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Embassy

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    Singapore or Teaching Textbooks

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Why is this so hard? I am wanting to change from our current curriculum (Mathematical Reasoning) because as we have progressed in the books I don't find it teaching concepts as thoroughly as my oldest son needs.

     

    Anyway, I have been looking at Teaching Textbooks and Singapore math. I have given my boys placement tests for both. Teaching Textbooks would be an excellent choice for my oldest son's learning style. He tested in for the Math 4 level. My only reservation is that I keep reading that it isn't a thorough or rigorous math program and my son's future dreams require strong math skills. His placement test would put him in the Singapore 2A level at the start of 3rd grade.

     

    My younger son took the Singapore placement test and would start at the 1B level at the start of 1st grade. He wanted to do the Teaching Textbooks so bad though. I gave him the test for the Math 3 level and he didn't come close to passing. Should I just stick with the curriculum we are using now and move on to Teaching Textbooks a year from now?

     

    Advice?

    Phonics recommendation

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I am looking for a phonics program for my son that is not integrated with readers. My son has completed ETC through book 3 and reads books on a 2nd grade level without difficulty. I was thinking of ETC online, but I was wondering what else there is out there. His phonics skills are lower than his reading comprehension.

     

    Thanks for any suggestions!

    How much time do you spend preparing in the evenings?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Once I am all set for the school year (planning wise) it takes about an hour a week to just go over what we will do and see if there are any supplies I need. It does take literally over 100 hours of planning time to get all set for the school year though since I put together a lot of my own studies. I am currently in the planning process and it takes up most of my evenings.

     

    I don't grade right now, but I do look over my boy's work usually right after they have completed it and go over it with them.

    What my kids are doing in the Fall. (Grades 7, 5, 1)

    in Accelerated Learner Board

    Posted · Edited by Wehomeschool
    Made it easier to read

    I will have a 1st grader and a 3rd grader. Unless otherwise noted the things listed are for both my boys. Planning is still in progress.

     

    Bible and Missions:

     

    We will be looking in depth at the types and shadows found in the old covenant as well as reading 10 biographies of well-known missionaries in Asia. We will continue with praise and worship time, memory work, and practice looking up Bible texts.

     

    History and Geography:

     

    We will be looking in depth at ancient cultures around the globe up until the time of ancient Rome using living books and activities.

    We will do a general overview of the plight of children around the world before continuing to an in depth study of India, Thailand, and China using living books and activities.

    Map reading: Informal activities to learn how to read maps and atlases.

     

    Math:

     

    The boys will continue with their math studies. We plan to use Singapore math as well as supplements. Since we are switching from another curriculum, the levels will be determined when they test at the end of this school year. Likely 2A or 2B for 1st grader and 3A for the 3rd grader.

     

    Language Arts

     

    Literature: My third grader will listen to classic read alouds. Our tentative list is Kim, Ben Hur, Moby Dick, Helen Keller Story of My Life, Huckleberry Finn, Ring of Bright Water, The Prince and the Pauper, and Up From Slavery. My first grader will listen to a large amount of picture books as well as chapter books like Just So Stories, Wind in the Willows, Lassie Come Home, Heidi, and James and the Giant Peach.

     

    Reading: My third grader will read Alice in Wonderland, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, The Hobbit, A Christmas Carol, The Pearl, The Invisible Man, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Ben Hur. My first grader will continue with Sonlight grade 2 readers and then move on to chapter books like My Father's Dragon.

     

    Spelling: 3rd grader Finish Sequential Spelling 1 and move on to Sequential Spelling 2

     

    Handwriting: 3rd grader Italic Level D, 1st grader Italic Level C

     

    Vocabulary: Rummy Roots

     

    Phonics: 1st grader will complete Explode the Code online

     

    Michael Clay Thompson Language Arts program: 3rd grader Island level

     

    Informal language arts: 1st grader (blogging, silent reading) Since my first grader loves to write I will give him more time for blogging and reading books of interest. I'll wait till second grade before I start grammar. Rummy Roots will likely be played too.

     

    Science:

     

    We will look in depth at cells, the human body, genetics and microbiology related to human diseases using living books and experiments. The third grader and first grader will look at the same topic, but with different depth and resources. The third grader will also continue with his online astronomy course from a university in Michigan as well as his independent studies online.

     

    Art:

     

    We will look at five different artists and their work as well as have time for free expression.

     

    Music:

     

    We will start guitar lessons and continue with music theory using Music Ace. We will also look at the music of five classical musicians as well as five modern musicians or musical groups.

     

    Foreign Languages

    Mandarin: Continue with Rosetta Stone Mandarin and start Chinese Made Easy for Kids

    Greek: Hey Andrew Teach Me Some Greek Level 2

    Arabic: Continue with Alif Baa

    French: Nallenart L’Art de Lire Level 1

    Living internationally as a child

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Never underestimate how important your response, as a parent and individual, is when living overseas. Much of how your children view life overseas will depend on how you react.

     

    Good point. I'm sure that makes a big difference.

     

    There is another interesting study of TCKs. It focuses primarily on the assumed need for repatriation.

     

    http://www.smith.edu/newsoffice/releases/NewsOffice09-034.html

     

    Thanks for the link. That was interesting. We don't forsee moving back to North America either for short stays or long term. If we move we will probably not come back unless visiting.

    Staying away from Christian science curriculum

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I can't imagine studying science without the Creator being involved in that study!

     

    You don't need a curriculum by a Christian publisher to include the Creator. It is hard to not include Him when He lives in you.

     

    On a side note - my son is a science nut, but has been exposed to secular materials most of his life. Just recently he came to me to discuss dating issues he encountered in his independent studies. We allow for possibilities and discuss them, but don't come out of it having a set viewpoint. Openmindedness, I believe, is crucial. But I bring it all back to the first verse in the Bible. In the beginning God created... Do when know when the beginning was for sure? Science is full of theories and the Bible doesn't spell that out, but in the beginning God did it. There is still so much unknown. I think one day it will all make sense, but that will likely be after listening to the Creator explain it.

    Banking issue -- I am sick to my stomach over this

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    You're panicing for nothing!! Pending charges have NOT come out of your account and will NOT cause anything to bounce. Take a deep breath and relax! You're fine. Until the company processes the charge through their bank, it then goes to Fed Reserve and then to your bank it won't be taken out of your account. Both pendings with fall off tonight and the one right charge will go through. Debts are NOT instant transactions everthing still has to go through the Federal Reserve.

     

     

    I agree. Also, the company that you purchased the item from can fax a letter to your bank on company stationary that says that only one charge will go through and the bank will take off that pending charge.

     

    This kind of thing happens all the time.

    If you're 100% committed to homeschooling . . .

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I think I'm pretty committed to homeschooling, but if dh lost his job, and I could find one, I think I'd leave the homeschooling to him until he found work. But I think there are moms out there who feel their first obligation is to the children, and they would wait for dh to find work. I respect that kind of commitment, but I don't think I have it. If you do, can you explain it?

     

    We had a situation somewhat like that. I could have gone and found a job pretty easily. Instead, we moved to a different country where dh found a job.

     

    I love teaching my kids. My dh doesn't want to homeschool them. That makes the choice easy.

     

    I wouldn't call it sacred or like a marriage though. We have sacrificed much to be able to do it though, but I have no regrets.

    s/o Strong Marriage thread. Am I the only one who doesn't need dates?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    My dh and I hang out together a lot after the kids go to bed. I haven't used a babysitter so when we go out to celebrate an anniversary or whatnot the kids come too. That is fine with me and with my dh. But we do have "date" nights where we set aside 1-2 nights a week where we do things together and focus our attention on each other. Our non-date nights aren't spent apart or not talking, but they aren't focused attention.

    Staying away from Christian science curriculum

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Do any Christians here elect to stay away from Christian science curriculum? We have heard the stories or witnessed it for ourselves about how the Christian goes to college and starts to doubt his faith due to science classes. So why would staying away from Christian science curriculum help? My theory is that if a child has exposure to mainstream science his whole life there won't be surprises in college.

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