Any Homeschooling Mommies? I Have a Question

Updated on December 14, 2011
V.D. asks from Smithfield, UT
9 answers

I'm looking for the ultimate best curriculum out their. My head hurts from all the searching I've done. Now I'd love to hear from other moms who've found great ones. I'm looking for Pre-k and K. What curriculum, books, websites, or whatever have you just loved the whole time you used them?

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C.R.

answers from Kansas City on

I love letteroftheweek.com & starfall.com(mainly teaches starting to read) is also a good website for that age range

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T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

You've asked this question a few times now, and only about a month ago. You received a lot of great responses!
Is there something else you are looking for? More Christian, academic, artsy....what?

2 moms found this helpful
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N.W.

answers from Eugene on

At that age, we went to the library and checked out whatever interested my child. Lot's of field trips, messy art, we took walks, went to the park.

I homeschooled for over 15 years. Give your head a rest from searching for the perfect curriculum. There will be plenty of time for academics. A kindergartner just needs to learn his ABC's, count to 100 and know his colors. This age is a good time to play and learn as you go about your daily life.

2 moms found this helpful

A.J.

answers from Williamsport on

I take the very Classical Approach, not a Montessori or religious or unschooling approach. You have to at least decide on that direction in order to piece together a curriculum. Mine is still fairly free form in preK with emphasis in reading to your child, counting and learning by play, with classic school material starting in K and 1st grade, but the book I go by (mainly) takes a while to get through, so reading it in advance really helps. "The Well Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education". It explains the theories behind the structure, and gives all resources you need to gather. Also, my Aunt, a math genius who homeschooled her 10 kids who are all math geniuses who blew through levels of math I never even heard of, says Math U See is her favorite math program which does have a kindergarten level I believe, I have to get it.

2 moms found this helpful

L.L.

answers from Rochester on

At that stage, I created my own curriculum that was supplemented with a lot of workbooks, etc. I bought at Barnes & Noble. As a homeschooler, you can fill out for an educator's card and get 20% off everything you purchase to be used "for educational purposes." I think everything you read is educational, so I save on everything!

However, now we are using the K12 curriculum and I'm telling you...I've researched and reviewed a LOT of curricula...and in MY opinion, it is the BEST! I love it! Very advanced, thorough...includes Biblical history as historical fact (which I love), the math is awesome...the Language Art courses are unbelievable...have my young children reading things I would NEVER have thought to have them read!!

The Phonics courses are great, the science, art, history...they're all great. I actually am not a huge fan of the music course, because they use solfege and I am a classically trained pianist and it drives me nuts.

Most states have an online school (free of tuition) that use the K12 curriculum...so you can get it, and usually a computer, etc...for free. That's what we do, because I just can't afford the best, otherwise. However, if money isn't a problem, you can directly buy the K12 curriculum...but we really love the online school.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

I just buy workbooks for my kindergardener and preschool at target walmart. where ever.. we go to the library and check out books.. fiction books.. non fiction books.. super easy readers for them..

I have 1 kid in kindergarden.. so what I do supplements what they do in school.
You really dont need much... they need to learn colors numbers, shapes letters.. then letter sounds.. sight words.. you really dont need a curriculum... read to the kids..

1 mom found this helpful
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J.K.

answers from Phoenix on

I use and LOVE Sonlight. But when my kids were Pre-K and Kindergarten age, I made my own curriculum. You can get one of their catalogs and use their ideas to create your own at this age. OR you can use theirs. They offer curriculum for ages Preschool through high school. I LOVE them!!

1 mom found this helpful
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A.B.

answers from Louisville on

I felt that way until I read the Well Trained Mind, which just clicked for me. It's not a curriculum, per se, although the authors recommend several resources. But it was the approach to home schooling that made the most sense and seemed to fill in the gaps I was looking for with my kids. So when I read your post, my immediate thought was that you don't seem to have narrowed down the kind of approach you want to use. Even after you find the right one for your family, realize from all your research that there are so many different books, curricula, and so forth that it's impossible for any one person to find everything AND narrow it down to the point that they can say for a certainty that what they've found is, out of all the materials, the supreme source of information for whatever subject you're discussing. The best thing you can do is first narrow down the approach to education that you want to use, then find a group (online and/or in your community) that is already involved in that type of teaching, then pick their brains about what they've found that works and doesn't work. Ultimately, it is up to you to make the final leap. That, I've decided, is both the blessing and the curse of home schooling: it's up to you, as the parent, to decide which curriculum and approach suits your family best. It's daunting at first, but when you start making decisions and following through with them, your confidence should improve. Not only that, but you'll know which things aren't a good fit for your family, but you may not realize it until after you've tried it out. Give yourself permission to change course as needed. It's part of the growing process for you and your kids.

A.R.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi there!
In my opinion, you don't need a perfect curriculum at this age. You can just use the resources you have online, at the library, museums and..playdates!
Think of the basic subjects like Math, Reading, Science, English and add some projects of arts, music and P.E.
The basics you can find them at target, WalMart, Barnes and Noble like other moms said H., there are many books in these stores that will help you to teach your little one. My kid is 5 and half and believe me, at this age they LOVE learning and it is easy to teach them. 15 min H., 20 min there, one hour easy on some things they like like crafts, and use these crafts to teach them about science, or history, like drawing about Thanksgiving or Christmas or building castles and reading to him about knights! Every minute with them is just fun and easy to teach.
Google preschool or Kindergarten homeschooling and you will find plenty of ideas!
Good luck!

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