Just ordered 2nd edition!
And I'm terribly excited about it! I've been checking my Australian supplier's webpage every day and finally today I could order it! Sorry about all these exclamation marks but MAN I'm excited!
Okay. Deep breath.
I think I introduced myself here eons ago... my name is Jackie and I have a nearly-5 yo daughter and a 3yo son. I'm starting K officially with my daughter in August. Anyone else out there starting K soon? Would you mind sharing what your plans are? I'd also be interested in schedules. I'll share my plans and schedules when I've got my 2nd ed and have devoured it!
I've started dd on phonics this term (we're using and loving 'Bear Necessities' from The Promethean Trust's Dancing Bears series - so painless) but other than that we're reading/telling stories and playing outside. Our homeschooling is heavily influenced by Charlotte Mason and I think LCC will fit in nicely. I love how gently it starts K students. The only difference I can see is I've decided to delay Latin until somewhere around Year 2 when dd will be reading fluently. We sing and pray a bit in Latin so the kiddos will be getting a bit of exposure along the way.
Cheers,
Jackie.
Thanks for replying, Chris.
Thanks for replying, Chris. Nice to meet you!
The only Latin I have is along the lines of ‘Kyrie Eleison’ and ‘Donna Nobis Pacem’ so I might use this time now before things get too intense educationally to teach myself Latin. (I can almost hear the grey matter groaning at the prospect but I’ve heard it can be done!)
I’m also taking handwriting slowly. Eden (my dd) does the bit of writing in her phonics book and some handwriting sheets I found on Donna Young’s site, but I’ll have to take another look at Penny Gardner’s book.
We’ll start Math-U-See at some point over the next several months. My husband, a graphic designer, is going through Artistic Pursuits’ Pre-K program with the kids.
We tend to do our few minutes of phonics first thing in the morning when Charlie (little brother) is asleep, or before bed during our quiet time when Daddy can wrangle him. How have you managed younger siblings?
How wonderful to have your brother with you at the moment. I sometimes look at my little ones and marvel that someday they’ll be fluent in Latin and Greek and be able to write beautifully and tackle classics. My own education was woefully classic-deficient so I do have moments of panic where I wonder how on earth I’ll be able to do this?! Thank goodness for LCC.
Jackie (in Australia)
DD 4.75
DS 3
Regarding the younger
Regarding the younger siblings, one is just starting to talk at age 2.5, so he is usually occupied in the play room or napping. Although he'll sit contentedly through a lesson with sufficient cereal and bananas to occupy him. :D
The other one is crawling and working on walking @ 10 months old, so he just hangs out. Usually he's in my wife's sling.
She's doing the heavy lifting on the day-to-day grind of primary education. I'm the researcher/cheerleader/visionary, since my day job affords me some leisure.
Definitely use the early years, while the pace can be relaxed, for your own studies. This has been a consistent note sung by all the experienced classical homeschoolers I've been in contact with.
As I never tire of reminding people, Leisure is not the same as Idleness, although both require "free" time. Use your leisure productively, filling out the weaknesses in your own education (mine is maths).
You can do this by the Grace of God and because, having made it a priority in your life, you'll make the necessary sacrifices to achieve the defined objective.
Hi there
I plan to start DD on a relaxed K year this year. She will turn 5 part way through it, but she has been expressing interest is 'doing school' along with big brother, so I will gently start her with reading and lots of stories ;)
Although I started DS with Prima Latina quite early, I think I will be following the new LCC2 ideal with DD... she already HAS some Latin because of listening in when DS does his ;)
We'll be going mostly at her pace, watching and waiting when necessary... for instance, right now DS is racing through his maths book. So DD came in... "Where's my maths?" I figure a slow start might just help out ;)
~Rachel~
SAHM to James (8) and Lenore (4)
Salve, Jackie
I'm Chris. Our oldest is starting K "officially" this year, and we have two more at home (one learning to speak, the other learning to walk).
At his request we started teaching him to read and write back at Christmas.
He's most of the way through Saxon Phonics Level K. He found the handwriting frustrating, so we deferred that for a few months, but we're using Penny Gardner's excellent workbook on Italics.
We've settled on Right Start A for math, although we haven't purchased it, yet.
He's also expressed interest in getting started with Latin and Greek, so we're looking to start those very gently. Primarily prayers and songs for the Latin, although he loves watching the Prima Latina DVDs. For Greek, we're looking at just the alphabet, possibly using Bluedorn's Alphabeterion. My wife and I both have some Latin, I have a little Greek as well, and we're blessed to have my Classicist brother living with us right now.
We're moving very gently and at our son's pace, so there's lots of reading time, play time, free drawing, nature walks, time at the zoo and museums, etc. And plenty of silliness.
Our rule of thumb thus far has been that if he continues to ask about a subject for 4-5 months, we'll go ahead and start it.
I look forward to interacting with you here, on the Yahoo! Group, and anywhere else we meet in cyberspace.
~Chris
Father of 3 & husband to The Ringmistress
DFW Metroplex, Texas, USA, Earth