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pgr

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Posts posted by pgr

    The Core but not CC?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    :iagree: with all of the above! :)

     

     

    I am currently reading and really liking The Core (our library system did not have a copy; I ended up buying it based on the threads here). However, I don't think CC would be a good fit for our family (and like one PP, I also have a soon-to-be three year old ;) ).

    good intro to MCT and/or JAG/AG?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted · Edited by pgr

    Thank you for all the input - I'm going to give GWG 1/2 a shot and see where it takes us.

     

    Angela - your blog post was especially helpful! Your blog is a wealth of information in general; thank you for sharing!

     

    Heather - your posts are what pushed me in the direction of CW and JAG/AG in the first place! I appreciate your input, and thank you as well for sharing your testing experiences; that has helped me feel more at ease about the whole process.

     

     

    kalanamak - thank you for your description of the differences in the levels - you answered the question I had looking at their samples! I also appreciate the reassurance...

     

    :)

    good intro to MCT and/or JAG/AG?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    It seems I've rethought my entire curriculum before even starting...this is especially true regarding LA.

     

    I believe I'm set as far as literature/reading and spelling go. I'm still thinking through writing, but the approach in WWE makes a lot of sense to me.

     

    I'm stuck as far as grammar goes. I had planned to use English for the Thoughtful Child, but it appears a bit superficial? I am thinking of starting MCT in a year or two, maybe exploring JAG/AG somewhere down the line.

     

    My goal would be to give my DD a gentle introduction to grammar in first grade and then transition to, likely, MCT. What has me concerned is mandated state testing - how do I make sure I'm giving her enough of an introduction? I want to make sure I've prepared her for testing as well.

     

    Any suggestions for something that would fit what I'm looking for? I'm leaning toward GWG. Shurley grammar seems promising, but I don't think I can justify spending that much on grammar alone. I've also looked at CQLA.

     

    Thank you!

    :)

    Can you tell me about Miquon Math?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

     

     

    The Lab Sheet Annotations book is not optional. I would suggest you get the full package of teachers books.

     

    I would also consider starting with Miquon before starting Singapore as that will give a child the concrete>pictoral>abstract build that Singapore advocates (but doesn't actually provide, largely jumping the concrete stage).

     

    Bill

     

     

    I thank you, Bill and Sonja ...my bank account does not ;)

    Can you tell me about Miquon Math?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    May I jump in with a related question?

     

    If planning on using Miquon as a supplement when starting Singapore 1A/1B in first grade this fall, are all the teacher's guides necessary?

     

    I had planned (um, rather, have in my cart at RR...) on getting the Orange book, the Red book, the First Grade Diary, and Cuisenaire rods.

     

    Thank you...

    Can anyone help with K science fair ideas?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    What about magnets? A simple demonstration can be that magnets attract iron. She can make predictions about what items would be magnetic or not. Maybe come to the conclusion that certain items must contain iron???

     

    Another kindy science topic might be determining whether items will sink or float.

     

    When ds was in kindy, he did an awesome show-and-tell with a tornado tube. He showed the class that the water was being held up in the upper bottle by air pressure, and only when the air and water switched places, the water could flow down.

     

    Those are great starting points - thank you! :)

    Can anyone help with K science fair ideas?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Our DD is in Montessori K this year (we'll be starting HS in the fall), and she just brought home a letter today about a science fair.

     

    She needs a simple project that she can demonstrate for the class with minimal teacher help (and no parent). They'd like a hypothesis, prediction, conclusion, etc.

     

    We have three weeks...

     

    Help!?!

    Sick 3 year old.....what does the Hive think?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted · Edited by pgr
    fixed an oops...

    Happy to hear she's feeling better! Stomach bugs are generally caused by viruses, so a fever is quite common, even quite high (FWIW, I work in pediatrics). Do you have any Pedialyte? It's good she's keeping fluids down; small sips frequently tend to stay down better than bigger amounts. Pedialyte is good because it has all the things in it you lose with vomiting/diarrhea. Sprite is definitely better than plain water, though. Is she peeing OK?

     

    I'd make sure everyone in the house washes their hands well! If she's turned the corner and starts to ask for food, I'd stick to something like saltines for now...

     

    Hope she's feeling better soon!

    Math Mammoth users, say it isn't so!

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Thank you, everyone! I believe you are absolutely right, Cindyz, that I will just have to get both. I'll get all of MM in the sale, because that's too good to miss, and get maybe 2a of Singapore. I already have the CWP 1 and we will use CWP no matter what main program we use. I feel much better now...although I somehow just got sucked into spending more money and buying even more curriculum. :001_huh::lol:

     

    This is exactly the decision I have come to after reading all the replies and other threads discussing MM and SM.... of course, the large discount on MM this month is a great incentive as well.

     

    This seems intuitive, but I thought I'd ask anyway- if I end up deciding to use MM as the supplement and not the spine, I assume the light blue series would work just as well as the blue for that purpose?

     

    (*end mini-hijack*)

    Singapore Math ??

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Can I ask why you say this? I'm considering Singapore for my DD for first grade. What do you feel is lacking?

     

    I'd love to hear why you think this! There does seem to be widely varying opinions about HOW to use Singapore (stand alone as in just the workbook/textbook, HIGs or no HIGs, supplemental materials, extra practice, etc. etc.).

     

    It's a question that I have been wanting to ask. WHY so many opinions on HOW to use Singapore and make sure it is effective?

     

     

    I'd love to hear more about this as well, as I'm also consdering for my DD's first grade. It also seems that different people are supplementing with different (types of) materials/methods?

    Does anyone NOT like Math Mammoth??

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I wanted to bump this since there is a big sale on Math Mammoth right now and I am contemplating it. I am currently using CLE and the kids LOVE it, but I am always open to adding in extra for reinforcement.

     

    The question I had was... is Math Mammoth teaching "grammar" style math or is it more of a "logic" stage math with the way it teaches many different ways to look at the problems? Is it concrete enough to be considered "grammar stage" or is it more analytical?

     

     

    I haven't tried MM, so I can't answer your question, but I wanted to share a very similar recent thread (asking about the cons of MM) in case you'd missed it:

     

    http://welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246691

     

    :)

    Is there anyone who found PR didn't work for them?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Just to clarify, my goal was not to deter you from PR in any way. I still think it is a great program. I was just trying to show with my post that the main focus should be in what will work best for each individual child and also what will work for you as the home-teacher. I am linking some threads for you, if you have not come across them already. Just look them over and see what applies to you and your family and hopefully they will help with your decision.

     

    http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232071&highlight=PR+switched

     

    http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220338&highlight=PR+switched

     

    http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209025&highlight=PR+switched

     

    http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156876&highlight=PR+switched

     

    Good luck with whatever you choose :).

     

    Thank you for taking the time to post these links - I had managed to miss a few of those threads!

    Is there anyone who found PR didn't work for them?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    My boy is tactile/ visual and I am worried about messing with a good thing in order to switch also. I have been back and forth on this for next year. I do not resell curricula and so I really have to think twice before jumping into something. I think my main reason for wanting PR has been to fill in my own gaps and to have something that is more integrated compared to what we have been using so far. However, everything we have used so far has worked beautifully because I have focused on using what works best for my son and his learning style. My son reads many levels above his reading level and he is a natural speller.

     

    Another reason why I wanted PR is because I want him to also know the spelling rules, besides just spelling by memory. It was the reason why I bought the WRTR but felt inept in implementing it on my own, dealing with my own personal fears since my family moved back to Europe when I was in elementary school and I finished school there. If I don't conquer this fear soon :tongue_smilie: I will just purchase SWR and then worry about it when it comes time to consider LR. Latin Road is more of a possibility for us in the future than PR right now but only the future will tell where that is concerned.

     

    My advice to the OP is to search the boards for old threads on PR. That was what I did.

     

    My background is similar to yours in that I spent part of my elementary years overseas and have gaps in grammar as a result. Even so, I have always been strong in languages (including things like SAT scores, etc), so I wonder about pushing my own children to drill the rules if they do well with a more gentle approach in that regard.

     

    I should have said in my original post - I've spent the last week going through PR threads. I didn't seem to find more than one person who switched to something else. I hate to beat the PR topic to death, but I still had questions! :blushing:

     

    Thank you for sharing your perspective! :)

    Is there anyone who found PR didn't work for them?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Thank you for all the replies! It looks like it's not just my imagination that most everyone loves PR (and very few dislike it).

     

    Hmmmm. What about the writing part of it? I've heard raves about CW, WWE, CQLA in the writing dept.

     

    Also, for a soon to be first grader that devoured Charlotte's Web over the weekend on her own and makes few spelling mistakes (when writing at an age appropriate level), would I likely quickly progress through PR1?

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