New at homeschooling...3 children...desperately need help!

[Blessed5x]

So I've pulled my oldest 3 out of school and have decided to homeschool them! Yay....and OH MY GOODNESS!!

I have a child in kindergarten, grade 2 and grade 3.

For kindergarten I'm doing Saxon Meath k, Saxon phonics k. What type of curic./program would you recommend for learning to write? I've heard good things about handwriting without tears...but wanted to get your opinions.

 

My grade 2 is advanced in reading. She's actually better than my 3rd grader. She's excellent at spelling, decoding, etc. Where as my 8year old hates to read, and is not a good speller. What do they need to do in this level? Grammar...reading, spelling...? What? I'm clueless when it comes to language arts. I'll probably keep them in the same level...

 

I did the Saxon math placement test...they both are to be in Saxon level 2.

 

Now...History. I like TWTM's Chronilogical set up. Ancients, medieval, etc...however....I've got a k,2,and 3... I'd like to teach history all together...should I start Chronilogically with ancients, or the grade 3 level late renaissance?

 

Wow...I feel like I'm starting to get in over my head!!

 

Also...being a new homeschooler with multiple children ANY and ALL advice is MUCH appreciated!!

 

Thanks!

[TheApprentice]

Welcome. :seeya:

 

For Language Arts, I would recommend checking out Writing With Ease and First Language Lessons. Offered by Peace Hill Press. For History, Peace Hill Press also has Story of the World. Volume 1 is Ancients. I would suggest buying the book and activity guide, not the tests. For those ages, you don't need the tests. These are products recommend in the WTM and you can do them with probably all three of the children. You can also get SOTW via audio.

 

If Saxon is what you are comfortable with, go with it.

 

I would just start with the main subjects (3R's) and then add on as you become more comfortable.

 

If you do a search "Kindergarten thread", "2nd grade" and "3rd grade", you will get ideas from what others are using, and then take some time and research. Don't feel like you need to do it all at once.

 

:001_smile:

[Heidi]

You should start with the Ancients.

 

I really like Handwriting Without Tears. I've tried a few and I keep coming back to it because it is the easiest. 

 

I agree that First Language Lessons (grammar) and Writing With Ease (composition through copywork, narration, & dictation) are good options.  You'll have to look at the samples to see what level you think they would be in.  I personally don't do any grammar until 3rd grade, but copywork and narration are essential.

 

Spelling: Rod & Staff spelling is a popular choice, as well as All About Spelling.

 

Reading: just supply them with good books to read and set aside a time during the day that they have to read a book for a set amount of time.  You might want to tandem read with your 3rd grader where she reads a paragraph and then you read a paragraph, until she is more comfortable reading.  Set aside another time of day that you read aloud to them as well.

 

That's it.  You don't need to do anything else this year.  Just focus on the 3Rs and throw in some history if you want to, but don't go overboard with it.  Next year when you get the hang of homeschooling and get those basic skills down solid you can start looking at more involved history, science, geography, or whatever you want to add to your school.  This definitely isn't the year to do that though.  Keep it simple.

 

And you really can't go wrong with any of the programs you choose for each subject.  They are all good.  However, don't buy more than one level at a time because you will most likely change your mind.

[StartingOver]

I get our handwriting from online. As for spelling I adore All About Spelling. We use First Language Lessons and Writing With Ease. Elemental Science, and Story of the World. Be sure to get pdfs of Peacehill Press stuff, so you can print out student pages and use with all the kids, if you choose that route. Start at Ancients, and try to use it with all the kids, same with science, at least attempt it. We combine as much as we can.

[HeartatHome]

The following curriculum help you combine your children together in content subject areas and are already planned out for you:

 

My Father's World

Heart of Dakota

Tapestry of Grace

Learning Adventures

 

They are Christian though so not sure if that's something you desire or not but might be something to consider if you're looking to combine or just focus on the 3R's for now and add in the rest later as you get settled.

[Tanikit]

I agree that you should start with the basics (3Rs) but if you feel overwhelmed you could also just start slightly earlier with only one subject and get that going well - maybe reading or math and do that for a few days, then add in the other and finally some form of writing long before thinking of adding in history and science - this gives your children a chance to get used to homeschooling.

 

There is a lot to homeschooling that is not curriculum-based. You need to work out a routine that suits you and your children - remembering to feed them and give snacks if they need it, what to do with one child when the other is busy, when to take breaks, how long their concentration span is, what for you feels like a successful day and what doesn't and so on and this is partly why people advise starting slowly - some can ramp up very fast to a full curriculum and other people need more time.

 

It seems like you are sorted with what you want to use for Math so maybe that is a good place to start. I am not sure what your children did in school with writing - you can start with WWE and FLL, but if they are used to writing a lot more and like it then you may need to add some creative element to it as well. I would also check all of their handwriting - HWOT is good - you could also get it for all of them at different levels if they have problems forming letters.

 

AAS is a good option for spelling and you could start at book 1 with all of them (depends what your kindergartener knows - you may need to leave this with him) and just go at their pace. For reading I would get them to read aloud to you every day so that you can determine where they are and if there are any problems or not - the better reader can read to herself for a certain amount of time each day, but you still need to advance her reading level by chosing suitable books for her (try Sonlight's reading lists or Heart of Dakota to get an idea of where she should be or is)

 

If you want to start history definitely start with all of them on SOTW1 (Ancients) - just expect different things from them as far as output goes - K can color a picture, the olders should be narrating and possibly writing something down and they can all do any projects (hands on activities) together. For science I would just get good books from the library and read to them or let them read it themselves - same for geography and anything else you want to add in.

 

 

[...................]

Welcome. :seeya:

 

For Language Arts, I would recommend checking out Writing With Ease and First Language Lessons. Offered by Peace Hill Press. For History, Peace Hill Press also has Story of the World. Volume 1 is Ancients. I would suggest buying the book and activity guide, not the tests. For those ages, you don't need the tests. These are products recommend in the WTM and you can do them with probably all three of the children. You can also get SOTW via audio.

 

If Saxon is what you are comfortable with, go with it.

 

I would just start with the main subjects (3R's) and then add on as you become more comfortable.

 

If you do a search "Kindergarten thread", "2nd grade" and "3rd grade", you will get ideas from what others are using, and then take some time and research. Don't feel like you need to do it all at once.

 

:001_smile:

GOod advice here.

 

 

Except instead of Saxon K, I recommend Abeka or Horizons.  But you have to teach how to write numbers before beginning those K math books.

[Blessed5x]

Thanks everyone for your responses!

 

Out of curiosity, Calming Tea, why would you not recommend Saxon? Why abeka or Horizons?

 

Thanks!

[...................]

Welcome. :seeya:

 

For Language Arts, I would recommend checking out Writing With Ease and First Language Lessons. Offered by Peace Hill Press. For History, Peace Hill Press also has Story of the World. Volume 1 is Ancients. I would suggest buying the book and activity guide, not the tests. For those ages, you don't need the tests. These are products recommend in the WTM and you can do them with probably all three of the children. You can also get SOTW via audio.

 

If Saxon is what you are comfortable with, go with it.

 

I would just start with the main subjects (3R's) and then add on as you become more comfortable.

 

If you do a search "Kindergarten thread", "2nd grade" and "3rd grade", you will get ideas from what others are using, and then take some time and research. Don't feel like you need to do it all at once.

 

:001_smile:

GOod advice here.

 

 

Except instead of Saxon K, I recommend Abeka or Horizons.  But you have to teach how to write numbers before beginning those K math books.

[...................]

Well Saxon is a very solid math program and a good choice.  But the K program is essentially nothing but preschool math.  It covers basically counting, ordinal numbers, shapes, and things like that.  It doesn't even cover addition, subtraction, place value or many of the other things K math usually covers.  So it's not that it won't work; it's just a lot of time and money on stuff your child probably already knows which can be taught in a much easier way.

 

Another good option for you to look into is SIngapore Essentials Kindergarten Math which is a great intro to Singapore Math, at a great price, with all the explanations in the book.  I have friends that used it and then went seamlessly into SIngapore Math and were very happy with it.  I have seen it and thought it was very well done.  

 

 

[RootAnn]

Ok, so you need:

K - patience & time, something to teach them how to read

2nd & 3rd - Books for them to read aloud to you, Spelling, Math

All - Books for you to read aloud to them, paper for them to write on

 

Nice to haves:

K - math manipulatives, handwriting program

2nd & 3rd - Grammar, Writing, Social Studies/History, Science, Art, Music

 

K Math:

I have one of the Horizons K workbooks and it moves very quickly, IMO. You could just do (skip) counting, number games, and work with manipulatives for K math. Separately, you teach her to write & recognize written digits. Some topics you'll want  to work on are telling time, place value, intro to money, and +/- facts through 10, and basic shapes. (For an idea what First Grade math topics will be, check out these worksheets.) Here's some links to people's lists of topics for K math: About.com, Maria Miller (who authored the Math Mammoth curriculum), some random school district's checklist, etc. If you have to have a book to follow, I have heard good things about the Singapore Essentials that Calming Tea mentioned, although I've never used it. The idea is to have fun with it and not turn it into sit-down drudgery.

 

2nd/3rd Grammar:

If you decide to add in grammar for your olders, you could do FLL (First Language Lessons), but you might try something more fun & gentle at first like The Sentence Family (post with info on what it is & how to use it, also available as a PDF) and then move onto Grammarland. Someone has made (free!) worksheets to go along with it, if you want them. They aren't necessary. Here is a post (thread) about "fun grammar" for 2nd/3rd grade levels.

 

Spelling:

I'm a fan of Spalding spin-offs. The original Spalding method is taught using The Writing Road to Reading (WRTR), but I use Spell to Write & Read (SWR). There is also Phonics Road or a newer 'favorite' on the board, The Logic of English (LOE). If you choose something that isn't a workbook, you might want to just go ahead & get something you can use with both your older kids to save you time. WRTR is cheapest, but both it & SWR have somewhat of a learning curve for you. LOE is more expensive, but less of a learning curve. Everyone has their favorite program. I'd just find something and try it out. Resale for All About Spelling (AAS) and some of the others mentioned above are pretty good if they don't end up working out.

 

History:

Once math, reading, and spelling are in a grove, you can start adding other things. I agree with the others to start with SOTW1 (Ancients). It is fun for the whole family. Don't worry about getting through it in a year. Take your time.

 

When you've added all these things in, come back & ask us about music, art, and science. You'll have a better feel for how your kids learn & what they are interested in and how much time you have left in a week.

 

Remember not to spend all day cooped up inside doing seatwork. Your K'er should take 30-45 minutes of time to teach daily. Your 2nd & 3rd graders shouldn't be doing more than 2-3 hours total each day. Get out & do some field trips. Play at the park. Go to a science museum. Have FUN!

[teachingmy3]

This will be our 3rd year and I have a kinder, 3rd and 5th. I think you've gotten some excellent recommendations. I just wanted to jump and comment about history. Last year was our first year to do classical history and we started with Ancients. We just started this school year 2 weeks ago and just like last year, my kids are begging to do history first.

I will tell you that history isn't an essential part of a kindergarten curriculum. My kinder wants to be a big kid, so she does a lot of the copywork, maps and coloring sheets from The Story of the World (SOTW) activity book. I figure if something sticks, great. If it doesn't, she'll get it again in 4 years. They all love to look at the pictures in the Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia, which is part of the recommended reading materials from SOTW. Oh, and if you don't have a library card, get one. The activity book has tons of recommended books to further the lesson and those are always great with the little ones.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling!

 

 

[gratitude]

Welcome to Homeschooling!!  :hurray:

 

My best advice to moms just pulling kids out of school is the following:

*Be patient with yourself.  It may take some months or all school year to feel like you have a handle on teaching them.  Those of us who started with our oldest in K added one child at a time and you are jumping in with 3 at once.  Expect an adjustment period.  Expect it to take time for you to figure out exactly how you want your days to flow.  

*Commit to it.  I have seen too many moms pull their kids out and give up after 6 months.  My advice always is make a solid 2 year commitment and then evaluate.  Teachers don't learn to teach over night, and neither do moms!  :)   I taught piano for 8 years before home schooling.  It took me at least 6 months to get the hang of teaching piano and do a good job with it.  ;) It took 3 years to do a really great job!  

*Your children listening to you and respecting you is more important than what you accomplish for awhile.  It is essential for teaching.

 

As for curriculum:

 

For K mostly phonics and some basic math and for us Bible is what I do for K...literature too.

 

For 2nd & 3rd:

*For us we do Bible.

*Math 

*LA ~ I am just starting WWE this year and it looks wonderful.  I wish I had started it much sooner.  You need spelling, grammar, writing, and hand writing.

*History ~ could wait 6 months.  Yes, if you are using WTM you would start with ancients and can combine all of them.

*Science ~ could wait 6 months.  There are a lot of science options.

 

WTM does recommend Saxon and it is solid.  I haven't used it, but I have friends that like the results.  Handwriting with Tears is said to be good, but I haven't used that either.  I love what I am seeing in Writing With Ease, and Susan's talk on writing makes a lot of sense in her approach to teaching it.  Rod and Staff is my favorite grammar program, but First Language Lessons is also said to be good.  We like My Father's World for Bible and History; they use Susan's books for their Rome to Modern Age programs.

 

I hope something I said helped!  Enjoy your children.  It really is an amazing journey that is life changing. 

[Laura Corin]

I'm not familiar with some of the programmes you are talking about, so I just wanted to offer general advice.  If I were you, I would start off with just English and maths.  When you have all your children into a routine of doing those every day and you are feeling confident, then I would add in other formal subjects. In the mean time, I would fill the rest of your days with fun read-alouds from the library, enjoyable exercise (informal nature walks; swimming), getting into a regular housekeeping routine, and just learning to be together.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[kristi26]

I also think you should start with the basics as other posters have already said.  I would also combine as much as possible to keep things simpler for you.  

 

As you said, I'd start with Ancients. Story of the World does a great job explaining in a fun, easy to understand way.  I have free plans on my blog if you're interested here: http://themommywriter.blogspot.com/2013/06/free-charlotte-masonliving-bookshands.html

 

For Language Arts, we had fun simply reading books and doing lapbooks along with them from Homeschoolshare.com (they're free) and we also did First Language Lessons.  For phonics, we used Explode the Code books.

 

For Science, I think one of my favorite ways we did that was to watch Magic School Bus videos from the library and then get books related to the topic and do experiments from the MSB website.  Mostly free and very easy.

 

For Math, it sounds like you have something picked already.  Saxon is a solid program, though we don't use it.  We love Math-u-see around here! :)