Peak with Books

[Momma Aimee]

me again

Spinning off my own thread on a curr choice for 4/5 PK ...

I am really thinking of getting Peak with Books. I will add math to it and some phonice / handwritting (mainly for speech, and reading readyness rather than with the goal of reading).

I may also use www.letteroftheweek.com

kinda use BWB and LoftheW as my "starting point"

I want to go more Classical as the boys get older -- so i think the foundation of "working from books" will be good. It will keep us reading a lot, and "building on our reading" which is what i want all our HS to look like.

I will add in some of the other book suggestions from AO and older "clissical lists". again you can't read too much.

I am mainly looking for a structure .....i wanted to test drive a curr choice for later, butttttttttttttttt it is becoming clear i can't really do that, i doubt any boxed curr is going to work for our Classical desires .

I read number of old posts on PWB today -- but most were too old for me to post to and ask more questions.

I am wondering

who else has used PWB in this way -- as a foundation or structure for their homeschooling? I can eve see us doing it 2x once for theo and again for Chalres after a year off -- i am sure Theo even at 6 would get some from going though it for Chalres at 4. Again with just differnt supplments.

Also I know Moving Beyond the page uses PWB as it's "per-K" program ... is there anything to be gained by buying the Guide to Homeschooling with Peak With Books from MBTP?? (though as i look i am not sure you CAN buy that alone, seems like you should be able to -- if you do not want to buy all the kids books from you, but i am not finding it -- so manybe this questions doesn't matter)

When you did PWB I assume if you skip a book (my boys don't have any intrestin good night moon for examples) then it does NOT effect what comes after, correct?

And a final ?

How much schdule or structure or order does PWB really prodive?

Thanks

Aimee

[justthinkn]

I haven't really used it yet after doing all this work, but I figured out MBTP's thematic groupings of PWB from the images on MBTP's website, and they also have a suggested weekly schedule for using the elements of PWB with each book right on the website. I think that's all you'd need, though I guess perhaps MBTP's guide might have more about how to introduce the themes?? HTH!

Family & Friends (Relationships)
The Runaway Bunny
Where the Wild Things Are
Good Morning, Chick
Peter’s Chair
May I Bring a Friend?
Make Way for Duckling
Bedtime for Frances
Tough Boris

Animal Stories (Living Things)
The Pig in the Pond
Who Took the Farmer’s Hat?
Noah’s Ark
Ask Mr. Bear
The Grouchy Ladybug
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

Numbers, Colors and Letters (Basics)
Ten, Nine, Eight
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
On Market Street
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present
Freight Train
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?

People and Places (Diversity)
Whistle for Willy
Hush
Blueberries for Sal
The Old Man and His Door
The Snowy Day
Mama, Do You Love Me?

Rhyming Books and Traditional Tales
The Little Red Hen
Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go
Caps for Sale
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Each Peach Pear Plum
To Market, To Market
The Gingerbread Boy

ETA: I think PWB has a lot of ideas that you have to pick and choose from, esp. since some would be better for groups or higher skill levels - & the MBTP suggestions for a weekly schedule seem pretty good at giving more structure. It's has lots of fun tie-ins, book suggestions, finger plays and poems... More in depth than BFIAR, for instance, while still very play-oriented. BFIAR is meant to be uber-relaxed, and it's written for homeschoolers. PWB is written as a resource for pre-k thru 1st grade classrooms, I believe, so a homeschooling parent has to do a little more to make it her own!

[Momma Aimee]

thanks

I really think this might jsut be what i need to get me over the hump -- i will alter it and add to it (math, phonices) but i think this might help a lot.

Aimee

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

I am planning pretty much the same thing as you are with my nearly 3.5ds. i bought peak with books used and will be adding in a phonics program and math. I was able to get some great materials from hooked on phonics on their website in their overstock section. I got the pre-k reading, pre-k math and begining handwriting for about 33$ shipped with coupon codes. google hooked on phonics coupon codes and something should come up, they are also offering free shipping right now, but i missed that one, you should check out the site, there are some great second language and bible items available too. I hope to start up in January after the holidays, things are a bit hectic right with xmas and my cousins wedding coming up, so I think it best we hold off for a bit longer.

[Momma Aimee]

I was nurseing at 12:45 am and at 1:30 and .....

anyway i was thinking about this.

I am starting to see how i can put this together -- and create plan for myself / us .... still not be pushy since he is SN, immature, a boy and still so young ....

ILoveMyBabyBird -- did / do you follow a set schdule .. the BMBTP suggestion is:

•Monday – Setting the Stage, First Reading, and Getting Involved,
•Tuesday – A Closer Look, Story Time Extension, and Poetry,
•Wednesday – Involvement(1-2 Activities), Integration (1 Activity),
•Thursday – Integration (2-3 Activities),
•Friday – Continue Integration (1-2 Activities) and Everyday Learning Activities (2-3 Activities)


I am going to start with that -- and see where we need to modify.

for math, for now, i am going to make 4 titles/ themes (# ID, patterens, relationship concepts, and counting pratice) and shuffle them to different days of the week -- on that day i will pull out activities or free worksheets to go with the "theme" and I will do them on differnt days each week. that covers starting out math.

I will pull arts / crafts from the books as well as seasonal -- as i do now.

I also want to start doing a YOGA for kids DVD with the boys -- well me doing and leting them join i as they want, when they want ... 2 or 3 days a week ....

What did others find as the strongest and weakest elemnt of PWBs???

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

Originally Posted by Momma Aimee

I was nurseing at 12:45 am and at 1:30 and .....

anyway i was thinking about this.

I am starting to see how i can put this together -- and create plan for myself / us .... still not be pushy since he is SN, immature, a boy and still so young ....

ILoveMyBabyBird -- did / do you follow a set schdule .. the BMBTP suggestion is:

•Monday – Setting the Stage, First Reading, and Getting Involved,
•Tuesday – A Closer Look, Story Time Extension, and Poetry,
•Wednesday – Involvement(1-2 Activities), Integration (1 Activity),
•Thursday – Integration (2-3 Activities),
•Friday – Continue Integration (1-2 Activities) and Everyday Learning Activities (2-3 Activities)


I am going to start with that -- and see where we need to modify.

for math, for now, i am going to make 4 titles/ themes (# ID, patterens, relationship concepts, and counting pratice) and shuffle them to different days of the week -- on that day i will pull out activities or free worksheets to go with the "theme" and I will do them on differnt days each week. that covers starting out math.

I will pull arts / crafts from the books as well as seasonal -- as i do now.

I also want to start doing a YOGA for kids DVD with the boys -- well me doing and leting them join i as they want, when they want ... 2 or 3 days a week ....

What did others find as the strongest and weakest elemnt of PWBs???

I hope to follow the above outline, but haven't started yet. I did look around on the MBTP website and quite a few people there in the forums say that when you do this curriculum in a homeschool setting, it doesn't seem to take that long to do each of the activities for the day and that you may need to supplement with other literature books or something. I plan to do the book of the week and add some of the hop lessons , but i am not sure about adding more books yet.

[Momma Aimee]

I hope to follow the above outline, but haven't started yet. I did look around on the MBTP website and quite a few people there in the forums say that when you do this curriculum in a homeschool setting, it doesn't seem to take that long to do each of the activities for the day and that you may need to supplement with other literature books or something. I plan to do the book of the week and add some of the hop lessons , but i am not sure about adding more books yet.

I guess it depends what "added in" peple mean. I mean i don't really understand what they mean. ?? We read 35 or more mintes 2 or 3 times a day -- ---- so I see the book of the week being the books we pull arts and crafts off of (in adition to seasonal) and While i have read it yet, i am assumeing the suggested actitivies are based off that book ...But I mean, eveyone read more than that one book, so i guess i don't understnad the discussion of "adding in other books" Not trying to be dense -- but when people suggest adding in books -- what excately are the talking about.

Maybe after bed tonighht i can spend some more time on the MBTP wed site ...

I wish I had got my butt in gear and decided this 2 months ago then I could have bought some of the books for Birthday and Christmas -- I have already bought so many books for both birthdays, advent and christmas that i don't really have "wiggle rooms" to buy any more (bought a lot already ).

But I think i will look thought them and decied which ones i really would like us to OWN .. and add a couple of more books to the Christmas stack .. or ask for them for ME.

(I already went though and marked the ones we already own -- 9 of them)

[justthinkn]

Peak with Books recommends so many tie-in books (and they're really good!) that I can't imagine having a problem finding lots to read...

I've only done 2 books from PWB before deciding I'd rather finish with nice, relaxed BFIAR first, and do this later when DD can get more out of it (she's pretty precocious about books, but young)... Anyway, with PWB I tried having a "sub-theme" for each day for each book, introducing those tie-in books and a craft... Like with "Bedtime for Frances," one day we focused on the night sky, one day on the alphabet song, one day on quilts, one day on wind... I actually collected it all into a simple little book made with regular sheets of paper cut in half... The cover page was an image of the main book we were reading, and the subsequent pages collected the crafts with key words labeled (like "wind" and "badger") and maybe a poem or two recommended by PWB written out - then I stapled the pages together. Kind of like a lapbook, I guess, but it felt simpler to me. Anyway, DD still pulls out those two little books to look through...

[Momma Aimee]

justthinkn -- that sounds great

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

9-you're doing better than us, i think we only have 3 of the books, i too have already bought quite a bit of gifts for ds before i decided to do this, I know a lot of people just get the books at the library, but quite frankly, i'm a little weary of this for myself, I at first didn't consider this program because of the need for extra books we didn't have, but now i wish i would have decided to do it a few months ago so i could be looking at thrift stores for the books, i know the 3 i have i bought at thriftstores/rummage sales, for less than 1$ each, if i could get the whole set for that much I would like that! Not that i don't like the library and if I don't find the books before then I will be getting them there, I'm just nervous about if the book is checked out that we need that week and the timing of checking out the books, etc. I think it would be easier just to have them all, but I know we can't afford retail on all the books, so it's either the thriftstore or the library i guess...

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by ILoveMyBabyBird

9-you're doing better than us, i think we only have 3 of the books, i too have already bought quite a bit of gifts for ds before i decided to do this, I know a lot of people just get the books at the library, but quite frankly, i'm a little weary of this for myself, I at first didn't consider this program because of the need for extra books we didn't have, but now i wish i would have decided to do it a few months ago so i could be looking at thrift stores for the books, i know the 3 i have i bought at thriftstores/rummage sales, for less than 1$ each, if i could get the whole set for that much I would like that! Not that i don't like the library and if I don't find the books before then I will be getting them there, I'm just nervous about if the book is checked out that we need that week and the timing of checking out the books, etc. I think it would be easier just to have them all, but I know we can't afford retail on all the books, so it's either the thriftstore or the library i guess...

wondering about the timeing and the Lib myself too our local Lib is TINY -- i have a bigger living room ...so it is gonna be ILL for a lot of the titles i think ,maaaaaaybe not i need to sit down director and see ....

i am wondering about changing the order of the weeks within a theme -- i haven't see the books yet -- that way i can request all of them, or 1/2 of them ILL at the start and do them as they arrive ... just changing the order of the weeks ?????? if not there are other suggested titles to use in conjunction ... could they be used in place of if we get stuck and don't have the right book at the right time .....

[Momma Aimee]

buying books is $$

Amazon.com -- ther eis a line of books like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157..._ya_oh_product

there are a ton of classic stories in the series .. we have The Gingerbread Boy, The Three Pigs, Jack and the Bean Stalk amoung others ....they are 3.99 each adn they are part of teh 4 for the price of 3 program -- so you can get 4 ata time for basically 12 bucks .....

they are not bad -- not the best -- but for teh boys to have now and for us to be able to get several "classics" -- i like them

here is a list of books -- i noted which ones i have -- and which are part of the above noted which are part of that serise i linked the example of above

Family & Friends (Relationships)
The Runaway Bunny
Where the Wild Things Are
Good Morning, Chick
Peter’s Chair
May I Bring a Friend?
Make Way for Duckling
Bedtime for Frances
Tough Boris

Animal Stories (Living Things)
The Pig in the Pond
Who Took the Farmer’s Hat?
Noah’s Ark
Ask Mr. Bear
The Grouchy Ladybug
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

Numbers, Colors and Letters (Basics)
Ten, Nine, Eight
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
On Market Street
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present
Freight Train
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?

People and Places (Diversity)
Whistle for Willy
Hush
Blueberries for Sal -- mine from when i was little
The Old Man and His Door
The Snowy Day
Mama, Do You Love Me?

Rhyming Books and Traditional Tales
The Little Red Hen
Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go
Caps for Sale
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Each Peach Pear Plum
To Market, To Market
The Gingerbread Boy

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

so i just put a hold on some books for the pwb curriculum. I read over the first two mbtp weeks and what i did was got the main book and chose 4-5 tie in books for the week. I am trying out getting 2 weeks worth of books at a time and then about 5 days before the third week i will put 2 more books on hold and some tie books and hopefully that will work out so i can pick them up before week 3. I hope that will give enough time. actually i was happy to see at least 3 copies of each book within the ill system, so i don't think i will have a problem with them all being checked when i need them, and since i am not getting all the tie books, i can always substitute tie in books if need be. I plan to start pwb in one week as long as the books are ready in time.

[Momma Aimee]

Originally Posted by ILoveMyBabyBird

so i just put a hold on some books for the pwb curriculum. I read over the first two mbtp weeks and what i did was got the main book and chose 4-5 tie in books for the week. I am trying out getting 2 weeks worth of books at a time and then about 5 days before the third week i will put 2 more books on hold and some tie books and hopefully that will work out so i can pick them up before week 3. I hope that will give enough time. actually i was happy to see at least 3 copies of each book within the ill system, so i don't think i will have a problem with them all being checked when i need them, and since i am not getting all the tie books, i can always substitute tie in books if need be. I plan to start pwb in one week as long as the books are ready in time.

I can't wait to hear how it goes

Aimee