Homeschooling

[Jesusfreak101]

We associate letters with animals joshua four and been trying to write letters so fare he can write a, b, and c all very messy but its there. He also recognized them. But we been doing puzzles with them and reading bob books he can recognize letters a-h so its going well ,
I really like the bob books, (found them and the puzzles at costco) small kids learn better through play it seems and my boys love to move so we try that. Also stamps are fun, making letters with playdough, cutting and pasting anything to build up the hand muscles. Also you can get pretty cheap work books from Wal-Mart, office max has alot of books and some neat things to use for school. Oh dry erase boards are a big hit as well.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Why don't you just use a different math curriculum for your daughter? You could use what works in Master Books for the other subjects.
Except for my oldest sons first two years i never used a complete curriculum. I mixed and matched from different sources. I was blessed to have received hand me down curriculum and only had to buy to fill in gaps most years.
With all the extra responsibilities you are taking on with your husbands self employment, not to mention running a house and farm, I don't see creating your own worksheets as being a reasonable occurrence. You do have to sleep some time you know, lol!
But you would know better than me how that will all fit together. I have forgotten the abundant energy of the young. I look back and am amazed at what I accomplished back then.

That's been a concern for me as well. I don't know i might use it or another and add to them. Maserbooks is on sale right now so i am really tempted to get it.

 

[JHP Homestead]

Thanks @thistlebloom, @promiseacres, and @Jesusfreak101 for the letter ideas!

 

[Jesusfreak101]

no problem its one of the reason i wanted to start this thread was to get ideas from others and to talk to other homeschoolers. Its also a good ideal to look at curricliums ecen if your not going to use them for ideas as well they let y ou veiw samples and it can help give you ideas. oh i dont know about how comfortable you be with this but my older son loves to practice sewing with a embroidery kit i got for them. it seems to have helped with fine muscle control. so far i am the only one that gotten poked ironically, both my daughter and my sons love to do it i have yet to let the one year old he going to have to be closer to four before i do joshua at three started but he a very laid back kid and doesnt normally try to fight as where my other son thinks everything is something to use as a weapon.

 

[thistlebloom]

Needlework is a great idea for fine motor skills.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Okay before i forget i got this recipe off of Pinterest it my go to recipe for playdough seriously we made it last year and it stayed good for a year but i remade some today to replace the older playdough.
1 cup flour
1/3 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of starter
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
And food coloring
You cook it until its the right texture of playdough and you can either add the color to the pot or after to make multiple colors by seperating it in batches. It doesn't stick to anything and is so much easier to work and clean up then store bought. This is a picture after the kids played with even the 1 yr can play with it. Even if he tries to eat it lol.

 

[promiseacres]

Good morning homeschooling mamas... I have a question for you guys. Recently I started my 2nd grader (has speech issues/apraxia) on a new phonics curriculum to help her reading. We were trudging through aBekas 2nd grade language but there were a lot of tears and she was struggling. Initially I was going to do both the phonics and language...but last week or so we just have done phonics, her reading, and some reading eggs (online reading curriculum ) . At 2nd grade is that enough "language " ? She also does math and cursive writing. Language curriculum can be so different! I worry she'll miss something... I know my husband would want her to finish the abeka but she's struggled with the pace of it since kindergarten.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

I thin what works for her is best. Its not very much but the point of homeschooling is for both of you to enjoy it and if its stressing her out and making it not fun it isnt worth it i tried that with rod and staff and i even was trying to use it once a week to not waste it but seems that it bad experience with it memorable thing to where she just reacts first. So i say do what works and forget what doesnt. Practicing reading is using phonics so it works for me. Thats the point of phonics anyways.

 

[thistlebloom]

I have a phonics program I purchased and downloaded on my computer. It's totally interactive and complete. It was under $100, which I know is spendy for a single subject, but it's non consumable and can be used for everyone, even kids who are already reading fine.
I am starting my 4 year old neighbor on it. We just started last week, I'm going to work with her 3 days a week. I can't speak to the useability yet, but so far I like it and she is enjoying it. It was developed to be usable for all ages, even adult non readers.
I am considering doing some reading tutoring in the future so my little neighbor is my guinea pig for this curriculum.
Ultimate Phonics, by Spencer Learning. I think he offers a free trial period.

A few years ago I tutored two other neighbor kids who attend government school and were struggling with reading, they were in second grade then I think. I used Phonics Pathways by Dolores Hiskes. It's a very complete program, again for all ages, and I even learned some phonics rules I hadn't known when I taught my own kids.

I'm not plugging for these two programs, just offering them as something that might work well with different kids.

 

[AmberRaif]

So for Math, I actually love Masterbooks. I'm using/have used 5 different levels of it currently(k through 4), and my kids are grasping the concepts and doing great. I don't think it is babyish, it just isn't "public schoolish". They use a story form only in the introduction to each lesson and they do that to help kids see where in life they will use the new concept they are learning.
We have tried Abeka math, Math U See and reviewed Saxon as well, and for k through 4 Masterbooks wins with it's easily understood lessons and they way it builds concepts. I can't say enough good about it. ♥
As far as when to start school officially...I embrace a Charlotte Mason ideology of teaching them at an early age to love learning through exploration, discussion, nature, and good literature read out loud. Colors, shapes, numbers and letters can be taught through play and life experience and many children raised this way are at "grade level" when they hit the age for second grade and without a heavy stress filled workload. Make it fun, don't rush it, a four year old has plenty of years ahead of him to be a scholar. A great read for homeschooling mom's is "the Unhurried Homeschooler". Highly encouraging to help see the big picture of educating our kids, and it's written by a successful homeschooling mom with letters in it from her grown children.