Homeschool Resource Opinions?

[Time4Skool]

I am new to this forum and looking into homeschooling resources due to the COVID-19 quarantine. I wanted to know what tools or programs would make sense for 1st-3rd grades. I'm looking for basic core curricula to start. I have a couple of programs I'm looking into at the moment, but would appreciate any advice.

[Rosie_0801]

Welcome to the forum. 🙂

You might need to narrow down your questions, because you'll get overwhelmed quickly if we all gave you advice. 😄
And pretty much every tool or program out there has lovers and haters. 

Start with reading and maths. Worry about everything else once you have those two under control.
Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. A program you can and will teach is of more value than the one you think you ought to love and don't.
 

[Time4Skool]

Just now, Rosie_0801 said:

Welcome to the forum. 🙂

You might need to narrow down your questions, because you'll get overwhelmed quickly if we all gave you advice. 😄
And pretty much every tool or program out there has lovers and haters. 

Start with reading and maths. Worry about everything else once you have those two under control.
Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. A program you can and will teach is of more value than the one you think you ought to love and don't.
 

Thanks for the advice! I am completely new to this process so I'm basically trying to get ahead of this thing. I'm currently looking into programs that have different subjects available and are easy to use for children. I recently mentioned in another post that I'm currently looking into a site, Beestar. According to my cousin, the system is user friendly and has a bunch of different options to keep her kids engaged. I'm sure I'll have to be more hands on, but if there's a system that can guide me through, that's a huge help. 

[Rosie_0801]

I've just had a quick look at that site and they're claiming 20mins a week is enough to master school content. They must be some pretty terrible schools they are comparing themselves to. 😅

Have a look at MEP maths or google CSMP Materials. Or use both. They are both scripted programs, so easy to use, and of much better quality than Beestar. If neither of them appeal to you, (CSMP is quirky, so start reading at the K level,) we can recommend any number of other programs. 

One really important thing to learn is that testing does not equal teaching. So much of what is presented as education is basically testing kids until they figure out the pattern. Then, because they don't understand what they're doing, they can't use the skill in any other context and forget. Worksheet generators can be useful for practice, but they aren't teaching.

[Time4Skool]

48 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I've just had a quick look at that site and they're claiming 20mins a week is enough to master school content. They must be some pretty terrible schools they are comparing themselves to. 😅

Have a look at MEP maths or google CSMP Materials. Or use both. They are both scripted programs, so easy to use, and of much better quality than Beestar. If neither of them appeal to you, (CSMP is quirky, so start reading at the K level,) we can recommend any number of other programs. 

One really important thing to learn is that testing does not equal teaching. So much of what is presented as education is basically testing kids until they figure out the pattern. Then, because they don't understand what they're doing, they can't use the skill in any other context and forget. Worksheet generators can be useful for practice, but they aren't teaching.

Great, I'll take a look into these too! Also do you recommend sticking with one particular resource? Or does make sense to possibly use a couple at once?

[Rosie_0801]

35 minutes ago, Time4Skool said:

Great, I'll take a look into these too! Also do you recommend sticking with one particular resource? Or does make sense to possibly use a couple at once?

 

It all depends on your circumstances. I don't know anything about you, your children or your goals. Most people use one maths curriculum. Some use one as a spine and other resources here and there to supplement for extra practice, because they think their spine has a weakness, to be sure the kids are learning the concept instead of the formula, just for kicks because it's their idea of fun, because they've hit a wall with one but don't want to stop entirely, kwim? As I said, it depends on your goals and the tolerance you and your small people have. No one can work all day, after all.

Unless your kids have maths disabilities, any reputable program you follow will do a decent job. 

[kiwik]

Every time a new person comes here and mentions Beestar it is a stunt.  I apologise if you are an exception but every now and then someone signs up sings the praises if it and disappears.  Between them you never hear of it because people here don't use it.

[2_girls_mommy]

Yes, I could tell you what I use for my ker using a 1st grade curriculum, and I do use mostly from one publisher in that grade level. But then I pull in from other publishers that I like for their expertise in another subject. So if you are saying you want curriculum from all in one place, we can give you that. But it won't be online from here. The Well Trained Mind is a very traditional, classical style of education, and doesn't encourage a lot of screens (nor multiple choice which a lot of those programs use, mirroring testing, but not actually teaching.) 

So for an all in one type of program someone here might use you can look at Memoria Press. They have full, classical curriculum packages for each grade.  That will give you an idea of what a lot of us put together into our own homeschooling programs. Rarely does anyone actually use a whole fully put together package like that, because there are so many variables. 

In first grade, I almost use a full Rod and Staff curriculum. By 2nd grade I peal some of their materials out to put in things I like better, and by third I am only using the R&S math, English, and spelling (if it works. The spelling didn't work for my dyslexic child.) and use other materials from other publishers, mostly from Well Trained Mind suggestions for the rest. 

Or you can read The Well Trained Mind for an idea of how to put together a curriculum yourself. It is really hard to want to purchase a whole curriculum for just a few weeks to finish a year. You would be better to work on reading, math, some fun experiments, etc. for now, while looking at curriculum and reading books on homeschooling to set up a full program for next year. 

If you are just finishing up this year, have you looked at the Scholastic Remote Learning activities for science topics? If you did math daily and the remote learning, plus the active ideas, did some reading to your kids and had them reading daily, you could easily finish up this year, while researching and planning for next.

 

[Time4Skool]

On 4/18/2020 at 4:00 AM, kiwik said:

Every time a new person comes here and mentions Beestar it is a stunt.  I apologise if you are an exception but every now and then someone signs up sings the praises if it and disappears.  Between them you never hear of it because people here don't use it.

Oh no, I am just throwing a lot of questions out there based on what I've found or been told to look into. At the time it was all Greek to me, (and truthfully I'm still getting used to it all). The MEP math suggestion that Rosie made was a great one though!

[Time4Skool]

On 4/21/2020 at 9:28 PM, 2_girls_mommy said:

Yes, I could tell you what I use for my ker using a 1st grade curriculum, and I do use mostly from one publisher in that grade level. But then I pull in from other publishers that I like for their expertise in another subject. So if you are saying you want curriculum from all in one place, we can give you that. But it won't be online from here. The Well Trained Mind is a very traditional, classical style of education, and doesn't encourage a lot of screens (nor multiple choice which a lot of those programs use, mirroring testing, but not actually teaching.) 

So for an all in one type of program someone here might use you can look at Memoria Press. They have full, classical curriculum packages for each grade.  That will give you an idea of what a lot of us put together into our own homeschooling programs. Rarely does anyone actually use a whole fully put together package like that, because there are so many variables. 

In first grade, I almost use a full Rod and Staff curriculum. By 2nd grade I peal some of their materials out to put in things I like better, and by third I am only using the R&S math, English, and spelling (if it works. The spelling didn't work for my dyslexic child.) and use other materials from other publishers, mostly from Well Trained Mind suggestions for the rest. 

Or you can read The Well Trained Mind for an idea of how to put together a curriculum yourself. It is really hard to want to purchase a whole curriculum for just a few weeks to finish a year. You would be better to work on reading, math, some fun experiments, etc. for now, while looking at curriculum and reading books on homeschooling to set up a full program for next year. 

If you are just finishing up this year, have you looked at the Scholastic Remote Learning activities for science topics? If you did math daily and the remote learning, plus the active ideas, did some reading to your kids and had them reading daily, you could easily finish up this year, while researching and planning for next.

 

This is very helpful thank you! I'll take a look tino the Scholastic Remote Learning activities that you mentioned!

[....]

Are you looking into long-term actual homeschooling....or just stuff until school starts back up.  That would help to know, so you could get more responses.

[Time4Skool]

Well that's the real question. I'm currently looking into both, since we're not exactly sure what the school year will look like quite yet in the fall. I think looking into long term options might make the most sense.