• Apr. 10, 2007
The Curriculum Craze
Oh my goodness!! I never expected preparation for homeschool to be so insane! Between choosing a method, narrowing down curriculums within the method, and incorporating what I understand about the learning styles of my four-year-old (which at this point is very little), I am going to be planning for his kindergarten year for the next 10 years! I am so overwhelmed! Did anyone else feel this way? Seriously, how to do settle for any curriculum? I want to pick the BEST one in EVERY subject. I have a education background, and have knowledge of the curriculums used in the classroom and their positive and negative aspects; but I am struggling with finding homeschool curriculums with a good balance of a curriculum appropriate for home, but paced similar to school, but still flexible and thorough. I wish I had the time to create my own, which I am sure I will be doing as I go and fill in as I dislike curriculums these next few years, but this is just insane!
Does anyone have an suggestions for me? I know you all can bombard me with a million curriculums, but I really want to know what has work for different families. I don't mind preparation; I even crave doing school work things because of my teaching background. I am looking into the Charlotte Mason method mostly. Keep in mind I have a four-year-old who is reading at a mid-first grade level, a two-year-old who knows her alphabet and phonics, and a 11 month old who needs moderate attention throughout the day. I plan to homeschool through jr high and plan to have 3+ more children. My husband will be a big help, as he is a first/second grade teacher. I have looked at Math-U-See, Moving With Math, Singapore math, and Horizons for math. MUS and MwMath seem slow and don't cover as much as I would like in the younger grades. Horizons and Singapore lack manipulatives. I have looked at the Five in a Row curriculum, but haven't gotten much further with reading because there are so stinking many! I want to do spanish, art appreciation, physcial education, and bible from the beginning. Oh my goodness, I am overwhelmed typing all this out! Anyway, I need HELP! Thanks girls..(and boys, maybe?)!
Helpless and confused,
Ashley
Comments
• Apr. 15, 2007
Untitled Comment
Posted by TC
Welcome to HSB!
I can tell you're excited about homeschooling. :)
In my opinion, a kindergartener needs nothing more than reading skills, math, lots of good books for you to read aloud, and informal nature (science) discovery. Bible can be nothing more than a good Bible story book, a children's catechism, or "Leading Little Ones to God." Don't try to make your homeschool look just like a public school. Nothing can kill a child's love of learning faster than too much, too soon.
I very much liked Saxon math for the elementary school years, because of the 1) manipulatives, and 2) repetition. But once my chidren had mastered basic math functions, we moved to Singapore Math because I like the way it teaches the student to think about several ways to solve a problem.
That's my 2 cents (plus a little more). :)
• Apr. 16, 2007
Untitled Comment
Posted by KayinMaine
Welcome to HSB, and to the wonderful adventure of homeschooling.
Now, take a deep breath, relax, and believe me when I tell you that the real success of homeschooling lies in the time spent with your children, knitting your heart to theirs. There is no such thing as the perfect curriculum. There are certainly plenty available that can make our task as homeschool moms easier, but none with meet all of our needs exactly.
I have used My Father's World (www.mfwbooks.com) for Kindergarten and really enjoyed it, as did my children. One thing I learned with my first child, and which I am trying to implement as I teach subsequent children, it's better to take a slower pace in the early grades. Enjoy this time with your little ones; it only comes around once.
I also have to say that I have used both Saxon and Math U See, and I love MUS. My first grader is loving it as well. Saxon certainly has its strengths, but it is written for classroom use, which presents challenges for a homeschooler.
Might I suggest that you read Educating the Wholehearted Child? It is my favorite "how to homeschool" book. I also learned a lot from reading Teaching the Trivium, which is rapidly becoming a classic in the homeschool world.
Hope that helps!
