Name: CHEC Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-06-12T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-06-14T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Denver, CO

Tagged: Cursive First;, Early Years, Right Start, Spell to Write and Read

This topic has 7 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 1 month ago by Lisa in WI.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

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April 20, 2009 at 10:20 pm
heatherma
Participant
Hi all! I have been lurking and trying to plan out what I want to save for and collect to use with my sons (who are 2 and 4 right now). I am already doing what is listed for the early years except for math and reading skills – I have been holding off until I know what I’m doing; and my 4 yr old keeps asking what those letters are and what the word is, etc.
Spell to Write and Read coupled with Cursive First have been highly recommended to me and I am even borrowing it right now before I buy; I would like to ease into it using the phonics cards and cursive first with chalk/salt boxes etc.
Right Start Mathematics A I would also like to save for to begin playing with manipulatives and some easy math games, clock games…
I am driving myself nuts reading so many reviews for so many things and am now questioning if I need to do any of this right now, but don’t want to ignore my son’s questions when he seems eager for a little more to think about. My thought was to play with these 2 things this year and next when he turns 5 and then at 6 begin more CM subjects as outlined. My worry is that both RS and STRW are totally different from how I was HS’d and seem very boggling to re-learn to teach it (although I totally believe in their merits, history of why that is so), and worried that at testing time in CO they won’t know what to do because I taught it all differently.
Whew! I believe that CM is what God would have for our family and that HS shouldn’t be an intolerable burden. I just need feedback. Esp. on the Spell to Write/Read and Cursive First. Thank you for your understanding!!!
April 21, 2009 at 1:21 am
missceegee
Participant
Hi heatherma,
Take a deep breath, and another, etc… It is easy to get caught up in which of this and what of that, but I’ve learned a couple of things. Accept that you will buy or use something that you later decide against for some reason. Less can really be more.
Specifically, I used SWR to teach my dd 8 to read and Cursive First at age 5 for her. SWR is very effective, but time intensive. i spent over 2 months, just figuring out how to teach it and I’m a natural with reading/phonics.
There are a couple of other programs that use O-G phonograms and approach that are much easier to teach and can be just as effective. I’ve bought and used them all –
Phonics Road to Spelling and Reading by Barbara Beers. (Expensive; has dvd of Barbara teaching all lessons; probably the most like SWR, but definitely easier to teach; open and go)
Writing Road to Reading (this is what all of the others are based upon; my dear friend used this and I really don’t know how she did it)
LEM Phonics based in Australia (I’ve used this most recently and love it for the most part. Some differences in pronouncing some words, but easily figured out; expensive to ship to USA; I like the workbooks that go with it, esp.)
All About Spelling (my newest purchase; very hands on; the easiest of all to teach; focus is spelling, but easy to carry over to reading; adorable readers to go with it; inexpensive; the author is very accessible for questions.) I plan to start this with dd8 and ds5 soon (8yo is a good solid reader, 5yo is just learning to put phonogram sounds together.)
I do like Cursive First, though I wish it were in a simple workbook format. I hate making copies. I’m a believer in teaching cursive first!
I’ve sold my copy of Phonics Road and plan to sell my SWR soon.
Hope that helps,
Christie
April 21, 2009 at 3:46 am
heatherma
Participant
Thank you so much! I looked into them all, and also am liking what I see with All About Spelling and the price is right in my budget. I think I can do this! Greatly encouraged and feeling a bit more relaxed:)
~Heather
April 21, 2009 at 5:11 pm
missceegee
Participant
Heather,
I’m glad that you’re encouraged. These boards are wonderful for that!
Blessings,
Christie
May 2, 2009 at 2:17 am
Lisa in WI
Participant
Hi Heather,
I just wanted to repeat some of the things that Christie said. I also have little ones (4.5yo, 3yo, and 1yo) and have already bought some things and changed my mind. No matter how good something seems, sometimes you just have to get it in your hands and try it before you know if it will work for you or your kids. If you really do want to use SWR and RS (both of which I own but am not currently using) I encourage you to get them soon. Not that I think you need to start formal lessons now, but both of those curricula use a philosophy that you are probably not used to and the sooner you learn the basics the better. Though now isn’t the time to teach your children formally, informal lessons can be tons of fun! And if you understand the methods, you’ll know how you can best prepare your children for them. While I was looking for some more concrete ideas and activities to prepare my children for SWR I found a book called Montessori Read and Write. This method is not the same as SWR (and actually deviates quite a bit in the later part of the book), but the pre-reader/pre-writer stage activites can all be done with little or no tweaking and are lots of fun. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to prepare their child to be a good reader and writer. Just like Chirstie, I did end up not using SWR. I loved the philosophy but I just couldn’t get started. I ended up buying AAS and it has been a big hit. My oldest was prepared well by the Montessori book and we have been slowly going through the lessons as we feel like it. The lessons are short and fun, and we are using them to teach reading and spelling.
Although it can be fun to do some informal academics with your young child, there are some other more important things to focus on. Simple nature study/outdoor time and habit training are perfect for the ages of your children. I’m currently reading Laying Down the Rails (sold on this website) and can’t wait to get started. This will lay a wonderful foundation, and honestly, these habits will serve your child better than most anything else that he or she could learn at this age.
Lisa
May 2, 2009 at 4:09 am
heatherma
Participant
Thanks Lisa for more feedback! Yes I totally agree re: more than academics esp now. We try and spend all day outside if we can. We garden, cook, clean, pretend, shop, build, read 2-3x day, paint, take care of pets, etc. together.
We do Love and Logic training and I would love to save up for Laying Down the Rails here soon as well – Q. Is it also practical how-to for each habit? Such as ideas of how to implement, train, work on the habit (1 for every 3 weeks or so I think).
My 4 yr old is really having fun though with the AAS, and we are only doing it every other day as a game – Q. Do you continue to add 3-4 phonic cards each time even if the previous ones aren’t mastered yet, to give them enough to think about? He is starting to “get it” with A and F by sight after only a week. (So cute – even my 2yr ds makes the sounds with us, triumphantly I might add!)
We are also borrowing a FIAR book and have done only one story so far and had so much fun we will do one every other week maybe. I’ve also counted/grouped beans, etc. we count everything! I am saving up for RS math so I can come to grips with it and see if it will work for us to ease into and then use to 6 yrs old or so. Q. Anyone use this for the early years instead of MathUSee which seems rather dry and confusing without cause, and liked it or preferred something else for primary math?
If anyone can address the above Q’s that would be so helpful. There is a used book sale coming up and I am making a small list for this year of read-alouds and sources for me.
~Heather
May 3, 2009 at 1:00 pm
missceegee
Participant
RE. AAS, I would continue reviewing and maybe add 1 or 2 to keep from getting bored but not overwhelm. You want to get to real words as soon as you can so they get the point of the phonograms, but 4 yo is young so slow and steady is good.
RE. Math – RS is not right for me so I’m no help there. I have Math-U-See and like some aspects of it, but my favorite math is Ray’s Arithmetic, though it starts at 1st grade. 1st and 2nd grade is done orally.
HTH, gotta run get ready for church.
Christie
May 4, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Lisa in WI
Participant
Re: AAS The first half of AAS has mostly been review for us after we used the Montessori book, but the first 3 or 4 lessons could all be used simultanesouly if these skills still need to be taught. So while you are slowly adding more phonograms (I think you could add a few a day, and just keep reviewing them) you would also be working on distinguishing the separate sounds in words. One thing I do while reviewing phonograms is to say the sounds and have dd find the correct card. This is, after all, the skill she needs to use while spelling words. I certainly do practice showing the card and having dd say the sounds, but this is the higher level skill and is more difficult.
Re: RS I love the Right Start philosophy but it turned out not to be for us. We work better using games (which are used in this curriculum) and real life. The lessons just ended up being too much like lessons for us. I recently bought Math on the Level and plan to incorporate RS ideas into this curriculum. Check out this page for ideas on teaching math to a young child, RS-style: http://www.alabacus.com/pageView.cfm?pageID=314
Re: Laying Down the Rails This book is a compilation of Charlotte’s writings about habit training. They are organized by habit, so you can see all that she has to say about each habit. Though there are some practical ideas within her writings, it mostly talks about what to do, not how to do it. At the end of each section there are more quotes from other people and questions to ask yourself about the habit. These questions help with some ideas of what you should be doing. There is also a HUGE checklist in the back with all of the habits. There is a separate board here for habits.
Re: FIAR I plan to use FIAR in the fall as well. It will be our kindergarten year and I’d like to start adding more structure to our days and our learning activities.
Lisa