great idea!!!!!

we are trying a loop schedule but only for math and language arts. our kids each get one-on-one tutoring time with me for these two skill based areas, each of which is mommy intensive b/c of the curricula i choose. i have a key ring of notecards for each of them. each time we sit down to have our tutor time together, we start with the card that lists the book {like WWE, or MCT, or R&S, or math, or AAS} that comes next on the ring. the cards occur in the frequency / subject that i wish to see them doing them over the span of about 1-2 weeks. we spend longer durations each time/subject, sometimes only getting to one subject during our tutoring time {which is 1.5-2 hrs per day per kid depending on interruptions and "life"} but then over the course of time, we cover the same amount of material in each subject area as we would if we were doing each subject for a smaller specified amount of time multiple times each week. i find that it makes our day less choppy, which is good for our sensory kid who doesn't do well with transitions and for this mama who likes to dive deep into whatever we do. :)

that's the lovely thing about the forum! we can toss around ideas and "think aloud" while letting other people offer advice based on their experience and priorities; then take that into consideration as we continue to mull over our decision. good job, mamas, for putting all the advice through your own filter of "what we need" and "what i want for my children" :group hug: SP, AAS, PZ .... whatever it is .... they are all going to help our children have a great springboard into life.

your reference to routine is really more of how our word "schedule" serves us. it's a flow, something to depend upon, so that everyone knows basically who's one first, what's on second, how i should get to third :) btw, we do the same M,T,W flow of subjects just as you do .... i'm a classically trained pianist and all our kids take music lessons, plus we're in the music retail business, so "music" is everyday, all day for us :) we struggle to include science projects enough so i do that on fridays .... and we have board game days, etc, as well :) i try to maintain a four day week so that we don't get into "burn out" zone.

thank you, ladies! :group hug: these suggestions and "experiences from the field" are so helpful for me to have a great mind-set as we begin our adventure in july. i'm super excited about finding the right flow for us and knowing the gamut of ways people have utilized MCT is so enlightening. later tonight, i'll look over all the links you've offered and see how to adapt those suggestions to our flow. now, i feel like i'm filling up my toolbox of ideas and advice so we can be as successful as possible from the beginning. we need some "fresh wind" in our sails around here after a looooong year as a schooling family. :) still :big ear: bill, i *do* understand what you mean. i would never "shut down" a learning time just because a bell rings. nor would i ever miss a moment to go deeper with my children just because "the schedule" says it's time to move on.

that's the thing, i'm not making a schedule. i'm just *mentally* blocking the amount of time that i will likely need to set aside each time we sit down for MCT studies. for example, i know i need approx 45 min to 1 hr for a RS math lesson & game with one kid but only 30 for the other kid b/c that's how their brains are wired. i know that with one kid, 20 min of spelling is *enough*, but the other could go on for 45 min if i wanted to join him. i know that 25 min of WWE is all one kid can handle and the other can only handle 15. i know that one kid, in her grammar program, can handle 30 min if i keep it varied, but spiral back around the next time to grab a bit more info/depth. but in my other child's grammar program, there's no way to spiral back around so if we do anything it's for only 15 min and it has to be mastered at that time or we have to repeat it completely before we move on. these things are age-related. they are wiring/curricula related. i was looking for people to offer "my one child did well when we sat down for 15 min and did grammar but moved on to building language and spent 30 min" or "we found that dd could handle 5 pages before he started glazing over on some days but only 1 on others" just basic parameters. bill, your first suggestion of just relaxing is a great suggestion, b/c it's your opinion and offered in an effort to help. my question was in search of answers that would represent a VARIATION in replies, representing a SPECTRUM of approaches i can take with MCT. thanks for your first suggestion. i will consider your "relax" approach. i'd also like to hear other approaches from moms using MCT how are *like-minded* to me and wish to have some sort of outline to follow.

lol. thanks .... but just for the record: anyone else of a different opinion :) haha. [i just like seeing the big picture so that i know what my daily parameters and signposts are]

well, i think i've got it all worked out, at least on paper. we did a sort of trial run on my system with our old 1st and 3rd grade LA/MATH stuff before we wrapped things up for the year. 2nd and 4th will bring with it all kinds of new LA materials, as well as some fun new "extras" in their independent work category {map skills, logic books, etc} but nevertheless, i think the general flow from 1st/3rd will work with the new stuff :) our discussion here was *incredibly* helpful as a springboard for me to mental explore how i wanted it to look in totality and how i could take everyone else's systems into consideration as i made my own amalgamation. we've got a two week rotation. first week is A,B,A,B,A. second week is B,A,B,A,B. orange for ds = independent work. orange for dd = tutor time with mommy {LA/MATH}. green is the inverse. on A days, orange comes first, for 1.5 hours. on B days, green comes first. therefore, if it's an A day, i sit with my DS for his tutor time first [9-10:30] while DD does independent work {copy work, rosetta stone, ETC, 30 min reading, math drill, typing tutor, map skills, logic puzzles and the like .... just sprinkled along as i indicate on their assignment sheets}; then we switch to the green block for 1.5 hours {10:45-12:15}, in which DD gets tutored and DS worked independently. during the tutoring time, we work through a mini-loop on a literal key card ring. i've sprinkled the subjects of writing, math, spelling, dictation, grammar, & latin in the correct proportions for each of them on a system of notecards that we just flip through. when we're "done" with on subject within our 1.5 hours of time together, we flip to the next and continue doing so until our 1.5 hours is up. then we pick up right where we left off the next time we have a tutoring time together .... so that over the long-haul of 2 weeks we're still accomplishing as much as we would if we were to sit down and work in teeny sections of 10 min on this, 15 min on this, 10 min of this .... ad nauseum. it keeps the kids on their toes. it allows me to fully sink into my time with them during the 1.5 hour. it gives plenty of wiggle room for the preschooler to "interrupt" with a fit over something, or for me to take a quick urgent phone call. it gives them something to rely on so they can manage their independent work time while not overwhelming them with too much open endedness. our afternoons are necessarily all together {as they have been for 1.5 years now} with a rotation on science and history/lit. we read aloud our lit or lamplighter after dinner or bedtime during family time. bible happens from 8:00-8:30 piano practice and chores are rotated for each of them between the 8:30-9:00 and a block of time from 4:30-5:00. if one is practicing, the other is doing his chores; vice versa. :) this makes me feel like all the bases are getting covered, even though of course" life" happens and there are spots that get left unattended to ..... nevertheless the plan is in place that allows them to feel a sense of order and predictability that i believe they need. then they can REALLY appreciate the departures and adventures i sprinkle in for them as a sweet delights along the way :) HTH, if you could muddle through it all :) oh, the only other thing i'll add: i put ALL their tutor materials into one colored bin {their have color} and clipped the card system to the front with a clothes pin. i can pick up the entire bin and be basically equipped to do their tutor time in a separate area of the house, or even outside, at a moment's notice. all their supplies are stored in a rolling cart with drawers, so they feel the gratification of emptying out their independent work drawer as they progress through their 1.5 hours of time. it's *kind of* like a workbox system, only adapted for our flow. we did a workbox system from jan '11-winter '11, at which point i just couldn't sustain it any longer. it was too mommy intensive each evening for my personality. this is much more self-sustaining, i believe. we shall see :)

i don't think you should start another thread ... :) mainly b/c i'm interested in what is being said in response to *your* question now. i think the wordiness of PZ would fluster my kiddos. it would fluster me for sure if i were them. i've resolved we're going to complete AAS through the final level. then re-evaluate. i have researched spelling power in the past but haven't referred to it in the upper levels. i like the idea of switching to PZ at a later date for the upper levels instead of SP, though, at least from what i recollect. i agree about the independence being a factor. we're embracing IEW this year for the first time here at home, and i'd like to give more mommy- effort into that category of LA than into spelling, *but* i think it will be HARDER on all of us to have a new spelling program *and* new writing approach all at the same time, even if PZ would technically free me up a bit. i'd be helping them to learn the PZ system instead of just sticking to our flow of AAS, which at the moment is QUITE streamlined. ..... and "it ain't broke" ...... if they were complaining about it as a whole, i'd switch away from AAS. the nice thing is, they don't know all the myriad spelling curricula available out there :tongue_smilie: so they don't know what's "on the other side of the fence" :)

i'm so excited that in july we will begin our adventure with MCT. i have looked, rebooked, and scoured again all the books in our complete package. i'm trying to make sense of the "planning" i need to do ahead of time to understand the flow. basically, what i understand is that we'll spend about 2 weeks in the first book, then move on to the second, while continuing with the first book, keeping them simultaneously going .... and then .... well, i just get sort of lost understanding the day-to-day flow. how does one know when it's time to wrap up MCT for the day? is it a "watch your child for signs of doneness" type of thing, or do you find that you just work for x # of min? i just need help plotting this into our grid, not so much from the standpoint of plotting when we'll be done with page such and such, but rather just understanding about how much time i need to mentally block off for that portion of our LA time each time we sit down to do it. or maybe i'm asking all the wrong questions about the implementation of it and need to instead be asking __________, in which case, tell me what that question is i need to be asking myself as i sit down to plot out the first month or so of school. :) thanks!!!!!

i think it looks solid. good job, mama! i agree with PPs about easing into it :) we do that.

ds9 worked through BTS {red}from age 7-8. he has since done a mind benders book & primarily logic. i have logic countdown for him to do next. i'm trying to decide if BTS (2) is a catch all or if i should supplement it with one or another of the logic books .... or if i should just skip it entirely and just have a smattering of logic book options. :confused:

all of them, or just the plain perplexors? there are venn perplexors, grid perplexors ...... what's the difference?

we have SSL and i haven't been too terribly impressed with retention, so if it's anything like SSL, i don't think SSG would be a good fit for us. DS did SSL in 1st, PL in 2nd and LCI in 3rd. DD just finished SSL. she doesn't seem to have any higher retention than he did; and they have very different learning styles. *i* think SSL {and i'm assuming SSG} are really cleverly done -- i would have LOVED them as a child. :tongue_smilie: so DS9 could work through the CAP greek code cracker then start in EG? how long does it take to work through the CAP greek code cracker? maybe i could have my DD7 work through biblical greek 4 kids while DS9 works through the greek code crackers. then they could begin with EG together?? i noticed a few of the reviews on amazon mention some mistakes in the TM. have you found this to be the case? DS9 wants to start french too .... that will be his formal language study this year, i've decided. i'm decided what i want to use from the french.... i was just thinking of having a little greek thrown in since we're taking a year off from formal latin study {we are finishing LCI} and having a "roots" year using EGFRU {and we'll continue it in the future}. i don't want him to veer too far from the classic languages for too long. he loves linguistics. :bigear:

does one need the audio cds, flashcards, wkbk, *and* txtbk for EG? what's bare bones necessary?

what about bluedorn's "Hupogrammon" -- anybody used that? these are all really helpful tips -- i'll start checking into them. anyone else? oh, and i agree that sometimes for VSL kids less is more when it comes to stuff on the page.;)

thanks -- i want to have some ideas in my battery for *if* PM just isn't clicking with him.

actually this *is* incredibly helpful because it describes much of what i anticipate might happen with our DS3. i have PP on my bookshelf and used it in conjunction with the PM actually all along the way. i just bought a used copy of OPGTR for DS3 b/c i *know* PM won't work well for him. i've looked into AAR since we are already an AAS family. did you do the pre-reading level {i'm assuming not}. level 1? do you feel that it's much different than AAS? could i just implement parts of PM, esp the beautiful art cards, coloring pages, and readers but also just use my AAS cards to teach?? hmmmm .... kinda thinkin' outloud here just in case anybody wants to chime in. thanks, pp, for the honest advice about active DS .... definitely our littlest is WAY more kinesthetic than our first ds.

awesome. this encourages me to keep it for our third child instead of selling it off. we used it for the first two with great success. what's HOP?

what would you recommend for a Greek program that a VSL would do well using?:bigear:

on my list for grades 2-5 .... building thinking skills logic safari logic countdown lollipop logic mind benders balance benders what's on yours? ...and what do you think the best value/actual learning book is?

does anyone still use Phonics Museum for K/1? i never hear about it? if you've used it in the past but switched away, i have a few questions for you: 1. what did you switch to? 2. was it for a subsequent child or a child for whom PM wasn't working 3. what was the main impetus behind switching? 4. did you miss anything about PM later? thanks. just doing some thinkin' :tongue_smilie:

aaah! this seals the deal for me :) thanks!!!

i have to say, i just really do love AAS. the only reason i was thinking of going to PZ was to have him do it independently, but if i do that, i spend more money ..... and i lose touch with how he's doing. he's not an auditory learner in the first place, so the multisensory of AAS is good for him. plus, we're starting *so many* other new things this year, to start a new spelling program when our current situation "ain't broke" seems kinda silly, upon further consideration! there are only a *few* things i recommend across the board to all my newly-schooling mama friends. RS math, AAS, WWE. just think they are phenomenal. so why would i consider switching away?! LOL!! i think we'll stick with AAS ....

yah .... i just read this about level7, and it interests me that it's going to include word roots. DS *loves* linguistics and therefore is fascinated by word derivations. i've planned to start EFTRU with him this year while we start MCT, IEW, and french so we can take a year off from LATIN grammar .... but now that i hear there's going to be word roots etc in the AAS 7, and since i don't know whether PZ has word roots in it, i'm really curious. AAS7 is touted to take kids through high school spelling. wow!? i have "how to teach spelling" TM and figured i could just use this from AAS 6 on .... along with the ETFRU. hmmmm. decision decisions.:confused: