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DiannaC

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Everything posted by DiannaC

  1. We decided to use SWR because another friend recommended it. There is a learning curve at the beginning, but if you spend the time to read the manual and make your own book, you will catch on quickly and it will be easy to teach your kids. I really like it because it is comprehensive. My 5 year old is reading on a 2nd grade level now and spells well for his age. I credit it all to SWR. I didn't attend a workshop, but read and learned how to do it. We did 10 words a week and it took us about 20 mins to go over the words. We spend about 20 to 30 mins each day reviewing our words and phonograms. HTH!
  2. Besides the Bible, Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp & a book I just finished that was outstanding is Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with The Love of Jesus by Elsye Fitzpatrick.
  3. Sorry to hear people have had such bad experiences with CC, but I and many other moms I know love CC. I was skeptical about the price at first too, but the curriculum and community was worth it to me. My oldest has loved it & his little brother is looking forward to it as well. And from my experience, most moms are not looking to CC to educate for them, but rather to enrich their education. If there is a CC in your area, check it out and talk to the moms and ask them their opinion. Many people on the board see the cost and immediately decide it isn't for them. The CC community and your educational goals are what is important for making the decision to join or not.
  4. I agree! We only did the 3 R's this year, but next year we will do history/grammar/foreign language on our own. Right now we review CC for about 15mins a day. Sometimes we will do a fun project or watch something related to CC. Pinterest has lots of ideas. I am still debating what to do for science & at this point I may just supplement CC until my oldest is in 3rd & my middle is in 1st.
  5. I've been thinking about supplementing the CC science as well. My oldest will be in 1st grade & science should be fun at this point. I like Apologia, but I've thought I should wait until 3rd grade to start it.
  6. Thanks for sharing. I'm very undecided about science for my 1st grader next year & this looks gentle & fun. Plus, it isn't a textbook!
  7. This is our first year using SWR and my son is in K5. We test every week on 10 words and will finish I-4 list this week. We have built most of the reference pages, even though he doesn't always understand fully, I am introducing and he will have better understanding when we build it next year. We do classical conversations on Monday, so we normally have a 4 day week. It looks like this: 1. Intro new words for him to spell in his book. Read through all phonograms and read to me. 2. Make flash cards of words with me calling them out, but not sounding them out to him unless he needs my help. Play phonogram bingo. Read through a set of flash cards (we have done them for every list because he likes to make them). 3. Write words on chalk board, dry erase board, or using magnetic letters. Play phonogram snake. Read cards and book. Review a couple of spelling cards. 4. Test on this week's list, plus 8 other words from previous lists. Do a treasure hunt with phonogram cards. Read words to me. We haven't focused as much on writing sentences, but he does tell me sentences orally. We also haven't done as many enrichment activities found with the lists because he doesn't have enough grammar knowledge. However, next year when we repeat our lists from this year and do 20 words a week, we will add in more of the suggestions linking grammar. Oh, and we will continue to work with phonograms until he can say them all rapidly with no hesitation. Hope that helps!
  8. My son does the same thing - copies words from the dictionary! He loves to write! I'm going to try WWE and FLL when we start 1st grade this fall. I've looked at WWE and it doesn't seem too difficult, especially at first.
  9. Thanks for the wealth of ideas! My son mainly reads to me and I think it is a great idea to have him read to me during rest time everyday. He can't read in his bed at night, because he shares a room with his younger brother, but that will be something to consider in the future. I also like a reward for reading so many books. He is a very motivated firstborn and a reward will be the icing on the cake for him!
  10. Thanks for the review of Scholaric. I like easy and since I only have one child in school right now it would only be $1 a month. That is a cheaper than buying a planner!
  11. I haven't thought about the summer reading programs at the library or even B&N, but that is a good idea. He is just beginning to read independently and he reads to me every day and usually my husband too. He is reading Dr. Seuss and Little Bear books right now. Thanks for the suggestions!
  12. I am curious how you retain what your child has learned through the summer, especially when it comes to reading? We will finish up the year at the end of May & I want to have a relaxing and full of play summer. However, I think it would be foolish not to have my ds reading some, but I don't want it to feel like school. What do you do to retain their reading skills?
  13. I use Spell to Write & Read, which I believe is very similar to WRTR. For my K5 son we have done 10 words a week, which was recommended. It has been very doable. We will do 20 words in 1st grade & I think by 3rd grade, she recommends 40 words, with review of previous words at the beginning of the year. My plan is to finish by 5th grade. My son is reading & spelling well, so I'm pleased with this method!
  14. Thanks for telling us about it! I entered!
  15. I have a kindergartner and we went with SWR on the recommendation of a good friend & I have loved it! My son has done really well with too. He is reading and spelling well. As others have said, there is a learning curve at the beginning, but once you learn the system it is very simple and easy to use. My 5 year old has even started teaching his little brother the phonograms. Highly recommend!
  16. We have been doing it for 2 years now & I think it is an excellent curriculum. I think it is much more than a supplement and a social activity. During foundations, your children are getting memory pegs which will help them in later years. You can also make CC your main curriculum as well, you would just need to supplement with library books. My son is only 5.5 and I'm amazed at the information he has learned and retained. My dh has jokingly said, "When is he going to be smarter than us?" I do like the social aspect as well because they learn how to interact with others as well as presentation. Are there some downsides? Sure, nothing is perfect, but if you looking for a great way for your kids to memorize info they will use for the rest of their lives, and have community, it is a great option!
  17. We have the Classical Conversations timeline cards which I really like. I had already planned to use those too. Ds will probably make some connections because we did cycle 1 this year at CC.
  18. Thanks for your feedback. That is really helpful!
  19. The Companion seemed much drier to me than SOTW. I thought it might be over ds's head at 6. I know Biblioplan is meant to be used for all ages and it seems like the Companion is written for older children. Thanks for all your comments. I'm still undecided as whether to get BP or not. It might be more than I need right now. I don't want to overwhelm my 1st grader, but I do want to incorporate biblical history.
  20. We will begin SOTW 1 with my first grade son in the fall. I like SOTW for the most part, but I really want to weave Biblical history in as well. Is Biblioplan a good fit for a 1st grader? Would I just need to buy the lesson plans and not the companion, since I'm using SOTW as my spine & I'll also use the AG for SOTW? I downloaded the sample from the website & I wasn't impressed with the companion from Biblioplan.
  21. I'm really glad to read this has been a good combo as this is my plan for next year. We have done SWR this year for K & loved it.
  22. My oldest did CC last year as a 4 year old and I was his tutor. He didn't retain anything, but he had a good time. I am tutoring his class again this year (4s & 5s) and I try to have a lot of fun, but some of the kids still have a hard time staying with me for the 3 hrs, especially during science project and tin whistle. I'll have a 4 year old again in the fall, and I am undecided if I will put him in a class or leave him with grandma. He is very wiggly and unless he matures a lot in the next 6 months, I think it would be a struggle for him. If your child can write, count, and sit still, then I think he would do fine at CC. Every child is different and you know your child best!
  23. Thanks for this information. It is helpful in planning for next year.
  24. For 1st grade I am planning to use: Spell to Write & Read (it has been great this year) Story of The World: Ancients Shurley English (not completely decided) AIG Science (not completely decided) Singapore 1a & b Copy work? Recommendations for copy work? And is Writing With Ease basically copy work? I saw it last night at B&N, but was unfamiliar with it. Also, some thoughts on LA and science would be helpful. This is my first time around and I'm learning as I go!
  25. I'm glad that others feel a little overwhelmed by Miquon. My ds just finished Singapore Essentials B & I wanted to wait until T least the new year to start 1A. Miquon does scare me a little, but when I was looking over it, ds came in the room & said, "This looks fun. Can I do this page?" I explained, as best as I could, what to do & he did it. This thread helped me to see I need to stick with it & evaluate my son's progress.
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