Hands on homeschooling anyone tried?

[mam29]

www.handsonhomeschooling.com/

Been looking at curriculums online and most american and came across this looks good but unsure if worth it as not sure bible study very relevent.

Wondering how it matches up with efys over here.

I have a 2year old and nearly 4year old.

wondering which is better usa or uk education as they start school later over there.

www.handsonhomeschooling.com/

Would partly depend on how you felt about ringbinders, Bible stories, and worksheets I guess...

Ringbinders sounds good but if large chunk of it heavy on faith not sure would be best but some reveiws of it are good and reasonably priced not sure at 2 my little boy needs a curriculum was thinking for the 4year old to do from september.

I guess i could try and put something together .

Also as she has younger sibling could be reused.

wondered if anyone in uk using it?

the US curricula have a heavy emphasis in the humanities on American history (naturally enough). Social studies is basically American history. I don't think this is a bad thing for kindergarten/grade 1 social studies but you will have to move on to a different history programme at some stage to cover European history in enough detail. At that point, I would look at Galore Park Junior history books but supplement them with documentaries or more fun material. Another book people use is History of the World by Susan Wise Bauer which reads like a story book.

If you are not religious , I think you need to look for a different curriculum. The American ones I have seen friends use (who are in fact quite religious being missionary families) are all markedly religious. So in science for instance say there is a section on teeth, digestive tracts etc, it will start with a quote or two from the Bible related perhaps to speech or food and then it goes on in the text itself to talk about God having designed the body in a certain way. The ones I have seen are not really overkill but the religious element is part and parcel of it and this is I think what most parents buying the programme actually want.

I prefer American maths workbooks for younger children. They are more accessible and they have some nice workbooks for science and English. At some stage you need to decide which spelling your dc should learn. If British, you need a UK programme. Maths seems to be taught in a different order in the US so at some point maybe you need to think about that. YOu can always start with American kindergarten material and see how it goes.

Perhaps you can view inside some of the books on the website to see if this is the case with Handson. I don't know it. You could just buy some material from that company and get other material for say science and history.

Singapore maths or math is popular with American expats who home educate.

Thanks ZZZengain very helpful we not athiest we christian just not quite as full on as their curriculums seem to be also got confused how they vary each for each denomination?

The galore park looks fab older kids but was looking for something preschool/early primary.

Im not suite sure why 2year old would need a curriculum?

I want to do dry run home ed from september for my 4year old as dont think she will get a school place in april so home educating reception maybe all of infants until she gets a place at dd1s school.

Her brother starts year after so could have 2 at home so want something to challenge them.

dd2 seems bored in preschool.

dd3 well hes not even talking he understands everything.

The helping hands was age 2-5.

I know us start year later so year 1 .

wondering if what they do in kingergarten same as preschool/recption sort of efys learning through play.

Also dont know how far to stray from national curriculum if at some some point they start state uk primary.

Im welsh and dont live far from wales so welsh history/.dayytrips be on agenda.

I have looked at singapore looks good unsure how it varies from way we teach over here.

Eldest 7 does carold vordmans maths factor online and mathaletics.

I was thinking investing in singapore kindergarten and my pals 1 and gettin at home numicon set.

Its english/reading not sure about?

would jolly phonics and songbirds set be best bet?

will be relief not too do dreaded ort or ancient ginn about janet and jim.

Early science not sure but singapore do my pals science too.

usa always seems much more sciency then we are with science fairs.

Theres so much in us. heard of sonlight and theirs something called saxon maths.

Its all bit confusing for brit but we be structured home edders.

im sure i can cobble something together. Might speak to head mistress see what she suggests as dd1 has something called thematic curriculum quite differnt to her last state school always assumed tehy all taught the same but they have spent 2terms on project about fruit!

Are you sure you need a curriculum at all? Really, with a 4 year old, I'd just recommend:

read to them
read to them
read to them

lots of opportunities for painting, baking, jigsaws

every day maths (counting stairs, coutning to ten for hide and seek, simple "if we eat two chocolate buttons how many are left?" stuff)

getting them outside in the mud as often as possible

and that's it. Well, maybe supplemented with the CBeebies, Nick Junior and PBSKids websites.

Thanks Ommmward yes thinking want to be laid back as you describe.

but in back of mind worry they starts school whenever that may be and be behind..

The freedom, trips and everything else sounds like heaven after putting 1 through school hes junior next year and schools not what I thought it would be.

will start off very simple. dd2 maybe being younger sibling seems so eager to learn. do stuff an seems more mature than d1 at same age.

They like chalk and cheese most time and baby bro just hangs making noises and throwing tantrums he loves animals and drawing and anything messy.

The only other thing is: answer their questions. Most four years are absolutely in the WHY phase, so pause, think, and answer every question, always ready to say "I don't know. Let's try it and find out" (or just "I don't know. Let's find out").Truly, a 4 year old will lead you along.

Good advice always get lots of orders and questions from her.she loves trips out, messy stuff and saying shes a big girl now shes fixated with being big and fixated with being small.

Curriculums aren't expensive - there are lots of schools that let you download their curriculum for free - so that you can glance at it now and again if there are gaps.

I think a study program would suck much of the joy out of home-schooling tbh.

In terms of rejoining school later - you only really need to think literacy and numeracy - plus basic understanding of world around them. All schools will do different 'topics' at different times anyway.

Hello

You may be a little early with formal learning. Some countries don't start 'book' work until 7.

Have you looked up the EYFS. It is used by the early years professionals (childminders/nurseries/year R at school) so it covers birth to 5yrs. You can view it easily on line. There are 4 books - you need to look at 'Development Matters'. Here you will see a description of what children are expected to be learning at different ages leading up to the Early Learning Goals (ELG) that children would ideally achieve by the end of year R at school.

Children progress to be able to listen, work out letter sounds, identify sounds at the start and end and middle of a word, be able to segment a word (say each sound in order) and blend a word from its sounds until finally they can look at a printed word and try to read it. This takes lots of playing traditional games.

For example: get a child to lay on their belly, watch a spinning top, not touch it but shout stop when it eventually comes to rest. This simple game covers all the learning areas:
PSE - patience, attention, concentration, self esteem
C&L - listening to instructions, speaking for a purpose and can be adapted (whisper, silly voices)
PD - laying on the belly is neglected these days and it is excellent for back and hip muscles therefore any running/jumping etc.