Posted on 08/21/2012 6:08:38 PM PDT by wintertime
It’s hard to identify an area where technology has made more impact than homeschooling. With the growth of digital learning options, many parents who have never before considered taking more control over their children’s education are now withdrawing their kids from traditional schools — at least part-time — and allowing them to take advantage of courses offered by not only for-profit providers on contract to their school districts, but also online high school programs offered by some of the best colleges and universities around the country.
(snip) Most of the studies compiled by groups such as the National Home School Education Research Institute and Home School Legal Defense Association claim that standardized test scores taken by home-educated children are as much as 30 percent higher than scores by public school students.
(Excerpt) Read more at educationnews.org ...
Any truly phonics-based reading curriculum would do. Sam Blumenfeld’s Alpha Phonics is one good example. There are others
You don’t need a curriculum for math at 3. Just teach counting and number recognition. When she is older just teach her all the math facts using flash cards until the answers are automatic responses. Then you can move to Saxon 5/4 and she’ll finish it doing most of the problems in her head in about six weeks. I’ve done it three times, and I got the idea from Art Robinson’s site - robinsoncurriculum.
You are probably looking for an pre-set instruction book filled with clear directions detailing precisely what to do for pre-schoolers, but I would suggest leaving the structured things behind at least through the pre-school years. I think the best preparation for pre-school years is for the child to learn to explore things she is curious about, learn how and where to find more information about a subject, learn how to follow instructions and learn how to stay on task to completion even if it is difficult.
For example, take her on nature walks naming the plants you know and if you find plants she in interested in, help her do rubbings, or make pictures by glueing leaves on paper, or take photographs of the plants and help her look them up in nature books at the library or on the internet when she gets home. If you enjoy bird, animal or bug watching, you both can do that too.
Cooking with young children is another way to teach them a number of skills such as arithmetic, measurement, fractions, patience. With a pre-schooler, I would stay away from anything that required the child to use the stove.
Playing games can be very instructional. Hopscotch, for example, is a very good game for math.
Five in a Row (http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/index.html) is excellent for children’s literature with related activities to do with your granddaughter. The Before Five in a Row program may be something you are looking to use. We used the Five in a Row program and we enjoyed it.
I have known many homeschoolers who have used Abeka and have found it very useful, but I personally prefer more hands on type instruction especially for younger children.
There is an ever-growing number of black families who are homeschooling or enrolled in cyber-schools. In the next state over (and soon to be introduced in my own state), many school districts offer an option for public school students to enroll in K-12 virtual charter school via a home computer. It has become a popular option, and because the family doesn't have to pay for it, it's an option that anyone at any income level can take. (At least, that's what I've been told by people who are involved in it.)
It's not an option my own family would want, but cyber-school is an option that works for many other families.
A couple of years ago, homeschoolers on FR gave their recommendations for educational books and other materials, and I compiled a list at the link below. (Scroll down past post #4 to a listing organized by subject and with links.)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2346553/posts
“I personally prefer more hands on type instruction especially for younger children”
Your post was better than the one I was working on. My daughter learned the months of the year in an afternoon, singing and dancing to Paul Anka’s “Calendar Girl” song. Her early math was game playing, including Black Jack. I played that as a kid when on vacation with other kids my age and boy did I learn fast! Playing “Monopoly” with my cut throat, cheating sister also helped me. There are so many teaching/ learning activities in just day-to-day activities, and even in computer games. My daughter learned a lot of history from playing Age of Empires because she wanted to read about the civilizations to optimize game play. Frankly, textbooks are boring for young children. Plant the seed for a thirst for knowledge through life experience and they’ll seek out the books as they get older.
IMO, much of the curriculum for those early years is just a money maker for the textbook companies.
At that age kids can absorb a tremendous amount of information about the real world around them without learning to formally learning to read, write, and figure.
As you read to her, she’ll learn to read. She’ll learn math as you discuss everyday situations. History will not make much sense until she’s got a better grasp of more abstract concepts of passage of time and politics and social issues. Kids at that age are very concrete learners and do well with science kind of things.
A book that deals with this is called *Better Late Than Early* by Drs. Moore and Moore, a couple of public school educators who became some of the foremost advocates of homeschooling before it really took off in this country.
We have been using Time4Learning.com for our sons. It seems okay. Anyone have any thoughts on that site?????
It’s more like their parents don’t have the “give a d*mn” for their kids to excel.
Two things about accelerating a kid in the public school system. Think “Lord of the Flies”. The boys will get beat up and the girls will be preyed upon sexually.
Nope, “the system” is not for kids whose parents want them to get the best education experience.
Florida does this - at 15. If the kid passes, he can take junior college level classes. I had one graduate with an AA at 17.
I think Ruth Beechick’s book, Language and Thinking for Young Children, is an excellent resource. I agree that a hands-on, lifestyle of learning approach is the best way to work with preschoolers. Of course, there are some that actually like worksheets....
http://www.starfall.com is the BEST
Thanks everyone for your ideas and links. Sorry I took so long to respond. It’s perhaps a bit shocking, but I ... I have a life outside FR. There, I said it. :) And in the last two days, between work and famiy and house (broken lawnmower, to be precise), my time on FR has been somewhat curtailed. But I just wanted you all to know how much I appreciate the input. You’ve given me a great start on my research.
Thanks,
SR
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