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aly

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Everything posted by aly

  1. If your daughter is strong at math, Saxon might be too repetitive and overly through to keep her interest. Singapore moves faster and you can skip if she is getting things.
  2. Do you have the supplemental Singapore books for extra practice?
  3. I have had great results with Singapore with my daughter who struggled with math until 4th grade. Singapore is good visually and, with backup of extra practice (textbook, workbook, test book) you can go over things that are3 difficult as much as necessary. I heard the argument that Singapore was for kids that "got" math - in my case it has helped for someone who didn't! Good luck!
  4. One of the things I like about Singapore is the different books you can buy to provide more revision material when needed (workbooks and test books) but you can go through the textbook either orally, or on paper where needed, if the child knows the material. We went through 3B pretty quickly, did levels 4A and 4B easily, with a little support from the workbook and found quite a few topics in 5A and 5B that benefited from the reinforcement of the Test book. I love that flexibility.
  5. My point is that, if the RS4K books are good, stick strictly to science (which both the biology and chemistry do - haven't seen the physics) the why all the fuss about the authors beliefs? I read the thread you posted and was disappointed by the level of argument. Yes, in a yahoo group she brings up her beliefs when questioned directly about how to ask questions and steer arguments. This does not equal an "agenda" for her books. If she has an agenda to indoctrinate kids into believing iD, she fails miserably as the term and concept are never mentioned. We should celebrate good homeschooling material - and these books have proven themselves as a good choice for many secular families.
  6. You are clearly a veteran homeschooler so I am reluctant to pas son "advice". Obviously you can sneak in a certain amount but, if yours are anything like mine, they spot it a mile off. I simply start every day with 45-60 minutes of math, ni exceptions. After that, life is very free-flowing,m but I am not sure if you can gain the skills and fluenct, without going through the grind. (If anyone knows how, I'd be keen to try!) We do Singapore Math and have found it great.
  7. Try taking the Singapore placement online. The books are very kid friendly for a younger child
  8. This is te best time to develop foreign language skills so I think it is a great idea. However, the reaosn it is such a great time is because little kids pick up everything aurally. It is therefore essential that you are providing everything with a good accent. CDs etc are great - maybe charge a small fee and try and find a native speaker in the community to pay once a month to do a conversationally based session? Good luck
  9. I agree - the main thing at this age for kids to love reading. As they get older, you will want to bring in elements of analysis. Maybe you could occasionally incorporate some exercises like writing a cover sleeve for a favorite book summarizing the context and giving a teaser to persuade other kids to buy it, or a critique for a book prize, saying what is so good about the book, and why it should be awarded the prize. ie work on summarizing, considering what constitutes a good book, why something is captivating etc. Book reports can be dull, but tasking a specific lean on them and bringing in the child's enthusiasm for a book to try to convince others, can be fun and educational (and good writing practice!)
  10. Very little science is covered in elementary schools. What te best school programs do is instill a fascination for asking the "whys"? If they want to know how things work, why things happen the way they do, what things are made of, they will go on to develop the inquisitive scientific mind. Too much "book science" at too young an age is a killer.
  11. It's hard to do 20th century limited to the US - have you thought about augmenting using fiction primarily? There is so much out there, especially for 20th century and it might be very engaging for your kids. I have found some of the really sensitive issues of the 20th century (Holocaust, racism etc) have been dealt with age-appropriately in good fiction and, by making it personal, the kids get a great perspective on complex topics, and really start to think about deeper issues.
  12. One of the advantages of homeschooling! That said, goals are good too - don't lose them in the enthusiasm of seeing attractive curricula - maybe look for ways the books you like can lead you to the educational goals. Often it is not what specific material they learn, but what they learn from learning it! ie love of learning, research techniques, writing skills, time management etc - these will be most easily learnt if the child is enthusiastic about the material being covered, so flexibility is great!
  13. If you have the money to invest, CTY (Johns hopkins' Center for Talented Youth) has a fabulous online course called "The Process of Writing". We're incredibly fortunate as we work for JHU and get a hefty discount - it is a really wonderful, demanding course - the work the kids end up writing amazes them! We have been doing it "flexi-paced" to fit in a more relaxed way into our schedule.
  14. I would also suggest looking at Singapore - they have a lot of word problems, and ample extra practice through the workbook, test book etc. My daughter was also a "deer in the headlight" math child when we pulled her out of school after 3rd grade. 2 years later she is above grade level and MUCH more confident.
  15. Have you thought about using fiction primarily? We choose a topic and research fiction around it - many books are $0.01 plus postage at amazon.com used - we read an age-appropriate skeleton history (Usborne encyclopedia, or something similar) and back it up with as many fiction books as keep the interest. I have found it a great way to keep the subject alive, show different perspectives and leave an impression that they will remember. We have done the Tudors this year and there are many really excellent fiction books on the Henry VIII, the six wives, Bloody Mary, Elizabeth I etc and on the times - the Armada, the 16th century explorers, Shakespeare etc. We have also watched some good DVDs - Anne of a Thousand Days, A Man for all Seasons, Elizabeth etc (a bit old for your age group. We did this approach last year with Ancient History. Bethlehem Books has a interesting collection and shows different age groups.
  16. If the book is good and does not suggest ID, why should it matter what the author thinks? "You have to decide whether you want to support her" sounds incredibly judgmental. I think this book is great for 9/10 yearold and will not corrupt their scientific minds (I am a firm believer in evolution by the way!) I find it sad that an author needs to suppress their private views to be taken seriously, and can not be judged purely on their product.
  17. Planning is great, especially if it means you can pick up some used curriculum cheaply. The danger of setting things too early is that your children may change and for me the joy of homeschooling is being able to find the resources that are most pertinent both to their needs but also to their interests.
  18. I have student books for all Town level and student and teacher's manual for Practice Town. I am selling them cheaply (they are unused except for one erased page in Paragraph Towen) as daughter is returning to school. Let me know if you are interested - my email is alisonwells455@gmail.com
  19. If that is her reason, she can't be that invested in her child's education!
  20. What I love about how Singapore Math is produced is that the extra material is there if needed. Often we only need the textbook, sometimes some backup with the workbook, and occasionally I want to make sure she really has it independently and she does a test (I also find it great to skip back to a test later in the year to make sure she has not forgotten something she might have found challenging earlier). By not having it all in one book, my daughter does not feel she is skipping lots of pages in a topic she grasps easily, which would happen if there was a lot of practice questions in the textbook. I think the flexibility of minimal examples on straightforward topics to ample extra resources if need is great - and the cost is reasonable.
  21. Last year we started with "Three Cups of Tea" which was very engaging and this led to a study of maps, physical features (the challenges faced) and the social issues in a different culture. My daughter was 9 and, at that age it proved a great way to bring geography alive. It actually led us to look at other challenges faced by different 3rd world cultures and how their physical location, climate etc contributes to the problems.
  22. My advice is to choose a period and a basic text but the supplement as MUCH as possible with historical fiction from the period - there is lots on Ancient Egypt, Romans, Greeks, or early Colonial times, or Henry VIII and his 6 wives. Having lived on 2 continents, in 2 states, used public and private schools, and homeschooled, I am convinced that in history it is not what you teach but how you teach - ie getting the child to visualize a different culture or way of life, experiencing it through craft, cookery, art, music, and understanding the idea of a timeline. Fiction for grade school is so much more enjoyable and memorable (as long as it is good and accurate!) than text books. Check out Bethlehem Books.
  23. I have seen huge growth in fluency and understanding in 2 years of Singapore Math. We have gone from 3B to 6A and it is clear, systematic and engaging.
  24. We use amazon a lot and always try to find the cheapest used in reasonable condition. We use the library ordering service a lot to supplement the basic curriculum books
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