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Ruthie in MS

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Everything posted by Ruthie in MS

  1. There are some workbooks out there called Theory Time. They are for each grade level. Our violin teacher recommended them and we're learning a lot. They are a bit on the cheesy side but not too bad. Oh, and they also teach piano basics.
  2. I am totally there with you! Dd12 and dd10 just want to get it done. Never mind that I added in learning games and fun literature to accompany the lesson for them to enjoy. Just give them a workbook and tell them which pages to work and they seem happier. Bleh!! I liked school and wished my mother would have been more out of the box with my education. Instead, I was forced to endure a certain boxed curriculum that felt more like punishment for a crime I didn't commit. However, my girls do have outside interests. I keep reminding myself that I've done the best I could to get them excited about their school work and that is just who they are. I can try again with another set of Littles though.
  3. Considering we had a new baby less than two weeks ago, we haven't even started THIS semester yet. No worries though since we school year round. I have kind of a general plan for next year. I'm always on the lookout for curriculum for the next year and keep a running list for each child in my planner because Lord knows I never remember any of that.
  4. Oh, you're talking about literary techniques and elements. FIAR does cover that in picture books for that age group. Other than that, I'd wait until the later elementary ages and use the books Figuratively Speaking and Teaching Literary Elements Using Picture Books (Scholastic).
  5. We've used CLE math from 100-600 and I've had occasional issues like this. There are times when we've had to slow way down and mainly work on the problem areas and there are times when we've had to put it away for 1-3 weeks and just play math games and work on flash cards. This happens at least once a year with each of my children. We always end up doing some math over the summer, but that's okay. We don't need near as much review in the fall that way. Another thing, are you checking her work every day? Math is the one subject that I check everyday and if they get problems wrong we go back over it. This helps me to know if they're making sloppy mistakes or they just don't understand the concept. My dd10 needs more hand-holding when it comes to new concepts. CLE explains it very well but she just likes to barrel through (she's a get-r-done type of gal) without completely reading the explanation. I agree with a previous poster that once you get to a certain grade point, in any math curriculum, that it goes into hyper drive. Make sure your dc knows their math facts. Not knowing them well can be a stumbling block. I don't think a mastery program is the answer, I think you need to find out where her problem areas are and work from there. As far as switching programs, once you start jumping around with math programs, things get a little dicey. You'll find gaps in your child's math understanding because every program is different and they teach the concepts in a different order and in different grade points, but if CLE is too much, you may want to consider another spiral program in the fall.
  6. The What Your --- Grader Needs to Know series has a language arts section in each title that's called "Sayings and Phrases" with a very simple to understand explanation of the saying. Even the ones I THOUGHT I knew what it meant it had a better explanation than I could come up with. Example of some sayings from the 1st grade book: hit the nail on the head, practice makes perfect, let the cat out of the bag, and more. Each grade has at least 10 sayings. These are books you can easily find at your library or on Amazon. Even the 1993 editions have the Sayings and Phrases section. As far as when you should teach figures of speech, I think that would have to be decided upon the mental maturity of the child. Check out the Kindergarten and 1st grade books and see if they're over his head. You could cover a few of these every year. Most of the sayings are very common.
  7. Yes, I already own volume 4 and all the Beyond volumes. It's totally doable for a 4th/5th grader if you take their suggestions but make the activities more to their level. By allowing them to do some of the research you can gently train them to use resources they would otherwise shun. You can also add in related chapter books for expanded lessons. There are a couple of blogs out there that outline how to use FIAR with older children. Blog She Wrote is a great example. Yes, it is a bit more expensive than other volumes but it includes the bible supplement and cookbook ideas. I don't know that I'd pay $75 (I bought mine used), but it is worth it to spend extra to get this volume, IMO. ETA: Blog She Wrote FIAR posts: http://blogshewrote.org/five-in-a-row/
  8. FIAR and I have an off-and-on relationship. I really love it but my eldest two dds didn't really care for it. I will be starting over again with dd5 and have used a FIAR approach with her from the beginning and she loves it. When I used it with my older children I would make it over-involved. This time I keep it simple and we're both happy. I'm actually contemplating beefing up volume 4 for dd10. Science just isn't getting done and we're not really doing much literature or art, so why not combine it? Bottom line: FIAR is not for everyone or every child and sometimes you have to tweak it to fit your needs.
  9. My kindy girl will be 6 in May but I felt she wasn't really ready for kindy work last fall and I was right. I don't think that I will have to buy anything since I purchased her kindy stuff last summer but here is the lineup. Phonics Pathways Reading Pathways Phonics games A Reason for handwriting K Saxon Math K with living math activities Misc workbooks for fun FIAR and some Homeschool Share units Lots of picture book read alouds Ballet lessons
  10. We are switching things up this next semester, which will likely be in March after baby arrives. Dd12: * More real typing practice and possibly an introduction to Microsoft Word. * Possibly dropping Total Language Plus but adding in my own reading comprehension and literary elements. * Also adding in more logic with Daily Word Puzzlers from Schoolhouse Teachers. Dd10: * Beginning ballet lessons (she's really excited about this). * Going to be more consistent with science and adding in more living books, videos and picture examples. * Adding in an Extreme Dot-to-dot workbook (for fun) * More multiplication and division drills * Cursive copywork. Not sure how I missed adding this to her first semester. * Logic: Daily word puzzlers by Schoolhouse Teachers * Little Language Arts course by Schoolhouse Teachers. I didn't think she was ready for this when we began in the fall. Dd5: * More consistency with her lessons in general. * Delaying learning to read until fall or shows more signs of readiness. * More games (math games, file folder games, handwriting games, logic games, etc) * Adding in FIAR to our days * Beginning ballet lessons (another happy camper)
  11. It took me a while to find where I got my cursive font download but I think this is it: http://www.fonts101.com/fonts/view/Uncategorized/19568/DnealianCursive You can also make your own worksheets with cursive font at the Amazing Handwriting Worksheet Generator. It's free!
  12. For what ST has to offer, I only use it as a supplement myself. With my dd10 who reads on level but her writing and grammar are more like 3rd grade I use Daily Grammar for her grammar. It's short and painless and she mostly does this independently. I say mostly because she has days where she feels like she can't get through without some hand-holding. I plan to add the Little Language Arts to her workload when we submerge again from our baby break. This doesn't look independent to me (geared toward grades 2-4) unless you have a more motivated older student. I'm excited to get started on it. There is also a course for Daily Copywork with print and cursive options. You have your choice of copying Bible verses, poetry, literature excerpts, song lyrics, history and science facts, etc. The Schoolhouse Spelling program is arranged for different levels and based on the Charlotte Mason method. So there isn't a list of word families or word sounds or phonics rules. It's drawn directly from chosen reading. We don't use this course since this does not fit with our family. Daily Writing could be done independently. There is a new assignment for each day but you could download the PDF for the whole month and let her choose the writing assignments that wants to write about. The lessons are very creative and ask a whole range of questions or writing topics to spark creativity. We haven't used this much since both my older girls have some kind of phobia of writing. Daily Puzzlers use printed word tiles with clues for children to make words and then change it to make a new word. This is a very good logic course and gets them thinking about word vocabulary and word usage. My children do this independently. I print out all the lessons and keep them in a binder and plan to reuse it with each child. Everyday Games has a slough of math and language arts games for K-5th grade. Most involve two players though, but I find them to be helpful when practicing new or difficult concepts. ST has more language arts courses listed for this age group but the ones I mentioned are ones that I'm more familiar with. Yep. I think the format depends on the instructor/writer and their teaching style. I had submitted a language arts program that I wrote for my dd8 and they liked the concept and idea of my course but wanted me to make a lot of changes that I, at this time in my life, have no time to make. They were open to my format but have certain guidelines to follow. I feel the same way. It seems more aimed at the parent at this age group. I suppose when you get to middle school and high school, it's more directed for the student, but I'm not sure. I don't know much about the older math programs but I do know that for the younger groups that they at more as a supplement and work only on certain skill sets. Much like a workshop. Like I said, if you're looking at this for an older student then I can't answer that.
  13. I've been a member of Schoolhouse Teachers for over a year now and can give you some feedback. Though, it's hard to know without the age of your dd. Tell me a little more of what you want to know about it. There are some video courses (a few) but mostly for middle and high school. Most courses can be read from a computer screen or tablet. Otherwise you will have to print them out. If you have any specific questions about the courses or age groups, I can chime back in.
  14. Thanks for sharing. That looks like something to add to my collection! Since I'm here, I may as well add some of my favorites for Family Math - for K-8th grade. Admittedly not my most user-friendly resource but we have found some gems here. Games for Math by Peggy Kaye- for K-3rd grade Mega-Fun Card Games by Scholastic- for 3rd-5th grade Super Cool Math Board Games by Scholastic- for 3rd-6th grade Games 4 Learning is a seller on Teachers Pay Teachers with fun and easy games to print and play. If you're already a member of SchoolhouseTeachers.com, it's already part of your membership! It is listed under "Everyday Games". Great for K-5th grade For FREE games you can check out my Pintrest board: Math- Games and Manipulatives .
  15. Sadly, out library system is very limited on their digital offerings. Most of the children's books are what most homeschool moms would consider "junk". This may be a viable option in the next couple of years, but for now, it's pretty pathetic. Hmmmm, you make a good point. Not all the audiobooks on my wishlist are $14.95 and above. If I subscribe I will keep that in mind. I will also sign up for the Daily Deals. Thanks. I did not know that Amazon did that!! I don't buy many Kindle books because the Kindle I own was a gift and the cheapest model (no light adjustment is a pet peeve to my DD10). I may save up for a Kindle Paperwhite and start amassing a Kindle book collection as well!!
  16. I'm sure this question has been asked before but I can't find a thread for it so I'll ask it here: Is Audible worth the membership? My children love audio books but we've never used digital copies before and not really sure how to use them. I can't always rely on library CD copies because they will be scratched beyond tolerable listening. Also some of the audiobooks that I'd love to own are no longer offered new on CD and the only way to get them is digitally. I do have an auditory learner that devours audiobooks and some of her favorite books are on Audible's available list. Plus I saw a deal yesterday where I can get two free books instead of one! Is Audible worth the investment? I want to cave in but really want to hear from more experienced homeschool moms. ETA: Here is the link for the two free audiobooks deal. It's only for a limited time! http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/audible-free-trial-get-2-free-audiobooks/
  17. We found out during the summer that we're going to have a new little addition to the family so my super awesome, Type A plans for the year got pushed to the side. Little one is due at the end of January so I make no promises how much school will be done in the month if January or how soon we will get back to it after baby arrives. Changes for next semester: we're bringing back read alouds!! We have missed that. I haven't been able to do that because of my breathlessness. DD12: She's been using Easy Grammar grade 5 but she's just not getting it! I purchased this to be able to do less hand-holding! DD10: I have got to get off my butt and do science with her. Neither one of us are excited about what we're using: Christian Kids Explore Biology. I might just use Cindy West's NaturExplorers that I already own coupled with library books. I need to add back in reading comprehension using FIAR books or something. DD5: I thought I would be doing more kindergarten work with her but we are still stuck on learning our letters and she can't seem to hear the difference in the letter sounds so we will shelf the learning-to-read plan until fall or whenever she's ready.
  18. Another vote for the Natural Speller. I have used it with my natural speller and my no-so-natural speller. However my natural speller child is oddly fond of busy work and loves Spelling Workout. I for the life of me can't understand that (I'm a natural speller too). Oh well, she's happy and spelling gets done. Edited because I can't seem to get the quote feature to work right on my tablet.
  19. My older children think the same thing about my little one. They compare their school work and chores to little sister and think she should contribute more. They just don't remember what its like being 5 years old. They think she should be on almost the same playing field as them. Even down to the silly things she does and says (like a normal child her age) they think is babyish, but they did the same thing at that age; they just don't remember it.
  20. My eldest dd learned to read on borrowed curriculum (Horizons Kindy copyright 1994) and it was the worst organized and disjointed mess I'd ever seen! Somehow she learned to read at a 2nd grade level by the end of the year. I'm convinced I could have used anything and she still would have learned to read. With that much confidence, I decided to take my next dd and have her start Kindy at the age of four. Worst. decision. EVER. We struggled, fought, switched curricula, waited and played games......everything, but hardly any progress. She hated her lessons and she didn't actually learn to read fluently until she was almost 8 years old. I'm obviously not an advocate for teaching babies to read but maybe your little guy just isn't ready or interested. Boys tend to mature later than girls and need more time to play and develop. All that other testing and so on may be needed but you might just find out that your little one just needs more time to play and explore.
  21. This is kinda sad. I've used some of her planning forms. I've tweaked many of them. In fact, that's how I learned how to make my own! While I appreciate it while it was free it is in no way near $40 per year subscription. I agree with the members in the older linked thread, you'd be better off buying from Etsy or Teacher Pay Teacher where you can pay per form or per download. I'm glad I saved the forms I have used and loved.
  22. I have been homeschooling my teenage brother this year. He was really far behind and struggling with math. I used this in order to go all the back to the basics. We completed Volume 1 and are in Volume 2 (I purchased volumes 1-4). It has some neat tips and tricks and is pretty visual. It's a mastery program, so you won't be reviewing old concepts much, or at all. There is very little practice for each concept but I can usually find a free worksheet for any specific concept online. The worksheets included can be copied from the book or you can download them from their website with their special code that's in the textbook. Trust me, download the pages. Some of the worksheet pages in the workbook are not complete. Another thing that I dislike is that when we got to fractions it moved way to fast for him. I ended up having to purchase MM Fractions 1 and 2 through Currclick in order to go over fractions. We are still working through Fractions and will try again using LMF when we finish fractions and move on to decimals. Overall, it's a great concept but needs some work. It needs more practice/review worksheets. It needs to show one concept at a time and allow them to practice it before throwing another one at them. It would give 2-4 ways to work out how to multiply fractions (at once) but leave them wondering which one to use and when. Again, it has potential but I would not have purchased it knowing what I know now.
  23. Teacher Manual; no question. It does allow you to see the problem completely worked out (big plus), but it also has other nice features like the scope and sequence. The skills index lists the concepts alphabetically and then tells you what lesson the concept was introduced so I can go back to that lesson and see how it's done and review it with my child. The alternate tests are handy when they scored poorly the first time and I need to know after the review whether we can continue on with the next workbook. The TM also has the skills index for the previous grade in the appendix. Very nice to have when I can't remember when a specific concept was introduced. I have never purchased the answer keys but I find the TM to be well worth the money.
  24. Stuart Little Charlotte's Web Betsy-Tacy Betsy, Tacy and Tib (and more from the B&T series by Maud Hart Lovelace) FIAR volume 4 booklist (assuming you've read many classics from Volumes 1-3) Mr Popper's Penguins Little House in the Big Woods (if she is used to descriptive chapter books, if not, hold of a year ir two) Mrs Piggle Wiggle Christian books: In Grandma's Attic series by Arleta Richardson
  25. Yes, people, I am commenting on my own comment. Well, now that the sale is here I can pass my opinion. This year's sale makes me wish for the things that were in last year's sale! :lol: However, the Homemaking bundle is intriguing and I MIGHT have enough interest in 5 products for a build your own bundle. I'm just not that enthusiastic about this year's sale. Also this Saturday is a used book sale by a local homeschool group. I may not have enough money left to buy anything from BYOB.
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