Jump to content

Menu

What am I going to do about curriculum next year!?


Recommended Posts

I am feeling really frustrated... at the beginning of this year, I got First Language Lessons 3 for my 1st grade age son. He loved it and I felt like we were making good progress. Here we are half way through the year and it feels like snail pace. It still requires write 2 sentences on ____. I am just now realizing that no matter what I pick, half way through the curriculum, my son seems to outgrow it whether it is math, spelling, or grammar. We are still good with history, but even that seems a bit slow for him in terms of what is required on the maps. I need to figure out how to make that more challenging.

Any language arts recommendations for this type!?

Today he wrote a 1 page paper (using wide ruled paper) on what he would do if he were Pharoah. He described in great detail the bridge he would build complete with sensors for cars vs. people and the motorized roof which would fold up and over the bridge if there were no sun shining. I gave him Singapore 4A and B this week and he has been on cloud nine... already about 1/4 done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a just turned 7 year old son who would be in 1st grade. We are in FLL3 and we skip all the writing now because we are doing a third/fourth grade writing program, Writing Tales. I like it because he can he can grow a lot within the program - his stories are getting longer and better. The grammar is too easy so far. Right now we are taking a break because he is working on a research project and doing a presentation for a local homeschool group next week. We are continuing with the grammar in FLL3 though, not every day but just spending ten or fifteen minutes the days we get to it. You can also skip review lessons or combine if things are pretty easy. For example, it usually takes only one or two repetitions to memorize the definitions. Poetry memorization also we do outside of FLL. We also are doing Latin which is another way to stretch him in language. He is not as advanced in math but we are going through RightStart C as fast as he wants, we will probably finish in a couple of months.

 

I think with advanced kids you have to find a program that you can tweak to do what you want. Something that maybe covers a range of ages that you can ramp up a bit when he gets to that point. Take what you can and skip what you don't need. I think that having an all in one language arts program doesn't really work with gifted kids because they are harder to adjust.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. Tell me more about your writing program.

We did Rightstart C for about 2 months and then ds found a Singapore math 2B book- did that in a week, moved on to 3A and B (no workbook, just intensive practice and challenging word problems) and did that in 2 1/2 months... I thought I was going fast enough in RS C but I was slowing him down- obviously!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you looked into the grammar courses through Royal Fireworks Press (by Michael Clay Thompson)? They move quickly, are packed with good information, and my kids all enjoy them. They are supposed to be for 3rd grade and up (gifted kids) but I am using them with 6yo dd as well and she is learning it probably better than her brothers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is so much easier to just change the pace of a regular curriculum than it is to constantly have to figure out how to supplement it. Of course you'll have to decide what pace keeps the curriculum useful for your child, for us that's double speed, but the idea is the same for everyone: adjust the pace of the curriculum to match the kid. ex: For my dyslexic kid that means we go at 3/4 speed on spelling, and for my math geeks it means double speed on math.

 

Since I haven't posted much on the new boards I'll repeat my standard disclaimer. We only do formal schooling for half the day, so the increase in the pace does not mean that I'm slave driving my kids so that I can impress the neighbors. I believe in having lots of time for running around outside, building stuff, drawing, crafts, lots & lots of reading for fun, and at least an hour a day of chores so that they learn how to be useful to others. Very few people in real life have any idea what level my kids work at, and from just talking to my kids most people just think that they read a lot. I'm basically a lazy homeschooler who uses up most of my patience on getting the kids to clean up after themselves and I just don't have the motivation to nag all that much about school.

 

Mrs Ives

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We work at whichever pace works best, but usually go deeper rather than faster, although not so much with grammar. I only did FLL 1 & 2, but we didn't finish 2. We just did it orally. It was very easy for ds, but he enjoyed it so much we kept going. Since we already own it, he's going to do EG 3/4 and 4/5, but then Rod and Staff. Rod and Staff has enough oomph to it and covers grammar well. The first level we own is 5, so I can't help you with the lower levels. It's Christian, but not too much theology in the parts I've looked at, just lots of Bible stuff without the interpetation (or not too strong for my dc who don't care for most Christian methods even though we're Christian.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

We also use Royal Fireworks Press and Rod and Staff. My kids devour the RFP books - very fun and interesting. Not at all your usual grammar book. We use Rod and Staff for our spine. (We're using the 4th grade book for my 2nd and 3rd grader, so you may want to go up a a grade or two if you choose to use R&S) What we enjoy most about it is that it isn't super repetitive (like FLL is) It changes topics enough to hold their interest and includes some writing work as well. We also use Writing Strands for more pure writing work and the boys like that, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...