Homeschoolers/Tutors please help!

granolamom

Wed, Mar 25 2015, 5:10 pm

I cant look at the site you linked because I'm a curriculum addict and I am NOT BUYING ANYTHING! I cannot be trusted to 'window shop'.

however, I suggest that you formalize your goals. what subjects do you want to supplement? what do you want to cover? for example, if you want to supplement math, do you want to drill facts or play games to build confidence with number manipulation and relationships? if you want to supplement english, do you want to focus on reading skills or comprehension? or writing? etc.
how old are your kids and do you plan to do this one on one or as a group thing? do you prefer independent work or will it be parent intensive? how much time do you have to devote to planning the lessons/activities?
and lastly, how much time do you and your children have to devote to afterschooling?

as someone who buys way more curriculum than I could possibly use in one lifetime, I think its a good idea to start slow and build from there. (or not, its so much fun to look through the stuff and dream about how much we will learn!)

amother

Maroon

Thu, Mar 26 2015, 6:45 am

granolamom wrote:

Thanks Gm, obviously we don't have all the time in the world, and you're right, we should start slow and build up. The problem is I need guidance. I have some books but I need a book that will actually guide me through the curriculum with worksheets, game ideas etc. I'm looking to concentrate on English and Math only at the moment...

yaelinIN

Thu, Mar 26 2015, 7:23 am

Anonyima, what are the ages of the kid(s) and where are their skill levels right now? You can do workbooks (or computer games) from the major educational publishers - Pearson, ETS, Saxon,etc and you more than likely will be covered. But you might want to think, is this the best use of the limited time they have?

If you are working on math, you might take a look at Math Mammoth - relatively no nonsense, but not spiral (meaning they don't go over a topic more than once in a grade level), includes teacher instructions. I personally don't formally teach my children grammar until 4th grade or so but at that level I use Hake Grammar, spiral, no nonsense (but dry humor interspersed), very thorough.

But there are so many choices that may work for your child's learning strengths. I might suggest asking for help once you figure out what/how you want to teach/guide at the Well Trained Mind Afterschooling Forum. The site is for classically minded home educators but not everyone there is, but it is a font of knowledge and advice I haven't seen elsewhere.

Good luck!

granolamom

Thu, Mar 26 2015, 2:13 pm

amother wrote:

how old are your kids and are they behind/at/above grade level? meaning, what do you hope to accomplish? If the school is sending home homework, how many worksheets will they have the patience to do every night? why do you want to supplement?
I am actually supplementing my 2nd graders math (not always, depending on what topic theyre doing) because I dont like the common core book they are using, my ds finds it confusing. I've been using Right Start games and abacus, but its pretty parent intensive. we do it as part of his homework just so that I can reteach the material (imo) properly.
for older kids (above third gr or so) saxon is pretty much independently done by the student but its dry and lengthy. also if its presenting material in a different order than in school, you may confuse your child.
I like Math Mammoth because you can choose stand-alone topics and there are videos on youtube if you want to teach the material, but it can also be used as review worksheets.
I've heard that Teaching Textbooks is independently used by kids too, but I havent ever used it.

for english, what do you want to focus on? for reading skill, I'd just make sure the kids are reading. lots. for comprehension, I'd really just read what they're reading and talk to them about it, but there are workbooks you can get for that, I picked some up in a local educational store, no big name, just high interest short stories or essays with some questions after.
you can probably find spelling/vocab workbooks easily online too. or an app.

amother

Maroon

Thu, Mar 26 2015, 3:11 pm

OP here. Thanks for the suggestions, I'll definitely look into them!

My boys aged 8 and 10 learn in a chassidishe cheder where the secular education is waaaay below grade level considering that they only spend an hour or 45 minutes (at the end of the day) on English studies and that they only start at age 7. No homework whatsoever.

Where we are now:

Math: They know how to add and subtract, as well as basic multiplication and division but they definitely need more practice.
English: Their understanding is pretty good, speaking is more basic. The older one knows how to read, younger one only basics. Older one already learnt some spelling and can write okay but obviously on a much lower grade level. Younger DS can probably only write his name and address.

I encourage them to read when they can and would like to set aside time for planned reading time so that I can practice with them and explain some difficult words as we go along.
This is what I'm already doing but I'd like them to be able to read, write and speak fluently...
I'd also like to teach them some Geography and Science, any book recommendations? What about an encyclopaedia that's 'kosher'?

Considering my tight schedule I don't know how much time I need to set aside for this. How much would be considered productive? Will a once weekly session with a tutor be helpful at all?

Thank you so much for all your assistance. I'm really grateful

ETA: I forgot to mention a biggie, my kids don't use computers so though I love all these interactive programs and games it's a no-no.

flmommy

Thu, Mar 26 2015, 8:44 pm

If the school year is too busy why not supplement summer only? I like bridge books that they sell at any bookstore. They basically are review books with worksheets. They go by the grade so you may need to go down a grade if your kids are behind. Will you be able to teach them how to do the math etc? If not maybe a supervised older child that goes to a school with more rigorous secular studies could help. You sound like a good mommy.

sped

Thu, Mar 26 2015, 8:59 pm

As far as English skills go, I think the best use of your time is READ, READ, READ. Get them to read as much as possible, on their reading level. The frum comic books work well for some kids. Lots of boys also like non-fiction - how things work and so on.
Then, be sure to read to them - out loud - books that are age appropriate. This way you should be able to cover all of English.
Do you go to the library? Sometimes you can get hold of good books about science topics about the world that are written in an interesting way for kids. You can use those for independent reading and for read aloud.

granolamom

Fri, Mar 27 2015, 7:03 am

ah. I understand your situation better now. I agree with sped, you will get the biggest bang for your buck in english by reading. also, what I do with my kids once they start writing, I buy each of them a journal and a special pen. I write to them and leave it on their bed and they write back to me and leave it on my bed. its really cute, and they LOVE it. its private and special and it gets them writing! I dont correct spelling, though I occasionally write back saying I couldnt understand a specific word (only if I really could not decipher it), and I use words that I think they can read.

for now, I'd either choose reading samples that cover science topics that they are interested in or leave it alone for now. once they can fluently read, they can catch up in science.
for geography, get a big map or a globe. or an atlas. kids love that kind of stuff.

for math, you can make free worksheets either by hand or online if you have the time, or you can buy cheapo books anywhere, for review.

I'd use summertime for more rigorous catch up. moving ahead will require a bit more time/energy/input/etc from you. I'm not a huge believer in kids that age being left to self teach math, although some kids can and do with no problem.
I believe that Teaching Textbooks is an online program, so scrap that, but you can buy Math Mammoth in print or digital format, you can always print out the pages you need (I believe digital is cheaper).

I dont really know how to teach writing, but I'd probably start with the journal, writing letters to grandparents, writing up shopping lists, stuff like that. and yes, teach them to address (and self address) envelopes. good skills there.

its great that you're starting this now, they arent too far behind and I bet they move ahead quickly. better to do less consistently than more but just once in a while. I'd hold off on the tutor. maybe if you feel that you need a confidence boost, hire someone in the summer to evaluate where they are, what they need and come up with a plan for you to carry out. I think that's how I would approach it. school years almost over, just choose or or two small things and do them every day, I bet you'll see success.

tzniutfashion

Fri, Mar 27 2015, 8:49 am

Mosdos Press offers high-quality English literature starting 3rd grade and up. It's a frum company. Very popular among religious homeschoolers of all spectrums, Jews and Gentiles, who appreciate kosher values in homeschooling.

http://www.mosdospress.com/

It is pricey but worth the sacrifice, considering yeshiva tuition which is much higher.

As for Math, we use Mammoth Math.

www.mathmammoth.com

amother

Jetblack

Sat, May 06 2017, 7:47 pm

amother wrote:

I'm looking to supplement my boys' secular education but I'm clueless.
Homeschoolers/tutors can you help me please?

Does this website seem like a suitable option?
http://www.theschoolrun.com/

Hi!

If you're still looking for a tutor for supplemental studies, check out this website
https://bruchysm.wixsite.com/mindfulscholars

It's run by someone I know, and I would highly recommend her!

amother

Taupe

Sat, May 06 2017, 9:25 pm

For the older one
Go to the library and let him pick out a book each week.
I think a second grade level would be good, but if you are not sure, let him read out loud to you, if in 1 page he has more than 5 mistakes then the book is too hard.
The librarian can help you find a book series.

Let him read 15 min a day, to himself, and write 3 sentences about what he has read. No more than three, since you want the main idea, not just a bunch of details.

For the little one.
Does he know all the letters and the sound they make.
If not, then this is what you need to work on with him.

If yes then he is ready to learn to read.
I've used this series with great success.

http://eps.schoolspecialty.com.....set-1

Let him read 5 pages every night, they are short 1-2 sentences.
Out loud to you.
Read each book 2x before you go on to the next book.
I also suggest you get the workbooks that go with the set, both phonics and comprehension.

http://eps.schoolspecialty.com.....ook-1

http://eps.schoolspecialty.com.....ook-1

Set 1 is all about reading short vowel sounds.
There are 10 books in each set.
If you think he needs more practice with short sounds, then purchase
Set 1a.
If you think he is ready to move on to long sounds, then you can move on to set 2.
Then either set 2a or set 3.
Read each book 2x to get a solid foundation.

By the time he gets through set 3, he should be ready to read short chapter books, first grade level, from the library.
But I suggest you continue through the 6 sets with the accompany workbooks.

Once you know how to read and understand, you can learn anything.