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Does anyone have their kids in one of these schools and then do some afterschooling? I would love to hear how it is going (meaning the school situation and curriculum itself as well as adding to it or not). I don't know if I can stomach such a change from classical education, but I am considering it for family reasons.

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Does anyone have their kids in one of these schools and then do some afterschooling? I would love to hear how it is going (meaning the school situation and curriculum itself as well as adding to it or not). I don't know if I can stomach such a change from classical education, but I am considering it for family reasons.

 

I toured an ACE school long ago. There were things about it that I liked--multiple grades in each classroom, children being able to work at different grade levels in subjects, rewards for accomplishing goals--but in retrospect, the idea of the children working with their faces in their "offices" all day, doing all subjects in identical booklets, pretty much teaching themselves, isn't necessarily the kind of classroom experience that is the best. I can't say that I absolutely would not recommend it, but I would have to think long and hard about it.

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I only know one person who went to an ACE school and her descriptions sound bad to me. He parents pulled her at 10 or so but continued to use ACE at home. She got an adequate education and had a good enough work ethic to get round any weak spots in tertiary education. But I don't think she considered it for her kids.

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I went to one as a kid. If you were good at reading comp you could get straight A's without much effort or retention. When I'd get stuck in math they just reread the instructions out of my book and patted me on the shoulder as if that solved everything.

 

It did teach more grammar than the public school did. The math was awful.

 

The kids were snobbier than the public school kids. They had more colorful jokes and language.

 

Personally I'd send mine to public before an ACE school.

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Here is a suggested floor plan for an ACE classroom.

 

Notice the "student offices" along the sides of the room. This is how they are designed. The children work in their offices; when they finish the work in a PACE, they go to a scoring station and correct their own work. Each child has two little flags (I forget what they are); when he needs help, he puts one of the flags in a little gizmo on the side of his office, and the "supervisor" (not a "teacher") comes over to him and helps. I forget what the other flag is for, lol.

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Ellie, that part of the ACE school freaked me out too. Reminded me of prison learning. Honestly it seems like the worst of both worlds, worst of institutional learning (controlling), worst of homeschooling (the worst being it's a very narrow viewpoint). Most schools and homeschools are way, way more social, exciting, and open than those.

 

But I saw a documentary "exposing" those schools so I'm sure I'm very biased.

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Ellie, that part of the ACE school freaked me out too. Reminded me of prison learning. Honestly it seems like the worst of both worlds, worst of institutional learning (controlling), worst of homeschooling (the worst being it's a very narrow viewpoint). Most schools and homeschools are way, way more social, exciting, and open than those.

 

But I saw a documentary "exposing" those schools so I'm sure I'm very biased.

 

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Here is a suggested floor plan for an ACE classroom.

 

Notice the "student offices" along the sides of the room. This is how they are designed. The children work in their offices; when they finish the work in a PACE, they go to a scoring station and correct their own work. Each child has two little flags (I forget what they are); when he needs help, he puts one of the flags in a little gizmo on the side of his office, and the "supervisor" (not a "teacher") comes over to him and helps. I forget what the other flag is for, lol.

 

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I want Hunter to chime in. Ladies, all these things I understand and am wrestling with. I like independent study with the idea that I would still do read alouds at home. I like the fact that my kids would be in the same room and spend breaks together and can look out for each other. I think they would have no homework (though I could be wrong) and I don't think they do a lot of class parties and projects that would make school exhausting for me. I don't know. I am going through something and I feel like this may be a temporary option for me to catch my breath. But I see all the cons too. Thanks for your input.

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I want Hunter to chime in. Ladies, all these things I understand and am wrestling with. I like independent study with the idea that I would still do read alouds at home. I like the fact that my kids would be in the same room and spend breaks together and can look out for each other. I think they would have no homework (though I could be wrong) and I don't think they do a lot of class parties and projects that would make school exhausting for me. I don't know. I am going through something and I feel like this may be a temporary option for me to catch my breath. But I see all the cons too. Thanks for your input.

 

:grouphug:

 

I think it could be a good thing on a short-term basis.

 

I have some concerns for the high school level, especially when it comes to earning credits (long, complicated story). But it couldn't hurt to try it for awhile, surely. :-)

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If the work could have been done at my own pace it probably would have suited me as a child. But I was shy, self contained, bright and great at reading and comprehension. If that sounds like your child it may work for them. But the ones I know off here employed untrained 'teachers', gave little assistance and were run by oddball churches who wanted to control more than to educate.

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  • 7 months later...
Guest Lubis00

Hi,

My son is moving from an ACE church-school to a Christian school with the Cambridge curriculum, I heard that the Maths on ACE is less challenging than other curriculums. I was hoping to get some comparisons on the maths and on what I should be preparing my son for.

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My friends had their oldest daughter in an ACE school and that gave them the confidence to continue homeschooling.  They did use mostly ACE paces throughout, and their children went to community colleges in 11th grade.  A few bumps when it came to math. But all got into the community college. Oldest runs her own culinary business, has been sous chef at various restaurants and currently teaches kitchen stuff in a high school.  Second finished college and is gainfully employed as he attempts to break into Sign Language translation in the court system (he is working on some sort of certification) and the youngest is currently employed and in college. (Phlebotomy? or some such medical thing)

 

The paces were a lifesaver when mom had to go back to work to get health insurance for the family. She'd get the kids started during the day and they'd be home alone for an hour before their dad got home, working on their paces.

 

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Does anyone have their kids in one of these schools and then do some afterschooling? I would love to hear how it is going (meaning the school situation and curriculum itself as well as adding to it or not). I don't know if I can stomach such a change from classical education, but I am considering it for family reasons.

 

 

I would prefer to send my kids to public school, and then do some after schooling.  I have used some ACE materials at home for my dsd that has autism, and I am very unimpressed.  I would never use it for my non-special needs students.

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  • 1 month later...

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