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TracyR

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Everything posted by TracyR

  1. The only thing I liked was when Mr. Bean was on, and the 5 steel Olympic rings. Other then that, total bore. Even the James Bond thing was a little disappointing. Wished they had more James Bond music with it. Bejing was better.
  2. I didn't use it much than for an answer key. I used the DVD's so didn't really need to use the guide. But was glad to have it when I did.
  3. Bummer thought that Latin without Tears would be something I could use. I couldn't never use it , even though its free. I agree, it just looks like a word list and I could see my girls balking at that, I haven't used FFL but have used Prima Latina and Latina Christiana and they are both really good programs. We have no complaints there. Its even better with DVD's because I'm learning right along with them. I know very little Latin at all. So the DVD's are important to me. If your finding mistakes, call or email Memoria Press and let them know so they can make corrections for future users. I wouldn't see it as a loss at all. I have bought some curriculum that I wasn't fond off, sold it and then found it would have been perfect for at least one of my other kids. Ugh. That's another topic of its own.
  4. My daughters have had good retention as well. No complaints here.
  5. I love CLE. I ditched the K12+ math last year with my youngest. It was a total bomb and I was very disappointed in it. CLE math is MUCH better and we're much happier with it.
  6. Thanks for sharing. I've only seen one of their segments on EWTN once, and it was very interesting. I'll have to see what this is.
  7. the minimum we spend is 15 minutes. Some days my girls go into a spelling tangent and want to do it for longer. Either way its one of the best spelling programs I've ever used and worth using. The time goes by fast and you don't really realize how much time you've really spent because the kids are having fun with spelling. We usually do spelling 4 days a week.
  8. In PA , our K12 cybers ( we have a few) are placing by grade level only. They used to do grade assessments then place the kids in the work they needed to be, but not anymore. What you can do is just have him do the assessment tests and if he does have any gaps you can address them. If not then just move on and they will send you out the next level. We did this and I'll admit we spent a lot of time assessing our youngest daughter out that we could have been working on newer things. I know this year after using K12 for a while we're going to do our own thing.
  9. I will say we did enjoy the Song School Latin, but when I looked into the other levels I just was not impressed. The amount of work introduced seemed like to much. The chants were to fast and to cheesy. So I chose Memoria Press's Latina Christiana series and it works well for us.
  10. I'm finishing up the 2nd book of the Hunger Games "Catching Fire" . I've also been on a dystopian kick too. I want to read the third book "Mocking Jay" Then after that , wrap it up with "The Age of Miracles" by Karen Thompson Walker
  11. Because I want to , I can , and I love to teach and be with my children. It fits our family and my daughters love to be homeschooled.
  12. I don't have diverticulitis (anymore) but its not for old people I can assure you. There are children that can have this condition. I was one of them.
  13. I'll have to admit, the program worked really well for us as well. It was a good start to starting to learn to read early that's for sure. I remember seeing the commercials for it for years and never bought it thinking it was a scam. But my 4th child saw the commercials and wanted it more than you could imagine. So for Christmas we bought the cheaper program that had the first four volumes and she LOVED IT! She actually started to learn to read. She is my only one out of the four that has learned to read and is learning to read well. She LOVES books.. even the other day our evaluator loaned us a few of her 1st grade reading books from Abeka and she absolutely adores them, and is reading the for fun because she can read at a much higher level than that. She even has figured out how to phonetically read on her own. We did try 100 EZ lessons before starting Your Baby Can Read and she just couldn't get reading at all. She needed to see and hear, not just hear. Once we got the YBCR program the thing is you have to continue to be consistent with continuing to teach reading. It just doesn't stop after that program. The YBCR is just a start off point and I believe many people think that their children are going to be reading a chapter book after doing YBCR. Not so, and if your dumb enough to believe that , well .... I am an advocate for YBCR, Brillkids, Monkisee, and Glenn Doman etc . They do work and it depends on how much time and effort you truly put into teaching your child to read. You can start teaching them at 3 months but they really won't show much until they are able to do simple signs to show you they know what they know. There are tons of videos online especially those who use Brillkids showing young babies signing what they read, or young children reading. So yes, they can learn to read, and yes a 3 month old can focus on large print. I will say though that YBCR had very poor customer service. Its a great product , but they had very poor customer service. The company could have done more to support those families who have children who have completed the program and wanted to continue on. Not to mention aren't the worst critics those that have NEVER ever used the program before. I can say it does truly work and stand behind it. I'll admit I wished I had known of this when I first had my children it would have made teaching reading to my girls soooooo much easier. But , for now, my youngest is and has been my best reader out of my bunch because I have used these programs.
  14. Christian Book is having free shipping until tomorrow Monday July 23, 2012 until 11:59 pm on orders of $35 or more. code is : 386850 And Alpha Omega on Monday July 23,2012 is having their one day 20% off sale ( hard to get sale) and free shipping on orders over $35. I finally have a little money to spend on curriculum. So wohooo!
  15. Well I see a few problems here. One , you said you put her straight into Level 5. Did she test into this? Because if you did the diagnostic test you would have seen that the metric system in all levels starting in level 107 and beyond. As for the metric system not being taught. I don't agree it shouldn't be taught. First if she were to ever have to go into higher level science starting in Chemistry. Also if she ever wants to go into the medical field they definitely use the metric system. I'm sure there are other working fields that use it too. I agree, no proper math program would NOT teach metric. We are the ONLY country in the world to use inches, feet, yards, Fahrenheit , gallons etc. I was never taught the metric system and when I got into higher science ( which I was good at science) it just floored me and I failed. Even not to recently I met a mom from Macedonia when we were at the Ronald McDonald House , and to have a conversation about temperatures, miles, etc, was very difficult for me because I didn't know how to convert it for her unless I had my computer with me. When my daughter was in the hospital they used the metric system for temperatures and so forth. I even measure medications and measure input and output for my daughter using milliliters. So its used more in everyday life here then you know. I've been trying to make a very concerted effort to learn it , and to make sure my children know it. Otherwise they are at a HUGE disadvantage if they don't learn it. Saxon and every math program I've encountered has taught the metric system. Anyways off my soapbox there, it definitely does not sound like she was put in the right level of math for one and if she is going to attend school I will guarantee it will be in her math at some point, and if they really don't teach it. Well your totally wasting your money.
  16. I know that AAS will be coming out with Level 7 soon ( does anyone know when this will be?) But is there anyone here that has used all six levels? Were your children good spellers in the end? I'm just curious as to where this will lead us. We've been on a two month hiatus having had to take our youngest out of town for surgery this summer. So I was close to finishing Level 1 with my 5 and 9yr old before we had to leave in May. I'll be finishing Level 1 and then get into level 2 with them both. I'm most sure that my 9yr old will work through this quicker than the 5 yr old. I'm hoping this will help with her spelling as she likes to spell how she says words (she has speech issues). But I'm wondering how those that have used all the levels have faired out, or if there is even anyone on here that has actually done all 6 levels yet.
  17. Yes, you would start them at the beginning regardless of their reading level. I would start the 4yr old quite yet. You could always start the 6 and 5 yr old first as you get used to the program then add the 4yr old in later on. I started with my 5yr old first when I got AAS , then added my then 8yr old in towards the end (where she needed to start anyways). This year I will have them starting out with level 2 together then if my 9yr old goes faster she does. But starting with one, then adding the other in helped me get into the groove with AAS.
  18. I always say ' if it ain't broke, don't fix it,'. But that's just me. I never thought of Singapore's teacher's manuals to be anymore helpful than Horizons really. If Horizons works for him, stick with it. There is so much out there that is available to help explain concepts better than just teacher's manuals anymore. My oldest is using the Horizon's Pre Algebra. No, their manual isn't helpful but we just go to Khan Academy and practice new concept there, or go to Youtube. Actually for me its better for me to see and hear than it is to read the instruction anyways. LOL
  19. :iagree: I've used this on and off throughout the years and have never been able to really make it work as a sole curriculum for math. Its worked really great as something to do on the side to break up the monotony of a math program we're already using. I think the reason being is that there is nothing that really takes you step by step on how to teach it. There is the Lab Annotations but its not a teacher's manual in any sense of the word. You really have to understand the methodology behind it for it to make sense. Not saying that there aren't those here that haven't used it with great success. But if Math is not your subject Miquon maybe tough to chizzle through because its not going to make a lick of sense to you. I do agree, not enough math practice. For us it was something fun to use on the side to make math time different, especially on those days where we needed to step back from what we were using.
  20. [quote name=Calming Tea;4108905 The theology in the cartoons is very works oriented' date=' and character based. And girls are often portrayed as helpless stereotypes who sew, wear dresses, plan only to be teachers or moms, and are afraid of things like bugs and snakes. There's an overweight boy named "Pudge"....(need I say more on that?) and the black characters are always seperate from the white ones. (as if their two worlds never meet.) Which I think sends a subtle message I'm not happy with. A steady diet of that in every subject for 12 years is not my cup if tea, but for one or two subjects, it can be easily discussed- my kids discuss all of the cartoons' theology and worldview and are easily able to see the differences from our own.[/quote] I swear the cartoons bother the adults more then the children. :lol: I remember using Ace as a child and never put those things together in my head. Always thought of them as just a cartoon strip and when I got older as a little cheesy but read them anyways. They never made me who I am though as an adult. I don't wear skirts, I never put two and two together about Pudge until I was an adult, and treat everyone with respect. Even my 14 yr old gets a small chuckle out them but its quickly forgotten. Many of the cartoons have very good messages, about treating each other with kindness and respect, helping others and doing what God wants us to do, the right thing.
  21. We've used Ace Paces at home and I like them. Some people don't and that's okay but really they work well for my oldest daughter whom I need to have working more independently and she needs the flashy color to focus on her work. I have always liked their English Paces and Word Building. Their science and history is fine, but I like to supplement with living books that I get from lists like Sonlight and Winter Promise. This has always been a very good mix with us. We did use the Social Studies and Science for their 800 level and my oldest didn't like it as much and wants to try something different with those two subjects. Their math is good if you have a child that does well with mastery math. Some say it works slow , but it does in the earlier years because the pace eventually ramps up by the time you hit the high school years and it all works out in the end. It really does. I like the more independent curriculums like Ace, Alpha Omega and Christian Light. So if your looking for something more independent Ace is a good curriculum. I went to an Ace school and I think I turned out pretty well. Your success and your child's success will depend on your involvement plain and simple. Like I said the only two subjects I found to want to supplement were social studies and science and you can read good books, make lapbooks, watch videos to round it more to make it more interesting. Those two subjects with any curriculum publisher always need to be supplemented in some fashion anyways. I never found a need to supplement the English or Word Building. I don't use their Bible, as they use the King James Version , plus we're Catholic. LOL I will use though what works for our family and Ace has been very helpful when I've needed it. Even my almost 6 yr old seems to want to use Ace this year so I'm thinking about it as she's pretty advanced and Christian Light seems to work well for her , but I think she likes the colorful pictures of Ace though. Some people will say its fill in the blanks. It can be but some children learn best this way. My oldest seems to, and evidently I did as well. I don't feel any stupider for using it.... just kidding. LOL I think its just all about what works best for you and your family.
  22. If you go to the Sonlight website , they sell a manipulatives kit if you want them, honestly you can save the money and make your own. But if money is not an issue then buy it. I'm using Horizon's Pre Algebra with my oldest and she really likes it and I think its very good too. http://www.sonlight.com/horizons-math.html
  23. I know its been mentioned, but I'll put my plug in for All About Spelling as well. I am a natural speller yet have learned quite a bit from it already and we're just finishing up level 1. LOL I've always have just spelled words, but never knew why I spelled them the way I did. I started my youngest with this program this year and its proving to be the right program for her, or she to may just be a natural speller. I will say though she's learning the rules so it doesn't hurt her either way. I plan on using this with my non natural spellers that I have too when we start up back to homeschooling all of the girls again for the upcoming school year. I had always looked at this program and always passed it up because of their price. I'll admit though I wished I hadn't had done that because it really is an excellent spelling program, and I've used many.
  24. Absolutely. We didn't have any bullying problems. But my middle two are just so done with school. They have to finish out the year because we're leaving to go to Cincinnati with our youngest for her surgery next week. So I wouldn't have the time to teach them now. If they were being bullied that would be a different issue. But I guess my point is , my oldest went to private school last year , didn't this year because the school closed their 7th and 8th grades. And my middle two are done after 'serving' two years, and they can't wait to be home. They definitely are way more appreciative of homeschooling now then they ever were. That , I think "the grass is greener on the other side" thinking is now gone. I can't wait to have all my girls home again.
  25. Yes, yes , and yes. Teacher Manuals are mandatory in level 100, and level 200 as well. After that they aren't so mandatory.
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