abrightmom
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Posts posted by abrightmom
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Really? Well. now I'm going to look into it further! I've heard glowing reports about how much less expensive the laser is in the long run but perhaps it was the b&w. I'm going to look into it some more as well. I was totally convinced that laser is the way to go . . . . :D Thanks for sharing that . . .
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:grouphug: I appreciate Janice!! She is so wise and encouraging! :D
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Please read my post over on the TOG board with the understanding that while I am confident that TOG is great for the younger years, I believe that it especially shines for the momma who wants to jump start her own education. A huge boost for the momma who wants to take this project through high-school and wants to begin to explore the biggie stuff before she gets there. (Just my experience. It was all just bigger than I thought. Not necessarily harder. Just bigger. More of it. Lots. And more connectivity. More to think about. More to sort and wonder about. More to discover about myself and others. And I like it better than I thought I would! I am glad that I got started before my kids stepped into high school. And I am sure that we would have been even better off if I had started earlier. Less time fretting over and planning the perfect history program when they were little. There really are so many that are so great! I should have just picked one and used it without spending so much time reading about and wondering about what we might be missing. I should have spent more time reading and studying on my own.) The difference with TOG is that there is so much there to help you do that. So, so much! I used SL and SOTW when my kids were younger. I didn't discover TOG until later. I did learned a TON about how to teach with SL and SOTW. A TON! Great programs. So I can't say what life would have been like with just TOG with little ones. I didn't use it with little ones; I didn't know about it. BUT I can say for certain that it helped me immensely when I was ready for it. When I was ready to start looking ahead and start seriously considering what it was going to be like to educate using the great books at the high school level, it was a life-saver for me. A perfect fit for my entry point. An immensely important part of my journey!
Peace to you and yours,
Janice
Enjoy your little people
Enjoy your journey
:001_smile: Janice, I am SO SO SO SO glad you shared your heart!! You are one of my favorite WTM posters! I almost emailed you because you've been so helpful in the past. The things you share as you look back over your journey do mirror how I want to be able to reflect on our journey in this family! God has been gracious in giving me the burden to slow down and enjoy the children rather than pushing so hard for *goals* and trampling the joy of learning! Your signature line "Enjoy your little people, enjoy your journey" resonates!!! I think of it often. It's perfect!
Thank-you for sharing and for continuing to mentor up and coming Moms who are trying to set their feet on a good path!
A couple of questions for Janice or for anyone else who might be able to share:
Teaching Company lectures? I'm intrigued. Are these for kids or Moms or . . . . ? Any particular recs. to write down for *future reference*? This is the second time I've heard the Teaching Co. mentioned this week. I'd like to invest some more in training me so if these would help I need to know about it!
Also, I'm curious about how a TOG Mom learns to pull together a notebook. Is there a *go to* place for getting a heads up on the different ways TOG Moms organize themselves/their kids work? Perhaps it will come with time. I'm a slow learner and so any advance preparations do really help me. :D
** Excellent recommendation for how to print DE on the laser. We're going to get one of those because I spend so much $$ on ink and paper! The laser is an excellent investment for the long haul!
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I *think* burn out means that you buy it with unrealistic expectations. You have young kids but think that you will spend 6 hours per week on TOG. You plan to do two hands on activities each week. You read every reading assignment offered to read to them. You get upset because last week you didn't have time to read Teacher Notes and now feel like a failure. You get the point.
There is A TON of wonderful stuff with TOG but you don't get to do it all your first time through. I never read the TN (they are for d, r and self ed). We only read the core history readings and bible readings (same thing most weeks in year 1). We do projects when we have time. I read the lit selections when my library carries the books. It is sooooooooo easy - IF you allow it to be. I plan to beef it up a little more in 3rd grade, 5th or 6th will start dialect, 9th or 10th rhetoric, I have a long road and am just taking it easy.:001_smile:
Now that I can handle :D. I would enjoy reading the TNs at my leisure and chewing on the *meat* in there without any pressure to teach it. No sadness here in leaving things out for now!
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Can you define "burn out" with starting TOG early on? Do you mean boredom with it? Hmmmmm. I guess I don't know. I would love to buy TOG just for me :D and I've always wanted to. I would love someone to assign Rhetoric level work to me!! Hee hee. I don't *think* I'd burn out but I'm just not sure . . . I'll think on that.
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For the history, I will read the teacher's notes. I hope to actually read some of the rhetoric literature. I am not fooling myself to think that I can get through all or even most of it. But I want to read at least some of it, especially the more familiar titles. (I can count on one hand how many books of literature I read in high school and college combined. So anything I get to will be frosting on the cake!)
TOG called to me, too! And now that I bought it, I am seeing even more about it that I like. There is so much wisdom in it.
Tracy
We sound like two peas in a pod with our experiences! Ditto on the high school experience. :D
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While I would say I truly enjoyed a MOH/SOTW combo for the Elders, the ease of use with TOG has been wonderful. They don't use SOTW for LG, but rather a variety of spines and great literature. I am enjoying teaching with TOG.
Also, tracymirko brings up a very valid point. There is great benefit to getting to read ahead with TOG. You not only learn, but you also learn where your teaching should lead, which is a great benefit for your dc.
If money is not an issue...buy it. If you need to spend elsewhere, then I suggest MOH/SOTW combo.
As for where to start, I believe Y2 is the hardest, so anywhere but there, even though its a very exciting time.
And yes...it's very easy to spend more than one school year on one TOG year. Very easy :)
Thanks for the heads up on Y2. :D Hmmmmmm.
By "reading ahead" do you mean the teacher's notes or do you look at the book list for the upper levels? I would really love that!
TOG calls to me (connects with my heart). I am looking at some VP stuff IRL (purchased some used Scholars plans for really really cheap) but I confess that TOG has always been more "me" and might fit our family dynamics better! Will know very soon, Lord willing! :D
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I have repeatedly read that you should teach to the oldest child. So regardless of what program you use, you should determine where the oldest needs to be and then teach that stretch of history/literature to all of the children at the same time.
As for when to start with TOG, you are going to get a whole range of responses. We are just starting with TOG with my oldest, who is 5yo, so you know where I stand on that one. I decided to do this because I consider myself to be the oldest student. My history and literature background is almost nil. If I want to teach these to my children, I need a bit of a head start. As I have been preparing for next year, there is so much in the lower grammar lesson plans that I am unfamiliar with. I am so glad we are starting with TOG from the beginning.
Tracy
YES! I love the comment " . . . I consider myself to be the oldest student." I THINK this might be why Tapestry appeals to me (well, there are more reasons than this but this is a strong one). You have put it into words for me!
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Not sure we're going this route but it's a front runner and I can't find an answer to these questions!! Would you begin . . .
. . . in grammar stage to give yourself time to become familiar with TOG while there is no pressure :D?
Or wait until the oldest child is ???? (age/grade)
If you'd wait what would you use/do? Perhaps SOTW?
If you'd start right away what year plan would you begin with? Is one year an easier *entry* for newbies? My oldest is going into 2nd so we are not "on track" for 3 rotations through. However, I suspect Tapestry might take us longer than 4 years to go through one cycle. Perhaps we'd cycle through two complete times with one or two years of flex built in for something *different*.
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Does it ever get chaotic? Like they bring you something to grade while you're working with someone else? What do you do then? I'm just foreseeing several traffic jams.:tongue_smilie:
We have an "In-Box" (as we call it) that they put their work or workbook into when they're done :) and Mom is too busy to look the work over. It's just a file tray but it works to have a designated place for those papers or books. Before we had it I was frazzled by them running up to me with the papers/books and not being able to handle them at that moment. Then I'd just set the stuff down and it would be piling up or getting lost or something!! I love the In Box now. :D
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Psalm 73:28
But as for me the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.
James 1:2,3,12
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing . . . Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
:grouphug: Press in to the One who loves you the most and who designs these painful trials for our good and His glory. I sure wish they didn't hurt so much!! :001_smile:
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We have been very happy with OPGTR as well! It is a gem! :D
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:grouphug:
Thanks for your specifics Tina! Talking things through really helps doesn't it?? It helps me tremendously . . . I am chomping at the bit to get to PR 2 so that might be part of my issue (read: I'm impatient!).
I am 100% re-assured in this decision and I'm excited to move forward and get to the MEAT of the program. The example from PR 2 is awesome!!! Laying the foundation is critical and I won't shirk that on the way by pushing/rushing too fast . . . I promise!!
I had planned to wait until the late summer/early fall to start but I am going to jump in next week (after looking over those building codes AND watching the first DVD again :D).
Tina, what do you mean by pre-PR? Teaching the phonograms to your youngers?
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I bought all 4 levels within the past few months. I need to get my 14yob on track.
I was stuck on the toolbox and the build it flashcards. So today I went to Michael's. They had little wooden tiles (like Scrabble.) I also bought the self-sticking magnets. I wrote all the letters, digraphs, markings, music notes, etc in either red or blue. And now they are all mounted on the magnetic board.
Building words is SO easy now.
I was thinking about switching to Barton for my 8yob but I really think that he will get PR. He knows his sounds and their numbers. He sings (not happily) the rule tunes. And now he has tiles.
WOW! Does anybody else do this? I'm filing this away. Do AAS tiles work? I have that but haven't found that the tiles are very easy to move around on the magnetic board :glare: Scrabble-ish tiles sound GREAT though and would appeal to my DC.
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((((((HUGS))))) It really can be so stressful, can't it? As you know I am using Phonics Road with my youngest. I am very pleased with it. I have never been a big fan of the workbook spelling programs. I used Spelling Workout for a while with both of my older ones (one is a natural speller and one isn't). I didn't do any good. I do think my youngest is more of a natural speller but it is doing a great job. I think I've mentioned before that she loves to draw pictures - all of which have words written all over. I have no idea why LOL. But I can already see a huge improvement in her spelling and we are only on week 12 of PR1. So I am seeing it as a completely worthwhile curriculum. I can hear her say the rules as she spells and really applying what she's learning.
As far as what my LA curriculum looks like... for us it will always be Classical Writing at the core. There will be times I add grammar and times I don't. (we love JAG and AG for the upper levels) To me PR and CW go very well because PR is giving her the tools to make the words and CW teaches her what to do with the words. I know there is a lot of grammar and other things in the upper levels of PR. I don't know what I'll think when I get there. I do wonder if at some point PR and CW will be too much. At that point I'll have to decide if it's worth keeping PR just for the spelling (CW is staying. I know that). But I really hope it just continues to complement each other well.
Heather
Heather,
I took a peek at CW again. It's beginning to make more sense to me ( as many things do after awhile :) ). Do you have any criteria you use to determine a child's readiness for Aesop? Do you have some *things to look for* that will alert you to the time to phase out PR and phase in CW Aesop? Why wouldn't you just use PR through Level 4 and then shift over to CW? I am curious because I have NO clue about these things right now and hearing how someone has thought through their plans is so so so helpful!!! :D
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((((((HUGS))))) It really can be so stressful, can't it? As you know I am using Phonics Road with my youngest. I am very pleased with it. I have never been a big fan of the workbook spelling programs. I used Spelling Workout for a while with both of my older ones (one is a natural speller and one isn't). I didn't do any good. I do think my youngest is more of a natural speller but it is doing a great job. I think I've mentioned before that she loves to draw pictures - all of which have words written all over. I have no idea why LOL. But I can already see a huge improvement in her spelling and we are only on week 12 of PR1. So I am seeing it as a completely worthwhile curriculum. I can hear her say the rules as she spells and really applying what she's learning.
As far as what my LA curriculum looks like... for us it will always be Classical Writing at the core. There will be times I add grammar and times I don't. (we love JAG and AG for the upper levels) To me PR and CW go very well because PR is giving her the tools to make the words and CW teaches her what to do with the words. I know there is a lot of grammar and other things in the upper levels of PR. I don't know what I'll think when I get there. I do wonder if at some point PR and CW will be too much. At that point I'll have to decide if it's worth keeping PR just for the spelling (CW is staying. I know that). But I really hope it just continues to complement each other well.
Heather
Heather, I always love to hear your view points on everything. We like many of the same things!! It helps me to hear that you aren't totally positive where you'll end up but you seem to be saying that you'll figure out as you go and you'll know when you get there!!!
#4...This year: All About Spelling, WWE 1, FLL 2. (This is what we switched from.)
Next year... AAS, Megawords, WWE 2, FLL 3
Maybe you should think about why you got PR? My main reason was because I wanted All-In-One. I can see now that the spiral format is working better for us than AAS, and it is a little easier for me to teach.
I am not adding anything to PR. Have you looked at the building codes? I really had to take some time with the binders, not just the DVD.
Good question! My WHY is big and after reading these responses I am reminded and more calm. I truly am just bucking against all of the decisions and that everything in home schooling feels so BIG! Just watching the first DVD was eye opening for me. I was able to tell DH that it's worth it just for the teacher training. I will take time with the binders. That is good advice I'll follow up on.
We dropped FLL 1/2, WWE1, and a couple other things for PR1 for ds7. (These things were going well.) I tried very hard to use SWR with older dd, and LOVED the concept but could never teach it right-we hated it. PR is exactly the program I was looking for to help me teach spelling the SWR way, but more doable. We're on week 7 and it's much easier than anything we've done, and going great! I add in bits of grammar here and there because so far PR1 has none, and I'm confident enough to be able to throw in what he needs for this level (and more), since I've already taught five years of grammar with older dd. He does some miscellaneous copywork sometimes, and writes little stories too. We are pretty rigorous here though.Next year we are doing TOG1, and he will do only PR1 (into 2) and math along with it. I will probably have him doing some of the simple TOG writing and copywork from our TOG lit or sci, just to make things a little more cross-curricular.
I am a MAJOR tweaker usually, but PR has it all nicely laid out for me. (Okay, so I add some dictation practice for review of previously covered words.) It takes me about 20 min on a Sat to look at the DVD and make my notes for the week-I am already able to Fast Forward through parts of it. I have a great confidence every day when I pull it out that I will be able to teach it well. I don't think it takes me any longer to teach than if I were using a bunch of different curricula for LA. I did that with older dd, and I don't want to do that with ds-it is too time-consuming to do things piecemeal. What we are learning so far in PR is sticking with him and he loves it. Even dd is learning some from it (the parts she overhears.)
That being said, I am planning to jump from PR2 into CLE LA 3. By then my older dd may need more of me so I will need him to be more independent, and I'll feel like I laid a really good foundation for him. From that point on, my goals change some and CLE will be a better fit for my goals. Also by then I believe we will be able to carry over the core things we learned from PR (how to mark the words, divide syllables, etc.)
Gee, I hope some of my rambling helped! All that to say PR is easy to teach, it is nice to have it all in one, it does replace those other curricula, it is working perfectly for my goals for now, but we don't plan to stay with it forever-lol!
In your case, I don't know. I had a really, really, really strong reason for switching to PR: I desperately wanted to teach ds the SWR method of spelling, in an easier way. I am sold on the method, AND I knew it would be a perfect fit for ds's learning style (and I was right.) I found that easier to teach format in PR, and that's why I switched. Maybe you should sit down and list your reasons *why* you want to use it, and the same for the other curricula you are already using, and compare.
:grouphug: I pray you will come to a decision you feel at peace with-I know it is so hard deciding!
YOU were tremendously helpful!! I LOVE your *rambling* :D. Very very helpful. My WHY is similar to yours AND also wanting the different parts of the LA to fit together and not feel so disjointed. I also want and need the "whys" which Phonics Road teaches quite thoroughly!!!
Thanks to all of you for quelling my "new curriculum jitters". Now if someone can just help me decide between TOG and VP and LBC I'd be set!!! :D
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I can only tell you that after a few years of Spelling Workout, my kids didn't retain a thing...except dd13 who was a natural speller. She really didn't even need a spelling program at all. My boys, on the other hand, spelling "phonetically" while that was good for a while, it doesn't work long term, kwim? Phonics Road is teaching my ds9 the "why" of spelling and giving him the tools to be able to spell new words that he might not know. PR is expensive. Really expensive. I had to purchase 2 levels in the span of 6 months, but luckily I found them used. And, I'll be purchasing 3 and 4 by September. :glare: For me, it's worth it b/c I'll be using it with 6 children. And, I like the program. Teacher intensive? Not really much more than any other program. I teach the lesson with ds9 and it doesn't take much longer than 30 min...and that is doing one week in one day! When we get to Level 2, we'll slow down and I imagine it will take about the same time to do it all. Maybe. It's a good compliment to FLL, WWE. Level 2 does have grammar, btw.
Okay! I feel better about having to purchase only TWO levels in one year!! Wowsers!! :D
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:D
Mass insecurity going on over here. . .
After that long, awful, hideous agonizing process known as :D "Decision Making" I purchased the Phonics Road Level One. Sat for a month. **In the meantime** my 7.5 yo has continued with his current LA line-up including HWT, ETC, Rod & Staff spelling, WWE 1 and FLL. He LOVES all of it now and it is going surprisingly well. All of it. Now I am hesitant to stop that, re-route and start down the New Road.
:001_smile:I watched the first Phonics Road DVD. Found it very interesting and educational for me. Learned things that I didn't know :D.
HERE are the questions that resonate and keep me from *plunging in*:
1. Is PR MORE teacher intensive than other LA? What I'm doing takes some time right now. PR seems like it will take A LOT of time for EACH child. Yes, I want to teach my children as much as I am able HOWEVER I am finding myself LONGING for some balance between teacher intensive and independent. The busy-ness of the days are overwhelming. I like having some things that I can hand them and say, "Here sweetie. Do this :D." knowing that they are learning something. Is there eventually a balance in there?
2. PR is spendy! Yes, I understand why. It's GORGEOUS and the DVDs are a very big bonus. But, the WWE/FLL/spelling workbook options aren't too bad. Is PR necessary? I'm trying to understand if it is more than my kids will need. Perhaps I won't know until I use it. We have to accelerate through Level One with the oldest and anticipate having to purchase PR 2 in the same school year. :glare: I knew this going in but now those doubts and questions creep in. I keep wanting to use CLE LA for simplicity of use and the fact that a zillion people seem to love it. Sigh!
3. Is there a PR *fog* kinda like a TOG fog? Maybe I have entered the fog.
4. IF Phonics Road didn't exist WHAT would your Language Arts line-up look like? That might help me more than anything.
5. Can Phonics Road be used alongside an all-in-one kind of program along the lines of MFW or TOG (not exactly all in one) or HOD? Do you ADD anything to your PR line-up? I know it's AIO but most of us are 'tweakers" and often feel the need to adjust something.
6. Last question: At what level do you think Phonics Road really begins to *shine*? I was thinking that I should give it through Level 2 BEFORE having the panic attack but, alas, the panic attack has already begun!
Thanks. I am :auto: myself crazy and think that it would be easier to have someone else choose curriculum for me.
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First of all relax! :chillpill:
Your oldest is 7, correct? Asumming he will graduate at 18, and Omnibus is 6 years, you have about 5 years left until you begin Omnibus. With TOG and 3 four year rotations, start this fall.
So this is what I would do. On paper, make a rough plan of what literature is included. Then, plan corresponding literature for the grammar stage and logic stage. TOG does this for you, doesn't it? Something like this: Illiad / Oddessy ®, Children's Homer (L), Greek myths (G). or Shakespeare (R/L), Lamb's Shakespear (G). You "build" your child up from the lower level to the upper leve, and build yourself up at the same time. For yourself, start reading through those GB now; start with the Logic level books if you need to (I am doing it that way!) If you can, get some Teaching Compnay lectures to go along with what you are reading.
You can probably start some discussions now or next year. Teaching the Classics (http://www.centerforlit.com/) and Deconstruction Penguins (http://www.amazon.com/Deconstructing-Penguins-Parents-Kids-Reading/dp/0812970284/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271782443&sr=1-1) are good with your children's ages.
Also, if you think a GB education is "dry/boring/awful", so will your children! and you all will have an awful time, doning this: :banghead: Now is the time to instill in your children a love a love of learning and a love of reading GOOD books. Read WTM for focus, direction, and motivation.
Be sure you and your DH write out why you think a GB education is appealing. Write out what your long range goals are for your children.
One long range goal might be to see how current events are part of the flow of history from ancient times. Another goal might be to see how history, politics, science, art, music, religion, philosophy all interweave - how they are all connected.
When you get those long term goals, you can determine the short range, yearly goals. For example, to write a senior history paper, your child needs to write (print - cursive - keyboard), read (learn the alphabet - phonics - chapter books, etc.), write the paper (write words, sentences, punctuation, paragraphs, short papers, long papers), etc.
Don't just look at the end and say "It's too big, I'll never get there." Start with the end in mind, but take baby steps every day.
You can do this! :) Best wishes.
Wow! Very helpful . . . things to consider. :001_smile:
Have you checked the Omnibus threads on the High School Board? There was a recent thread where several mom's suggested starting with Omnibus II instead of Omnibus I. That's what we're doing. I love the layout of the book. It is very clear on how to implement and it's amazingly "open & go" for such a rigorous program.Yes. I finally decided to do that just today (It's a sick day in our home today so no school - time to read and think in between meal prep and diapering!) :D
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:D Will you answer some questions for me? I am struggling . . . . A LOT . . . . with figuring out our *path*. Yes, my kids are young BUT I know that every year counts. We only have so many! Here are my questions with a little *context* provided:
Context: Omni and TOG (D & R levels) have always appealed to me and to DH. They seem rigorous, challenging, "over-the-top". But, when I REALLY sit down and read about the books used I *freak out*. As cool as it sounds, a GB education is TERRIFYING and so outside the box for me (for most of us, right?).
1). If you are using Omnibus or have used it do/did your children like it? Is it as dry/boring/awful as it seems? :D I DO like the discussion questions that I have seen but the book selections are intimidating at the 7th grade level! Is there FUN with it?
2) What would you do if you arrived at Omni or TOG D/R level and your kids were a) not ready b) didn't want it c) fought you tooth/nail over something that rigorous d) hated the reading?
3) Can someone remind me (or perhaps educate me b/c I'm uncertain) WHY a logic stage/rhetoric stage education demands the GBs? I am completely inexperienced :D BUT I wonder why something less *over the top* with GBs wouldn't be more than enough? Something like MFW which does give the kids *some* exposure to important literature (Iliad, Odyssey, not sure what else) but seems fairly well rounded with all subjects. . .
4) Do you struggle with FEAR that by not putting something *big* like Omni or TOG upper levels on your goal list that you would be short changing your kiddos? HOW do you put this in perspective?
5) Is there an alternative to these plans that would be challenging, thorough but more *fun*? I am a Mom to young kids so I can't think past the age of what appeals to a 7.5 yo. :tongue_smilie:However, I look over and over at the list of books for Omni and just get nervous. If I, a 37 yo woman who LOVES to read and LOVES challenge and LOVES learning, don't really WANT to read those books can I expect that of my children? Will asking this of them give them a thirst for this kind of learning?
6) If you use Omnibus now or are planning to, have you used or are you planning to use VP's 5 year cycle? I rec'd a wonderful opp'ty to use Scholars for nearly nothing (for OT/AE) but I'm realizing how history focused the program is. Is this too much history at these young ages? It SEEMS like *so much more* to do than SOTW and I'm concerned about being spread thin with it. Is it overkill?
** Quite honestly, I am at a place of *paralysis*. Needing time to think, pray, read (over the things I've purchased used to look at). These questions have been burning inside for awhile though. I've NOT wanted to confess that I'm intimidated by these programs and concerned about asking them of my children. Using something like MFW or WP or LBC or BF sound like SO MUCH MORE FUN while still yielding sound results. I am inexperienced though and have been humbled NUMEROUS times because of it.
Driving myself crazy :auto: .
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Heather,
Will you share when you find out what you'll do/how you'll price it? I'm doing the same thing (selling RS and looking forward to having a :party:) and have wondered. That math balance IS long. Is there a flat rate box big enough I wonder?? I might ask DH to stop at the post office to see. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
:D
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New here with questions / help!
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
:D Hopefully some wiser and more experienced Moms will chime in! My reply will bump you up! I wish you the best as your press on in this journey!