Homeschool World Forum

TandLMommy28 · User Joined: 18 Jan 2010 Posts: 8

Hi, this is my first post here! I am not homeschooling YET but will be in the fall and I'm very focused on preparing for this coming adventure! My daughter is currently attending preschool at our church but will be home beginning with kindergarten. I am very excited, I have been dreaming about homeschooling my future kids since before I met my husband!

Here's my situation. I am a former employee of A Beka Book. The advertising department to be exact! So I am very pro-ABB. I think they have phenomenal history, phonics and math, especially in elementary school. I taught in a Christian school with their junior high material and wasn't quite as impressed.

Anyway, this past summer my daughter (just after her fourth birthday) asked me to teach her to read. Someone recommended "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy lessons" so we got that used on Ebay and whipped right through it! My 4.5 year old is now a reading MACHINE.

I inherited all the ABB reading books for 1st through 3rd grade from a relative. My daughter is breezing through the first grade books already... and that's fine, I am sure we could just keep going. By fall when we start home school officially, she'll probably be on the 2nd grade books.

But I don't LOVE the ABB reading material. I love how they present phonics but the literature leaves much to be desired. I guess I am looking for curriculum based more on REAL books rather than stories written to fit a curriculum, if that makes sense.

Any recommendations? I have heard BJU press is somewhat better but haven't looked at it myself...
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The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow will not wait while you do the work.

ncmom · User Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 324 Location: Eastern NC

I didn't like BJU when I looked at it. I use Abeka for the most part and simply add my own books to the curriculum. I love their curriculum (except for the high school math) but have found it lacking in the lit dept. In fact, once we got out of 1st grade I really didn't even use the readers anymore except for during class. My kids are required, in our schooling, to read the classics most of which are NOT in the Abeka curriculum and this year (for my highschooler) I have added classics that most PS school kids are no longer required to read. I kind of make it up as I go and make Abeka's curriculum fit our needs. It works for us.

elliemaejune · Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 7:26 pm Post subject:

Since your dd already knows how to read, I wouldn't bother with vocabulary-controlled basal readers at all. I'd make use of the library and provide her with good children's books. Here's a good list.

Also, Honey for a Child's Heart has lists of good books.
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josh_chs · User Joined: 12 Nov 2009 Posts: 11 Location: Iowa

I used to work for Alpha Omega Publications, so I may be a bit biased, but I found their Horizons Phonics to be an excellent program.
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Josh
SoCal
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pecangrove · User Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 31 Location: SC, USA

Have you looked at the Ableside list? They have a large array of literature, and even a schedule of then to read which books. I am using it loosely this year, and will probably use it even more next year.
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sartasd · User Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 52

My kids have found the Christian light Education the best. We've tried other curriculums but didn't care for some parts of them, We started CLE last year and they are still loving the light units.

My dd as learned to read with CLE, She is on the last unit and is already reading chapter books while still in 1st grade!

My ds didn't use CLE, He used a phonics workbook and reading real books and it took him 2 years to learn to read while it has only taken dd 6 months!

Rod and Staff is similiar,

You can buy from them or go to Rainbow Resource, they have both CLE and Rod and Staff Reading levels CLE is K to 12 and Rod and Staff only goes to grade 8.
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Sharon

crusticrab · User Joined: 26 Aug 2011 Posts: 1

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