For those of you with Kindergarteners, what are your curriculum plans? I'm thinking we will do.. Horizons Math Five in a Row The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading Handwriting What else?
Sounds like you have a great game plan there already, I wouldn't add anything to it except maybe lots of field trips!
That sounds good to me! I might add starfall for fun. BUT JUST FOR FUN. I'm doing about the same with my Ker this year - well no FIAR. She'll also catch the crumbs from the combo'd history/geo/science/bible from her older siblings...without pressure, though.
I love starfall. I have also found this typing lesson website someone suggested and he loves it... so why not, right?
We are also starting K this year and I had to reply since we are also doing FIAR...you are the first person in real life or online that I have found using it (aside from the FIAR boards obviously) Our plan is: McRuffy Math K Handwriting without Tears Click-n-Kids FIAR
Dont know how I missed this thread! I have a 4yr old who's determined to tag along with his 6yo brother and I'm just happy to have him along! I had never looked at FIAR until 2 minutes ago, I'm going to look more indepth into it now. For the first 7 -14 weeks of Fall this is what my 4year old will be doing; Phonics: TRL + Starfall + Word Families* Math: Random Work^ Art: Through Guided play Handwriting: Not sure yet, probably Spalding instructions on letters. *To be added in later or as needed ^ For now, I'm working on a Topic Based Math curriculum for them.
We are using: Math U See ClickNKids (if you sign up use the word SAVINGS in the promo code area and you will get 40%0ff) All about Spelling (just working on the sight words, not the entire program yet) A reason for Handwriting Explode the code R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Earth and Planets The Story of the World } Prepare and Pray! } I am using these with both my 5 and 14 yr old together. Nature journaling } Forgot to add she will be learning how to play handbells. It seems like a lot but we dont do all of these each day. My 5 yr old daughter BEGS to do school work 24/7. She loves workbooks and enjoys doing things with my older daughter.
I am using McRuffy Press- Reading/Phonics/Handwriting/Math Building Foundations for Scientific Understanding- Science Horizons - Health La Clase Divertida- Spanish www.lessonpathways.com/Children Around the World/Beginning Geography - Social Studies Christian Liberty Press/www.homeschoolhelper.com - Bible Math additional resources- Verbal Math, Christian Liberty Press, www.ixl.com and math journals
We used My Father's World Kindergarten for preschool since it is kind of slow and loved it so much that we are using MFW 1st grade for his K year. We add other things for fun, but we use MFW to cover most things.
FIAR is great for the little ones. And what's also good about it is that all the kids will benefit from it. I also have an 8 year old and a 3 year old. Like I said it's not a stand alone especially for the older kids, but it's great for the little ones!
The more I look into FIAR the more I like it, it wont be doable right now, but I have a 2year old in line...He likes to do phonics and letters occasionally. If I can get into FIAR before he gets too old, then that would be great. I'm going to see if I cant get a FIAR manual from the library or a local shop soon. If nothing else, this will be great for the Pre-K stage with my future Doman Babies. 1 Volume a year, from 2-6, this is great! I get so excited every time I learn about something like this.
Tuzor, have you already started the Spanish program? If so, I would love your feedback, as we will be starting that mext month.
Yes I love it. It reminds me of how I learned Spanish. The workbook is too advanced for K so I am making my own workbook. I do each lesson three times. I teach Spanish twice a week. Example Tuesday we watch the DVD lesson and we go through it and participate as expected. During our off time going to the store etc. anytime in the car we listen to the cd in the car. Thursday review what we learned in the previous lesson. Following Tuesday I do the workbook activities but age appropiate. If you want to contact me for how I did my workbook feel free.
I have friends who use La Clase Divartida and LOVE it! She's got 3 girls, 10, 6 and 4. Uses it mostly with the 10 and 6 year old, but 4 year old sits in on it. She's been trying to get me to use it! LOL
So far so good. This coming week we will begin lesson four. He has learned the first 8 letters of the spanish alphabet, the vowels, colors, rojo, verde, amarillo, anaranajado, rosado, blanco, color cafe, negro, violeta, azul, his days of the week. He has learned his Spanish name. How to ask what is your name or what do you call yourself. Como te llamas? Me llamo ________. There are other things that are taught as well like the history of the Mexican flag told in a story. But agian this is only K so I only focus on what I feel he can retain. For me it was worth the investment. Another program like FIAR is Moving Beyond the Page. They use a book called Peek With Books. I like that one a little better the FIAR because the books were easier to find. But I believe you can order the set of FIAR for 125.00 or so from thier site.
Tuzor, how old are your boys? My daughter is Chinese and I wanted to start her on Chinese lessons but I really dont know that at 5 she is ready for it. She used to understand and respond in Chinese but she has lost her native language since she has been home with us. At what age did you start a foreign language?
I'm just going to throw this out, recognizing that everyone knows best what works best for their own child, not in any way judging or anything. As you can see by my sig, I essentially unschool my kids up to abt 8, when I get (slightly) more formalized. My primary education effort for the kids under 8 - including my Ker - is to go online to the library website and reserve a ton of books on a subject of their choice, from a wide variety of reading levels. Even when my oldest was K/1, I got 5th grade level books, and she and her younger siblings would flip thru and read captions. None of the reading iss mandated, but they would pick them up on their own. Some they loved, some they didn't touch, some they just flipped thru. And I would read them and discuss stuff with them, very casually. Otherwise, I provide them with a lot of paper - Walmart one year had spiral notebooks on sale for 5c, and we bought $5 worth - and they write and draw at their own pace, what they want. We took walks and did experiments and basically looked things up. As for reading, well, kids imitate their parents. I am a voracious reader, I read when I should be cleaning or doing something productive, and so my kids have all had a desire to read. I taught my oldest to read and she taught her younger brothers, who wanted to be like me and like her. I put books in my kids cribs as soon as they were old enough to gnaw on them and read to them all of their lives. We did some occasional letter sheets but nothing really formal. Like I said, I am huge on the "better late than early", "learn by play" method of homeschooling. My goal has always been to have my children love to learn, so they will desire to look up anything I fail to teach them. Again, not a "this is the only/best way" speech, just an alternate PoV in a K curric thread.
