January 28, 2012

Calling All Homskoolurz

Although I would like to pretend that the Boogie will be 4 (again) on her next birthday, the actual fact of the matter is that she will be 5 in April. Boo-hoo! How can this be happening???

We are planning to start homeschooling in the fall. I have been looking at kindergarten curriculum and I am completely overwhelmed! Things certainly have changed in 25 years since I started kindergarten. My mom had a classroom curriculum -- I remember her big binders of daily lessons with lots of things crossed out or adapted because they were for a full classroom. Now there are seemingly unending options and resources for teaching at home and I'm having a hard time knowing where to start, despite some very helpful talks with other homeschooling parents.

Here's what I know I want/don't want:
~I definitely want a Bible-based curriculum. I'm sure there are some great secular options out there into which I could add my own Bible studies, but I am looking for something that incorporates Scripture and Biblical teachings into the other subjects as well.
~I prefer the King James version so would welcome suggestions of curriculum that use it.
~I prefer to purchase a whole curriculum and not have to piece together subjects myself (I'm sure I'll end up doing that down the road but want to make things as simple as possible for our first year.)
~I am not interested in enrolling in a satellite or correspondence-type school at this time.
~I am not interested in video/DVD or internet classes at this time.

Homeschooling parents, what do you recommend? What have you used and liked, or used and disliked? I am particularly interested in those of you who have taught kindergarten fairly recently, although I welcome all input.  I am hoping to attend the Pennsylvania homeschool convention in May, so I'd like to have a pretty good idea by then in order to look through books while there, and hopefully make a decision in order to purchase everything soon afterward. I want plenty of time to familiarize myself with it before the end of the summer so that I'm not rushing to get organized at the last minute!

2 comments:

Mo said...

I used Rod and Staff for all six kids. If I had six more kids, I would do the same thing. The people in this area I have helped to start out use this, too....and they like it.
It is affordable, easy to follow, KJV, black and white.......

26 weeks
covers each sound of the alphabet plus the long sounds

each sound has a verse to go with it

A A A....abhor that which is evil

for five days you work on ONE sound

the next week, the next sound

then one day, two sounds go together

at et it ot ut

cat bet bit hot cut

It is a very simple way to teach kids to read.....in first grade they learn phonics along with sight words........since there is a controversy about which works best, why not do both?

The Amish do not do kindergarten....but the book I made into kindergarten is this:

We Learn Letter Sounds

Rod and Staff also has some pre-school cut and craft books I use in kindergarten.......and LOVED them all.

The pictures in their books are all conservative.......the women wear head coverings and there are a FEW doctrinal issues, but they are few and far between. Z....for Zion is a bit off.......

You can call me if you want to....

I LOVE kindergarten home-school. It's the funnest thing. You do NOT want to get bogged down and lose the happiness that can come with it.

There IS a lot to choose from, too much if you ask me. I'm glad I didn't have to weed through all of it.

Kali said...

I've not homeschooled, but I have taught kindergarten using ACE. It's really easy to use and has fun songs and stories to go with each sound, Bible stories/verses, etc. The way it's set up, she would be doing kindergarten and at least part of first grade this year.