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In2why

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Everything posted by In2why

  1. We are in the same boat. There is almost too many good options. I am having a hard time deciding between AAS, and Writing Road to Reading....which is also a spelling program. But my son loves Spelling Workout books so they are in contention. Of course my DS is going into 2nd so it isn't quite the same since more phonics can never be bad at this age. Oh and did I mention how much Sequential Spelling attracts me? (grin)
  2. I am currently using FLL with our son 6.5. I am bored with the repetition, and I am not thrilled with the selections she uses for narratives and/or memorizations. I have looked at Primary Language Lessons online and I am wondering if they are basically the exact same type of grammar program? If you used Primary Language Lessons or First Language Lessons would you still use Writing with Ease? Is Writing with Ease basically a written grammar program? I am trying to figure out next year and right now I like too many things and need to narrow it down. I am basically trying to decide between my spelling anf Grammar programs and some of them overlap quite a bit.
  3. I LOVE the idea of it.....I hate the price of it (sigh)
  4. This is my favorite source for free classics. I load them on my MP3 players. My only hesitation is that I choose the "readers". My kids have a really hard time comprehending the readings if the person has an accent, so I pre-listen to choose the version I think is best.
  5. I would NOT pay for any program needed to download the books. There are too many free options out there. I am pretty sure that Quicktime as a free version as well that you can use without the bells and whistles.
  6. Reading every night before bed just evolved. He must be quiet and there wasn't anything else to do lol....so he reads. He can read anything he wants or not read at all and just sleep. I think that if there are good books, the family reads, and the TV is off a child will learn to love to read. That is my goal for the kids. I try to make sure that fun reading and assigned reading are not in the same time frames and don't feel forced. I would hate for reading to feel like a chore or something to resent.
  7. We school 4 days a week. The 5th day...usually Friday is library day or field trips. Although we do some type of reading 7 days a week, I wouldn't consider that learning/teaching, just life.
  8. I am a huge fan of Saxon Math. It can seem repetitive but when done a child knows math. My son is using Saxon 1 and we skip some things. So far as manipulatives I have the unifix cubes, I made my own money segments with real coins, and I have thrift shops clocks that he sets. When he has the lesson down we usually skip the busy work knowing that more review is coming :). I love reading homeschool boards. The only negative is that it can make you question your choices when you read someone else having great results. I have to remind myself that what I am doing it working great for my child, and to leave it alone unless that changes lol. I am like a kid in a candy store when it comes to curriculum....I want it all!!!
  9. I confess I haven't read all 17 pages yet. But a few thoughts as I read..... I think feeling useful and needed is more important that just being given jobs to do to keep busy. In the 1700's and until recently every child contributed to the family in a meaningful way. If a job didn't get done it could mean not eating or something equally important to the family's survival. Most of us no longer have that type of situation. For young males I am a HUGE proponent of scouts. They learn useful life skills which can mean the difference between comfort and logical consequences. As for adult children leaving home as a sign of maturity, I am not so sure. Most families had lots of land and the adult children settled on family land and worked in family created industry. Children lived at home until they married. Another dynamic that is hard to recreate. Sadly not all of our children are going to be the Jeffersons, Adams, or Washington's. Some of them will carry their bags. Just like there were men of thier times then, there will be men and women of the times now.
  10. We use Phonic Pathways and we go over the new rule and page/pages each day for about 20 minutes. 2 or 3 times a week we study sight words using either flashcards or magnetic letter/s. We also use Raz books on computer where he reads guided level books and then takes a comprehension quiz on each book. Every night he reads a few early reader books as he can extend his bed time as long as he is reading. I would say we average about 30 minutes of direct instruction and about 45 minutes of independent reading. That doesn't include narration where I read Story of the World, or we listen to livingbooks either on MP3 or books on tape while we do other things like ride in the car, work with clay, color, or what not.
  11. Most of the Classics are in the public domain so you can download the MP3s of them for free. Just google classic read alouds and a few options will come up. We have all of Beatrix Potter Rudyard Kiplings Just so stories and the Jungle book Dr. Doolittle Aesops tales Alice and Wonderland and many more wonderful options.
  12. I also like Donna Young homeschool forms. They are free and there are so many that it is easy to find something you can use. I use the 9 week planning sheet to get an idea of what I want to get done....then I break it down into weekly lesson plans. I only do this for our core....Reading, Grammar, Math, Science, and History. I don't always follow it totally and change what isn't working but if I don't put my goals in writing it is too easy to fall behind and before I know it the year is gone.
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