Need Help Making My Own "curriculum." Only know how to find Curr. in a box.

[made4more]

Is it smart to start out with curriculum in a box for K? I dont know what all needs to be taught. How do I find all of that out? Is there a few links to sites I can research all of this? I still have a year, but I'm buying the curriculum/etc in April (income taxes.) I wanna do cheap but not boring. I want some structure, I dont wantt o have to make my own "scheduel" per-se, but I dont want it to all be written out page for page either (like sonlight.) Can anyone point me in the right direction please?

[Teribear]

www.amblesideonline.com is a good place to start. or if you just want to know a scope and sequence (what they 'need' to learn when) try the worldbook site.

[made4more]

oh! a scope and sequence is great, I'll check out thos links, thanks!

[Mamatoto]

Well, I can tell you what we are doing....

I am using these several things that are not curriculum but help with Kindy things...

http://www.waldorfbooks.com/edu/curriculum/kindergarten.htm If you scroll down a bit you will see the Kindergarten books beginning with Lono and Cocoa Boato for Autumn, that's the one we are doing right now with great succcess. Today we were rowing in a laundry basket with a broom as an oar across our living room as part of the story :giggle The other thing we are using is on this page.... http://www.waldorfbooks.com/edu/thr/early_childhood.htm If you scroll down you will see A child's Seasonal Treasury, and then the Wynestones Kindergarten series. We have the Autumn and Gateway book (also summer) that we are using right now. All of these books through the four seasons really make a complete kindergarten program IMO with lots and lots of seasonal activities and verses, songs, games, rhymes, etc. We are doing a few notes on the recorder for learning music. We are also making Christmas gifts as part of our Kindy program, right now we are doing sewing puppets for dd's cousin, and we are rolling beeswax candles for grandma gifts. That along with the book "Naturally Three" and the outdoor ideas in there that we use on our nature walks and park days http://www.naturekiddos.com When dd asks for more, like mazes, I go to the homeschool store and get her a nature maze book....or right now she likes "doing homework" so I give her one letter or shape to work on in her book. I am really happy with where we are right now...I just realized how much of a need the craft work was, though, so I am starting that this week and I think it will be a good addition to what we are doing. hth some. :-)

[Moon]

The only curriculum we use for kindy is a phonics book (Plaid Phonics for a workbook, or Phonics Pathways for nonconsumable), math book (McGraw Hill Spectrum), and handwriting book (A Reason for Handwriting).

ETA: I should mention that both my big two loved workbooks at kindy age, if not I wouldn't have had them.

[made4more]

cool- thanks ladies!

[joandsarah77]

Next year for dd K I am going to use Math-U-See 2-3 times per week http://www.mathusee.com/ and also include I hope a cooking day, and a math game day, or maybe just play a maths game after the MUS lesson. For teaching reading I am getting Alphabet island Phonics. http://www.eagleswingsed.com/products/ai1.html They are only 15 minute lessons. We already have Five In A Row http://www.fiveinarow.com/ which is a literature unit study. We will probably do volume 2. These are longer picture books. You read the book then pick a lesson area for five days in a row. Although we tend to do it a little diffrently. I try and find other fun things online to add to the FIAR lessons.

[caringmommy]

Also, we found a scope and sequence on our state's dept of education website. We don't really follow it, but it's another reference point. Let me see if I can find a link to one that someone recommended....here it is - http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/curriculum/index.htm It's to the Connecticut state standards. I haven't really looked it over, but the person that recommended it said that they are ranked in the top 3 states. hth

Also, here's what we're doing (although we're taking a huge break right now since we're moving at the end of the month.)
We used "Teach your child to read in 100 Easy Lessons" for phonics and reading. We're using http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm for math. It's an experimental program out of the UK that is free online. It seems to be pretty advanced so we're taking it really slow. We practice writing one letter at a time (just bought some lined paper.) Read lots of books from the library especially off the Ambleside list. Lots of playtime. Oh and we're planning on watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. Some days we stick to our routine better than others. ;) Usually I try to do at least one thing everyday although like I said, we're not doing anything at the moment...too much tv and computer games while I try to pack boxes. :O

[SueQ]

I highly recommend Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson to those starting out homeschooling. I found it so helpful! :)

I am re-reading it now and am again finding it helpful and reassuring in putting my own thing together and not using a boxed curriculum. :yes

[caringmommy]

I highly recommend Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson to those starting out homeschooling. I found it so helpful! :)

I am re-reading it now and am again finding it helpful and reassuring in putting my own thing together and not using a boxed curriculum. :yes


Thanks for the reminder! It's on my list to get. I've heard only good things about that book!