MorningGlory
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Posts posted by MorningGlory
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We just started Level 4 with my older son last week, so I can't give a real report. But we are enjoying it just as much as the other levels!
One thing I did notice is that there is not a Word Analysis section at the beginning of the steps (at least the first 3) like in Level 3. I was kind of disappointed by this because I thought that part was very helpful. Maybe it shows up later; I haven't looked ahead.
Plugging along...hoping Level 5 comes out by the fall! :)
Jetta
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BJU TMs are very thorough. They give complete explanations for all concepts. They give several different approaches to solving the same problem. They give hints and ideas for rough spots, drill, enrichment, etc. I have used BJU Math K-6 and have been very pleased. The heart of BJU's math program is in their TM.
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We are using BJU Reading 2 right now. It is fantastic. I wouldn't suggest doing it without all of the major components...the TE, the student reader, and the worktext.
BJU (done as intended) requires a lot of one-on-one student-teacher interaction. The TE has instructions for introducing a story with "hooks" and vocabulary review, then the child reads the story (or just a portion), then you ask a series of oral comprehension questions to the child. These are found in the TE; there are a lot to choose from...I never use them all. These questions cover all the levels of understanding...from literal to appreciative.
After all of that, the TE gives instructions for introducing and completing the student worktext pages. There are usually 2 pages per lesson. The first usually contains more comprehension work, and the second usually addresses some phonics review or "word work". This program is very, very thorough!
There are also lessons called Skill Stations about every 5 lessons. The detailed instructions for these are in the TE and the pages are in the student worktext. You could not complete these without the TE.
BJU Reading 2 takes about 30 minutes a day for us. I am very pleased with it, but I don't think I will use Reading 3 next year because it is so teacher-intensive (a baby on the way). I'll need something more "pick-up and go" for at least a year. But if you have the time, I highly recommend it.
HTH!
Jetta
P.S. We also used the BJU kindergarten program. This was WONDERFUL!!! I cannot emphasize that enough. It includes art and science and reading (both phonics and comprehension) and writing and listening. It is a complete program. We did not use Reading 1. My son needed fluency practice, so we just spent a year reading lots and lots of books with no workbook stuff.
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We used the hardcover version illustrated by Michael Hague. This is one my favorite books that we own. It is beautiful...a delight to read.
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I completely agree with Merry. Speed up AAS.
I started AAS with both of my sons this school year. My fifth grader has breezed through Levels 1, 2, 3 and started Level 4 this week. He is finally getting to some words that might give him pause (but maybe not), but the skills that he has learned in the meantime are so valuable. He has learned to analyze a word...think about it...before he just makes some wild guess. This skill has carried over into all his other school work; I am very, very pleased with this!!! We covered one step a day, 3X a week to get to this point. And another thing...Level 3 adds in a part called Writing Station. You dictate a word and the student writes a sentence using that word. This is where you can really see the results of the program.
My 2nd grader has taken a bit longer; he has just finished Level 2 and is ready to start Level 3 next week. I'm seeing the same results with him...just at a bit slower pace. With him, I cover 1-2 steps a week doing spelling between 3-5X a week (depending on our schedule).
Both of my sons were atrocious spellers in their other school work. They always made 100s on their spelling tests, but then they would misspell many, many words in other writing. It drove me crazy! But their misspellings have steadily decreased since starting AAS. And this is not because they have learned new words in AAS...but because they have learned to think about what they write. I cannot emphasize how pleasing this is to me! HURRAY!!!
By the way, I was just looking at Megawords yesterday. If AAS Level 5 is not ready when we need it, I may substitute with Megawords. The scope & sequence of MW seems to fit nicely with what we have learned in AAS. I think my older son would be ready for at least Level 2, maybe Level 3.
I know this probably wasn't helpful, but I just have to rave about AAS!
Jetta
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I plan to use Runkle's Physical World Geography next year with my sixth grader. I've looked at samples online and like it.
One caveat: Runkle focuses on the actual physical geography of the earth in this program...not so much the location of countries, places, landmarks, etc.
Jetta
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We love, love, love BJU Math. I've taught all the elementary levels from Math K to Math 6 and plan to use Pre-Algebra next year. The TE is the key to this curriculum. It is jammed-packed with review ideas, enrichment, "hooks" for the lessons, mental math, and clear instructions on teaching concepts. I read the TE lesson the day before I teach it, make notes, prepare materials, etc. So this curriculum (if done right) requires a good deal of teacher preparation.
I also like how the student worktexts/texts are arranged. They seem to have just the "right" number of problems...never too many. And they use different activities and paper "games" to make it more interesting. Plus they are in full color (which matters to my fellows).
Having said that, I do teach BJU a grade level ahead. In other words, I started Math K in Pre-K with my younger son; he is now in Math 3 as a 2nd grader. I started my older son with Math 3 in 2nd grade (after completing the Miquon sequence) and now he is doing Math 6 in 5th grade. He will take Pre-Algebra next year as a 6th grader, and honestly, he could probably go straight into a gentle Algebra like Jacobs. Math 6 has plenty of pre-algebra built into it.
HTH! Or maybe muddies the waters even more...:)
Jetta
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There is an odor with the Prismacolor markers. I would compare their odor to the level of a Sharpie's odor. And it really seems to be most noticeable when you first take the cap off...then it lessens considerably.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the markers are very "powerful" as markers go. They will bleed through many types of paper.
We have a set of 24 and use them regularly in our attempts to have art class. My older son loves them for their neat tips and unusual colors. My younger son does not like them at all; he thinks they are too messy. He prefers his cheap markers from Walmart (probably because I don't fuss about being careful with them).
Hope that helps!
Jetta
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Beth,
How did you decide to place your 11 yo daughter in Homer OB? I am considering beginning CW soon with my 11 yo son, and I cannot (for the life of me!) decide which level would be most appropriate for him. I would love to hear how someone else made that decision.
Thanks!
Jetta
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There was a recent thread/post with a link to another thread/post in which the author of LOF says that he may eventually write a book or two to go between D&P and Beg. Alg. That would solve the problem of no "pre-algebra" in the LOF sequence.
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72561
Many students are ready to go into Beg. Algebra after mastering Fractions and then Decimals and Percents. And then many more are not. I plan to spend next year using a pre-algebra program (maybe Chalkdust, maybe BJU) with my older ds to help his mind mature a bit before we start Algebra. Most pre-algebra programs delve deeper into word problems and applications using already mastered concepts. This will be very useful in our particular situation (somewhat young age).
HTH!
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He had mentioned he was planning on putting a book out that would be in between Decimals and Beg. Algebra, called Physics After Arithmetic....here is the link to a letter Lizzie in MA had posted.
Oh! I missed this post originally...thanks for referencing it! This is very exciting news; I would have loved to have Fred help me understand Linear Algebra in college. LOL! And having another book between D&P and Beg. Alg. will be fantastic.
By the way, Rainbow Resource now carries the LOF series. You won't get the same special attention as when you order directly from Stan, but it can help with shipping costs if you are ordering other things.
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I'm wondering if I should take it into Kinkos and print out a nice spiral-bound TM for myself. I wonder what that would cost.
Beth, if you decide to have it printed at Kinkos, would you post the approximate cost on this thread? I realize that the price would vary by location, but it would give me an idea. It would be nice to be able to plan for this cost in advance.
Thanks!
Jetta
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And you might also consider Chalkdust. This is a highly regarded program that offers courses from Basic Math or Pre-Algebra all the way through Calculus. It includes DVD instruction from a talented teacher along with text and solutions guide. There are lots of posts about it on the high school forum or you could look at CD's website:
It is pricey, but apparently worth the $$$. I plan to use Chalkdust's PreAlgebra next year with my 11 yo son. He will finish BJU Math 6 and Life of Fred Decimals & Percents this spring. We LOVE Life of Fred, but we use it only as a supplement.
HTH! You can never have too many choices in math!
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I am not going to be of much help, but I would say that BJU Math 6 is a vital part of BJU's math sequence...not one to be skipped. My son is going through it now, and it covers several topics that have not been completely addressed before this level (division of fractions and multiplication & division of + & - integers comes to mind).
Based on that, I would think that Chalkdust's Basic Math compares to BJU's Math 7. I *believe* that both of these programs are basically intense reviews of previously taught concepts (with maybe more application thrown in). That is why BJU says that Math 7 can be skipped if the student is competent. You might try comparing topic lists from both websites, but then of course, topic lists don't always tell the full story!
Just to let you know...My son will finish BJU Math 6 by February. Then he will go through Life of Fred's Decimals and Percents (he completed LOF Fractions last year). And then my plan is for him to go into Chalkdust's PreAlgebra. After completing Math 6 and LOF, I don't see the need for him to take Chalkdust's Basic Math before going into PreAlgebra. I think he will be ready!
HTH!
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:001_smile:
I don't need to order this until December, so I might check back to see how it's going then.
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Has anyone actually used this Latin translation course? I've done some searching and can't find any posts with "first hand" experiences. I would love to hear from someone who has used it. Was it worthwhile? Did it enhance your Henle studies? Would you use it again?
Background: My 10 year old son (5th grade) will finish LC II by Christmas break (after having completed PL and LC I). At this point, I plan to have him begin Henle with the MP study guide. And I have found that my goals for his Latin studies have changed. Initially, I was only interested in Latin for its vocabulary boost. But my son seems to have a natural "knack" for this language; he is mathematically-minded and loves the order and patterns of Latin. That is why I thought a translation course along with Henle might appeal to him.
Thank you!
Jetta
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Has anyone actually used this Latin translation course? I've done some searching and can't find any posts with "first hand" experiences. I would love to hear from someone who has used it. Was it worthwhile? Did it enhance your Henle studies? Would you use it again?
Background: My 10 year old son (5th grade) will finish LC II by Christmas break (after having completed PL and LC I). At this point, I plan to have him begin Henle with the MP study guide. And I have found that my goals for his Latin studies have changed. Initially, I was only interested in Latin for its vocabulary boost. But my son seems to have a natural "knack" for this language; he is mathematically-minded and loves the order and patterns of Latin. That is why I thought a translation course along with Henle might appeal to him.
Thank you!
Jetta
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:iagree:
I prefer the e-book version of History Pockets for this very reason.
Since I purchase the e-books, I can print out only what I need with how ever many copies I need whenever I need them! And I easily use colored paper for some things and cardstock for others. It is just wonderful!
I'll never go back to the print versions of History Pockets!
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Ds is entering fifth grade, age-wise, so he is a bit ahead in math. He has been suffering from Ten Year Old Boy Syndrome (typical symptoms--forgetfulness, sports-related distractability, and incidents of inexplicable stupidity), but is otherwise a good student.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for identifying this "syndrome"! My 10 yo ds definitely has it! And knowing that there are others out there suffering from the same thing will surely help me deal with his weirdness.
So appreciative,
Jetta
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Great list!
But I have to add The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow by Allen French to it. My boys and I loved this book so much that we are still talking about it six months later, and we tend to compare other books to it. So far nothing has stood up to Rolf!
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I wouldn't go so far as to say that my son "enjoyed" Ludere Latina I, but I will say that the grammar crossword was very helpful for learning how to use the different conjugation and declension forms.
We are now about halfway through LC II, and Ludere Latina II that goes with it is extremely helpful. I would highly recommend it. It has a lot more things to do with each lesson than the first volume. Again I wouldn't say that my son enjoys it...but he doesn't mind doing it, either.
The "games" in these workbooks are really just exercises in disguise.
HTH!
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My 4th grade son used Evan-Moor's Daily Language Review this past year because we took a year off from formal grammar (shhhh....). I wanted something that would just keep the concepts fresh in his mind. It worked in that regard, but it was very, very, very repetitive. After about 12 straight weeks (of almost the same stuff), I found a couple of other things to use with him to help break up the monotony. We have one more week remaining of "4th grade", and he has completed 22 weeks of the workbook. That is more than enough!
Keep in mind that Daily Language Review is just that...review only. There is no direct teaching involved. I think Evan Moor does publish some other workbooks that teach and review grammar concepts.
HTH!
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From what I understand, there is no difference between the two versions. The school version just gives the license to use in a classroom setting.
HTH!
Any regrets using WTM method....Reading...
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
Brenda...
Would your 5th grade ds be reading the unabridged versions of Tom Sawyer, Call of the Wild, and Roll of Thunder? And 20,000 Leagues for that matter.
I'm all ears! :bigear:
Jetta