May K-2 Monthly Chat

[BusyMom5]

Hello and welcome to the monthly chat for moms with younger elementary kids 😊  Please join in- tell us what you are doing, what is working,  what isn't working.  Tell us what programs you are using or looking at!  This is the place to chat about curriculum!  

 

[BusyMom5]

May is a busy month in my house, and this year it's busier than usual.  I told my big kids school is out for the summer, but my little one still wants to do school, so I'll try to do a few lessons here and there when I can. 

My goal is to pick all our school stuff for next year and order it by June 1, then I'll take a month to organize it all and be ready to start in July.  My kids will be 1st, 7th, and twin 10th graders.  Picking for the 1st grader is so much fun!  

[Brittany1116]

First grader is enjoying LOF. I found the first 10 books in new condition, sold as a lot for $15. He loves them and is in Butterflies now. He doesn't consider it math. 😉 He is almost finished with CLE math 203. We will continue LOF and CLE all summer, working less frequently. We will also continue reading all summer. Our new year will begin week 2 of August. 

[alysee]

I bought & sold Abeka Phonics. She's struggling so we stopped all phonics. We will pick it up over the summer with All About Reading which I bought on a whim while nursing my baby. We shall see. 

The past two years I've become a curriculum hopper even with the big kids. Before that my kids did the exact same things for years 🤷‍♀️. I think it's because this kid feels so different from my first 4 and also my older kids are getting towards middle school/high school. 

Trying to think about spelling for the future because that's how my brain works. 

 

[caffeineandbooks]

It's been a pretty light year for my first grader (youngest child) with just a picture book co op, Writing With Ease, reading practice and Singapore.  It always amazes me how much foundational stuff is laid in first grade, and how their brains keep processing and applying what they learn in "school time" when they're off playing.  I've not been nearly as faithful to carve out time every day as I was with the older two, and yet she is learning so much.  Perhaps I took too much of the credit for her brothers' achievements 😉

The co op was a highlight this year.  We completed a version of the Jot It Down fairytales project with half a dozen friends, with plenty of unstructured time afterwards for the kids to play and the mums to chat.  I like the look of Around the World with Picture Books from Beautiful Feet Books for next year, with the same group of friends.  I'm hoping it will continue the light, fun vibe but also stand her in good stead for her first loop of SOTW beginning in 3rd.  Has anyone used it?  Tips, feedback or cautions to share?

I'm now 3 for 3 in leaving it too late to teach kids proper letter formation.  All of them have done more writing on their own than in WWE and have invented their own, highly inefficient ways of forming letters.  I expect to spend the next couple of years trying to replace the bad habits...

[Clarita]

I'm getting so excited for DD (almost 5).  She just started sounded out words and I'm just so excited to start reading. We started breaking up our history lessons with Around the World with Picture Books from Beautiful Feet. We are loving it in our own way. My DS6 covered his map of Japan with ninjas, Gundam, and Godzilla. DD4 covered her map with all the Sashimi. No one was interested in the Red-Crowned Crane. (As an aside I'm not super happy that in the Thailand section Vietnamese immigration is covered...)

6 hours ago, caffeineandbooks said:

I'm now 3 for 3 in leaving it too late to teach kids proper letter formation.  All of them have done more writing on their own than in WWE and have invented their own, highly inefficient ways of forming letters.  I expect to spend the next couple of years trying to replace the bad habits...

I'm not totally clear on exactly how this doesn't happen. I keep reading don't let them get into bad habits, but also be encouraging about their writing don't criticize too much. I'm at a loss both of my kids also have letters that they are not forming in the proper way. I concentrate really hard to model the "right" way of forming letters. I don't know how to do this forming proper letters from the beginning thing either. 

[alysee]

For us I insist if you want to write you have to do it properly. If you dont want to or can't you aren't ready. I will usually buy the preschool HWT book at that point and encourage them. Once my kids have mastered with 90% accuracy of letters, I also get them their own pencil case with writing and coloring supplies and that also works as a good incentive. 

My oldest has beautiful Writing, my second does not because she wants to write fast. My twins have nice writing too. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by alysee

[rebcoola]

11 hours ago, Clarita said:

 

I'm not totally clear on exactly how this doesn't happen. I keep reading don't let them get into bad habits, but also be encouraging about their writing don't criticize too much. I'm at a loss both of my kids also have letters that they are not forming in the proper way. I concentrate really hard to model the "right" way of forming letters. I don't know how to do this forming proper letters from the beginning thing either. 

My middle learned to draw letters long before I tried to teach them. Rather than fight bad habits. I just taught them cursive in first grade.  I'm not sure if they form all letters correctly when they print but they don't really do print everything is typed or script.

[Ting Tang]

K-K didn't quite go as I initially hoped.  We started with Abeka but switched to Little Seedlings Press. He now knows all his short vowels and consonant sounds as well as a few sight words.  But I do wish he was further along with reading. It is just going much slower than it did with my daughter.  

2nd- we used mostly Memoria Press, except for Latin, and we enjoyed it.  We finished everything except spelling early.  We are now looking closer at the MCT Poodle Books.  She used Singapore Dimensions for math. I like the curriculum, but it does require more of me since I am not trained in this method.  Not sure we will stick with it or not.

[Tanager]

Our issue is that I let his pencil grip slide as he holds it as i do when I’m drawing (there are lots of art pencil grips... the grip he’s using gives better control to detail), but i now wish i fixed it early on. I’m constantly saying - pencil grip, i need a code word like “penguin” (maybe any animal that starts with P) just so i can say something else and make it more fun! He’s trying as he doesn’t want to use the finger grip support.

[Nichola]

3 hours ago, Ting Tang said: She used Singapore Dimensions for math. I like the curriculum, but it does require more of me since I am not trained in this method.  Not sure we will stick with it or not.

Have you looked at Primary Mathematics 2022? It’s a newer Singapore curriculum. I think it’s easier to teach than Dimensions is.

[Clarita]

5 hours ago, Ting Tang said:

She used Singapore Dimensions for math. I like the curriculum, but it does require more of me since I am not trained in this method.  Not sure we will stick with it or not.

FWIW I tried to use Dimensions for Pre-K and found it very hard to use too. I got Singapore Standards to use for level 1A and Singapore Earlybird Kindergarten and found those to be easier to use. For me it was like Dimension had too much help (which in reality just means a lot for me to read to figure out oh we are just counting or making tens) and also too many hands-on activities for me to read through.

[Clarita]

3 hours ago, Tanager said:

I’m constantly saying - pencil grip, i need a code word like “penguin” (maybe any animal that starts with P) just so i can say something else and make it more fun!

We say "Make your pencil face!" here. I think it was the thumb and the index finger make the eyes.  None of us remember what that phrase actually refers to anymore just that it sort of means get in writing position. The other thing that helped my kids get a good pencil grip is to use the tiny chalk pieces from HWOT and the tiny sponge cubes. There is no way to hold those except with the correct grasp. 

[philomama]

18 hours ago, Clarita said:

I'm not totally clear on exactly how this doesn't happen. I keep reading don't let them get into bad habits, but also be encouraging about their writing don't criticize too much. I'm at a loss both of my kids also have letters that they are not forming in the proper way. I concentrate really hard to model the "right" way of forming letters. I don't know how to do this forming proper letters from the beginning thing either. 

Before DS started really writing, I used this app (with stylus) to reinforce proper letter formation. It was great, because they first see a hand write the letter correctly, then it indicates the order and start/end points to make sure they write it properly. You can also customize it a lot to gradually progress to writing letters independently. Much easier than constant reminders, and by the time we transitioned to writing on paper, the habits were ingrained.

[KSera]

19 hours ago, alysee said:

For us I insist if you want to write you have to do it properly. If you dont want to or can't you aren't ready.

How do you stop them? 🤔 I've had several, including my current K'er who just love to write. I would have to hide all the paper and writing implements.

Our K year has been super light and casual, but that's pretty much how we do K around here. DS is a great reader, and we're working on Logic of English Foundations B now for the sake of spelling, because that is still pretty highly creative. He reads pretty much whatever, but he makes some errors on longer words by not paying attention to the whole word and saying a word that has similar letters, so that's something we're working on. We've been working intermittently through MWC K, which he enjoys, but I feel like the pace is very slow. I'm not sure what we're going to move onto next year. We won't stick with MWC. I typically use Math Mammoth for elementary, but he seems so little for that somehow.

[alysee]

4 hours ago, KSera said:

How do you stop them? 🤔 I've had several, including my current K'er who just love to write. I would have to hide all the paper and writing implements.

 

My kids havent had that much access except for the older kids writing things. I just tell the other kids and they are very encouraging to the younger kid to do it right. 

[Ting Tang]

@clarita @Nichola   I scoured through all the samples of the various Singapore maths and settled on Dimensions.  I did buy Standards for my 5th grader, but the teacher book didn't have any scripting whatsoever, so we abandoned it.  😞  

[Nm.]

@KSerahow come you won’t stick with MWC?  Curious.  I bought level 2 for my 1st grader next year and am having regrets.  I prefer math mammoth I think.

[BusyMom5]

16 minutes ago, Nm. said:

@KSerahow come you won’t stick with MWC?  Curious.  I bought level 2 for my 1st grader next year and am having regrets.  I prefer math mammoth I think.

Not KSera, but I also bought MWC K and was not a fan.  The only thing I liked about the workbook was tracing numbers at the top.  My DD wants to do more worksheets and more problems.   We liked the new Singapore Mathematics 2022 series much more.  I'm going to use Saxon Math 1 for next year to start, then the Singapore Math for review.  With my older kids I had time to do Saxon and MM or MiF.  

As for handwriting, some of my kids have really struggled.  I agree with not forcing it until they are ready, which for mine has been between 5.5 and 6.  My current little one just finished HWT lowercase book.  Next year she will be doing Moffat Girls Spelling 1st Grade and McRuffy Handwriting K. When we do handwriting time, I will correct form.  When we are doing other subjects, I'll probably just let it go.  

 

[KSera]

1 hour ago, Nm. said:

@KSerahow come you won’t stick with MWC?  Curious.  I bought level 2 for my 1st grader next year and am having regrets.  I prefer math mammoth I think.

My K’er loves workbook pages, and MWC relies primarily on the teacher book activities with the workbook just a brief supplement at the end of a lesson. We were moving very slow when we were doing all the parts of the program. I’ve never done well with programs that have lots of parts and different materials you need each day. Now, dc is instead doing 3-5 workbook pages a day, and that’s going much better. I expect to need manipulatives at this age, I just prefer if that is kept very simple. I don’t want to gather and use different things each day. I always liked Math Mammoth over Singapore because of having everything in one book instead of two (does Singapore still use two?). 

[LauraClark]

21 hours ago, Clarita said:

None of us remember what that phrase actually refers to anymore

I love things like that.

 

We are winding down our year-aka I'm feeling burned out. Ds6 is barely getting any time with me. We are maybe doing reading every day. 

On the flip side, I've ordered most of our stuff for next year and I'm looking forward to that (after a much needed break, of course). I'm planning on doing more of a family type geography, leveling up for the two older boys. Ds6 still doesn't know how continents, but I think as we do our geography next year he will pick it up. Ds6 finished his Frog and Toad book today-he read almost the whole thing by himself with only a little help from me. I'm trying to decide what to read next. Right around this age I really challenged his brothers with something like Paddle to the Sea where I had to help with just about every word. I might do that book next-it will definitely be a challenge, but will be a fun read too.

[BusyMom5]

7 hours ago, KSera said:

My K’er loves workbook pages, and MWC relies primarily on the teacher book activities with the workbook just a brief supplement at the end of a lesson. We were moving very slow when we were doing all the parts of the program. I’ve never done well with programs that have lots of parts and different materials you need each day. Now, dc is instead doing 3-5 workbook pages a day, and that’s going much better. I expect to need manipulatives at this age, I just prefer if that is kept very simple. I don’t want to gather and use different things each day. I always liked Math Mammoth over Singapore because of having everything in one book instead of two (does Singapore still use two?). 

The new Singapore just has a workbook Book A and Book B for the student.   

[KSera]

13 minutes ago, BusyMom5 said:

The new Singapore just has a workbook Book A and Book B for the student.   

I will have to take a look then. Math Mammoth is great teaching, but for first grade it seems like a little more visually appealing pages are nice. 

eta: oh, this looks perfect! I’m glad I checked this thread!

Edited May 6, 2023 by KSera

[Green Bean]

On 5/5/2023 at 1:10 PM, Ting Tang said:

K-K didn't quite go as I initially hoped.  We started with Abeka but switched to Little Seedlings Press. He now knows all his short vowels and consonant sounds as well as a few sight words.  But I do wish he was further along with reading. It is just going much slower than it did with my daughter.  

2nd- we used mostly Memoria Press, except for Latin, and we enjoyed it.  We finished everything except spelling early.  We are now looking closer at the MCT Poodle Books.  She used Singapore Dimensions for math. I like the curriculum, but it does require more of me since I am not trained in this method.  Not sure we will stick with it or not.

 

On 5/5/2023 at 6:25 PM, Clarita said:

FWIW I tried to use Dimensions for Pre-K and found it very hard to use too. I got Singapore Standards to use for level 1A and Singapore Earlybird Kindergarten and found those to be easier to use. For me it was like Dimension had too much help (which in reality just means a lot for me to read to figure out oh we are just counting or making tens) and also too many hands-on activities for me to read through.

 

12 hours ago, Ting Tang said:

@clarita @Nichola   I scoured through all the samples of the various Singapore maths and settled on Dimensions.  I did buy Standards for my 5th grader, but the teacher book didn't have any scripting whatsoever, so we abandoned it.  😞  

The videos start in 1A, which is what I used for DS-6 this year. No WAY was I going to attempt teaching this!

For the younger grades, just save yourself and buy Singapore Essentials. Book A is like prek and book B is more Kinder level. $12  each and easy to do with directions on each page. Works great!

 

[Green Bean]

As I said above, Singapore Dimensions is fantastic with the videos. Little Man will finish 1A that we started in late January on Monday!🙂

Being #6, he benefits from all my experiences with the older 5. I've tossed in R&S duck families for facts, FLL jingles, and other things as he has been ready to learn. The plus side is we haven't run into much yet that I haven't already taught him in other ways. The down side is we haven't run into much that I haven't already taught him in other ways. I know that will even out as time goes on, though.

Edited May 31, 2023 by Green Bean

[Ting Tang]

33 minutes ago, Green Bean said:

 

 

The videos start in 1A, which is what I used for DS-6 this year. No WAY was I going to attempt teaching this!

For the younger grades, just save yourself and buy Singapore Essentials. Book A is like prek and book B is more Kinder level. $12  each and easy to do with directions on each page. Works great!

 

Did you watch with your child? I want to outsource a few things. Math might be the cheapest to outsource/free me up!

[Tanager]

On 5/5/2023 at 4:33 PM, Clarita said:

"Make your pencil face!"

Cute! Love it. 😂

[Green Bean]

19 hours ago, Ting Tang said:

Did you watch with your child? I want to outsource a few things. Math might be the cheapest to outsource/free me up!

Absolutely! The vids are short. We use a sheet protector and ultra fine dry erase pens over the textbook pages. Especially when they are young, they need Mom sitting right there.

[Momof4sweetkids]

On 5/4/2023 at 10:17 PM, Clarita said:

 

I'm not totally clear on exactly how this doesn't happen. I keep reading don't let them get into bad habits, but also be encouraging about their writing don't criticize too much. I'm at a loss both of my kids also have letters that they are not forming in the proper way. I concentrate really hard to model the "right" way of forming letters. I don't know how to do this forming proper letters from the beginning thing either. 

If it makes you feel better, I never knew I formed my letters incorrectly until I started homeschooling my DD. It's never affected me. I'm trying to work on it with DD but not stressing.

[Momof4sweetkids]

We just wrapped up Awana, BSF and co-op for the year so we will probably do more school out of boredom.

I think we are both a little burnt out on AAR 4. I haven't used the green cards at all  But she could use the practice on longer words. She knows how, just would rather guess a similar word and be done. She is just a few books away from finishing the Rainbow Magic series so I got her into the Sophie Mouse series. The Wild Robot is a fun audiobook we just started!

With Math Mammoth 1, I am nervous to let her skip stuff but it does feel like so many of the same problems. She just does 1 page and then we play a Facts That Stick game.

[LauraClark]

On 5/4/2023 at 9:07 AM, Brittany1116 said:

I found the first 10 books in new condition, sold as a lot for $15.

Wow is that a deal!!!! I just bought the first 10 for $100. We had read through Apples years ago and my kids enjoyed it. I thought we might start reading a chapter or so a week-maybe on Fridays- and then daily at the end of the year when they are done with math.

[Brittany1116]

3 hours ago, LauraClark said:

Wow is that a deal!!!! I just bought the first 10 for $100. We had read through Apples years ago and my kids enjoyed it. I thought we might start reading a chapter or so a week-maybe on Fridays- and then daily at the end of the year when they are done with math.

I was SHOCKED. I wasn't in the market for it, but had to buy at that price. 

[Clarita]

I got some books for next year for DD almost 5 (AAR 1, Singapore Math, and HWOT). She is so excited. She wanted to Do. It. All. Right. Now. 

[BusyMom5]

I know I've talked in this group about kids being ready to write, and how my little one hasn't been quite ready yet.   This weekend she found some sets of tracing mix and match pictures- where you trace a head, a shirt, a skirt, legs, hands,  and end up with a fairy.  I told her she probably wasn't ready to do it, but she insisted on trying.  I'm happy to say she figured it out and spent about 3 hours tracing different fairies!  Her fine motor skills for writing have improved a lot!  She will be ready for copy work and Spelling next school year (plan to start in July).  

She is kid #6 and I have found that somewhere between 5.5 and 6 my kids suddenly are more capable of writing.  Its one reason I don't push writing in Kindergarten.  All we have done so far is HWT Kindergarten- the uppercase and lowercase books.  

[Tanager]

My daughter loved those, she had a fashion design one! If only they made a Dino one for my little guy... 

[keirin]

May here with a PreK and 2nd grader:

PreK: My newly turned 5 year old daughter is finally starting to be cooperative for "school" in the morning. I'm still working through letter review with the Moffat Girls 7 week alphabet curriculum. I just ordered Dash into Learning's Set 1 and 2 with activity pages in the hopes of beginning learning to read soon. I don't really need another phonics program, but the illustrations intrigued me. They look like they would appeal to my daughter....then again, I thought TGaTB's preK would appeal and it did not, so who knows?

For math, I backed off on Math with Confidence K and just started practicing subitizing 1-10. However, I tried one of the Wisdom Wonder Project's Singapore math video lessons from the Kindergarten series with her this week and she LOVED it. So I picked up level A (previously I skipped A and went right to B with my other three!) and we will see if we can sustain interest.

2nd grade:

We finished science for the year! After completing the Evan Moor daily science workbook as well as our 2nd homeschool science tool kit, I'm calling it until August. 😅 He has a bug camp this summer, though!

ELA: still finishing AAR 3. I recently ordered AAS1. Still thinking we will skip AAR 4 and maybe try to fit Memoria Press's Beatrix Potter lit guide in before August instead. Spelling can wait til 3rd grade. 🙃 we will continue growing with grammar level 1 all summer and switch to level 2 in 3rd. 

History: still trying to finish Story of Civilization Ancients. It may go until August but it will happen.

Math: still alternating topics from Singapore Math 2A/2B and Beast level 2 books. I'm happy enough with what we will get through before August.

PE: our first competition since beginning fencing a year ago is coming up in June. Nervousness!

[alysee]

My kid loves Explode the Code. I bought it when I bought All about Reading Level 1 just to use during the summer for handwriting/phonics. She did a Lesson this week and she loved being able to color the pictures after. I may stick with this over the summer and if it's still working I may scrap AAR because I am worried about all the moving parts.