Homeschooling my Kindergartener....HELP!!!! (Curriculum Question)

[alicia9178]

So we are agoing through a homescool charter school with our Kindergarten daughter after pulling her from traditional school.  Some of the resources they give us I like...some I hate.  One of the things so far that I hate is the math and Reading/Phonics.  Please give me suggestions of curriculum you used and why you liked it.  I am kinda lost.

[AAK]

What are you using for math and reading?  What do/don't you like about them?

For math, I like Singapore Math.  It has worked well for all my girls.  That said, some people don't like it.  I do supplement with the Math Games Kit from RightStart.  I love the games.  I have heard good things about RightStart math curriculum too.  It is one that people love if they start with it from an early age.  But, it is pricy.  A lot of people like Miquon and Math U See as well.  I haven't any experience with either of those.  We do use Math Mammoth for supplement, but I find the layout boring and monotanous which is why we don't use it for our spine.

Reading.  There are lots of things you can do for reading/phonics.  If your dd likes workbooks, there are the "Explode the Code" workbooks.  They also have an online version.  Also online, there is reading eggs, starfall, and Headsprout.  Many of those also have free trials.  We like using the "I See Sam" readers.  They are completely decodable, introduce only a few sounds at a time, and slow to progress.  Therefore, the kid gets lots of new material to read without needed to be able to read more.  For the kid who reading just "clicks" for, they might get bored.  Also for decodable readers, I like the ones from All About Spelling.  All About Spelling also has All About Reading.  I haven't used it, but I love their spelling program.  We have "CobWeb the Cat", "What Am I", and "Queen Bee". 

Here are links:

http://www.singaporemath.com/  (I thought the earlybird math was more prek than K, however primary math moves quickly.  I would do 1A for my kindergartener and then 1B in first grade.  I would also do lots of hands on learning.)

http://www.alabacus.com/

http://www.3rsplus.com/index.htm  (least expensive way to order I See Sam readers, though you can print off some levels for free online)

http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/categories/All-About-Reading/

Good luck!

Amy

[Red Pajama]

I homeschooled my boys last year for kindergarten. I had no pre-packaged curriculum.  What I recommend doing is going to your state's department of Education website, click on the curriculum standards for kindergarten, and find out what is expected for you to be doing.

For me, our goal was to be reading by kindergarten's end. Everything else was gravy.

I have some materials, and I'd buy manipulatives as I could.  I borrowed Hooked on Phonics from the library (parent-teacher resources area), and had a Teacher Created Resources Phonics workbook, too.  We made sight word games and flashcards. THere's also the website Starfall http://www.starfall.com/  that is good practice, too.

We worked directly on phonics/reading for about 20-30 minutes a day. We also did other reading, and other school work, too.

Good luck. You can send me a message if you'd like more help, or I can check back to this thread, too.

[Red Pajama]

I didn't even mention math, but we did work on it. I didn't have a workbook for kindergarten or a curriculum.  Instead, I had unifix cubes, pattern blocks,  counting bears, dice, place value sets, judy clocks, tape measures & rulers, fake money. 

We worked on counting to 100, counting by 10s, 5s. and 2s.  We worked on one-to-one correspondence, writing the numbers, identifying 2 digit numbers, copying patterns and shapes, continuing patterns, creating own patterns, simple addition and subtraction facts, identifying money, telling time to the 5 minute, measuring with standard and non-standard units, place value to the 100s.  Again, I didn't have a curriculum, we just worked on this a bit each day, and I wrote what we did each day on a calendar planner.  Instead of spending money on curriculum, you can spend it on manipulatives.

[Leav97]

For reading take a look at www.progressivephonics.com  It's free.