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brendafromtenn

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Everything posted by brendafromtenn

  1. Has Susan reviewed Teaching Textbooks anywhere? Just wondering...... Blessings, Brenda
  2. Good morning, Let me see if I can answer your question. (Note that I have only had one cup of coffee this morning and welcome anyone to jump in here to fill any holes that I may leave, due to my "coffee-less" state. HeeHee) I now have high schoolers, and with that comes A LOT of writing. This is mostly done in the form of essays. So, at some point as you approach or during your first years of high school, grammar starts taking a back seat. Now, mind you I did not say, don't do grammar, but grammar should be solidly in the child's mind, not so that they can do a grammar exercise, as they would have done in elementary or middle school, but so that they can USE this grammar information in their WRITING. Some time during the 8th or 9th grade year, grammar should move to a place of REVIEW(Maybe once a week), BUT then USED in their writing EVERY DAY. In other words, they must KNOW it, so that they can USE it. Make sense? For instance, they write a sentence, and it has two independent clauses joined by a conjunction. They must BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY that these are REALLY two independent clauses, AND if these two independent clauses need any type of punctuation to separate them. SEE? If the child does not have these skills firmly established so that they can USE this material, then you need to continue with grammar instruction into high school. I think the best approach to this style is Analytical Grammar which is completed in middle school and then Reviewed during high school every four years. The student actually USES their AG grammar book to help them with their writing. It becomes their "grammar handbook". They would use it to go and correct any grammar mistakes they find in their writing. It is recommended by Susan Wise Bauer, and it has found many wonderful reviews on this board. Hope I answered your question. Going to get that other cup of coffee and get ready for church, Blessings, Brenda:)
  3. O.K. I am sooo glad to know that I'm not the only one in this boat. I think this would only be true for those of us who have done all four years of TOG with the Classic. It is comfortable and we know what we are doing now and last but not least, WE HAVE THE BOOKS. (I think there is something to be said for being a good steward of what God has given us and not spending where we don't need to. There are also times in Year 2 where the whole family might do one book, like in reading Dangerous Journey in week 24. We have wonderful memories of Dad reading that to the whole family. It is a much simplier approach instead of just the Dialectic reading this in the Redesign. Not upset or complaining at all. Just making an observation and letting others know that the "grass is not always greener". :) Blessings to all of you this holiday weekend, Brenda
  4. The last time we used year three I had one LG, one UG and one D. This time I have one R, One who is almost R(8th-She will do history as R and lit as D), one UG, and one LG(The baby is now reading.....). So, this is first time through year 3 with Rhetoric students. But still have the lower levels and the books that we used with our "youngers" before. Hope that helps, Just ranting today, just wondering if anyone had been in my boat before. Blessings, Brenda
  5. I was soo excited to get my TOG redesign. I had gone through all four years with the Classic and I so anticipated using the new redesign. But I must confess.....I keep going back to my Classic, instead of using my new redesign......Maybe it is just familiar......Maybe just comfortable......Maybe I like the simplicity of the Classic Can anyone relate to this? It is about time for me to order my TOG year 3 Redesign, but am "rethinking" it. Would I really use it or should I just stay with the Classic? Am I crazy or what? Blessings, Brenda
  6. I always follow what Susan said in the WTM.....P.487 says, and I quote....."Try to make a realistic assessment of how many books the student will be able to cover in the course of a year. Eight books is a minimum;twelve is better; eighteen is stellar. Choose eight(or twelve or eighteen) titles from the lists that follow. Read them in chronological order." You must know your student. A 9th grader will not be able the same type of work that a 12th grader does. We chose to go the "deeper". This year we read a middle ages reading list with a 9th grader. We read: Beowulf Idylls of the King Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court(For fun) Song of Roland Macbeth Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest Canterbury Tales Imitation of Christ The Prince The Faerie Queen A Henty book (For Fun) And will finish with a Shakespeare unit reading Henry V, and one other.(read Julius Caesar last year) I also included my son in deciding which pieces we would read this year. And tried to throw in some weeks of just "fun" reading. Just my thougthts....eventually, though, you must do what is best for your child. Remember that YOU know him best, not us. Blessings, Brenda
  7. From what I understand, these two are not related at all. Just have similar names. Sorry for any confusion, Blessings, Brenda
  8. A Veritas Classical School is opening just 5 minutes from my house. I know nothing about it, but that they will be offering Apologia Biology and Chemistry this year. We need the Chemistry. Any thoughts on this school? Anyone have one close to your home? Blessings, Brenda
  9. Sorry I could not get back any sooner. But thank you so much for you information and your time. Blessings to you all, Brenda
  10. Just wondering is you had a favorite vocabulary to use with your high schoolers...... Ease of use is important and time needed to complete is important as we will be spending lots of time this year working on essays. Thanks in advance, Brenda
  11. All of you information has been very helpful! Thank you so much for giving of your time to help others, like myself, as we walk this road together. Blessings, Brenda
  12. Phi Eta Honor society with Teresa Gallarno at one time? Or did I meet you through the TOG website? Your name is very familiar to me. And YES I am open to talk to you any time! I will have a 10th grader, 8th grader, 4th and 1st. (Just haven't graduated anyone yet.....:001_smile:) High school, while kinda tough, is by far the most rewarding! I am seeing FRUIT finally from my years of homeschooling. I can see LIGHT at the end of the tunnel. Just don't panic, my dear friend. (Trust me, I know about the "big high school panic") The Lord will see you through. People like to panic sometimes on these boards, but the Lord KNOWS your children better than even you do, and HE will give you the wisdom and guidance you need to teach them. You may e-mail me if you like. Blessings, Brenda
  13. You can tell me what "PM" means?:001_huh: Blessings, Brenda
  14. Thanks bunches. Think we will do what we can and not worry about the rest. We have been homeschooling for a while, so I'm sure we have equipment. Thanks again, Brenda
  15. I have a Lab question that was posted today about what lab kit to purchase with BJU Homesat. Will be buying from HomeScience tools. They say to get either the BJU kit or the MicroChem kit. Any help would be appreciated. Brenda
  16. We are up here in Tipton County, but husband works for Fed/Ex. Where are you? I am support group leader for "HUG" out of Millington. Blessings, Brenda
  17. O.K. for our 8th grader we will be using the BJU space and earth w/HomeSat....... Do we really need $150 worth of lab supplies as reccomended by HomeScience tools? Could I substitute with labs from WTM book, "How the Earth Works"???
  18. Has this worked for anyone? Also, thanks for the information on the BJU text. They have a "new" one out. So, I'm not sure how I will see samples unless I go to a "solutions" meeting. Blessings, Brenda
  19. O.K. ya'll, (Can you hear the southern drawl???) I need something for 2nd dd to do for two years of high school Latin. I need something that is very clear and easy for me to impliment. Maybe even easy enough that I could give it to her, she does it, and I grade it. She would then do 2 years of spanish but we would use the BJU Homesat for that. DD is our creative/ artsy child and is smart but not a Rhodes scholar if you know what I mean. So, we need a curriculum that would "Git R Done!" For 1st DS, we spent two years at a tutor and he has a wonderful knowledge of Latin and I can see the information spilling over into almost everything......However with gas almost $4 a gallon....and two more little ones coming along. who are 4th and 1st...we just don't have the time or money to do that option with 2nd DD. Any ideas? Blessings, Brenda Please forgive my spelling today, I am in a hurry....
  20. This sounds like a wonderful program. I hope my friend, (Hi, Jetta!:D) will jump in here if she has any other questions. This is one of the few spelling programs where I have seen folks say, "It's fun." and "It works". I might see one or the other of those statements but never BOTH at the same time. (And I've been on these boards a LONG time) AND I have YET to see anyone say, "It did not work for my family." I may have missed it, or it wasn't posted, but so far I did not see it. Thank you too, for taking your precious time to answer for us. Blessings, Brenda
  21. Do you have a weekly routine with this program? Thanks, Brenda
  22. Good afternoon, ladies, One of the ladies in my support group(Hi, Jetta!!!) sent me an e-mail this morning and asked if I had ever heard of "All About Spelling". I said, no, but that I knew who would! (That's you guys......:001_smile:) Anyway, I searched this program today and it looks very interesting..... But here is what I want to know....From the people who are actually using it....... 1)Is it really as easy to use as people say?? 2)Do the spelling skills/rules really "stick" with this program?? AND Any other comments that you want to share...... Blessings to all of you, (Got to go watch oldest ds dissect a worm.....Will check back later....:w00t:) Brenda
  23. Oh, bless your sweet heart!(That is how we address sadness or anxiety in the south....:)Said with southern drawl.....And if I could take you out for tea or coffee I would.....) After about 8 years of homeschooling, here is my take on writing. It is vastly different from all the other subjects in that you do not "see" improvement in leaps and bounds. It is not like Math where you look upon a math paper and say, "Ah-Ha, She gets it!" Advancement in writing takes place in "little steps at a time". You have to be watching VERY closely for it. And with this subject, more than any other, the only way the child gets better, is to practice, practice, practice......Week after week......;) And I think for a homeschool mom, that is the hardest thing to do......To keep at something, where you might not be seeing any progress. Where you are not seeing any benefit to your work. Where the advancement is not so clear cut as in math. :D BUT TAKE HEART! :) Advancement IS being made. Improvements ARE there. But just look for them with a magnifying glass.......Ask yourself, "What improvement has my child made this year in writing?" It may be as simple as finally getting "there and their" correct. OR it may be more profound such as finally being able to support her thesis with clear cut facts. And by the way, in most boys, this process of writing, takes place much slower than in girls. But they CAN and DO get this........ Just remember to persevere and carry on.....And take those little steps week by week....... Going to get my second cup of coffee, Blessings to you! Brenda
  24. Just wondering from where would you order it? And could Cambridge Latin be a high school credit or is it more of a middle school class. Blessings, Brenda
  25. Thanks for clearing that up! :) I had no clue. I am SUCH the paper and pencil type of gal. Stuck in the 80's, Brenda
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