essentials for K and 2nd

[gck21]

Our family is going to be living in the UK for a little over half the year (school year 2020-2021). I don't have a minimalist bone in my body, so it seems impossible to pare down our school essentials. I don't *want* to bring a suitcase full of stuff though. And I also want to free us (mostly me) up to do plenty of exploring without feeling like I am neglecting school, because I struggle with that. We will have access to the public library there. What would you take if you had half a year of essentials-only school?

This is what we are mainly using this year: 

Preschooler: A Year of Playing Skillfully, All about Reading (Pre-Reading), HWT preschool level, and math activities from AYoPS, Kate Snow's Preschool Math, and some of Right Start A. She likes workbooks so we do the Developing the Early Learner series when she wants to. She is still young and of course I don't want to pigeonhole, but things have not come easily for her. Reading may be a challenge. AAR has been a good fit for her (we just switched to that a couple weeks ago), so if we were here, I'd probably get the next level of AAR for kindergarten...but it certainly isn't a slimmed down curriculum! I also think Right Start A would be great for her next year, but I am concerned about the number/size of the manipulatives. 

1st grader: Right Start B, handwriting (he has a variety of options, but does something every day), All about Spelling, and some 1st grade grammar book I found off amazon. We have a special read aloud that we do together, so I can hear him read. He's a strong reader, so this is mostly just fun for us to do together. I like Right Start and would continue with C for next year, but I think he would also be okay switching math programs. Right Start is not a perfect fit for him, as he finds it frustratingly slow at times, but I really like the results. He thinks more mathematically than I did (as a kid who did Saxon math and did fine and yet doesn't really get math).

We also read Story of the World 2  for history, and we do a lot of the extras in the activity book. We are with Classical Conversations this year, and I do review their timeline song and geography at home (nothing else though). We use Elemental Science's Intro to Science together, although my first grader does independent reading/narration on the weekly topic. It is a preschool curriculum. I think it is sufficient though, since we do nature study too and we have a subscription to Mystery Science and various science boxes that the kids really like.. Anyway,  I would do SotW3 next year and Elemental Science's Biology, but I don't know how either would do without the supplemental projects and experiments. Especially as SotW's text is somewhat over the preschooler's head and Elemental Science's text is way too little for the first grader.

Thanks for the help!

 

 

[8filltheheart]

FiAR and math and use the library. Assign copywork from reading. That's pretty much it.

[Emily ZL]

I would bring only two workbooks for each kid: a handwriting book and a math book. (We use Essentials for K and math mammoth after, which you could print in advance or as needed.) That's it. And maybe a children's Bible.

The library will have easy readers for phonics, science and history books, and excellent read alouds. If you're only going to be gone for a semester, just focus on the basics of writing and math and reading good books, and spend the rest of the time exploring! Actually, nevermind, I forgot you'll be abroad! Just explore that culture!! You could take the whole semester off honestly and still be fine at that age. It's easier to teach a 6 or 7 year old to read than a 4 or 5 year old anyway.

[8filltheheart]

Yep! That, too. 🙂

[countrymum]

I really like and use RightStart math and AAR. I have taught 2 to read with AAR so far. This year we are finishing up RightStart B and D. I am a fan of finding what works for you the teacher and sticking with it all the way up for everybody. You get good at teaching it and learn the stregnths and weaknesses of the program. Sometimes I skip or condense lessons or spread one out a few days. I also often write out a quick drill rather than play a game ( a toddler and baby need me too). Use your space for the basics that build and have the potential to leave holes.

With that in mind, I would take RightStart with any manipulatives you need for about 1/2 the lessons in each book. With a bit of creativity, you probably only need the abacus, those cardboard base 10 cards and abacus tiles, place value cards, and pattern squares (perhaps the drawing tools depending on where you are in c). I'd skip, wait on, or teach another way any lessons requiring the math balance. That with the books won't take too much space and math continuity is important. 

Take the next level of All About reading (3 books).

That with paper and pencils is all you need. Do copywork and 2nd grade reading practice from library books. Study British culture for history/ social studies using real places and books. Read library books for science.

If your worried about 2nd grade science bring 1 traditional textbook (Bob Jones, old public school text....) and have the child read it to you for science and reading practice.

[BusyMom5]

I would bring a math workbook and a handwriting workbook.  Everything else can just be reading from the library and field trips!  Even if you plan to go back to RS math, for now just get a workbook series that's easy enough you dont need a teachers manual.  

 

If this were me, I'd be very tempted to go all one temporarily and buy Readinv Eggs and Math Seeds or something similar and spend those 6 months really sight seeing!

[Ellie]

I wouldn't take a thing except a little something simple for phonics for your younger dc--maybe Explode the Code--and that's about it. You're only going to be there for six months, yes? Oh, so many field trips, getting to know the neighbors, maybe writing letters home to friends and family members (penmanship "practice" with a purpose), keeping scrap books, learn the local currency and measurements (grocery shopping, cooking/baking/sewing).

[ieta_cassiopeia]

@gck21 I hope you and your family have a fantastic time in the UK!

If it helps with the desire to bring absolutely everything, shops that sell books often have little workbook-style things for maths, reading and the occasional other subject. While these wouldn't work as a full curriculum, they can be educational souvenirs that could keep the 1st grader, in particular, occupied on a wet Wednesday afternoon. (Meatier education books also exist, often in the same places, but most of these will be heavier than your children will need at this stage of their educations). They're usually grouped by age or Key Stage rather than grade (you'll want Key Stage 1 or KS1, for all the children in your post, if the shop you are in uses the latter method).

If you're in the UK that long, definitely use the library to supplement whatever you choose to bring.

For a minimalist school, I'd bring:

- something for phonics

- something for a maths spine

- something for any instruments your children are currently learning and will bring with them (the UK has plenty such books, but they're not always the easiest to locate)

Everything else you can work around, either with library books/bookshops or using experiences (such as playing in the park for physical education). Though Story of the World 3 is easy to bring and the preschooler is likely to understand more of it as time progresses, and books on American history in the UK are likely to have a different perspective (which might be interesting to mention, but the explanation may not "stick" at this age).

[8filltheheart]

12 hours ago, gck21 said:

. I don't have a minimalist bone in my body, so it seems impossible to pare down our school essentials.

 And I also want to free us (mostly me) up to do plenty of exploring without feeling like I am neglecting school, because I struggle with that.

 

I am going to focus on these 2 pts bc they are the ones you say you struggle with.

I want to encourage you to run away from the modern mindset that somehow traditional sitting-with-books academics is the best way for children to learn. Or that Kers and 2nd graders even need a long list of academic seatwork. There is absolutely nothing in primary science or history books that is going to make a single long-term difference in your children's educations.

You will be in a place where they can see "history" differently, see different geographic features and fauna. Use the time to explore, ask questions, help them observe the differences they see.  Get library books about things they want to know more about. Let them draw pictures of what they see and create their own special memory books they can keep forever. Make the memory books a family project that is the focus of your "school." (Writing a sentence or 2 under a picture they have drawn is plenty and yrs from now they will look back and treasure the trip and book.)

For perspective, I have been homeschooling for 26 yrs and our 6th child is about to graduate. I have never done preschool with my kids. They only do phonics, handwriting, and math in K-2. (And 1 of my kids didnt even do k. We were living in Brazil. I just waited and started 1st grade.) Science and history don't even get added until 3rd. They have never filled in a workbook or activity sheet. We dont do formal experiments before high school science. And they all graduate top academic students and go on to be stellar college kids.

So, deep breath. 1 semester of walking away from a stack of workbooks and textbooks is not going to impact their educations negatively. You might find that they even learn more. 🙂

[gck21]

12 hours ago, 8FillTheHeart said:

Good reminder! Thank you!