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beaglemamma

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Everything posted by beaglemamma

  1. Besides IEW, are there any other history-based writing curricula that are worth looking into? DD has completed two years of IEW, and while we have learned from it, I think the formulaic "checklist" approach to writing is beginning to get mundane for her. She's wanting to try something different next year and learn some new skills and techniques. I love the look of Apologia Jump In, but I would prefer to keep it related to history if possible. BTW, she will be 11 and in 6th grade next year, and she's a pretty gifted little writer, a natural wordsmith. I would just love for her to learn different types of writing (expository, narrative, persuasive, descriptive), etc. Any and all suggestions welcomed! Thank you!
  2. Here's our MFW Kindergarten report and our MFW ECC report. Hope everyone has a safe and relaxing weekend! :)
  3. I'm using MFW K for the second time this year (with my youngest), and I truly love it. It is hands-down my favorite K curriculum. The Bible is not "tacked on" to the study but is fully integrated into the science lessons in such a sweet way. I think the way Marie Hazell has worked those two subjects together actually helps the kiddos walk away with a better understanding of both the Bible and the science. If you want to see MFW K in action, you can visit my blog or visit the MFW Blogroll. Lots of people blog their K year. :) http://www.trainingthemup.blogspot.com http://www.mishmashmaggie.com/2011/08/2011-2012-mfw-blogroll.html That being said, Sonlight users also love their K program. It's really just about finding the right fit for your family. :) And I wouldn't completely write off LHFHG. I own that one, too, but it's on the shelf until next year; then I'll decide whether to use that or MFW 1st. Blessings to you as you try to find the perfect fit for you and your child!
  4. How about Ann Voskamp's A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth? I'm not exactly sure what you're looking for, but you might want to take a look at the Table of Contents of this one. It's very Jeannie Fulbright in flavor, IMHO. You can view the TOC as well as the first three chapter, I believe, at the following link. Hope to help! :001_smile: http://www.achildsgeography.com/volume-one/
  5. I haven't posted a link to our weekly report on TWTM boards in several months, but I got a wild hair today and decided to go ahead and link up. Anyone else on the countdown? Seven more weeks here! :hurray: Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Oh, and here's our weekly report: http://trainingthemup.blogspot.com/2011/04/show-tell-adventures-week-27.html
  6. Intensive Practice. The way I understand it, there is Extra Practice (EP), which is more work on the same level as the workbook, Intense Practice (IP), which is more work that varies from the same level as the workbook to the level of Challenging Word Problems, and then there's Challenging Word Problems (CWP), which is on a much more difficult level than the workbook.
  7. Thank you so much for your replies. I think right now I'm leaning toward only doing the textbooks and workbooks during the school year, and possibly adding in some of the IP problems during the summer to keep her fresh. I am glad to know that adding in the IP and CWP books doesn't necessarily mean tears, and I'll keep that in mind in case I think her work load can increase a little more as shet gets older. Thanks again for taking the time to reply and helping me think through this! And RecumbentHeart, thanks for checking with your friend! :001_smile:
  8. Thank you ALL so much for replying! It's one thing for me to ask my friends who also have 2nd graders; it's a totally different thing for me to gain the perspective of those of you who have BTDT. Glad to have a little heads-up here! Dh is a high school math teacher, and he makes dd show her work on some of the problems, especially when they give her a large space with the word problems. I tend to think it's not necessary because "mental math is one of the strengths of Singapore," but you all have given me a different perspective on this! :001_smile: I KNOW!!! Julie, every time I read your posts here or on the MFW boards, I think we are probably twins separated at birth! :lol: I keep reading posts from so many people on here who add in these extra books, and I'm wondering how in the world they get it all done! That was actually how this question originated. I was looking through the books seeing how I could schedule them all in, and I just shook my head and said, "There's just no way!" Lori, this is a GREAT idea! I've never thought of it that way before. And Dawn, I do plan to use LoF when we're at that point because I've heard of so many kids who just LOVE it! Wish it had been around 20 years ago when I was in school! Thank you so much, ladies, for sharing your experiences and helping me think through this!
  9. How do you schedule it in? Do you work with dd, or do you have her work, say, a page independently before you work with her on the new math lesson for the day? We typically do the textbook until we come to the arrow that tells us to do an exercise, then we'll do that exercise on the same day. If there are two or three exercises in the arrow, we do each of them on a separate day. And when we come to a review page in the textbook or workbook, or a practice page in the workbook, those are each done on separate days, too. So I'm thinking if I tried to add all these extra things in at the rate I'm moving right now, we'll be somewhere around 3B by the time she's in high school! :lol:
  10. That would be so great! Thank you so much for sharing this! We used another program last year that was not a good fit for dd, so we started all over this year with 1A. We just started 2A after Christmas, and I feel like I'm already trying to "catch up" and get her through Level 2 before September. (I'm beginning to think that may be unrealistic!) Anyway, trying to catch up and add in the extra books on top of it is stressing me out in a huge way! So knowing that it doesn't add that much time to the school day is very encouraging to hear! I may just add in IP and not worry about CWP. Do you have any thoughts there? This is a great idea. We only school 4 days a week anyway, so taking a few minutes on Friday or Saturday morning would definitely be a possibility.
  11. For those of you who use Singapore Math, do any of you not use the IP or CWP books? There are so many threads on this board that make me feel like I *should* be using these extra books, but I really don't want to add them in and cause tears and an extra hour of school every day if just doing the textbook and workbook alone is sufficient. So...if you only use the textbook and workbook, how do you feel your child's understanding is? Are they getting all they need as far as preparation for upper level math? And how have they done on standardized tests? Thanks in advance for your opinions and experience! :001_smile:
  12. If your kids used Singapore Math through 6A, did you use IP and CWP? Or maybe I should say has anyone used SM through 6A without using IP and CWP? And if so, how did your kids fare in standardized testing and upper level math? I have read so many threads on here that make it sound like you almost have to use these extra books, but I really don't want to add them in and cause tears and extend the school day by an hour if it's not necessary. I'd really appreciate feedback from those of you who have walked this path before me! Thanks!
  13. We just started Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum, and it has been a huge hit! DD7 has completed the lessons that cover home row, and after a total of about 1 1/2 hours (we do 15 minutes/day), she knows the home row keys without looking. Now, her speed is another issue ... 4 wpm ... but she's only 7, so there you go. :tongue_smilie: And her accuracy is 100%, which I feel is much more important for an elementary age kid. FWIW, I used to be a high school computer teacher, and I taught 6 keyboarding classes a day. I think this is a great program that teaches the keys in a logical order, and it even starts them out with lessons on posture, how to "view" the keyboard (invisible diagonal line going down the middle of it), etc. Plus, it's FUN! Lots of games along the way. Anyway, just another possibility! HTH :001_smile:
  14. First of all, welcome to My Father's World! We're currently using (and loving!) Adventures. You've already received plenty of good advice, so I promise not to beat a dead horse! :001_smile: My guess would be that whoever said this didn't mean it would make it easier on you because using other resources makes extra work (like having to tweak the TM). That is not the case! My guess is that they said this because their recommendations are very teacher-friendly and student-friendly by accomplishing a lot of work without taking up your entire day. The lessons are short, sweet, and effective; therefore, you're making it easy on yourself by using their recommendations. That being said ... I decided to be one of the rebellious ones and go with something different. We started dd in CLE math last year (1st grade), and it was a train wreck. So this year we switched to Singapore and it has been wonderful! And in language arts, we decided to go with Rod & Staff. I bought PLL and it looked good, but for whatever reason, I just couldn't get into it. Fortunately, R&S has been a beautiful fit for dd. But like the others have said, it's ridiculously easy to use whatever math and LA you choose because the TM just has a place for math and a place for language arts every day to remind you to do those lessons. There are no page numbers included (not even page numbers for the recommended resources), so there's not even anything to cross out! :001_smile: You're speaking my language here, Crystal! But if we're planning to wear clean underwear tomorrow (which we definitely ARE), I need to get my rear in gear! :lol:
  15. Hi Sue! We're a MFW family using Adventures this year, and my kids and I are really enjoying it and learning so much! Even my 4yo who plays nearby while we do school said something about "George Washington's Revolutionary War" the other day! :001_smile: I hesitated to reply because you've already received so many responses, but I just wanted to chime in briefly with a couple of thoughts. I don't know that I'd say it's a "complete" study of American history because it is written for younger children, so much of our nation's history that's difficult to explain to a young child (slavery, the Holocaust, the World Wars, etc.) isn't touched on just yet. But it is complete in the sense that it starts with exploration, moves into settlements, then Colonial America, the Revolutionary War, etc. And in addition to events and people, which I think MFW does a great job of covering, they just help the kids to have an overall sense of patriotism. They learn tons of patriotic songs and really focus on the lyrics to them, they learn what it means when they pledge allegiance to the flag, etc. Agreed! We happen to be a family that uses it pretty much the way it's written. (Call me lazy, but I'd rather have some free time than sit around re-inventing the wheel! :tongue_smilie:) BUT for families who feel like the state sheets are a little redundant, you can always try some of Irishmommy's ideas. Or just have your dc read a good selection of fiction and non-fiction books about each particular state. (There are lots of great books recommended in the back of the TM.) One thing to think about, though ... sometimes I think we project how *we* would feel about an assignment onto our kids. Well, sure, it would be boring for *us* to write the capitals and abbreviations because we already know that! But they're really processing a LOT of info when they fill in those sheets. They're learning for the first time about the postal abbreviations for each state, what the names of the capitals are, how they're spelled, what the motto of each state is, what the motto means, plus they're really paying close attention to the flower and bird because they're coloring it to look like the real deal. To me, it's valuable to have them look at the details of God's creation like that. To others, it may not be so important. I blog about our school each week if you'd like to have a better idea of what it's like in reality verses in the handful of sample TM pages that are available online. (There's a link to my blog in my signature. Click on Adventures in MFW under my labels.) There are several other wonderful ladies who blog weekly, as well. You can visit the 2010-2011 My Father's World Blogroll for links to their blogs if you're interested. I don't think you'll go wrong either way. From what I understand, they're both great programs! Just wanted to give you a little more insight into MFW! :001_smile:
  16. My link is in my signature. I blogged MFW K and am in the process of blogging MFW Adventures as we go through it. (Hurricane repairs for 1st kind of took over our life and there's a year missing on the blog!) But I second Crystal's suggestion to visit the My Father's World Blogroll to get a feel for all the years. I don't find them difficult to figure out at all. In fact, I think a lot of people use it as open & go. I always look over the upcoming week on Saturday or Sunday to make sure I have the supplies I'll need for the week's activities (usually I do because they're common items) and make any copies (and now that student sheets are sold separately, I don't even think this is an issue). But then again there's not a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants bone in my body! :001_smile: We really enjoy My Father's World!
  17. I've only completed K and 1st and am currently using Adventures, so I'm not at the point where I'm combining ages yet. Even so, I just wanted to chime in and say don't forget about the book basket! From what I can tell, the books that are scheduled to be read together might be more like what Dawn was saying (younger siblings catch what they can), which allows the whole family to study the same thing at the same time and discuss it at the dinner table with Dad in the evening, etc. However, individual reading from the book basket takes place for 20 or 30 minutes every day, and this is a great time to tailor history and science reading for specific age groups. For example, a 2nd grader could read easy readers on a given topic, whereas a 6th grader could read a more in-depth historical fiction.
  18. Here's our week. Praying for your daughter, Daisy. Let us know how everything turns out!
  19. Ours is up. And I will never understand how you ladies are able to get yours done so quickly! :tongue_smilie: Have a great weekend, everyone! :001_smile:
  20. Here's ours. We read a book this week that really just broke dd's heart. :sad: Any ideas on how to handle that? I personally didn't find it to be that sad, but she really had a tough time with the ending.
  21. Just got ours up. You ladies are an inspiration! Thanks for taking the time to share your week! :001_smile:
  22. Our Week 10 is up! It was busy, busy, busy, and I'm soo glad it's the weekend! :001_smile:
  23. I'm pretty sure I'll be the caboose here, but ours in finally up!
  24. Here's ours! Have a great weekend, everyone!
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