Reading, Riting and Rithmatic - Curriculum Review
We are struggling to find what works just right for us. Since we are only really starting Kindergarten this year that is somewhat understandable. I started this series with the hardest piece because it was the most time critical. Now I get to do the easiest.
We will have no formal reading program. We read together constantly and Froggy is moving into reading independently. I encourage her to read to me as much as she is interested and that is it. Provide quality literature and talk about it. The big change planned for the upcoming year is the addition of Narration. We have been working on Laying Down the Rails and this is the next step for us. The biggest thing holding us back from incorporating it sooner has been trying to determine the right text and quantity with which to start. The answer is our Parsha study. The text is very simple and she has a grounding in the context which will make it easier. We will start with just one page for now.
Writing - We will be doing Handwriting without Tears. I have ordered the Kindergarten book. While I am committed to doing this and only doing it at the recommendation of Froggy's occupational therapist, I am not looking forward to it. Because fine motor skills are hard for my little perfectionist she avoids them like the plague. So I know this will be a battle.
For Arithmetic we will continue with Singapore Math. I looked at several different options this year most notably Saxon Math which many good things to recommend it. Still this is working for us for now and therefore we will just stick with it.
We will have no formal reading program. We read together constantly and Froggy is moving into reading independently. I encourage her to read to me as much as she is interested and that is it. Provide quality literature and talk about it. The big change planned for the upcoming year is the addition of Narration. We have been working on Laying Down the Rails and this is the next step for us. The biggest thing holding us back from incorporating it sooner has been trying to determine the right text and quantity with which to start. The answer is our Parsha study. The text is very simple and she has a grounding in the context which will make it easier. We will start with just one page for now.
Writing - We will be doing Handwriting without Tears. I have ordered the Kindergarten book. While I am committed to doing this and only doing it at the recommendation of Froggy's occupational therapist, I am not looking forward to it. Because fine motor skills are hard for my little perfectionist she avoids them like the plague. So I know this will be a battle.
For Arithmetic we will continue with Singapore Math. I looked at several different options this year most notably Saxon Math which many good things to recommend it. Still this is working for us for now and therefore we will just stick with it.
When I taught K, I used Handwriting without tears and felt it was a great program (after a bit of a learning curve for me). If we do decide to homeschool, it is definitely the one I would pick.
ReplyDeleteI love that your blog has garden and hs updates and food updates all mixed up together!!! Feels very familiar. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe are "using" HWT - in quotes because we are basically not schooling much right now. I bought her the earlier one ("Get set for school") but it was way too basic.
About narration: I hope to start it next year, but what I have begun doing is having her "narrate" her day.
Like if we have a series of outings, I'll have her tell them back to me: "first we went to gymnastics, then we went to the grocery store and bought chicken, then we went to the playground," or whatever.
The events are well-known and familiar, and I'm hoping this type of very basic narration will help introduce storytelling essentials like "and then," as well as the concept of describing events in sequence.
It feels like this will transfer very easily later on to retelling things we have read.
p.s. Parsha is a great idea, but would be a LOT easier to narrate through Bereishit and Shemot... maybe even enough to make it worth waiting? The summer parshiyot are not the most plot-ful. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna also hates fine motor - it's impossible to make her do any printable. I am curious how Froggy will do with HWT, because I heard many positive reviews about it. I am not homeschooling, but I looked at various math curriculums, and Singapore Math was my first choice as well.
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