Learning to read, learning to write

natmichal

Wed, Mar 17 2010, 3:15 pm

Hi!
I 'm not really homeschooling since my kids go to gan/school (Israel), but I do homeschool them English (as a 2nd language).
I'm teaching them to read with starfall.com and lots of imagination and it is working slowly (I think). I'd like to know if someone could recommend me something more structured (ds starting to read, dd learning letters).
Also I feel I really need to make them work on their handwriting. Ds is 6.5 and only gets practice in Hebrew (at school) but needs to starts at the basics (has grapho-motor problems) dd is 5 and is now starting the whole learning process. I gather they both need the same workbook for this but would like to know what you recommend. (I'll pay for the shipping etc id I can't find it in Israel- we decided our kid's chinuch is worth the expense).
TIA

Happy Mom

Wed, Mar 17 2010, 3:34 pm

You're right, this really isn't a homeschooling question! Not to be nitpicky, but since too often people use the term 'homeschool' to refer to tutoring their child or doing some academic enrichment, I kind of want to clarify.

Anyway - your kids are very young to be working on this with them, imo. I'm not a fan of actively teaching reading, because it tends to be so much work and so much less pleasant all around, but as long as your child is finding it fun, Starfall is a decent website. I like D'Nealian workbooks for handwriting.

RachelEve14

Wed, Mar 17 2010, 3:45 pm

I'm in basically the same situation and we're using "Explode the Code" plus bob books and other easy readers. The twins can get through the first few BOB books, but I still started them on the primers in ETC to get a good solid foundation.

natmichal

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 1:26 am

Thanks! I'll try to see what I can get most easily.

Happy Mom- I know I don't really homeschool- I wish I could but for now the most I can do is have dd stay at home one day a week- and that's already great imo.
As for them being young... they asked for it, and I'm a great believer of introducing a kid to something if he shows interest in it, and and teaching it if it asks for it!

RachelEve- how good is your kid's English? could you pm me about what you do?

RachelEve14

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 4:20 am

I would say their english is decent, they speak pretty fluently, but use Hebrew grammar usually. They can decode short words in English (Mat sat), but reading is really just starting. I go through the books with them, work on phonics, and practice, practice, practice.

natmichal

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 5:07 am

RachelEve14 wrote:

sounds like they're speaking like dd ("it's hurting me the leg") but reading like ds (who understand but doens't speak yet)

RachelEve14

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 5:47 am

natmichal wrote:

RachelEve14 wrote:

sounds like they're speaking like dd ("it's hurting me the leg") but reading like ds (who understand but doens't speak yet)

Yeah, I love the tranlation stuff.

Ima, please you can spill me the milk?

energy11

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 6:38 am

Starfall is absolutely adorable.
Any of you, by any chance would know of a similar website to teach Hebrew?
It would help me tremendously with the homeschool.
Thanks.

natmichal

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 6:46 am

energy11 wrote:

Starfall is absolutely adorable.
Any of you, by any chance would know of a similar website to teach Hebrew?
It would help me tremendously with the homeschool.
Thanks.

I can't think of any since ds self taught himself (from a make a match letter-picture game and a notebook where we drew different pictures than in the game with letters next to it. He came back to me a couple of months after that telling me "ima this is the "k" of 'cadur" and "caftor". I was not planning aything as he's a special -ed kid and had many more issues more important to deal with than letters at age 4 and a bit!). As for dd, I'll go over a massora book with her if she demands it, but I prefer focusing on English since not only she's getting intro to letters in gan but she had another year and a bit before kita alef.
I will look around and let you know if I find something.

I agree about Starfall- they can both spend ages on it if I don't make them stop!

energy11

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 7:02 am

Thanks for sharing.
No, I mean something online, interactive game.
I could also buy a DVD, but I am not in Israel, and don't know which is good...
Any idea?

natmichal

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 8:25 am

energy11 wrote:

Thanks for sharing.
No, I mean something online, interactive game.
I could also buy a DVD, but I am not in Israel, and don't know which is good...
Any idea?

http://www.lomda.net/otiotpele.asp

http://www.kidnet.co.il/index_g.htm

the first link is for a computer program. The second has online games.
I didn't check them to much - just a peek- and they seem reasonable... but just the online programs in English, they assume the child playing understands the language.

Mrs Bissli

Thu, Mar 18 2010, 10:54 am

There is a programme called Alphablocks (aired here by CBeeBies, BBC's children's channel) that teaches children how to read using phonetics. Worked really well for DS who's 5.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/.....games