MaryMak07 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 We have some time, but I've been looking into curriculum options and am finding that there are too many good choices. Can someone help me sort out the differences pros/cons of the following curricula? I'd also love to hear which you would choose for a child who LOVES being read to, and LOVES parent/child interaction (in addition to being read to, he enjoys things like playing candy land, Go Fish, doing puzzles together - anything where we are interacting) He does not love independent time/things. We've trained him to do quiet time/list to audiobooks and play in his room for 1hr a day, but he's a sociable sue and that maxes out his independence. Sonlight and Tapestry of Grace Mystery of History and Story of the World (I know I wouldn't do these AND SL/TOG, but would if I selected subjects individually instead of going one of those, these were the two I was thinking of) Right Start, Miquon and Singapore Thanks for helping out a newbie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiara.I Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 We're a Rightstart Math family, so naturally I'd go that way. It's got lots of parent interaction. I don't know how Miquon and Singapore compare for interaction, but I can definitely recommend RS. Story of the World, again, very interactive. Again, haven't used the other options, so...don't know! TOG: I thought it was a spine that included history? Wouldn't it be redundant if using SOTW or MOH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 The amount of interaction in Miquon math will be very much up to you. It's designed to be self-discovery based and I'll just tell you right now you won't 'get' what they're supposed to be doing on some of the pages...but ime, 'kiddo' will. If you let him lead and talk you through what he's doing it's plenty interactive and a great start. Do order 2 sets of 'math sticks' to go with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryMak07 Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 We're a Rightstart Math family, so naturally I'd go that way. It's got lots of parent interaction. I don't know how Miquon and Singapore compare for interaction, but I can definitely recommend RS. Story of the World, again, very interactive. Again, haven't used the other options, so...don't know! TOG: I thought it was a spine that included history? Wouldn't it be redundant if using SOTW or MOH? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryMak07 Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 Yes, I would either do SL/TG OR SOWT/MOH. Just trying to learn about the options! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 We love right start at our house. So that always gets my vote. We did TOG for a while but I was overwhelmed as my kids were little. We did SoTW for a few years. We are now in book 4 and we don't love this one like the earlier levels. It's just so much info and for some reason I feel like it jumps between countries a lot. I have a hard time keeping events in order. So I've been thinking about going back to TOG. In the meantime we've found veritas history which had been great. We do it online and I learn alongside them. It has books that are recommended for extra reading. But I'm leaning back toward TOG in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 We have some time, but I've been looking into curriculum options and am finding that there are too many good choices. Can someone help me sort out the differences pros/cons of the following curricula? I'd also love to hear which you would choose for a child who LOVES being read to, and LOVES parent/child interaction (in addition to being read to, he enjoys things like playing candy land, Go Fish, doing puzzles together - anything where we are interacting) He does not love independent time/things. We've trained him to do quiet time/list to audiobooks and play in his room for 1hr a day, but he's a sociable sue and that maxes out his independence. Sonlight and Tapestry of Grace Mystery of History and Story of the World Right Start, Miquon and Singapore Thanks for helping out a newbie! How old is this child? I like Sonlight and Story of the world for a younger child, which is what I'm guessing he is. Mystery of History is for 3rd or 4th grade and up, and Tapestry, IMO, is stronger in the middle school/high school years. Right Start, Miquon, and Singapore all kind of depend on how YOU are wired as a teacher. RightStart and Miquon are a little less structured/linear. Singapore is more structured. Both teach conceptual skills. I never could figure out Miquon, though I did use cuisenaire rods regularly to teach. I owned the RightStart games, which were great as a supplement. Singapore is my very favorite math program. I am an enthusiastic endorser of the Standards version, taught using the Home Instructor's Guide. ETA: Sonlight and Tapestry, if done in full, are both history programs. I would not add Story of the World or Mystery of History in on top of those programs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryMak07 Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 How old is this child? I like Sonlight and Story of the world for a younger child, which is what I'm guessing he is. Mystery of History is for 3rd or 4th grade and up, and Tapestry, IMO, is stronger in the middle school/high school years. Right Start, Miquon, and Singapore all kind of depend on how YOU are wired as a teacher. RightStart and Miquon are a little less structured/linear. Singapore is more structured. Both teach conceptual skills. I never could figure out Miquon, though I did use cuisenaire rods regularly to teach. I owned the RightStart games, which were great as a supplement. Singapore is my very favorite math program. I am an enthusiastic endorser of the Standards version, taught using the Home Instructor's Guide. ETA: Sonlight and Tapestry, if done in full, are both history programs. I would not add Story of the World or Mystery of History in on top of those programs. I went back and edited my original post. I would either do SL/TG OR MOH/SOTW, not both. Thanks for your explanations. I'd start whichever NEXT fall, when my son was a kindergartner. I'm kind of leaning towards SL for the early years because it does seem so gentle and he would (does) sit and listen to books for HOURS. What are the biggest differences btw TOG and SL?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiara.I Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I went back and edited my original post. I would either do SL/TG OR MOH/SOTW, not both. Thanks for your explanations. I'd start whichever NEXT fall, when my son was a kindergartner. I'm kind of leaning towards SL for the early years because it does seem so gentle and he would (does) sit and listen to books for HOURS. What are the biggest differences btw TOG and SL?? SOTW is designed to start in Grade 1. I wouldn't worry about history for kindergarten. If you wanted to start it, you could, and go slowly--but you'd be "ahead". That can be nice, it means you can take a long break to hang out in Egypt, or Rome, or whatever if your child likes it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalusignan Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 For Kindergarten I would do Sonlight, then possibly switch to SOTW for 1st grade. SOTW is a good, solid history program for the early elementary years, but I don't think I would start in Kindergarten. I also like Sonlight for the early years. I looked at TOG a while back, and it was just really confusing and overwhelming, and like others have said, not a great fit for early elementary or if you are only instructing one child. We love RightStart! I've never used Miquon or Singapore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 RightStart is scripted and gets you to prealgebra. Miquon is not and only goes through 3rd grade. Miquon is significantly cheaper. Many people use Miquon with the RightStart games. What are you planning on for reading and writing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I'm assuming he's young. RightStart is the most naturally interactive of those programs. It's all teacher-student and game oriented. I loved RS for the foundation it gave my kids, and my one that comes alive with on one on one interaction and games especially thrived. Rather than do a heavy program like TOG or Sonlight at young ages, I would get a really great book lists (Five in a Row for picture books, Newberry winners, Sonlight lists, a mix) and enjoy them together. In other words, I would put the money into owning and making memories with more of the really fantastic books. SOTW was more engaging than Mystery of History when my kids were younger. I don't think you need to be in a hurry to start history though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryMak07 Posted September 25, 2015 Author Share Posted September 25, 2015 RightStart is scripted and gets you to prealgebra. Miquon is not and only goes through 3rd grade. Miquon is significantly cheaper. Many people use Miquon with the RightStart games. What are you planning on for reading and writing? I was thinking of either starting with 100 Easy Lessons or OPGTR and seeing how that goes. I've heard good things about AAR but have also heard that for some people one of those two choices gets them to a place where they don't need as big of a curriculum for those early years. I have also heard a lot of FLL but haven't researched that one yet and know nothing at all about it. I'm certainly open to suggestions and am happy to hear about others' experiences!! For handwriting we will start with HWOT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 We've used Sonlight since PreK, and now I'm 5th grade. A favorite here! Also, we've listened to Story of the World since they were that age as well. We've never done the activity books or narrations or whatever with it. Just put it on whenever we were in the car, which was a lot apparently since we've been through all four ages many times over. They learned a lot just listening. We've also done Singapore from the beginning as well. Our selections worked well for us, so I'm not familiar with the other curriculum you mentioned. I've heard of them, but never tried them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I was thinking of either starting with 100 Easy Lessons or OPGTR and seeing how that goes. I've heard good things about AAR but have also heard that for some people one of those two choices gets them to a place where they don't need as big of a curriculum for those early years. I have also heard a lot of FLL but haven't researched that one yet and know nothing at all about it. I'm certainly open to suggestions and am happy to hear about others' experiences!! For handwriting we will start with HWOT. I regret wasting time with 100EZ and wish I had just started with Reading Lessons Through Literature which is comparable to AAS. I forgot to mention that we loved Sonlight 3/4 and it's probably not below your child. We might do K this year just because we liked 3/4 so much. You can look at the booklist on the website and get the books from the library if you're interested. That's what we did and John kept asking to buy them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Tog has a newish primer out, which I haven't used, but thought I'd mention since you are talking about a kindergarten kid. Not that you need a history curriculum for kindy, but some people are more comfortable with a plan that lays out activities. I like right start and all about reading for that level of math and phonics. I think the sotw series with the activity guide is really well done and would be a good choice for a sociable kid, either starting in kindy or first grade (after a year overview or geography or whatever). If you are wanting any science, bfsu is very discussion/activity oriented. It would be right up his alley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AEC Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 Right Start, Miquon, and Singapore all kind of depend on how YOU are wired as a teacher. RightStart and Miquon are a little less structured/linear. Singapore is more structured. Both teach conceptual skills. I never could figure out Miquon, though I did use cuisenaire rods regularly to teach. I owned the RightStart games, which were great as a supplement. Singapore is my very favorite math program. I am an enthusiastic endorser of the Standards version, taught using the Home Instructor's Guide. just a note to say that, for math at least, it doesn't have to be a 'this' or 'that' choice. We did Miquon + lots of math games (Dino Math Tracks, the little plastic elephants, others) till the kids finished Miquon (~2nd grade, as I recall) then switched to Singapore starting w/ 2A and moving at whatever pace they could handle...worked great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 We used Sonlight for preschool and preK. Now in kindergarten, we're using a combo ... We decided to get started on history, so we're using TOG year 1 for history and Bible, with some geography since my daughter loves to look at the globe. Sometimes if I'm not certain about TOG's history books, I look at the supplemental reading in the SOTW activity guide and use one of them instead. For literature, I look at TOG's suggestions but they're often too advanced. I'm using some literature from TOG, a lot from Sonlight's Core A, and a few from other age appropriate booklists. We're only three weeks in, but it's going well so far. We do have SOTW, and I read the first chapter to my daughter since TOG didn't cover how we do history or archaeology. She liked it and understood it, but prefers the smaller, topic specific books. I'll use SOTW as a supplement whenever I feel like we need it this year, possibly reading it to her over next summer if she wants. It's much more work for me than for me daughter, even though it sounds like we're doing a lot. It's definitely a mash up of different complementary curricula, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 My Sociable Sue loved Right Start, and discussing books like Five in a Row or Sonlight. She liked doing some of the SOTW activities, but in retrospect, I wouldn't have done it with a 5 year old. We tried OPG and hated it, the best fit ended up being Dancing Bears with Reading Eggs for fun. I've heard great things about Reading Lessons Through Literature, but DD was too old for it when it was published. For a kindergartner, I wouldn't worry about FLL (or any other grammar or spelling until reading is pretty well solidified). I'd focus on reading, math, handwriting, good stories, science kits, and both gross and fine motor skills. Of the choices you listed, I'd go with Right Start and Sonlight, with RLTL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kateingr Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 I've written reviews and buying guides for Singapore and RightStart if you'd like my two cents on them. All three math programs you mention are terrific, so go with whatever feels like it will be most do-able and fun for you and your child. You can't really go wrong with any of them. Singapore Math Review RightStart Math Review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryMak07 Posted September 26, 2015 Author Share Posted September 26, 2015 Those were very helpful reviews! Thank you! I've written reviews and buying guides for Singapore and RightStart if you'd like my two cents on them. All three math programs you mention are terrific, so go with whatever feels like it will be most do-able and fun for you and your child. You can't really go wrong with any of them. Singapore Math Review RightStart Math Review 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted September 26, 2015 Share Posted September 26, 2015 My thoughts for a sociable Kindy-Cutie :wub: : Happy Phonics - It's a set of games to learn phonics & spelling. Most kids without any LD's will be able to learn to read quite well just by playing these games. Handwriting - HWOT is popular, but there are others. I like Peterson Directed Handwriting. I prefer a D'Nealian type font if not starting with cursive. Miquon Math - It's open ended enough to keep a playful feel to it, but it's very meaty and lays a solid foundation. I would include writing the numerals in handwriting lessons. I would be most concerned that he understand how the values of the rods relate in Kindy. Five in a Row - Exhaust the best picture books while he still is young enough to enjoy them! That is it! Do not add anything else to a kindergartener's school day. Play outside. For first grade: Keep playing Happy Phonics, and add on much more practice reading to mom through the Treadwell Readers. If he is not able to read the Primer after a year of playing Happy Phonics, then look into a more involved program. He'll have the phonograms down at least, so he'll zoom through at that point...but he'll likely be reading. Keep up the handwriting with 5min reviews in the morning of individual letters, and start copywork. Start with sentences about 3-4 words long, and work up gradually. Just pull sentences from the books he likes and poetry. Add Singapore to Miquon. Some kids really soar with Miquon, so you can't guess where he'll be at the start of first grade. It's likely he'll skip Singapore 1A and 1B at least. ime. Let Miquon introduce topics. Use Singapore to practice and review. First grade is the time to start history. I will put a plug in for SOTW with the AG. That is MORE than enough. It's meaty, fun, and truly all you need or want at this stage. Don't waste $$$ on TOG or the like. (Spend that $$$ on fun games like Muggins and Blokus.) Buy a nice Nature Journal for science. Utilize the library and cover everything that is living (aka biology). Find insects. Look them up. Draw them. What do they eat? Where do they live? etc... Read some Burgess Birds and/or Animals books. Those will inspire the nature study. Dig into longer and deeper literature. Read all of the books you loved as a child, and all of the ones you never got a chance to read. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryMak07 Posted September 27, 2015 Author Share Posted September 27, 2015 Great recommendation(s). We did Before Five in A Row and he absolutely loved it! So we've continued with Five in a Row and though he's not able to do everything he gets a ton out of it and asks for it. Thats all we do for "preschool" though and I like it being light (and want to continue that) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Great recommendation(s). We did Before Five in A Row and he absolutely loved it! So we've continued with Five in a Row and though he's not able to do everything he gets a ton out of it and asks for it. Thats all we do for "preschool" though and I like it being light (and want to continue that) Get all the mileage you can out of those. I know there are some other programs similar, and after rowing a few books you can likely teach quite a bit off the cuff. Kindergarten is the final year of "preschool." Don't be too anxious to get to the elementary years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abacus2 Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 If he loves to listen to books for hours, Sonlight will be an excellent fit. Consider Sonlight P4/5 instead of Core A for K. P4/5 is excellent and completely appropriate for Kindergarten. I looked at a Miquon book once and I was thoroughly confused, having no idea what to do with it. I used Singapore, which was ok, but I've used Math Mammoth for years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calihil Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Don't mean to add to your ist, but if you're child likes being read to, I suggest looking into Ambleside Online. It starts when your child is 6 or 7 (so about 1st grade) in Year 1. We just started Year 1 with my daughter and we are really loving it. We have the P3/4 and P4/5 books from Sonlight and IMO the Ambleside books are just better quality overall, though their book lists have many of the same books on them at times. (Notice everyone I said "IMO"... don't stone me lol) Anyways, just a suggestion. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommysanders Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I'm just getting started with homeschooling. But I'm planning to do TOG Primer (for Kindergarten level) next year. This year we already started Right Start and so far we love it. I have always liked the looks of Singapore and hope to switch to it later on. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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