Help A Newbie! Please!

[Mapi]

I've been lurking and reading all the threads and hoping somebody would have such a similar experience to mine that I would find exact answers to my questions. You all are so kind and helpful in your responses so I figured you wouldn't mind helping me out :)

 

My dd9 has been in ps since kindergarten. She was always the youngest one and the smallest one as well. She completed 3rd grade last year. Did well in her TAKS and her grades were mostly A's and B's and an occasional C in Math. Her teachers and I did not feel she was prepared for 4th grade. Her reading comprehension and fluency are not where they need to be. And she has not mastered math skills. She was a stressed out kid. Worked very hard but was overwhelmed most of the time.

 

After many child study team meetings the school somewhat backed me up in my decision to retain her in 3rd grade. The teachers agreed the best choice for her would be to transfer her to another nearby elementary school and repeat 3rd grade to avoid dealing with other kids possibly teasing her about repeating a grade. The school district denied my request for a transfer 3 times. So my only choice was to hs. I figure this all happened because it is absolutely God's will. This is what we are supposed to do. So, even though I am a reluctant/insecure hs mom, I'm mentally ready to do it.

 

I've done hours of research online and I attended a workshop for new homeschoolers. My problem has been figuring out the best curriculum for her. I know I need to focus mainly on Math and LA. So far, I have:

 

Saxon Math 3, MUS(will purchase at bookfair this week)

Easy Grammar and Daily Grams

Wordly Wise 3000

Handwriting Without Tears 3rd Grade

Spelling Power(not purchased yet)

AWANA

Childrens Church Choir(not sure yet)

365 Art & Craft Activities(from Sam's Club)

Edu-tracker(looking at it at the bookfair this week as well)

 

We also have hundreds of books and are frequent visitors at our local public library.

 

I am still needing a Literature/English and a History/Social Studies curriculum. I would love something that is not very teacher intensive since I am new to hs.

 

Would you please look over what I have and give me some feedback? I will be so thankful.

[Colleen in NS]

I've been lurking and reading all the threads and hoping somebody would have such a similar experience to mine that I would find exact answers to my questions. You all are so kind and helpful in your responses so I figured you wouldn't mind helping me out :)

 

My dd9 has been in ps since kindergarten. She was always the youngest one and the smallest one as well. She completed 3rd grade last year. Did well in her TAKS and her grades were mostly A's and B's and an occasional C in Math. Her teachers and I did not feel she was prepared for 4th grade. Her reading comprehension and fluency are not where they need to be. And she has not mastered math skills. She was a stressed out kid. Worked very hard but was overwhelmed most of the time.

 

After many child study team meetings the school somewhat backed me up in my decision to retain her in 3rd grade. The teachers agreed the best choice for her would be to transfer her to another nearby elementary school and repeat 3rd grade to avoid dealing with other kids possibly teasing her about repeating a grade. The school district denied my request for a transfer 3 times. So my only choice was to hs. I figure this all happened because it is absolutely God's will. This is what we are supposed to do. So, even though I am a reluctant/insecure hs mom, I'm mentally ready to do it.

 

I've done hours of research online and I attended a workshop for new homeschoolers. My problem has been figuring out the best curriculum for her. I know I need to focus mainly on Math and LA. So far, I have:

 

Saxon Math 3, MUS(will purchase at bookfair this week)

Easy Grammar and Daily Grams

Wordly Wise 3000

Handwriting Without Tears 3rd Grade

Spelling Power(not purchased yet)

AWANA

Childrens Church Choir(not sure yet)

365 Art & Craft Activities(from Sam's Club)

Edu-tracker(looking at it at the bookfair this week as well)

 

We also have hundreds of books and are frequent visitors at our local public library.

 

I am still needing a Literature/English and a History/Social Studies curriculum. I would love something that is not very teacher intensive since I am new to hs.

 

Would you please look over what I have and give me some feedback? I will be so thankful.

 

Welcome to the homeschooling world! :) Hopefully you will find that stress levels will go down, as you work with your dd yourself, and figure out along the way what she needs.

 

It looks to me like you have most basic skills covered (math, grammar, spelling, handwriting). You might want to put Wordly Wise 3000 away for another year or two, while she catches up on these basic skills. Also, for writing/literature, have you thought of doing dictations and narrations of good literature stories she reads or you read to her? This is a good way to build writing skills, plus help her with reading comprehension. Have you read the Well Trained Mind book? It explains the benefits of dictation and narration, and the "how to," in a lot more detail. Or you can search these boards for threads about it.

 

For history, and even science if you want, you can just pick an area your dd wants to read about (Egyptian mummies, sharks, medievel castles, space shuttles, etc.), get tons of library books out, read them together, and write her narrations about what interests her. Very fun and non-stressful.

 

As you get used to homeschooling, and get more in tune with how to help your daughter, you'll gain confidence to add in more stuff if you want, or structure things differently. Or you'll figure out what to delete from her program.

 

Have fun!

[Rhonda@LivingWater]

It looks like you have done some very good research into curriculum! One thing I would suggest looking at for English/Literature needs is Learning Language Arts through Literature. They are color coded by year and the 3rd grade book is yellow. It is an all-in-one approach that integrates grammar instruction with copywork and dictation. It is teacher friendly and include good literature choices.I agree with Colleen also on putting away the Wordly Wise for now.

Blessings to you on your new homeschool adventure.

[Mapi]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I will definitely look into dictation/narration. And LLTL yellow.

 

As far as Wordly Wise 3000. Do you think it's too much as part of what I already have? or do you think it's too much for a third grader?

 

Thanks again! I knew I would get some nice responses. Please keep them coming.

[dcjlkplus3]

I would do Story of the World for history. (I hate the term social studies)

I love how it is chronological. if you get the activity book all you have to do to prepare is photocopy any maps or pages for that lesson. I even let my daughter read it to me (she needs help, but it helps her to focus). You might not want to start with year one since she is in third grade, but you could if you wanted to she is certainly not "to old" for it.

[JFSinIL]

Or you could use Child's History of the World from Calvert - you can get it with a workbook of outlining practice and some projects. It was written for a fourth grade, 9-yr-old level.

[Colleen in NS]

As far as Wordly Wise 3000. Do you think it's too much as part of what I already have? or do you think it's too much for a third grader?

 

I think it's too much for a third grader, esp. if you are helping her catch up on the other, more basic skills. For that age, I think spelling and lots of reading are sufficient to gain vocabulary. You can do more formal vocab study (such as in a roots study, when kids are more analytical in thinking) in the middle years (anywhere in grades 5 to 8), and still have a good grounding for high school reading and writing.

[Mapi]

I think it's too much for a third grader, esp. if you are helping her catch up on the other, more basic skills. For that age, I think spelling and lots of reading are sufficient to gain vocabulary. You can do more formal vocab study (such as in a roots study, when kids are more analytical in thinking) in the middle years (anywhere in grades 5 to 8), and still have a good grounding for high school reading and writing.

 

Thanks Colleen. That makes total sense. I could always introduce it later, right? I appreciate your input.

[PeterPan]

Ditto dumping the Wordly Wise. That doesn't seem to be the most important thing when her reading isn't going well, kwim? In fact, I would suggest backing up and either doing a phonics review or doing a spelling program that covers the phonics like SWR or AAS. Given that she has been frustrated, you might go toward the easy side, say with AAS (which you would start at the beginning with). It would be easy for her and build her confidence. It's scripted, so it would be easy for you to implement as a newbie.

 

On the math, did you give her a placement test? Saxon doesn't run strictly by grade level, and some people bump it up a year to be on grade level. But if you gave her the placement test, then just go by that. You said her facts aren't solid and that you got her the MUS manipulatives, cool. MUS has a free online worksheet generator, though I wouldn't think you'd need that with Saxon, which already has a lot of practice. I'd take one day a week and do some games and things. Also, you might do the free learning styles assessment at http://www.educate.com If for instance your dd is very auditory, knowing that would influence what methods you use to practice the facts and get them to stick. I thought my dd was auditory, but when I did the assessment (free), it became very clear she was dominantly visual. I stopped playing auditory games and switched to lots of visual input (flashmaster, flashcards, letting her use a table when she does her math, worksheets that have COLOR, etc.), and we finally got a turnaround! So that would be my biggest suggestion, to find out her learning style. That way you can tweak what you're doing and how you're doing it to make it the most effective for her. And yes, I HIGHLY recommend getting a Flashmaster. My dd enjoys hers and it's easy to implement. Let her put a bean in a jar every time she completes a round on it and win a prize when the jar is full. I also got my dd the Abeka Tests and Speed Drills book, which is just AWESOME, oh my. Back way up, all the way to the 1st grade book even. That will rebuild her confidence and help her get faster. It has color on the pages and these small, incredibly do-able sections that don't overwhelm them. I put no pressure to beat the time. Instead I give her a red and a regular pencil. She sets her timer and works as much as she can. When it goes off, she switches to red and keeps going. I never harp on whether she beat the clock or not. Everybody has good and bad days, good and bad moments. If you do your weakest subjects first in the morning, that will help. Don't get yourself distracted trying to do too much. Do LA and math, something physical, eat lunch, then do your read alouds and fun subjects. Just keep it light and comfortable, kwim? Your goal is not to go FAST but to just have slow, daily bits of diligence that add up.

 

As far as the LA, I would put her in something that covers her phonics and spelling together in an efficient way. AAS comes to mind, so check it out. SWR is what I've used with my dd all along, but it's more effort to implement. I highly recommend it though, if you feel up to it. Otherwise, I'd do AAS. My dd, also 9, really enjoys the calvert spelling cd's, so that would also be something to consider. Start with the 3rd grade one obviously. It will give her harder words if she tests out of the pretest, so it will still fit her. The games are fun and it's really good for her typing. Just having it be easy is confidence boosting. It's the one spelling thing my dd actually ASKS to do, haha. I would use the calvert spelling cd (computer) for fun and do the AAS or SWR as your daily, main thing.

 

The reading is going to improve as her phonics improves. You could have her eyes checked, if that hasn't been done. However it's highly likely that she was just flat never taught phonics, meaning you have remediation to do there. I wouldn't do something like LLATL, because I think a more concise, efficient phonics presentation would get you there more quickly, but that's just my opinion.

 

She needs to be doing some writing, but you have several options. Really, I like Writing Tales 1 best for this age and situation. It's FUN, isn't going to overwhelm her, and is going to stretch and build her skills gently. I had a remedial student (older) in the WT2 class I taught last year, and she did very well, grew a lot with it. For the age of your student, I think WT1 would be just perfect. Check it out http://www.writing-tales.com The Easy Grammar and Daily Grams would be just enough with WT1 without being too much. I think that would be a great mix. Your handwriting seems right on.

 

Now as far as the reading, I would back off and be very gentle. You don't want to pressure her before your instruction with whatever phonics you use has had a chance to kick in. Sanseri, author of SWR, says that torture reading (pushing them to sound through stuff) isn't necessary, and in my experience with SWR, it isn't. At the very least, I'd avoid it. Instead, I would start teaching the phonics, let that get applied, give her lots of easy, easy books around the house to read, and let her read a lot. Then after you've done that a couple weeks, start letting her read to you just a little bit. You can do it a couple different ways. I was going to suggest Sonlight to you, because I think she would enjoy the read alouds and because it would take the pressure off her this first year. If you do that (which I think would be a great idea), then you could have her read aloud to you once a week a little bit from what you're reading. Like sometimes I would fall asleep during read alouds and ask her to keep going. Or you can use one of the specified readers for her level and have her read aloud to you once a week. I don't think you need to pressure her with a formal reading program with comprehension and all that, not right now. I would start by remediating her phonics and seeing what happens. It might improve without any of the stress of forced reading.

 

Remember, her comfort reading level is going to be significantly behind her ability to decode. If she can technically, on a test, read at say a 3rd grade level, she might be much more comfortable reading early chapter books and things on a 1st or 2nd grade level. And reading lots of that stuff is GOOD for her and going to make her faster! Just get her good stuff. Look in the VP catalog http://www.veritaspress.com and find the sets of easy chapter books for girls they sell. Sonlight has readers at multiple levels to go along with their early cores. You could do core 1 with her and use the appropriate readers. It would be tons of fun for your first year and give you lots of read aloud time with her. The audio memory songs are fun, CHOW is fun, the read alouds are good. And if you do that, yes, you could get the workbook from calvert for CHOW and have her do that. I used it with my dd and liked it a lot, highly recommend. It's just fill-in-the-blank outlining and some activities, but it does enhance the reading.

 

Lots of people pull their kids out because the dc were falling through the cracks. Good for you! It's going to be a great year and you're both going to learn a ton. Have fun with it! :)

[Mapi]

Or you could use Child's History of the World from Calvert - you can get it with a workbook of outlining practice and some projects. It was written for a fourth grade, 9-yr-old level.

 

I'll look into CHOTW. It sounds interesting. I was hoping to focus on our state/community and the elections since it's an election year. I thought a lapbook about the electoral process, presidents/biographies would be interesting. But again, I can't have something so teacher intensive as much as I like the idea. Calvert reps will be at the bookfair. Thanks!

[Mapi]

Ditto dumping the Wordly Wise. That doesn't seem to be the most important thing when her reading isn't going well, kwim? In fact, I would suggest backing up and either doing a phonics review or doing a spelling program that covers the phonics like SWR or AAS. Given that she has been frustrated, you might go toward the easy side, say with AAS (which you would start at the beginning with). It would be easy for her and build her confidence. It's scripted, so it would be easy for you to implement as a newbie.

 

On the math, did you give her a placement test? Saxon doesn't run strictly by grade level, and some people bump it up a year to be on grade level. But if you gave her the placement test, then just go by that. You said her facts aren't solid and that you got her the MUS manipulatives, cool. MUS has a free online worksheet generator, though I wouldn't think you'd need that with Saxon, which already has a lot of practice. I'd take one day a week and do some games and things. Also, you might do the free learning styles assessment at www.educate.com If for instance your dd is very auditory, knowing that would influence what methods you use to practice the facts and get them to stick. I thought my dd was auditory, but when I did the assessment (free), it became very clear she was dominantly visual. I stopped playing auditory games and switched to lots of visual input (flashmaster, flashcards, letting her use a table when she does her math, worksheets that have COLOR, etc.), and we finally got a turnaround! So that would be my biggest suggestion, to find out her learning style. That way you can tweak what you're doing and how you're doing it to make it the most effective for her. And yes, I HIGHLY recommend getting a Flashmaster. My dd enjoys hers and it's easy to implement. Let her put a bean in a jar every time she completes a round on it and win a prize when the jar is full. I also got my dd the Abeka Tests and Speed Drills book, which is just AWESOME, oh my. Back way up, all the way to the 1st grade book even. That will rebuild her confidence and help her get faster. It has color on the pages and these small, incredibly do-able sections that don't overwhelm them. I put no pressure to beat the time. Instead I give her a red and a regular pencil. She sets her timer and works as much as she can. When it goes off, she switches to red and keeps going. I never harp on whether she beat the clock or not. Everybody has good and bad days, good and bad moments. If you do your weakest subjects first in the morning, that will help. Don't get yourself distracted trying to do too much. Do LA and math, something physical, eat lunch, then do your read alouds and fun subjects. Just keep it light and comfortable, kwim? Your goal is not to go FAST but to just have slow, daily bits of diligence that add up.

 

As far as the LA, I would put her in something that covers her phonics and spelling together in an efficient way. AAS comes to mind, so check it out. SWR is what I've used with my dd all along, but it's more effort to implement. I highly recommend it though, if you feel up to it. Otherwise, I'd do AAS. My dd, also 9, really enjoys the calvert spelling cd's, so that would also be something to consider. Start with the 3rd grade one obviously. It will give her harder words if she tests out of the pretest, so it will still fit her. The games are fun and it's really good for her typing. Just having it be easy is confidence boosting. It's the one spelling thing my dd actually ASKS to do, haha. I would use the calvert spelling cd (computer) for fun and do the AAS or SWR as your daily, main thing.

 

The reading is going to improve as her phonics improves. You could have her eyes checked, if that hasn't been done. However it's highly likely that she was just flat never taught phonics, meaning you have remediation to do there. I wouldn't do something like LLATL, because I think a more concise, efficient phonics presentation would get you there more quickly, but that's just my opinion.

 

She needs to be doing some writing, but you have several options. Really, I like Writing Tales 1 best for this age and situation. It's FUN, isn't going to overwhelm her, and is going to stretch and build her skills gently. I had a remedial student (older) in the WT2 class I taught last year, and she did very well, grew a lot with it. For the age of your student, I think WT1 would be just perfect. Check it out www.writing-tales.com The Easy Grammar and Daily Grams would be just enough with WT1 without being too much. I think that would be a great mix. Your handwriting seems right on.

 

Now as far as the reading, I would back off and be very gentle. You don't want to pressure her before your instruction with whatever phonics you use has had a chance to kick in. Sanseri, author of SWR, says that torture reading (pushing them to sound through stuff) isn't necessary, and in my experience with SWR, it isn't. At the very least, I'd avoid it. Instead, I would start teaching the phonics, let that get applied, give her lots of easy, easy books around the house to read, and let her read a lot. Then after you've done that a couple weeks, start letting her read to you just a little bit. You can do it a couple different ways. I was going to suggest Sonlight to you, because I think she would enjoy the read alouds and because it would take the pressure off her this first year. If you do that (which I think would be a great idea), then you could have her read aloud to you once a week a little bit from what you're reading. Like sometimes I would fall asleep during read alouds and ask her to keep going. Or you can use one of the specified readers for her level and have her read aloud to you once a week. I don't think you need to pressure her with a formal reading program with comprehension and all that, not right now. I would start by remediating her phonics and seeing what happens. It might improve without any of the stress of forced reading.

 

Remember, her comfort reading level is going to be significantly behind her ability to decode. If she can technically, on a test, read at say a 3rd grade level, she might be much more comfortable reading early chapter books and things on a 1st or 2nd grade level. And reading lots of that stuff is GOOD for her and going to make her faster! Just get her good stuff. Look in the VP catalog www.veritaspress.com and find the sets of easy chapter books for girls they sell. Sonlight has readers at multiple levels to go along with their early cores. You could do core 1 with her and use the appropriate readers. It would be tons of fun for your first year and give you lots of read aloud time with her. The audio memory songs are fun, CHOW is fun, the read alouds are good. And if you do that, yes, you could get the workbook from calvert for CHOW and have her do that. I used it with my dd and liked it a lot, highly recommend. It's just fill-in-the-blank outlining and some activities, but it does enhance the reading.

 

Lots of people pull their kids out because the dc were falling through the cracks. Good for you! It's going to be a great year and you're both going to learn a ton. Have fun with it! :)

 

I was furiously taking notes from your incredible suggestions. I'm in tears reading all the wonderful tips and ideas. I'm so overwhelmed with joy. I know it probably sounds over dramatic. I've just been so stressed out searching/pondering/questioning this whole summer. Questioning my decision one day. Being sure the next. What a rollercoaster! You ladies have lowered my stress level so much. Thank you!

 

I do have some questions though:D

You mentioned SWR---that's "Spell to Write and Read"?

ASS---couldn't find in the list of abbreviations.

Flashmaster---I will Google.

AAS---couldn't find it either, sorry.

Sonlight---were you referring to Sonlight LA?

 

Everything else I am off to look into.

Very, very thankful!

[PeterPan]

I'll go in reverse. On SL, NO, please don't do the SL LA. I meant the SL core with the readers, read-alouds, etc. You could do core 1, which uses CHOW, and use the set of readers that seem to fit her. Core # does NOT equal grade, and this would make a very good year for you. But don't do their LA. (Not that it isn't good for some people, but it isn't what you need.)

 

AAS=All About Spelling. It's a spin-off of the SWR/WRTR approach. Yes, SWR=Spell to Write and Read. If you're game to learn the method, go for it. If not, or if you think the kinesthetic element of AAS and the prescripting would help, then do AAS. Either way, the idea is that you're using the phonogram-based instruction to review phonics without it seeming babyish. It's going to improve her spelling AND her reading by light years!

 

Flashmaster--SL sells this, and it's pricey, at $50, ouch. But it really is the greatest thing since sliced bread, so just buy it. :)

 

ASS was a typo. I meant AAS. :)

 

Homeschooling does have a lot of those ups and downs. It's really hard to sort through stuff, and it takes time. But you're finding good things. My advice is that you stay focused on a couple key goals (remediating her phonics and math), and let everything else be FUN. This is your first year and a real transition for you. Keep it together, keep it simple. You don't need to overload yourself with anything complicated. Just getting a year of remediation in on that math and phonics is going to make a huge difference and put her in a better position to proceed forward next year. And I'm going to toss this out, you see what you think. It is very possible that a year from now she won't need that grade behind label. I'm not sure I'd make her wear it now honestly. There's such a huge spread in what homeschoolers accomplish, and most people call their dc by their age-grade, irrespective of their knowledge. Unless you consider her to have an irreversible mental difficulty that is going to keep her behind forever, I'd consider calling her by her age-grade. That alone might be a comfort to her and confidence booster. It doesn't MATTER what the grade levels are on the materials you're using. She's going to be able to go forward in a homeschool setting MUCH more quickly than she would have with school. For instance, if you do SWR or AAS and really spend time on it, writing daily, learning the phonograms, etc., I'll bet her reading level comes up very quickly. And her math, that's going to come up. If you school year-round, it's not at all uncommon to cover 1 1/2 books in a year! And that calvert spelling, we we do a week's worth in a day (45 minutes) when we do it. Obviously we can't do that every day, but I'm saying it's not that uncommon to get some good materials for remediating, things that focus on the basics, and see some serious jumps pretty quickly. You really might not need to call her a grade behind by Christmas. I'm not even sure I would now. Let her meet her homeschooled friends on equal footing, calling herself by her age-grade. Tell her it's tentative and that you need to see some things improve, but that you know she will with this good instruction and hard work. That way she's meeting her new friends with her best foot forward. That's what I'd do. :)

[newlifemom]

In your origional post you mentioned reading comprehension. Have look into Bright Minds yet? I know you are looking at a lot of stuff right now and quite frankly I don't want to add all my .02. The other ladides here have given you plenty of excellent advice. I'll just give .01 :D. The Reading Detective series is something I have implemented as an extra to help my dd increase her comprehension skills. I think they have improved because of it. One important warning though. Once you start with that company you might not want to stop. Trust me, I have building thinking skills preschool stuff, dooriddles and logic problems. If you want to maintain sanity and calmness in your marriage proceed with caution ;). BTW, I should also tell you that I am a cirriculum junkie. :tongue_smilie: HTH

[Colleen in NS]

I could always introduce it later, right?

 

Yes, that's what I meant! :) I use WTM as my guide, and the earliest it says to introduce a vocab program is grade 5. Now that we are into the recommended program, I can see why - ds is having to analyze words for their roots, which would have been difficult for him before this. But he is totally "getting it" now that he is thinking more analytically. Which means that the program will be easier, instead of frustrating him at a younger age when he was still trying to learn other more basic skills.

[Mapi]

Thanks Pam, OhElizabeth & Colleen,

 

You ladies have helped me out so much. I so appreciate it! I will research everything you suggested and hopefully by this weekend I will finalize my decisions. We start hs next Monday. I'm not too worried about getting everything done on Monday. But I wanted to buy a few things at the Used Bookfair and the regular hs book fair this week. BTW, is it wise for me to purchase at the bookfair? I didn't think about that...otherwise, I have Mardel's and a few teacher stores (those always seem overpriced though).

[PeterPan]

I like to buy from whomever helps me decide the material. If your bookfair has vendors who are helpful to you, or if seeing the materials in person helps you decide, then I would buy from them to support them, even if it's a bit more expensive. But if you already know what you want, I'd just order online. Unfortunately, some place like Rainbow Resource could be REALLY busy right now, as it's the busy season. SL will ship your order within 3 days, so you could get the Flashmaster and a core or reader or read alouds or whatever you want from there quite quickly. Rainbow is the discount giant, so that's why they get so busy. Great prices though!

[Tree House Academy]

Have you thought of getting the whole Calvert curriculum? That is what we are using for 4th grade and for Kindergarten and we are really enjoying it. I am not sure if that is the best choice for you and your family right now, but thought i would throw it out there just because you said it had really stressed you out and planning is definitely a source of anxiety and stress for me, which is why Calvert has worked so well with this being our first year homeschooling.

 

That said, I thought i would share my son's story briefly...just to let you know how God sent this really is. :)

My son was a straight A, testing into the "gifted program" student in ps from Kindergarten until the end of 3rd grade last year. At the end of the year, they had an awards banquet. My son finished his 3rd grade math, and 4th grade math before the end of 3rd grade. He is not advanced in math. My son was one of 3 students out of 40 that pulled straight A's all year long. He is a struggling spelling, reads very "average," and couldn't write a sentence at the end of last year to save his life. I am not kidding. It is AMAZING how many gaps are left by the ps. And the grades baffle me! Straight A's. As a parent, I thought he was doing GREAT. And he was...when you compared him to 40 other kids. But in real life, he wasn't doing "great" at all. He was working on his own. His school did not take an active role in teaching the kids to write because writing wasn't part of the state test at the end of the year. They said, "Oh, we don't do that till 5th grade." WHAT???

 

I absolutely know that God called me to homeschool my kids. I had no idea what was going on in ps - I had no idea he was behind and making all A's and being tested for the Gifted class. No idea! He has learned so much and grown so much in his abilities just over the summer. I am so proud of him. It is incredible what a different education a child has when they are homeschooled! Welcome to the group. :)

[new2homeschoolmom]

First, welcome to the world of homeschooling.

 

I started my first year last year and it was a rollercoaster. I took my dd(just turned 9 at the time) out of public school when she finished the third grade because she was falling through the cracks. Her reading level was 2nd grade, she could not subtract or multiple and she has a really difficult time spelling, but the public school she was going to wanted to push her on to fouth grade. So we decided to homeschool, also I am staying home with dd(1) and baby due in Sept. My sister in law home schools all six of her kids ages 13 - 10month, so she has been a great help with borrowing curricul. to try.

 

Anyways I know how you feel. My best advice is to be patient. This is just as new to your dd as it is to you. Try not to stress over teaching her everything at once.

 

Last year we used R&S 3rd grade english (this was very difficult for her we are using Easy Grammer 4 and possibly 5 this year), MUS Delta until I realized how bad her subtraction was then changed to R&S 3rd grade math (half way through the year); I will use R&S 4th grade math this year because it has tons of review. We also used Alpha Omega Bible 3rd grade, this year we will be using R&S Bible Nuture (its also their 4th grade reader). I tried Natural Speller but it did not fit us so I will try R&S Spelling 4th grade this year. We started SOTW 1 but after three weeks we were both so stressed out we quit and I will be using it this year but it will be me reading to her and asking her the discussion questions. We tried to work science in also but after week two or three we quit this also. I will try and include science in this year using God's Design Animal Kingdom and Human Body, also we are going through R&S Health for the Glory of God 4th grade. I picked up a Spectrum Phonics workbook to have her go through and we made it through 3 and 4 grade. Also I picked up a Spectrum Reading book 3rd grade to work through which we completed. I found the Spectrum books to be easy on the teacher and dd thought they were fun so we kept them through the year just so she didn't feel like a big failure. I also tried to find the areas that she didn't need to be held back in and kept her at her public school level so she wouldn't feel so behind. This year I am also adding Spectrums 4th and 5th grade Geography mainly because they will be easy for her and it will boast her self-esteem which public school seems to take out of children.She tells her freinds that she is a fourth and fifth grader because we use so many different levels of books.

 

I have also kept her in her dance class because I did not want her to feel isolated from her friends. This was one of the hard parts for my daughter to get through. She was torn between being at home because she knew it was better and being with her friends. I tried to set-up sleep overs with her school friends and for awhile I took her to swim with what was going to be her fourth grade class. Also we had some melt downs because the school gives breaks and recess which I did not give at first because I thought it would be better to get everything done before the public kids were out of school, she didn't seem to care when she got done she was just use to having 5 to 20 min breaks every 30 to 45 min. (Its a wonder that anything gets done in public school.) Things got better for us when I let her have a 10 minute breather between subjects. This year we will have only two 15 min breaks and 1 hour break for lunch and still be done before 2:30.

 

Anyways sorry this is so long. I just wanted to let you know that the first year is hard. I had to make lots of changes throughout the year and changes may still come this year as my daughter and I take this journey togther. That's what it is a journey, with plans that change everyday. Just know that you made the right choice in homeschooling your child, think of all the new and wonderful things she will be learning from you. Think about all the wonderful and not so wonderful time that you will get to spend with your daughter everyday instead of a strange that doesn't really care about her or her education.

 

Sorry again for this being long and personal but I hope it helps.

Kristi in Oregon

[Mapi]

Have you thought of getting the whole Calvert curriculum? That is what we are using for 4th grade and for Kindergarten and we are really enjoying it. I am not sure if that is the best choice for you and your family right now, but thought i would throw it out there just because you said it had really stressed you out and planning is definitely a source of anxiety and stress for me, which is why Calvert has worked so well with this being our first year homeschooling.

 

That said, I thought i would share my son's story briefly...just to let you know how God sent this really is. :)

My son was a straight A, testing into the "gifted program" student in ps from Kindergarten until the end of 3rd grade last year. At the end of the year, they had an awards banquet. My son finished his 3rd grade math, and 4th grade math before the end of 3rd grade. He is not advanced in math. My son was one of 3 students out of 40 that pulled straight A's all year long. He is a struggling spelling, reads very "average," and couldn't write a sentence at the end of last year to save his life. I am not kidding. It is AMAZING how many gaps are left by the ps. And the grades baffle me! Straight A's. As a parent, I thought he was doing GREAT. And he was...when you compared him to 40 other kids. But in real life, he wasn't doing "great" at all. He was working on his own. His school did not take an active role in teaching the kids to write because writing wasn't part of the state test at the end of the year. They said, "Oh, we don't do that till 5th grade." WHAT???

 

I absolutely know that God called me to homeschool my kids. I had no idea what was going on in ps - I had no idea he was behind and making all A's and being tested for the Gifted class. No idea! He has learned so much and grown so much in his abilities just over the summer. I am so proud of him. It is incredible what a different education a child has when they are homeschooled! Welcome to the group. :)

 

Thank you for sharing your story, Rebecca.

 

I was a substitute teacher quite often in my dds classroom. She was blessed with great teachers and a great school. Unfortunately she is one of those kids that was not adapting to the system nor mastering skills but doing well enough to pass. I believe this happens often but teachers have no choice but to promote children. They are only "allowed" to retain students who are failing. I think if parents were more in touch with how their child is performing at school and accepted retention as an acceptable option kids would not drop out later on. But that's just my opinion and experience. I'm no expert in this issue. I just feel I am doing what I think is best for my dd. I don't know about next year. I'm doing this hs-ing one year at a time. If PS/private school/charter/hs seems like a good option I will decide then.

Sounds like your dc have really taken to Calvert. I looked into it but the price is beyond our budget. It looked like a wonderful curriculum. Calvert will be at the bookfair this week so I will stop by and talk to them. I'm afraid I have a bit of sticker shock! I would love it though.

[Mapi]

First, welcome to the world of homeschooling.

 

I started my first year last year and it was a rollercoaster. I took my dd(just turned 9 at the time) out of public school when she finished the third grade because she was falling through the cracks. Her reading level was 2nd grade, she could not subtract or multiple and she has a really difficult time spelling, but the public school she was going to wanted to push her on to fouth grade. So we decided to homeschool, also I am staying home with dd(1) and baby due in Sept. My sister in law home schools all six of her kids ages 13 - 10month, so she has been a great help with borrowing curricul. to try.

 

Anyways I know how you feel. My best advice is to be patient. This is just as new to your dd as it is to you. Try not to stress over teaching her everything at once.

 

Last year we used R&S 3rd grade english (this was very difficult for her we are using Easy Grammer 4 and possibly 5 this year), MUS Delta until I realized how bad her subtraction was then changed to R&S 3rd grade math (half way through the year); I will use R&S 4th grade math this year because it has tons of review. We also used Alpha Omega Bible 3rd grade, this year we will be using R&S Bible Nuture (its also their 4th grade reader). I tried Natural Speller but it did not fit us so I will try R&S Spelling 4th grade this year. We started SOTW 1 but after three weeks we were both so stressed out we quit and I will be using it this year but it will be me reading to her and asking her the discussion questions. We tried to work science in also but after week two or three we quit this also. I will try and include science in this year using God's Design Animal Kingdom and Human Body, also we are going through R&S Health for the Glory of God 4th grade. I picked up a Spectrum Phonics workbook to have her go through and we made it through 3 and 4 grade. Also I picked up a Spectrum Reading book 3rd grade to work through which we completed. I found the Spectrum books to be easy on the teacher and dd thought they were fun so we kept them through the year just so she didn't feel like a big failure. I also tried to find the areas that she didn't need to be held back in and kept her at her public school level so she wouldn't feel so behind. This year I am also adding Spectrums 4th and 5th grade Geography mainly because they will be easy for her and it will boast her self-esteem which public school seems to take out of children.She tells her freinds that she is a fourth and fifth grader because we use so many different levels of books.

 

I have also kept her in her dance class because I did not want her to feel isolated from her friends. This was one of the hard parts for my daughter to get through. She was torn between being at home because she knew it was better and being with her friends. I tried to set-up sleep overs with her school friends and for awhile I took her to swim with what was going to be her fourth grade class. Also we had some melt downs because the school gives breaks and recess which I did not give at first because I thought it would be better to get everything done before the public kids were out of school, she didn't seem to care when she got done she was just use to having 5 to 20 min breaks every 30 to 45 min. (Its a wonder that anything gets done in public school.) Things got better for us when I let her have a 10 minute breather between subjects. This year we will have only two 15 min breaks and 1 hour break for lunch and still be done before 2:30.

 

Anyways sorry this is so long. I just wanted to let you know that the first year is hard. I had to make lots of changes throughout the year and changes may still come this year as my daughter and I take this journey togther. That's what it is a journey, with plans that change everyday. Just know that you made the right choice in homeschooling your child, think of all the new and wonderful things she will be learning from you. Think about all the wonderful and not so wonderful time that you will get to spend with your daughter everyday instead of a strange that doesn't really care about her or her education.

 

Sorry again for this being long and personal but I hope it helps.

Kristi in Oregon

 

Thank you, Kristi. You are so sweet to share your very similar experiences with me. I've been attempting to keep a realistic frame of mind. I figure we will have days of great accomplishment and days when we scrap plans left and right. I'm okay with that. All I want is to feel organized (just the feeling:D I know feeling a sense of security is enough right now) and know that I did as much research as I could to prepare myself.

 

My dd never really became real friends with many of her classmates. She is still into playing with dolls and stuffed animals. Her classmates were very much into cliques and drama. I don't think she will miss them much. Her teachers, she loved. She will miss them.

 

I will keep in mind your curriculum choices as we venture into this journey as you so eloquently expressed. Thanks again!

[SonshineLearner]

Remember that you don't have to tell her it's third grade. You can keep her in fourth...and just do 3rd. That's one of the beauties of homeschooling!

 

Carrie:-)

[Mapi]

Remember that you don't have to tell her it's third grade. You can keep her in fourth...and just do 3rd. That's one of the beauties of homeschooling!

 

Carrie:-)

 

Too late for that now. That ship has sailed. She already knows and tells everybody she talks to! "I'm doing third grade again because my mom put me in school when I was too young. So I'm really supposed to be in third grade this year"--lol. I'm okay with her saying that.

 

Plus, we are only "planning" on homeschooling this year. I know that probably goes against what many of you believe but I will take it one year at a time. I'll evaluate how we did this year and then plan for what's best for her.

[Guest]

Have you looked at the K12 Virtual Academy? We are using the Lang. Arts as an independent. You might find it works. They have a free placement test for LA and math. A bit pricey, but for us, it will be worth it.

 

Also, for math, reading, and reading comprehension, you might look at www.mindsprinting.com. It is completely free and has a placement test to determine what areas she needs to work on. This is what I am using for my woefully behind 6th grader in math.

 

We loved All About Spelling here. It worked great! If you go that route, get the magnets. You will love yourself for it.

 

HTH and welcome to this world.

[Angel]

I haven't read all the posts just yet, however, I just wanted to encourage you to take it a little slow. You said she was overwhelmed. Was that with work, or with all the input (sensory) from school? I began homeschooling in 5th grade with my dd. Honestly, it was a huge jump for us and we only did the basics that year. For us that included, Bible, Spelling, English, Math and Reading. Her history and science came through library books and videos that year. By the end of that first year, we were both more comfortable with homeschooling and I began to see how she learned and what her strengths and weaknesses were. I had not wasted a great deal of money on curriculum that did not suit dd (good thing since only one out of all those subjects worked;)). It also gave her some time to decompress from school and me a LOT more time to read homeschool books, websites and peruse curriculum and methods.

 

Good luck and Have Fun! This really is a blessing.

 

Angel

[PeterPan]

Plus, we are only "planning" on homeschooling this year. I know that probably goes against what many of you believe but I will take it one year at a time. I'll evaluate how we did this year and then plan for what's best for her.

 

Although that isn't me, I know there are people here who feel the same way, and that's ok! :)

 

I'm so glad you were able to work it out with what to call her, how she can tell people and feel comfortable about it, etc. Sounds like she's getting excited in her own way. You're going to have a great year!