gswhitfield21
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Posts posted by gswhitfield21
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So, I was just wondering if, as parents, you sit in on your child's classes or view the Archived ones or just leave it to the online teachers...
In other-words, how much do you keep up with your students studies if they are enrolled in an online course?
Thanks!
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We're not to High School yet, but we did sign our 7th grader up for the Ominbus I online course through Veritas. So far, I am very impressed. He is really enjoying it, and it has taken some (but not all) of the pressure off me. If you don't mind the cost, they have a wide variety of courses to offer, a diploma program, and have just started classes, so it's probably not too late to join.
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My newly 7 year old is really starting to read! Yay! But I am running out of quality readers as he basically refuses to read a book more than once!
What is your favorite Easy Reader book or compilation? I need help going to the Library! I've had to buy all of our readers b/c our library doesn't carry hardly anything from the "lists". (Even with the inter-library loan system!)
I would really appreciate your recommendations!
Thanks!
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I've finally figured out what works for me. I just create a skeleton plan for each week of the semester, print it out and put it in page protectors. Then I can check off if we completed that session as indicated make notes to adjust it for the next week. It does keep me organized, but I don't feel lost if one area needs more attention the next week or is missed. I love working this way because I have a good overview of what "should" be covered for the semester and it provides the accountability that I need. Yet, I don't have that "locked in" feeling because I can always go back to the weeks and check off as we complete that section. It's our fifth year homeschooling and I finally have a system that I like (including the workboxes--they have saved me from perpetual whine-a-thons!!!)
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Just wondering...
What is your favorite children's poem, and do you incorporate poetry memorization into your school day?
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Check out http://notebookingpages.com/
She has some free pages as well as tons of subscription pages.
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I was wondering this, too. Are the VP songs just as good?
I bought the VP song for the Bible cards and ended up abandoning it. I felt reciting the cards in order to be much more straight forward and useful. I kept having to roll through the extra lyrics the find a reference point. Just memorizing the Timeline in order gave me a precise and orderly way to recall a certain event when needed. :001_smile:
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We have used Spalding, but are moving to Spell to Read and Write. They are basically the same. I did however, concentrate mainly on learning the phonograms with my Kindergartner. He hates writing, so I have held off on the writing intensive part. As far as phonics programs goes, this is truly phonetic. There are NO sight words. We started with Phonics Museum, which I LOVED until they introduced sight words, and I couldn't understand it. After learning the Spalding method, I can phonetically break down words that they had on their sight word lists.
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We've used Learn to Type. It is very no-fuss, no-frills and has worked well for my oldest. I haven't started my younger yet. My ds, 12, never liked the game-based programs, so I found this website http://www.typingweb.com/tutor/courses/ and he is doing very well now.
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We have memorized the VP Cards via Classical Conversations. We use SOTW for History along with VP suggested literature for the time period. We also make Timeline Notebooks using the timeline figures from Home School in the Woods. http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/
I love having the timeline memorized. It has thrown open the door of history for me!
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We've been homeschooling for four years now, and both of my boys whine, sigh, roll their eyes, etc. at least once every day. The younger fusses before any lesson in which he is required to write anything! I dream of driving them down to the PS and enrolling them almost everyday, but BTDT and it was not joyful either.
I have friends and they all have whiners. I am starting to see the patterns and am trying to find ways to circumvent the onset of the tantrums. Maybe by the time they graduate, I'll have it all figured out.
Just to reassure you, you are not alone.
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This is what we are doing. We are using SOTW 1 next year and I bought all the SL books for Ancients for the grammar stage (there is a list online that groups SL books in the 4 yr history schedule) and then we are reading other SL books as read alouds. In addition, I bought all the Sonlight 2 readers for this year. We actually just got home from the library a few minutes ago, and in hand was the Sonlight pk4/5 and K book lists that we are working of off. :)
Sounds Divine! I may do this with my youngest. My oldest will be in Omnibus, so we are going through a bit of a transition into more independent schedules. I love, love the SL reader lists, just never felt called to "do" SL. Thanks for the idea!:001_smile:
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P.S. They are both very teacher intensive!
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We just finished our first year with WRTR. I bought the Wise Guide to help this year as the words are grouped a little different and sentences are provided. I will do a combination of Spalding and Spell to Read and Write.
I have a struggling speller and he improved 2.5 grade levels this year. I am pleased. We use the McCall readers but not the Grammar or Writing portion. It just wasn't working for us.
Spalding and SRW are both solid programs, inho.
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You could take a classical literature based approach. Assign a book just a bit above reading level and have them look up a designated number of words each day that they do not know plus origin, etc. Then have them copy the sentence from the literature. Then they can compose their own sentence based upon the definition and the copywork. We use a bound composition notebook for this type of vocabulary notebook. Cheap and easy. The trick is consistently reviewing for retention.
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When my ds was 10 days old, we moved. I was standing in the doorway pointing out where to put furniture, and one of the movers asked, "When are you due?" I laughed and pointed down to the baby carrier sitting right at me feet! He blushed and apologized, but I laughed! I still looked about 6 months pregnant!
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Any opinions on Harvey's? (Since my dc are using CW and they recommend Harvey's.)
We are using Harvey's with CW now, and it is basically a review so far. This is fine with me as it is cementing what we have covered over the past few years.
I heard Andrew Kern (Circe) speak and he said if you master Harvey's that is all the Grammar you will ever need. So we are going with that for now. :001_smile:
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I use Our Mother Tongue and The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus. Both relatively thorough and inexpensive.
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I hope it will be good program because I just bought book A. We have done Vocab-u-lit previously, and I really liked the literature/contextual approach to vocabulary. We weren't doing much with the derivatives from our Latin program and I felt the need to add a derivative program that provided some extra practice. I guess we'll see...
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We have used LFC A, B, and C. We are starting Latin Alive! 1 this year and it will be mostly review for him. We need it b/c we'll be doing Omnibus and CW, so I think it might be a heavy year.
I love CAP. Latin Alive! looks user-friendly and fun. It has Chapter readings and a Culture corner to integrate Roman History. It also includes activities to aid in oral proficiency, and Latin Mottoes used in America.
I am excited to start this fall. I know I sound like an infomercial for CAP, but after looking and using other programs, I just think their products are by far superior. They have weaved a delightful sense of humor troughout all of their publications, which helps to make these (Latin, Logic, etc.) potentially dreadful subjects vibrant and engaging.
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We have used Shurley Grammar, which is a scripted program that has jingles to aid in the memorization of parts of speech, etc. I found it to be a sound foundation. Then we were side-tracked by CC and used Essentials of the English language, and my ds test scores plummeted that year. I felt it did not provide enough practical application for him. So I added in some other resources this year.
For my youngest, I just bought First Language Lesson from Peace Hill Press and Writing with Ease. He has resisted Grammar studies this year, so I hope these programs will be a gentle introduction for him. Time will tell!
For my older, we stated Classical Writing and are using Harvey's Grammar. We are also using IEW's Fix-it! editing program. It has provided the extra practical application that he needed. After Harvey's I may continue with Rod and Staff for High School.
In retrospect, I probably would have stayed with Shurley Grammar. However, I would supplement the writing with WWE or CW.
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We have used Latin for Children primers A,B, and C. They are very user friendly and teach a solid foundation of Latin Grammar in a fun and interesting way. I have a Latin background but purchased the DVD's anyway because I needed some relief! My boys have enjoyed Christopher Perrin and the children in the videos. The History readers are a valuable resource as well because they provide extra practice while integrating History! We are moving to their Latin Alive! series this year, and I am impressed with their materials.
I tutored Latin this year using Latin's Not So Tough, and my ds was way ahead of my 8th grade class from using Latin for Children. Check them out at http://www.classicalacademicpress.com
I also use their Song School Latin and Logic resources. Probably the other curriculum I don't use from them is their Poetry (which does look amazing) only b/c we do Classical Writing.
I just can't recommend CAP enough...
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Check out the recommendations from Vertias Press. Middle Ages/Reformation is under 4th Grade History. For more mature resources you can check out the Eight Grade Omnibus recommendations. We've read several bios from the younger readings, and my ds has loved them. We start Omnibus I this year, and I am pouring over the books that just arrived! I found most everything at Amazon and Rainbow Resource for great prices.
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I have been with CC for two years (Cycle 1 and 2), and the memory work has really given a structure to our home-school that we were indeed missing.
The Foundations Guide contains all 3 years of MW so I feel it is a valuable and economical resource. The history sentences in Cycle 1 begin with the 10 commandments, but thereafter moves to Greek and Roman gods, 7 wonders of the Ancient World, Rome, Confucious, Muslim Empire, etc. It does present factual information about philosophers, both Christian and non-Christian. All cycles contain information on Church History, i.e. the Reformation, the Crusades, but again, it is presented as factual information and, in my opinion, does not proselytize in any way. As a Christian, I appreciate the information included from other religions because it provides and opportunity to discuss them with my children in reference to our own faith. I also want them to understand how diverse the world is and have a respect for other cultures and their beliefs. (not how I was raised...)
We also talk about the abuses that have occurred through the perversion of religion in an effort to control and subjugate their fellow man. Some CC members that I know have refused to allow their children to learn the History Sentences that contain info about other religions, even the Greek and Roman gods, and I think they are doing a grave disservice to their children!
Also, in cycle 3, the Latin memory work is from the New Testament, John 1. You could easily substitute something from another Latin source. Just break it up into 24 short segments, and there you go!
The CC Timeline uses the Vertias Press History Cards, which contain information regarding Christian theologians and Church History. Yet, again, they also have cards on other religions and their histories. You can always pull out any card that you prefer not learning, if you are so inclined.
My favorite portion of the Guide is the Geography. It is an incredible asset! You also would want to buy the Memory Work Resource CD as it contains all of the maps that correspond to the Geo portion. I send the pdf to Office Max and have them blown up to 11x17 and laminate them. I never learned much Geo, so it has enormously enhanced my own education.
As I said, I was with a CC community for 2 years, the first as a tutor for Abecedarians (4/5yrs), and the second as a Challenge B tutor. We are not returning for personal reasons. I have no vested interested in the program, but I do believe the Foundations materials are incredibly valuable and can be tweaked to fit your personal needs.
hths!
What is your favorite Easy Reader?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
Thanks! I have never heard of Commander Toad. I'll check it out. I don't feel so bad now just grabbing books from the Library. I appreciate all of your responses!