vaquitita Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) I'm thinking about what to do with my will-be-first-grade son in the fall. With my oldest two I'm going to try out beautiful feet next year (specifically CA history and history of science). I don't think my first grader will be interested in most of those, so I'm considering what to do with him instead. The two options I'm looking at are Bookshark (not sure whether to go with K or 1st) or BF American history primary (I'd have to figure out science to go with this one). I want something easy too use and that won't take too much time. Bookshark uses a lot of usborne books, which aren't my favorite, but ds likes them. The four day a week schedule, everything planned, and the science I'd have the option of just watching the discover and do DVD if a project didn't happen. Even the short science worksheets look like something my kid would like. OTOH, BF early American primary uses so many good books! Books I have and love. So, I guess I could say BF appeals to me, but I have a feeling DS might enjoy bookshark more. But he'd probably enjoy BF, right? ;) Eta: I would only be using bookshark history and science. We are happy with his current math and LA Edited January 19, 2017 by vaquitita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 I'm thinking about what to do with my will-be-first-grade son in the fall. With my oldest two I'm going to try out beautiful feet next year (specifically CA history and history of science). I don't think my first grader will be interested in most of those, so I'm considering what to do with him instead. The two options I'm looking at are Bookshark (not sure whether to go with K or 1st) or BF American history primary (I'd have to figure out science to go with this one). I want something easy too use and that won't take too much time. Bookshark uses a lot of usborne books, which aren't my favorite, but ds likes them. The four day a week schedule, everything planned, and the science I'd have the option of just watching the discover and do DVD if a project didn't happen. Even the short science worksheets look like something my kid would like. OTOH, BF early American primary uses so many good books! Books I have and love. So, I guess I could say BF appeals to me, but I have a feeling DS might enjoy bookshark more. But he'd probably enjoy BF, right? ;) Eta: I would only be using bookshark history and science. We are happy with his current math and LA Unless he's actually reading and writing, I wouldn't do Beautiful Feet Books. I think it's appropriate for little 5yo persons who are tagging along with an older sibling, but the assignments are not age-appropriate for 5yos, IMHO. I know that the author says it's "K through 3rd," but my 5yo children would not have been up to writing a one-page report on Lincoln's life, and I'm not sure I could have gotten them to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Unless he's actually reading and writing, I wouldn't do Beautiful Feet Books. I think it's appropriate for little 5yo persons who are tagging along with an older sibling, but the assignments are not age-appropriate for 5yos, IMHO. I know that the author says it's "K through 3rd," but my 5yo children would not have been up to writing a one-page report on Lincoln's life, and I'm not sure I could have gotten them to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution.He'll be just turning 7, and he can read and write some, but no he couldn't write a one page report on Lincoln. I was under the impression the early American primary was pictures to color and paste in a notebook with some Copy work. Hmm... Eta: I'm thinking now that I read a lot of D'Aulaire books to my oldest when he was 7 and while he enjoyed them, he enjoyed them a lot more a couple years later. So, maybe I'll have to leave off on that. Edited January 19, 2017 by vaquitita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 He'll be just turning 7, and he can read and write some, but no he couldn't write a one page report on Lincoln. I was under the impression the early American primary was pictures to color and paste in a notebook with some Copy work. Hmm... Eta: I'm thinking now that I read a lot of D'Aulaire books to my oldest when he was 7 and while he enjoyed them, he enjoyed them a lot more a couple years later. So, maybe I'll have to leave off on that. I was thrown off by your comment about choosing either K or 1 for Bookshark. Sorry! :laugh: There are samples on Beautiful Feet Books' web site. There are *some* pictures to color and paste, but that's not all. And there's a lot of reading, so either the child reads it or you read to him, which would be lots of reading aloud, and I don't know if all of those books make for good reading aloud, you know? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeriJ Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 As a regular BF user through the years, I can tell you that you won't have any problem using the primary set at that age. We love the books! It seems to get heavier on reading in the older guides, but the younger guides are totally doable. BF is one of our favorite programs for all ages. You can easily leave out a book or an assignment if there seems to be too much at some point. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Beautiful Feet is coming out with a brand new world geography/cultures guide for K-2 before the fall that might be something you are interested in. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cotafsh Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Since you will have older students to teach, I'd probably go with Bookshark since you will have all the resources you need for each subject. I would then supplement, as time allowed, with additional projects/books/curriculum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALB Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Well, I'm pretty biased towards BF and their book choices as well. I hear what you're saying about what appeals to him vs. what appeals to you, and in cases like these I tend to think that a steady diet of quality literature will shape and form their tastes for it later on. Not that you can't throw in the occasional high-interest Usborne book now and then for visual appeal and fact accumulation, but I'd rather have the bulk of our reading coming from D'Aulaires and other great authors. Btw, my kids have really enjoyed the BF books at that age. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 Well, I'm pretty biased towards BF and their book choices as well. I hear what you're saying about what appeals to him vs. what appeals to you, and in cases like these I tend to think that a steady diet of quality literature will shape and form their tastes for it later on. Not that you can't throw in the occasional high-interest Usborne book now and then for visual appeal and fact accumulation, but I'd rather have the bulk of our reading coming from D'Aulaires and other great authors. Btw, my kids have really enjoyed the BF books at that age. I'm leaning towards using book shark K next year and then BF American the following year when my older kids are doing SOTW 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted January 21, 2017 Author Share Posted January 21, 2017 Beautiful Feet is coming out with a brand new world geography/cultures guide for K-2 before the fall that might be something you are interested in. Wait. What? Where do I find out more? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted January 21, 2017 Share Posted January 21, 2017 Wait. What? Where do I find out more? They've been talking about it on their Facebook page. It was supposed to come out this spring, but it is now pushed back until summer or early fall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventuresinHomeschooling Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Bede's History of US is also a good, light American history for first grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Book shark / Sonlight fans here But I am the biggest fan of FIAR for K :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaquitita Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 I emailed BF books, and in case anyone else was interested, this is what they said: we do have a new study for roughly K-4 in the works. As of right now it looks like it might be a two-part study with each part being completed in a year. The first part which we hope to have available for this summer will be a world culture, geography, and history study which covers Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. This uses our brand-new publication Anno's China which we just released. This will be a great study for a 6yo and can be used either before or after our Early American primary study. 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.