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Pata

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  1. Does anyone know how to get a hold of her? We have a server and if I could get her website files, we may be able to figure out how to get it back up online. All this said without discussing it with the tech guy, but I think he'd be willing to help :).
  2. Bumping for you, as I seem to have killed another one of your threads :tongue_smilie:
  3. Writing with Ease for copywork, narration & dictation (we've done this from 1st-3rd), Classical Writing for narration, dictation and rewriting passages(we'll used this from 4th and on up).
  4. We don't use the IP regularly, but we do use the text, workbook and CWP. She does one or two CWP word problems and 1/3 to 1/2 or a mental math worksheet to start our math lesson. Then I teach the lesson out of the HIG and text. Then she does the corresponding workbook exercise on her own. I check when she's done, we discuss anything shes gotten wrong and we move on. We'll also throw in a math game or two during the week as well. We did use the IP in the beginning, but it just took to long and I feel we get more bang for the buck from the CWP's and the mental math exercises.
  5. Ah, that makes total sense (about the grammar). I had the same problem with letting go of WWE because it's such a great program! I agonized for weeks, had dreams about writing programs, drove my husband batty, posted a thread here and even wrote a blog post about it. In the end, I decided to go with Classical Writing, but still do the weeks of WWE4 that are in the Instructor's text, best of both worlds! Hope this thread gives you the feedback you need to make your decision :).
  6. Given the fact that he doesn't care for writing, I would choose one program for writing. My inclining (since you posted in another thread about him being bored with WWE) would be to go with one of the other programs you suggested, probably Writing Strands, since I know nothing about the two Evan-Moor Products or Winning with Writing. We used Dance Mat Typing and now dd is working on her speed through another free program called Rapid Typing. You could also use Typing Instructor for Kids. Also, why are you switching from GWG if you both like it? Just giving some food for thought. Here's a look at our fourth grade line-up for comparison... Language Arts-Classical Writing Aesop, First Language Lessons 4, Writing Road to Reading for Spelling Literature-Classical House of Learning Literature: Modern times, Read-Alouds that coordinate with history Math-Singapore Math 4B/5A & Life of Fred Fractions Science-Physics for the Grammar Stage along with Lapbooking through Physics History-Story of the World 4: Modern Times and US State Study Latin-Latin Christiana 1 Electives-Feed My Sheep Art Lessons, Rapid Typing, Recorder, PE class I'm not familiar with the other bolded programs you listed, so maybe this will bump you up for someone else to answer ;).
  7. WWE doesn't follow the traditional approach to writing, it instead focuses on the skills that writing requires. It works on those skills through copywork, dictation and narrations. I'm guessing that the comment you were referring to was from a poster looking for a more traditional way of teaching writing (ie. journaling, creative writing, idea clouds and so on). If you read the sample here, you'll get a very good idea of the theory behind the program. WWE will give your dc the foundational skills they need to be able to write. I highly recommend giving it a try.
  8. We have not used the Primers, but we have used about 6 weeks of Aesop A, which in no way makes me an expert ;)! We've also used WWE Level 2 & 3. My dd much prefers CW and I think that they are two paths to the same destination. So even though CW is a bit more teacher intensive than WWE we are going to use CW Aesop next year. Here's my list of pros & cons that I wrote out when I was trying to decide between CW and WWE... Pros: It gradually introduces the progym It teaches her to add interest, dialouge, etc.-in short how to make her paper interesting so that others will want to read it (Upper levels teach analysis and outlining) Cons: Complicated (meaning it's not pick up and go, you need to take the time to wrap your head around how they want you to teach) Takes a lot of time commitment (I've found that Aesop takes us 15-20 mins a day if we spread one model over two weeks, twice that if we do a model in one week, but I've read that the higher levels take alot more time than that.) Here's a sample of my dd's writing (she did this several weeks ago, it's a level 1 rewrite of the Goose with Golden Eggs, it's the final draft, so it's been edited)... The rider went to check on his stallion and in the metal stall she had a golden foal. The rider was surprised. He ran to tell his wife. Thereafter, the stallion had a golden foal every year. The rider liked having golden foals and he grew greedy. He gave the stallion a magic potion to get all the gold out. The stallion stopped having golden foals instead she had regular foals for the rest of her life. Moral: The greedy lose all. Also, if you do a search for CW Aesop, you'll find lots of information out there. If you have more specific questions, let me know.
  9. I've got it and I've used it. It was the hand holding I needed to do WRTR. Basically it explains how WRTR approaches spelling, I found the actually WRTR book to do a better job of this ;). Then it gives some direction for students beginning in K, 1st, 2nd or older. My dd was in 3rd when we started using WRTR, so it was helpful for me to see how the progression is suppose to go. Finally there are 3 sets of lesson plans, one for older students, one for those beginning in 3rd-6th grade and one for those beginning in 1st-2nd. The lesson plans detail how to teach the phonograms and in what order Mari McAllister suggests teaching them. She also includes a spelling diagnostic test and explains how to begin working through the Ayers list. I would say it's helpful if you need another perspective on how to implement WRTR. WRTR is definitely doable, but it does take a bit of work on your part to get going. However, once you the phonograms are taught and you have a routine established for spelling, it's pretty much rinse and repeat. We are sticking with it as I've seen good results in dd's spelling. Hope that helps!
  10. Well, his narration was a lot like my dd's, who just completed level 3 :). So, I would say your probably ok to buy level 4, but be aware that you may have to scale back a few dictations if he gets frustrated.
  11. The dictations jump quite a bit from level 3 to level 4, so I would hesitate to say yes. Have you given him the diagnostic evaluation for level 3 from the PHP website? If not, I would do that and see how he does, then you'll know for sure :).
  12. Kindle!!!! It has digital ink that is so much easier on the eyes and it reads like an actual book. I really recommend that you go to the store and try out both, that really helped seal the deal for me.
  13. Just agreeing, I would definitely start with Level 2 :).
  14. We are using WRTR just for spelling and it takes us 10-15 minutes a day, depending on how much dd messes around ;). My dd's spelling has really improved, so I highly recommend it!
  15. We are wrapping up WWE3 and I've got CW Aesop on my shelf ready to go. We are going to do 30 weeks of Aesop using the Core book (we've already completed the first 6 weeks of Aesop A earlier this year) and the 5 weeks of WWE4 that are in the main text. That way I get the best of both worlds :). I really like WWE and know that SWB knows how to teach writing, it's a fantastic program that I thought we'd be sticking to. However dd does not like it at all, too much dictation for her and most of those sessions have ended in tears lately. On the other hand, she loves CW and I love the philosophy behind CW. So for us, it's better to go with CW, even though Homer scares me a bit! As for dictation, we'll be using FLL4, so she'll get dictation practice from there and CW, so she's not completely getting away with it. Way more than you asked for, but maybe something in there will help :). Oh, if you just get the Aesop core book, there is a 36 week schedule in the back with the models and skill levels already picked out. Once you wrap your head around what they want you to do (ie. read the core book several times) it's fairly easy to teach. If you want to see my schedule (it's a work in progress), PM me and I'll send you part of it.
  16. Some lessons have taken us 10 min, some 20 min, so 15 min is a good average :).
  17. I'd love to know this too! I do know that I can't access google books without using a vpn that assigns me a US IP address, so I wonder if you would have the same issue looking at library eBooks?
  18. :iagree: We hit a wall in 1B because I didn't make sure she knew her number bonds from two to ten. It's tempting to move forward without knowing the facts when they understand the concepts, but it might lead to frustrations on down the road. I personally would camp out and play games (like the ones suggested in the HIG), use the mental math sheets and possibly some online drill until those facts are cemented. You'll be glad you laid a good foundation as you progress through the levels, take it from someone who learned that the hard way ;).
  19. I'm not military, but I do live overseas. I ordered two boxes worth of books from Sonlight two years ago. It cost alot, but most overseas shipping does. I think that it took 2 weeks, maybe 3 to get here. I remember thinking that it came quicker than I had expected too. Hope that helps :).
  20. Thank you guys for the info and to the OP, thanks for starting this thread! I bought my instructor's guide used, so I'm wondering if it's just an older version where the recommendations were different.
  21. Jen, They are shipped via media mail, which can take up to 14 days. If you email me off list (info(at)elementalscience(dot)com), I can see if we can find where the package is for you.
  22. Bump :) Can I also add a question, when did you begin using Poetry for Beginners? (I know the website says after week 10 in Homer, but my Aesop instructor's book suggests using it in between Aesop A and B???)
  23. We haven't actually done SOTW 4 yet, it's on the shelf for next year, but after looking over it, here's what I would highlight in two months or less (The books I suggested are ones we are using next year, so that's what I know.)... Civil War & the Underground Railroad (Harriet Tubman: Freedom Train & Across Five Aprils-as a read aloud) Life in the West (Caddie Woodlawn or Little House on the Prairie) World War 1 (Sergeant York and His People) The Depression (A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt) World War 2 (Twenty & Ten, Snow Treasure or Number the Stars) I might also add in picture book about the Panama Canal, China and Mao (the long march) and September 11th. I'm sure there's more, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head :). (Caveat: This assumes that you are from the US and want to highlight important parts of US history.)
  24. This is what I thought and this is what we did, mental math exercises, word problems and work them, work them, work them. Dd's conceptual understanding is fantastic, and I'm very happy about that, but her speed is not there, especially in multiplication & division. There is value in using rote memorization of the math facts after the conceptual understanding is in place. We've been working on consistently drilling facts for several weeks now and I've already seen an improvement in her speed and confidence. For me, not doing rote memorization of facts produced math anxiety because she couldn't recall the facts quick enough to feel like she knew how to do the problem. IMHO, make sure his conceptual understanding is there by working all the problems with manipulatives. Once that is solid (he'll set the manipulatives aside on his own when it is), work on mental math and drilling the facts. Knowing all the facts down cold is equally as important as understanding the why's behind it. Together they produce a solid math foundation. For reference, we've completed Singapore's CWP book 1-3, Miquon's orange, red, blue and green books and are currently working through Singapore's Primary Math 4A including the mental math exercises.
  25. You guys are welcome! I actually found out about it from another thread, gotta love the Hive! I love that it sends me reports of her progress, so I can keep track of her without all the nagging :).
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