Marva Collins' Way

:iagree: It's not unusual for teens to be in a tizzy. This could be a chance to show a loving spirit towards him. He's probably in a tough enough place as it is anyway. Some understanding for him would go a long ways....

We used (and are still using) the 4th edition of WRTR to teach the phonograms first. This was very cheap, and it helps with handwriting too! Next, we added in the Webster's Speller and Megawords. The three of these work very well together.

Yep. We're adding it back into our schedule, after letting it fall by the wayside for while. Spending some time looking over the Dolciani pre-algebra and algebra texts sent me scurrying over to CSMP to include more set work. As before, we're going to try to get a week's worth of lessons done on Fridays. So far, so good. We love MEP and CSMP!

Oh, I thought it might be that one. I think it gave the little guy fits! :glare:

The bookcase and shelves problem? (Had to go look....)

I love the idea of printing the Montessori checker board. I made the bead material a few years ago. You can find the beads at Hobby Lobby or Walmart. The wire should be cheap at Walmart. You can probably make these in an evening or two with no trouble. Much cheaper than ordering from a Montessori product store!

Love the Lloyd Dobler reference! I don't use anything prepared except for grammar and math. I gather books, make a copy of the table of contents, then go from there. I love to teach, and could never spend the day checking off some other person's *boxes*. Just can't do that...... You say that the lessons go very well when you just wing it and your kids are engrossed and enthralled, right? Why stop? Isn't that what you want your home school to be? Light a fire, don't fill a bucket. I think you're really onto something with what you're doing already. If things fall by the wayside, then put them on the next day's schedule, or let them read about it and study in the evenings. We spent two hours on math today. Two hours!! Of course some things fell by the wayside, but when I see that light coming on and that spark of understanding, well, I can't let that moment pass. Don't go there with the boxed stuff. Simplify what you have. Make a schedule and include all the books you want to teach with, then go from there. Oh, I'll add one more thing. If *home* falls by the wayside, then they can all pitch in with dish washing, clothes folding, and all other sorts of housework. Consider it Montessori time.

We have been working with Eli's Magic Peanuts from CSMP. Playing with the stones which I made to represent positive and negative numbers illustrates this beautifully!

Yes, I've been following that thread, too. I'm trying not to allow my brain to go into overload just yet. :lol: (Most of my time is going towards studying Latin and math, and of course, planning out what to plant in my garden. The gardening train of thought is edging out the Latin and math for the time being......:D

Oh, yes. I read over some of the threads about WWS last night and discovered that it is meant to move the student in the direction of independent work. After reading and researching about WWS last night, I have come to the conclusion that it was written as a way to expound upon the writing chapters in the WTM books. Maybe I should say that I *get it* now. I don't want to feel confused about teaching writing, and I don't want to feel that I am missing the boat when it comes to using WWS. More than anything, I consider myself a teacher in the true sense of the word. I want the teaching of writing to flow naturally, as it happens from discussion in our daily work. I see outlining as what we do in the first few steps of writing paragraphs, and we have been working with writing in just that way. Maybe what I'm trying to say is that I want it to happen as a natural part of the process, every time the pencil hits the paper, and maybe not so much as a set of exercises that I may or may not have interest in. I hope I'm making sense here. I really didn't feel any doubt over my ability to teach writing until I began to read about all the various programs which are discussed constantly here on the boards. That set me back a bit, and I've been reeling with insecurities over which plan is *right* or *best* in its approach to composition. When I spent time reading over my copy of the WTM last night, it made so much more sense to me.

Yes, you are right about the writing program suggested in the first edition. But another grammar program is suggested, not R & S. So, if I understand correctly, the writing program and grammar program suggested are meant to provide instruction in those skills. I didn't find anything about rewriting from outlines, but I may have missed it. I've been outside working in the garden all day, and I'm just now thumbing through my copy. As far as needing the first edition, I don't know if it would be helpful to you at this point. You are much farther ahead in the journey than I am, so your opinions are very important to the discussion. Are you using only the instructor's guide for WWS? I have a copy of WWE, and we do use it. Maybe I should work harder with WWE to make sure we have covered everything. I don't want writing to become more of the behemoth than it is already. What I really wish for is another WTM conference like the one from several years ago. That would be great! (And helpful, too!) :)

Sounds like she's doing great! On a side note, you might want to have on hand some of those colored sticky notes for marking pages as you read through your copy. I think I'm going to do that this weekend with mine. Gosh, I know I've drifted away from all that was laid out in that book. For me, it was too much reading of many other books (LCC, CM, Montessori, etc.) until it finally ran all together in a great big mish-mash of ideas.

Another thought or two.... In Chapter 17, The Logic Stage, Reading, there are guided questions to help with the summaries of any books the child reads. As I'm reading through this tonight, I'm seeing how simple and clear the instructions are for the writing process. Maybe all of us are getting bogged down into *what the board says* or *what the board uses* and so forth. I know I can certainly be drawn into it, and I can tell that it's a slippery slope. Maybe Tara, or at least for me, you've opened our eyes a bit to see what we should have been focusing on all the time. Editing..... To answer your question, no, I don't think you will have lost anything by not using WWS. I could be way off base, but wasn't it written to help those who wanted further instruction in how to teach writing? I guess I see it as one of two ways: You can follow the writing guidelines as laid out in TWTM,especially the first edition (which IMHO has the best instruction of all), or you can use the programs which have been written to illustrate how to accomplish those guidelines. (Or I guess there is always Door Number Three--)

Okay, a few thoughts---and since I only have the first edition to look through, that's all I can reference. I remember when I read the first edition of WTM, and how it made writing seem so simple. At the beginning, we used letter writing, alternating writing of narrations, dictation and a site called chateau meddybemps for some story starter ideas. That worked fine for us. We also used some of the writing assignments from Sheldon's PLL. (I had a copy of the writing program which is suggested, but chose to do the things I've listed instead of using that.) Hmm, I'm not sure what to say, since I can't remember how the second and third editions approach writing. It is spelled out so clearly to me, as I'm reading through my first edition. There really is no mention of all of the various writing programs that are mentioned on the boards so frequently. There is only one program that is recommended, and it is suggested to work all the way through that program. I guess what I should say is that maybe all of the writing programs that have come out over the last several years have appeared in response to so many of us who want more hand-holding. As for myself, I've been using some of WWE, some of Brautigam's comp lessons, some letter writing, writing across the curriculum, and some of my *home-grown* writing ideas. I don't see any need for a very expensive writing program, such as IEW or CW at this time for my purposes. Rereading through the section on writing for logic stage only makes me more confident of my choices. Again, I'm rambling, as I tend to do sometimes..... Tara, it sounds as though your dd is doing fine with what you've been using all along. You can surely try some of the sample of WWS to see if it's something that might interest her. If not, you've got a copy of the plans in the first edition, which really is the best source book anyone can have. I can't see that you'd need anything more. (If anything, I feel guilty for getting caught up in all of the vintage writing program threads. I love them all, but in reality, they're not necessary if you can follow the *original* guide. I like the vintage programs for extra exercises, and will probably keep using some of them over the next several years.)

Your oldest is ~ 6 years old? You could easily go through this school year and next on very little money. Webster's Speller is available online free for spelling. For math at that age, I would suggest this at Cathy Duffy's site: "Working Without a curriculum for math" I would suggest getting several of the titles on the Ambleside Online Year One list from the library, and reading them aloud to all the kids. Use those books for copywork and narrations. They can draw narrations if they like as well.

I've got to run right now, but.... I'm in the opposite position of you, Colleen. I only have the first edition, but did read the second edition years ago. Of course, I don't remember much about it, other than that it was very inspiring. :D I plan on reading through the logic section tonight and taking notes. I did this last year, then promptly lost the notes. :tongue_smilie: Maybe I can do a much better job of it his time. Would love to continue this discussion over the weekend. Gotta run....

nt

:iagree: I find myself constantly slipping in phonics lessons and dictionary skills with every subject! Any time we have a new vocabulary word, I write it on the dry-erase board. I mark it phonetically, and remind about open and closed syllables. If it is a Latin or Greek root, I also mention that. Marva inspired me to do just that. It worked for her, and it's working for me. One thing I always suggest to help with teaching is to buy a large dry-erase board at one of the big-box home improvement stores. They sell it as shower board, but you can use it as a dry-erase board. Ask them, and they will cut it in two for you--free! Buy a large package of dry-erase markers, some board cleaner and an eraser, and you are set to teach. I love the marker sets with many colors. The dry-erase board can be used to post copywork, Latin sentences for translation, math problems, sentences to analyze or diagram, and many other things. I can't teach without one.

I would be interested to know which TOPS units you are using, if you don't mind sharing.

:iagree:

This much better describes what I tried to say in my post, but I did a much poorer job of it. I would like to add that the trading card idea is brilliant, and my have to borrow that one, if you don't mind. :) I do try to add some books into our basket which are directly aimed at known interests. Others are there to (hopefully) inspire interest in other topics or people. One book that we have enjoyed here to sort of *get the ball rolling*, is The Time Travelers' Handbook. Each chapter introduces little glimpses into various events in history. I will add one more title that may inspire your ds. The book, The Boy Who Sailed Around the World Alone by Robin Lee Graham (Golden Book, Western Publishing) is a wonderful narrative of a 16 y/o boy's trip sailing around the world. You could print a giant map of the world at owl and mouse site, then let him draw out the route that Robin sailed in his journey. Lots of topics for further discussion and research if he's interested, too--navigation, ocean life, sailing, cultures around the world, keeping a logbook, independent living, etc.

This is very much how we are tackling science for upper elementary. We are using a very old biology text and reading through it slowly. It has wonderful discussion questions, ideas for projects and experiments, vocabulary, and so forth. Since it is a dated text, I realize that many discoveries have been made since the printing of the book. This serves to help us see the expansion of scientific ideas since that decade, and is very helpful in that way, as opposed to reading a text printed in the last year or so which describes everything as up-to-date. We are also starting a *science journal* in which we will clip articles from the newspapers or magazines which describe new discoveries in the field of science. We will use this to see how the scientific method works in modern discoveries. For history, we have two streams going on at once: an ancient history using Builders of the Old World, and a US history using Rainbow Book of American History and The Heritage of America (Commanger) for first-hand accounts of historical events. (We are reading through these two books slowly.) We include notebooking and timeline work with those readings. Audiobooks of Story of the World and one for US history would serve the same purpose. There are several which can be accessed free at librivox.org. Having said all of that, I agree wholeheartedly with the advice you've been given. I will add that this is the time to move the child toward taking an active role in his studies, rather than a more passive role. To accomplish this in our homeschool, I have two book baskets, one with history titles and the other with science titles. My little guy is required to choose one from each basket to read along with a lit title. That way he is constantly doing independent reading of history and science, making some discoveries of his own along the way. A thrift store or the library will serve you well to fill a book basket with these kinds of books. 8Fill has mentioned before of the American Heritage Junior Library series, as well as the Landmark and Signature book series. I also like the We Were There series. Any of these should be available at your local library, and will surely light a spark in interest in history. For science independent readings, there are many living science books suggestions on this board. He could draw some illustrations and start out writing a few sentences about his readings, hopefully soon expanding that to a paragraph or two.

Figured I was wrong. I'll stay out of the conversation, as I'm probably not qualified to answer.

I think Maxwell has a book. Can't check for it now, so will leave that up to you.