In the Well Trained Mind they mentioned working 30 minutes a day on each subject: reading, writing, and math. I honestly don't think I will be able to do that with my DS. He's all over the place as it is.

I am thinking of unschooling him, but I am afraid he won't be able to read until he's 20. :tear: Then my ILs will hate me and I will have ruined his chances of getting into med school.
Amy

We did TWTM for about 8 weeks when my boys were 5.5 and 4.5YO. They were too young, bored, and didn't like what we were doing. The youngest just stopped participating, and the oldest started using the "hate" word in regards to reading. We ditched it, took 6 weeks off, then did a modified version of Oak Meadow (an older version). We took the focus off academics (other than learning the alphabet and numbers 1-10, because DH wanted them to be doing "something"). Now we are doing a Waldorf 1st grade, and just now introducing academics.

My oldest will be 7 in a little over a week. He has a lot of prereading skills and can sound out basic words (slowly and painfully, so we don't do it), but definitely isn't reading yet. Which is just fine by me, as we are following the Waldorf timetable.

TWTM really appealed to DH, but I think it was the idea of creating little Einsteins. I prefer the way Waldorf addresses the entire child, head, heart, and hands.

Ditto a lot of what Kimbermama said. We use a Waldorf approach. I tried teaching dd (7) to read, starting at age 5 and she just wasn't ready. I ditched it until this year. We don't follow a curric perse. More of an unschooly flair but I do have some Bob Books and Explode the Code workbooks that we work through when she wants to. She really likes doing them now because she wants to read.

I was using Donna Simmons guides for 1st grade (waldorf approach) and we still do occasionally. With 4 children and one on the way, we just approach things in our own time.

When someone wants to give me a hard time (rarely ever) I just give them a good earful of info on raising children "head, hearts, and hands". They usually tune me out and leave me alone.

The only person, lately, to give me a hard time is my step-mom. It was because I didn't have my children on a schedule and because I wasn't "teaching" my 4 yo how to read because she says, "he is a genious". Whatever:rolleyes: . I think all children are genious and will read when it comes naturally!!!

Best wishes for finding your path. Sorry to ramble on, it just gets me when uninformed parties stick their noses into a families business.

We LOVED FIAR (five in a row) for Kindergarten!!!

So easy to do, very little planning, inexpensive, takes just a little time each day.....:)

I think 1.5 hours a day on writing, math and reading for a Kinder is a lot. Aome like working that long, most can't sit still that long. Blake was Kinder last year and he did

Bob Jones math K- took about 15-20 min tops
Explode the code books a,b and c - 10 min (maybe!)
Phonics Museum (reading and writing program) 20 min (maybe a little longer if there was an art project but then it was completely up to him how long it took)

That was our "base". Of course we read other books, did projects, etc... But his book schoolwork took less than an hour, and I think that's pretty appropriate.

LOL, there is no *way* my ds would be able to focus for that longon sit down "school work". I have his attention for about 10 minutes at a time (sometimes not even that) and we do his work in short sessions 2-3 times a day. Any longer than that and it ends up being one big frustrating mess for both of us.

Of course, we do lots of other learning by playing games, cooking, we read a lot during the day, computer games (he is able to sit and focus a lot on them, so that is a great learning tool for him). IMO, kindergarten should be mostly about fun learning ~ going outside and examining bugs, digging in the dirt and finding different kinds of rocks, lots of reading about all different subjects, building with legos...

In the Well Trained Mind they mentioned working 30 minutes a day on each subject: reading, writing, and math. I honestly don't think I will be able to do that with my DS. He's all over the place as it is.

I am thinking of unschooling him, but I am afraid he won't be able to read until he's 20. :tear: Then my ILs will hate me and I will have ruined his chances of getting into med school.
Amy

I believe what she was saying was spending 30 minutes on each throughout the day. For reading, just reading a couple of stories to the child and working on some sort of phonics (like explode the code - OPGTR) could fill 1/2 an hour. And not all at once - a story here, another story there, some phonics later, and another story later. kwim?

As far as math... for Kindergarten, a LOT would count as math for them! Doing puzzles, playing games, doing a math book, worting, making up and following patterns. All of those interspersed throughout the day adding up to 1/2 hour.

And writing... well, do a page of HWOT. Then any other writing things they do... making little lists, coloring, etc. All that would 'count'.

Adam is in K now, and I know for a fact I could not get him to sit for 1/2 hour at a time. But 10-15 minute incriments with different activities in between he can do. Austin, on the other hand, would have been more difficult to rein in. But I could have done it in those smaller incriments.

I need to call my friend who borrowed my book and get it back! lol

I believe what she was saying was spending 30 minutes on each throughout the day. For reading, just reading a couple of stories to the child and working on some sort of phonics (like explode the code - OPGTR) could fill 1/2 an hour. And not all at once - a story here, another story there, some phonics later, and another story later. kwim?

As far as math... for Kindergarten, a LOT would count as math for them! Doing puzzles, playing games, doing a math book, worting, making up and following patterns. All of those interspersed throughout the day adding up to 1/2 hour.

And writing... well, do a page of HWOT. Then any other writing things they do... making little lists, coloring, etc. All that would 'count'.

Adam is in K now, and I know for a fact I could not get him to sit for 1/2 hour at a time. But 10-15 minute incriments with different activities in between he can do. Austin, on the other hand, would have been more difficult to rein in. But I could have done it in those smaller incriments.

I need to call my friend who borrowed my book and get it back! lol

Thank you Heather!
When I went to bed last night, I was wondering if that maybe they meant 30 minutes COLLECTIVELY., not 30 minutes on each subject.
Please forgive my sleep-deprived brain, and thank you for clarifying. You now are the spoke person for WTM for me , and will probably be harassing you with questions for the next 18 years, LOL.
Amy

I cringe at the thought of putting Kindergarteners though a highly structured learning process at such an early age. IMO I've seen it put a struggle between HS parents and children during a time that could be so free and nurturing.

Just from the families that I have seen locally, first-hand, the children that have a love of learning and do not put up a struggle when it comes time to sit down and buckle down a bit, are the ones who were given the freedom to learn without "lessons" during the early ages.

I think all children are genious and will read when it comes naturally!!!


:thumbsup: couldn't agree more!!

I cringe at the thought of putting Kindergarteners though a highly structured learning process at such an early age. IMO I've seen it put a struggle between HS parents and children during a time that could be so free and nurturing.

Just from the families that I have seen locally, first-hand, the children that have a love of learning and do not put up a struggle when it comes time to sit down and buckle down a bit, are the ones who were given the freedom to learn without "lessons" during the early ages.


Me too!!! I know everyone has to do things there own way but I have also been a witness to families who start very early pushing academics, not allowing for free time, exploration (making that a "lesson" too) and they hit about 3rd grade and just put the brakes on. the parents then struggle like crazy to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it, still not slowing down to give the child some space!!

I know there are very advanced children and I have 2 that are but I do not so "school" with them early on either. they just play and learn and live and grow. Academics will come later when they are more mature and they will still be advanced, it will not go away ;)

This is just my experience, I am very outspoken about what I believe. Not meaning to offend anyone by any means because each family does what is right for them ;)


"Education is a journey, not a destination"

Thank you Heather!
When I went to bed last night, I was wondering if that maybe they meant 30 minutes COLLECTIVELY., not 30 minutes on each subject.
Please forgive my sleep-deprived brain, and thank you for clarifying. You now are the spoke person for WTM for me , and will probably be harassing you with questions for the next 18 years, LOL.
Amy


LOL You're welcome. It's so hard to look at the guide and not want to just structure everything the way they suggest. I am 99% sure that they state at the beginning of the book that their times are just guidelines. Something about their publisher wanted some sort of timeline for every subject or something. When you break it up - it flows so much better, even for my older kids sometimes.

What I have loved of WTM is the exposure to things I NEVER in a million years would have exposed my kids to at such an early age. And I think it's so much more interesting that learning about a community - which most homeschooled kids are exposed to just by being IN the community. So they are learning about all these wonderful things that are so different from what they themselves live. THAT is important to me... not getting such a narrow view of the world - as if everything is just as it is now in our place. kwim?

FWIW- I certainly don't follow WTM to the tee. I really appreciate a LOT of what they say - and take it as advice from a good friend who has btdt. I think they offer a LOT to think about, and I can only hope to give my kids such a rich education. I lvoe their materials, too, which is another plus. Story of the World is fun to read and the activities are great, too. And in it, my children are getting exposed to things that I remember only mentioned one day in World History in 10th grade. It's all so magical to them right now, which is cool! I am learning so much by simply reading Story of the World to my kids. And the reading - so much easier of a method that I was trying before... mish mash. And the grammar... I lvoe it. it's time sitting with my child talking, reading, and he is really learning. It's so much more exciting for both of us than doing a workbook or listening to me lecture. lol

I am really hoping to be able to start Latin with my two oldest next year. That is suggested in WTM and I never would have thought about it. They will be 3rd and 4th grades... and I think they will be ready for it.

Next year we are using Sonlight, and probably the year after, too. Those will be Early American History and then American History form 1800 on. The readers coincide with the History, which is what I love about WTM, too.

We have been really relaxed for K-2, because otherwise it's just a fight and not fun for anyone in the house. Nathan is getting to the second half of second grade and we are having such an easier time of getting things done. Every day he reads to me. Every day he does math work of some kind. And now we are up to every day of reading Story of the World. He's also started working with a computer program to help with writing (www.inspiration.com) and it's all fun to him. We put in about 5 hours of school work every day - but none of it is a chore to him. Now... Austin... everything I asked him to do was a chore. But I can see that this is changing for him this year. He's in PS and I think it was a good thing for him. Next year he knows he will be required towork and give his best efforts.

ok, sorry for rambling... oops

Patrick is pretty much unschooled at this point, and he's showing signs of reading without me doing a darned thing. He talks about letter sounds, word structure, etc. He asks me how to spell things. He recognizes words that nobody's gone out of their way to teach him. It's really quite remarkable.

I guess my point is, I don't think learning to read necessarily needs to be highly structured or even structured at all.

I am homeschooling my two youngest - both are doing Kindergarten work - at differant paces. We do "structured" learning for an hour a day. The rest of the time is hands on and world learning.

Me too!!! I know everyone has to do things there own way but I have also been a witness to families who start very early pushing academics, not allowing for free time, exploration (making that a "lesson" too) and they hit about 3rd grade and just put the brakes on. the parents then struggle like crazy to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it, still not slowing down to give the child some space!!

I know there are very advanced children and I have 2 that are but I do not so "school" with them early on either. they just play and learn and live and grow. Academics will come later when they are more mature and they will still be advanced, it will not go away ;)

This is just my experience, I am very outspoken about what I believe. Not meaning to offend anyone by any means because each family does what is right for them ;)


"Education is a journey, not a destination"
I am not worried about killing my DS's joy of learning, but I agree with you both, I have seen it and it is so sad.
DS hates drill work.For instance, I was showing him ABC flash cards to help him learn his letters. I was drilling him weekly, once a week for about five weeks when he held his hand up and said "I am so tired. I don't want to do this anymore. I am too young to learn letters." Then ran off to play. It was always a chore for him to participate. I dropped the drilling for about a month when the other day he turned over the letter B on its back and said, "See-it's also the letter M." He is my first homeschooler; my DD has been HS for 1 1/2 but she's almost 13. I didn't teach her to read or anything so I am freaked out. Hence, this post, lol. You mamas have been so generous to offer our advice to me!
Amy

I didn't teach her to read or anything so I am freaked out. Hence, this post, lol. You mamas have been so generous to offer our advice to me!
Amy

Amy, go back to WTM and read what they have to say about teaching reading. Really... you CAN do it. And guess what... it's not all that difficult! (unless, of course, there are underlying problems) But for a typical child - not all that difficult.