Five More Minutes
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PS 2nd grade to CAP W&R Fable next year?
Five More Minutes replied to luuknam's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
I hear you re. concerns about starting in the middle of a program, but WWE is one program that can be safely started at level 2. (I'd agree that WWE1 would probably be too easy for your student.) There are assessments to determine the best fit. Maybe BraveWriter is another one to look at? I tried but couldn't make it work. I love the theory and can see how it could be helpful for a reluctant writer, but for us it was a curriculum fail. Some people whose opinion I respect rave about it, so it's worth checking out. ETA: Just saw that the pp also recommended BraveWriter. -
Difference in difficulty of W&R Fable vs. Narrative
Five More Minutes replied to lanabug's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
I would want to wait until Gr. 3 to try it with a student, just so they had more exposure to a wider range of content. I've used WWE in early elementary, and feel that WWE 2 is excellent preparation for Fable. (FWIW, my plan with my up-and-coming Gr. 3 student is to do half of WWE 3 and Fable over the course of the year.) However, you could always try it out and then shelve it if it's not working! -
Can you recommend some exercise DVDs?
Five More Minutes replied to Meadowlark's topic in The Chat Board
I love FitnessBlender -- all of their videos are free, and there are hundreds of them! With the variety there, it's impossible to get bored. They have a couple of 5-day challenges (here's one) to give you an idea of how you can mix their workouts to suit you. They also have some guidelines for how to make your own workout schedule using their free videos. Or you can buy (for around $8, I think) one of their 4-8 week programs that gives you a recommended combination of videos to use each day, 5 days a week. -
PS 2nd grade to CAP W&R Fable next year?
Five More Minutes replied to luuknam's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
Have you looked at WWE at all? If W&R Fable is too challenging, I would consider starting with WWE 2. WWE breaks writing down into even smaller daily increments to build skills. I find that the copywork/summary/dictation combo of WWE is great for gently building strong writing skills. -
Last week I discovered that a CAP product we had was unusable. I had purchased it two years ago, but hadn't yet tried this particular item out ... until last week. It's a major component of one of my daughter's absolute favourite programs, so I was pretty disappointed to realize we couldn't use it. I sent CAP an email asking if there was anything I could do to replace the defective item, not really expecting much. But ... within 24 hours, I had an email apologizing for the situation and offering to send me a replacement! And today that wonderful replacement arrived all the way here in Canada! I love it that they have such amazing customer service. We have used and enjoyed so many of their programs already and am so glad to know that there are good people behind these terrific products. Just had to share this with *someone* ... DH can only listen to this so many times!
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We use it when we feel like adding in something different. For a while, Fridays were "Fred Days" when they used LoF instead of their usual books. This year my one dd tends to pick up a book and work through it in a chunk of time; my other one dabbles in it more regularly. They also typically work through a few LoF books in the summer. My only "rule" is that they have to do the questions before they move on to the next chapter. You might want to try borrowing a couple before purchasing. What some of us find fun and quirky can be annoying for others. Even though Fred has been awesome here, it's offbeat and I don't think it will work for everyone.
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I'll just front-end load this with sharing that I personally choose not to support short-term mission trips that involve teens. I have lived in developing countries where I was working with local groups to alleviate poverty, and thus was on the receiving end of some of those short-term visits. Typically it takes a lot of effort to organize for a sustained visit with even one expatriate, let alone multiple teens, however responsible and well-prepared they are. There are concerns that the visitors could be taking away income-earning opportunities for local people. And then afterwards there *can* be fall-out because team members have unwittingly and unintentionally offended people. The offenders have left, and it's difficult to make amends. So from a practical standpoint, I am very leery of the benefit of short-term teams. I also have a dear friend who has organized dozens of teen mission trips, and she was up front with me that the true benefit is for those going. That rings true for me. So *if* I were to support a teen mission, I would accept that the main goal is to invest in the lives of the team members going, and would want to explore what I would hope that would look like. I think that as a donor or member of a supporting church, you should absolutely be able to ask questions about the entire trip ahead of time: How much is each person contributing themselves? How are they ensuring that this does not take jobs away from people who need them? What side trips are planned and how are those being funded? What will the team members learn? How clearly are goals defined and how realistic are they? How are they being prepared for their trip? I have a list ... :001_smile: If any of the responses made me uncomfortable, then I would not support the trip.
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Reading, Iiterature for 2nd grade
Five More Minutes replied to classicmommy's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
We've had a lot of fun using this. I should clarify that for each sheet of 10-12 books, DH and I select about four novels and two non-fiction books that she must read to complete the sheet. The remaining 4-6 books are blanks for her to fill in based on her interests; she just needs to check with us that they "count for the sticker page." So she knows that if she re-reads Calvin & Hobbes or Asterix, it's fine, but it doesn't get added to the sticker page. On the other hand, when she wants to read for fun a well-written book, she can get it added to her sheet. It's been a nice blend of assigned and self-selected (good) books. And I just have to say ... MCT Island is delightful! -
Reading, Iiterature for 2nd grade
Five More Minutes replied to classicmommy's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
I made a sheet with each title/author and next to it a space for her to write the date completed, add a sticker, and then five stars to colour in. These completed sheets have become a great record of good books read. -
Reading, Iiterature for 2nd grade
Five More Minutes replied to classicmommy's topic in Accelerated Learner Board
I just posted on your other thread and was going to suggest that you post here ... glad you did! -
Reading, Iiterature for 2nd grade
Five More Minutes replied to classicmommy's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
This makes a lot of sense! Your dd sounds like my eldest in her reading at that age. I have stayed away from structured literature studies with my dd. We've simply done what you have been doing: allowed her (and encouraged her) to read widely, and asked her about some of the books she has read. A few other things that we did because of her love of reading and words were: (a) started her with Shakespeare early on. We used Nesbit's Stories from Shakespeare and Manga versions to introduce the text; watched a movie production (or live if available); and read the text aloud while she had her teddies act out the various parts. (We now have a large stuffed whale in our household that has been permanently renamed Duncan because of this ...) My dd adores Shakespeare's language and word play. (b) used MCT Island level early on (in Gr. 2). The grammar, vocab, and poetry in this fed her soul and gave her some words to describe what she was observing in good books (like alliteration and simile). ( c) allowed her to read anything she wanted *but* ... encouraged her to keep reading good books (vs. re-reading Calvin & Hobbes when she hit that stage!) by developing a list of 10-12 titles that we pre-approved. She received a sticker for every title on this list that she completed, rated the book, and then was able to select a small reward (a book from a curated list!) when she finished the entire list of titles. Then we'd create another list, and start the process over. -
Maybe I'm just crazy
Five More Minutes replied to blue daisy's topic in General Education Discussion Board
My DH was skeptical of homeschooling when I initially raised the option with him. For one thing, he didn't know anyone who had been successfully homeschooled, but had observed instances where it hadn't been ideal. For another, he wasn't sure *I* would be able to actually follow through because he knows me and my ability to plan without always following through. :001_smile: We both knew that the main responsibility would be mine, because it made better financial sense for him to continue his full-time work. We sent our first dd to SK, where it became very evident that it was not going to work for her. I started reading widely about homeschooling and trying out samples of activities. The turning point for both of us was when I found The Well Trained Mind and *I* was able to see how it could all fit together year after year. I could see how I could turn this from a vague plan into something I would commit to, and he knows me well enough to trust me when I reach that point. We agreed to take it a year at a time and started in. Since then, he has become more of a homeschooling fan than I, if possible! -
Homeschooling cheapskates!
Five More Minutes replied to 4wildberrys's topic in General Education Discussion Board
I don't feel like I'm a cheapskate when it comes to homeschooling. I actually tend to buy new because the risk of used curriculum is quite high, particularly when I add in shipping to/within Canada. That risk -- not knowing if the program will arrive, or if it does, in what condition it will be -- means that if I do take the plunge on used books, I never pay more than 50% of the original price. When selling, I start by pricing them at around 40% (maybe 50% at most) of the original cost. -
Singapore transition from one level to another?
Five More Minutes replied to displace's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
I have found there is a very brief review of he beginning of each level, but it quickly moves to extending. So the first chapter may quickly review place value using 10s and 100s already used, but then extend it to 100s and 1000. The next chapter might quickly recap mental math strategies, and then extend them using larger numbers. Those lessons are easy to compress. -
One month review after Singapore 1A/B What to use?
Five More Minutes replied to Sk8ermaiden's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
Have you already tried the Intensive Practice Books for the level? They are intended to be used as you're planning. (ETA: IP is written at a slightly harder level than the workbook, which I've found perfect for review. If the IPs are too hard, there are always the Extra Practice books; however, I found those to be far easier than the workbook and didn't find them valuable in our situation.) Or Math Mammoth? -
Help with selecting curriculum
Five More Minutes replied to msquire80's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
I don't have a 6th grader and don't feel I can offer meaningful comment on that age level. With the Gr. 2 child, your plans feel like a lot for a student who isn't yet reading comfortably. I would consider dropping the grammar and vocabulary, foreign language, typing (wait until reading and writing are strong), and logic (this can easily wait until Gr. 5). For Gr. 2, my primary focus has been to build strong math skills, to develop fluency in reading, to build handwriting skills and stamina, to build writing skills, and to expose to interesting content (science and history especially). So of your schedule, I would prioritize this way: Daily - reading (I/she just read; we did not do extra studies at this age) - copywork/dictation/recitation (I used WWE and it was excellent) - math - lots of activity, preferably outside 2-3 times a week - handwriting - spelling - science - history (geography gets covered in history, so unless it's a passion, I would skip it as a separate subject.) 1-2 times a week - art - music -
OP, I recommend reading through this thread. See especially post 338, where SWB provides some excellent commentary.
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Math-U-See vs Math Mammoth for 1st grade?
Five More Minutes replied to hisforhomeschooling's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
I found that the approach to introducing concepts was very similar in MM and SM. In Gr. 1, which is when I was comparing them, both emphasized the composition of numbers (number bonds) in understanding addition and subtraction. Students were taught and encouraged to find ways of rearranging number parts to find the whole or vice versa. I liked the emphasis on understanding of concepts as a way to mastery. My general impression is that MM and SM cover similar topics in each grade level. I have used MM every year when we hit the currency unit (being Canadian, I really need my dds to understand loonies and toonies!). Each time I've pulled that MM unit out, I've been impressed all over again with how seamlessly it fits into our SM lessons and how well it meshes with the approach SM takes with currency. There were a few differences between SM and MM that I experienced, and I'll admit right away that I probably didn't do MM justice! First, Singapore was just more appealing to my dds. The pictures are cute and the pages have more white space. That was a Very Big Deal for my eldest, and the main reason why we used SM in the end. Second, Singapore with the HIG made it easy for me to move from the concrete (manipulatives) to the pictorial to the abstract. *I* found it harder to add in the concrete at the right point for MM, so had I used it, my dd would not have benefitted from discovering topics with manipulatives first. That was especially important in the early levels.* Third, MM is designed to give parents a break and is written so that kids can be more independent in math early on. On the one hand, I love that. On the other, my dds and I both enjoy it when I am more involved in math and am introducing topics. For us, SM was more social. Those small differences pushed us towards SM. *ETA: My go-to maniuplatives have been cuisenaire rods. They work brilliantly for introducing number bonds and multiplication and the bar model approach used by both SM and MM. -
How amazing!
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Help! Need new math curriculum
Five More Minutes replied to AdventuresinHomeschooling's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
This is sort of off-topic, but I've been wanting to share it somewhere ... My dd just did long division in Beast last week, which uses the standard algorithm with a really helpful twist. I've done a lot of math in my life and never saw long division presented so ... sensibly! We had friends over for dinner and I was so excited that I hauled out the book to show them this approach (Yes, I am that much of a geek, but thankfully my friends play along!). Part of our games evening was then spent doing long division the "easy Beast way." :-) -
Math-U-See vs Math Mammoth for 1st grade?
Five More Minutes replied to hisforhomeschooling's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
I completely agree that Math Mammoth is excellent. I agree, too, with PPs that it's very similar to Singapore in approach. I love MM. But ... we're among those people who found the pages too busy. To give some context, I was hyper-sensitive to the sense of overwhelm at the time we were trying out MM. We were switching from another program that *was* overwhelming in the wrong ways for my dd, and I needed make sure that whatever program we used brought back the math love. Her reaction to MM vs. her reaction to Singapore was what decided me to go for Singapore. That's probably way more info. than you needed. :001_smile: But I do have a point! I'm suggesting that *if* you choose to try out MM, and *if* it just doesn't seem to click, then moving from MM to Singapore would be seamless because of their similar approaches. -
Help! Need new math curriculum
Five More Minutes replied to AdventuresinHomeschooling's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
You're absolutely right on that. I am having a hard time expressing what I've observed with my dd and Beast. Even without repeated fact memorization tasks within the program itself, it helped her memorize facts! She's a visual learner who wasn't finding it easy to memorize multiplication facts. Something about the way that Beast presented skip-counting (3A) and multiplication (3B) clicked for her. It's like she suddenly had the hooks she needed to memorize those facts. It may have been a maturity thing in part, but I believe that Beast's visual presentation (emphasizing patterning) made a huge difference for her in fact recall. So when I did math drills with her separately, she just charged ahead, memorizing them within the space of a couple of weeks after completing the multiplication section within Beast. So, based on that admittedly limited experience, I am suggesting that Beast is worth looking at for a student who gets concepts, is a visual learner, but isn't getting their math facts down despite the drill of Saxon.