Update on PreK/K

[stm4him]

Hi, Tanya. Right now my son (just turned 5 in January) is working on the R & S K series to kill time (and they are good books anyway) until MP Preschool comes out. He has finished A and is doing B (Bible), C (Math), D (handwriting letters), and F (thinking skills) at different times of the day. We won't do E until after D b/c it is review. I was thinking that when he is done with those I want to start him on the Numbers and/or Alphabet book even if you don't have the whole package out yet. Are you planning to make any changes to those books or are they ready to go now as they will be in the lesson plans? I am wanting him to start FSR in the fall as well as a Math program so I want to finish the PreK books (alphabet and numbers) before then. These are not because he doesn't know his alphabet or numbers (he knows all the sounds and can count and write to 100 on a white board which he did on his own), but he can't write within lines yet so that is what I'm trying to work on.

Thanks!

Shaina

[tanya]

Hi, Shaina.

We like the R&S preschool books too. We've talked about putting a couple into our jr. k curriculum, but we seem to have too much to do as it is!

The Alphabet and Numbers Books are in good shape now. We are going to move some of the letters around because we want to teach them in an order that better matches seasons, read-alouds, etc. They are organized now by stroke so that the straight strokes are taught first. Great idea, right? Well it didn't work because we teach the lower-case letters at the same time as the upper-case. So, in the end, the students had to learn a hook when they did the H and h anyway! Our teachers didn't feel like this was a problem, so we are rearranging them for a better overall fit.

Our goal for these books is for students to get comfortable recognizing the letters and numbers, becoming familiar with the sounds the letters make, and learning to at least trace them, and write them if they can.

So, for your purposes, I think the way we have them arranged right now will work fine since you aren't using the entire package.

Regards,

Tanya

[stm4him]

I have some time b/c we are short on money and he might as well finish the books he's on which will take a few weeks or so. Do you have an estimate on when it will be all put together? And when the K package will be rearranged? I don't usually use the lesson plans as written, but I do use them to help guide me on some things and use almost everything in the packages anyway. This year I just have my Jr. K guy but next year I will have a PreK and a K so I'm wanting them to be straightened out so I can see more clearly what I should cover when.

Thanks!

Shaina

[tanya]

Hello.

I'm hoping to have the jr. k package rearranged in the next couple of weeks.

We have made all the changes we are going to make to kindergarten, which were minor. The biggest change was in math because the teachers thought it was too easy as written.

Regards,

Tanya

[stm4him]

Tanya,

I have a copy of the K lesson plans with a 2009 date in it. Am I allowed to call and ask for the updated version? Thanks!

Shaina

[tanya]

Absolutely. It sounds like you have an original version. If you want to just email me with your shipping address, I'll send one right out to you.

Regards,

Tanya
tanya@memoriapress.com

[stm4him]

Thanks, Tanya! I just emailed you.

Did you end up putting the Numbers book into the K package and taking out Counting with Numbers? Just curious......

Shaina

[tanya]

Not yet. If we change the K math, it won't be until summer when the teachers have more time to work with me.

Regards,

Tanya

[stm4him]

Does that mean the Numbers book will be in the Jr. K package when it comes out in March or not? It will probably take that long to finish his R & S books anyway so that might be perfect timing to start the Jr. K package as written then (though we might go through some things faster). Or if it lines up with a regular school year seasonally and with holidays and such then we may just let him do the workbooks now and then let him do the rest of the package with his sister in the fall as well as the K program.

Thanks!

Shaina

[tanya]

Shaina,

I believe that the Numbers Book, Part I will be in the second semester in our revamped Jr. K program and Part II is going to drop off altogether because it is too difficult for 4 year olds. The lesson plans and literature are tied to the seasons just like our K-2nd, but you can rearrange the order in which you teach them if you need to. It should just affect major holidays.

Tanya