{"id":239952,"date":"2023-08-15T01:45:13","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T01:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buoyantbloomer.com\/?p=239952"},"modified":"2024-01-21T04:00:21","modified_gmt":"2024-01-21T04:00:21","slug":"quality-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buoyantbloomer.com\/quality-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlock a quality education with these open and go resources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\u270f\ufe0f Pencils up \u2013 here\u2019s our family\u2019s cheat sheet of science-of-learning backed resources for a quality education in the preschool years that doesn\u2019t require pricey tuition checks. *record scratch* <\/em>What did she just say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n ^^repeat: You can keep attending that convenient but traditional public school or daycare AND bridge the gap to an elite preschool education by supplementing school at home. Yep \u2013 these resources work even<\/em> if you\u2019re both climbing the corporate ladder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your kids\u2019 brains are working in overdrive all the way through first grade if not third grade. They don\u2019t need to attend and subsidize a fancy campus\u2019 manicured lawns, sports facilities, service projects, or theater programs (which they can\u2019t meaningfully use until at least the later elementary grades anyway).<\/p>\n\n\n\n They just need more intriguing and child-specific challenges + learning opportunities \u2013 all backed up by a heaping portion of fun and a bouncy house\u2019s worth of learning evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a million and one ways to skin this particular \ud83d\ude3a, but the simplest way to think about it is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A high quality education fosters lifelong learning and builds the urge to gather knowledge indefinitely (compulsively? \ud83e\udd17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without further ado, here are the secular resources we vouch for that have helped our high-ability 5 year old end his public PreK year reading at a first grade level and computing at a 1st<\/sup> grade level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Logic of English<\/a> \u2013 I have a mad crush on Jonathan Bailey (seriously, have you seen how many times I reference him on my<\/a> website<\/a>? Is that even a place of business\ud83e\udd2d), but I have an even deeper and more abiding love for this curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr. 5 is entering Kindergarten in a mere few weeks and we\u2019re currently on lesson 123 of Level D. This roughly aligns with skills expected of readers at the end of first grade\/beginning of second grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two other reading programs I recommend to clients which are considered gold standard in the homeschool community and which I respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caveat: one of those two requires what I feel is a significant investment of prep time. It is better suited to someone who is working part-time or is full-time homeschooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ha<\/a>ndwriting without Tears<\/a> \u2013 handwriting is Mr. 5\u2019s least favorite thing to do. Most of his 3K year was spent at the across-the-street \ud83d\ude4f daycare where thanks to the infinite patience and counseling of Ms. Tijuana, he finally developed a proper pincer grasp. In PreK, he slowly started enjoying drawing and coloring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IMHO, letter formation is not the most important thing when it comes to writing \u2013 developing finger strength is where writers are developed. These include all manner of fine motor skills and chores at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I were budget-conscious (and who isn\u2019t with interest rates gone wild \ud83d\udca5), I wouldn\u2019t bother with a handwriting curriculum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ma<\/a>th with Confidence<\/a> \u2013 new math can be confusing but doesn\u2019t need to be. Kate Snow is the queen of play-based math. *Chef\u2019s kiss* to her lovely program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also mix in Montessori math, something I\u2019ll cover in my signature course \u2013 Inquisitive Learner Accelerator<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s the only pioneering, out-of-school program for 3-6 year olds that uses customized learning systems + strategies to accelerate your child\u2019s development in reading, writing, and math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr. 5 is working on multiplication with the Montessori bead cabinet material, something I never thought we could use because of our very limited space (ahem, \ud83d\uddfd apartment living!). But I spill the beans here on how we used Elfa Shelving to make a comp<\/a>act Montessori bead cabinet<\/a>. Gaining a Montessori education doesn\u2019t have to be all or nothing \u2013 you can definitely find creative ways to instill this educational philosophy at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro tip: Kindergarten and 1st<\/sup> grade math skills overlap. I purchased the Math with Confidence first grade level when our son was 3, and we\u2019re now halfway through the book. This is the magic of being able to teach at home without adhering to any one teaching philosophy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two other math programs I also recommend to my clients, though Singapore Math (used by many private schools) did not work for us. There was something about the supplemental worksheets that Mr. 5 could not get behind (TBH, they were SUPER REPETITIVE \ud83d\ude33).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The MWC supplemental worksheets are way more interesting to complete because they involve fun activities like coloring, drawing, and matching (instead of just producing the right number over and over again).<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I focus on reading, writing, and math because these are do or die skills that I don\u2019t want to leave to chance, I\u2019m also all about closing the knowledge gap<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udc40 FINALLY – I have the answer to life the universe and everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n J\/K but I do have proof now that yes – you did better on those sawdust dry \ud83e\udd2e SAT reading passages if you had some background knowledge about the topic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n American elementary schools approach reading comprehension as a matter of teaching generally applicable skills, like finding the main idea and making inferences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The trouble is \ud83e\udde0 scientists have known for decades that the most important factor in reading comprehension is how much knowledge and vocabulary the reader has relating to the topic.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Science and history are the most neglected subjects in elementary school. So I do my level best to ensure that we chip away at this gap and meet quality education standards by having an ample amount of nonfiction books and resources at home, as well as geography resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our pick? Torchlight\u2019s<\/a> Kindergarten<\/a> level and Scientific Connection<\/a>s through Inquiry<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a litany of reasons parents choose private schools over public schools, but think about it: \ud83d\udc49 there will always be terrible private schools and great public schools. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can attend a great public school, you don\u2019t need to sacrifice your retirement to attend a private school (which by the way – #RealTalk \u2013 you can\u2019t get a loan for retirement last time I checked. Scout\u2019s honor.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n But also, in an age of sky-high inequality at all levels of society, the days of just attending a great public school and NOT supplementing school are over. Maybe those days never even really existed – virtually every single family I knew growing up shelled out for multiple tutors. That stuff got ‘spensive fast – it was an arms race my family couldn’t afford to dabble in. And that was ~30 years ago…(omg, did I just share my age with the world?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n By not attending private school in the early years, we\u2019ve been able to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re both working professionals suffering from the same middle-age tiredness that bedevils so many of our peers. #WhyDoesMyNeckHurt??? Weekend nap time is sacred in our household. But quality education is important to us \u2013 so we make the effort to lean into Mr. 5\u2019s interests after hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have no problem sharing the resources we use because I genuinely freaking love them and I\u2019m convinced our society and democracy will be better off when more parents join the movement to supplement school at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I also think gifted and talented education for all<\/a> should be a thing because a rising tide lifts all boats \u2013 what we have in NYC is a sham these days which is too bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where supplementing school at home<\/a> comes in to save the day. I don\u2019t capitulate to whim and hard knocks easily. You either? Then we\u2019ll be fast friends – pinky promise<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But I also know the top three myths that keep more parents from diving in and providing that quality education their kids deserve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t let these myths hold you back \u2013 your kids are exceptional and will benefit from the 1:1 attention you give them in the early years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we\u2019re on myths: volunteering to organize the \ud83c\udf42 Fall Fest or serving on the PTA is not the same as directly giving your child a tailored, quality education. Parent involvement at school is important \u2013 those special activities don\u2019t run themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BUT there is a distinction between what you do for the school community and what you do to serve your child\u2019s learning journey. They are completely separate spheres and lead to completely different outcomes. Do not confuse the two activities.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83e\udea9 In time to ring in 2024, I released THREE learning tools \ud83d\udca3 that you’re the first to know about! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best part? They all cost $0.00 – happy belated Christmas! \ud83d\udecd\ufe0f\ud83c\udf81<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please keep me posted if you see any snafus or fatal flaws. Just do it kindly is all I ask – I’m a working mom like many of you and have a \ud83d\udc93beating heart that feels!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curious? You\u2019re my type of kindred spirit! Sign up for my love letter to learning<\/a> where you get first dibs when these free resources drop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll also get bi-weekly learning hacks, your working parent gleam team, and resource recommendations that we\u2019re loving so you extend learning and get more me-time. That\u2019s what we call a win win! Get your own copy here!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u270f\ufe0f Pencils up \u2013 here\u2019s our family\u2019s cheat sheet of science-of-learning backed resources for a quality education in the preschool years that doesn\u2019t require pricey tuition checks. *record scratch* What did she just say? ^^repeat: You can keep attending that convenient but traditional public school or daycare AND bridge the gap to an elite preschool […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":239954,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[73,63,59],"class_list":["post-239952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accelerated-learning","tag-gifted-education","tag-how-to-supplement-public-school-education","tag-supplementing-schools"],"yoast_head":"\nDon\u2019t rob your child\u2019s college fund to provide a quality education<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
And what pray tell is a quality education? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Phonics, Spelling, and Reading Comprehension<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Handwriting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Math<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Science and Social Studies<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Supplementing school makes quality education possible<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The secret sauce to closing the achievement gap<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A free and easy way to track to quality education<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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