Preschool Homeschooling?

[jozi]

I have a baby coming in August and my ds will be going into 1st grade. My dd will be 4 and I feel that she really needs some sort of structure for next year. Right now we do cutting, art, and LOTS of puzzles with her. However, I want to ramp it up next year. I don't think she will be ready for the MFW-K curriculum I did with my ds this year. I am really uncertain, though, that I want to do a curriculum like Sonlight P3/4. The idea of actually having a curriculum for both with a new baby freaks me out! Any ideas of what I can do with her in the fall that will be true to what she needs but easier on me?

[RaeAnne]

FYI, Sonlight P3/4 doesn't have a schedule, just a checklist for the books read.

Have you looked at Kumon workbooks? Also, The Critical Thinking Co. has books in math and critical thinking for that age.

[patchfire]

Ds is turning four on Monday, and dd2 was born back in November. He's been begging to do school, so I finally pulled out OPGTR and started it with him. I figure I can do 5 to 15 minutes of phonics with him every day. Dd1 decided to take it upon herself to do the Kumon workbooks with him. :lol: We'll do some handwriting and math activities, but everything else I do with him until autumn of 2010 will be reading books off a really long list I'm still in the process of compiling. :D I figure we can 'cover' quite a bit of ground with good picture books and talking about them afterwards - even if the reading is while I'm nursing and the 'afterwards' is him bouncing around while I change a diaper, KWIM?

So, yeah, I wouldn't get too locked into the idea of a 'curriculum,' but you can certainly get things covered in the meantime. HTH!

[jozi]

FYI, Sonlight P3/4 doesn't have a schedule, just a checklist for the books read.

Have you looked at Kumon workbooks? Also, The Critical Thinking Co. has books in math and critical thinking for that age.

I do have a Kumon workbook for cutting right now and she LOVES it! I haven't heard of The Critical Thinking Co., though. I should check that out.

[lovelearnandlive]

What curriculum will you be using for your ds for first grade? Is it something that she could participate in for read-alouds, art and other projects, etc.? If so, I would keep things simple and just do that, combined with maybe 30 min a day of basic phonics, simple math concepts, and handwriting (or pre-handwriting, like connect-the-dots, tracing, etc.) just for her. If you aren't averse to using videos or the computer, you could have her use starfall.com or watch the leapfrog letter factory videos for phonics practice too.

[jozi]

Ds is turning four on Monday, and dd2 was born back in November. He's been begging to do school, so I finally pulled out OPGTR and started it with him. I figure I can do 5 to 15 minutes of phonics with him every day. Dd1 decided to take it upon herself to do the Kumon workbooks with him. :lol: We'll do some handwriting and math activities, but everything else I do with him until autumn of 2010 will be reading books off a really long list I'm still in the process of compiling. :D I figure we can 'cover' quite a bit of ground with good picture books and talking about them afterwards - even if the reading is while I'm nursing and the 'afterwards' is him bouncing around while I change a diaper, KWIM?

So, yeah, I wouldn't get too locked into the idea of a 'curriculum,' but you can certainly get things covered in the meantime. HTH!

OK, I feel like such a forum newbie!!! I need help with acronyms! What is OPGTR? I can't wait to find out what it is! I love the idea of doing phonics daily and then just learning through reading. I'm doing Sonlight with my son, so she hears a lot already anyway. I can just make sure I'm adding enough books that are at her level.

[jozi]

What curriculum will you be using for your ds for first grade? Is it something that she could participate in for read-alouds, art and other projects, etc.? If so, I would keep things simple and just do that, combined with maybe 30 min a day of basic phonics, simple math concepts, and handwriting (or pre-handwriting, like connect-the-dots, tracing, etc.) just for her. If you aren't averse to using videos or the computer, you could have her use starfall.com or watch the leapfrog letter factory videos for phonics practice too.

I am doing Sonlight Core 1 with him next year (this year we are doing the SL Core K and MFW - K) She likes the art projects and anything she can cut or color or songs she can learn, but seems to get bored with the chapter books that my ds is engrossed in, so that makes it challenging. I will need to focus more on picture books with her, I think. Also, I know that we need to do small motor skills with her right now to be ready for writing, so we've been doing play doh and stringing Cheerios and things. I hadn't thought of using videos or computer, but that's a great idea!

[patchfire]

OK, I feel like such a forum newbie!!! I need help with acronyms! What is OPGTR? I can't wait to find out what it is! I love the idea of doing phonics daily and then just learning through reading. I'm doing Sonlight with my son, so she hears a lot already anyway. I can just make sure I'm adding enough books that are at her level.

Oops, sorry! Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading - OPGTR (http://www.peacehillpress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=24).

[Ann in IA]

Handwriting without Tears has a prewriting book that I'm starting with my 4 yr old since he's been trying to write letters on his own anyway.

I'm also going to do some Kumon workbooks and some games/puzzles that match letters/numbers to the correct pictures and that sort of thing. I'm collecting things now since I'm in due in June. I want to have a collection of things that I can start slow this summer and hopefully have more of a routine this fall.

Luckily, I have 2 older ones that I will have read to him and play some games with him.

I'm thinking of also doing Peak with Books (similar to Five in a Row aka FIAR) since it has the book and activities laid out for me.

[jozi]

Thank you so much! I have never heard of that book. I went online to our local library and requested it, so it's on the way. Can't wait to dig in.

[jozi]

Handwriting without Tears has a prewriting book that I'm starting with my 4 yr old since he's been trying to write letters on his own anyway.

I'm also going to do some Kumon workbooks and some games/puzzles that match letters/numbers to the correct pictures and that sort of thing. I'm collecting things now since I'm in due in June. I want to have a collection of things that I can start slow this summer and hopefully have more of a routine this fall.

Luckily, I have 2 older ones that I will have read to him and play some games with him.

I'm thinking of also doing Peak with Books (similar to Five in a Row aka FIAR) since it has the book and activities laid out for me.

I forgot that HWT had a prewriting book. I think that would be great. I'm doing the same thing, gathering all my fall curriculum now. I don't want to get stuck this summer searching for what I need to start school! I think I really need to look into more of the Kumon workbooks. I hadn't seen them before my in-laws bought her the cutting one. Good luck to you on your 4th and thanks for the advice!

[lovelearnandlive]

I am doing Sonlight Core 1 with him next year (this year we are doing the SL Core K and MFW - K) She likes the art projects and anything she can cut or color or songs she can learn, but seems to get bored with the chapter books that my ds is engrossed in, so that makes it challenging. I will need to focus more on picture books with her, I think. Also, I know that we need to do small motor skills with her right now to be ready for writing, so we've been doing play doh and stringing Cheerios and things. I hadn't thought of using videos or computer, but that's a great idea!

Sounds like adding some picture books would round it out nicely for her!

Another great finger-strengthening activity that I recently stumbled across: Get a lump of modeling clay, and push 10-15 plastic beads into it, hiding them all inside the clay. Have your dd manipulate the clay until she has found and removed all of the beads. It's hard work! And it doubles as a math activity, I have dd count the beads at the end to make sure she didn't miss any. My girls spent 1.5 hours doing this over and over one afternoon and thought it was the best thing ever!

My girls love cutting too, we have gone through quite a few of those Kumon workbooks over here!

[jozi]

I love the bead/clay activity! I can't wait to try it. I know they will both love that. I think that's the hard part, too, is that my dd gets to do "fun school" according to my ds and his is more boring. :)

[kayinpa]

You might also want to check out the Rod & Staff preschool workbooks or Heart of Dakota (http://www.heartofdakota.com) "Little Hands to Heaven" book too!

[SheWillFly]

We are currently doing PreK at home right now. We keep it simple with a lesson from OPGTR, a picture book, some counting with shells, rocks or other fun tangible things, writing on the chalkboard (sort of a follow the leader thing to work on correct form) then a simple craft. Takes less than an hour.

[jozi]

Thank you so much for the ideas! It really is helping me to see next year take shape -- and even what I can be doing with her right now!

[blessedmother]

Check out Five in a Row at www.fiveinarow.com It is a great program and very flexible! :001_smile:

[lovelearnandlive]

Check out Five in a Row at www.fiveinarow.com (http://www.fiveinarow.com) It is a great program and very flexible! :001_smile:

FIAR is a great program! I'm using it right now with dd. Some weeks we just read the book and talk about a few things, other times we add in projects, experiments, etc.

To the OP, if you don't want another curriculum to worry about, you could at least take a look at their book lists - they are wonderful books, we haven't found a dud yet (and dd really does sit through them 4 or 5 days in a row)!

[lovelearnandlive]

I love the bead/clay activity! I can't wait to try it. I know they will both love that. I think that's the hard part, too, is that my dd gets to do "fun school" according to my ds and his is more boring. :)

Yes, I'm starting to worry about next year when I'll start doing some more structured activities with my youngest. Hopefully dd4 will think her school assignments are fun enough that she won't be jealous of what her little sister is doing. :D

[gardening momma]

I think I really need to look into more of the Kumon workbooks. I hadn't seen them before my in-laws bought her the cutting one.
We really like Kumon workbooks. We've used Kumon folding books, cutting books, tracing (good for pre-writing practice), cutting & pasting books, craft books, mazes, etc... Timberdoodle has some good prices, lower than Amazon. I'm on their email list, and a couple of weeks ago (or more?) they announced their annual damaged sale. I got several Kumon books, and you could barely see any problem--like a slightly bent corner on the front or back cover. I think I paid about $2-$3 per book. They normally run $5-$6 at Timberdoodle, $5.95 to $6.95 at Amazon. The most badly damaged item was a game box that had a hole in the back, about the size of a pencil eraser, but nothing inside was damaged.

[Mama2two]

How about Before Five in a Row or Five in a Row?

[ajjkt]

Now DD6 and DS7 are fluent readers, I've decided that I will change one of their daily tasks of 'read to mum' to 'read to little sister or mum'. They prefer to read to little sister (she chooses easier, picture books) and this achieves two things for me. Is this something that you could do?

[jozi]

We really like Kumon workbooks. We've used Kumon folding books, cutting books, tracing (good for pre-writing practice), cutting & pasting books, craft books, mazes, etc... Timberdoodle has some good prices, lower than Amazon. I'm on their email list, and a couple of weeks ago (or more?) they announced their annual damaged sale. I got several Kumon books, and you could barely see any problem--like a slightly bent corner on the front or back cover. I think I paid about $2-$3 per book. They normally run $5-$6 at Timberdoodle, $5.95 to $6.95 at Amazon. The most badly damaged item was a game box that had a hole in the back, about the size of a pencil eraser, but nothing inside was damaged.

Thank you!!! Do you know if that sale is still going on?

[jozi]

Now DD6 and DS7 are fluent readers, I've decided that I will change one of their daily tasks of 'read to mum' to 'read to little sister or mum'. They prefer to read to little sister (she chooses easier, picture books) and this achieves two things for me. Is this something that you could do?

I think by the middle of next year, my ds will be a fluent enough reader to be able to read to his sister. What a good idea!

[gardening momma]

Thank you!!! Do you know if that sale is still going on?
I checked, and they still have a few damaged items, but not much. Sign up for their monthly email newsletter (request a catalog--sign up for the email newsletter on that screen) so you'll know about the sale next year. When they had their sale items went fast. They had a statement saying that nothing was guaranteed until you paid for the items in your cart--just putting them in your cart wouldn't hold them. I did have some things in my cart that were gone by the time I paid. I'll probably go to their sale earlier next time.

[jozi]

Thank you! Wow, I can't believe you can put it in your cart and still not get it! That's one I'll have to do next year!