Jump to content

Menu

sandra in va

Members
  • Posts

    616
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by sandra in va

  1. Thanks everyone for posting!  So helpful to see what others are doing. Here are my plans for next year’s 4th grader-

    LA - rod and staff 4, Sonlight D readers for lit, spelling workout e, had planned on continuing with IEW- but may change 

    math- RIght start E

    science - RSO physics and apologia astronomy?

    History- sotw3/American history focus, read alouds from sonlight D

    Bible - VPSP Gospels

    Languages - Latina Christiana 1, Hey Andrew Teach Me Some Greek level 3

    Morning Time - rotating through - grapevine Bible, poetry memorization, renaissance artists, mindbenders, fairy tales, kings/queens of England, and whatever else we want to do

    Extras - violin private lessons, swimming, cooking and geography at co-op

     

  2. On 5/30/2018 at 4:58 PM, Heidi said:

    My upcoming third grader is reading at a first grade level. His siblings all made it into a rigorous charter school, but they wouldn't take him. So I get to focus just on him this year and get him tested into 4th grade next year at the charter school.  Can we do it? I sure hope so.

     

    I hope so, too!!  I have one that has had challenges and it is so hard.  I had to hold her back one year and that has helped.  So maybe if 4th grade next year isn't the best fit - 3rd grade again?  

    • Like 1
  3. As of right now...(updated)

    Bible - VPSP Joshua-Kings
    Math - Finished Saxon 1-3, switching to something....Considering RS D, SM 3, or BA - picked Right Start D!
    LA - SWO D, R&S 3, IEW ATFF/Journaling, ZB 4, Sonlight Readers (grade 4/5), Reason for Handwriting C 
    History - SOTW 2, Sonlight C, CC timeline
    Science - ES Chem
    Foreign Lang - Hey Andrew! Greek Level 1 and continuing from this year: Prima Latina and Song School Spanish 

    Hope to add in - a CM enrichment time inc: Scripture memory, poetry, art, and character training

    Violin, Baseball, Basketball, co-op 2x a month

  4. I'm asking myself the same question right now for my rising 2nd grader!  We used Sonlight B and C years ago and those cores spread out CHOW over two years adding in extras.  It seemed like a good fit at the time.  The kids and I enjoyed it.  We've really enjoyed the pace of BF Early American this year and would like to continue with  something like this (reading great books, narrating, and notebooking).  I am wondering whether I can use CHOW as a spine and just add in extra books like you were saying - I just don't want to do the planning.   ;)

  5.  

     

    I've looked at the history selections in Sonlight, MFW and HOD. All I need is history, though, not a whole program. Of those 3, when looking at samples of books, I love the history books used by HOD for both Beyond (CLP's American Pioneers & Patriots and Stories of the Pilgrims plus others) and Bigger (2 Eggleston books plus a couple of others). I also like the Miers book called A Child's First Book of American History. My personality is "just read the next chapter" not detailed planning. Can I do that with the HOD history book selections? Some of the smaller books will get read throughout the year and be interspersed with the spine. Would I be better to buy one of the HOD guides and just follow the history to keep it chronological?

     

    For next year, I'd like to work on my daughter narrating what she reads and what I read aloud. I'd like to do American history. I need a spine but like narrative over facts. And I will need to supply my daughter with lots to read. She inhales books. And last, I'm not sure if my 5yo DS will join us or not so I don't know if this will end up being family history or individual history.

     

     

    You could easily just get the books and go through them yourselves.  In Beyond, there is some shuffling between the books to keep it chronological - but I don't think it is that hard to figure out - it's mostly the Pioneers and Patriots book that is split up over the year.  Also, there are Bible passages sprinkled throughout the year, too.

     

    Alternatively - we're just using parts of Bigger and Beyond this year (for two different kids), so I think you could easily use the HOD guides as for history alone.  Using HOD's guide would give you a schedule.  There would also be art, activities, and geography to go along with the lessons if you wanted to add something to your reading/narration (it's the box right below the history reading box - alternates history activity, art, science activity, and geography - all related to the reading, takes maybe 10-15 mins.) Since your daughter also likes to read, you could use the emerging reader list and other read aloud lists in the back of the book.   If you go with Beyond, I think a 5 year old would probably enjoy the books and could do whatever activities you choose with his sister.  

     

    You could start without the guide and see how it goes - getting the guide mid-year if you want more structure.  Or you could start with the guide, letting it give you some structure/extra ideas, then ditch it as you feel more comfortable with the books.  I would choose whatever makes you feel more comfortable and what will make it easier for history to happen.   :)

     

    With regard to your daughter's reading - you didn't mention what her reading level is, but as I mentioned above there is a emerging reader list in HOD and read aloud book choices she could read.  If you want books that go along with history, I would take a look at the Sonlight catalog - core D/E for a list of readers that would be more advanced and go along with that time period.

     

    Hope that helps!

  6. My 18 yo son picked Wheaton College (IL).

     

    Major:  English with a writing concentration.  (But also interested in philosophy, gender studies, possibly pre-med.)

     

    Reasons for choosing this major:  Loves to write

     

    Reason for choosing this school: It was between Wheaton and William and Mary.  Ultimately, it came down to how much he liked Wheaton when he visited, and its smaller size.  It seems like he'll have great opportunities to form relationships both with other students and professors there.  Both are great schools;  it was a very tough choice for him.

     
    • Like 20
  7. Hi,

     

    My second oldest just decided on his college choice today (just before the may 1st deadline!)...so I thought it would be fun to go through my youngest's first grade plan for next year. :)

     

    Thanks to all that have shared so far...here's my plan for next year...

     

    Bible tbd

    Saxon 2 with RS card games

    Lots of easy reader books

    AAS 1, Shurley Eng 1, HWT, narration/copy work with sci and history

    Elemental science life

    American history with older kids, curriculum tbd

    Read alouds

    Art/music appreciation, drawing

    memory work

    violin

    dance

  8. We used RS through level E then switched to Chalkdust.  I tried to use the Geometry but we didn't make it very far.  I decided to put my kids in the Basic Math program before PreAlg.   It was a good review and got them used to the textbook method which is very different than RS.   For a student your dc's age, I think doing a combination of Basic Math and the Geometry program would make for a great year.  Then doing PreAlgebra the following year - or mid- year whenever you've finished Basic Math.

     

    Just my 2 cents.  :)

  9. Has anyone done BJU or looked into HOD's new Geography course? I'd love to hear thoughts/reviews on those as well. We were all set to do Ancients again and my 9th grader put the brakes on it. I'm kind of glad though. I need a break from the classical cycle LOL!

    We tried the HOD world geography course with my 8th and 10th graders this year. Made it only a quarter of the way before we got bogged down. Not the program's fault, I just think it wasn't a good fit for our family. There were too many little parts and different activities to do each day. I liked the content, boys enjoyed the books for the most part (didn't really like the geography readers so much). My 11yo dd used HOD CTC and it fit her personality better. She liked the hands-on activities and the multitude of activities. That really isn't my boys' style. If you have any specific questions about the program, I'd be glad to try and help. Just pm me. :)
  10. My 8th grader did MWA with Runkle's this year.  I like the combo.  He does MWA 2 times a week and Runkle's the other days.  We don't do any of the activities in MWA, just the readings and map drawings.  For Runkle's, we only use the text book.  I wish we were able to do the memory work in the supplemental Runkle activity book, but we haven't had time.  We started the year using HOD's World Geography program, but it had too many moving parts, so mid-way, we switched to just MWA and Runkle's.  It's been much easier.

     

  11. I've used MFW Adv, Sonlight D and E, WP American story 1 and 2, and some of HOD bigger.  (not all with the same kid! :))  I think if you are doing this with CC and with a math/science kid, I would use either MFW Adv or Winter Promise American Story 1.  Both would probably be easier than you'd like/need, but you can add more to make it more challenging.  Adding in extra books for readers, esp since your son is an advanced reader.  My kids really enjoyed the Childhood of Famous American biography set.  Sonlight has a great book list in cores D and E, and there is the book basket list at the back of the Adv TM, too.

        

    Some pluses for MFW Adv -  A lot of MFW Adv is in the state study which would go well with CC - aren't the kids memorizing states and capitals?  Also, it covers a little more of American history than WP AS 1 or Sonlight D which are both the first half of a two-year American history course.  WP might be too big of a course - with lots of crafts/hands-on activities, MFW seems more stream-lined and easier to complete in a 4 day week.

     

    As an aside, I am also considering CC (specifically Challenge A) for the first time for next year.  

     

    Best to you in your decision-making!

     

     

  12. Looking for living books...have you considered before five In a row and five in a row? It is one of our favorites and you can do as much or little as you want. We also like sonlight preschool programs - great books.

  13. We've been using the veritas press lit guide this year. It's not the full unit study of prairie primer. It has comprehension questions and some activities. My daughters have made some of the recipes. Probably not what you are looking for, but I wanted to throw it out there as a less-than-perfect option. :)

  14. I'm not following this at all. I don't understand why an A and a gold medal on the NLE doesn't demonstrate that he has mastered the material. Yes, he crammed, but I don't see how he could have earned a gold medal without a solid, foundational knowledge. I also don't understand why a 90 is considered "out of control." He may have had to study even harder the second semester and perhaps he would have dipped to a B. Would earning less than an A for a final grade really have been that bad?

    For us, it really wasn't about the grade but the time involved for the class and that the material in semester 2 builds on semester 1. We decided (maybe incorrectly) to stop the class and continue to work at home, focusing on mastering the material for the exam. He worked hard to study for the exam, however the material covered on the NLE is not representative of the whole of Latin 2 material. For ex, subjunctives aren't covered at all. We tried to continue learning the rest of Latin 2 material at home after the NLE, but I am concerned it still isn't enough to move on to Latin 3. Hth to explain my situation. :)

×
×
  • Create New...