What do you use for Gr 1 math and reading? Is it fun?

[RainandRedemption]

Thanks so much everyone! Im going to take a good look into each thing that was suggested and see what I think would work best for us

Originally Posted by fawnlovesjasper We use McRuffy for math and my kids LOVE it!!! They BEG for math, yes literally!!! There are so many hands on fun activities in it and it's very colorful. If you buy the kit it all comes together, all the manipulatives, all the copy masters and game boards (there are lots of games in it). It doesn't take long a day, the workbook is usually very short and sweet and to the point for the day, it's spiral so it's constantly bringing up everything you have learned. I have 2 kids using it, one "mathy", one far from "mathy" and both are thriving with it. For reading.. do you mean a phonics program? One of my kids did great with Explode the Code (and would fly through a lesson on her own when I wasn't watching) and the list of readers from Sonlight, my other kiddo does better with Hooked on Phonics with the new DVDs, but we use the older "workbooks" and readers with it, I just work the videos into the order that the books go in. He did not like the audio CDs, but does enjoy the DVDs, I do not think there is as much practice (books) with the newer set so we worked the 2 together.

This is such an awesome review of McRuffy Im almost sold on it without knowing anything about it yet
Looking it up now!!

[RainandRedemption]

After all we do have a ton of the manipulatives, so I might just order the ones we don't have separate and get the teachers manual for mcgruffy math

DS is definitely NOT behind on reading. It's really falling into place, hes just picking it up... so IDK if we even need a phonics program, we might just do a lot of reading together, going over sounds and doing sight words, and then notebooking for learning to write and spell..

I did find these books

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251183005788...84.m1438.l2648

that Im thinking would be good for those days that Im dry on ideas

ETA ~~ All the advice and info you mamas are giving me is VERY appreciated! (: Im really new at this and appreciate any help in finding my direction! (:

[iris0110]

Tharen went on learning strike at the begining of this year so we are just doing what he is willing to do. He is technically 2nd grade and we are using http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 plus the teachers resource book that goes with it. I like it and he seems to like it as well. I read the pages of the book to him and he does the little work books pages. The worksheets are simple enough that he doesn't refuse to do them and then we play with manipulatives to demonstrate everything he is learning.

We also use this
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20

And a lot of the time I just let him choose whatever manipulative he wants to use that day and then plan something to teach him using it. We may work with unifix cubes, base ten blocks, gram bears, counters, ect. At least twice a week we sit down with the book and he works through it really quickly.

For reading he is finishing Funnix (he is on the comprehension portion now) but he is working through it very slowly because he was on strike for so long. He will only do it once a week. Every day I read to him from some sort of Classic Literature. We started with Fairy Tales, now we are reading Beatrix Potter. I think we will do Winnie the Pooh next. Then he reads a book to me. For spelling I have this http://www.mhschool.com/reading/trea.../national.html I'm using the Grade Level 2 spelling book but he balks at doing it. What I have been doing is giving him a pre-test on the week's spelling words on Monday. If he can spell them all then he doesn't have to do the worksheets. If he misses any he has to do one worksheet and practice writing the words he missed. We test again on Thursday. So far it has worked though honestly he is an excellent speller and has rarely missed any words. The only real problem I am having with him is writing, he does not want to do it so for right now I am not putting too much pressure on him. I give him the chance to draw pictures and write a few sentences about them whenever he wants. Hopefully that will pick up soon.

[fawnlovesjasper]

Originally Posted by RainandRedemption After all we do have a ton of the manipulatives, so I might just order the ones we don't have separate and get the teachers manual for mcgruffy math DS is definitely NOT behind on reading. It's really falling into place, hes just picking it up... so IDK if we even need a phonics program, we might just do a lot of reading together, going over sounds and doing sight words, and then notebooking for learning to write and spell.. I did find these books http://www.ebay.com/itm/251183005788...84.m1438.l2648 that Im thinking would be good for those days that Im dry on ideas ETA ~~ All the advice and info you mamas are giving me is VERY appreciated! (: Im really new at this and appreciate any help in finding my direction! (:

I would suggest that you look at the contents of the mcruffy manip. kit. I bought the big multi year pack even tough I had much of it. I have 2 using McRuffy right now so extras are nice to have.

I also would get the workbook and resource pack with the teacher book. You NEED
the resource pack for the games and all.