Maybe it is because I am nearly 43

[Dobela]

Or maybe because I have been teaching 6th grade and below nonstop since I was 20 - professionally and as a homeschool parent. But I simply do not, in any way shape or form, look forward to teaching my daughter kindergarten next year and then to read. And all those cutsey games and decorations that people are making, don't want to see them. Or make them.:tongue_smilie: I know they will take longer to make than she will use them. I don't want to buy them either, well, not that I have the money for them. I made them for my son, or used the ones I had made/bought for my classrooms, but gave them away when we were finished. We weren't going to have more children and he moved past them. Of course 6 months after we gave them away, we gained a baby daughter. :)

 

Anyone else out there not so excited about the next school year?

[2_girls_mommy]

No, but I know the same thing will happen to us LOL. I am finally going to sell all of our 1st-2nd grade stuff. We are out of shelf space. My last child was born 8 yrs ago, and it doesn't look like any others are coming. But the minute I sell, I have a feeling I will regret it. But I can't hold on to stuff forever just in case. We will run out of space!

[Dobela]

I know! My kids are 7 years apart. I have cleaned out more than once, yet I still have too much!

[justamouse]

I never did any of that stuff either and they all can read.

 

I did save milkcaps and write letters on them and made a vowel tree. That was it

[Jennifer in MI]

I SOOOOOO felt that way last year. Is it okay to pray that your dd is like mine???? She taught herself to read VERY early and just did it? There was NO teaching. Nothing. She just did it.

 

When she was 3, she knew "ph" said "F" because of Phineas and Ferb. So, let your kids watch a lot of Disney channel and they'll be good.

[TravelingChris]

I never did games nor decorations for any of my kids, nor for the first graders I have tutored. I hated and still hate crafts. ( I don't hate sewing but what I am talking about is the little kid crafts). So what did I do instead? When they were little, I would take them to library story hour where they often had crafts, Sunday School would have crafts, and VBS had crafts. Later, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts had some crafts and also, I kept my kids well supplied with art materials so they could do crafts all on their own. They all did and the oldest ended up having a real art talent and the youngest, while not as talented, ended up greatly improving her skills to where she now draws quite well.

[newlifemom]

I have a homeschool group for any cutesy fun stuff like that. I must say, I really detest K-2 grade. :tongue_smilie:

[fraidycat]

I've only partially taught one. He basically taught himself the rest, but we did not use cutesy games. I even bought some.

 

What I did use is Phonics Pathways & Reading Pathways. Plain, boring, black & white.

 

I was also feeling a little panicked because I did not have early readers for him and was looking at "the best" ones get when he jumped directly to chapter books on me.

[eloquacious]

Omygosh, I made hundreds of DIY manipulatives and phonics games and whatnot... and he (#1) used them once if ever.

 

 

Sigh.

 

There's still hope for #2, but let's just confess now that I'm already over it, too.

[Mothersweets]

I totally hear ya, sister! I'm 43. This past year I taught my last child to read. She caught on really quickly and can read just about anything now. Hallelujah!