monalisa
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Posts posted by monalisa
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We've used 1st and 2nd BJU. DD8 has loved it. The mix of genres is great. The workbooks (and readers ) are colorful and interesting. I haven't seen R&S, but I would highly recommend BJU.
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We used it 2 years ago as an after-dinner family devotional. It was wonderful! I agree it was just as challenging for dh and I as it was for our dd. I also got the coloring book and she would color as we read the devotional. We tried to memorize the verse for each week. We still pull it out once in a while.
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We've used it this year. My dd8 really likes the stories. It is a nice mix of genres and good Christian character. I have used the TM some; all the comprehension ?s are in there. However, it is written so much for a classroom, that it isn't all that helpful for homeschool really imo. You can do just as well asking your own comprehension ?s, and have them narrate. I have dd read aloud sometimes, and read to herself sometimes. I don't have the worktext TM. You cold definitely do it with just the readers and workbook. The nice thing about having the TM is that you have your copy of the book to read from while your dc does. We've probably only used 1/2 the workbook, partly because dd does not need any of the phonics (she does All About Spelling). I would recommend the program. I am considering using 3rd grade. We used 1st grade too, and liked it.
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The new separate books are the same as the old combined 1/2 version, with a few minor changes so they're more compatible with WWE.
Actually, there are no changes from the first edition, at least for FLL2...all the narration, dictation, etc. are exactly the same. I own the old and the new, and thought that would be the case (which is why I bought the new one since I was also using WWE), but it is EXACTLY the same (except the picture study is now famous works of art, and in FLL2 they don't have the child review the FLL1 poems like they did in the combined edition).
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I'll jump on the "she's five" bandwagon too...
It might not make you feel better, but you've just described my dd8 to a t. I'm hoping it gets better someday, before 18!
FWIW, I regret not making both 1st and 2nd grade more gentle, CM'ish, vs. the classical drill approach. 3rd grade is going to be different.
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You are smart to do this...I feel like I burned out dd8 (and myself) for 2nd grade science for the first 2/3 of the year trying to use Apologia Astronomy along with Easy Classical. They are both good curricula, but too much for 2nd grade (my ephiphany came when I realized that I was doing all the notebooking, experiments, etc., and DD had no interest in any of it). For a while we did no science, and for the last part of the year have just read books from the library, which she has retained a lot of information from. Wish I'd done that all year. Really, for 2nd grade, it is all they need, imo. (Surprisingly to myself, I find myself becoming more and more of a CM'er and less and less of a classical educator.)
Edited to add: the Usborne 1st Encyclopedia of Space is good, and there is a cute, simple Evan Moor K-2 Space book of reproducibles that were appropriate that I did like and used along w/ what I mentioned above.
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Have you looked at Biblioplan? It uses SOTW 4.
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There is no difference in content, except that some of the poem reviews are different because they do not refer back to volume 1. Also, the picture studies are all now pieces of famous artwork. Other than that, it is completely the same. There was a rumor that some of the copywork, dictation etc. had been removed, but as far as I can tell it is all the same as it was in the first edition. The biggest benefit is that the book is larger and the font is more readable. In retrospect, I didn't need to spend the money for the new version since I had the combined volume.
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This won't help you probably, but had MP K, 1, 2 been available when I started w/ my dd I think I would have used it. I agree w/ you on lit analysis...I am looking seriously at Drawn Into the Heart of Reading for next year, because my dd reads so far above grade level and so fast through books that she has mediocre comprehension. I've looked at the MP guides and considered them too. We are also ditching WWE for next year because it is too boring and repetitive (I know that is the point, but I'm really ready for DD to start a little writing).
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The audio songs play as you watch the pp presentations, but you cannot listen to it like an audio CD in your car. I am not sure all the songs are on there -- for instance grammar, presidents etc., but the history, geography, science, are on there and play as you watch. I haven't used it in a couple weeks, so I can't be for sure. If you want to listen to a CD on a CD player or in your car, you need the other CD.
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I'm probably going to switch to R&S grammar next year for 3rd grade after completing FLL 2 this year. Is R&S 3 the right place to start? DD8 has gotten everything down from FLL2 without issues. It is the format that I/we aren't liking, and I've looked at FLL3 and don't want to go there. From what I read, I assume R&S3 will be the right place to go, but just wondered what other's who've made this switch have found.
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I'm using BJ Math 4 with my son. Sometimes I'll look the TM over but use the first side of the workbook page to show the new concept. This way when we are done (with using the manipulatives and all) ds only needs to do the back.
:iagree: I have used 1st & 2nd grade (I'm not sure what grade you're on), and have done the same thing. At a minimum, I go through the front side w/ dd (I think I read in the TM that is what they expect the teacher to do...walk through page 1 with the student and help them complete it). I hardly ever use the review pages. One thing I like about BJU is that it has fewer problems than most other elementary math I've looked at (I've compared grades 3- 6 to Saxon, for example, and decided my dd would have a nervous breakdown if I gave her that many problems at once!) I have occasionally had dd skip a few problems, but usually I have her do the whole worksheet (front w/ my help).
I would say on average we spend 1/2 an hour on math, including a little bit of drill. But this is only 2nd grade.
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What about The Star Spangled State Book from Knowledge Quest?
I just got this at the Midwest Convention, and it is great! My dd 8 loves it.
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I have loved it and hated it both at different times. I've loved it for the phonics reinforcement, and learning the phonograms. Today I hate it. I spent the entire lesson telling dd to stop messing around with the tiles and pay attention to me. My dd8 gets very distracted and actually dislikes the tiles. I've tried having her write instead, which has worked at times. Her retention is so/so. I do sometimes see her apply the rules. However, I also strongly agree with others who have said there are too many pieces and parts (for me, I mean). The review part is also hard for me, for some reason. I end up with stacks of words to review and it stresses me out. I just had an epiphany today that this is our problem with both spelling and the math we are using -- too many manipulatives and pieces to deal with. My dd doesn't need manipulatives to learn things. As of today, I've decided wherever we are in Level 3 when the school year ends, we will stop and do something else next year.
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I'm looking for something different for dd8 who will be 3rd grade next year. We've done 2 years of SOTW which have been fine (this year w/ Biblioplan), but not what I want for next year. I definitely want to do American history at least next year and maybe the next 2. I have looked at MFW Adv, SL Core 3 (now D I guess), and HOD BIgger. I'm leaning toward MFW Adv. My concern is wondering whether it will be enough for her, reading wise? She reads on probably a 4th/5th grade level. I looked at it last year, and probably it would have been OK for 2nd, but for 3rd I'm not as sure. I'd like to hear from anyone who has used it with a 3rd grader, especially if you have an advanced, voracious reader. I suppose I could supplement with SL or HOD books; I am not good at the whole library thing (so I'm a little hesitant about the book basket, honestly), which is why SOTW hasn't worked so great. My dd also definitely wants hands on & crafts; I haven't found the SOTW AGs to fit the bill for us for some reason. TIA!
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If you want more church/bible history with SOTW, you might look at Biblioplan. I have used the SOTW activity guide for two years, but will not next year because all I end up using are the maps. This year I used Biblioplan Middle ages with SOTW 2. Biblioplan uses SOTW as a spine, but then adds in a lot of other books (that you mostly can get from the library, or you can buy) that add the Christian history aspect. Also, in the year 3 an 4 volumes, it adds in more US history. THey also have maps, coloring pages, parent extra-reading pages, and crafts. We used Year 2 this year, and will probalby continue with Year 3 next year. If I was going to just use SOTW, I would buy the text, CDs (because I like Jim Weiss reading it to us, and we listen to them in the car over & over), and the Activity Guide.
I too would like to use MOH, but know it is too hard for my 2nd grader so will wait for the next cycle of history (and by the way, Biblioplan schedules MOH as an option).
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I've liked using WWE, but but my dd8 is burned out on WWE now, after almost finishing WWE 2. She writes her own little stories sometimes for fun, so next year I'm probably switching her to IEW or BJU English 3, to get her actually writing. I see the strength of WWE and understand SWB's reasoning behind it (and my dd has done well w/ the copywork, narration dictation), but I just think she is ready to start writing.
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I keep looking at SL, but used Biblioplan for middle ages this year. I really like it and wished we had used it for ancients (used SOTW alone). That would be my vote; even if you can't get all the books from your library, you can substitute. I like how they schedule SOTW, and there are just 1 or 2 books a week for additional. If you have the UILE encyclopedia, that can fill in for books you can 't get from your library (and whatever other spines they recommend for Ancients will do that too).
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I'm using it with a 2nd grader. I don't think it is written by the Times Tales people, but maybe I am wrong -- it is written by Susan Greenwald. I found it cheapest through Amazon. The basic premise is that your dc learn strategies for solving +/- problems, then practice with worksheets and flashcards. It is a lot of worksheet work. Some of these I do orally w/ dd and I do the writing. My dd doesn't love it, but it is helping her a little. She doesn't count on her fingers, but she is slow on recall. I like that it is systematic; each tier adds new strategies but keeps reviewing the older strategies. Another good way for practicing facts that my dd likes better is games -- Giggle Facts is a good set of games and I think worth the $. You can also just play war with 2 sets of playing cards. Games tend to be very time consuming, however.
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If you mean Easy Classical History, it corresponds more or less with the Veritas Press history cycle, and the grades that go with that (it uses the VP history guides in addition to the other resources like SOTW). I considered it for 2nd, but wanted to do Middle Ages w/ SOTW, and the Veritas Press Middle Ages was just too much for my 2nd grader. I know you said you don't like SOTW much, but Biblioplan is a more doable scheduled history for me; it uses SOTW, but you can also used Mystery of History and other things it suggests. It schedules picture books and read alouds that are appropriate for the younger ages (it is written so it can be used K-12). We really like it and I plan to use it again next year for early American History (with SOTW 3). If you get Biblioplan's Cool History, coloring pages, and maps, it would give you a little hands on in addition to just the reading.
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I did that myself, starting about lesson 42 where blends begin. DD was concurrently doing FLL 1 and WWE 1. She had gone through intro phonics in private K, and was reading, but hadn't gotten beyond just a few blends. I wanted to make sure she had no phonics gaps. We sometimes did multiple lessons in a day. It will probably get harder for him as you progress through the book. Those 3 work very well together.
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My dd8 does this too. I stop her at that sentence, restate it without the 'and' and make her repeat it. I don't wait until she has strung together several sentences. This is usually when we are doing WWE 2 narrations, so I am writing it down, which could be helpful for you too. I am seeing improvement little by little.
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The 2nd edition is easier to read and keep open with the larger format, but there is no reduction in the content other than the change in the illustrations (I thought I read the same thing about it going w/ WWE, but I haven't found that to be the case; I just skip copy work or dictation if it doubles up on what we do that day in WWE2). Since Vol. 1 is now separate there is no review of the poems learned in 1st grade. It wasn't $ well spent, in my opinion since I own the combined volume. The downside to the larger format for me is that my daughter wants to read it instead of listening to me, and some days it almost turns into a wrestling match!
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We've used BP Year 2 this year (for 2nd grader), with the SOTW 2 AG. Next year I'm going to use Cool History and the Parent Book with BP 3 and SOTW3 , and probably still get the SOTW 3 AG for the maps. I love it and wished we'd used it for Ancients. I think I may buy the e-book Bundle for BP 3. I liked having the e-book, and it wasn't all that much printing (and not too bad since my printer does auto duplex).
I was just thinking about you today, Suzanne, when we used SSL that i bought from you! (The TM)
If you didn't like AAS, can you please say why not?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
:iagree: We are still using it and are in Level 3, but may not be for next year. I also agree it moves slow. DD8 has learned a lot from it, but detests the tiles so mostly she writes the words and we only use the tiles for lessons. But I don't like them much either. I think it is a good program, and love that it is open and go. I think we aren't much of a flash card/manipulative type of family, however.