The 3 R's

[MPsSweetie]

I am constantly researching new approaches and curriculums, but I can't find just a basic curriculum. I want reading, handwriting and math... And thats it. At this point I have everything else covered just through daily living and discussions, history channel, etc... But all these curriculums I find make sure to include history, science, etc, etc.... Some of them don't include math at all!!
I really would like it if I could find one curriculum that covered just the 3 R's. Does anybody have a recommendation?

[LilyGrace]

Buy pieces separately?

[MPsSweetie]

Thats what I'm thinking... I just wish I could find them all together.

[elizawill]

why do you want to buy them all together? i prefer different curriculum personally for those subjects. my dd liked www.readingeggs.com and explode the code for phonics. i don't use a curriculum for handwriting, but "handwriting without tears" is very popular. for math, there is miquon,singapore, math-u-see, right start, etc. which are all really popular. my dd likes workbooks a lot, so she's enjoyed rod & staff and we just switched to calvert math and love it. good luck

[theretohere]

Have you looked at Rod and Staff's stuff? It is Christian, I don't know if that bothers you.

[umsami]

I buy separately. Nobody had what I wanted in one package.

I do Handwriting Without Tear for handwriting. I really like this program... especially the instructor's guide. I've gotten so much out of it. Cost for the whole program... including wooden pieces and stuff was $60. In the instructor's guide, there is a weekly plan that you can choose to follow...or not.

Right Start Math for math. (The abacus folks.) I like this as well... as does DS1. He loves playing math. Cost for Level A kit was around $100. Maybe a little more.

For reading, we did Click-n-Read Phonics which is an online 100 lesson program that I got for $29 through a free homeschooling co-op. It's been fabulous... and it all clicked for DS1 around lesson 20-22... that's when he started reading. Now we're near lesson 40, and he's eagerly reading and trying to read anything he can get his hands on.

[Lillian J]

There are lots of great materials that aren't part of a packaged curriculum. In fact, they tend to be better when a source is specializing in a subject rather than when one company is putting everything together.

How old is your child? - Lillian

[MPsSweetie]

Thanks, I will probably end up piecing it together. I just don't know which ones to pick!

She is 6.5 and she is doing amazing, almost done with the 2nd grade stuff I have for her (except handwriting). So we are taking a few weeks off right now. I just thought I would look into something different for 3rd grade materials. We like to switch it up, keeps it fun, kwim? And not too labor intensive, we only work a few afternoons a week for a couple hours at a time.

[ahdoula]

Our 3 R's are:

Writing- HWT
Math-Saxon
Reading-McGuffy for dd and Click n' Read for ds

[MPsSweetie]

Originally Posted by ahdoula

Our 3 R's are:

Writing- HWT
Math-Saxon
Reading-McGuffy for dd and Click n' Read for ds

Thanks!

[Lillian J]

There are lots of math materials suggestions in the Let's Talk Math sticky - you might find something there that strikes a chord with what you know about the way your daughter learns.

And I've seen a bizillion recommendations over the years for Handwriting Without Tears.

Here are some links to threads about learning to read. Lillian

[MPsSweetie]

Originally Posted by Lillian J

There are lots of math materials suggestions in the Let's Talk Math sticky - you might find something there that strikes a chord with what you know about the way your daughter learns.

And I've seen a bizillion recommendations over the years for Handwriting Without Tears.

Here are some links to threads about learning to read. Lillian

Thanks. I will check into the math, we are about to head into multiplication.

I have heard good things about HWT, so I will *probably* go with that.

I guess I should have said that she is reading at about 3rd-4th grade level, so I need more advanced reading, or maybe its LA, instruction.

[MPsSweetie]

Actually I am totally confused about where to go now... Maybe thats why I want a 3rd grade curriculum. Where do I go with LA when she already reads so well?

[umsami]

Originally Posted by MPsSweetie

Actually I am totally confused about where to go now... Maybe thats why I want a 3rd grade curriculum. Where do I go with LA when she already reads so well?

I've heard really good things about Sonlight's curriculum. You can buy just the LA component. If you're not Christian, there is a Secular Sonlight group which can offer some advice.

http://www.sonlight.com/la-2-adv.html

(That's just a guess at your DC's level... you can pick any level you want on the left hand nav)

[momtokea]

I bought separately for 3 years, and then I discovered Sonlight. Now I buy everything from Sonlight. They recommend several different math programs, handwriting programs, etc. And since I buy everything from them I get little perks like free shipping for a year, and 10% off.
It's a great program for a kid who reads well and loves to read.
And, my motto is: "If Sonlight recommends it and says it's good, then it is."

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by MPsSweetie

Where do I go with LA when she already reads so well?

You could just let her read things she enjoys, and pieces will fall into place. Here's a page that has to do with language arts, and you'll find a number of links there to sites that recommend literature for various ages. Make regular trips to the library and let her pick things she's drawn to while you poke around and see if you can find other things you think she might like. But keep reading to her - the love of being read to will go a long way in building her own love of reading.

[ahdoula]

I still use Mcguffy for my 7yo, and she reads independently at a sixth grade level. She is using McGuffy third eclectic reader, and reads aloud to me daily, practicing intonation, reads the definitions at the end of each lesson, expands her vocabulary, and I make sure she is reading the harder words correctly.

[PGTlatte]

I like some of the stuff that Teacher Created Resources publishes. You can buy them as e-book which means you get to download a pdf file and print the pages as you are ready to use them, and as many times as you need them. You can preview the tables of contents and sample pages of each book at their website.

http://www.teachercreated.com/

I like their books because they are very basic, without a lot of pictures which are a big distraction to our DS1.