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wehave8

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Posts posted by wehave8

  1. is the training necassary? 

     

    I did some IEW with my older dd years ago.  I don't remember doing a SWI.  I think we only went by the TWSS together.

    Then I just purchased again for my 10, 12, & 14 year old boys.  I got them the SWI B and the TWSS for me.  We were all watching our parts of the program.  I really don't know if you can do the SWI without the TWSS.  I didn't do it enough to find out.

    I hope someone more experienced in it chimes in.  I know they're out there!  :)

     

    Pam

    • Like 1
  2. If I has to choose one of the two, I’d go with Essentials in Writing. Why? Price, easy to use, aligns with expectations for ACT & SAT, includes short videos that teach, has option for grading.

     

    Having said that, I’ve used both and now use neither.

     

    Sorry. I just realized this thread was resurrected and is old😊

    I resurrected it.  :)

     

    So did you think IEW was not easy to use?  In what ways?  What was different about it's alignment for ACT & SAT?

     

     

    Pam

  3. We got about half way through SWI B with ease. The checklist then started to become tedious and life had some hiccups...which just led me to feel very behind.  So, I did end up returning it. After that I essentially created my own writing projects and the skills from IEW actually stuck!   Do I understand this!

     

    This year my oldest is using EIW 9. It is definitely a more independent program. And it's a program that isn't designed to fill a whole year which makes it no pressure to slug through. My son prefers it....because it's easier. But I don't think he's really learned anything. And his writing has seemed to take a step BACKWARDS. In between essay units from EIW, I've been essentially reteaching them myself using the principles from IEW and his writing is far and away better when we do it this way.

    This does not sound good.  :(

     

    I don't regret using EIW this year, because I really did NEED something less intensive for me right now. Also, if we had never tried it, I would always have wondered. ;)  That being said, I have already purchased SWI C for next year.

     

    Hope that helps a bit.

     

    (My other child that I used IEW with before is using Good and the Beautiful Language arts and loathes it, BUT she told me that if I made her switch curricula again mid year, she'd lose her mind.)   Mine have promised a revolt here for this, too!

     

    Such a lot to think about.

    I might still go with it for the 'no pressure' right now, and see how it goes.  

    Thanks for sharing.

     

    Pam

    • Like 1
  4. Well, after agonizing over this for well over a month, I believe I'll be going with IEW. I've been listening to some of the free seminars by Andrew Pudewa and I'm sold. My ISTJ self feels like I may actually be able to teach writing in this may.

    I'm thinking SWI-B would work for my 5th and 7th graders. My daughter is almost 11, so she's an older 5th grader and writing is her strength. My son's weakness is writing, so I think placing them together would work for this subject. 

     

    Thoughts are still welcome.

     

    How did it go with IEW?

     

    Looks like you are using EIW now.

     

    Can you do a comparison?

     

     

    Pam

  5. I used the original Writing Strands for my Adhd dd who loves to write and for Ds who hated to write. They both liked WS and are both now good writers as adults. I loved the program.

     

    Thanks for chiming in.  Love to hear success stories!!

     

    Pam

  6. I am holding on to my original.  We do use them here and there.  I have Cassette tapes of Dave Marks 'teaching' levels 1-4.  I know level 1 still has a cassette tape with it (probably CD now :) ), but I don't see anywhere where you can get levels 2-4 anymore.  I had thought of selling them, but there are just some things I can't part with.  :)

     

    Pam

    • Like 2
  7. My oldest is going to be starting Big Book 2 in the fall.  I'm working out a schedule now.  I'm planning on BB2 taking us two years.  I'm hoping to get as close as I can to a four day/week schedule but there is a lot more content in BB2.  If anyone needs a sample schedule as a starting point for BB2, let me know and I'll post it when I finish.

    Thank you for sharing your schedules!

     

    Pam

  8. I used Sonlight 100 with one of mine, but got bogged down in the endless notes on Hakim. So much that for the other, I subbed in Notgrass for a spine but still used SL 100 lit for my dd. Notgrass is "okay" but not as interesting--if I had it to do again, I'd go back to SL 100 and probably either significantly cut the notes or drop them completely. We enjoyed the variety of other books. I did add in a couple of higher level books based on interest (The Scarlet Letter which SL schedules later, Christy, my son read Red Badge of Courage I remember--my dd wouldn't have been interested but I knew he would be. When my dd did US history, my oldest was doing Sonlight 430 literature with Notgrass Government--which I do like--and I read some meatier books out loud like Huck Finn and My Antonia...) So, I was kind of eclectic but mostly followed Sonlight with a few twists based on my desires, their ages, their interests...

     

    Not sure if that helps!

    So MOH III & IV are not accepted as American History because they are about the world chronologically and specifically American History?

     

    Pam 

  9. Or anyone else.

     

    I am thinking ahead.

    We will be ready for American History next year.  I was thinking of MOH for our to be 8th & 9th graders, but I've read that you'd have to do another in depth study of American History if you go that route.

     

    What did you do?

     

    Pam

  10. NOPE!  Not gong to happen!

     

    How much time would it take to do SOTW (we do have the audio) and pick and choose AG pages for 10 year old?

    AND

    MP Famous Men with Miller's Story of the Middle Ages with older 2 (12 & 14)?  I am thinking The Book of the Middle Ages by Mills would be a little harder? 

     

    Could these be done in 30 min./day, I could alternate helping them with Math or Lit., which they are good at doing more independently.  (The 2 older boys do the same EIL and read and discuss together.) 

     

    We can choose from any of the books I already have from Biblioplan and read at our own pace, not worrying about the time frame or 'blocks' to check off.  I read out loud to everyone at night.

     

    Does this sound do-able?

    OR

    What would you change?

     

     

    Pam

     

     

    • Like 1
  11. For mine, it ALWAYS worked to make them 'say' the sound as you write it, and when reading it say it out loud.  When they say the sound /b/ their lips make a line-- the line comes first.  When they say the sound /d/ their tongue is curved in their mouth-- the curve comes first.  Our boys never had a problem after that lesson.

     

     

    Pam

    • Like 4
  12. I just want to encourage you - Biblioplan is designed to be pick and choose, NOT do it all.  That's one of the things I love about it.  It's okay to keep it streamlined and simple.  Find the level of work that you can manage, and help your children learn that well.  If you do that, it will likely be more than enough.  A little bit at a time, done consistently, adds up to a lot!

    This is so true with a lot in school/life!

     

     

    Pam

    • Like 1
  13. OKAY!

    I've had a restful weekend.

     

    I listed all of my options and looked at what I have on hand and samples I could view.

    I had already printed out notebooks for the 3 boys of the Biblioplan pages (Cool History, Maps, Timelines and Giants of the Faith) with nice dividers for each unit.  I have all of the extra reading books we planned to use.  It looked all so overwhelming.  Then I 'searched the Hive'  :)  I found how others use BP.  I saw some daily and weekly schedules.  I looked at one week of the Family Guide.  And it didn't look as bad as I saw it during my panic attack.

     

    We are going to give it a shot this week and see what happens.  I was seeing that putting my own ideas together could be worse than 'checking off a box' that is already planned out.  I just need to be able to know my limits and leave out what doesn't fit into our busy life.  With farming, family (including 19 grandchildren :) ), hunting, home business, church, school, working at a horse ranch..........SO MUCH TO DO!!!  :)  We are trying to fit all of our other subjects in, too.  I get them all up at 6 and the day flies from there!

     

    I'll try to report back next week....  

     

    Pam

    • Like 3
  14. I have read some differences about the actual texts, but which GUIDES do you prefer for 7th-8th grade?

    (thinking about Middle Ages right now)

     

    I know Greenleaf does not have an answer key, but are the open ended questions better for discussion than using MP Guides with answers, which I have read are just fact questions/answers?

     

    Pam

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