I just got my CW Homer today....

[5LittleMonkeys]

and I am so excited!!! I don't have my core book yet (waiting to purchase from the for sale board here ) but I have gone through the student book and I have to say that so far I am not panicking. I have read so many posts about people feeling completely overwhelmed and dumping the whole program shortly after starting it that I was almost afraid to open the cover of the book.:tongue_smilie: It all looks relatively straightforward and easy to follow though. Just check off each box. I am glad I got the workbooks though as I don't see me being able to do this without them.

 

We are on winter break right now until January but once we get started I will post and let you all know if I'm still non-panicked. Heather, if you are reading this, be prepared for a barrage of questions!:D

[Jamee]

Which of your children are you going to use it with? I want to start CW, but am unsure where to start with my 11 year old. (I too have been concerned about the overwhlemed aspect.)

[5LittleMonkeys]

I am doing it with dd11 and dd13. We spent some time last year and the beginning of this year doing Aesop style rewrites with Aesop's Fables. The dc breezed through doing those and really enjoyed putting their own spin on the stories. After looking at the student book last night it looks as if the first couple weeks' lessons are also just simple re-writes.

 

From what I learned when I was researching, Older Beginners would have been at too quick of a pace for dd11. I don't think she will have any problem with Homer as it increases in skill level very slowly and I have the option of giving her additional models to practice if we need more time on a skill level. In fact I think my older dc will probably have to double up lessons in order for it to challenge her.

 

If you post your placement question along with your dc11's writing experience up to this point you should get some good advice on whether to start with a level of Aesop or go right into Homer. Good Luck!

[siloam]

and I am so excited!!! I don't have my core book yet (waiting to purchase from the for sale board here ) but I have gone through the student book and I have to say that so far I am not panicking. I have read so many posts about people feeling completely overwhelmed and dumping the whole program shortly after starting it that I was almost afraid to open the cover of the book.:tongue_smilie: It all looks relatively straightforward and easy to follow though. Just check off each box. I am glad I got the workbooks though as I don't see me being able to do this without them.

 

We are on winter break right now until January but once we get started I will post and let you all know if I'm still non-panicked. Heather, if you are reading this, be prepared for a barrage of questions!:D

 

Aime,

 

Yea!!

 

I actually think the core book is more confusing that the student texts. In the core I got lost. It is laid out by day so you will cover synonyms with words, then with sentences and last with paragraphs, but you don't do it all in one section like that. You cover all skills with words, then you go in and repeat it all but with little twists for sentences. Then once again you repeat it all but with a focus on paragraphs. I kept thinking I had already read parts, or couldn't remember if I was on words, sentences or paragraph work. :D

 

By using the student text as your guide you see the work that they are doing, so you are reading the Core with the context of what is being done practically. No confusion.

 

Heather

[5LittleMonkeys]

Aime,

 

Yea!!

 

I actually think the core book is more confusing that the student texts. In the core I got lost. It is laid out by day so you will cover synonyms with words, then with sentences and last with paragraphs, but you don't do it all in one section like that. You cover all skills with words, then you go in and repeat it all but with little twists for sentences. Then once again you repeat it all but with a focus on paragraphs. I kept thinking I had already read parts, or couldn't remember if I was on words, sentences or paragraph work. :D

 

By using the student text as your guide you see the work that they are doing, so you are reading the Core with the context of what is being done practically. No confusion.

 

Heather

 

I remember this from another post you commented on and I 'm so glad that I got this bit of info before I started the program. In fact, I have a whole CW file that is filled with notes and tips from this forum. You have your own sub-folder titled "Heather's notes".:tongue_smilie:

[NancyNellen]

I agree with Heather that the core is the difficult aspect...but it is definitely do-able. I found that I learned by doing. I had trouble reading everything ahead of time and trying to digest it all. I just spent extra time on the first two weeks, and tried to get a feel for the core book. Now that I am in my 6th year of teaching CW I really feel like I get it. Homer is the most trying, IMO, for the teacher. My oldest two are in Maxim and Chreia, and I have found them much easier to teach than Homer (of course, they are both taking the online tutorials, which obviously make them MUCH easier to teach from my perspective :lol: )

 

My advice would simply be: go slow. Don't try to ingest it all in a short period of time. Some may have success with that method, but most of us need to learn it by doing it methodically.

 

Have fun!

[woolybear]

Aime,

 

Yea!!

 

I actually think the core book is more confusing that the student texts. In the core I got lost. It is laid out by day so you will cover synonyms with words, then with sentences and last with paragraphs, but you don't do it all in one section like that. You cover all skills with words, then you go in and repeat it all but with little twists for sentences. Then once again you repeat it all but with a focus on paragraphs. I kept thinking I had already read parts, or couldn't remember if I was on words, sentences or paragraph work. :D

 

By using the student text as your guide you see the work that they are doing, so you are reading the Core with the context of what is being done practically. No confusion.

 

Heather

 

This is good to know. I got the Aesop core and teacher's guide used and was planning to buy the student book new. I was kind of lost and wondering if I really wanted to use CW after looking at just the core and teacher's guide. So then I held off on buying the student book. I just ordered the winter primer for my other ds and thought I'd try a bit with my older ds too. So, maybe I will end up jumping into CW after all.

[5LittleMonkeys]

My advice would simply be: go slow. Don't try to ingest it all in a short period of time. Some may have success with that method, but most of us need to learn it by doing it methodically.

 

Have fun!

 

Excellent advice. Thank you. I tend to just give new curriculum a cursory glance and then just dive in. I learn how to use something best by just using it. Hopefully this method will serve us well with CW.