Joy at Home
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Posts posted by Joy at Home
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Lisa,
What did you order to use with your 5 & 7 year olds? I'm working on an order and a little uncertain. :001_smile:
Well, I ordered the TM and manuscript workbook for dd7, but couldn't see spending the money for a workbook for dd5 just yet. I thought I'd start with phonogram review and slowly move through the program with her and, if need be, have her use a whiteboard or paper for now. I figure she'll have to roll through the program again when she's a bit older (unless she comes out with a different level more appropriate) so I'm just going to skim the surface for now. For dd 7, I bought the whole kit and kaboodle:001_unsure: The supplemental materials (which I probably didn't need) I bought included the phonogram cards (okay, I do need them actually), grammar cards (yeah, I know . . .), spelling book (not even sure what this is, really), and rule cards.
I think you could get away with just the TM and one workbook for now, and maybe the phonogram cards. When I think dd5 is ready for her own workbook, I'll buy it then.
Good luck,
Lisa
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Instead of Saxon Teacher or DIVE, you could get Art Reed's dvds to go along with Saxon from 7/6 up. They're only $50 per level, so a cheaper option, and, as far as I can tell, secular. http://www.homeschoolwithsaxon.com/
There are samples on the website.
I am VERY happy with Art Reed's DVDs, which dd is using for Algebra. He's a real person standing at a blackboard and does a thorough job of explaining the concepts. Dd says she likes him much better than DIVE, which we used last year.
Lisa
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:grouphug: Sorry you're having a hard time. I know the feeling of loving a curriculum but feeling like it's not clicking with the kids. How did dd manage with LLC? I know dd had trouble as well answering the questions, to the point where I felt she was totally missing the big picture because she was hyperfocused on giving the "right answer". I ended up bagging the questions and just talking to her about them, but then I thought she was getting too lazy just listening to me lecture.
With character issues you are referring to I think I might do what's easiest for dd and save yourself headache while you tend to her heart and work on what issues you see in character.
I'm not sure what options to suggest. Have you considered history using WTM's approach? What grade is she?
I guess my other thought would be that you could try to adjust your requirements with TOG for a while, maybe not having them answer all the questions, but picking one or two (that you know is in the reading) and go a little deeper. If you are preparing and reading the teachers notes, you can cover the gaps during discussion time.
Good luck. I know it's frustrating.
Lisa
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Mine's being delivered on Tuesday :drool:
Can't wait to get it in my hands. We'll have to compare notes:001_smile:
Blessings,
Lisa
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I hear you, Lisa x 2. Your questions are valid, and I wish I could provide for you specific ways in which I see SL morphing over time. Alas, much of it is directly related to discussions that have taken place at the non-curriculum SL forums; unless you've been an active participant over the years, I think my explanations will be lost on you. There is an undefinable sense that SL desires to go "back to their roots" (as Sarita put it), e.g. place more emphasis upon a conservative, evangelical outlook.
. . .
It's one little thing after another ~ and yet, I can completely understand why to some, it may seem like nothing. I can not offer you more than I've shared above. Sonlight is dear to my heart, always has been and always will be. If that wasn't the case, I wouldn't be so disappointed to realize that after all, we're not really on the same page. Doesn't mean I won't move on to repeat Core D and Core H this next year, as planned. Doesn't mean I won't enjoy our history & lit adventures. But between what I perceive to be a slippery slope; inevitable poor marketing decisions; and innumerable, never-ending changes, my real commitment to the company is over. I'll happily give my dollars to my local, independent book shop instead.
Colleen, thank you for trying to verbalize what you feel here. You are right, being active on the SL boards creates another dimension some might not be privy to. I am a member there but don't post often. Regardless, I appreciate that the more invested you are to SL emotionally, the greater your hurt and disappointment. Agree or disagree, those are real feelings and I'm sorry for you.
Lisa
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The answer SL is giving for why they are adding these books back after John's comments is that Sarita doesn't agree with John's view. Ok, given that John wrote much of the curriculum what does that mean to the big picture? I think that could be one of many reasons for question of a slippery slope. It appears more as a progression over time. It's not just one thing, not just one change, one comment, one email, or even one beam, it is putting all those things together. Things have been changing in the company and assurance was given that the curriculum remains the same (as of last year), but that doesn't appear to be the case.
Other than the addition of these optional books, I guess I just don't see any substantive changes to the curriculum as a whole to warrant this concern. We can speculate, but the evidence is in the product. What in their product even hints of this view?
Lisa
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more many of the old timers are seeing a slippery slope
Again, old timer or not, this suggestion is completely unsubstantiated and not reflected in the entirety of what SL offers. Honestly, with all due respect to some of the long-time users (Colleen, you know I heart you), it seems like a gross overreaction to me. FWIW, I started using SL ten years ago and own most of their cores, so I guess I could be considered somewhat of an old-timer myself;)
For the record, I understand Colleen and others have other, broader issues related to the PROCESS by which SL made this decision and how they are handling it now. I am specifically addressing the "slippery slope" theory.
Lisa
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actions will speak louder than words.
Their actions in many other ways are showing things differently.
What actions?
I just don't see how there is any realistic concern that SL is sliding toward this kind of ideology given the BIG picture of what they offer (which is what I think we're losing here). Most of their book choices are far, far from conservative. Not a year goes by that someone doesn't suggest the substitution of MOH for the secular SOTW, for example.
Just not seeing it . . .
Lisa
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I support Sonlight and I try to buy from them.
This is even though I have never used one of their cores.
They were among the first to put forward a one stop shopping approach to Christian homeschooling. They put their programs together for missionary families and have a strong focus on missions work, in a respectful, multi-culturally sensitive way, which I think is really good. They have been outcast by a radical VF Christian element in many areas, and even in their own state. There is no whiff of racism or anything like that in their materials, unlike those who cast them out. They can't fall back on secular homeschoolers like others can.
They are not perfect, but I think that they are good. And I want them to stay in business. I don't want the only fairly conservative Christian homeschooling voice to be radical VF-style.
Carol, I agree with you and I know I'm in the minority here, but I just don't feel the outrage. I think Amy's explanations are very feasible. I suppose if they wen't back to using TLATG as a spine or relied on it more heavily, I would feel differently. It's an optional fifth day book and the portions scheduled do not contain the problematic themes as outlined in John's post (according to SL).
I guess I just don't expect to agree with every choice, just as I don't agree with every TOG book. There was a megathread last year about This Country of Ours being used in TOG's schedule, with objections to the outdated book's racist language. Many of us defended TOG's choices and saw some value in the book despite our disagreement in its antiquated themes.
I say this as a fairly liberal Christian who does NOT believe in the junk being passed off as history in many conservative Christian circles. My perspective, though, extends plenty of grace to SL and its choices and doesn't see this as some sneaky agenda or huge shift in SL ideology.
Lisa
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:thumbup1: Nicely done, Tara:D
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Thank you! Definitely worth $3.50:001_smile:
Lisa
Came across this teacher resource eBook that is on sale for $3.50 this month. Reminds me a lot of Five in a Row.Just thought I'd share.
You can view the book's inside here...
http://www.carsondellosa.com/cd2/Products/CarsonDellosa/PID-804027.aspx
Looks pretty decent to me. :001_smile:
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You wonder why people get defensively about using TT, when it is compared to allowing our children to eat only French fries for vegetables? If French fries were the only vegetable a parent served their child, most would agree that was child abuse or at least child neglect. So to logically follow the comparison we are abusing or neglecting our children by using TT. That isn't even a thinly veiled insult, but rather a condescending slap in the face, as well as dead wrong. I am going to step out on a limb here and assume that many of our historically great scientists did very well with conventional math and advanced mankind just fine before Singapore or "new math" even existed. In many ways this reminds me of the phonics, whole language, debate, where the pendulum swung back and forth when in reality a child is probably best served by a combination of both, and the real issue is what works for an individual child.
Exactly.
It's one thing making statements like, "It didn't move quickly enough for me" or "I didn't like the presentation of some math concepts", or even, "It wasn't vigorous enough for my math loving child", but what ruffles the feathers of TT users are comments suggesting it is woefully inferior and doing a disservice to our children (i.e., "feeding them only french fries"). We all critique curriculum on this board, but I know of no other program that gets this kind of abuse, so that is why you get a backlash.
Then again, I see a lot of educational snobbery on this board;)
Lisa
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:confused: I thought she set ALL to the side to focus on WWS? What happened?
I think this is the old projected date. Amazon doesn't have it on preorder.
Lisa
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Sarah, the forum here titled K-8 writing workshop may help. It is where parents post samples of childrens' work for feedback.
Good luck,
Lisa
I am having a really hard time assessing my son's independent written work in English.We live in Italy and there are no other kids around who are being brought up bilingual in Italian and English, or who have come from an English speaking educational background. Which means opportunities for comparison are impossible to come by.
I think it is possible I may be overestimating how "behind" he is compared to his peers from an English speaking background.
Is there a resource that allows you to evaluate by comparison using real world examples produced by actual, live children ?
I've been looking at WWS and wondering if it might be better to choose that and stretch him rather than going for the lower level course.
The problem is until I have a firm idea what sort of level he is performing at I feel insecure about making the right choices when looking at potential materials. I'm concerned that I may be pitching too low, and requiring too little of him. There is no way he is going to let me know by himself that it is all nice and easy because he is not the world's greatest fan of breaking into sweat over schoolwork, especially writing.
On the other hand he is very competitive, and if he has something concrete to aim for that makes him comparable to his English speaking peers he is likely to push himself more in the name of "winning".
I don't really mind if the examples are British, American, Australian etc, it is more to get a general idea of what expectations are realistic and appropriate for his age rather than a desire to guarantee total equivalency in the British state school system.
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Oh, Yvonne, this was so helpful! I am so excited for you in being able to attend the workshop. I, too, feel hope that I can actually tackle mentoring dd with upper level writing in listening to the LTOW cds. I've only gotten through the first lesson with dd, but I thought of doing exactly what you suggested and start an ANI chart with her. Because I haven't really been through the five topics yet, though, I wasn't sure how to use them to dig for more information, so your examples really help here.
This is where I really have faith that LTOW will help. I have lots of resources that teach form, but LTOW helps develop ideas and discussion, asking lots of questions and analyzing.
Thanks again and good luck!
Lisa
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What kind of essay are you trying to do? You can just start writing and do a couple of paragraphs. But if you're trying to do a formal essay with thesis, introduction, body, and conclusion, here are some points I've done with my ds15.
First, I would start by making the first sentence of the introduction explain what bravery is, then your last sentence in the paragraph will be a thesis on the specific question you're answering.
Bravery can be described as having the courage to face your fears even when you're scared. It's making decisions to do the right thing when you would rather .... (or something like that)
Then for the thesis, I would say something specific like, I believe [insert name here] displayed a brave character as she/he faced the horrible circumstances of World War II or Jewish roundup, or something like that.
Some people will write the specific points in the thesis, like, I believe [name] displayed a brave character when [one thing like when the police came to the house] and [name 2nd thing]. Then each body paragraph would discuss that one point.
I'm not a writing expert either! My ds15 and I have muddled through his writing assignments but his teachers seem to like them.
I have never read the book so I can't give details. Just remember to tell her that when writing an essay, she should choose the things from the story that she finds interesting. Someone else may choose different parts of the story to show bravery. There is no way you can write about everything. That is something my son is finally picking up on that.
Sometimes it's good to open an essay with some awesome tidbit of information, a fact, a statistic, etc. Maybe something like, 'Her heart nearly jumped out of her body as the police walked by.' But then you'll have to transition into the definition of bravery, and then to the thesis. Also, the very last sentence of the essay can be a personal statement. Something like, 'I am really impressed with [name]'s bravery in this story and would recommend this story to everyone.'
This may be disjointed. Sorry! I hope some of this helps.
Thank you so much for taking a stab at this:001_smile: That was really helpful.
I think the question is meant to produce a five paragraph essay, so trying to help her come up with her thesis and three points supporting that didn't seem too difficult until I started to actually try and help her and came up empty;)
I don't know if I'm overthinking in where I suggest she take this. Should she focus on the story and examples therein, or in a broader sense discuss the definition of "bravery" and give real life examples.
I so need a writing coach.
Your suggestions gave me a starting point, so thank you!
Lisa
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First, let me say that I su** at teaching writing. I am feeling my way along and surrounding myself with great resources, and fully intend to guide my children into becoming good writers.
Why then, can I not help her get started with this simple essay?
The assignment: Do you agree with Uncle Henrik's definition of bravery in Number the Stars? Give examples. (Uncle Henrik states that bravery is doing what you must even when you are scared).
This is for a ninth grader who is behind in writing. We are just starting Lost Tools of Writing separately, but are not far enough along for that to be useful here. (This is for her Challenge class).
So I'm just having trouble figuring out which way to attack this thing. In LTOW, they have you state your thesis and start listing affirmative, negative, and interesting statements, then develop them further by going through the five topics (which we have not gotten to yet).
So, would her thesis perhaps be "Bravery is defined by . . . ."? (I have to admit, that I'm still feeling my way around the differences between essays and other expository writing, and have not done much with developing a thesis).
Would possible points supporting this thesis be examples from the book, real life, etc?
I am so lost as to how to guide her to get started on this. Can anyone throw me a bone:confused:
thanks,
lisa
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http://abasiccurriculum.com/homeschool/roots/roma/
If you scroll down they have lists of programs.
Lisa
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I've been evaluating this very issue lately. This essay is interesting
http://www.abasiccurriculum.com/homeschool/roots/essay.html
I think I'm leaning toward dropping Latin as a subject and focusing on vocabulary building with roots.
Lisa
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:iagree:
And you said she's a nice person....it really seems mean to post this so other people can call her 'stupid'. I wonder how she would feel if she read this thread...
anyways, I'm sure I have some pretty weird gaps in my knowledge too. It sounds like you took the time to explain to her about wheat etc and that was nice. It sounds like she's not afraid to ask you 'stupid' questions....I always appreciate the people who answer my silly questions (like my kids music teachers)
:iagree:
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Nancy, I can see why this is not sitting well with you. I have staff for my daughter, and I understand that if they are asked to take her somewhere where a fee is required, i.e., the pool or zoo, it is my responsibility to pay their admission since, after all, I am asking them to go. But in your case, it seems she is pushing that to mean than any expense incurred in their outing, however, optional, is coming out of your daughter's money, and that is not right. She is stretching it to a point where she is taking advantage of your dd.
I hope you find a resolution to this matter. If you feel you can salvage a good relationship with her by setting firmer boundaries, I might try that first. But if you feel she would be insulted and take it out on your dd, I'd end it.
Sorry this is happening:grouphug:
Lisa
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I'm sorry you are going through this:grouphug: I don't know what's wrong with people.
Lisa
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:grouphug: I'm sorry :( This has to be very difficult. I'm sorry you also hate where you're at; I do know that feeling.
Yes, make it clear that it's LIFE or DEATH. Many of us grew up with people with allergies, but it meant simply that they could not eat the same things we did. The concept of not being able to touch hands or tables that have transferred oils, etc is a foreign one to many people. I used to work in a nursery where we had a child that was allergic to several things on your list. His mother brought in a box of snacks just for him, with his name on them. But there were no transfer concerns and we weren't asked to stop other snacks. If it were life or death it would have to be firmly stated and we would have placed a placard on all doors where it needed to be mandated (in this case, the nursery...but we would not be able to keep it out of the entire church or make everyone wash their hands between home and church).
I like your new duck avatar, mommaduck:D
Lisa
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Dd14 was invited to go with a friend to her church's youth group weekend retreat. She wants to go, but is nervous and does not know what to expect. Can anyone share their kids experiences. The retreat is in upstate PA and I looks beautiful from what saw online.
Tx:001_smile:
Lisa
Just received my LOE....WOW!
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
Gee . . . I never thought to ask the author's recommendation. I forgot they have a forum. Hmm, I might have to hop over there. What did she recommend, if you don't mind me asking?
Lisa