AngelaC
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Posts posted by AngelaC
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Rainbow Science is great for Jr. High, but I agree, there are better choices for HS.
I think it would be hard to bulk up Rainbow Science for a high schooler. It does cover a lot, but the format is a bit on the young side. Each lesson is about two pages of reading, then you do an experiment.
I do wonder, though, if you had a younger HS'er, you could do both levels of Rainbow in a year? Just a thought.
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We do mostly Apologia in our home, BUT I won't do the General Science anymore. It is just a bit hard to slog through for a 7th grader or so.
We do Rainbow science in the 6th-8th grade. Apologia for Physical Science on up . . .
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Ours is going to help pay for a pedal harp.
We'll have beautiful music! It will help offset the banging of the piano keys around here.
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There have been so many good ones this year.
Favorites:
Detectives in Togas, Roman Ransom Henry Winterfield (boys love these!)
The Treasure Seekers Edith Nesbit
A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle
The Golden Goblet Eloise Jarvis McGraw
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
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Some of my favorites:
SOTW audiobooks--the books, too. We just cycle around and use them again and again.
First Language Lessons
Videotext Algebra--it is pricey, but I now have a third child going through this set--I also bought these when they ONLY sold videos, but I'm not selling!
We have a nice library of Usborne books--science, history, etc. which we have literally worn out and bought new ones to replace.
Our fiction library grows each year. I wouldn't part with them for anything. Some of these books have also been replaced because they were simply worn out.
Rod and Staff Grammar. While we don't use these each year, they are a solid, steady set we've used a lot.
Audiobooks are wonderful.
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Our family has done the four year cycle--mostly. We are on our third or so rotation and what I like about doing this is that it limits my choices each year. I don't have to "choose" what time period we are doing, I just simply do the next rotation. It makes going to conventions a lot easier.
We have veered off "schedule" a couple of times. A couple of years ago, for example, most of my kids did Sonlight 5. This past year, we just picked up where we were and moved on.
I'm not rigid or anything, it has just made life a little simpler for me around this time of year when I am hunting for books for the following year.
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This is so helpful. I like it that you all seem to agree:
1) It does take time at first to get it ready and
2) It really does only take 15-20 minutes per day
Thanks for your help. I am going to now immerse myself in that website . . .
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Holly,
I feel your pain:)
If you want to do Latin, you could wait until they are older and have both of them do The Latin Road to English Grammar (or another program) at the same time. This would mean waiting until your youngest is in the 4th or 5th grade. What I love about TLREG is that you do it along with them. ARg. It hurts my brain! It will seem easier when both your children are a little older and have more similar abilities. A three year age span when they are young is more pronounced in their abilities.
Another suggestion might be to stick with a program BUT do it much, much slower. Then when they are older and move into an advanced text, they are familiar with the basics. Perhaps only two or three days a week. You are doing some heavy programs right now and this would give you a chance to breathe.
Perhaps, if you really want to do Latin (or Greek) you could readjust your other school and do "easier" courses and add your language. That way, your whole day isn't one big brain buster.
I'm sure you've thought of this, but you could also find a tutor for them.
Last suggestion: do another language . . .i.e. Spanish and learn some Latin/Greek roots from a vocabulary program.
Part of the frustration of teaching our children differently than we were taught is that, well, we've never done it before. And adding to that, we are teaching our children different subjects also. Most of us have had NO prior knowledge of Latin. And Latin is no joke. It is hard.
Honestly, I have used several programs and in our family, the trick has been for me to sit right beside them learning it with them. We have had some great years learning Latin and some years we didn't touch Latin at all, and you know what I had to accept? Life went on. I know, I'm kinda slow:)
Be encouraged.
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For those of you who've used this, it looks so time intense for the parent. I have a child that just doesn't get any spelling program we've used (and we've used a bunch!) but before I go and buy yet another one, I want to know just what I'm getting myself into!
I try to train my children to work independently as they get older, but for this child, it is time to put some extra time into spelling.
Their website indicates that 15-20 minutes a day is about average. Would you agree with this?
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While I love the idea of ONLY reading the unabridged version, it is nearly impossible to expect a young reader to read some of the great books. However, it seems a shame not to let them "read" some of the great stories for themselves. Even if they are adaptations.
What I have found is that when my young reader reads an adaptation they have a pretty good idea of what the book is about. This fits in nicely with the grammar stage. The "what".
Then when they are expected to read the unabridged version, they are not intimidated and I find they "get" the story.
This year we are studying Ancients. My 13ds read The Odyssey. He had absolutely no problems reading it. I believe in part, it was because when he was eight years old we studied Ancients and he read a children's adaptation. He looked forward to reading the real story.
In fact, I have been known to read a child's version or two of Shakespeare . . . THEN read the play! I found when I understood the gist of the story, I could fumble through the unabridged version and understand what was going on.
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What about just buying the SL guide, and the spines and using the library for the rest? I know this is a pain to do, but it would save money!
I've used SL a couple of years now and keep all my books in excellent shape. Then I turn around and sell the complete program. I sold my Core 5 last year for nearly what I paid for it new.
Another idea is to do what some above have suggested. Use SOTW as your spine then use the library for your readers/read alouds. Again, this is a pain to do, but it really does save you money. The advantage for doing this is you can pick out your own readers/read alouds.
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My 8th grade ds just finished CT 1 and has begun CT 2. It IS geared for a classroom setting. It is doable, though, to use in a homeschool setting. You just have to teach your child to ignore the classroom exercises!
There really aren't that many options for younger students, I'm afraid.
In fact, 10 yrs. seems a little young for the CT books (unless you are going through them with him). You could consider some of the pre-logic type books like the Mind Bender series. Just a thought.
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I've used this with two of my boys right now. It is really great for boys who dislike workbooks/writing. I feel they grasp the concepts without all the writing of other programs. Also, I ease them into writing by gradually asking more from them over time.
I have used many, many language programs through the years, and this is my favorite by FAR.
This is an incredibly flexible book that has worked well in our house.
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Honestly, you can do it so cheap if you have the time to hunt down materials and are creative. I'm not:)
Here is what my dd's school cost us this year (costs are estimates and are as accurate as my brain can be)
Literature: $00. At the beginning of the year, we made a booklist and if we do not have the book on our shelf, she gets it from the library. She writes each week about the book she is reading. She reads so much.
Science: $150 Apologia Adv. Biology. This costs more than some of the other books in the series because of the lab cost.
Math: $00 Chalkdust Geometry. I already owned this from my older son. I bought it used for around $100.
Latin: $200. Latin Road to English Grammar.
Spanish: $250 Rosetta Stone
History: $50 Assortment of books we've picked up. Spielvogle and BJUP World History as spines.
I think that is all. I try to buy books that more than one child can use. For example, when my 13 yo does Spanish, I won't pay a dime more. So for the year, I spent around $600 on her (not counting the Geometry that was already paid for).
If you are trying to watch your $$, I would suggest not outsourcing anything. Not always, but usually they are much more expensive. If you can afford them, go for it! We splurge on music lessons, but if you add them into the cost for school, you'd be talking another $500-$1000 more or less.
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Veritas Press comes to mind also. For history, they Veritas Press Guides for the younger set as well as Omnibus for older ones.
Greenleaf Press carries the Famous Men of series. I don't know if they still have a print catalog or not, but they used to have a great catalog.
Sonlight curriculum pulls together a history program using books and materials from all over. They come at it with a Christian perspective as well. They are not publishers of textbooks, though.
There is a sweet science program I have used. It is called Considering God's Creation. This would be for younger children. This is published by Eagles' Wings.
Rainbow Science has a wonderful science textbook for jr. high. You order an entire kit to go with this for your experiments.
The Mystery of History is a history curriculum published by Bright Ideas Press.
There is so much out there! Have fun hunting them all down.
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Yes, this one is definitely weirder. Darker? I'm not sure. Perhaps it may seem darker just because the old one looks so dated. Therefore making it look a little goofy when you watch it today.
However, the what bugged me the most watching this was . . . Johnny Depp's HAIR!!! I mean, who decided to give him a pageboy anyway?
Wow, was that ever bad.
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I agree with the above: take out the tomatoes. OR . . .
You know, you could just have a huge "salad" meal. Perhaps add taco meat or chicken or something. That way you don't have to worry about it going bad.
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We do bean burritos every Monday lunch.
Just today I was telling my dd that we need to find another meal for every week. It is wonderful waking up Monday morning and always knowing what we'll have for lunch.
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I've only ordered once, but was very, very pleased. I bought something on sale and also had free shipping. Shipping time was fast as well.
Amazon is very reliable.
It was strange getting food delivered via UPS!
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Just to add a money saving idea:
I don't know where you live, but we have a nice sized yard and in the summer my daughter puts hers outside right on the ground with those big wire grids from Target over the top of them. They really seem to enjoy the fresh air and they eat the grass. You'll have to move them frequently or the grass under them will get eaten clear down to the ground.
Also, they love grass and if they have access to fresh grass there is no need to supplement with fresh veggies. Even if they aren't outside on the ground my kids will bring in handfulls of grass every day. You can do this the whole season that the grass is growing.
We've enjoyed having pigs around. I hope you do too.
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ACK!!! Ebay strike??!!
I LOVE Ebay! I usually just buy, but I sell a bunch of school things every summer.
I need to look into this . . .
My world is crumbling:D
(But my husband will be estatic)
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Janna and all,
What I would have given to have all this GREAT advice ten years ago:)
Somewhere a long time ago I did laundry once a week. Then came children. I began to do it twice. More children. . . .
I finally figured out the washing machine works each and every day. (I was kind of slow). Laundry became an ongoing chore.
It sounds like you are having growing pains. Time to add more wash days, perhaps.
Also, if you can, put the dirty clothes near the washing machine. An older child can have the chore of collecting each day, or something like that.
Some good advice I got when the laundry threatened my life was to always put in a load before bedtime. In other words, don't wait for the laundry to pile up. Do it daily. Like you do with the dishes.
Someone above also mentioned wearing clothes more than one day. That in itself can cut your laundry in HALF!!!
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I tried to use EZ with one of my children and they never got it . . . so I used something else. Then I never seemed to go back to EZ (I don't recall why). Anyway, perhaps another program may help this child click it all together?
It sounds like your daughter has it figured out, but just doesn't have it mastered yet. I mean, she knows that the sounds are supposed to "go" together, right? One day it will all snap into place and the lightbulb will turn on:)
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Latin Road to English Grammar
I like it because it goes at a slower pace. You get through two years of high school Latin in three years.
IMHO this makes it easier to use for younger ones. Also, if they've already done Latina or another elementary program, the first few chapters are nice and easy. The only thing I've found a bit difficult for younger ones for this program is that it involves a lot of copying, something my younger boys were never crazy about.
Hope this helps. At least it will give you another choice!
Time for Mom to Learn Latin, What to Do?
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
I have been "doing" the Latin Road to English Grammar and many different elementary programs for years. I'm not sure if I'll ever be done! I don't do it by myself, I work along with the child.
I will say that it gets easier each year. I can now confidently get each child through a year of high school Latin (about the middle of book two in LREG), but after that . . . it is still fuzzy.
My goal is to know enough to help get any grandchildren through two years of Latin. Maybe by then, I'll be ready. Hmmm . . .