Today, my middle child returned to preschool. She went to preschool from about 18 months old until just after turning 3, when I pulled her out a few weeks after pulling my oldest out of kindergarten. I've been teaching her at home since then, using a variety of things - educational computer programs, some BJU K5 material (both video and non-video), Rod & Staff preschool/kindergarten books (A-B-C through G-H-I books), CLE Learning to Read material, and things I've pulled off the internet.
She's been doing great with all of it really, but gets tired of it after a while, and I haven't pushed her since she only just turned 5 last November. I just give her something from my "curriculum stash" whenever she asks. Still, she's already reading simple books, can blend 3-letter words, and knows quite a few addition and subtraction facts. On DreamBox (web-based math program), she's already doing some 2nd grade math. Based on what the public school expects kindergartners to learn by the end of the year, she's already beyond kindergarten level in most areas (her handwriting could still use some work, though she is almost as legible as my 2nd grader).
So, originally, I hadn't really thought about putting her in school this coming fall, when she is officially old enough for kindergarten. I figured she'd be too bored unless they let her skip to 1st grade, at least, which no place around here, public or private, seemed willing to do. But I had begun to realize that she really would like to be in a class with other kids. She is my most social child, and she thrives in an environment with lots of others. I knew that I really would like to give her a chance to experience a classroom setting, at least for a little while.
I looked into various schools in the area - several Christian ones, and a new university-model school that just started in our area (where the kids go for 2-3 days a week, and complete their work at home the other days). But then - I don't know why it took me so long - I remembered that the preschool where I'm sending my son right now (the same preschool my girls both went to earlier), also has a private kindergarten program. Kindergarten, not first grade. But when I looked into it more, I realized that, being Montessori-based, they let the kids progress at their own rate, and they even advertise that graduates of their kindergarten program will have completed a 1st grade level of work.
I talked with the teachers some more, and it really sounds like they will be able to provide my daughter as much stimulation and advancement as she wants, and will be able to start her at whatever level she currently needs. It's a small school, with probably only 6-10 kids in her class, and it's extremely close to our house. And my son already goes there. And it's not too expensive. And my daughter has been begging to go there.
So I signed her up to start today, 3 mornings a week, just like my son, in their accelerated pre-K program. Then next fall, she can attend their kindergarten, 5 days a week, 8:30-2:30.
She absolutely loved her first day today. Her teacher said she's going to speed her really quick through the first levels of the readers they use, since she had no problem at all reading the ones she started her on today. She also will get her a 101-200 number chart instead of the 1-100 one she started her on today, since she could point out any number she (the teacher) called out with ease. Made me proud!
We'll see how things go the next few months, but unless my daughter blows through all the material they have before the fall, we'll probably be sending her there to kindergarten.
I don't want to send the kids to a public school, and I know we can't afford a private school for all 3 kids (or even 2) every year (and I don't even like most of the private schools and their curriculum choices anyway), but this seems like a good thing to do this year, especially for my middle child. When she finishes their program, I can just resume homeschooling her at whatever grade level (2nd?) she ends up needing. My oldest will be quite independent in many areas by then, so I can spend more time with my middle, and my youngest - well, maybe then it will be his turn to try out a private kindergarten.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Internet Connection Fixed
We finally got our internet fixed, after getting a new DSL modem. It still seems a little sluggish at times, but at least it is consistently on.
I have been busy trying to organize/schedule our school days for the near future. I am changing a few things for Rebekah. I'm adding Winning with Writing 2 to our schedule, to try it out, since I think we need to work on more writing. Copywork might eventually work to produce a good writer in many children, but I prefer teaching more specific tools for how to write, instead of just mimicking other writing, and I think that will work better for Rebekah too.
We are doing good with Rod & Staff spelling right now, so we will continue that, perhaps adding in some games with SpellingCity.com. Her reading skills are very good, and we are doing good with a mostly Charlotte-Mason approach to that - reading on her own and then narrating it back to me. Her grandparents were amazed at her reading ability over Christmas break, as she chose a difficult, small-print, non-fiction book about horses to read at their house. Narration proved to be useful in a discipline matter recently too. She did not seem to be paying attention to me, so I told her to "narrate" back to me what I had just told her.
I may eliminate much of the cheap English workbook we've been doing the past few months, in order to have room to add in Winning with Writing. It has some good parts, but I don't think is really too necessary right now. We have a few more phonics pages to do, so we may do those, and then skip the other reading comprehension, grammar, test prep, and other odds-and-ends worksheets. I think we may wait on much more grammar until next year. 3rd grade will be soon enough for that. I'll write more later on my thoughts for next year, but it may involve Latin, Rod & Staff, and/or Growing with Grammar, depending on how well she likes Winning with Writing.
Well, I'll write more later, as the other grandparents are about to come over. Next time - preschool plans.
I have been busy trying to organize/schedule our school days for the near future. I am changing a few things for Rebekah. I'm adding Winning with Writing 2 to our schedule, to try it out, since I think we need to work on more writing. Copywork might eventually work to produce a good writer in many children, but I prefer teaching more specific tools for how to write, instead of just mimicking other writing, and I think that will work better for Rebekah too.
We are doing good with Rod & Staff spelling right now, so we will continue that, perhaps adding in some games with SpellingCity.com. Her reading skills are very good, and we are doing good with a mostly Charlotte-Mason approach to that - reading on her own and then narrating it back to me. Her grandparents were amazed at her reading ability over Christmas break, as she chose a difficult, small-print, non-fiction book about horses to read at their house. Narration proved to be useful in a discipline matter recently too. She did not seem to be paying attention to me, so I told her to "narrate" back to me what I had just told her.
I may eliminate much of the cheap English workbook we've been doing the past few months, in order to have room to add in Winning with Writing. It has some good parts, but I don't think is really too necessary right now. We have a few more phonics pages to do, so we may do those, and then skip the other reading comprehension, grammar, test prep, and other odds-and-ends worksheets. I think we may wait on much more grammar until next year. 3rd grade will be soon enough for that. I'll write more later on my thoughts for next year, but it may involve Latin, Rod & Staff, and/or Growing with Grammar, depending on how well she likes Winning with Writing.
Well, I'll write more later, as the other grandparents are about to come over. Next time - preschool plans.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Happy New Year's Eve!
I think my New Year's resolution should be to write a blog post at least twice a week! We'll see how that goes. We've been having internet trouble lately, so hopefully I can post this today, the last day of 2012.
We went to stay with my in-laws for Christmas, in New Mexico. Two out of three kids ended up being sick in the car on the way there. It turns out both of them were sick before we left, though we didn't know it. The youngest was only sick for a short time - some sort of stomach bug - and was fine the rest of the trip. The middle child apparently had an infection which added to her typical motion sickness, and when she didn't stop throwing up after we stopped driving, we ended up taking her to the ER (our first trip to one). She had to be rehydrated with an IV and have antibiotics. Not a fun time. But by the next morning, she was back to smiling and talking and running around. And on the trip back home, all 3 kids were perfectly healthy and happy.
Other than that, our Christmas was great! It figures - all the kids have been so healthy for the entire last year, and then 2 get sick the day we leave on a trip!
I am experimenting with typing my blog post on my tablet instead of the computer. I don't think I like it as much. The touch keypad is much harder to use than a regular keyboard, and the formatting keeps getting messed up. In fact, I think I'll switch over to the laptop before I post this and clean it up a bit.
Ah, much better! Much faster too. I guess I'll stick to blogging on a real computer.
We went to stay with my in-laws for Christmas, in New Mexico. Two out of three kids ended up being sick in the car on the way there. It turns out both of them were sick before we left, though we didn't know it. The youngest was only sick for a short time - some sort of stomach bug - and was fine the rest of the trip. The middle child apparently had an infection which added to her typical motion sickness, and when she didn't stop throwing up after we stopped driving, we ended up taking her to the ER (our first trip to one). She had to be rehydrated with an IV and have antibiotics. Not a fun time. But by the next morning, she was back to smiling and talking and running around. And on the trip back home, all 3 kids were perfectly healthy and happy.
Other than that, our Christmas was great! It figures - all the kids have been so healthy for the entire last year, and then 2 get sick the day we leave on a trip!
I am experimenting with typing my blog post on my tablet instead of the computer. I don't think I like it as much. The touch keypad is much harder to use than a regular keyboard, and the formatting keeps getting messed up. In fact, I think I'll switch over to the laptop before I post this and clean it up a bit.
Ah, much better! Much faster too. I guess I'll stick to blogging on a real computer.
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