My new minimalist supply list

[stm4him]

Learning to Read:

1 Folder: handwriting chart, phonics chart, game instructions, memory work, 100 number chart, read aloud list, book list

1 large card box- phonics flashcards, math fact flashcards, cursive cards, spelling rule cards, music flashcards

1 manipulatives box- coins, ALAbacus, playing cards, dice, base 10 blocks

1 composition book

1 mp3 player

1 Kindle

 

Reading to Learn:

1 Kindle

1 mp3 player

1 folder: read aloud list, memory work, reference charts, book list

1 composition book

1 card box: homemade flashcards

computer and typing textbook (for high schoolers)

Saxon Math or science answer key

Saxon Math book or science text

Current Language Arts text (one focus at a time): spelling, grammar, composition, vocabulary, logic, rhetoric, other languages

music theory workbook or instrument music

 

For the Whole Family:

Set of McGuffey Revised Readers (or can go on Kindles)

The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady

Atlas (not sure which yet)

Timeline book (possibly more than one, older and more modern)

set of VP and A&F cards for writing prompts

A set of drawing books (not sure which, so many favorites)

blank index cards in various sizes

dollar store school supplies as needed

Then Sings My Soul

set of hymnals (1 per every 2 people)

Memory Work Notebook (Scripture by CLP)

Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization

Catechism Songs by Holly Dutton

Achieving True Success (character traits)

The Gospel for Children

Our 24 Family Ways coloring book

Manners Book (not sure which yet)

other memory work song books and cds (maybe)

instruments as earned (probably middle or high school)

 

**Might be possible to just use one device with mp3 and ereader capabilities (we use our tablet and ipad)

 

 

[stm4him]

For Me:

Saxon Math Solutions Manuals (5/4 - Calculus)

Music Theory Answer Key (Alfred's Essentials)

Spell to Write and Read and AlphaList

Facts Plus (maybe)

Teaching Writing Structure and Style (maybe)

Foundations Guide (Classical Conversations)

Activities for the ALAbacus (maybe) (If so, I may have one of the workbooks for my non-readers, but undecided right now)

My very favorite educational theory books not available on Kindle (very few)

New England Primer (edited by Gary and Wanda Sanseri)

[Slache]

I like your list.

 

I don't like charts so I print mine off and laminate them so they can have and hold them.

 

I have the AL Abacus Activities and Worksheets. I would not get the worksheets if my child had another spine, but I would get the games (sorry).

 

Why that set of hymnals?

 

If you've used LDTPM do you suggest the CD as well?

 

You don't need an mp3 player on top of that.

 

You didn't mention a printer or laminator our pro click etc.

 

This newbie would love to hear about your favorite drawing books.

[stm4him]

We sing hymns daily and I don't think it would be the same on a Kindle.

 

The Activities for the ALAbacus would be for my non reader before they are ready for Saxon.

 

I don't think you need the cd.

 

I will reply later about the rest.

[SnMomof7]

Do you use Then Sings My Soul as a hymnal?

[Hunter]

My new list is in my signature. I think every book comes as a physical book with a modern ISBN #, and also comes in professional eBook and free eBook. I need to triple check.

 

I think all the books combined come to exactly 100 books, but I need to count again. There are usually 8 literature, history, and science books a year. All the science and history is republished by Yesterday's classics, and all the literature is republished by Dover and Wordsmith.

 

The 3R's is all republished by Wiley and Mott Media, and also available as professional eBook from dollarhomeschool.com. One year does require several chapters of Strayer-Upton Book 3.

 

For REAL life and not a scenario, I think this is as minimal as I want to go. I haven't seen a recent GED prep book, but I think this might cover all of GED prep. I might go buy a workbook out of curiosity.

[arliemaria]

Learning to Read:

1 Folder: handwriting chart, phonics chart, game instructions, memory work, 100 number chart, read aloud list, book list

1 large card box- phonics flashcards, math fact flashcards, cursive cards, spelling rule cards, music flashcards

1 manipulatives box- coins, ALAbacus, playing cards, dice, base 10 blocks

1 composition book

1 mp3 player

1 Kindle

 

This is the phase I am currently in with my new 6 year old.

 

I need to go to the dollar store, but I want to take a large posterboard and make a 100 chart grid for my son and have him write a few numbers each day to 100.  I think you are my inspiration from another thread where you mentioned having your children write their 100 chart.  I think I am going to just have him do this on the floor since it is large, but once complete we'll hang it up in our learning/play room space.  Do you have any tips for this?  I was thinking of lightly writing the numbers for him to trace with a sharpie.  He reverses his 3's a lot. 

 

We are in the process also of making our own math flashcards.  I might later buy ones from CLE because I have heard over and over that their system is really great.  Right now our cards are just a single number like these:  http://www.amazon.com/Grimms-Nature-Inspired-Waldorf-Number-Cards/dp/B00O97PWB2/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1432166108&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=math+flashcards+waldorf 

 

I would love to hear more about your folder and how this system works for you.  What is the difference between the read aloud list and book list?

[tjlcc]

Hunter, thank you so much for sharing The Rainbow Curriculum.

 

We use McGuffey's Readers and Speller.  Having a schedule breakdown is very helpful for me.  Especially coming from someone with as much experience as you have.

 

I must look at this more closely.  Ray's Arithmetic is on my "look into" list.

[Hunter]

Hunter, thank you so much for sharing The Rainbow Curriculum.

 

We use McGuffey's Readers and Speller.  Having a schedule breakdown is very helpful for me.  Especially coming from someone with as much experience as you have.

 

I must look at this more closely.  Ray's Arithmetic is on my "look into" list.

 

One of the things to remember is that the spellers were used to teach READING as much as spelling. At first I did not appreciate the old spellers, because they were not focusing on the words I wanted to focus on for WRITTEN spelling. All the words should be read, and then the teacher should select the best words to use for written spelling tests. According to Ruth Beechick, 5 new words a week is plenty.

 

Some people will find my schedules "behind" and "lite", but this is my heartfelt belief about what is best for some children, especially when the teacher is juggling 4 or more grades at once. With a single student that is capable of more, levels might need to be compacted a bit, and completed more quickly than 1 a year. I'm sharing this, but I wrote it for ME.

 

Even though I mostly teaching adults, I needed to plot this all out to child development stages for my own organization. A lot of this comes directly from the Eclectic manual of methods. "Years" and "grades" back then often lasted more than a year, and were usually based on readers. I definitely chose to spread the readers and the Eclectic Manual arithmetic grades over more than a year. I've been fine tuning and tweaking the 3R textbook schedule since last year. It has really helped ME to see the lessons broken up even when I stretch out or compact levels.

 

The reading list is based on a couple years research, and repeated attempts to make such a list, but it hasn't been field tested at all. My hope is to spend the next two years reading and tweaking this list. I really wanted to keep Water babies in level Green, but I just dropped it tonight after reading more of the book. It just gets too far off topic.

 

I'm really enjoying reading through this list! Who knew that Stickleback fish were so fascinating!!?

[arliemaria]

My new list is in my signature. I think every book comes as a physical book with a modern ISBN #, and also comes in professional eBook and free eBook. I need to triple check.

 

I think all the books combined come to exactly 100 books, but I need to count again. There are usually 8 literature, history, and science books a year. All the science and history is republished by Yesterday's classics, and all the literature is republished by Dover and Wordsmith.

 

The 3R's is all republished by Wiley and Mott Media, and also available as professional eBook from dollarhomeschool.com. One year does require several chapters of Strayer-Upton Book 3.

 

For REAL life and not a scenario, I think this is as minimal as I want to go. I haven't seen a recent GED prep book, but I think this might cover all of GED prep. I might go buy a workbook out of curiosity.

 

I was just getting used to the Public Domain Curriculum.  :)  This looks great, just a much much more succinct version than the previous.  Off to see if I can find an illustrated Kindle version of Beatrix Potter with wispersync.

[Slache]

Thanks Hunter! I didn't even know about most of those science books.

[Hunter]

The public domain curriculum was too much for ME to juggle with so many grades at once.

 

Number one, I couldn't manage that number of eBooks.

 

Number 2, I quickly learned that to be entirely reliant on math eBooks that do not come in hardcopy, is too hard to read for fraction, exponents and answer keys. Struggling with an eBook while saving for a hardcopy is one thing. To follow a schedule for years, struggling to read the numbers is hell.

 

Number 3, I'm just not willing to explicitly and systematically teach skills in all subjects. There are 7 versions of the Rainbow for a reason. I kept stripping and stripping and stripping, until I could DO it.

 

My devices can handle 100 books when most of them are professional eBooks, rather than scans. I can do THIS. I've got my one page schedule in a sheet protector and I roll it up and stick it in my bag when I leave the house, with often just my phone and Kindle Paperwhite and one 3R textbook.

 

You all do NOT want me to post my feathers in top hat picture AGAIN. :lol: I'm really becoming okay with less. I stopped trying to find a way to more efficiently do it ALL, and decided to embrace my savageness. 

 

Ezrabean and Dialectica got to watch me strip and strip and strip away at this. I was warned to keep the older versions. :) They are "better", but *I* can't do them. Juggling is funny. There is a very specific number of things you can juggle and not one more.

 

The other thing different about Rainbow is that I think every book comes in hardcopy with a modern ISBN#, which is VERY nice when reporting to an authority that might turn their nose up at a curriculum of so many older books. Cheating? Maybe. A person would need to decide that themselves. There is the option, though, of turning in paperwork with not one book having a copyright older than the 1980's.

 

I sometimes deal with moms in the shelter system with children's protective services demanding an instant curriculum despite mom not having even clothes for the children. Modern ISBN#s are a super nice touch. Yup, the science book was published in 2013.  :001_tt2:

[Hunter]

Thanks Hunter! I didn't even know about most of those science books.

 

Slache, it saddend me to remove the Murche Science Readers from my list, but they only come in scanned pdfs. You might want to google them. Nora's big brother and cousin come home from school and teach her the science they learned in school. I like 1-6, but skip 7. There is a girl's domestic science series, where Nora becomes the teacher for a younger brother; I have only used 1-3 of that series.

[LostintheCosmos]

Slache, it saddend me to remove the Murche Science Readers from my list, but they only come in scanned pdfs. You might want to google them. Nora's big brother and cousin come home from school and teach her the science they learned in school. I like 1-6, but skip 7. There is a girl's domestic science series, where Nora becomes the teacher for a younger brother; I have only used 1-3 of that series.

 

Oh, thanks for these! After failing at the Handbook of Nature Study over and over and over again, this winter I found a vintage nature reader on flowers, read it myself, and finally felt equipped to go out with the kids and look at flowers halfway intelligently. So I've been on the lookout for more nature/science readers for my own self-educating.

[Hunter]

Oh, thanks for these! After failing at the Handbook of Nature Study over and over and over again, this winter I found a vintage nature reader on flowers, read it myself, and finally felt equipped to go out with the kids and look at flowers halfway intelligently. So I've been on the lookout for more nature/science readers for my own self-educating.

 

I failed at using this series with STUDENTS as a CURRICULUM, but for TEACHER education, skimming through his series is excellent.

 

Todd and Powell How to Teach Reading

https://books.google.com/books?id=He9BAQAAMAAJ&dq=how+to+teach+reading+powell&source=gbs_navlinks_s

 

Alternate Second Reader

https://books.google.com/books?id=q1oXAAAAIAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s

[Hunter]

I'm continuing to read widely and hoping to expand my abilities to teach, but at the same time, I have found it critical to narrow in on a skeleton that I do NOT deviate from no matter what I am currently reading and temporarily enamored with. I need the skeleton to leave room for my little flings, but I need to stay married to the skeleton and spend part of each day with it.

 

I had to set up MY skeleton to be a little "behind" in response to my realities and beliefs, as well as it being "lite" enough to leave room for my flings.

 

There is just SO much good stuff out there, and a lot of it doesn't play nicely together. With a skeleton schedule, you can adopt the part of each new methods that DO play nicely with the schedule, and discard the rest, at least for now.

 

I read Ella Frances Lynch and at most spent 2 days afloat, before I took out my 3R's schedule, finally finished tweaking it, and decided to only add in what did not disrupt the schedule. Then I reread some of the above readers and teacher manual, and again only adopted what complemented the schedule and at least for now discarded the rest. I reread a little Grube's and Waldorf math; I just used the parts that didn't disrupt the Ray's schedule.

[tjlcc]

What are your recommendations once a student completes Strayer-Upton Arithmetic?

[Hunter]

I do not have one general suggestion for what to do after the pre-algebra topics of Strayer-Upton. I wish I did. There is NOTHING currently in print that I like enough to own. I do still have some things on my shelf, but there is nothing I would replace if a student didn't bring it back. They do always bring it back, because it's just not that good.

 

If a lower income mom with few resources has no idea what to do with a teen, I suggest  going to the closest junior college and finding out the requirements for enrolling in a 2 year degree in business management. College vary in their prerequisites for math. Some business management courses only require testing out of basic math, others expect 2 years of algebra.

 

I would purchase older edition of the texts used in the remedial classes. In the past, 1/2 the answers were in the back. Aufmann is what the college used that my sons attended.

http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Algebra-Applications-Richard-Aufmann/dp/0618803599/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0THE71T9GXD7M3ZXFZBR

 

If the student was headed on some other path, I'd work backwards from what was required to enter that path.

 

My default plan is to prepare students for a degree in business management. I know I CAN do that. I HAVE done that. Depending on the unique requirement of the school being attended, I would choose whatever resources it took to go from level Gold to Freshman status at the college. For many students. I would just have them take the remedial algebra if it was even required. I've seen schools that give credit for math courses in business math that just uses the topics covered in S-U Book 3, and never require algebra before or during the course. So before I worried about a full course in Algebra, I'd check to see if it was even required.

 

I have decided that my responsibilities in teaching maths do not lie beyond S-U Book 3. I have a student that sometimes self-soothes with Saxon Algebra 1, and I used that book with my boys, so am familiar with it, But, I no longer hold myself responsible to keep fresh and ready to teach that book. And if that student were to buckle down and get serious with Algebra she is going to have to find someone else other than me. I've stopped stretching myself too thin.

 

I've identified a body of knowledge that I think I can remain responsible for and ready to teach at all times. And that is what I'm going to teach. And no more.

 

And I refuse to teach Algebra 1 to anyone working below 11th grade level, as I have observed over several decades that the masses of students suddenly learn Algebra faster in 11th grade than 9th. Thankfully my Algebra 2 teacher just mostly retaught us algebra 1, now that we were ready. God bless him!

 

I remember thinking, "Wow! I CAN do this after all. Why was it SO hard 2 years ago?" I remember thinking that same thing about long division in the 6th grade. I've watched this scenario play out with countless children. They are ready about 2 years later than we are demanding they do things. All the tears, 2 hour spiral lessons, and games just are not worth doing things earlier. Not to ME.

 

Sorry, I know this is not the answer you were looking for.

 

Rod and Staff is preparing an Algebra book. I have high hopes that it will be decent. I hope it's cheaper than their bookkeeping course, though.

[Slache]

And I refuse to teach Algebra 1 to anyone working below 11th grade level, as I have observed over several decades that the masses of students suddenly learn Algebra faster in 11th grade than 9th. Thankfully my Algebra 2 teacher just mostly retaught us algebra 1, now that we were ready. God bless him!

 

I remember thinking, "Wow! I CAN do this after all. Why was it SO hard 2 years ago?" I remember thinking that same thing about long division in the 6th grade. I've watched this scenario play out with countless children. They are ready about 2 years later than we are demanding they do things. All the tears, 2 hour spiral lessons, and games just are not worth doing things earlier. Not to ME.

 

 

I LOVE this! I plan to teach algebra before 11th so as not to limit opportunities for my kids, but this just speaks to my heart.

[Hunter]

I LOVE this! I plan to teach algebra before 11th so as not to limit opportunities for my kids, but this just speaks to my heart.

 

 I just want to see a certain level of general abstract thinking going on, before I start teaching abstract math. If the student still cannot differentiate "because" and "after" when we are discussing their recent bout of vomit and diarrhea, there is no way in Hades that I'm going to start an Algebra text. I'm just NOT!

 

And since I only have ONE current student that can discuss her vomit and diarrhea logically with me–we have spent years working on this–I don't have a line of students ready for algebra. So I stopped worrying about after S-U and started plugging away at scheduling what they ARE ready for. It really was a turning point for me, to let go of the higher maths. For now. To not think I HAD to do it ALL. Every year.

[stm4him]

This thread grew!

 

I can't wait to catch up on it tonight.

[stm4him]

I am going to have to reply to a few posts at a time.  I'm tired...lol.

 

I haven't used my laminator in years and I think it is in storage somewhere.  Recently I wished I had it handy, though to laminate some flash cards.  If I really need something laminated (like my new SWR cards last summer), I take it somewhere and pay an arm and a leg :-(  I haven't used my proclick in years either and it is also in storage.  I DID, however, just buy a binding machine for $35 from Craigslist and haven't used it yet because I need a new Brother printer to print books off.  If we ever were to roadschool or something I would put everything on a Kindle.  But as long as I CAN have hard copy books I will.  I think I am getting the printer for my birthday in a few days :-)

 

Then Sings My Soul is used for the stories behind the hymns we sing.  I used to use it as my copy of the hymnal but my kids would get frustrated because the versions of the hymns were different than what was in their hymnals so now we just share the three we have and I will buy two more soon.  With five all of us can share (2/hymnal).  

[stm4him]

I don't have the folder system set up yet, but I really need to get on that soon.  We do it all orally right now but I think they would do better if they had the words in front of them so for weeks I have been planning to put this together.  My son had surgery last week and has been recovering and is going back again for follow-up surgery in the morning so I just haven't had time in addition to all of my doctor appointments and watching blood sugar :-(

 

I use the blank and filled in 100 number chart from worksheetworks.com.  I have put it in a sheet protector before and had them use a dry erase or wet erase marker on it.  My 5 year old is starting this next week.

 

The read aloud list would be books that aren't in my silent reading booklist.  I am going to experiment with the Robinson Curriculum list but fill in other books from OFE and A2 for read aloud that I think should be on there.  At least that is my plan :-)  With a baby so close to arriving we'll see.  Currently I am reading The Mixed Up Files of Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler (or whatever it is), Hardy Boys 1, and The Little House in the Big Woods.  We finished Tom Sawyer today and will start a new one for my oldest next week because she is leaving tomorrow for a trip.  We will also finish Little House this week and move on to something else.  Right now the oldest 5 choose what they want me to read to them and if two children choose the same book I read more than one chapter in that book each day so right now I have two that chose Little House which is why there are 4 chapter books listed instead of 5.  I am also considering doing only one chapter book at a time with each one taking turns choosing or using a set list as I mentioned.  Each one usually only listens to one book and then goes off to finish chores and I sometimes wish they heard all the chapters I read from different books or that we all shared the same book.  Still tweaking in this area.

 

Ok, off to read more before replying...

 

 

[stm4him]

Hunter, 

 

I never saw the public domain curriculum, but I really like your Rainbow Curriculum.  

 

I have decided that self-teaching is really important to me and even though I greatly admire the vintage math books they seem harder for me to check answers than Saxon so I have switched to Saxon.  I also still wrestle with the beauty or possible uselessness of higher level math.  I have resigned to lay out a path for them and however far they get is how far they get.  They will get what they need for life after homeschool or they will know what to do if they didn't (in other words, they will know where they left off on the path).  I will require consumer math or whatever you want to call it no matter what before graduation as I SO wish I had had that.  I don't see much point in them trying to study higher level science until they have completed higher level math and will only require them to do bare minimum work to get whatever credits they need to graduate if they aren't going to complete calculus.  

 

I have also decided that classics and older books are where I need to focus for silent reading and probably read aloud too.  We have always done classics, but I haven't required it as much as I plan to in the future.  I think the time spent in older books pays off big time in their writing and vocabulary.  I am going to focus on RC, A2, and OFE booklists (there is a lot of overlap I think) and old encyclopedias.  Someone recently posted the difference in the entries from 1954 and the 1980s and it was remarkable!!  I can't wait for them to explore with older encyclopedias.

 

I am experimenting with McGuffey's still for copywork and beginning spelling and phonics (with the sounds from SWR).  I am testing my oldest three through the all the early readers that have words at the top (Primer through Lesson 39 in the Third Reader) and making them copy sentences that include the words they miss.  If they miss two words from a lesson they have to copy the whole lesson.  My fourth one is just going lesson by lesson spelling each word, sound, and phrase and then having her copy the lesson.  My fifth one is only working with the sounds from Lesson 1 of the Primer right now and reading words on index cards that we built with the six sounds from the first lesson.  When those are easy I will add the sounds from the second lesson and so on.  When she has mastered writing her letters she will go back and begin copying from the lessons.  When my kids finish all the words in the readers they will begin Prof K spelling that comes with the Robinson Curriculum in a self-study fashion by making index cards for every homonym phrase and set of words.  They will separate what they find easy and what they find difficult.  I will test them out of what is easy and then they will study what is difficult until they think they are ready to pass it with me.  When they finish mastering spelling of these basic words, I will move them onto grammar using the book in Robinson.  It uses an interesting method of having the students correct sentences from real literature and then explain what was wrong with each sentence and also copying passages from old books with no punctuation and then looking at it and putting the punctuation in and checking to see how they did.  And there is an answer key!  If these two books don't fly in this house then I will probably go back to square one with Hake for awhile.  Brookdale House recently came to my attention so I am looking at their stuff out of curiosity, but for now I want to see if I can rely on what is on my Robinson discs.  I would love to be able to recommend a $200 product to Moms and confirm that it has at least ALMOST all that is needed.  The phonics cards have some issues, but I could easily write a supplement explaining those and what to do about it because of my work with SWR.  I may end up adding Frank Lybrand's writing course or using that little set of three writing helps from Rod and Staff OR going back to TWSS with my A&F and VP cards as models.  But I don't even want to think about composition until they have finished studying spelling and basic grammar.  I tried really hard to like the vintage texts for language arts but I just don't think I will actually use Harvey's or PLL/ILL.  The former because it isn't spiral enough for me and the latter because the lessons are so varied that it would be hard for me to be consistent.  I like each day to look very similar.

 

Ok, I have to go but I wanted to update where I am right now: Saxon Math, McGuffey's Revised, and RC/A2/OFE booklists.

[stm4him]

Hunter,

 

Why Wordsworth?  The prices are listed in pounds....

 

Also, can you tell me how you use the Handbook of Nature Study?  

[stm4him]

Oh, and I meant to add YC to my booklists too.  My order to print books is:

 

RC (own it)

A2 (own it)

YC ($50 I think)

Henty Collection ($99)

OFE (free but overwhelming to choose from)

[stm4him]

Why not Ray's Higher Arithmetic?  

[stm4him]

I also will admit that it slightly bothers me to use a set of vintage readers and a modern set of math books but I am trying to get over that.  TJEd lists McGuffey's and Saxon Math as classics.  

 

I do like that one can print off Prof K or order them online in hard copy.  Same for the vocab exercises, but they come spiral bound.  

[SnMomof7]

Which hymnal do you use? We don't have one I'm really happy with :).

[Hunter]

The USA Amazon sells Wordsworth Children's Classics in regular American dollars, even though they are printed across the pond.

 

Wordsworth carries some titles that Dover does not. Also some of the Dover versions are not COMPLETE sets of stories, even if the stories are unabridged.

 

Not everyone that might want to use The Rainbow Curriculum is in the USA. The History sequence is Western, not American.

[Hunter]

The handbook of Nature Study can be intimidating to newbies. That is why much of the science and some of the literature is based on the level's nature study topic, so there is some support and introduction to the handbook. Even if you don't use the handbook at all, that topic will be covered.

[Hunter]

Why not Ray's Higher Arithmetic?  

 

When it came to the math books, I did not just evenly divide them up. I very carefully chose the most important and current topics.

 

The Eclectic Manual doesn't use the Higher Arithmetic either. I think it is a good book. There just wasn't time to schedule enough of it to make its purchase worth it.

 

S-U book 3 covers more GED  and remedial college topics, than Ray's Higher.

 

I needed to schedule what *I* needed to cover as a priority each year, and the topics in Ray's Higher are not MY priority.

[Hunter]

I also will admit that it slightly bothers me to use a set of vintage readers and a modern set of math books but I am trying to get over that.  TJEd lists McGuffey's and Saxon Math as classics.  

 

I do like that one can print off Prof K or order them online in hard copy.  Same for the vocab exercises, but they come spiral bound.  

 

Maybe you are not supposed to get over it. Maybe the vintage texts do not cover YOUR priorities. 

 

I have Amazon prime. I can order the paperback versions quickly and cheaply. I can print pages in the meantime. My priorities are met. Not every last detail that COULD be met in a perfect world. Just my priorities. That's good enough. For now. For me.

 

But seriously, maybe YOU should NOT be using vintage texts! I'm just sharing what *I* am doing.

[arliemaria]

Oh, and I meant to add YC to my booklists too.  My order to print books is:

 

RC (own it)

A2 (own it)

YC ($50 I think)

Henty Collection ($99)

OFE (free but overwhelming to choose from)

 

I know the other references, but don't know OFE.  Link?

[arliemaria]

Hunter, I am looking at Red Primer stage Ray's lessons 7-9 with a bit of trepidation.  I am glad these are oral lessons, although lesson 1 does include learning to write the numerals 1-10.  So I assume since these are mastered they could be written down in their math notebook.  They also encourage the use of the beloved pebble ala EFL.  :)  Also grouping.  What I am a bit nervous about perhaps are "times" and "how many in".  Nearly all the questions include a multiplication/division problem.  I know these will quickly follow counting (addition) and subtraction.  They are just all jumbled together.  Perhaps this is better than separating them completely.  I know Grube and Waldorf (Steiner) introduce the four processes together so maybe I just need to continue to read them.  How long do you think you would spend on each of these lessons?  Would one or two questions be enough for a week's instruction?  I know these lessons were not always designed for a single meeting.  Also when recording these lessons since they are done orally but alongside a manipulative would this be recorded as lab?  Also is a numeral frame the same as an abacus or is it a version of a ten frame?  I probably just asked more questions than are in these lessons.

[Hunter]

Hunter, I am looking at Red Primer stage Ray's lessons 7-9 with a bit of trepidation.  I am glad these are oral lessons, although lesson 1 does include learning to write the numerals 1-10.  So I assume since these are mastered they could be written down in their math notebook.  They also encourage the use of the beloved pebble ala EFL.   :)  Also grouping.  What I am a bit nervous about perhaps are "times" and "how many in".  Nearly all the questions include a multiplication/division problem.  I know these will quickly follow counting (addition) and subtraction.  They are just all jumbled together.  Perhaps this is better than separating them completely.  I know Grube and Waldorf (Steiner) introduce the four processes together so maybe I just need to continue to read them.  How long do you think you would spend on each of these lessons?  Would one or two questions be enough for a week's instruction?  I know these lessons were not always designed for a single meeting.  Also when recording these lessons since they are done orally but alongside a manipulative would this be recorded as lab?  Also is a numeral frame the same as an abacus or is it a version of a ten frame?  I probably just asked more questions than are in these lessons.

 

I haven't read the eclectic manual instructions for year 1 in weeks. It's really hard to stay completely ready to teach all 10 of these years at once. That is why if anyone thinks this is too lite, I say I truly can't juggle any more than this.

 

If I were preparing to teach level Red math tomorrow, glancing quickly at the Primary book, I'm taking stock of the TYPE of questions on those pages, shutting the book and picking back up the EMoM. I would spend today refreshing myself on the EMoM instructions and other complementary Teacher manuals, and wait to pull back out the Primary book at the end of the year.

 

The great thing about not using a textbook is being able to present things in the order you choose. I am slower to bring in the topics of multiplication, and only do so after a lot of grouping and skip counting. I believe that Grube's method and any methods based on it, are all aimed at children starting math at age 7 or older.

 

Arithmetic is HARD. Just because there ARE other strands of math that cannot be started until the student to have FIRST mastered arithmetic, doesn't make arithmetic easy enough to squish into the first 6-8 years. Arithmetic is beautiful and orderly and completely worthy of being slowly appreciated, even at the expense of short-shifting other less used strands of math.

 

Slow down and just count for now. Worry about grouping and skip counting later. Stick purely to just addition (counting forward) and subtraction (counting backward). 

 

I personally do not use ANY artificial devices and manipulatives anymore. I don't want it to even enter the student's mind that there is anything artificial or abstract about math. I tend to use a lot of pennies. Pennies are not used as often in the older books as they were worth more back then, and some books were written in countries that didn't use a base 10 money system. Candy, macaroni, beans, pretty beads, later on dominos and playing cards. Real stuff.

 

Keep it real. Make haste slowly.

[Hunter]

Grouping can be a very advanced skill for some students. I only teach advanced grouping with candy, because it's less threatening than anything else I know.

 

I tend to teach outlining and scientific classification at the same time, and have gradually realized how incredibly difficult this is for some students, and have gradually realized that even basic grouping can be hard for them. I remember getting the candy to do what I thought was going to be an insultingly easy lesson in outlining by using candy, and my poor student was almost in tears. We worked on it for a couple weeks, and she still was really overwhelmed and never was able to fully regroup with a different system of organization, than the one we first used.

 

Grouping and then documenting on paper what was done, is HARD. Even at the most basic level.

 

 

[Slache]

Don't you think that using manipulatives could help someone understand arithmetic better? I know John understands things he wouldn't otherwise be able to because of cuisionare rods.

[Hunter]

Don't you think that using manipulatives could help someone understand arithmetic better? I know John understands things he wouldn't otherwise be able to because of cuisionare rods.

 

I have never owned a set of cuisionare. I did have some RightStart stuff and gave it away.

 

Maybe, it's because of the texts I'm using, that I don't need anything else. I think stacked pennies, dimes and dollar bills has probably covered what is covered by cuisonare? 

 

I've also used the Arithmetic Village Treasure Chest idea and other Waldorf ideas. This blogger is comparing Cuisinare to the Treasure Chest idea.

http://www.arithmeticvillage.com/blog/place-value-arithmetic-village-style/

[Mrs. A]

Hunter, I am looking at Red Primer stage Ray's lessons 7-9 with a bit of trepidation. I am glad these are oral lessons, although lesson 1 does include learning to write the numerals 1-10. So I assume since these are mastered they could be written down in their math notebook. They also encourage the use of the beloved pebble ala EFL. :) Also grouping. What I am a bit nervous about perhaps are "times" and "how many in". Nearly all the questions include a multiplication/division problem. I know these will quickly follow counting (addition) and subtraction. They are just all jumbled together. Perhaps this is better than separating them completely. I know Grube and Waldorf (Steiner) introduce the four processes together so maybe I just need to continue to read them. How long do you think you would spend on each of these lessons? Would one or two questions be enough for a week's instruction? I know these lessons were not always designed for a single meeting. Also when recording these lessons since they are done orally but alongside a manipulative would this be recorded as lab? Also is a numeral frame the same as an abacus or is it a version of a ten frame? I probably just asked more questions than are in these lessons.

 

When I do the first lessons from Ray's I stay with one question until my child has mastered it. So if we spend an entire day's lesson time on the first couple questions in lesson 7, then that's what we do. The next day we'd start there again and continue to go over it until it was mastered. Lessons in the beginning are 10 minutes or so, and I try to make it a point to stop before interest wanes. It's a good thing when they're begging for more ;)

 

The questions do not have to be done in order, nor does the same amount of time need to be spent on each problem. We do use maipulatives (cusinaire rods are perfect).

 

Also, I don't wait until my children can write their numbers before we begin with the lessons. They are perfectly capable of understanding numbers and working with manipulatives even if the coordination needed for writing has not developed yet. Along those lines, I also do everything orally in the beginning. We don't begin to keep math notebooks until maybe the end of 6 going on 7 (for my dd who loves to write) or even later (maybe closer to age 7.5-8) in the case of my ds who loathed writing for a long time.

[Hunter]

OFE is Old Fashioned Education. The don't think the website has not been updated in a LONG time. Like maybe 2007.

http://www.oldfashionededucation.com/index.html

[stm4him]

What I meant about the vintage text was that my math is modern (Saxon) and my language arts text is vintage (McGuffey) and I usually like things to "match".  But the language of vintage texts seems so much more beautiful to work with than the copywork/dictation in Hake 4 and I can't see samples of the copywork/dictation passages in higher books.  Also, if I have them go through Hake they are studying grammar for years as opposed to a shorter course repeated as needed that Robinson has.  Robinson's grammar book uses passages from real books and has them edit sentences stating why they made the corrections they made and also has them copy passages from real books without the punctuation and then put the punctuation in themselves and check if they got it correct.  I think those are very efficient self-study methods.  I could put that together myself but it would take more work and there wouldn't be an answer key.  Prof K has an answer key :-)  In addition, they are doing regular copywork and seeing correct punctuation, so they are absorbing that for years.  If I were to use Hake I would have to find something else to use before it or something to do with the phonics cards on the discs (which need tweaking in my opinion), whereas with McGuffey I can use it from the beginning with the cards and it makes sense to me.  So I am telling myself that this is the best combo right now....

 

 

[stm4him]

Great Hymns of the Faith (bought at cbd.com)

[SnMomof7]

Great Hymns of the Faith (bought at cbd.com)

Thanks.

[Hunter]

I'm at version 8.5. I keep changing my mind.  :banghead:

 

When I print out a copy and start USING it, I get new ideas.

 

I added back some of the rigor and titles, that I dropped from version 5. In GENERAL it is easier to add than subtract, but I think it's very obvious that everything in small print can be skipped. Myth/traditional literature can be so controversial and sometimes unliked by some students, but since there is the fine print list, it's very obvious to me that I can substitute a title from the fine print list for the myth/traditional literature.

 

8.5 is the most comprehensive version yet, but at least initially, it isn't feeling overwhelming to me. Now I just need to start testing and pre-reading it.

 

I have WAY too many printed editions sitting in a big pile of wasted paper. I have to have them printed and carry them around and stare at them for hours, before I see what I might want to change, though.

 

8.5  :ack2:   :willy_nilly:

[arliemaria]

I'm at version 8.5. I keep changing my mind.  :banghead:

 

When I print out a copy and start USING it, I get new ideas.

 

I added back some of the rigor and titles, that I dropped from version 5. In GENERAL it is easier to add than subtract, but I think it's very obvious that everything in small print can be skipped. Myth/traditional literature can be so controversial and sometimes unliked by some students, but since there is the fine print list, it's very obvious to me that I can substitute a title from the fine print list for the myth/traditional literature.

 

8.5 is the most comprehensive version yet, but at least initially, it isn't feeling overwhelming to me. Now I just need to start testing and pre-reading it.

 

I have WAY too many printed editions sitting in a big pile of wasted paper. I have to have them printed and carry them around and stare at them for hours, before I see what I might want to change, though.

 

8.5  :ack2:   :willy_nilly:

 

I think it looks great.  I like the option of having more available, but only having a certain requirement.  I think no matter what you include on the history/lit/science/nature side won't change the program much because the skills (3Rs) have not changed.

[Hunter]

I think it looks great.  I like the option of having more available, but only having a certain requirement.  I think no matter what you include on the history/lit/science/nature side won't change the program much because the skills (3Rs) have not changed.

 

I really agree with the Eclectic Manual of Method about the 3R's and have only tweaked it.

[stm4him]

I might change gears.  This would be physically heavy and more expensive since it has workbooks for language arts, but would fit nicely on one tall bookshelf I think.  And this may not take a student all the way through high school, but will cover everything at least until the end of 8th grade.  Some students may need to add ancient language(s), logic, rhetoric, SAT/Test Prep, Great Books of the Western World (or similar books), instruments, more extensive art supplies, and/or science texts depending on interests and goals for high school.

 

1 set of Explode the Code teacher guides and cards*

1 set of Cursive First cards and chart (or other cursive program, unless using consumable)*

Base ten blocks and RightStart abacus (optional, my favorite manipulatives) 

1 set of Saxon Math books and answer keys (from Robinson), solutions manuals, and tests/worksheet books (5/4-Calc)

1 set of Hake Grammar textbooks (Level 4-8, Level 3 is coming out this year I think) and teacher books

1 set of modern language texts and materials (depending on which language(s) you want your family to study)

1 Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory Teacher Guide, flashcards, and ear training cds

1 set of drawing books

1 book or video series to learn painting skills

The Country Diary of An Edwardian Lady

The Book of Life Set 

http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/v2/index.php?page=306

The Book of Knowledge Set or older Childcraft set (arranged by topic)

http://www.hstreasures.com/bookofknowledge.html

The Annals of America

http://www.amazon.com/Annals-America-Encyclopedia-Brittanica-Introduction/dp/B000EHNDYY

1 older encyclopedia set (arranged alphabetically)

Maybe a literature set like Journey's Through Bookland, but not sure this is necessary

1 set of Bibles and Hymnals (1 for every 2 children, 1 for Mom)

1 set of Catechism Songs and songbook by Holly Dutton

 

For each non-reader:

1 set of ETC workbooks (including A,B,C, 1/2 books, and Beyond the Code)*

1 cursive workbook (unless using a non-consumable program)*

1 set of number flashcards and Saxon Math flashcards (can be reused if possible)

1 composition book for notebooking (1/2 primary ruled, 1/2 blank)

 

For each reader:

1 set of Hake Writing books (after finishing the Grammar texts)

1 workbook for modern language(s) if needed (after finishing Writing books)

1 Music Theory workbook

1 composition book for math (1/2 graph paper, 1/2 lines), 1 for language arts (wide or college ruled), 1 for notebooking (1/2 lined, 1/2 blank)

Kindle or library card

 

*If not ETC, Recipe for Reading, which has 1 teacher manual, 2 sets of cards, 9 workbooks, readers, and a cd but no answer key for workbooks. O-G style, roughly the same price without readers and cards.  Readers are optional, cards are probably optional.  No cursive program needed with this (instructions in manual).  Also from EPS, but with clearer, more normal pictures. 

 

The consumable parts of this would be about $200 per student total to take them at least through middle school.  I think the total for the non-consumables would be $2000 or less depending on costs of sets of books and modern language program(s), almost half of which is the Saxon Math in hardcover version. Purchased a little at a time as needed I think this is reasonable.  

 

I have no suggestions for modern language curriculum because we aren't there yet.  Mine will study Spanish and then French after completing Hake.

 

Individual children would only have composition book(s) and 1-2 workbooks at most: 1 language arts workbook (phonics, cursive, Hake writing, or modern language), and possibly music theory workbook (until ready for instrument).  I would have the child alternate between grammar book and writing book but not use both at once for daily work.  

 

The reason I say to buy the Robinson answer keys for math is because they come with only the answers, which is easier for the student to use for self-checking, but I like to also have the Solutions Manual in case they need help.  The hardcover versions they sell hold up much better.  I wish Hake Grammar could be bought in hard cover but it is not possible for homeschoolers right now according to the author.  

 

So my plan is to purchase the reference sets and music theory this summer and put my oldest two back into Hake Grammar.  Then I will buy the appropriate phonics workbook for my non-readers and their Saxon cards.  To get us started, I have a newer Childcraft set because I got them for $10 on craigslist and The Annals of America because we already owned these.  But I am still on the fence about which phonics workbooks I am going to go with.  I like these sets because they can be mostly independent and will carry the student from the beginning to where they likely need to be to read Saxon on their own.  They don't have a ton of pieces.  Having never used them, though, I won't be sure I like them or that they work for my kids until I try them out this year.  This is a switch from what I have been doing, but I am wanting to try a workbook approach that naturally leads them into reading.  That way they aren't frustrated with a real book or reader (I would make the readers from RfR optional) and they aren't completely dependent on me like they have been with the McGuffey.  They can move at a faster pace if they are ready and willing and start reading real books when they so choose along the way.  By the end of the series they will definitely be ready for assigned reading but will most likely read on their own before that.  I have a whole bunch of ideas for using the reference sets, but I will have to play around with what works before sharing.  Part of the reason for these switches is to keep clutter down (including book clutter) for awhile while I am recovering this summer and to put me in more of a checking work role vs. teaching role as I take on the needs of my baby girl.  

[stm4him]

I want to explain something which may be worthy of another thread.  Minimalists try to simplify and pare down.  There are many people in the homeschool world that are now trying to do that and I am sure that when homeschooling was going on "back in the day" that it looked much more simple than it does now in most homes.  I am pursuing simplicity out of necessity, though I never would have chosen it if my circumstances were different.  So I am thankful that I have the circumstances I do because I find simplicity in all things to be refreshing and rewarding and I find it produces better results as well.  I think there are many people who are doing simple well and writing about it, and when I first read about these methods I am drawn to them; however, then I realize that their version of simplicity, while inexpensive with few subjects and simple methods, is teacher intensive.  Because I love to teach, that initially doesn't bother me.  But then I realize that consistency matters, too, and there are times when I am just not available for much teaching because of health issues and now I am about to have a baby.  My husband has had to take on a lot of chores around here which impacts how much work he gets done, which impacts our finances, so as soon as I am able I want to take back as much of those chores as possible. (Our kids also do a lot of chores but I am ok with that although our definitions of clean aren't quite the same).  So I want a method that is simple, inexpensive in the long run (at least when divided by number of students and years), and can probably be done without problems even in months when money is super tight (for example, no list of certain books to buy and the ability to stock up on needed materials when we do have money or when things are on sale).  I want to be able to devise a system that I can recommend to other moms of many who have a lot on their plate beyond their control, whether that be health issues, a job, or whatever.  Sometimes I want my all of my recommendations to be able to be beautiful, vintage, natural, etc. but those often are the methods and materials that most need a teacher and someone who is willing to sit down and learn a whole new way of teaching (for example, SWR).  This often is not possible for a mom who has major issues going on in her life and lots of little people to raise.  I was fortunate to learn many of the methods that influence me while having fewer children and no medical issues (besides pregnancies) and I poured countless hours into learning about education, methods, and curriculum, but many moms can't do that and I still want to be able to advocate homeschooling (and enduring homeschooling when you feel like calling the local schools, which I struggled with when I hit burn out this year).  Robinson fascinates me because he was smart and efficient enough to figure out how to give his kids the bare minimum yet most rigorous and effective education.  His long term goals were different than mine, but he showed me that there is no limit if my children continue diligently and consistently down a simple path of learning material.  (Keeping in mind also that simple doesn't mean easy.)  They will not all end up at the same place on the path, but they will all know that they could continue on if they choose.  

 

So my definition of simple is different than some other people's in that I am also looking for as much self-teaching as possible without computers (been there, done that, hated it).  I am wanting to experiment with giving up some of what I may have thought to be important or more organic for the sake of getting done efficiently, knowing that those things I am taking out can be put back in later if necessary (for example, memorizing all the spelling rules from SWR).  I did not have great success with letting my kids check their own work without me double checking and so I still feel oversight is necessary, but I also want that oversight to be easily transferable to another adult or older sibling if necessary should I not be available and much of what I have been doing lately in language arts is not necessarily easy for me to delegate.  

 

So right now I want my kids to go through a systematic workbook or textbook for math, language arts, and music theory that is not scripted.  I want to supplement that with teaching them simple methods like copywork, narration, drawing, and memorization to allow them to develop study skills and a way to internalize material and produce a response to the material they read from real books on their own.  I LOVE dictation as a method but I thought it couldn't be used as much as I would like because it is too teacher intensive.  Then I realized that with a recording device they can use that skill as self-teaching as well.  And I want to surround them with rich material to feast on.  I really love singing with and reading aloud to my kids as well as memorizing worthwhile material together, but I also am aware that I need to help them to develop the habits of personal devotions and praise, listening to audio books or reading aloud to others (like siblings), and memorizing material as part of their daily lives even if I am unavailable to do it with them.  I need to teach them how to research something out for themselves and not just rely on me to pull out the reference books, even though doing it together is fun.  So my new focus is going to be to help them to get to self-teaching as fast as possible using systematic, modern, convenient workbooks and textbooks, and then show them how to self-teach rich, rewarding material through natural methods as a matter of atmosphere, discipline, and life.    

[arliemaria]

For each non-reader:

1 set of ETC workbooks (including A,B,C, 1/2 books, and Beyond the Code)*

1 cursive workbook (unless using a non-consumable program)*

1 set of number flashcards and Saxon Math flashcards (can be reused if possible)

1 composition book for notebooking (1/2 primary ruled, 1/2 blank)--Do you mean something like this:  http://www.amazon.com/Mead-MEA09956-Primary-Journal-K-2nd/dp/B001JTL032/ref=pd_sim_229_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0BBKAZJJQFZ2A3Q0ACGJ ?

 

I am really impressed with your wide scope and sequence you are working on.  I have lots of ideas of how homeschooling will be for our family, but want to do some radical things (if God wills) later on perhaps like six months abroad in Russia/Greece/etc or an ongoing mentorship or project based learning.  Maybe in high school they could do the tax preparer class and become an enrolled agent to do tax resolution work.  (My husband is a partner in a tax resolution law firm.)  So I have not planned very far.  My oldest is approaching first grade.  I am eager to begin more work and at the same time hesitate because I don't know if he is ready for it--even when he draws pictures of atoms and diagrams of how electricity flows through a wire.  So I'd really like to hear more of a day to day how your non-readers work.  I like the idea of workboxes, but honestly I think mostly they look cluttery and do take up a large space.  We are very happy in our home albeit small and I don't want to add another piece of furniture/storage for this purpose.

 

I know and have the Get Ready for the Code Primer books.  Will you just hand them the workbook?  One page per day?  Do you have an output requirement?

 

Someone is selling Spell to Write & Read on my craigslist currently.  I have always been very interested in Cursive First, but have not ever had extra money to spend on it.  My son has learned manuscript just from looking at text.  He can print his name and a few words like robot, by, etc.  I dictate words for him when he asks or will write something on the chalkboard for him to write like mat, am, at.  I feel like we've been doing this for years... well, because we have.  As frustrating as it is, I know he'll be able to read someday.  I've only met a few people in my life who could not read.  How will you assign/teach handwriting?

 

Number flash cards just for recognition?