Amy Jo
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Posts posted by Amy Jo
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We read and narrate. For the little ones, just learning, we read smaller sections, or sometimes I would (randomly) narrate. If I thought a word was beyond them I would insert a synonym after it.
Oh and for my dyslexic/late reader we used audio books. I had to be more careful with him. For a while I would preread, and choose 2-5 words he might not know, we would discuss those before he read/listened. (I couldn't do more than 5, he just couldn't handle more.)
Remember we can pick up a lot of words by context. Also keep in mind that our passive vocabulary is larger than our active vocabulary.
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The Great Courses Greek 101 course is 70% off, and I've read some positive comments about it on the high school board, so it looks like we're going to try that route first. It's also based on Homer (with some Koine on the side), but unlike the Reading Course, it doesn't assume any knowledge of Latin grammar, which makes it accessible for more people in our family.
I've also relaxed about the overall course sequence. We're no longer trying to get through rhetoric by age 16, so those Attic dudes can wait for a bit longer. ;)
Meanwhile, my older ones have been doing the Hupogrammon. It's okay, I guess, but the authors' way of pronouncing Greek doesn't always match Code Cracker's, and their way of pronouncing English doesn't always match our family's. So the experience ends up being somewhat vague and confusing, which isn't what we were expecting from an "open and go" workbook. If we were doing it over again (which I guess we will be, with the younger ones), I think I'd start with a homegrown "Greek letter of the day" approach, with some root words thrown in.
Now I'll have to add the Greek 101 course to my wishlist. Is it bad to just buy it off of Amazon?
I like your Greek letter of the day plus root words approach!
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For something different and fun you could try Paper Sloyd. :) You'll have to browse through projects as some aren't very useful anymore, but I found it helped my little wild man slow down and pay attention. Plus it's free with stuff you probably have around the house - this post links to a helpful OOP book on Sloyd: http://rarefied.weebly.com/captain-idea-log/paper-sloyd-envelope
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I haven't used it for a long while, but what I liked was assignments automatically rolling over and the ability to control the order of subjects/classes. What I didn't like was its rigid marriage to hours and the difficulty of schedule adjusting if something took longer than planned. It was also more difficult if I missed a day which I did often. The price was nice though!
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There are similarities between AO & MP - some of the books are the same, and some authors are the same for both. So you probably aren't as far off as you think you are. :) I just thought I'd point to this fairly extensive blog series about CM-style narration, since people were wondering.
http://thecommonroomblog.com/2015/06/charlotte-mason-grammar-and-composition-grades-7-9.html
(At the bottom of this post several others are linked.)
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I considered it but decided not to jump in. I did have the same concerns about where the higher levels were going - especially when I couldn't even see the middle/end of level 2. But the main reason is my kids just don't "one size fits all". My eldest is dyslexic, so while he could handle the grammar in level 2 (probably easily) he could not manage the spelling. And my next is very quick in the language areas - it was just too easy for him (at least judging by the sample -- and really, I could just tell him to mark the parts of speech in his copywork, he wouldn't need a program for that). Perhaps it would work for my third child, but he is a hyperactive late reading pencil phobe so ... :lol:
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All schoolbooks are on one shelf. And I've simplified back to ONE notebook for most things - math notes, written narrations, assignment list, writing their answers for Spanish, etc. - rather bullet journal-esq..
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Have multiple email accounts.
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To be comfortable putting things on paper, to not freeze up and to just get his thoughts out. (He is dyslexic and language in general is difficult for him.)
I'm not sure how far we'll get, I have a few resources and ideas, but will only plan term by term. I'm also going to go by time instead of lessons, so if in half an hour he works through 2 lessons or a fourth of a lesson that is fine. I do not want to overwhelm him.
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(1) Number of kids: Two for me as well. I realize I have four, but what is working really well is having the big boys do independent work first while I work with the younger two (DS9, then a couple things with DD5, then finish with DS9). The the littles can do independent things (or just play) while I work with the older boys (one at a time).
(2) Combining: Actually combining doesn't work well for me, the older two are opposites academically, the middle two are opposites personality-wise, and the last two are too far apart. Really the middle two just don't combine well in any direction. But with the above focuses, I'm only bouncing between two kids at a time, so I don't feel frazzled.
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I googled SWB and OIS. I didn't find what she had to say very coherent or convincing - it seemed to amount largely to it not being world history and not having a wholly modern attitude to things, though that wasn't really defined. It seemed like "we prefer our own cultural blinkers and myths to those of 1900."
Exactly. I love how we all sit here, thinking that our *modern* books have no bias.
But they are incredibly inflexible about the idea of using other books. I don't know how they reconcile this with the fact that CM's schools actually changed books quite often - clearly she did not think one specific reading list is actually that important to students becoming educated and it was possible to offer different things at different times. And with other things too, like insisting that every book read be narrated every time. You could tell them that your child was reading and narrating all morning and afternoon and so you would like to take some reading out, or only do one or two narrations a day, and you would think you were dooming your child from their response- never mind that the child now has no time for all the other things that are considered important in Charlotte's programs. Actually, I got blocked from their Facebook page for saying that while I thought AO was a good program it was not right for everyone as written, and parents asking questions should be allowed to hear a number of possible solutions that might work for their child.AFAIK the PNEU programs that CM wrote were not free. AO is. It is run by busy people who have lives to attend to. You can not seriously expect them to update the curriculum to new books every year when they make no money, can you??
You seem to be against narrating every book every time (or perhaps I misread)? CM actually included the importance of narration (telling back) in her 20 principles:
14. As knowledge is not assimilated until it is reproduced, children should 'tell back' after a single reading or hearing: or should write on some part of what they have read.AO's Facebook page is very specific as to its purpose: it is for discussing AO. I've been on other lists/groups that also limited themselves, and I don't have a problem with that. If it is their group, and they only feel they can handle certain issues, that is fine. I appreciate when such groups are upfront about their restrictions. There are more general CM Facebook groups as well, if that would suit you better. :)
Oh, and I hand(ed) TCOO to my kids to read. We talk when they narrate. I want them to know that what is popular can be dead wrong. I'm not arrogant enough to assume our generation has all the answers, I want them to think. And when I hand them a book, I am NOT saying "here, swallow this hook, line, and sinker; please, don't think about it". NO! I'll ask them "what do you think of X" or "should they have done Y". Perhaps that is a fundamental difference between us. I'm not in the "children are boxes to hold information" camp. If you think you have to fill a child with information, then yes, I guess you should be very careful what you shove into the box.
If I wanted to sub TCOO by the way, I'd consider the Guerber books. :) Memoria Press uses a shortened version, and I believe Milestones Academy does as well, so I imagine the books are good quality. AO uses Guerber's books on Greece and Rome.
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AO 8 science!
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We did a COVD eye exam first, because insurance covered it. DS did not have eye issues, but the doctor pointed us in the right direction: visualization skills. So we did Visualizing and Verbalizing, then floundered a while until DS could finally blend, then started Dancing Bears. So we did one evaluation/test, I did a LOT of reading, and we used a doesn't-break-the-bank program for fluency, which was what DS needed at that point.
Oh, we did the Barton pre-screening too, I'm not sure if that counts as a "test". :)
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AO's science has been working (there is mostly nature observation in years 1-4,years 6-8 (atm) have more science with year 5 more transitionary). Anyway, my eldest is finishing year 7 science. Some of the books I read out loud, but several he is able to buddy read. Life of the Spider has audio on librivox, although we are now buddy reading it.
The books are interesting, but I think the big thing for him is the science notebook. It's a free-form notebook (his is a bound sketchbook) that he basically narrates into. BUT he doesn't have to write, he prefers to draw and label. I think that is so much better than ME writing for him, or him just orally discussing. It really picks up his strengths (he is good at sketching) and gives him confidence. Plus, there really isn't a wrong way to do it, as long as it is accurate. Oh, sometimes he is drawing from the book (Life of the Spider) and others from his own observations (Adventures with a Microscope).
So I guess I'll agree with others here - it is the hands on component that is good for him. I completely agree on who frustrating it is when he can read a large portion of the text BUT he cannot read them solo because the more specialized vocabulary trip him up. I've tried to preread and cover vocabulary in advance, but if I have more than 3-4 words (which I always do) I can see his eyes glaze over. :(
Someone else I know mentioned Apologia as having audio available for their books.
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I wish AO's book list used more well-written modern titles.
I wish they would let people produce and sell things for their curriculum (I find it so annoying to have to use YouTube for music).
The BIG plus of AO, however, is that so many people work on it for free. It isn't a single-person designed curriculum, but an evolving curriculum that changes as the many users give input. Many free helps are available, too.
I am someone who always bites off too much and frustrates her kids. I can't take a book list and "pick the best for us" (which is why TOG is off the table fore me).
Emily
I buy MP3s on Amazon for our music. :) I agree about YouTube - for me turning it on is a time-sink. I also like the classics for kids radio show.
I think another part of the modern titles (besides availability [not going OOP] and cost) is the multiple people. So a strength of AO - having many people giving input - can also become a weakness, when they would all have to buy (or wait for others if sharing) a book, then read it and decide what to replace. It seems one can't have everything.
I also try to do too much when I am the planner, so I understand. I really need a challenging, but reasonable list to start with. For me, AO works very well and I'm really excited to watch some of these changes.
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How about DIBELs? (I'm looking for the same thing for my dyslexic. Angie W has several posts on DIBELs.)
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I use AO, and have never used the other two you mention. I wanted to mention that a child really does grow to meet expectations. My youngest son is a May birthday, so he was 6 and a few months when we started AO year 1. He did have to learn to narrate, to pay attention, he was not ready for reading lessons (very, very hyper). But he rose to the challenge. If you looked at him, even today, you'd never think he could handle those old books. His grandmother is shocked by what we read, and he understands and enjoys the selections!
Anyway, we are having a very good discussion on modifications to AO on the forums now. No one is being jumped on. :) As others here have said, you need a grounding in CM. AO will not give your child a Charlotte Mason education if you don't know why she did what she did. Likewise, before just replacing a book you should think about why the book is there. Some books are for helping the child grow as a reader (or listener as the case may be), so it's good to substitute carefully, as well as to not overload. You want time to play, to paint, to make things, etc.
And I love the deeper probing into CM's philosophy - the new books on her, plus the wonderful work Circe has been doing for years, has really helped me with the vision for our homeschool. I know not everyone loves that type of thing though. Which is good, if we were all like me we dream all day and accomplish nothing.
Forgive any typos, my battery is dying.
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I use AO, and have never used the other two you mention. I wanted to mention that a child really does grow to meet expectations. My youngest son is a May birthday, so he was 6 and a few months when we started AO year 1. He did have to learn to narrate, to pay attention, he was not ready for reading lessons (very, very hyper). But he rose to the challenge. If you looked at him, even today, you'd never think he could handle those old books. His grandmother is shocked by what we read, and he understands and enjoys the selections!
Anyway, we are having a very good discussion on modifications to AO on the forums now. No one is being jumped on. :) As others here have said, you need a grounding in CM. AO will not give your child a Charlotte Mason education if you don't know why she did what she did. Likewise, before just replacing a book you should think about why the book is there. Some books are for helping the child grow as a reader (or listener as the case may be), so it's good to substitute carefully, as well as to not overload. You want time to play, to paint, to make things, etc.
And I love the deeper probing into CM's philosophy - the new books on her, plus the wonderful work Circe has been doing for years, has really helped me with the vision for our homeschool. I know not everyone loves that type of thing though. Which is good, if we were all like me we dream all day and accomplish nothing.
Forgive any typos, my battery is dying.
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I am adding an extra term between 7th and 8th for my eldest. I decided to have a January start for my daughter (Nov b-day), and I'm just going to put him on the same schedule, so he will graduate in December. It really won't matter except church, and we are moving out of state this fall anyway, so it will matter even less.
This is my dyslexic, he is really improving, and I just think that extra 4-5 months before I move the bar will really help. Oh, he is a July 30th birthday, but also less academic, more hands-on/literal, than the other boys are. Language has always been tough for him. HTH.
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Okay, this is for my dyslexic.
History/Literature/Geography/Science: AO Year 8
Math: Jacob's Algebra (fallback is MEP 8-9); we might play with this book on Euclid
Spelling: Right now we are trying studied dictation (his request), if that doesn't pan out we'll go back to Apples & Pears
Latin: Visual Latin (second half) with Lingua Latina
Greek: Elementary Greek 2
Spanish: finish GSWS, I'm not sure after that
Grammar: The Mother Tongue II (orally as a family)
Writing: focus on ordering written narrations (no program), also some lessons from an old English handbook (similar to this); possibly Roar on the Other Side (poetry)
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Since you have little kids I'd read volume 1. Or I might wait for the new book "Mind to Mind" by Karen Glass, which is volume 6 streamlined. http://www.karenglass.net/mind-to-mind/
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Is there a reason you can't get a laserjet printer? I have an older Brother B&W LaserJet and I use the off-brand toners - it is extremely economical.
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I vote for deeper. Actually at 7 I might just send him out to play, but that will probably be a minority opinion here. So for math, perhaps a Zacarro book. For Latin, maybe a few older readers to browse (or just Lingua Latina [emoji14]). We do studied dictation for spelling, and I have one natural speller plus one dyslexic ... so I have no idea there. :D
self-taught introductory Greek
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I think the most independent is Hey Andrew Teach Me Some Greek. You could do level 2, or maybe 3 (if they know the alphabet) and see if their interest holds.
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