Oh, my - my kids aren't the only ones with third quarter brain lag. I printed the Gold Series worksheets instead of the Light Blue material. Sorry I bothered you all. Jana

I just printed out MM 6B expecting 200 pages or so, and it is less than half that. What am I missing? Did you all just spend more than a semester on 6A? Thanks, Jana

I LOVE RIghtStart B - definitely don't quit before you finish that one! My oldest did RightStart all the way through G. At the point that I was faced with doing RightStart with 3 children, I switched to MM (after RIghtStart B and D). I am really happy with the extensive practice, the application of concepts in many different ways (more so than RightStart, I think). I don't need to supplement like I felt the need to in the upper levels of RightStart. In doing MM all that's required of me is printing, planning and organizing before the next level, and daily spending about 5 minutes intro'ing and then grading the pages assigned. Jana

We also do 2 pages per day 5 days a week of MM6, all but 2 or 3 problems in each section. Those few extra problems can be added in if there are careless mistakes or if there is a lack of understanding. Also, we have enough additional time for a multivide (from RightStart), or Math Minutes for review, etc. Jana

Hers are only up to M. :-( Jana

Something else to consider...when I looked at VL, I found that all the translation was Latin to English. English to Latin is much more challenging. It all depends on what your goals are for Latin study. Jana

I just emailed her about this a few weeks ago...Book D is where the favour/colour/etc. words come in, and she is coming out with a U.S. edition for Book D soon. She said the other 3 books should be acceptable as they are...she tried to avoid words that would cause problems. I did notice several odd words (odd to me at least!) in Dancing Bears, but I actually like that - keeps my dyslexic student from guessing and forces him to sound out from left to right. Hope this helps! Jana

Thanks, Tracy - I really like the worksheets Nicole Cull has on the SWR website for purchase but wish there were more to take us through all the lists. Jana

All I can find are worksheets that go through List M...can anyone point me to enrichment exercises for the later lists? Thanks, Jana

Thank you! I will check those out. Jana

These are great! The teacher is interesting, and there's lots of useful information.

Penguin, do you know of any specific talks you think would fit the bill? I listened to a few yesterday that were geared toward teens, but they would be pretty hard to take notes from...I'm looking for something in a similar format to what they will encounter in a classroom someday. Thanks so much!

There's a lot online about Cornell notes...I compiled some examples, and I've been practicing on Sunday morning sermons. :-) I think practice is what they really need...the method itself is very simple. Yes, "bored out of their minds" is something I very much want to avoid. :-) Thanks, all! Jana

Thank you - the study skills workshops are a great idea. I'm watching one now. :-) I am teaching mostly 8th/9th graders...planning to use the Cornell notes method.

Thanks - checking out Spelling You See right now.

I am teaching note-taking to a small group of upper school boys...I need to find some interesting lectures for them to watch and practice taking notes. Do you resourceful people have any suggestions? :-) Thanks in advance, Jana

Thank you so much for your reply...that is exactly what I needed to know. I've spent quite a bit of time looking at Apples and Pears samples online and at their reading program as well. It looks like it might fit the bill. How long do you spend on one lesson?

I will be teaching language arts to a dyslexic 6th grader in the fall. I'm considering Sequential Spelling, but I'm wondering if there is good retention and application. My student has had 5 years of SWR with little retention and application. Is there something else I should consider? I will be homeschooling my own 4 children in all subjects, so I need something that doesn't require a lot of outside prep time. Thanks! Jana

Thanks so much for your advice...I'm going to use the samples over the next few weeks and see how they do. Jana

I have completed Fable and Narrative with a 5th and a 6th grader. Things were going well until halfway through Narrative, when there were several very lengthy passages. Then I looked at online samples for the next level, and the sameness of everything just seemed rather suffocating. I love the structure and organization of the MP curriculum (we use the Forms series for Latin), but I find myself dreading the next level of writing. I like the idea of CAP Writing and Rhetoric, and I'm tempted to start with Narrative II in that series. I would love some advice from CC users...should I hang in there with CC and push through? My students have had no trouble with the difficulty level of CC, other than sighing over the lengthy passages and the routine getting old. To CAP users...are my students too old for the CAP curriculum? They are both good writers; one leans heavily toward the creative side, and the other writes very well, but more "efficiently." :-) Thanks in advance for your thoughts! Jana

KrissiK, I'm in a similar spot...I am almost finished with CC Narrative with 2 girls, grades 5 and 6; we covered Fable first semester and Narrative this semester. Toward the end of Narrative, the selections get REALLY LONG - one thing for you to consider. Also, when I looked at the sample lesson for CC Chreia/Maxim, I felt dread. Not looking forward to teaching it, and I know the girls won't enjoy it much. Is school only about having fun? Certainly not, but I think we're going to jump ship and switch to CAP. It does seem more interesting, more varied(!), and I want them to LOVE LEARNING. Jana

I'm looking at the MP astronomy and can't tell from the online samples if there's actual instruction in the TM that isn't in the workbook (samples show the same level of info in both books, other than answer key). Do I need both? Is the TM even that helpful for this course? Thanks! Jana

CMama, can you give me a few examples of the type of memory work in MP's astronomy book? We use a lot of MP's curriculum, but not that. I would love to find something relating to the constellations. RootAnn and ladydusk - thanks for the poems - that sounds like a good place to start! Here are a few other poems I've run across: "Full Moon" by Walter de la Mare One night as Dick lay half asleep, Into his drowsy eyes A great still light began to creep From out the silent skies. It was the lovely moon's, for when He raised his dreamy head, Her surge of silver filled the pane And streamed across his bed. So, for a while, each gazed at each -- Dick and the solemn moon -- Till, climbing slowly on her way, She vanished, and was gone. "The Moon" by Robert Louis Stevenson The moon has a face like the clock in the hall; She shines on thieves on the garden wall, On streets and fields and harbour quays, And birdies asleep in the forks of the trees. The squalling cat and the squeaking mouse, The howling dog by the door of the house, The bat that lies in bed at noon, All love to be out by the light of the moon. But all of the things that belong to the day Cuddle to sleep to be out of her way; And flowers and children close their eyes Till up in the morning the sun shall arise.

We have an astronomy class (made up of my kids and my sister's kids) with six students, ages 6 to 11. We are studying the Apologia astronomy text, and we'd like to find a poem, chant, etc. that the kids could memorize and recite related to what we are studying. My online digging isn't turning up much...do any of you have suggestions for us? Thanks! Jana

One more suggestion...post a question on the Memoria Press forum. The other moms and the teachers/staff are very helpful. I'm sure they could give you some good ideas.