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BearWallowSchool

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    Today sucked. - Update #201

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by BearWallowSchool

    I am so happy to read your post!!!!! I can't figure out why they won't just give you the antibiotics and see if they work.

    This. What's the deal? Why won't they?

     

    I don't post much, but I've thought about you a lot. It feels weird to hope you have Lyme disease. I will hope for Lyme, but pray that it all goes away and you are healed. :)

    • Like 2

    CLE math

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We are using 1st and 2nd grades this year. We love it! Always the first thing we do. I thought the spiral would drive me batty so I was hesitant to try it. Turns out we like that. There is something about the LA thats not sitting well with us, but the math we love the math. 

    • Like 1

    Curriculum for Large Families

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We have 11 - age span 20-almost 2.

     

    DD (20) was educated with all TWTM recommendations for K-6.   (Initially Five in a Row for K and then Rod & Staff Grammar, Saxon Math, Kingfisher History paired with full/living/real books, etc.)

    DD (17) is dyslexic.  Ordinary Parents Guide had just come out.  Loved it - though at the time we didn't realize DS was dyslexic, we were pairing it with magnetic letters, tactile work, etc.  He used so many of SWB's curriculum over the years.

    DD (14) we delayed a lot of her academics and kept it far less formal.  No early *formal* math, utilize a lot of boardgames, read a LOT of living books, copywork, etc.

     

    While Ana (20yo) was in 6-10, we spent time dabbling in Sonlight, Tapestry, MFW.

     

    So, preparing to begin my 16th year, here is what we are using and why:

     

    Math - Delay for K through Grades 4/5.  Thoughts on this can be best articulated by Teaching the Trivium site on delaying formal math.  I am using Math Mammoth for the first time ever with my middle kids.  I am trying it.  That said, as a once avowed Teaching Textbooks hater, I have to tell you TT is a lifesaver for a busy mom - truly.  And I believe it deserves a better reputation than it gets.  I know I've written on that somewhere - over on the HS board I think.

     

    Grammar - God bless Rod & Staff.  Go down levels if you need to.  I also think 9/10 is overkill.  But I think it's fantastic.  Keep in mind I genuinely like parsing sentences.

    I also really love Fix It!  I think it's a very painless 5-10 minutes. 

    Explode the Code - I adore these for new readers.  ADORE.

    I have a few dyslexics (professionally diagnosed) so Barton is big in our life.  I don't know that I'm a fan exactly.... I'd love to learn Wilson but my brain is fried at this point in my life so I'm doing what gets done.

    History - I'm combining this year and going back to MFW for all my K-8.

    Science -  Apologia.  I combine this with lapbooks that get done on fun occasion from CurrClick.  The year always starts out good and the lapbooks fizzle, but my kids really like them!

    Teaching reading to non-dyslexics - SWB's OPGTTR.  I love this.  We've used it, no kidding, to teach an almost 3 year old  to read.

    Writing - IEW.  Despite my good intentions of using a million other things, this ACTUALLY gets done.  I have two girls doing SWI B this summer.  DD (14) will follow it up with Writing with Skill.  I will say that DS used WWS 1 & 2 and followed it up with Comp I and Comp II at the CC and got A- in each class his 11th grade year, so WWS is sufficient in high school, IMO.

     

     

     

     

     

    I think reading aloud is THE single most important thing you'll do.

    I think every single thing you can do to foster and nurture readers is VITAL. (Giving reading lights as a gift to new readers, mandating reading time in the afternoon for 1-2 hours, allowing extra stay up time for kids who read at night as a "reward," and making sure your readers read at a BARE MINIMUM 1-2 hours each day.  Non-readers should be listening to audio books as well as readers if they love it.  Non-readers should be being read to AND SO SHOULD READERS - right up through high school.) 

    I think copywork is the third most important thing you do.

    I think computation (fast and automatic wrote memorization) of math facts is the next most useful thing you can do.

     

     

    Think in terms of foundations.

    If your kids can read VERY well, that is a big tool to equip them.

    If your kids have automatic computation, that is an important foundation.

    The habit of getting up daily and doing school is more important than the actual curriculum IMO.  There is SO much good curriculum out there.  But if it doesn't get regular use, then even the best is useless.

     

    Combine where  you can - science and history and read alouds are definitely all combinable in K-8.

    Simplify where you can - independence with R&S Grammar and TT made these two subjects very consistent and doable for me.

     

    So far?  Success.  I have enthusiastic willing workers who have a habit of getting school done and are all intense readers.

     

    This is golden. Simplify. Do the basics really well. 

    • Like 1

    CLE math 4 textbook

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We've really enjoyed the light units as well, but I actually think dd is getting bogged down by the number of books to complete in a year. Maybe I'll ask her what she thinks.

     

    At what point do kids usually switch to doing math out of a textbook? I'm having a hard time remembering from when I was a kid.

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