 6th or 7th grade level on his own). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I would check your state. In Michigan the DOE lists all the Grade Level Expectations in printable books for parents. Maybe your state offers something similar so you could have a list of what needs to be covered at a minimum and could adapt from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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