lovinmyboys Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 I think it is officially happening that we will be in Germany for 3 months pretty soon. I have 4 kids- age 10, 8, 6, and 4. I'm trying to figure out what school things to bring. My main goal while we are there is to just experience a different country, but we need to continue a few things- especially reading for my younger 3. They read at about a 2nd, 1st, and K level. I don't think I will have room to pack a bunch of books. Maybe just bring OPGTR? Are there cheap options for beginning readers on kindle? Any other suggestions? I am willing to cut way back on school, but my 8yr old is a struggling reader and my 6 and 4yr olds are beginning readers so I don't really want to stop with them. Also, I am thinking of getting a cheap laptop so they can do some stuff online (Mathseeds, headsprout, etc). Any recommendations? It really just needs to be able to run the internet. We have iPads but some things just don't work right on them. Any other suggestions for other subjects? Or things we must do while we are there? Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 I'd just do English, maths and PE while you are there. Do history projects that relate to things that you can visit. Go on nature walks. Visit museums and art galleries. That's it. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freelylearned Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Word Mastery by Florence Akin is a phonics primer that is in the public domain here is a link to the PDF. Memoria Press prettied it up to use for their phonics curriculum. You could print up the pages that you think you will need or save it to your iPad. Reading Eggs is supposed to be a good online reading program for beginning readers, but I haven't used it. I think it is $10. Starfall would be good for your two younger kids. ABCya.com has tons of games for specific skills. For the older kids you can buy ebooks as you go. Xtramath.com is good for math fact practice. Our charter school purchased a subscription to STMath--which is a really good program, fun, and tablet friendly. It goes up to 6th grade and you could probably leave your math books at home. And of course, Duolingo for German! Seriously, if I were you, I'd do a little math, Duolingo, and reading in the morning then pack journals and drawing books and hit the streets! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmyboys Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 Yes, I am mostly planning to explore, but I know that my kids will get worn out if we don't have some "at home" days sprinkled in. I probably will just stick to reading, math, and German. Of course 3 of my kids are still in the reading really short books stage. I can't take stacks of books, but hopefully they will enjoy reading on the kindle. Does anyone know if I will be able to download the same books from amazon in Germany that I can download here in the US? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) Just so you know: Germany public libraries usually have some books in English, even for children. German kids start learning English in 3rd grade. As a visitor, you might not be eligible for a library card to check them out, but you can go to the library and read there. Edited January 25, 2017 by regentrude 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 Is Progressive Phonics still online? That is free and fun. I printed it but you should be able to use it on a tablet. It is a series of phonics readers that you might be able to match up with opgtr if you wanted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbes Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) The trips we've done have been more like 5 weeks than 12, but I've found that taking work along has worked very well for us. I've stuck to the 3Rs in planning travel school and then taken advantage of the travel experiences themselves to fill in everything else. This time, I have a 3rd grader and a 2nd grader. I estimated the number of "school days" I wanted to do on location and then made checklists of what I'd like to get done (mainly keeping in mind where we needed to be in relation to the end of our school year). I copied/pulled those pages for each of them and made them each slim binders of the work they have. We have long drives, so they can choose to do work then if they'd like to get it done. I'll be doing a pared down version of morning time, a lot of read alouds, and they will each have about one hour of work to do. I've planned about 4 days worth of work for each week. The rest of the time, we will play, explore, listen to audiobooks, swim... enjoy. This has worked very well for us and has kept us on track with minimal baggage to drag around. I would say that the more interesting/historical the location we were visiting, the less standard schoolwork I would do. Carpe diem! ETA - great apps have been Duolingo, Xtra Math, and Jungle Time/Money. Very useful for travelling. Also, I've used the phone camera-to-pdf function on Google drive for a bunch of things. I can take pictures of opgtr, etc, and use it as a PDF on the iPad. Slightly more work to get ready, but easy to travel with. A search for Kindle early readers yielded a bunch of free/cheap options. Edited January 25, 2017 by indigoellen@gmail.com 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Wow, I would do no school for three months and soak in Germany! There's way too much to see and do in only 3 months. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 I think it is officially happening that we will be in Germany for 3 months pretty soon. I have 4 kids- age 10, 8, 6, and 4. I'm trying to figure out what school things to bring. My main goal while we are there is to just experience a different country, but we need to continue a few things- especially reading for my younger 3. They read at about a 2nd, 1st, and K level. I don't think I will have room to pack a bunch of books. Maybe just bring OPGTR? Are there cheap options for beginning readers on kindle? Any other suggestions? I am willing to cut way back on school, but my 8yr old is a struggling reader and my 6 and 4yr olds are beginning readers so I don't really want to stop with them. Also, I am thinking of getting a cheap laptop so they can do some stuff online (Mathseeds, headsprout, etc). Any recommendations? It really just needs to be able to run the internet. We have iPads but some things just don't work right on them. Any other suggestions for other subjects? Or things we must do while we are there? Thanks! In your shoes (I have three that line up with yours --10,8, and 4), I would bring OPGTR (digitally), math, and a laptop with converter . If you have internet access that you can afford to access frequently, then I think you're good to go. There are a number of free online readers for beginners: wilbooks.com and a number of other places are available by googling. Likewise, a number of stories as read-alouds are available on youtube under the search term "story time online" or "reader's theaters". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YsgolYGair Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 We did this twice - once for three months in Belgium, and another time for nine months in France. I would take just the reading things, including some few books, if they are progressive readers. You can stretch out the books by reading slowly through them, for daily practice, or by reading each one twice. You could even use them for daily copywork and dictation, and then narration once they have finished a book. I would also take something for daily math practice. This could be worksheets printed off the internet, or you could just get some paper while you're there and make up your own daily practice pages. Don't forget that you can do the same for reading practice, for the children who are at a low enough level. Sentences and stories written by Mom will do just fine! For the older ones, like someone else mentioned - the library. We spent loads of time at libraries in France, and if they're anything like those, they'll be filled with great books, including some in English. There will be down time, so I totally understand wanting something to do, but if you are limited by your luggage, then I would either put some clothes back (you won't need as many as you think anyway), or put loads of read aloud on the Kindle. I would also take some few toys if you can manage - legos are great. To save room, have one of the kids make it into a solid cube, lol. Travel if you can! Not just Germany, but if you can make it, Belgium, France, Luxembourg (at least to say you've been, lol!), and the Netherlands. It's amazing how different each country is! Belgium has the best chocolate. Try Cote d'Or. They only sell it in Belgium. France, stick with the breads and bakery goods. Oh for a Paul's baguette and coffee! The Netherlands is the cleanest country you will ever visit in life, except maybe Singapore, but I wouldn't know because I've never been. Go to an Auchan grocery store in France, if for no other reason than the experience. It's like the size of a city. Finally, enjoy the coffee. I've drunk coffee in several European countries and the US. No one makes it like the Germans. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 (edited) Alpha Phonics is free in pdf. I adore this phonics and use it in both the best and worst of times. http://blumenfeld.campconstitution.net The Phonics for Success version is regular paperback size and what I use. I buy my copies from the seller Remnantman. https://www.amazon.com/Phonics-Success-Samuel-L-Blumenfeld/dp/1495144216 My little stack of must have books also include the Don Potter readers https://www.amazon.com/First-Readers-Anthology-Blumenfelds-Phonics/dp/1481169556/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1481169556&pd_rd_r=VMPF2JF8JH690AFQFJN7&pd_rd_w=uN8dQ&pd_rd_wg=Tzk63&psc=1&refRID=VMPF2JF8JH690AFQFJN7 Ruth Beechick 3Rs https://www.amazon.com/Three-Rs-Ruth-Beechick/dp/0880620749/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485700825&sr=1-1&keywords=ruth+beechick+three+r%27s Marvin Terban Checking Your Grammar https://www.amazon.com/Scholastic-Guide-Checking-Grammar-Guides/dp/0590494554/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485700919&sr=1-1&keywords=Terban+checking+grammar And when possible SWB's Complete Writer just the little TM https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Writer-Writing-Ease-Fundamentals-ebook/dp/B00VYA035C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485701618&sr=1-1&keywords=Complete+writer Edited January 29, 2017 by Hunter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 I would be tempted to just buy some of the supplemental math workbooks at a bookstore/grocery store and have part of maths be figuring out the German instructions! I know there are normally huge displays of workbooks for elementary/primary ages in many stores. I have bought the language ones but there must be math ones. I would put some good read alouds on the kindle, maybe all of the Wizard of Oz books just to be covered. Pack Ordinary Parents.....and go have an adventure! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Tech I cannot advise you much. I don't know much about Germany wifi or what will happen with your American accounts when viewed from a German ISP. Tech is lovely when it works and makes me cry when it doesn't. Downloaded eBooks on a card that are able to be viewed on most any device are the most reliable. I love my Yesterdays Classics books. Here in the USA, I love my Amazon Whispersync for Voice sets that read the Kindle books with professional audio. All I have for tech right now is a Kindle Fire, a Kindle Paperwhite 3G, and a Tracfone. I've been offline for a couple weeks except for public wifi, but have a one month pass for some slow but fairly steady connection at home on the Kindle Fire. I tend to live my life in constant chaos and minimalism. Some is my own fault, but not all of it. I made myself a booklist (it is in my signature) of books that are almost all available in both hardcopy and a variety of free formats. I organized those books as best I could into something that made sense to me when dealing with the harsh realities of living in chaos and minimalism. I had been studying some Latin before I ended out offline and had to quit. The total lifestyle living offline was a scramble that scrambled my brain. Books and lessons that were cumulative became more difficult and just not worth it. I went right back to looking at my Robinson/AO hybrid type booklist and spent a lot of time just reading. I only got back online yesterday and still feel scrambled. I looked at resuming my Latin and at least just not yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 When we were in the process of moving to the UK I bought journels for both kids made with paper similar to Draw Write Now books. Half a page was empty for a drawing and room on the bottom for a bit of an explanation. The books are a beautiful keepsake of our first few weeks here. I think I ordered them from Rainbow Resources but that was 10 years ago. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 There are a lot of debates about whether in GENERAL lots of time free writing and journaling is an acceptable alternative to intensive composition instruction. Man that previous sentence is a nightmare proving that all my time spent writing here is not a replacement for explicit instruction. :lol: I'm leaving unedited though. It says what I mean. Lots of writing online has made me better at getting people to understand what I mean. And has honed my writing voice. It hasn't been useless. When life is eventful, that is the perfect time to journal and write letters and all sorts of real writing that is not lessons in a book. Mumto2, those journals must be precious. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Mumto2, I'm typing on a Kindle Fire, too. I feel your pain. I laughed when I read your signature. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted January 29, 2017 Share Posted January 29, 2017 Might be a good time for read alouds or books like Famous Men of the Middle Ages which is available as a free download for Kindle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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