Rosy
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Posts posted by Rosy
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Mine are 7, 6, almost 5 and 3, and we've done it a few different ways. For a while I was just teaching my oldest and would do it while the other kids were resting (we all take a 2 hr. siesta after lunch)...but then I was ready for a rest right when everyone else was waking up!
Then I invested in some table toys and my younger kids would do table time while the oldest was working. We would switch every 15 min. I felt like I was spending more time keeping the 3 younger ones in line than educating my oldest, but she's pretty independent so it worked ok. This was two "school years" ago.
Last year DD7 was reading so she was pretty independent. I never taught my middle two for more than 45 min. at a time, and during those times I'd let my youngest watch PBS, or I'd get out the Little People--sometimes little ones will play longer when their older siblings are busy, I think DD3 liked that she could play however she wanted without anyone making her do it their way!
This year my plan is to have them all together during Bible time and read-alouds, and have coloring books and activity books available while we're doing school, and letting her choose whether she wants to be at the table with us or go play by herself. She's 3 1/2, though, and pretty mellow.
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Not yet ---
When you only get 3 months of sunshine a year, you don't dare waste it!
School will start in September here...:)
Ditto, Beth--and I would use "three months of sunshine" pretty loosely this year!:glare:
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We've done more than one lesson in a day at times--last year I set aside 30 min. for math for DD(7) and we'd do whatever she could accomplish in that time. We also skip lessons if I'm confident she's mastered the concept. We got through Saxon 2 in about 6 months that way. I don't do this with DS(6) though, not yet anyway. I probably wouldn't make a goal of finishing by Christmas, with my kids I try to play it by ear and take as long on each concept as they need, and have the next book waiting when they're done.
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Thanks for the recommendations!
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...for an almost-2nd grader who can read and comprehend books at a 5th/6th grade level but doesn't love to read? She seems to like adventure books, and she likes Magic Treehouse. I have no idea which of the newer kids books are any good (quality-wise) and want her to love reading but without getting hooked on junk food-type books.
Thanks for your help!
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If you're in a HS co-op, I'd love to hear what your favorite classes have been--taught by you or someone else.
We've been going to co-op for 1 1/2 years, my favorite that I've taught was an election class with current events discussions, discussions about the political process and a mock election. We're doing a sequel in the fall which will incorporate debate. Spanish has been a favorite, as well as cooking, and my preschool-aged kids like just about anything I sign them up for. :)
Anyone else?
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My personal feeling is that this book is one of those that is best used in a small group Bible study--where you're able to discuss the principles and how to put them into practice. I did it this way and enjoyed it. The tone came across sort of know-it-all to me and it wasn't something I would ever read for enjoyment, but I thought the content was good.
I've read some great books in the same vein by Elizabeth George. I have friends who have read "that" book and recommended it, I don't think it's for me though. :)
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Thanks, everyone!
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Thanks for the recommendations--I'll definitely be looking into all of them!
We started with Drawing with Children last year, and DD has been relentless in trying to persuade me to art ever since I gave up on it...I'm definitely feeling the need to find something that works for us!
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What do you use that you like? And if it's DWC, can you give me the Dummies version of how you use it? :confused:
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Loving this thread!
Winners:
Saxon 1 & 2
MCP Spelling Workout
Discover 4 Yourself Bible Study series (these are excellent!)
Notebook/encyclopedia approach to learning animals
Honey for a Child's Heart (great book list)
TCR Elections (I did a co-op class based on it, we'll do part 2 in the fall)
Dover Human Anatomy coloring book
Phonics Pathways--love it! DS hates it, but his transition from letter sounds to blending to reading has been much more natural than his older sis
OK:
SOTW (I loved it, but we didn't have enough time to do it consistently...next year should be better with the little kids getting more independent)
Writing Strands
Usborne World History--using it alone got boring
Losers:
Drawing with Children (I'm so with you, Starlashine--the book wasn't enough for me)
TWTM approach to Classical music...just didn't work for my family to sit and listen quietly without doing something else
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Thanks for the responses! I'll probably have her do the tests and see how far we get before she gets to a concept she's unfamiliar with. I like some repetition, but when I looked at 54 it didn't look like there was much that was different than 3, except the different format.
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I would not skip all of 5/4. However, what I did with my son was to let him "test out" of the beginning lessons. The first 40 lessons in any Saxon elementary book will be review. This equates to the first 8 tests. Thus, I gave him those, and, as long as he scored 90% or above he went to the next test. He always tested out of the first 8 tests, but I didn't let him try to do more than that. So, instead of having 120 lessons to do, he only had 80 and we just started in all books at lesson 41. My ds did this through Saxon 7/6 after which we switched to Chalkdust Pre-Algebra. I think Saxon is a great program for elementary, but, depending on the child it can have waaayyy too much review. I also think it needs to be used one grade above the suggested level (we did Saxon 5/4 in 3rd grade, for example). If you felt comfortable you could let her test out of more, but I never wanted to do that. My ds is accelerated enough in math as it is, having just completed Chalkdust Algebra I as a 5th grader.
HTH.
I'm glad you said that...I was considering skipping Saxon 3 and going straight to 5/4, DD is getting tired of "doing things she already knows"...we'll do the tests up to lesson 41 and see if she's adequately challenged from then on.
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I've never been (though I've only been HSing for a couple years). We have a huge one about 15 min. from here, and I wouldn't mind going someday. I'd go this year if I could hear SWB on Friday, but I don't want to bring my kids or hire a sitter, and the Saturday sessions didn't appeal to me. I don't really want to shop there, I have everything I need and feel that buying more books would just complicate my process. I suppose if I'm feeling up to it this year I could just bring the kids and wander a bit.
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DD is finishing 1st grade and has just started Saxon 3. I picked up Saxon 54 at a used curriculum sale and am considering using it instead of Saxon 3. I love Saxon and feel that it's a good fit for my kids so far, but it does get really repetitive and she gets frustrated with that. Thanks for your input!
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Good luck, and stay flexible! I think your plan sounds good, for myself I find that I'm constantly having to tweak my plans as I go. I think at that age, doing as much of his learning from reading and from play as possible is ideal. My tendency is to spend most of my time teaching phonics and a little math, once they're reading independently it makes everything much easier. :)
Have fun!
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We've had this issue with phonics...my daughter went very methodically through learning letter names, then sounds, then blends, then sounding out words. My son is the opposite...it took him forever to learn letter names, but he could hear sounds way better than his sister. We're using Phonics Pathways but we've had to do a lot of skipping around and integrating books he wasn't totally ready for but could struggle through, just to keep things interesting.
All that to say, I agree with the others who have said some kids just don't do mastery the same as others. :)
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I just sold Saxon K, I found it to be too parent-led for us. Saxon 1 starts slow and you can do half a lesson at a time and work through it together if you need to. Saxon has a placement test on their website...you might look it over and see which one looks like it would fit. I've also heard great things about Math-U-See.
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I'm a big fan of the Discover 4 Yourself series by Precept ministries. It's inductive, so they're going straight to God's Word. The books are intended for 3rd-6th grade, and are written a little younger than that, but the content is definitely challenging for any age, especially if the child doesn't have a lot of firsthand experience with reading the Bible. Precept has coordinated these studies with their adult studies too, so your 7th grader could use a 40-minute Study or even a Precept Upon Precept study if she needed something more advanced.
Cost of Homeschooling
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
Last year we spent around $300-400 for the year, including school supplies. But that was for a 1st, K and pre-schooler. This year I actually got a lot of stuff at a used curriculum sale, so I'll probably have spent $120 by the time we start school and then maybe $50 more throughout the year if we finish books, etc. Co-op almost pays for itself for us since I teach, I think I end up spending $100 a semester. Lessons will be where we take a big hit, depending on what we do--I'd like to do swimming for DD7, scouts for DS6 and dance for DD4 and DD3, but we'll see.