Looking for a Hands-on/ Activity-based phonics curriculum
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posted 25 Aug. 2009, 1:04 pm (6 moms have responded)
I am planning on homeschooling my daughter starting in 1st grade next year. She is VERY active, loves to sing, and doesn't do as well with worksheets, etc... She is struggling through Abeka at Kindergarten right now. We also have a strict budget. I'd love to get feedback from moms on what you use or would recommend... Thanks!
Replies
Are you doing Abeka "by the book"? I know when we started homeschooling we did a lot of "by the book" and it was stressful on the kids and us. So we started looking for things to aid us. The kids know that they will have to do "boring" stuff sometimes, but we try to balance it out and so they are more willing to do the "boring stuff". We made sure they were ready for tests, but honestly, Abeka has a LOT of busywork that you could translate into other activities and she would still learn. Obviously, sometimes you'll have to use the workbooks, but maybe try other things.
Have you tried maybe using the phonics parts and making up your own things to help reinforce and save worksheets for once in a while?
For instance, maybe have her write the blend once or twice, but then let her roll out some playdough and shape it into the letters and blends. If you need documents for records you could take pics. - Same could be done with bread dough, and she (with your help) could bake her bread blend sticks.
Maybe one day let her use markers for her worksheets, or even colors. That will help give her practice writing. I know my sons LOVED doing that on a dry erase board.
You could put fingerpaints inside a large ziploc baggie (seal it tight!) and let her "doodle" the letters with her fingers (no mess). Or even, let her fingerpaint the letters and blends for real! :)
I know my sons have trouble sitting still, so when we would go through the blends (in the reading book) I would let them hop around the room. You could make a game of it...Maybe have blends on the floor and have her hop to the correct one that you read. (You could use construction paper, just make sure it's down tight (or not too large) so she doesn't slip).
Or, have her stand across the room and tell you the letters in the blends. Each time she gets one correct she gets to hop forward. Then have a little reward (maybe a favorite activity, etc.) that she can do for a few moments before you work again.
(This is always fun in winter when the kids can't go outside so much and miss summer...) Put her in her swimsuit, arm her with a bucket and squirt gun or sponge and some bathtub crayons. Let her write the blends on the shower wall then clean them up.
She's so young that it's probably hard to sit through it and I know A Beka can be very workbook-y. My youngest loves it, but even he gets tired of it sometimes. Hang in there and look to her favorites to figure out how to get more involved. Does she like to make up games? Does she like to color?
You could even make lapbooks (all you need is basic supplies) and she could make blend lapbooks. Homeschoolshare.com (I believe) has a lot of things you could use.
I hope you find a curriculum that works for both of you, but hopefully these will help you in the meantime!
Hang in there!
posted 29 Aug. 2009, 7:38 am
I've found a wonderful phonics curriculum entitled Alphabet Island. You can check it out at: www.eagleswingsed.com My children absolutely LOVE this curriculum (I'm currently using it with two boys). It is thorough, yet fun and not too much prep work for Mom. It includes a cd of fun songs to help reinforce the phonics rules.
posted 29 Aug. 2009, 1:54 pm
I like abeka math for K and younger grades (it is more logically/step by step layed out), and I think their phonics is an important lifelong foundation to have. I like to use the 2nd gr. wkbks over the course of 1st and 2nd grades.
My oldest was like that. I just took a slower pace...and I skipped the 1st grade work (they do the same stuff in 1st all over again in 2nd...not to metion its way to much seat work...just busy work). I do recomend using the first gr. reading books though.
Try including music, audiobooks and playing educational stories for "literature", science or history, as well as doing more outloud with you writing the answers she gives. I had to do this a few times when she was just "burned out" ... sounds like she's an audio learner like mine (singing).
There are probably multiplication/division tables, states/capitals,and even grammer to songs. I haven't looked into it like I should....maybe someone else has recomendations?
Anna
posted 12 Oct. 2009, 10:05 am
ACE cirriculum has one. My kids love singing the songs. It is a tape and comes with flash cards with the pictures and the letter. I still catch my 7yo singing them every now and then.
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posted 27 Oct. 2009, 10:42 pm
Hooked on Phonics- we just switched from the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons to the HOP and my 4 1/2 year old took off with the short vowel, 3 letter words!! I haven't looked at the K or older materials but a few friends have used them and liked them. My son likes the computer game that comes with it, and a CD with songs.
My daughter did Christian Liberty Press K and now we're in Abeka 1st. It's a bit easy and repetitive for her. I stopped using the poster cards and the Handbook for Reading. She reads the readers fine and we do the workbooks. We have a few phonics computer games for her too.
One thing I incorporate into our school is the Happy Phonics program. It's a ton of cardstock, file folder games teaching and reinforcing the phonic rules. It's always more fun when you don't realize your learning ;-)
posted 28 Oct. 2009, 6:19 pm
Try Color Phonics from Alpha Omega. I just bought it for 35.16 (I had a discount plus free shipping, you can also buy it from christianbook.com). I have a 7 yr old and a 4 yr old. It is a really fun cartoon game that teaches sounds, letters, and then word discrimination. I have it set up for 20 mins sessions a day for both girls. I'm only on disc 1 right now and you have to pass each section with a 80% before you can move onto more. Any section that they didn't pass it goes over on the next session until they pass that letter, sound, activity, or etc.