melissamomof5
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Posts posted by melissamomof5
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We are concentrating on basics but a broad education over here with my easily distracted 12 year old. It's not remotely on your list but I am LOVING Memoria Press.
I'm finding it rigorous, balanced in terms of daily work, LOVE the schedule, and the rabbit trails - colored distracting workbooky crafty stuff is minimal. Their products are high quality and teaching is wonderful on me this year!!!!!!!!!!
Cannot recommend it enough.
I have looked at their stuff but it's probably too expensive for me. I will already be buying the next level of HOD for my oldest to do next fall.
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My 9 year-old is so distracted! It takes her hours to do her work. She is smart and bright, but she gets distracted by everything.
We are trying to do Bigger Hearts for His Glory and I am skipping so much. My oldest did that guide last year and it went quite well. My girls are so different though! :p I don't know if the Eggleston books just lose her? Maybe the content in Preparing would be more interesting (it sure is to me!)
I am thinking of just getting Christian Light Education grade 4 or my distracted learner next year and waiting a year before I try Preparing Hearts with her? I'm just afraid I'll be so frustrated with trying to get her through the material and all the independent work?
I should mention I have 4 kids and am having my 5th in April...3 of them are in guides this year and next year my 4th will probably start some preschool workbooks.
Would it be easier to just give her some workbooks like CLE would have?
We already use CLE math and love it.
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I LOVE CLE Reading beginning with 4th Grade (before that there are too many Light Units and too much phonics review). My oldest son has REALLY enjoyed it and it's an almost painless way to learn many skills. I highly recommend you look at the S&S. It's impressive and my son has truly learned a lot and retained well. What I like about it is that it is a skill builder without butchering an awesome chapter book. The kiddos use their readers (these really are fantastic) and the lessons are meaty! My son is 90% independent with it.
Beginning with the 4th Grade Reading there are only 5 Light Units so it's about half a school year. This gives me plenty of flexibility with how we schedule it. You can continue allowing your kids to plow through piles of good books and not stop to analyze them =). I suppose it might be good to do lit. analysis at SOME point but the jury is out as to WHEN that should be. Everyone has a different opinion. :coolgleamA:
Thank you. :) I will look at CLE again.
I was replacing DITHOR with CLE Reading for my boys but we just dropped it. I suddenly realized that I was robbing them of the joy of reading by making it too complicated. My oldest kids (in college now) never did a reading program and one of them is an English major so I don't think all the 'busywork' while reading is necessary.
So, right now they are each just reading books. Some from the DITHOR list, some from our shelves, some from the library. Whatever catches their fancy. In fact, I just saw a stack of history books in my 4th and 6th graders rooms so they must be reading through those right now!
I usually end up in great angst every year about ignoring that box for DITHOR. But everytime I get it out and look at it, I'm reminded that I always end up feeling like it's busy work, and repeated work from skills already in the HOD guide. I've wondered in the past about how it ended up in the guides. I'm guessing that because Carrie wrote that first, she felt obligated to fit it into each of the guides. It seems so anti-Charlotte Mason that it just doesn't seem to "agree" with the rest of the program.
Thank you. :) I appreciate your honesty and advice.
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I think that sounds fine for those ages. For the 5th grader I would try to fit in DITHR if you can. What guide is he/she doing? I like adding in DITHR starting with either Preparing or CTC since it is only scheduled 3 days a week. It was much harder for me to add to Bigger since that guide is so teacher intensive.
My 5th grader is in Preparing. :)
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Honestly I wouldn't use DITHR with a first grader and not even with the 3rd grader unless they were advanced. Instead I would just have them read through the ER or DITHR book packs and discuss with them what they are reading. My ds used the DITHR 2/3 student book last year and is using 4/5 this year. I much prefer the 4/5 student book.
Oh yes, my 1st grader is a very advanced reader, but she's just doing the emerging readers this year. :)
My 3rd grader is reading the first level of DITHOR books, but I haven't had her do any of the workbook.
I am glad to hear a few people say not to worry about the workbooks. :) I really do like the DITHOR book choices though.
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What, specifically, are you wanting? or think you need?
I guess I wonder if we do need anything at this point? Is it enough just to have them be reading these books...do we really need to do all the activities and worksheets with the books? It's just a bit overwhelming to me.
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I've looked at CLE and R&S. I am looking right now at Memoria Press.
I have 3 readers right now. 1st, 3rd, and 5th. All great readers.
DITHOR just isn't gelling for us, 2nd year of trying. :)
We use HOD so they are already getting a good amount of reading.
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A little background - I have a 3 year-old and am pregnant in addition to the 3 doing school right now.
To make things a bit easier for me right now, I am thinking of dropping HOD's Little Hearts for my 1st grader and Bigger for my 3rd grader and combining their history, Bible, & science for the rest of the year.
My 5th grader is doing Preparing and I LOVE it. My 3rd grader will be doing it next year for 4th.
So, what are some alternatives? I get SO overwhelmed looking around at the various websites.
We use CLE math, Rod & Staff English, and R&S Spelling already and love them.
THANKS!
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Thank you! That does help me a lot!
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Just wondering if this would be age-appropriate for my 6 and 8 year-olds? They will be 7 and 9 within a couple months.
Thanks!
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Thank you everyone!
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Thank you ladies. :)
Heather - that's kind of what I was thinking. Maybe I will get it - I guess it's only $6.50 plus shipping....
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I bought ETC 3 & 4 for my 1st grader this fall. Should I have bought the teacher's guide too?
I'm also wondering if I should have bought 1 & 2 as well?
Thank you for any help! :)
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Thank you again for all the ideas. :)
coffeefreak - we did do Adv. I made it through, but it wasn't a love thing. ;)
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What did you use from MFW? MFW is truly the only CM curriculum I have found where you can combine your children easily all the way/most of the way through. I have a 3 year spread and it is horribly difficult to combine them at all. Even when I do, they tend to do different levels. If you liked MFW, maybe you should try that again, if not, what year in history are you wanting to do (ie Ancients, modern etc)? Some of the curriculum recommendations will depend on that.
For Science, I love Apologia, and for your kiddos, it is SOOOO easy to combine. Pick a book and dive in! :) You can also combine using Real Science For Kids, just order two different lab books and you're set.
HTH!
Oh, one more thought, Galloping the Globe might be a good choice for you next year. It is Geography and Science. Both my girls loved it and your girls are at the perfect age! Check it out and see what you think.
Thank you both for the comments. :)
We used MFW from K through ECC. We liked K & 1st a lot but began to dislike Adv and then we really didn't like ECC. Not sure if we went back if it would work better for us now or not.
I have heard of teh SOTW and Galloping the Globe before - maybe I'll look into those. :) Thanks!
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So this year I have done 3 different HOD guides with my girls. It has been busy and tiring. :) I plan to move my oldest forward into Preparing this fall. However, I am completely undecided what to do with my next two daughters this fall.
I am not sure my 6 (will be 7 in Oct) year-old will be ready for Beyond. I am not sure I am ready to repeat Bigger with my 8 (will be 9 in Oct) year-old daughter.
Is there something I could use with them together for history & science? I plan to continue with R&S Spelling, R&S English, and CLE Math with them.
I used MFW the first 4 years and HOD this year so I've really not ever explored anything beyond those two things and I feel very overwhelmed looking at what else is out there!
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Beyond isn't horrible, lol. I did use it and enjoyed "most" of it. However, if I had it to do all over again (and I will with my 5yo in a few years, lol), I would likely use MFW Adventures. My preferred sequence is to use MFW K, then do my own phonics/math and use FIAR (b/c I have it and love the books) until age 7 or so (2nd grade) and then use MFW Adv. and then Bigger in 3rd (or take a year off history and do Geography or something) I don't like to start Preparing until 4th grade b/c then the guides all "match" and we get to Geography in 9th. I'm a bit OCD that way. ;) LOL.
Yes, I agree, we have liked Beyond, I'm just not sure it'll be the right fit for my next in line next year. :)
I don't remember loving ADV. It was okay, but honestly, not sure I'd want to do that one again.
Thank you for sharing though! I did love MFW K & 1st.
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I do not like the younger guides before Preparing. Although, I AM using Bigger next year b/c it fits with our History study at our co-op, lol! AND, my daughter LOVES notebooking and studying sea/ocean creatures (One Small Square: Seashore is used in that Guide). I will not do LHTH or LHFHG again...just do not like them or many of the books used. There was one devotional in LHFHG (Devotions for the Children's Hour?) that was contradictory to Scripture in some places. And my kids just don't get in to the finger plays and such. That being said, I do really like Preparing and up (though we skipped CtC b/c we had already covered Ancient history). I agree with a PP that as my children get to about 7th or 8th grade, I prefer a more "streamlined" approach to subjects. Too many little boxes. We took a break from HOD this year for that very reason! Science is "light" in many of the guides, though it gets better in the upper levels (I'm thinking RevtoRev and MtMM). There does seem to be a lot of "busywork" throughout (output as one PP called it, lol). I am a "box checker" and it KILLS me to not do every box as is. That's a personal issue, though. ;) But, I am learning to make the Guides work for ME and for my child. We don't do the Bible Study as she suggests (with prayer starters and such). My children pray on their own...w/out little prompts. Those annoy me, lol.
The message board...I have a love/hate relationship with it! It's "cultish" for sure. Don't dare mention "other" programs. Don't mention other other ways to homeschool besides using HOD. Julie and Carrie are sweet...but boy are they paranoid about those "other" programs taking people away from HOD! Seems they need to trust God a bit more in that area. ;) But I have been given some helpful advice and even some very nice PMs from Julie about my dilemnas. You just have to know what the board is all about and play the game accordingly, kwim?
Lots to love about HOD, but it certainly isn't the end all, be all for everyone. I wish the Guides were a bit more "combining friendly" b/c it is TOUGH to run multiple Guides (for me) successfully. Ladies on the HOD board will tell you differently and maybe they are indeed SuperMom but for me running more than 2 non-independent Guides is impossible. I prefer to use ONE Mom-intensive Guide and maybe ONE more independent (thinking for us it is RtR and up).
I have only used Little Hearts, Beyond, and Bigger, but I agree with about everything you said here. :)
I am wondering what you would suggest to do instead of Beyond though? I am trying to decide whether or not to move my daughter whose in Little Hearts this year into Beyond next year or choose something else? She'll turn 7 this Oct.
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:leaving:
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I do not like the Morning Bells or Little Pillows devotionals. I felt that they were way over my kids heads. Other than that, I have started following the advice to use what they suggest and it's working well. I have used Little Hands, Little Hearts, Beyond, and are currently in Bigger. I don't care for Little Hands, I like Little Hearts, I really like Beyond, and I love Bigger. So, I am liking the programs more as we go on. Can't wait to start Preparing!
I agree with everything you said!!!!!!!!!
We switched over to HOD this year after 4 years with MFW. We are using Little Hearts, Beyond, & Bigger this year. Beyond & Bigger I really really like, except for the devotionals quoted above my comment. Sometimes we don't do the little activity with the lesson either as either I am missing a supply, my child isn't interested, or whatever...but I appreciate the ideas.
I am not crazy about Little Hearts though. We kind of like the Burgess books, but also it gets old IMO. My 6 year-old doesn't like to do the rhymes or little activities. I don't know if she's embarrassed a bigger sister will see her or if it's just not her style.
I am not sure I will use Little Hands or Little Hearts again. I had so much appreciation for MFW K & 1st I may use those when my next child comes up to that point.
We also found that CLE math works best for us and we do R&S spelling.
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We just went through this. My husband came down sick on a Thursday, toddler Friday...we chose to keep girls home from AWANA Sunday night, in case. Monday morning dd3 got sick. Tuesday we kept dd2 home from violin lesson, in case. She and her other sister got sick the next day. They each would have been contagious and potentially infected others if they'd went to AWANA & lessons.
I am so glad we kept them home. Now everyone is mended, but not it took a couple weeks of going nowhere.
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Hey, just an FYI to all of those who have had a negative result from flu tests, there is considerable room for a false negative, even when there is a high incidence of the virus in the population. http://www.cdc.gov/f...is/rapidlab.htm
This year, despite the frenzy in the press, is still considered a moderate year for the flu. According to the CDC, there can be up to a 20% false negative result.
Beyond the objective data, I can share my own anecdotal information. In October of 2009, I received the flu shot at a pharmacy. In January 2010, my son, who has asthma, started running a fever. He had no other symptoms, really, but we took him to his allergist anyway, who ran a flu test, and it was positive. He was promptly put on Tamiflu, and recovered quickly, with only the mildest of symptoms. He did not receive a flu shot that year.
About a week after his fever started, I began having body aches, low fever, and a scratchy throat. I immediately suspected I had contracted the flu, even though I'd had the shot. I went to my family practice, was tested, and it came back negative. They sent me home with some (useless) antibiotics with a dx of upper respiratory infection.
Three days later, my condition had worsened, and I was still working (my job at the time didn't offer paid sick days, even though I was full time). I went to an urgent care practice, was tested again, and again, I received a negative result for the flu.
Maybe a few days after that, my condition had degenerated to the point where my mother was seriously concerned for my health. She took me to the hospital, and I was barely lucid from the fever and the absolute horrid pain in my throat. I was in so much pain, they ran me through a CT just to rule out things like appendicitis.
They also ran a flu test. Which came back positive. For Type B flu. I was asked by the nurse in a condescending manner, why I hadn't gone to a doctor before then and been seen (and therefore diagnosed)?
I nearly choked a b%!@h. They shut up very quickly once I made it CLEAR I'd been tested already TWICE, and both times were negative. Then, I received the paltry answer: well, those tests do have a high false negative.
I was given morphine in my I.V. for my pain, and eventually sent home with Tamiflu.
Since then, I don't bother with the shot. I wash my hands, I disinfect my station at work, and as there are now rampant virues going around, I've begun to wear a mask to protect myself. I don't care what others think. If the corporate world won't support the most proactive measures against the flu, which would actually be isolation, and instead relies on half-assed measures like the flu shot in order to avoid having to pay out sick days to workers, then you know what, screw them. Fortunately, I'm with a company now that does offer sick days, but a lot of businesses don't.
I don't put much stock in a vaccine that offers 60% protection against some strains, and none against others. Thanks to my experience, I hold even less confidence in the ability of medical professionals to correctly diagnose the flu, and therefore treat it, if I catch it.
So sorry you went through all that. :(
I am proud of you for wearing a mask at work. Sometimes we have to look out for ourselves!
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This is Gertrude Beatrice....but we call her Gertie Bea. She is an extremely spoiled long haired - short haired mixed chihuahua.
Really really cute!
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This is my favourite pic of our cat Tootsie Noodles. It's from when he was a kitten. He's a hardened rat killer now.
He is precious! I love the frizzy hair. We used to have a white cat. He was possessed! He was deaf and had two different colored eyes. As much as I've always loved cats, I'm not sure I could ever have another after Cooper. He traumatized me! lol
What would be the best choice for an easily distracted student?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
I think that's we need to do too. She loves the artsy fartsy stuff but by the time we get done with the actual spelling, math, history, and copywork I'm so tired out (and after doing school with 2 other girls) that I don't feel up to the crafts and stuff.
That's kind of why I was thinking of going to a workbook only thing for a year and trying it out.