MomtoCandJ Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 We currently have dd enrolled in a local Catholic school for kindy, but we have already noticed some issues popping up (mostly due to us being low income and not Catholic). I would like a back up plan just in case the issues get worse. We have limited Internet at home but have a laptop I can take to places with free Internet. I do have access to a library with an excellent inter library loan system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvingmy4boys Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I'd check out Easy Peasy all in one homeschool. It's completely free but it's all online with the exception of a few printables. My 4 yr old loves it and is doing really well with it. I just came across this blog this week with various links for free homeschooling. http://proverbsfamily.blogspot.com/2013/04/free-homeschooling.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamppost Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I'd check out Easy Peasy all in one homeschool. I just discovered this one through another thread and I love the reading program! My son is loving it and asks for it daily. Here's a link to where you'd start once your child knows all letters & sounds: http://allinonehomeschool.com/days-172-222-mcguffey-reader/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 For fun math and science learning books, check out these at the library Math Start books http://www.mathstart.net/activities/downloadable_activities.php Family math http://lawrencehallofscience.stores.yahoo.net/eqandfammat.html For science Lets read and find out science http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/SeriesDetail.aspx?PSId=223 Magic school bus classics http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/books/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I'd buy a solid phonics book like Phonics Pathways, Writing Road to Reading, or Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. Then I'd buy a math book (Rod and Staff 1 is my favorite for my little ones). For the rest of it just go to the library and read on all sorts of topics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I would pick a cheap learn-to-read program. You can look around for specific ideas here. We use WRTR which is the Spalding Method. Then I'd get some Cuisenaire rods and do the games/activities on educationunboxed.com. That's probably under $50 for the year. Otherwise I'd just do plenty of read alouds. I think people stress way too much about kindergarten. If you are thinking at all about long-term home schooling, just use it as a time to get to know you and your dc's preferred rhythms (while keeping in mind that it will all change as you both grow). And have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 MEP reception is free math. From there, a box of C-rods and the videos at Education Unboxed would get you through. In addition to the other suggestions, Reading Reflex is another teaching reading guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 It's just kindergarten. Have fun. Dip her big toe into reading and math, then see how it goes. Let her set the pace. Get a phonics program, a spiral notebook, and a pencil and call it good. Teach counting and simple addition and subtraction with things you have around the house. Learn the names of the flowers, trees and birds in your neighborhood. Teach her to use measuring cups/spoons when you cook together. Play Uno. Let her dictate stories to you. Oh, and read Raymond Moore's The Successful Homeschool Family - and take the paternal tone of the author with a grain of salt. He was older when he wrote it and his style reflects an earlier time. The chapter that describes what to do before age 8 is GOLD and should be required reading. I wish I'd read it when my girls were younger. If you're absolutely dying to buy some curriculum (and I do understand :) ) try Five in a Row, or do some free lapbooks from homeschoolshare.com. Academic kindergartens are a relatively new thing, but most children benefit from a gentle, fun Kindy year. This isn't a race. She won't end up behind if you honor her "littleness" right now. I pushed my older DD when was very young (K in public school, then 1st gr homeschooling), because she is so bright. It was a huge mistake. She developed a bad attitude and a dislike of almost anything that looked remotely academic. Now she's almost 10 and finally (!) regaining her enthusiasm, but it took a year of slowly backing off, with the last six months basically "unschooling" her, for this to happen. I hope that others will learn from my mistake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 If I had to do K for cheap or free I would choose a phonics: Phonics Pathways or Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading and math: either MEP (free) or just take a table of contents from any math text (like Singapore K) and just buy an abacus and do it ourselves. Then I would use the Sonlight lists as reading lists from the library. I would buy the HWOT K workbook for $7 as well, but you could do handwriting without it, but I would want it. That's A solid K year for under $30. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 Thanks everyone :) my main concerns are reading and math :) I know history and science can be done through reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted June 17, 2013 Author Share Posted June 17, 2013 What's the website for MEP?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Here's a few cheap science and history recs--- Hang a wall map of the world and US and read something like Scrambled States of America, get a globe and watch documentaries for some geography. Reading a book like Sea to Shining Sea is good at that age. Check out various activity books from the library for science and work some fun experiments, watch Magic School Bus on Netflix, or look at the Outdoor Hour Challenge website for nature study. Pinterest is a treasure trove fro free printables or arts and crafts ideas. www.kinderart.com has free art lessons. Baltimore Core Curriculum has free lesson plans. ETA: http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm This is MEP, also Singapore Essential K math is really cheap, it's just two workbooks and really does a great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 What's the website for MEP?? http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 I'd recommend Phonics Pathways and Singapore Essential Math K. I'd recommend MEP math, but can you print it? You could maybe do it on your laptop, I suppose. If you were wanting to print it, it might get expensive printing it at the library. If you do have cheap printing, I'd recommend MEP, or for grades 1+ Math Mammoth (get it during a 50% off sale at HSBC). With either one, you're good for all of elementary math. K is very easy to do free or cheap. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 You could also get Blumenfeld's how to tutor book and a whiteboard. It has math, phonics, and handwriting for $20, used as low as $7 with shipping. http://www.amazon.co...ds=How to tutor ETA: If you use a whiteboard, you don't need to by Alphaphonics, it has all the lessons in the How To Tutor book, just really small font, you will need to re-write them larger. It's more fun and interactive that way, anyway, I prefer that for K regardless of which phonics you choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliegmom Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 Hubbardscupboard.org is a great site that offers free printable resources for preschool and kindergarten. HTH! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 If I could do it over (my kids are seven to fifteen now), at age 4 I would focus on engaging read-alouds (Beatrix Potter books, Winnie the Pooh, children's poetry) and nature walks. Get great picture books about your area regarding animals and plants. You could do some simple math with pebbles or anything else you find outside. My oldest learned to add and subtract by carrying in pieces of firewood for our wood stove. Listen to classical music. Look at great works of art whether in museums or in books. Learn some folksongs by heart. Memorize some poetry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephg Posted June 17, 2013 Share Posted June 17, 2013 If I could do it over (my kids are seven to fifteen now), at age 4 I would focus on engaging read-alouds (Beatrix Potter books, Winnie the Pooh, children's poetry) and nature walks. Get great picture books about your area regarding animals and plants. You could do some simple math with pebbles or anything else you find outside. My oldest learned to add and subtract by carrying in pieces of firewood for our wood stove. Listen to classical music. Look at great works of art whether in museums or in books. Learn some folksongs by heart. Memorize some poetry. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatholicMom Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I'd use my usual MCP Math K, Explode the Code (I start with Get Ready for the Code in K), and you could print off handwriting sheets from online. Take it easy with these and everything else I'd just read books and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 If I could do it over (my kids are seven to fifteen now), at age 4 I would focus on engaging read-alouds (Beatrix Potter books, Winnie the Pooh, children's poetry) and nature walks. Get great picture books about your area regarding animals and plants. You could do some simple math with pebbles or anything else you find outside. My oldest learned to add and subtract by carrying in pieces of firewood for our wood stove. Listen to classical music. Look at great works of art whether in museums or in books. Learn some folksongs by heart. Memorize some poetry. :iagree: That's exactly what I did with DS. I used plastic letters on the fridge for phonics/reading, Cheerios or legos or chocolate chips (or whatever) for math, LOTS of nature walks, LOTS of picture books & read-alouds, museum visits, classical music, drawing & building, nature documentaries, etc. It was awesome; he was happy and engaged and a total little sponge who retained everything. Then I put him in school for the next 3.5 years and nearly ruined everything. :crying: Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birchbark Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Free online phoncis/reading program: Progressive Phonics This past year we used Wee Folk Art for K and loved it. It is a free schedule of books and simple projects planned around the seasons. We were able to get pretty much all of the books from the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMe Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Putting in my vote for MEP math, too. Loved it, for the most part. But oh my goodness, I'm adoring the Wee Folk Art deal, too. Thinking of ditching FIAR's overload of activities and going to Wee Folk. You know, even if you don't pull her out, just doing one activity each day with her can make such a world of difference, too. Just my 2 cents :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 You could also get Blumenfeld's how to tutor book and a whiteboard. It has math, phonics, and handwriting for $20, used as low as $7 with shipping. http://www.amazon.co...ds=How to tutor ETA: If you use a whiteboard, you don't need to by Alphaphonics, it has all the lessons in the How To Tutor book, just really small font, you will need to re-write them larger. It's more fun and interactive that way, anyway, I prefer that for K regardless of which phonics you choose. I second How to Tutor. You can get it easily from interlibrary loan. Alpha phonics does have a few more sentences provided for copywork, and lines up with Don Potter's lesson plans, but all you need is HTT. If you have $4.99 and a Kindle app on your laptop, Homeschooling on the Cheap is nice. Simply Charlotte Mason Mathematics is $10.95 for the ebook. These free African Waldorf pdfs are really good. Ed Emberley's Funprint Drawing Book is at almost all libraries, and is awesome for learning simple facial expressions and postures. Just draw the figures instead of using inkpads. Using Color in Your Art can be adapted to crayons, and is what I do. Jumbo Book of Music (low income friendly) and available at most libraries. Youtube Waldorf Planning Method is just an awesome planning method that is free, and uses just a large piece of folded paper. The Complete Home Learning Source Book and How to Write a low-cost/no-cost Curriculum are both out of print, but still readily available from the library. Also borrow The Three Rs Your library should have What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.