Amazing new resource!!

As many of you know, I used to use Time4Learning and IXLmath websites for school for the boys....but I'm really cheap so couldn't countenance spending money on them - and Time4Learning really decreases in interesting material for them....so I've been searching for replacement. I've come to like Head of the Class (but they have a lot of printables, which don't work well with my oldest)....and I absolutely LOVE Khan Academy.org for math, as it is full of videos. But another HS mom happened to mention another great resource to me today - Free World U - it is a free resource, but it is also an accredited online school. If you need to use an accredited program then you can pay $90/year (very reasonable!). It is essentially an interactive flash-card type set-up. I wish they had some sound (as my oldest is very much an audio learner) but still, as a free resource it can't be beat!

Curriculum's

Whoo-hoo, I've finally finished compiling the curriculums for the coming school year. Here are the links to the pdf filed. If you don't have a keepandshare username then you can use: kickbutttidbits with the password kickbuttmama

DJ's 3-5th grade Matrix
Xman's 1-2nd grade Matrix

It Has Begun!!!!!!

Oh the joy and stress of this time of the year. This is the time of the year that super obsessive people like myself, must begin compiling the curricula for the coming year...This means printing endless worksheets, reorganizing entire collections and closets. Trying to figure out how to mesh a 3rd/4th grader's lessons with that of a k/1st grader so that I'm not teaching for 20 hours a day......not to mention the fact that my children are spread across the spectrum of grades....They really spread about 3 grades each depending on the subject. Since my state has no regulations or mandatory testing I never felt the need to push them into a pre-described box or grade. So in sciences they are at least 2 grades ahead of their peers while in math they are the same as their PS counterparts....it all has to do with the ... you guessed it... FUN FACTOR!!!

So, this elusive concept is what has me working for at least 8 weeks prepping the work for the coming year....what lapbooks can we do, what field trips, plays, experiments, etc can we do to keep up the FUN factor while still following some kind of plan....Total unschooling is like stabbing myself in the eye - I'm waaaaay to anal for that, I need some kind of plan...LOL...

So, I'm trying to simplify our lives while trying to increase the difficulty of the lessons, not an easy feat mind you...

I wanted to give you a list of the resources we'll be utilizing this year for both my boys:

links:
enchantedlearning.com
starfall.com
spellingconnections.com
teachervision.com
tlsbooks.com
abcteach.com
aaa(math, spelling, etc).com

workbooks:
America's Story (Books 1 & 2) - history workbooks, book one is US history to 1865 and book 2 is after 1865.
Teaching With Clifford (scholastic)
Brighter Child - we're using several of this brand - "I can tell time and Count Money". Math, etc
School Zone's Super Scholar series (we're using k, 1, 3 and 4)
Hooked on ___ Grade series (we're using k, 1, 2 and 3

Books:
Evan's & Moore's Getting Ready To Read (teacher's workbook)
Macmillan's 3rd Grade Language Arts

That's it so far. I'm still working on the Matrix for both boys, but I'll post them as soon as they're complete. We're trying something new organizational wise this year as well. I have 5 color coded folders. One for each week, and one for fun extra's. Each week this folder will have the blank index cards (for spelling/definitions) plus all the worksheets for that week. I had been using a shelf for each child but things always got messy and lost. Plus we'll have our Lapbook of the week and our Combo Books (which can spread for a month or more)...I'll keep ya posted!!

Teaching Pre- & Preschool Kids

I was asked today about curriculum standards for those teaching the very young....those 2, 3, and 4 y/o's. There's not much out there on where exactly your child should be developmentally...oh there's much in the way of recognizing if there is a problem, but not much in the way of planning educational play and what your child would be learning if in an institution like a preschool. See, the one who had asked had found a website that was unbelievable in what they asked these youngsters to know (at http://www.geocities.com/heartland/forest/2468/skillslistage3.html#1). This list is not only unatainable for 99% of children, but I think it's irresponsible to give 2 y/o's such manipulatives as buttons and noodles and not expect them to put them in their mouths, making them choking hazards!! See the Core Knowledge Curriculums are like that - one or two grades above most accapted levels..
So I put together what I believe is appropriate for these age groups. Keeping in mind that all children are different...some may advance faster in one area but lag a little behind in another. There's no reason to stress if your child doesn't fit into a mold, as long as they are trying and progressing at a steady pace.

Age 2

Language Development:

• can use 2-3 word sentences
• recognizes the people in their life and can say their names (mom, dad, bro/sister, grandma/pa, etc) anyone they see weekly or more often.
• attempts to sing along for the alphabet song, but will probably stumble over the l,m,n,o,p, portion (blending it together)
• may be able to recognize some of the upper case letters.
  

Writing Development (fine motor skills):

• Can hold a fat pencil or crayon in a fist like hand position
  scribbles in unrecognizable pics but it's fun (and builds up to better motor skills)

Math/Number Sense:

• can begin to count to 5, using finger or other manipulatives
• can begin correlating (putting similar objects together...like all the red cars).
• Might be able to recognize a circle, square and triangle.

Science:

• can recognize several animal pics (I'd say about 10)
• Can associate some animal sounds with pictures of the recognized animal (cow sayes moo, etc) - about 1/2 (so if they recognize 10 animals they can also remember the sounds of 5-6)
• Learning about personal hygiene (but still needs supervision) for potty training then washing their hands, even brushing their teeth. They can remember the steps and attemt to teach a stuffed animal those remembered steps.
• Can identify 1 or 2 articles of clothing (socks, shoes, shirt, etc) and begin to attempt to dress themselves.

Social Studies:

• Begins to recognize characteristics of the sexes (generally associating all women with mom and men with dad so if dad has a gotee then all men will have facial hair, if mom has long hair then all people with long hair are girls, etc)
• When asked their age they can hold up the appropriate number of fingers.
• Begins to follow directions (put the toys in the toy box, those instructions with only 1 step)
• When asked they can say their first name (although at this age they will probably be shy of saying it to strangers).

Social Development:

• Begin to be able to play independently or with other children without having to have mom or dad (or other caregivers) within eye sight, for about 15 minutes.
• Understands the concept of sharing (even if they don't do it..LOL)
• Begins to understand some safety rules (don't cross the street without an adult, don't touch the hot stove, etc).
• Can focus on a task for about 10 minutes before changing topics.

Age 3
Language Development:

• can use 4-5 word sentences
• recognizes the people in their life and can say their names (mom, dad, bro/sister, grandma/pa, etc) anyone they see weekly or more often.
• can sing common songs independently and get them about 90% correct (like the itsy-bitsy spider, ABC's etc)
• can recognize most upper case letters (may confuse W/V, E/F, O,Q)
• Can look at a picture book and tell you a story to go with the pictures.
• Can guess what comes next in a story.
• Can retell they favorite stories with some success
• Begins to be able to express themselves verbally - if their upset or hurt they can tell you what happened and why they are upset.
• Repeats simple instructions, scentences or stories with some accuracy
• Can identify the letters of their first name, and attempt to trace or write them.

Writing Development (fine motor skills):

• Can trace different lines (zig-zagged, curvy, straight, etc) with some success
• Attempts to copy pictures, shapes, etc.
• scribbles, then can tell you what it was they drew.
• likes to work with different mediums (paint, crayons, markers, etc)

Math/Number Sense:

• can count to 10 with success and to 20 with some mistakes through the teens
• understands somce of the concepts of opposites.directionals (more.less, top/bottom, over/under, etc) with some success
• Can recognize about 1/2 of the primary colors
• Can recognize most of the primary shapes.
• Can match items by similarities (color, size, type, etc) --- can put away the laundry or groceries in the appropriate places.

Science:

• recognizes common farm and zoo animals as well as pets
• can identify animal sounds for those common animals
• can identify animal homes for about 1/2 of the animals they know (bears live in a cave, etc)
• Recognizes parts of the body
• Can perform their own personal hygeine (brushing teeth, going potty) with only needing minimal help.
• Atempts to dress themselves with some success, attempting buttons, snaps, and zippers.
• Recognizes several attributes of the seasons
• Recognizes different types of weather and which clothes would be appropriate for different weather patterns

Social Studies:

• Can understand there are a variety of people on the planet of different races and religions (but can't identify those differences, just acknowledges that they are in fact different).
• Knows their ages and their First & Last name
• Understands some of the different service jobs (policemen, firemen, mailmen, etc) and can give a very general description of that job.
• Can identify some different modes of transportation
• Can point to our country/state/continent on a map & globe
• Can recognize common street signs (stop, walk, etc)

Social Development:

• Can interact with other children comfortably.
• Can identify friends and family by first name
• Can share well with new children
• Understands safety and health rules (don't talk to strangers, look both ways before crossing the street)....
• Can take care of their own belongings - performing simple chores
• Can play or work independently for short periods of time.
• Can focus on a task for about 15-20 minutes
  

Age 4
http://www.worldbook.com/typical-course-of-study  or http://www.worldbook.com/component/k2/item/233-typical-course-of-study-preschool-curriculum-guide