Ok, I am going to do a more classical approach to my daughter's education. I am Christian but not necessarily going to use all Christian texts. I already like some of the stuff offered through TWTM (I finally found my history books, at least for 1st through 4th). And I am using Alpha Phonics with Christine for learning how to read (I have Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons in my Amazon wish list for if we need some extra helps and ideas) and will be purchasing Bob's Books First when we get closer to actually reading.

My questions are, what classical stuff do you like? (Want to check out everything).

What do you like spelling wise? (My mom used Modern Curriculum with me and I may use that).

Has anyone used Singapore Math?

Also as far as poetry for kindergarteners, what have you used?

Please share all thoughts. Thanks, Jennifer

My questions are, what classical stuff do you like? (Want to check out everything).

The Story of the World

Books from here: http://www.tanglewoodeducation.com/index.htm

What do you like spelling wise? (My mom used Modern Curriculum with me and I may use that).
Right now, spelling lists from online
Next year, trying out Spelling Power

Has anyone used Singapore Math?
Yes
One of my children does not 'get it'
One of my children LOVES it

Also as far as poetry for kindergarteners, what have you used?
I use my poetry compilation from an old set of Childcraft books I have
We check out Favorite Poems Old and New from the library often

Hope

The Story of the World is what I have picked out for the history too. :)

So, what kind of learner is your child who didn't get the Singapore Math and what to you use for him/her? I really don't know what we'll end up doing math wise yet.

Thanks, Hope. Jennifer

Oh, thanks for the site. I think the Spelling Spectrum sounds really good and will be checking that out. JG

My dd that does not 'get' singapore does very well with Saxon math.
She does well with saxon because she needs a lot of repetition, she needs to know what to expect day to day, she needs the confidence saxon gives her and she needs a worksheet with NO fluff.
She loves the manipulative activities.
She told me the other day how her 'pink math' (Her saxon book is pink) is her favorite part of school! :)

My ds that loves singapore picks up things quickly, he seems (to me) to think abstract, he likes to come up with answers and questions on his own, he LIKES the colorful workbooks in singapore
He hates a lot of writing and repetition.


We have used the Spectrum workbooks and my children enjoyed them.

Hope

We've been using Story of the World also. This is our second year with it. My kids LOVE it! My 8yo,5yo, and 4yo all do the coloring pages while I read.

We do spelling workout. My oldest is bored with it. He's on a really high reading level so I think that is why. (he still can't spell really well)

Saxon math and phonics is also what we've been using. I like the repitition in the worksheets, but we don't do any of the meeting book exercises. I've also changed the phonics a little, mostly because I don't have time w/ my 5yo to do all the practising they suggest. I'm hoping his reading won't suffer from it. :(

We haven't been doing anything for poetry. ;)

HTH,
Lisa

Spelling Workout is what I used as a kid (Modern Curriculum) and I liked it very much. I was bummed that there was no spelling books past eighth grade (I really loved anything that had to do with reading). My brother had a hard time with it though and so did my sister, so it will depend on what works with Christine of course.

Saxon Math is what I have on the back burner if Singapore Math isn't for her.

It is awesome to hear others experiences. Please keep sharing. :)

Jennifer

Another vote for SOTW. If we gave that up there would be rioting in our house.

Dd did not like Spelling Workout. She did one year of it. She didn't object to it, she just thought it was dumb. Now we're doing Spelling Power, and spelling is one of her favorite subjects. She likes studying only the words she gets wrong in the pre-test (and we started at a fairly low level, so she usually gets most of the words right...so then she thinks she's a good speller, has more confidence, likes spelling, works more on it, etc. etc. up the spiral). Spelling Power suggests not starting their program until about the age of 8.

We tried Singapore for 2A and 2B. Dd liked it better than Miquon, but wasn't that thrilled. Again, it was the workbook issue -- slogging away through a workbook. Also, I thought it wasn't the greatest. For instance, the geometry unit in level 2 is a joke -- dd gave it to her 3yo sister to do (3yo blazed through it easily). So now we've switched to RightStart, which does a better job of integrating manipulatives with visual learning (her strength), and has "worksheets" instead of "workbooks". Also, RightStart assumes kids should treat math as a game. And its geometry sections aren't so weenie. It's sort of like "Singapore Math Meets Montessori".


I just got Laura Berquist's book for poetry. It divides the poems up in various levels, according to the Trivium. Most of it is poetry easily found elsewhere, but I like having the levels defined for me.

We used First Language Lessons, but you have to tweak it -- skip lessons, combine lessons, use different versions of poems (or different poems). Now we're in R&S 3, and I can really see what an awesome lead-in the 2nd year of FLL was. Wow, am I glad dd had that foundation!

Dd hated 100 Easy Lessons. She burst into tears the 2nd day. I returned it to the library. She refused to have anything to do with reading for months afterwards (we're talking *major* trauma). We tried various other stuff, and somewhere in the midst of Phonics Pathways she suddenly "got" it. I think she would've gotten it no matter what we were using, at that point. Our reading program now consists of me taking away books from her so she'll please go do something else/turn out the light and get to sleep/etc.

With dd2 I'm using Reading Reflex, Bob books and Explode the Code -- she loves the ETC workbooks (opposite of her sister, obviously). We'll stick with RightStart math for her -- she's thrilled to get to use the abacus and recite her little Yellow Is the Sun poem ("Yellow is the sun/six is five and one..." RightStart places huge emphasis on seeing numbers in chunks of 5s and 10s, as they do in China).

Gail

Thanks, Gail. I am going to research the Rightstart math as well. She will be four this fall so I have a year before worrying about adding addition, etc. She has an abacus so it sounds like that might be good. I am going to see if I can get samples from singapore math and right start (I have one from saxon somewhere) and just see if she responds better to any one (I may also check and see if our local library has any of them).

Math is a big concern of mine because I didn't do well in Abeka and my mom used it anyways (she did let me use Modern Curriculum for fractions because the Abeka wasn't working at all in that area for me.) My husband is a hands on learner and did best with slowly moving up with lots of repetition but I am just not so sure with her yet. She seems to get eveything quickly at this time (letters, numbers, etc.)

Thanks, Jennifer

Just so you know, TWTM just came out with an updated version last week... 60% revised.

This is what we are doing for next year:
History:
Story of the World: medieval times
Story of the World Activity Guide

Language Arts1st grader:
First Language Lessons for the WTM
Primary Analogies

Language Arts for 3rd grade:
Primary Language Lessons
Wordly Wise
Primary Analogies
Early Reading Comprehension

Spelling:
Spelling Workout

Handwriting:
Handwriting Without Tears (love this!)

Science:
Earth and Space science - got books from Usborne to use as our main source

math:
undecided - possibly saxon5/4 maybe saxon 3 - not sure yet which one

Phonics:
Phonics Pathways
Pyramid Phonics Reader

Those are the main things we are using. As far as the poetry - if you were to use First Language Lessons, it includes poetry, including memorization of poems. It includes basic grammar, dictation, copy work, memorization, poetry, stories, etc. I've been going through my copy and I think we are going to LOVE using it!


HTH!

Now... to read the new version of TWTM this weekend... ;-)

It's never been flashy, trendy, or fun, but do give a look to the "Developmental Math" series. It's modeled on the public school math of Egypt, and has always gotten solidly good homeschool reviews.

I've used it (or am using it) with 4 children now of WILDLY different learning styles, and it has worked for each one.

There are 16 consumable workbooks, then you're ready for Saxon Algebra 1/2. Since we have 7 children we *cough, cough* have a home multifuntion printer/copier, so at $1hundredsomethin' for the entire series, this is a wonderful deal. Even if I just had one child tho, I'd use this series, I adore it.

I really can't say enough about Dr. Saad. The workbooks are logical, largely self-teaching, and give a solid preparation for high school math.

Only one downside, and this may really bug you: the order of subjects being introduced is different than that of our public schools, so there are some years where your child is doing just fine in math, but when you do a standardized test, their score is pitiful, because, say, fractions haven't been introduced as young.
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For spelling, we use Spelling Power, have for a few years, all but one kiddo who has some learning issues. He needed to go to Spelling Workout, needed that extra written practice I guess.

We pretty much do straight TWTM and use SOTW for those young enough - I've got grammar, logic, and rhetoric- staged children, so it's a loonnnnnnggggg list of stuff we use :) . Got the new SOTW part 3 from Amazon the other day - looks like a fun year again!

I have the new TWTM in the mail (but is from the link listed in another post here; I wrote them even though it said out of stock and they said they would get one to me for $20 ($24 something with shipping).

I have heard too much good stuff about the First Language Lessons (TWTM) not to use it (I already fell in love with it before the reveiws so I am glad to here that I made a good choice.

Added Developmental math to my list to check out. That is my most undecided area because there are so many different approaches and I want something that goes with her learning style but also will give her a solid foundation (unsure on her learning style; I know Alpha Phonics is going over well and she started writing letters on her own yesterday. I have a handwriting book that you use washable markers on and will be getting her another one.)

What have you gals found as far as strating cursive in kindergarten of first grade? I was planning on starting it in 1st grade but would do K if that makes a difference.

Also, did you start with Story of the World in K or 1st grade? I was going to start with that in 1st grade but wasn't sure what to use for K.

Thank you, thank you bunches!! :happy:

Jennifer

The official word on SOTW is that it's for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. You don't "do" history in K. Just read lots, whatever interests her.

Unofficially, of course, you can do whatever you want. You could start SOTW at a very relaxed pace now, then speed up as your child is able to do more. I figure we'll be going through all of this stuff again and again, so if my kids don't "get" some of history now, so what. They're getting the general overview. I have a 4yo listening into SOTW2 right now. She does all of the coloring pages and helps with the projects. Who knows what she's retaining -- I don't have her narrate. It's just sort of story/arts&craft time for her.

Also, it takes us f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get through each volume of SOTW, since we have to spend a couple of weeks playing nomad in the desert or whatever. So getting a jump on it in K might be a good idea. And if dd hates it you can set it aside for later.

My daughter will be four in August (ACK!) and I have been following TWTM for over a year now. Actually, I've been following it pretty strictly.

For under the age of four all that you need to do is read lots of books (we use "The Read-Aloud Handbook") and a weekly activity ("Slow and Steady. Get me Ready"). My daughter has naturally picked up all the letters and their sounds and knows most of her numbers.

K4 and K5 will be different. I have planned out the first quarter, starting in September, already. Daily we will do Reading (the soon to be published "Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading" by Jessie Wise"), Writing "(Zaner-Blosner), Math (Saxon K or math books or math games), and some sort of PE (kids yoga, most likely). I'll also read aloud chapter book like "Charlotte's Web" and the like. Weekly we'll do "Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready", go to the library, do some fun science thing, go on a nature walk, have some sort of class like ballet for my daughter to go to, and do Sunday School ("UU and Me").

I don't think our lessons will be longer than 15 minutes per subject per day. It's going to be a game of seeing what works for my daughter. For example, I'll only be doing Saxon twice a week with her but I would bump it up if she loved it and asked for more. If she hates something, I'll cut back on it.

Ah, character training! That's worked in mostly by living life and reading books suggested by "Books the Build Moral Character"!

Elizabeth... wanna come and plan out this last quarter of the year for me? ;-)

It's been too nice out to be stuck inside 'learning'. ;-) (according to my kids)

I LOVE planning out what to do. I think I get it from my Dad who can spend WEEKS planning a litergy. I think he's the happiest in Lent : D

Thanks, librarymama! I think I'll get SOTW before starting kindergarten next Sept. and try a little and see if she likes it or not. I started school with her last Sept. (a month before her third birthday) and wasn't sure what to do other than the books my mom used with me when I homeschooled. So, this year will be a lot more fun now that I know what else is out there and also that there are a lot of great moms I can ask questions of if we ever get stuck on any subject or place. :)


:p Jennifer