Dobela Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Dd is 5 (March birthday) and ready for kindergarten. I think. She was a 26 wk preemie with a July due date. She has a current working diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder from the neurologist and receives 3 hours PT, 3 hours OT, and 2 hours SLP per week. PT/OT for mostly issues related to coordination and low tone. She does have some vision issues, wears prism glasses, and is on the waiting list for VT. She recognizes most letters most of the time, and is starting to recognize most numbers to 10. She counts to 20 rote but is still struggling with 1-1 correspondence. Handwriting is much more difficult and she can only make the first letter of her first name consistently with occassional legible rest of the name if she is copying it. She has been in SLP for stuttering, but that is pretty much resolved for the time being. Expressive language is above average with receptive language boarderline for qualifying. While she did see an ed psych briefly in June for evals to determine re-eligibility for SSI, I don't have those results yet. I am ready to do something more formal with her in reading and math this year. I pulled out my old Saxon K math book and really, I just don't want to use it. I thought I would because it is all hands-on, but I remember now why I moved to MUS primer with ds when he was in K. I am not that crazy about it. Beyond the calendar work, which I do anyway, there is just not much there. Not to mention, dd LOVES workbook pages. I do have several of those cheap workbooks that you can buy at dollar stores and such, but... I would really prefer something more organized and ready to go. I actually sat down to deconstruct some to match with Saxon lessons, but that was going to take a long time. Plus, I want to make sure I am going in sequence, covering what needs to be covered, and so on. With another special learning needs child and dd's therapies I just don't have a lot of time left to create my own. So, What math? MUS Primer? Singapore? Something else? We are expecting learning issues in the future if that makes a difference. For reading, I was really wanting to do something fun like Sing, Spell, Read, Write. Would this be a mistake? What else should I consider? For handwriting we will just be doing HWT. I don't plan on other subjects except occassionally at this point. Thanks so much for the feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 If you like your curricula and just want to supplement with workbook pages, you could print some from here: http://www.mhschool.com/math/mathconnects/gradeK/sgKc1lesson1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Ok, I have NO CLUE if this is even what you want (because I'm in the middle of a week-long headache and my imagination button is gone), but I would like to tell you how MUCH I'm in love with the MFW K5. It's honestly the most adorable, cute, enjoyable thing ever. With it we're doing fun things and my prep and stress is almost nill. It was the sleeper, the thing I didn't even imagine I'd like so much from my mix. Yes, I got the Saxon K5 and the jury is out. What I like is that the length of the lessons, at this point, fits his attention span. Have you looked at Shiller? That and (the name slips me, there's one more that's the Kahuna for hands-on SN math)... Oh dear, now this will plague me. It's a math curriculum meant for autism and kids who need lots and lots of careful, hands-on presentation. Humbug. Anyway, the MFW K5 has math a math worksheet for each week and in fact it does start pretty carefully like that (draw one thing, write a one, etc.). My ds wakes up every day asking for school now too. Blows my mind! My dd never loved school this much, still doesn't, lol. Kind of odd how the more SN they are the more they want it. Another friend locally was just saying the same thing, that her extra-SN dc really loves school. I guess it's just a hunger or thirst. The MFW K5 is turning out to be so rich. It makes it easy to do things and just drop off the parts that don't work. For the writing, because he's young, I have apps on the ipad and a magnatab. For right now we're going to stick with the magnatab, just because it gives that sensory as the beads pop up. You can get upper and lower case magnatabs and magnatabs for numerals from Timberdoodle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 So, What math? MUS Primer? Singapore? Something else? We are expecting learning issues in the future if that makes a difference. For reading, I was really wanting to do something fun like Sing, Spell, Read, Write. Would this be a mistake? What else should I consider? For handwriting we will just be doing HWT. I don't plan on other subjects except occassionally at this point. Thanks so much for the feedback! If you are thinking there will be learning issues, I'd probably start with something O-G to teaching reading from the start. Either Recipe for Reading (adding your own fun as you go), AAR, WRTR, or SWR, or any of the others. For math, we liked Singapore Essentials with c-rods, but Right Start A is also very gentle and uses manipulatives and more games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 Ok, I have NO CLUE if this is even what you want (because I'm in the middle of a week-long headache and my imagination button is gone), but I would like to tell you how MUCH I'm in love with the MFW K5. It's honestly the most adorable, cute, enjoyable thing ever. With it we're doing fun things and my prep and stress is almost nill. It was the sleeper, the thing I didn't even imagine I'd like so much from my mix. Yes, I got the Saxon K5 and the jury is out. What I like is that the length of the lessons, at this point, fits his attention span. Have you looked at Shiller? That and (the name slips me, there's one more that's the Kahuna for hands-on SN math)... Oh dear, now this will plague me. It's a math curriculum meant for autism and kids who need lots and lots of careful, hands-on presentation. Humbug. Anyway, the MFW K5 has math a math worksheet for each week and in fact it does start pretty carefully like that (draw one thing, write a one, etc.). My ds wakes up every day asking for school now too. Blows my mind! My dd never loved school this much, still doesn't, lol. Kind of odd how the more SN they are the more they want it. Another friend locally was just saying the same thing, that her extra-SN dc really loves school. I guess it's just a hunger or thirst. The MFW K5 is turning out to be so rich. It makes it easy to do things and just drop off the parts that don't work. For the writing, because he's young, I have apps on the ipad and a magnatab. For right now we're going to stick with the magnatab, just because it gives that sensory as the beads pop up. You can get upper and lower case magnatabs and magnatabs for numerals from Timberdoodle. Thanks for the ideas! I think we (I) have been in the trenches so long that we (I) need something lively, fun, exciting AND easy to implement. I will look into MFW K5. And, OOOOHHHH those Magnatabs are way cool! Putting those on my wish list! If you are thinking there will be learning issues, I'd probably start with something O-G to teaching reading from the start. Either Recipe for Reading (adding your own fun as you go), AAR, WRTR, or SWR, or any of the others. For math, we liked Singapore Essentials with c-rods, but Right Start A is also very gentle and uses manipulatives and more games. I have a friend that is very interested in the Singapore Essentials so I will look at hers if she buys it. I have also have heard very good things about Right Start. I like that both are engaging and dynamic - much like my dd's personality. The price of Singapore vs the price of Right Start is a huge difference! Something to think about more. I don't know much about AAR? Has anyone used it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I used RS with my dd and plan to buy it again to use with my ds. I sold it, sniff, sniff. He's young, so I figured we'd do the Saxon K5 first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 For reading you could slowly try http://www.3rsplus.com or http://www.iseesam.com You can find these really cute little readers free to print out online as well. You might also look into the preschool (they don't offer do K) workbooks from Christian Light Education. They are really cute and inexpensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 I used RS with my dd and plan to buy it again to use with my ds. I sold it, sniff, sniff. He's young, so I figured we'd do the Saxon K5 first. I sold everything I used with my son as well. Except somehow the Saxon K book. Then, 3 months after it was all gone, we were contacted and asked if we would be interested in adopting dd. Funny how that works LOL. Ottakee, those always interest me. I don't know why, but they don't seem 'complete' enough. Maybe I am just accustomed to more dings and whistles??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 (edited) If there was one thing I would do over if starting with a K'er, it would be to try to find something that I knew was a viable option for the long haul. Most of the major curriculum providers get a child to the same place by the end of 8th grade if you just follow their plan. You just gotta find the right plan for your student -- easier said that done, I know! :lol: But yeah, specifically, if you are anticipating learning difficulties I would look towards the kinesthetic-heavy programs and an OG phonics curric for sure. Then just try to follow it through. I love the look of the Timberdoodle grade packages; I wish that had been around when my LLD ds was small. :grouphug: Now that my oldest is entering high school, I'm really missing those days with the littles. Yup, that's why I'm SHOCKED that, at least for the moment, MFW is feeling so right for this dc. If it would stay this way a while, boy would I be happy to keep using MFW straight through for him!!! That would so make my day. And yes, the SLP did some testing that showed he's dominantly kinesthetic. So we're doing puppets with the phonics and jumping on the trampoline and... Lots of movement here. Makes me tired just watching it. :) Anyways, yes I never anticipated feeling that way, that I'd just take something I thought was less than perfect and just STICK with it, but right now I can totally see it. Wouldn't do the MFW reading though, cuz like you're saying it needs to be OG. Edited July 17, 2012 by OhElizabeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 I so wish I could just pick a curriculum with 'fun' being the number 1 criteria.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I so wish I could just pick a curriculum with 'fun' being the number 1 criteria.:glare: You can. You just have to be insane enough to be willing to add 3 other curricula in to fill in all the remediation and SN areas. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 :grouphug: If you combine some of the OG suggestions from the Recipe for Reading Manual with Pollard's First Book for Little Folks and the instructions in Pollard's Complete Manual, you would have a fun, easy method. There are a lot of hands on things in Pollard, along with fun songs and cute pictures and some phonemic awareness activities. The Pollard series is free online from Google, the links are on my Phonics and Spelling book page. If you like the Pollard book and want an actual copy, there is one for sale right now for $5 from ABE books: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=4924040821&searchurl=an%3Dpollard%26sts%3Dt%26tn%3Dfirst%2Bbook%2Bfor%2Blittle%2Bfolk I would not buy a reproduction, they are usually bad scans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 The I See Sam books WORK> There are no bells or whistles which to me is a benefit. There is nothing distracting, extra to learn--like key words, jingles, rules, etc. They just say the sounds and blend the word. Once my girls got through the first 3-4 sets we started the Apples and Pears spelling slowly. I LOVED that as well. The I See Sam progam has my 16dd who has an IQ that tests at 38 (so severely mentally impaired--but really functions higher) reading at a 4th grade level. That is a functional level so she can read most things she needs to make in in this world. It is a huge accomplishment for a child that was never supposed to learn to read more than just a few survival words. It took TIME and LOTS and LOTS of patience and repetition but she did get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 The I See Sam books WORK> There are no bells or whistles which to me is a benefit. There is nothing distracting, extra to learn--like key words, jingles, rules, etc. They just say the sounds and blend the word. Once my girls got through the first 3-4 sets we started the Apples and Pears spelling slowly. I LOVED that as well. The I See Sam progam has my 16dd who has an IQ that tests at 38 (so severely mentally impaired--but really functions higher) reading at a 4th grade level. That is a functional level so she can read most things she needs to make in in this world. It is a huge accomplishment for a child that was never supposed to learn to read more than just a few survival words. It took TIME and LOTS and LOTS of patience and repetition but she did get it. Wow, that's just an amazing story! I never knew why you were so big on I See Sam, but that's AMAZING. Congratulations to you and her!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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