All About Reading: Pre Reading: An Initial Review

Like many parents who have homeschooled for many years, I have become increasingly wary of early academics, but I do believe in following a child's interests.  I would have been content to hold off on letter learning until age 6 or 7, but Dot has already picked up a lot on letter names and sounds, asks about the names of letters, and seems highly motivated to learn about them. 

What we tried already:  Sandpaper letter cards, learning the sound names for the lowercase letters, playing sound games.  I did this in my Montessori-trained way, but she really didn't take to it, especially the sandpaper letter cards.  I think it's more exciting to learn this way in a classroom with a teacher.  We have always read to her; she gets at least 3 books every night at bedtime. 

We are about 9 lessons into All About Reading so far, and Dot has really taken to it.  She asks to do it every day.  She likes both the activities and the special time with mommy. 

What I like so far: 

• It is scripted with no prep from the parent (other than punching out the notecards.)  
• I am already comfortable with the method, since I did several years of All About Spelling with my boys.  
• The materials are attractive.  I like the letter posters that we have put on the wall.  
• It is systematic and logical and based in research on how children learn.  It is a good phonetic foundation.  
• It's gentle and encouraging and short, just a few minutes a day.  
• We have been having fun with the rhyme games and letter coloring.  
• I'm enjoying reading Dot the included poems.  

Possible Disadvantages:

• Not sure the coloring sheets would have ever held my boys' attention.  But there are supplemental activity suggestions (like making the letters out of clay or pipe cleaners) that could be even be a substitute.  

It seems a perfect program for children ages 4-7 (or even older) to introduce pre reading skills.  Again, I would not rush it and would not use this or any program with a 4 or 5 year old who wasn't showing interest.  I would just stick to reading them picture books, maybe playing some fun sound games, and wait a bit on letters.  If your child is interested and developmentally ready for pre-reading skills, I think All About Reading Pre Reading is an ideal program!  

An update: Homeschooling through Pandemic

I'm surprised I hadn't posted in so long!  Last year was the only the year I didn't write an end-of-year update about what worked and what didn't.  I only officially homeschool one child now. 

Bee now attends public high school, which has its advantages and disadvantages.  Ironically, of course, he's home right now due to the pandemic.  My husband is working from home and trying to help him get his work done.  Bee has diagnosed attention issues, and I've always been hesitant to write about those in this blog, out of respect for his privacy.  I will say that when school starts up, we will resume getting his 504 plan in order.  Bee is a brilliant and creative person, and it's hard to fit him into any sort of system.  Overall, public high school is probably the best environment for him right now, since he so adamantly wishes to attend a traditional school.  But not badly done distance public school at home in a time of pandemic. 

Bug is in the 6th grade.  He takes a few outside classes (math, writing, art, PE) and reads a ton of audiobooks.  He has learned a lot this year, both academically and about keeping up with assignments.  His teachers have been able to transition to online pandemic learning easily and well.  He even has karate on zoom.  I feel like he needs more history and science than what I've done this semester, and I'm thinking about doing a couple of "camp" weeks after his classes end (but before the public school system ends).  I am thinking documentaries, cooking, and outdoor activities of some sort.  And it would need to include Dot. 

And Dot is almost 5 years old and an amazing little person!  A very talkative and happy little person.  The laws in my state do not require she attend school for a whole other year, so while she's technically about to be kindergarten age, she won't be officially homeschooled until the 2021-22 year.  However, she is so interested in letters and math that we have started some kits in this pandemic time, since we are home so much and a little bored.  We have All About Reading pre-reading, and we just started Shiller Math.  I'll write about those in separate posts.  I tried very hard to hold off on any sort of formal learning, as I really think kids don't need early academics, and can even be harmed by them sometimes, but she is ready and excited to do these things.  And they are hands on, gentle, and fun for her.  She is really helping me to get my homeschool mojo back. 

And so it ends...

Homeschooling isn't ending for our whole family, but Bee has decided to make the transition to public high school, preferably a magnet program.  We've really struggled with structure since school has started, and he wants to be around more people.  I am feeling stretched too thin.  My husband and I went to our high school reunion this summer, and I think that got Bee thinking that he didn't want to miss that experience. 

I'm happy and relieved about the whole thing, to be honest.  He was supposed to be doing 9th grade this year, but he's a relatively young 9th grader, and my husband suggested that the best thing would be for him to apply to the magnet programs as an 8th grader this year, to avoid complications with trying to apply as a transfer student from homeschool.  To my surprise, Bee was amenable to this.  He can still go to college if he wants to on time because we have dual credit options, but he doesn't have to.  I am happy about this choice because I think he needs the additional year to mature.  I think he will be extremely well prepared for a magnet program or honors classes in the coming school year. 

So, this year will be focused on planning and study skills for Bee, as well as continued academic development.  And next year, I will only be home schooling Bug!  (Dot will still be too young to be in school.) 

This has also made me think about Dot.  She is a May birthday, and I think I will have her start "kindergarten" at age 6 and keep her a year back.  And then if she wasnts to accelerate in middle/high school, she can have that option.  One thing I've finally learned in my 14.5 years as a parent is this:  Don't rush!!! 

EDITED TO ADD: Three semesters later, a new beginning; we brought our Bee back to homeschool!  

Good Sources for Boys Husky Sizes

I have 2 boys, one skinny and on the short side and one chunky and on the tall size.  This means that I can't hand down clothes from one to the other, and I have had to become an expert on both body types. 

The skinny one was very hard to shop for as a toddler, but now it's much easier to find clothes that fit him.  The chunky one was easy to shop for as a toddler, but as he reached the tween stage, normal boy clothes no longer fit him well. 

So I had to work a lot harder to find him clothes that flattered him and fit well.  I have to shop online because the husky sections in stores are nonexistent or abyssmal.  This requires me to plan in advance so that I can get free shipping. 

Dressier Pants:  These can be really hard, especially for dressy styles!  The best I have found for khaki and dress pants are Land'd End husky.  In some styles, you can have them hemmed for free to the correct inseam. 

Jeans:  Sometimes Land's End offers boys' husky jeans, and sometimes they can be hemmed to a good length.  Also, once the boy gets tall enough, men's jeans at Land's End will custom hem them as short as 26 inches. 

Dressier Shirts:  Land's End and Old Navy have a lot of great options. 

Casual Pants and Shorts: Old Navy has great options in athletic shorts and pants in husky styles. 

T-shirts:  I like both Old Navy and Land's End for colorful shirts in husky sizes.  I prefer patterns because they hide stains!  I have found great, fun shirts in husky sizes. 

Underwear:  This has been a problem.  I was going to have to go to men's underwear, which I worried might not fit right, but I found that JC Penney offers husky underwear styles in colors and patterns that boys like.  I have ordered some to try. 

Pajamas:  I have had a lot of trouble finding these, but I see that JCP is now offering boys pajama pants in husky sizes as well!  I will have to give these a try for the winter.  Right now we are using very stretchy boys pajama shorts from Target, but they look like they may be getting a little uncomfortable.  Men's pajama shorts are an option I can try too, as he approaches 5 feet tall. 

Swimsuits:  Land's End makes some nice boy's swimsuits and rash guards in husky styles.  These do run really big.  My son can wear XL husky in some styles (with a little room to grow), but in swimsuits, the L Husky is fairly big on him, and the drawstring has to be tightened pretty tight.  The XL husky swim trunks I got were enormous, and he could not wear them, so I put them away for a future year. 

We have had a much easier time finding clothes for my skinny boy--slim pant sizes are easy to find in most stores, and most boys' pants have adjustable waists that can be buttoned really skinny.  As he's getting older and filling out, he is starting to ask for regular rather than slim fit.  For shirts, he wears an adult medium for height, but they are a little baggy.  The shirts that fit him best are Old Navy XXL boys.  These are cut slim for a boy but are long enough for him.  He still wears boys underwear, size large. 

Where do you shop for your husky or slim boy? 

Useful Apps for Parents

Here are the apps I'm using lately that help me in my child raising and household management.  They really aren't specific to homeschooling: 

Google Calendar:  I put every activity in it.  I have it set to automatically give me a reminder an hour before an event.  I look at it every day and jot down in my bullet journal the events for that day and the next. 

AllowanceBot:  How I love allowancebot!  It automatically adds the kids' allowances and allows me to reward them for chores or punish them for not doing chores.  How would I keep track of their allowances otherwise?  My husband and I have even begun giving ourselves allowances to limit our personal spending.  My allowance goes to things like clothes, shoes, books, yarn, and other crafts supplies.  All things I tend to overspend on! 

Chatbooks:  This app automatically makes and sends me photo books from my favorite photos on my phone.  Dot especially LOVES looking at them.  And I don't have to feel guilty anymore for not making books or not printing snapshots. 

Audible:  This is used massively by Bug, our obsessive reader.  Husband also uses it, especially for his awful commute.  I use it sometimes, probably will use it more as Dot gets older.  

Overdrive:  This is also used massively by Bug, who checks out audiobooks from our local library on it. 

Keepy:  I've started using this, especially for Dot.  I'm so tired of feeling like I need to keep artwork.  Now I can take pictures of her scribbles and throw the papers away, guilt free. 

Homeschool ID's

In case you ever wondered what we look like...

I don't post a lot of pictures on this blog, but I made these homeschool ID's just for fun, and they are so cute that I had to share.  It is easy to make them at homeschoolbuyerscoop.com, and I have definitely used it in the past to get teacher discounts.  (I also keep a copy of my letter of intent to the state in my purse, in case that is needed as proof of homeschooling).  I'm sure my younger 2 won't need to use them, but my oldest might need one to get a student rate somewhere.

At the end of the year, I will tape them into the 2018-2019 section of my homeschool records binder, for a cute reminder of how we looked that year. 


[By the way, I have no relationship with Homeschool Buyer's Coop, except as a very occasional customer!]

Homeschool Plans 2018-2019

I can't believe that Bee will be in 9th grade (high school!), and Bug will be in 5th grade!  Dot is 3 years old.  I made some really cute ID's (teacher for me, student for them) at Homeschool Buyer's Coop.  I'll try and share them if I can figure out how best to cover the identifying information. 

This past year was really, really hard for me, but one where I grew a lot.  I've been in therapy for anxiety and OCD and have been taking an SSRI for several months to help with my lifelong issues with intrusive thoughts and anxiety.  I am feeling better than I have in as long as I can remember, and certainly vastly better than I felt last summer after 2.5 very difficult years that included two incredibly stressful moves, one out-of-state and one local, a new job for husband, a new baby, a family member with cancer, and a dear friend who died from suicide.  And a religious conversion.  All while homeschooling. 

I am loving being a stay-at-home mom again.  I am loving homeschooling again.  I finally have friends here and feel like part of the community.  I am also prayerfully and thoughtfully considering making some major life changes in the next few years that would involve me going back to school and into a vocation that would take me outside of my home and family more.  I plan to continue homeschooling our children, but it may take a different form, and I may very gradually become less involved. 

Next year, I am moving to more of a role as a facilitator (transcript maker) in Bee's schooling.  I will not be the primary teacher for ANY of his subjects.  We are ready for this transition! 

Here is our plan for the school year: 

Bee (9th): 

• English (outside classes in World Lit and Writing)
• Math (outside class in Algebra II)
• Social Studies (outside class in World History)
• Science (Thinkwell's college biology, and some kind of laboratory kit)
• Spanish (continue lessons with Homeschool Spanish Academy and continue language exposure via youtube gaming videos in Spanish).  
• Electives will include a debate class (if it makes), climbing team, and hopefully some music.  

Bug (5th)

•  English (outside class in World Literature, All About Spelling level 5 [done in a very loose manner], Jump In! Creative Writing Workbook, & Spectrum Language Arts.  Multiple hours a day of personal reading time by choice). 
•  Math (Dreambox and Khan Academy)
• Social Studies (outside class in World History)
• Science (outside class in Engineering)
• Electives will include an outside foreign language class (if it makes), swim team at the Y, and hopefully some music.  

Dot (PK3)

• Playing at the park!
• Story time at the library
• Playdates
• Playing at home
• Listening to stories read by mom and dad
• Drawing and stickers and cutting and gluing and playdough
• Hugs and kisses
• LIFE

MOM (post master's)

• studying modern and Biblical Greek
• knitting and crocheting
• lots of volunteering
• taking year 3 of the Episcopal church's Education for Ministry
• many fun days with friends and family; so thankful to God that I feel rooted in our new community
• bullet journaling
• blogging