There are many choices out there, but just for you to have something to compare with, look at and see if it may be the right style for you and your child, I will share with you what we have used and liked so far.
Math:
I fell in love with Math-U-see as soon as I watched a few of their demos. It is a very visual and hands on approach, and in fact, has similarities to a montessori style of teaching math. http://www.mathusee.com/
One of my little children needed a bit more extra help, so I purchased and downloaded worksheets from Touch Math. They are absolutely incredible but quite pricey so it's nice they have the option to purchase and download specific worksheets as needed to help target areas in which your child may need some extra help. http://www.touchmath.com/
Other popular math programs are Teaching Textbooks and Singapore Math, but math-u-see was a better fit for our very hands on, kinesthetic, visual learners.
Below: Doing math-u-see
Reading:
Below: Doing math-u-see
Now I'm Reading! by Nora Gaydos.
My mother used these books for my siblings, and I used these books for each and every one of our children. I am not sure if they are slowly going out of print which would be so unfortunate, but I found that Barns and Nobles has some of them on their web site.
There are 4 level plus an independent reading series. I would suggest to find what you can and if you like it purchase it.
As far as teaching the sounds that each letter makes to eventually build up to sounding out a word (or decoding), with the guidance and wisdom of a dear friend of mine I have fallen in love with the Montessori method of teaching. A popular and very effective teaching aid is their movable alphabet. Montessori also has a specific order as to which letter sounds to introduce first.
http://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Movable-Alphabet - English Alphabet
http://www.jewishsoftware.com/products/Jewish_Montessori_Alef_Bet - Alef Bet
Learning to Write.
When the children are leaning to write and form their letters this has been my paper of choice, especially for children with special needs. http://www.startdothandwriting.com/ourmethod Here is a link to some of their products. http://www.startdothandwriting.com/companion-materials (In the early stages we gravitate to a Montessori approach for example writing in sand etc...)
This is also great for visual learners. Less colorful but still excellent! forhttp://www.amazon.com/Abilitations-Integrations-Hi-Write-Beginner-Paper
A fun book for the reluctant writer that was recommended to me by another homeschool mother is called Games For Writing by Peggy Kaye. http://www.amazon.com/Games-Writing-Playful-Child-Learn
http://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Movable-Alphabet - English Alphabet
http://www.jewishsoftware.com/products/Jewish_Montessori_Alef_Bet - Alef Bet
Learning to Write.
When the children are leaning to write and form their letters this has been my paper of choice, especially for children with special needs. http://www.startdothandwriting.com/ourmethod Here is a link to some of their products. http://www.startdothandwriting.com/companion-materials (In the early stages we gravitate to a Montessori approach for example writing in sand etc...)
This is also great for visual learners. Less colorful but still excellent! forhttp://www.amazon.com/Abilitations-Integrations-Hi-Write-Beginner-Paper
A fun book for the reluctant writer that was recommended to me by another homeschool mother is called Games For Writing by Peggy Kaye. http://www.amazon.com/Games-Writing-Playful-Child-Learn
After they have mastered reading it's all about encouraging a love for reading. In the back of our dining room we have a separate table full of beautiful books on display to encourage reading. In addition to searching for appropriate and stimulating books for them to read on their own, we have fallen into habit that I cherish. Reading at bed time. This often stretches out bedtime to about an hour just in reading. I wait for the children to snuggle up under their covers and then I typically choose a parsha (bible) story or any Chassidic or Yom Tov story that we may be up to during that time of year. I want them to associate Yiddishkyt with warmth and comfort, falling asleep to timeless, beautiful and meaningful stories and lessons from our past. I am not sure what the teenage years have in store for us, but I hope this will help set a beautiful foundation.
A Word on Vocabulary
I have learned from Charlotte Mason, that when we come across a vocabulary word, I don't stop to explain it unless the kids ask me, otherwise it is best to assume that they were able to figure it out based on the context of the sentence / story. So unbeknownst to the children, we are also building our vocabulary. There is a lot that that the Charlotte Mason method of has to offer and many families pick and choose which subjects to incorporate her methods of teaching, if not all. I have purchased CM DVD seminars and they have helped us a lot in our homeschooling journey. This is one of my favorite websites - http://simplycharlottemason.com/
If you are looking for a list of vocabulary words to slowly work on with the children, we enjoy Marie's Words - Visual Vocabulary for All Ages. timberdoodle.com - Visual Vocabulary Lots of fun!
Sequential Spelling
The only structured curriculum that I have found for spelling that I like is Sequential Spelling. sequentialspelling.com The following is a short explanation from the company. "The student learns sets of words that share patterns of spelling rather than thematically related lists of words. Young writers often try to use the sounds in words to figure out their spellings; experienced writers often use this phonetic strategy first, and then try other approaches, including applying common spelling patterns. So it is definitely worthwhile to help children hear the sounds in words by developing phonemic awareness, and then exploring sound/symbol relationships and spelling patterns..."
This DVD set has helped me find many wonderful ways to help make our homeschooling journey truly a beautiful way of life. http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/all-day-charlotte-mason-seminar-on-dvd/ Again, this may not fit every family, I am simply sharing with you some of the things that have helped to shape our homeschool experience. Charlotte Mason, and the Montessori method of teaching have given life and excitement to our learning.
Every day I am watching and learning as we grow as a family on this journey. It's a way of life I am happy we have found and cherish every moment of it. It fascinates me that the more time we spend together learning, reading, going on outings etc... the less space I feel I need from the children. Perhaps it's because we are spending more quality time together. Perhaps it's because we are learning more about each other as people. Our needs, our wants, our dislikes, our feelings, our struggles.... Whatever the reason may be I am honored to walk down this path, together with my husband and children. I thank from the bottom of my heart the more experienced homeschool mothers who have answered my many questions, helped us through our struggles and have simply been there in our time of need without being judgmental. It truly does take a village to raise a child. L'chayim!
A Word on Vocabulary
I have learned from Charlotte Mason, that when we come across a vocabulary word, I don't stop to explain it unless the kids ask me, otherwise it is best to assume that they were able to figure it out based on the context of the sentence / story. So unbeknownst to the children, we are also building our vocabulary. There is a lot that that the Charlotte Mason method of has to offer and many families pick and choose which subjects to incorporate her methods of teaching, if not all. I have purchased CM DVD seminars and they have helped us a lot in our homeschooling journey. This is one of my favorite websites - http://simplycharlottemason.com/
If you are looking for a list of vocabulary words to slowly work on with the children, we enjoy Marie's Words - Visual Vocabulary for All Ages. timberdoodle.com - Visual Vocabulary Lots of fun!
Sequential Spelling
The only structured curriculum that I have found for spelling that I like is Sequential Spelling. sequentialspelling.com The following is a short explanation from the company. "The student learns sets of words that share patterns of spelling rather than thematically related lists of words. Young writers often try to use the sounds in words to figure out their spellings; experienced writers often use this phonetic strategy first, and then try other approaches, including applying common spelling patterns. So it is definitely worthwhile to help children hear the sounds in words by developing phonemic awareness, and then exploring sound/symbol relationships and spelling patterns..."
This DVD set has helped me find many wonderful ways to help make our homeschooling journey truly a beautiful way of life. http://simplycharlottemason.com/store/all-day-charlotte-mason-seminar-on-dvd/ Again, this may not fit every family, I am simply sharing with you some of the things that have helped to shape our homeschool experience. Charlotte Mason, and the Montessori method of teaching have given life and excitement to our learning.
Every day I am watching and learning as we grow as a family on this journey. It's a way of life I am happy we have found and cherish every moment of it. It fascinates me that the more time we spend together learning, reading, going on outings etc... the less space I feel I need from the children. Perhaps it's because we are spending more quality time together. Perhaps it's because we are learning more about each other as people. Our needs, our wants, our dislikes, our feelings, our struggles.... Whatever the reason may be I am honored to walk down this path, together with my husband and children. I thank from the bottom of my heart the more experienced homeschool mothers who have answered my many questions, helped us through our struggles and have simply been there in our time of need without being judgmental. It truly does take a village to raise a child. L'chayim!
No comments:
Post a Comment