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Sweetbabe

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    HSers in the UK?

    in Parents' Forum Networking Board

    Posted

    hello all

     

    I'm sorry to read of your loss. We too lost our second boy to severe heart defects a few years back.

     

    I'm in the UK too. I'm pretty new to homeschooling, was on and off a couple of years. Trying to get the plan for Ds. Cant seem to find UK retailers for the american curriculum like Growing with grammer or MCT. Any suggestions?

     

    Than you.

    Russian Math Advice

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Hi

     

    I'm looking at advice on how to acquire Russian Math Grade 1 for my Mathy boy. We currently using a combination of curriculum, I feel that Russian math will fit in nicely. I've tried emailing the university for translation and international deliver (we in the UK) but they said they not selling them. I'm confused cos there's a form that you can order but I need details for international delivery. Anyone can point me to the right direction? Thank you.

    Tell me more about Phonics Road?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Ok - first thoughts.... Just a few hours in so there will be more updates later.

     

    The materials are of excellent quality. Everything is nicely wrapped, high quality card stock for the cards, decent weight paper for the sheets etc. Nice thick ziploc-type bags to wrap the materials.

     

    I watched the introduction and the lessons for Weeks 1 - 5. Weeks 1 - 4 is one dvd "lesson" and Week 5 is on it's own. There is truly no way that someone could not understand what she's explaining. Her lessons take the 'Phonics Road for Dummies' to the extreme. This is both a plus and a minus. On the plus side, I know I'll never wonder what I'm supposed to do. On the minus side, for some of this stuff I really don't need this much explanation. But I found that I could fast forward once I got the point. For example, she goes through teaching the formation of EVERY letter. Yikes. For me that wasn't critical since 1) I know the clock face way to teach letters and 2) my daughter can write her letters. So I watched a few and moved on.

     

    The first 4 weeks each 51 phonograms - the 25 single alphabet letters, 'qu' (instead of q since you can't have q without u) and then ones like 'er', 'ir' etc. All of these are ones my daughter has learned but not in the PR way. For example, she knows that 'a' makes more than one sound but didn't learn the 3 sounds in the PR order. I went through the cards with her today (just the single letters) and after 3 times through she got it no problem. She joined me to watch the week 5 DVD lesson. I was surprised to find her interested in it. The lessons are pretty dull to me - although very informative - but she sat and watched and answered the rhetorical questions Mrs. Beers threw out. It was kind of funny. She's definitely excited to use PR and just through watching the DVD starting being able to predict the markings on the word list she was using for demonstration. I was concerned about that because sometimes she has trouble with that kind of analysis.

     

    I am not at all sorry I didn't use PR to learn to read. Yes we are covering already learned material but covering it in terms of spelling and analysis is different than learning sounds to read and I think all of it at once could get overwhelming to a child. If you knew you were going to use PR, you could always teach them the phonogram cards as you learn to read but save all the writing, spelling, marking and rules for later. That's just me. I know plenty of people have used this method (PR, SWR, AAS etc) to learn to read from the beginning, but I'm not sorry we didn't.

     

    Negatives that I see so far: Mrs. Beers doesn't really give kids a lot of credit or respect in teaching the teacher. I'm sure it comes from years of classroom teaching (her DVDs have a very 'schoolteacher' feel to them) but I started getting annoyed her 'children just don't understand this' comments including assuming that a 1st grader wouldn't understand if she said right hand or left hand. Sure some might not but most will. I just found it odd that here she was promoting a program that dumps a lot in kids laps quickly and yet didn't seem to really think kids understand a lot. Also, I really hate having to cut up all these cards. Yes - this is a short term problem and can't be helped but yuck LOL. I can see why some people feel trapped by the program. I think that was a comment in some of the 'why did you stop' posts. She gives you such detailed instructions that some may feel stuck and uncomfortable veering from the plan. I've been schooling long enough that nothing makes me feel that way anymore so I'm not worried about that.

     

    Ok - more later. Hope this helps someone.

     

    Heather

     

     

    Thx heather. So very tempted.

     

    Anyone using OPGTR? how do you make the switch? Anyone used shurley and switch?

    Unabridged Alice in Wonderland

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Just be aware that the new movie is not an adaptation of the book -- it's sort of a sequel, a "return" to Wonderland with a grown-up Alice and many of the characters from the book.

     

     

    Thanks for the tip, that will make a nice teaching moment for my elder DS. I think my 3 yr old will be happy enough (more likely estatic) to see the characters. This is his first chapter book,so i'm glad he is excited.

    If you used The Phonics Road but have stopped..

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    So most moms use PR level 1 for 1st grade? Will it be a repeat if you've done OPGTR? Anyone use for k? I'm so tempted to order but I'm flying off in a couple days and I doubt it will reach me in time.(I'm still waiting for AAS for older Ds - I wonder if its lost in transit?) Sob. i wish someone will blog about PR level 1 extensively and I can justify the price and ridiculous international shipping.

    What did you use for your gifted kid in K/first grade?

    in Accelerated Learner Board

    Posted

    Hi

     

    My 2nd DS who always trucks/robots obssessed (little interest in anything else except books) is in Preschool 5 times a week. It seems that he suddenly "clicked" and rearing to go. I'm surprised(a bit overwhelm) at his sudden improvement in speech/concentration/memory. His teacher has expressed concern:confused: and I've concluded that DS is not in a supportive environment for his needs. I thought I'll just use kumon books and OPGTR this year, and start K officially when he's five.Somehow he's breezing through his lessons and reading his brother's old readers (I wasnt prepared :tongue_smilie:) He already have sports/music/arts/peotry memorization/read alouds. He'll probably will tag along with the older DS (much to DS1 annoyance) for history/geography/2nd language etc. These are the curriculum I'm wondering about.

     

    Math - Right start (Anything else? story based?)

    Handwriting - HWT books only

    Spelling - Thinking of AAS1 since older bro is using it ???

    Vocabulary - reading books (beside wordly wise anything else?)

    Language Arts - ???

    Logical thinking - ???

     

     

    What did you use?

     

    Thanks:001_smile:

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