AimeeM Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 I'm going to use MP Junior K as my son's core this upcoming year... but it's solely because I've heard their K is very writing intensive. He's ready to learn to read and has an aptitude for math, so I'll use Jr K as our core, adding in phonics (CHC's and Phonics Pathways) and math (Seton and Miquon). We'll be spending the year working steadily on fine motor skills as well - the alphabet books, Kumon cutting and pasting, etc. I feel like this will put us in a nasty cycle though - he will probably have little use for MP Kinder the next year, but I'm not sure his writing skills will be up to par, even at that point, for their FIRST grade (skipping their kindergarten, I mean). Is there any way to work this? How much more writing intensive is their first grade, compared to their kinder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 What is MP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 How old is your DS - your signature says he is 3 - I certainly wouldn't be worrying about writing at 3 and a LOT can change for writing over a year regardless of their age - is there any way you could separate the writing from the curriculum and still cover the other skills without writing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Oh! Memoria Press!! Sorry, I had a :huh: moment there, lol!!! I'm not very familiar with their Jr.K program but I love their catalog!!! In my opinion, I say meet him where he is at and give him the input that he is capable of. When you are done with Jr. K. give him a couple of placement tests. At this young age, your son is still having sensitive periods and I think it is best to work with him while he is curious and ready to read. take advantage of his sensitive period and feed his curiousity about math! Work on fine motor every day that you can and maybe once or twice a week, require him to do some writing so that you can track how he's doing. Maybe toward in a couple of months you can require one or two sentences a day of writing from him. "Today I..." type thing, nothing fancy. I would be warry of essentially holding him back so he can do more writing in first grade. But others will have more experience and some BTDT advice for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 How old is your DS - your signature says he is 3 - I certainly wouldn't be worrying about writing at 3 and a LOT can change for writing over a year regardless of their age - is there any way you could separate the writing from the curriculum and still cover the other skills without writing? Sorry - he's 4 now (old signature). From what I understand, you cannot separate the writing in MP's phonics program (and their lit program, once you hit grade 1 or so) from the rest. (which is why we're using a different phonics program right now, using a more gentle writing/fine motor skills program/sequence) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Is there a specific reason you want to use Memoria Press then? Maybe you would be better off choosing something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 I find that age range so sweet! Many kids go through a sensitive period for language/reading at that point and I love to take advantage of it. I say go through with your plan as best as possible for JrK and then reevaluate. Some kids just speeeeeed ahead with academics when they are little and he may surprise you with handwriting. If not, you will need to reevaluate closer to K vs 1st grade time. Maybe you could use another program for K/1st until his writing catches up and go back to MP for 2nd grade in 2 years time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 Is there a specific reason you want to use Memoria Press then? Maybe you would be better off choosing something else? I love the way MP integrates literature and I'd really rather have lesson plans ready made for me; our older child will be integrating into a brick and mortar private school next year and I have a newly mobile little one. Frankly, MP just appeals to me - it's very "3 R's" at this level, love the literature and activities for their Junior K books, and it seems very sweet. I'll also add in religion (we're Catholic so we prefer to use religion materials that reflect that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 I find that age range so sweet! Many kids go through a sensitive period for language/reading at that point and I love to take advantage of it. I say go through with your plan as best as possible for JrK and then reevaluate. Some kids just speeeeeed ahead with academics when they are little and he may surprise you with handwriting. If not, you will need to reevaluate closer to K vs 1st grade time. Maybe you could use another program for K/1st until his writing catches up and go back to MP for 2nd grade in 2 years time... I just wish he didn't hate all of the awesome fine motor skill building activities! He detests coloring, hates messes (so no tracing in shaving cream or finger pain), etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelenNotOfTroy Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 You could just do much of the physical writing for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I just wish he didn't hate all of the awesome fine motor skill building activities! He detests coloring, hates messes (so no tracing in shaving cream or finger pain), etc. Personally, I am against finger pain also, and I can write. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAutumnOak Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 This is just my personal opinion, but I wouldn't go from MP Jr. K to MP 1st grade...It is too much of a jump, especially if you are dealing with a younger child (not yet 7)...Why do you want to skip K?...You can just do it next year...MP really ramps up in the 3rd grade and beyond...I wouldn't skip ahead, it would just make the later years of Latin and Literature much more difficult... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 This is just my personal opinion, but I wouldn't go from MP Jr. K to MP 1st grade...It is too much of a jump, especially if you are dealing with a younger child (not yet 7)...Why do you want to skip K?...You can just do it next year...MP really ramps up in the 3rd grade and beyond...I wouldn't skip ahead, it would just make the later years of Latin and Literature much more difficult... Well, the kinder lit selections look like things we're reading this fall and I wouldn't use their kinder phonics because we're diving into phonics (much more than MP) this year, so I wouldn't need their kinder phonics (and we sub out math). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 It doesn't sound like MP is going to be a good fit for you. MP only worked for 1 yr for us (kinder) because my ds's phonics and writing were at roughly the same level. The following year had way too much writing for him even though he could easily have handled the reading. If reading and writing are on different levels for your ds, it is really going to be a bear to make it work at all. Plus, fine motor skills in boys are just a different ballgame. You could be waiting years for them to come along to MP levels. I would just go with Jr. K and figure out the rest next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 It doesn't sound like MP is going to be a good fit for you. MP only worked for 1 yr for us (kinder) because my ds's phonics and writing were at roughly the same level. The following year had way too much writing for him even though he could easily have handled the reading. If reading and writing are on different levels for your ds, it is really going to be a bear to make it work at all. Plus, fine motor skills in boys are just a different ballgame. You could be waiting years for them to come along to MP levels. I would just go with Jr. K and figure out the rest next year. I was worried about that. We're looking at FIAR instead for that reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 All-in-one programs appeal to me, too, but I know they won't work here. My kids are on different levels in different subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpqqe Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 I would be warry of essentially holding him back so he can do more writing in first grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 Based on what you have said here I would go with FIAR for your child and work on the writing skills separately. Then if you decide later to stick to a boxed curriculum you could look at MP again. As for fine motor skills that are less messy: pulling things out of play dough, painting in water on outside walls, making maps with a pencil or normal drawing of pictures he is interested in, using pegs to peg onto anything, working with the type of children's clay that does not get wet/messy (I forget what it is called), using tweezers to transfer things from one container to another, doing puzzles (this is not specific for handwriting but does help fine motor control too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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