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jillian
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| Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 4:07pm | IP Logged
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So I might get a few flames for this, but we have found that for certain "subjects" or "themes" DD needs structure, whether that is structured play or sit down structure. She is in a private preschool this year, and is doing really really well with the structure they provide.
I will admit I am a huge "schedule" failure unless we have places to be. So sometimes my "teaching" time with her, for example: focusing on living books, or sitting down and talking about something specific (though we always talk and encourage questions).
I was looking at some of the pre-k stuff from St. Thomas Aquinas Academy and/or some of the materials from CHC. Anyone use these schools/programs.
I am looking to purchase this upcoming year over the course of the whole year and starting when dd is 4-ish. She turns 3 in a couple weeks. She enjoys workbooks and that sort of thing as well as hands on activities.
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Maryan
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| Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 4:17pm | IP Logged
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I've never used STAA but have used the handwriting from CHC for my kindergartener (two books -- letters for weeks 1-15 and words/copywork for weeks 16-36). I like them.
I haven't used CHC's preschool stuff, but if your daughter like workbooks, I'm sure she'd like them. I've seen the lesson plans and they look very organized. 
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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jillian
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| Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 4:22pm | IP Logged
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I have been praying about which programs to really look at and compare and I keep going back to STAA and CHC. She would've been ready for CHC this year content wise but not any writing parts (doesn't have pencil control yet). STAA says that they don't recommend starting the program before 5 years old though I plan on having her do the placement test towards middle/end of next year (2011)and see where she falls.
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Maggie
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| Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 4:36pm | IP Logged
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I started my dd with "Handwriting Without Tears" for the beginning pencil control/letter formation at 4.5. She is almost 5.5 and is just finishing. We did the green book and then the orange book...after this, I think we may be done and ready to move onto something else.
I started with CHC preschool stuff with her, and I just felt like it had a lot of holes in it--though, the content is so sweet. DD really struggled.
I then switched to 100 EZ Lessons--and she thrived. We started CHC reading in the middle of EZ lessons, and she has blown threw it all. I think EZ Lessons was a good springboard for her.
In regards to Math, she is totally excelling with Rightstart Level B...
These are the two main subjects we focus on right now...well, three really...it is reading, writing, and arithmetic...basically, all I can handle right now. 
But we do it everyday...and she loves it...
Good Luck with everything!!
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Wife to dh (12 years) Mama to dd (10) ds (8), dd (1), ds (nb) and to Philip Mary (5/26/09), Lucy Joy (12/6/09), and Margaret Mary (3/6/10) who entered Heaven before we had a chance to hold them.
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jillian
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| Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 5:24pm | IP Logged
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I need a jumping point/springboard for religion. I admit that my Catholic Education was seriously lacking growing up and I don't have a foundation I feel confident in to teach her even the basics beyond Mass attendance and basic prayers.
We have RightStart A and plan on doing that slowly after the first of the year. I need to get her the abacus and figure out how to do the lessons with her.
I have an awesome Hello Kitty phonics program I got through scholastic (she adores Hello Kitty so that is motivation for her). I am looking at some other supplementary materials too.
I really like the look of the 1, 2, 3 Science Overview from CHC.
She spontaneously is sounding out some two and three letter words now, and is exploding with that. I am thinking the "100 EZ lessons" to guide me but I don't know, there is just so much good material out there.
I am going to get FIAR though this year, I am excited for that. It'll be a fun way to explore some other subjects besides the basics in a casual way ya know?
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ekbell
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| Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 7:25pm | IP Logged
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With some of my children I've had structured work at four years of age, with others I haven't. It depended on the child.
I've found CHC's preschool plans to be pretty unstructured. They've been helpful when I've had a child who occasionally wanted something to do but not so much for the child who likes having structured 'lessons' everyday.
That said- CHC's Preschool Workbooks are nicely set up with ideas for a one to four day week. I'm currently using them as part of my Letter-of-the-Week lesson plans with my four year old son and he loves them.
My Letter-of-the-week plans consist of buying the workbooks and a fair number of Alphabet books, finding websites for further activities and then putting a weekly plan together.
I mostly used this wonderful website DLTK's Printable Crafts for Kids. I can't recommend this site too much for finding easy thematic crafts for very young children. The next time I do this I'll likely also use this site A-Z Pre-K to K
bible Story Lesson Plans.
If you are curious here are the bones of the weekly lesson plans for my four year old.
Monday
Activities
-Introduce Letter with flashcards (I use these flashcards The Visual Kinesthetic Auditory Alphabet)
-Practice writing the letter (the back of the flashcards have very helpful teaching suggestions for this)
-Do one page of the CHC pre-school math workbook
Books
-Read appropriate pages from An Alphabet of Catholic Saints and Mother Goose In California (A very lovely alphabet book, well worth owning despite the fact that we live in Canada) plus a story of his own choosing
Tuesday
Activities
-First page from CHC pre-school letter workbook
-Nursery Rhyme craft and recitation (he repeats after me)
-Second Page from CHC math workbook
Books
-study appropriate page of Museum ABC & read Bible story plus story of his choosing
Wednesday
This is a break day in our household, kept free for fieldtrips or major household tasks. If there's no fieldtrip he can spend 20mins at Starfall
Thursday
Activities
-Second page of pre-school letter workbook
-a letter craft
-reading, discussing and colouring two pages of the St. Joseph 1,2,3 Coloring Book
-Reviewing the nursery rhyme of the week
Books
-study the appropriate page of ABC's Naturally (it's been a great inspiration for nature walks as well) & read our Canadian ABC book plus a story of his choice
Friday
Activities
-Go over the Sunday reading with the rest of the family while coloring his Open Wednesday page
-work on a religion project with the rest of the family (a bible story craft could be subsituted here)
-review the first day's flashcards and recite the nursery rhyme
Books
-Study Alphabet city & read the appropriate letter and number pages from The Wildlife ABC and 123 plus a story of his own choice.
Prayer before lessons, music and liturgical year read alouds are done with his siblings and are not included in these plans.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Nov 30 2010 at 8:05pm | IP Logged
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Hi Jillian. 
So...your daughter is 2 right now, almost 3? I have an almost 3 year old, too. Right now she loves the alphabet, puzzles, music, blocks, scissors (  ), and dolls. She loves being read to and enjoys being at my side for cooking and cleaning! This is where the majority of her learning takes place - at my side. Right now, it's all about forming good habits that will assist her in years to come.
jillian wrote:
| So I might get a few flames for this, but we have found that for certain "subjects" or "themes" DD needs structure, whether that is structured play or sit down structure. |
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I think this is really true for all children, all ages. All children need healthy limits and boundaries. Within those healthy boundaries, they have freedom to explore and learn. Their work at this age (from 2 - 5ish) is their play! They learn through playing and exploring. They learn in relationship with others. I don't structure my younger children's days, nor do I invite a curriculum to structure time for my child, though I do respect other families right to do so. (Curriculum providers can offer wonderful support to families choosing to go this route.) I do provide an environment that has routine and boundaries for my children to explore within.
Children have a natural sense of wonder. Too much structure removes the opportunity for them to wonder...to be still and know...to dance and play...to observe and ask questions. Oh my, this is one of the most distinct blessings of being able to learn alongside my little people - the wonder with which they observe the world, their surroundings, the simplest of things.
My "curriculum" for my emerging 3 yo includes lots of opportunities within healthy boundaries for learning through play - puzzles, art fun, playing outside, role play games, stacking blocks, learning the names of the birds at our birdfeeder, learning simple songs and poems, counting objects, puppet play, learning to share, to use kind words, to offer thanks, to put away, to offer obedience when asked. She loves measuring and pouring and scooping and sorting. When she indicates writing readiness at a later age we'll begin simple copying of letters followed by simple words.
Themes are chosen by me and usually reflect a natural or liturgical season of the year, interest of the children, or a rabbit trail we're following. The vehicle I choose to use for conveying ideas are rich and living picture books at this age.
I enjoy using Enchanted Learning to find printables and activity sheets that coordinate with almost everything we may be reading about as well as using Charlotte's coloring pages.
While I don't use the FIAR series as it is written, I do so enjoy reading the many books they suggest on their booklists! Some of the books are among my children's favorites!
I've also used some of the CHC books over the years and find them to be gentle and wholesome.
Religion at this age consists of learning basic prayers of our faith and how much Jesus and Mary love them.
** My Prayer Book For Children
** Catholic Children's Treasure Box Books
** Manners in God's House
** My Jesus and I
** Leading The Little Ones To Mary
** Catholic music that reinforces prayers (CHC has a wonderful selection!)
We are so blessed to be able to choose from (and be choosy about) the varied resources available to us as tools in our children's education! Thanks be to God for the many families (especially Catholic families) that blazed their way through home education and came up with resources and ideas that filled niches and addressed needs for the rest of us. I've learned that part of being choosy can be carefully guarding that precious time of play as work and allowing space and opportunity for a young child to learn and explore and wonder...so that I can wonder with them!
Saving budget money that might have been spent on a pre-packaged curriculum for my youngers yields a little extra money that we like to spend on family passes to zoos and botanical gardens. These provide rich family experiences and invite wonder. I've never been disappointed investing family home education money in this way!!
Good luck choosing beautiful materials and carving out special times that foster living and learning, Jillian!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Dec 01 2010 at 3:29pm | IP Logged
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jillian wrote:
| We have RightStart A and plan on doing that slowly after the first of the year. I need to get her the abacus and figure out how to do the lessons with her. |
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I was thinking of you, Jillian, when notification of a Right Start sale landed in my inbox. Thought you might be interested in checking it out. The Abacus is on sale for $10.00. A great price!
__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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jillian
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| Posted: Dec 01 2010 at 6:55pm | IP Logged
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Oh thank you Jen!!!
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dolorsofmary
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| Posted: Dec 03 2010 at 6:19pm | IP Logged
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we use little saints and my son loves it, he is a little old for it, he is a young 5 but he does not want to do K yet. I was able to find the curriculum on cathswap
Good luck and Godspeed to you.
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Pre/K and/or Kindy
