MeaganS Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Worked: -CLE Math. She needs spiral, traditional math and she likes worksheets and consistency in day-to-day lessons. This is like the opposite of what I always expected for my kids and took me a while to figure out, but I have a feeling we'll stick with CLE for a while for dd. -Fact memorization. DD apparently works a little backward from normal people. Memorizing facts first and then learning why second just works for her. -AAS -Book-It. It is amazing how much my daughter will do for that tiny pizza. The program is only for 6 months, but I am seriously considering just pretending like it keeps going and paying for that pizza myself because it was such a powerful tool for her. Didn't work: -Saxon Math. It just took too long. CLE has everything I liked about Saxon but more streamlined (doesn't take 1.5 hours a day). -FLL. I think I'm just going to pull from it the various lists/definitions to memorize and skip everything else. The other stuff just didn't work for the way she thinks. We'll wait for more formal grammar probably until 3rd grade when she can do worksheets. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Good: Intro to Poetry by Progeny Press Foerster's Algebra Informal Logic Landry Academy Biology Intensive Fixit Grammar--I broke down and started it. World Geography DVDs from the Great Courses Computer Literacy text ho hum: Apologia Biology Glencoe World Geography with Oak Meadow Elegant Essay-- He is taking that in a class. Next year I expect to teach writing. Bad: Dive Biology was a bust, A friend was asking about this and I was looking, too. Why was it a bust? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Someone was asking specifically about the code breaker books I referenced in my early post. These are not to teach about creating or breaking codes but are stories where you use math and code breaking to move along in the story and solve the mysteries the stories are about. More Elementary level, not middle or high school but really pretty fun. DS loves them. The books are called CodeCrackers: Voyage to Victory and Trapdoor to Treachery by Kieran Fanning. They must have been written in the U.k. or something because of some of the references. Really cool but there are only 2. :sad: They are a bit hard to locate without the names.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 A friend was asking about this and I was looking, too. Why was it a bust? We opted to use the DIVE book, which amounted to on-line reading. DS did not care for that. The course has a disjointed feeling, so then I picked through a couple of biology texts with a DIVE syllabus. Though many love DIVE, DS just couldn't get into it. I felt overwhelmed and did not want to teach bio on such short notice, so I spoke with some local moms that directed me to a Apologia biology course. After speaking with the teacher, I signed DS up four weeks into the course. DS loves the class and attended the 2 day Landry labs. DS loved the Landry labs too. Outside of his 2 hour bio class, DS studies biology an additional 4-6 hours per week. DS needs the classroom interaction and peer motivation. I expect DS will take a secular Biology II course either his junior or senior year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Thanks so much, Heathermomster! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Someone was asking specifically about the code breaker books I referenced in my early post. These are not to teach about creating or breaking codes but are stories where you use math and code breaking to move along in the story and solve the mysteries the stories are about. More Elementary level, not middle or high school but really pretty fun. DS loves them. The books are called CodeCrackers: Voyage to Victory and Trapdoor to Treachery by Kieran Fanning. They must have been written in the U.k. or something because of some of the references. Really cool but there are only 2. :sad: They are a bit hard to locate without the names.... Those look a lot like the Math Quest books. If you liked them, you might check out Math Quest books too. There are four in that series as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolainthecola Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 For my 10 year old with memory issues and possible dyslexia, what's working: Apples and Pears (first real progress we've ever had in reading started with these books) Dancing Bears CLE Math CHC Behold and See Science Prima Latina (done orally only) Fly Guy books (gross but she loves that she can read them herself) Faith and Freedom readers (I never would have guessed something old fashioned would appeal to the kids, but they love them, and they have been great for my DD. Just challenging enough without being overwhelming.) What didn't work: Explode the Code (which I love otherwise) Horizon math (she seemed to do well with it at the time, but couldn't retain it long term) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Those look a lot like the Math Quest books. If you liked them, you might check out Math Quest books too. There are four in that series as well. Thanks, I will! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Bumping since we are further down the road.... I am going to start a planning thread for next year (or changes planned for those that school year round), but thought some might want to reread this thread.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 We opted to use the DIVE book, which amounted to on-line reading. DS did not care for that. The course has a disjointed feeling, so then I picked through a couple of biology texts with a DIVE syllabus. Though many love DIVE, DS just couldn't get into it. I felt overwhelmed and did not want to teach bio on such short notice, so I spoke with some local moms that directed me to a Apologia biology course. After speaking with the teacher, I signed DS up four weeks into the course. DS loves the class and attended the 2 day Landry labs. DS loved the Landry labs too. Outside of his 2 hour bio class, DS studies biology an additional 4-6 hours per week. DS needs the classroom interaction and peer motivation. I expect DS will take a secular Biology II course either his junior or senior year. Just for another perspective, I don't love DIVE, but I have used it for one of my kids for Physical Science, Biology and Chemistry. We don't find it to be at all disjointed. You read the text, watch a video and answer question/work problems based on that lesson. There are labs scheduled in and you can either watch them (stills with voice over, not video) or do them. This has been great because he does some things and uses some equipment that is not accessible to a homeschooler. DIVE has quarterly tests that are moderately difficult. The negatives about DIVE in my opinion: The teacher is terribly boring. He repeats himself giving the same instructions over and over on videos. His syllabuses (syllabi?) for different books are not always accurate. We used a BJU book with Chemistry and it is clear that is what he originally based his syllabus on and it is very accurate, that has made life easier. For Physical Science he made me a syllabus that was terrible and it is posted on the website, so I try to warn people about it. The web readings he gives are over the head of a typical high school learner. You really need a textbook with it and he does himself a disservice by posting the web alternative. I made my own syllabus to go with Miller Levine Biology and it worked great. I also stopped using the one for Physical Science when it went astray and made my own there. I strongly recommend people watch the videos on the website before trying DIVE science. He is exactly what he seems in those videos. If they bore your child to death (I have one that would prefer death to watching DIVE videos), the whole course will be just that boring. For my get-er-done kind of kid, his stuff works well. It is easy to follow, nicely structured, predictable and gives enough review/practice questions/problems that kids can learn, but so much that they get buried in busywork. For some, it probably isn't enough. I only grade the tests and dd has gotten straight As in every DIVE class with good understanding of the material at the end. She is not special needs though. My AS kiddo is the one who hates dive with a passion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thanks for the feedback on DIVE... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 * Writing = Writing Skills Activities for Special Children (Darlene Mannix) -- really like the flow of this programI stumbled across this in the recent CBD catalog, and thought it looked promising. My rising 4th grader can barely squeak out a written sentence longer than 4 words. Do you think there is enough in this book to use with a NT child who struggles with writing? She's very verbal, strong vocabulary...just doesn't write well. (Doesn't read well, either, but that's improving.) We use CLE LA a year behind, so penmanship and copy work are covered, as well as grammar. I just want to add some structured, small writing activities throughout the week, to get her into the habit of writing more frequently. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Oh, yes. I absolutely think you could use this with a NT child who is resistant to writing. It starts off with such tiny baby steps; it leaves no stone unturned. Very thorough. We are progressing through the book at a snail's pace, but I'm sure a NT child would go much faster. Thanks, Kinsa. It looks very adaptable and promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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