Jump to content

Menu

johnandtinagilbert

Members
  • Posts

    5,434
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by johnandtinagilbert

  1. sounds just like fore...like folklore...I wouldn't add the creative sound, I'd just focus on the 4 sounds of OU /ow/ /O/ /oo/ /u/
  2. A shorter, well-linked version is up. I blogged a lot this week!
  3. Every day my 4th grader does something within the writing process via graphic outline, composing original sentence, building paragraphs. This is either completed through out LA program (PR) or through interdisciplinary assignments in other areas. He may do a heavy copywork one day, a long dictation the next, an outline one day, or take the outline into a paragraph. LOTS of writing. Our blog has much on the subject. 2nd grade is the year we transition from copy work to heavier dictation. By the end of 2nd, they are generating their own sentences (which I often dictate back to them) or copying paragraphs daily.
  4. 1 fact. It's a rather boring book to my 6yo. He does much better with living books.
  5. OP --- yes! Just cut back a bit. Perhaps you're pushing too hard academically. Any classes you can make only 1 semester and be happy w/ exposure?
  6. This is week 2 of our new year. We're doing great in the middle and elem. school. I am averaging 8:30-2:30 for a complete day of grammar and middle school teaching (PR1 & 3 & 4). We do a full schedule. All that to say, I work hard, but not to exasperation. It just so happened that I was finished with all my PR kids by 11:30 2x this week (finished teaching, but did need to confirm finished work)! One of those practice, review, continue an assignment days that required little teaching. That was pretty cool! Rare, but so nice!
  7. It's all about progression. You know when you've done what and how much more or little he needs. We all gotta do our own thing, tailored enough to fit each student, but get us all in the same general place. It has taken me 2 jr. high runs to have it all in place. The next gen. always gets the best of me!
  8. Here's Mine: The Best Thing I Didn't Buy for School
  9. Today's lessons for PR3 took 15 min. for spelling (a list of 21 words) and about 5 min. of teaching time in grammar. We had to review the part of speech introduced yesterday and give them directions to create their own sentences using the possessive pronouns. They took about 15 minutes working independently. PR4 took about 20 min. of time to listen to her read aloud and complete the literature and grammar components for the day. Grammar was intro. part of speech (Indirect Objects); dictate sentences; mark sentences. The literature was reviewing story events via dictation and sentence marking. After our 20 min. together, DD spent another 10 min. or less. There are surely longer days, where there is a lot of dictation or sentence remodeling, but overall, it rarely takes 30min. for spelling or grammar. My blog does have a Day in the Life post with actual times.
  10. I heart you. The only that worked over here was Holey Card lists. We practice the Holey Cards, keep personal records, and give a Slurpee when they complete the card. Rainbow Resource has them. If they're not memorized by Algebra...calculator. There are worse things, for certain...like taking 3 hours on a math assignment :)I also like the advice below. I find that my teaching style has changed. As I have spent more time breaking up numbers (i.e. a 4 is really a 3+1 or a 2+2), my younger children are pretty good at it too. If they know 4x3, but not 4x6, they will take 4x3 twice, to find the answer. Great post. HA! I feel the same way. I'll be pretty good at this by the time #8 graduates :D :iagree: (as I tell each of my children about themselves)...she's my favorite.
  11. I've done both. The first lot of dc (The Elders) were pieced together. Although I used quality materials, the crossover of authorship left gaps and lessor understanding of application. In other words, filling in blanks, spelling word families, and 10-zillion practice problems did nothing to teach them the grammar and spelling they were learning were also supposed to apply to writing. GAPS are not my friend. I sought something different with the next lot, The Little League. I had this experience, too: For the Little League, we use The Phonics Road. While my dcs reading skills are now (elementary school) above their grammar and writing (I think this is pretty common), their reading level has little to do with the foundational skills of spelling, grammar and writing. I have found over time that all of my children can read well above their writing capabilities, at least until middle or high school. So, in my experience, using a streamlined program not only saves me teaching time, but it also simplifies my children's studies. I now feel like the LL has time for science AND history AND language arts AND math AND art AND music. The first lot had longer, much more boring days. With an AIO, I'm free of the burden of gaps. I'm confident in the quality of the materials. The big picture is finally clear for *me* (b/c I've seen the whole of the program). I spend less teaching time. PR has been my personal golden ticket.
  12. Hi. These may help Planning Time w/ PR1&2 How to Introduce a Letter via a Letter a Week (you can surely go faster at your point) The Look of Progress in PR1 What's to Come in PR2 Although titled, A Day in the Life of PR2, this does give a great explanation of how a spelling lesson works. It's the same in PR1, only a little slower :) This one probably answers your questions the best. If you'd like an even bigger picture idea, then look through my blog. There are a few PR posts from level 3 and 4 there. Let me know if I can answer any questions for you.
  13. Some days allow for a few extras that weren't planned. Some days that makes for great school. Here's a few additions for us this week.
  14. The video was great and very encouraging for this long time TOG mom. I feel like I'm doing it "right" since I do it just like Marcia explained. WHEW! Permission at last. :lol: On the hand, after creating my own science unit studies this year and spending SO MUCH TIME doing it, I'm so grateful for TOG. It saves me hours and hours and hours of planning!
  15. I put SO MUCH into my Elder children's early history and science and it was mostly for naught. They remembered a few highlights, but what they truly remember came from about 4th grade and up. Exposure is great. Just talk about things and the connections she needs will be met.
  16. Don't have the time right now to get past page 3, but wanted to encourage you all on this wonderful idea. Great thread! My boys took an online class last year that was entirely project based (FLVS, HOPE course). While they thought this type of class (Health and PE) was not the sort of topic to do such projects, they did require some exposure on the computer: brochures, powerpoint presentation, Word, Excel, photos, clip art, etc. To add to this, I finished a class this summer called, Using Digital Media in the Classroom. There are some fun ideas online that this classical mom turned her nose upon before :tongue_smilie: I also was responsible for project assignments that required computer know-how and saw my adopted college student reliant on skpe and video assignments in her speech class. Colleges are going digital, for certain! While I'll continue to love and promote classical education, I have come to the conclusion that a general understanding of useful computer program will be necessary for success in the upcoming college years. So, if you can find a free library course or use the ideas here, I encourage you to get computer skills in the bucket, including comfort with online classes (highly collegiate). In our house, so much so, this is dubbed The Year of the Laptap. I don't want those kids on my stinkin' 'puter! :D Thank you all! This is a great thread.
  17. could you spend the couple bucks and have a Staples cut off the spine and hole punch them for you?
  18. I have always believed it was the virtue behind far reaching civil advancements that makes the Roman Empire a stage for reference. I agree with your comments, OP, but I do think they were a fine example of not just societal advancement (as the Etruscans did), but the spreading of such ideas as science, philosophy and a general import on education (even if only amongst their rich) that makes them exceptional.
  19. When accelerating older students, yes; however only while in PR1 & 2. If starting at regular pace. Absolutely not. PR has a well thought out approach: build phonics into spelling into writing sentences into writing paragraphs into writing essays. Language Arts are a foundational skill that are meant to be used in communicating understanding of content. IMHO and best experience, getting the foundation solid is best before attempting to jump to the communication part. PR will accomplish the strong foundation without need for another writing program and do so at an appropriate time in the trivium. Otherwise, I believe it would be overkill. Overkill in school leads to dislike of learning. It's honestly detrimental. I know this sounds dramatic, especially to enthusiastic newbies, but take it from an old home schooler like me (12 years), killing that love of learning was the worst mistake I made in my first try. I killed it by overdoing, duplicating, redundancy, and pushing pushing pushing pushing. It took me about 4 years to recoop. what I had shoved forward. I also found, that while sometimes they could do the higher level work, they didn't have the depth of understanding I had hoped for. Instead, they had the appearance of ability. I was proud of the appearance and later shamed by my ineptness to truly meet my dc's needs. So, as someone now working in PR4 and having gone through the program, PLEASE read my blog and see how much writing will come in PR. There is no need to cram it all in now. You have a couple of levels to go!
  20. Well, we read more than six books b/c I can't just cut them out....but we'll only do group discussion on 7 this year. I generally choose based on 1) Is it one of my old favorites? 2) Will the topic matter appeal greatly to any reader? 3) How will the weight of this book last through a several week study in history (too short, too long, too outside our focus areas in topic)? 4) Where is it in my mind so far as best books or those they're most likely to encounter in high school, college, which takes into consideration of the author and his/her influence That's all I've got :)
  21. It did me, too. I sold it once when I began home schooling for $2. I had no idea what I had. Then I found The Phonics Road and it simplified things for me. I have been thrilled and much better educated on the method since then. It's So worth it. I have used the method in remediation, with natural spellers, and as reading instruction. It's wonderful and effective for my entire classroom, regardless of learning styles.
  22. ha ha! Thanks for the correction. Guess I'm in a hurry to get through August!
  23. Ditto on let them read SOTW4 solo and start as a family in Ancients. Apologia Gen Sci was the most boring we've done in 12 years of home schooling. So much so, I will not use it again. Go with ES and beef it up with a science ency worth of 7th grade. Think depth and shoring up skills for logic stage....skill and content versus volume.
  24. We do get it all done. When you have a D and R student, TOG encourages self-working, so they schedule their own time and get the work done. The "teaching" parts of TOG are done through discussions and lecture. They are becoming self-educated with follow up on my part. So far as planning, I got 11 weeks of total planning done for all my grammar stage and middle school kids in 2.5 working days. It's not as bad as it sounds b/c TOG is beautifully organized and allows one to plan effectively. Since I've used it for so long, I chose all the books for all 4 levels in one afternoon. Finally, Remember, I've used TOG for a while. We did not START doing all we do now. We truly grew into it.
×
×
  • Create New...