K-2nd New Year Chat

[Clarita]

3 minutes ago, Green Bean said:

YES! These younger years have all been messy for all mine. They progress than stall, then zoom on, then SPLAT! There's a developmental wall!

YES! This is why I'm not ready for the planning thread. I feel like (with both kids) we've been tooling about the same step for a while and it's easy for them, but they aren't ready for the next step. I don't even know what step they'll be on come fall.

[LauraClark]

On 2/11/2024 at 9:09 PM, countrymum said:

8th grade is already up;) I have next year mostly planned due to what's working now....just not sure what level of math and phonics dd4 almost 5 will fit into;) In some ways 8th grade is easier.

Haha-Did I start too early? Seems like they are usually starting up in January. After I put up the 8th grade I expected the others to pop up, but...nope!  Maybe no one wants to plan early this year.

[Brittany1116]

22 minutes ago, LauraClark said:

Haha-Did I start too early? Seems like they are usually starting up in January. After I put up the 8th grade I expected the others to pop up, but...nope!  Maybe no one wants to plan early this year.

I'm always planning. Next year is going to be very different for us. 8th is going after his interests and 3rd is doing HOD for the first time. I am excited to try new things, and hope it is a very fun year.

[BusyMom5]

I feel much the same- August is too far away.  Littles soon through a phase, then stall out for a while.  I feel like we've been hanging out at the same spot since before Christmas.   I think I'm going to ramp up Little Kid once Big Kids are about finished with this school year.  It's hard to juggle all the grades!  I'm currently trying to figure out 11th grade!  

[Brooke]

I’m starting to think of what we will use next year. I’m pretty sure with the skills subjects. I’m just so torn if I want to continue memoria press enrichment and figure out our own science or if I want to go all in with core knowledge for LA and science. 
 

I love both memoria and core knowledge for completely different reasons. I wish I could just do it all. I love the books and the richness of memoria but I also think both my kids respond well with core knowledge. 
 

What to do? 

[Clarita]

11 minutes ago, Brooke said:

I love both memoria and core knowledge for completely different reasons. I wish I could just do it all. I love the books and the richness of memoria but I also think both my kids respond well with core knowledge. 
 

What to do? 

What's the difference between core knowledge science and memoria press? I would look at what the kids and I like in both and see if I could use the best parts of both and take out the parts I didn't enjoy.

[Brooke]

1 hour ago, Clarita said:

What's the difference between core knowledge science and memoria press? I would look at what the kids and I like in both and see if I could use the best parts of both and take out the parts I didn't enjoy.

Memoria press is a lot more on the lighter side with science and core knowledge is a lot more but at the same time my kids just love science. This year I’ve been doing a little bit of both but I’d like to be more consistent. This next year is when I have to start a portfolio with my state so that’s a huge reason I’d like to go in one direction. 

[Clarita]

1 hour ago, Brooke said:

Memoria press is a lot more on the lighter side with science and core knowledge is a lot more but at the same time my kids just love science. This year I’ve been doing a little bit of both but I’d like to be more consistent. This next year is when I have to start a portfolio with my state so that’s a huge reason I’d like to go in one direction. 

This year I decided to go with fluffier/lighter science as our planned science. My kids love science so a lot of the field trips and fun things we do end up being science-y, science museums, STEM summer camps, fun science box subscriptions. My son reads science magazines, encyclopedias, etc. Having a light science means we have time to indulge in those experiences more instead of me stressing out over completing our science lessons.

That's just my thoughts with my particular circumstance. If I didn't have so many science resources available to me I'd probably go with more science.  

 

[alysee]

I'm just starting to plan for grade 1. Will most likely be repeats from my older kids but I'm looking into Beast Academy but I might wait until Grade 2. 

[Green Bean]

16 hours ago, Brooke said:

Memoria press is a lot more on the lighter side with science and core knowledge is a lot more but at the same time my kids just love science. This year I’ve been doing a little bit of both but I’d like to be more consistent. This next year is when I have to start a portfolio with my state so that’s a huge reason I’d like to go in one direction. 

I scored a super deal on grades 1-4 of Real Science 4 Kids Building Blocks. We read a section a day and fill in the study notebook spot. So far, I'm not doing the experiments and probably won't do many. Have you considered Nancy Larson Science? You would have lots of cool booklets for the portfolios. Just some alternate ideas for you to chew on.

If you have access to Core Knowledge materials and you like them, your kids are learning, and it covers what your state expects to see, why mess with it? I wish I could figure them out. I find CK confusing to figure out what I need and what order to use it in.

I have used all the MP science things except Nature's Beautiful Order. The books are incredibly eye-clawing, burn the books, boring. You are better off getting topical books from your library about their topics. If you are really sold on MP, you could do them all in a school year when your kids are a little older. The Tiner books without guides take a year, too, but that is waay off for you.

[Brooke]

9 hours ago, Green Bean said:

I scored a super deal on grades 1-4 of Real Science 4 Kids Building Blocks. We read a section a day and fill in the study notebook spot. So far, I'm not doing the experiments and probably won't do many. Have you considered Nancy Larson Science? You would have lots of cool booklets for the portfolios. Just some alternate ideas for you to chew on.

If you have access to Core Knowledge materials and you like them, your kids are learning, and it covers what your state expects to see, why mess with it? I wish I could figure them out. I find CK confusing to figure out what I need and what order to use it in.

I have used all the MP science things except Nature's Beautiful Order. The books are incredibly eye-clawing, burn the books, boring. You are better off getting topical books from your library about their topics. If you are really sold on MP, you could do them all in a school year when your kids are a little older. The Tiner books without guides take a year, too, but that is waay off for you.

Thank you so much! I have looked at Nancy Larson science and it is eye catching. You are right though if core knowledge is working why mess with it? It’s probably a me thing wanting to try all the things. I probably needed to hear that. I’m not 100% sold on MP but their guides are very helpful. Maybe with time and experience I might not need that handholding? 
 

I know it seems like way off but I have a 16 year old and that just flew right on by! Time just goes so fast with kids right? 

[Brooke]

On 2/17/2024 at 11:46 PM, Clarita said:

This year I decided to go with fluffier/lighter science as our planned science. My kids love science so a lot of the field trips and fun things we do end up being science-y, science museums, STEM summer camps, fun science box subscriptions. My son reads science magazines, encyclopedias, etc. Having a light science means we have time to indulge in those experiences more instead of me stressing out over completing our science lessons.

That's just my thoughts with my particular circumstance. If I didn't have so many science resources available to me I'd probably go with more science.  

 

That sounds perfect! I totally understand why you’d go that way. I’m trying not to stress myself out but I do think I have science loving kids. It’s the one thing my boys have in common haha! Othe Mr than that they are completely opposite.

[Clarita]

Thinking about the planning thread for my children I'm getting stuck on the ELA piece. My current first grader to be second grader is ready for reading to learn. (We basically finished learning to read back in November.) Currently I have him read high interest things (Dragon Masters falls far beneath CS Lewis in its writing style) then we do some sentence analysis/writing/reading comprehension(narration) stuff to go a long with it. DS enjoys it but I'm feeling like I spend a lot of time reinventing the wheel. 

I tried Bravewriter lessons before and those require too much creative writing for him. The Writing Revolution style works well for him. We tried Lithouse Learning, but I want a little bit more interaction with the story and a little more out of the reading than just what is this chapter about. I'm interested in Exploring the World through Story (the combination with geography is a plus, and it seems from the samples they talk a little more about techniques used to convey the story and such). My concern with Exploring the World through Story is that it's a lot of myths, folk tales and the like so I feel like I would want to supplement with also reading books. Then is Language Arts going to just take over our school time and I'm going to be totally burnt out reading aloud.

The other blocker for me is that my second child is currently a kindergartner going into first grade and is still learning to read. If I choose a curriculum where I am reading aloud a story then both are going to be doing it. It feels like I should choose the literature study to cater to my eldest and have the younger one tag a long.    

[BusyMom5]

19 minutes ago, Clarita said:

Thinking about the planning thread for my children I'm getting stuck on the ELA piece. My current first grader to be second grader is ready for reading to learn. (We basically finished learning to read back in November.) Currently I have him read high interest things (Dragon Masters falls far beneath CS Lewis in its writing style) then we do some sentence analysis/writing/reading comprehension(narration) stuff to go a long with it. DS enjoys it but I'm feeling like I spend a lot of time reinventing the wheel. 

I tried Bravewriter lessons before and those require too much creative writing for him. The Writing Revolution style works well for him. We tried Lithouse Learning, but I want a little bit more interaction with the story and a little more out of the reading than just what is this chapter about. I'm interested in Exploring the World through Story (the combination with geography is a plus, and it seems from the samples they talk a little more about techniques used to convey the story and such). My concern with Exploring the World through Story is that it's a lot of myths, folk tales and the like so I feel like I would want to supplement with also reading books. Then is Language Arts going to just take over our school time and I'm going to be totally burnt out reading aloud.

The other blocker for me is that my second child is currently a kindergartner going into first grade and is still learning to read. If I choose a curriculum where I am reading aloud a story then both are going to be doing it. It feels like I should choose the literature study to cater to my eldest and have the younger one tag a long.    

I have had this happen several times- kiddo is fully reading, but still a little young for the output of the literature programs.  I usually just do a year of books they choose.  I do like Mosdos 3rd grade set, but some of the stories aren't as interesting and sometimes the writing assignments are too much for a 2nd grader.  I would pick some fun read aloud for both of them and let the 2nd grader choose what to read each week.  You can assign books if it's all twaddle or give parameters like 1 history book, 1 science book, 1 fun book.  I would focus on finding things that are interesting and not worry about reading Level.  

[alpinegrace]

On 1/2/2024 at 2:04 AM, LauraClark said:

We start back tomorrow. Ds 2nd finished OPGTR right before break so now we can just read books (host!!). We might start with The Velveteen Rabbit. 

I started using flash cards with our daily math. He is always counting up with addition and doesn't seem to be memorizing.

He wants to do typing with his older brothers. I'm torn. On one hand I don't care but on the other I don't think he's paying attention to finger placement and I'm not sure if that will cause bad habits. Anyone have an opinion about that?

I've decided that we're doing something different during the hardest homeschool month: Feb. We're going to put aside several subjects, learn state history, and complete some kind of project (I'll let them choose a state related subject to research). I'll probably assign my oldest at least a paper, maybe a poster. Next ds I might do a shorter paper and a diorama (I think he would like that). Ds 2nd... I'm not sure what to have him do yet.

Older post, but thought I'd mention the keyboarding program from Learning Without Tears. I start my first graders in their Kinder program. So my kids use it a level behind, but they love it! My now fourth grader (10yo) always puts her fingers in the right spot when she types. She's still slow, but does it properly. Bonus, its only $11 for a year subscription.

[Momof4sweetkids]

20 hours ago, BusyMom5 said:

I have had this happen several times- kiddo is fully reading, but still a little young for the output of the literature programs.  I usually just do a year of books they choose.  I do like Mosdos 3rd grade set, but some of the stories aren't as interesting and sometimes the writing assignments are too much for a 2nd grader.  I would pick some fun read aloud for both of them and let the 2nd grader choose what to read each week.  You can assign books if it's all twaddle or give parameters like 1 history book, 1 science book, 1 fun book.  I would focus on finding things that are interesting and not worry about reading Level.  

I was going to ask this question almost exactly so thanks for answering it!