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PeskyReds

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Everything posted by PeskyReds

  1. So, I can't find it anywhere - what is BA? BTW, we use LOF for fun....when a kid completes a math level or section (like the first half of 5th grade math) he "gets to do a Fred", like Fractions. Then when done with 5th grade level altogether, he "gets to do a Fred" again, like Decimals. My kids consider it a reward of sorts, so I feel nice about myself as a homeschool mom when I think they get rewarded for math, with math. And it's not just me....THEY are the ones that think that! And every now and again we'll catch a concept that needs more attention - my DD13 just blasted through the first LOF Prealgebra book in about 2 weeks, then got hung up on the second one because she finally had to learn conversion factors....she'd been bluffing through them before then.... Hoping someone will tell me about BA - and where do you see AoPS? A convention? Have to order somewhere special?
  2. I just spoke with my kids about this, and none of them remarked that thus far there was anything overly disturbing to them....I mean, I have kept an eye on it along the way, and we talk through some issues as we are going, obviously, but even my more sensitive DD8 hasn't felt threatened or intimidated in any way with the material we've seen yet. One thing I would say helps with this is that most of the information, other than that presented by the actors, is a fixed image, not so much live action movie, IYKWIM. The images have been tastefully done and have made an impression, but not been "scary" or too graphic, that I ahve seen or that has been reported to me, and we've just been through the Civil War. We are only up to Teddy Roosevelt in the 1900s, this year yet, haven't hit WWI, WWII or the holocaust yet, but I feel like I trust the material and the way VP has presented everything we've seen so far, so will be trusting this upcoming material as well, although I will be a little more involved in watching and discussing than when we are going over cowboys. :) So, yes I have seen it thus far to be appropriate to all elementary age levels, in our experience, although bear in mind I don't start the kids on them until around 2nd-3rd grade. Perhaps someone else can vouch for the 2oth century section! HTH!
  3. We have used the self-paced history the last 3 years and have been pleased with them. We started with MARR, then Exp-1815, and this year 1815-Modern. It has worked well for all my kids in various grade levels - this year I had a 3rd, 5th, and 7th grader all doing Modern. Has been fine for all of them, even considering it was my 3rd graders first time with her own course. The subject matter has been fine for her as well - I was a little concerned it might be too much. (SWB notes that the 4th volune of SOTW is more intense than the earlier volumes - and this child DD8 has been fine with all of it.) Next year my DD13 will do Omni I beginning with Ancients. Omni moves a little faster, and I was hoping to keep the youngers a little closer to the same time span, so we start OTAE in June when done with the current, and then I have schemed to ahve them done around March 2015 and starting on NTGR directly after, and probably finishing it around Christmas 2015. For us it takes a solid 8 months to get through and that's pushing it, even with some days doing 2-3 lessons and other days, when things are too busy or we have play dress rehearsals or piano recitals, no lessons get done. In our experience, the lessons get longer and take more time as the course goes on and there is more and more to review.
  4. This has been a helpful thread as we are in a similar boat. Is there a size of Challenge class you'd recommend as a minimum for discussion and presentation purposes? In addition to our regular schoolwork, we're currently using some online classes which have been great for our family in providing accountability, pursuit of excellence, training in scheduling your own work, working independently, presenting (at least in a virutal environment) and discussion with others that are not mom, etc. however, I like some of the things that Challenge A (or Chal. B ) would provide for my rising 8th grader next year and think it could be done along side some of the things I would supplement with. Trouble is, it's a new CC program. Right now it looks like there would only be 1 or 2 other students in the class, which to me deflates the benefit of group discussion and debate. Wondering if the Challenge A (or Chal B ) curricula is worth trying alongside these other shortcomings, or if these aren't really shortcomings in your experience? I may have a gifted and experienced tutor, but also few students.....what would you recommend as a minimum class size? I've always felt like it's the students and the tutor that make the class....Deciding whether to take the chance or use the money to sign up for more virtual community instead of IRL people. :)
  5. Thanks for the input. This has been very helpful to me. Going to look into these things. Blessings!
  6. We are planning to do logic next year in 8th grade second semester, because I don't think we could/should add more stuff in the fall with so many other new things happening. My plan is to continue it into the summer and keep going from there as possible. Hopefully you'l hear from someone that's BTDT. I'd learn something too that way!
  7. I think they have, but different families are in different places, primarily because the program is young and just building. The oldest kids have been 9-10, and those kids will be versed in Essentials and some Foundations, some will have only Essentials background for a year and no Foundations, and some will only be exposed to the Latin and Grammar of Cycle 3 next year, which is only some various words (like a list of a few prepostions, some random verbs) that are then used to memorize john I in Latin (and help you see how things can be kind of translated, I guess?). but some parents are wishing they have a little more exposure to Latin before they hit Challenge A in a year. Thought I'd possibly find something helpful for them. For some this is their first year in CC at all and they are still on a steep learning curve, but wanting to continue. For other parents, they'd like to include their littler ones in Foundationas and Essentials but don't ahve a place for their bigger kids. :) I'm going to look into GSWL!
  8. Hi folks - I think I may be involved with CC Challenge A next year for my oldest. We've done MP Prima Latina and LC1 and LC2, so we've al least had some solid introduction to the Henle that Challenge A will be using. But because it is a new CC program in it's introductory year, many of the other kids that will be in CHallange A the following year (Fall 2015) have had little or no training through the classical method, and no experience with Latin. I thought it may be helpful to offer some introductory Latin as a prep to them over the next school year. Any suggestions for kids primarily in 6th grade that would give a good introduction for a year before starting Henle? I'm wondering if I should just use Latina CHristiana I because I'm familiar with it, or try First Forms I or if there's something that would be more suitable. Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated.
  9. I'm sure this has been asked a milliion times before, but the search function doesn't seem to like me so I'm just going to ask anyway: Where can I find of list of acronyms and abbreviations? Every now and then I bump into something I just don't know.....Seems like I should be smart enough to find it, but, well..... Thanks!
  10. Another Lynn, on 19 Mar 2014 - 7:56 PM, said: This was very striking to me because that is exactly what I have been trying to hash out for our family the last few months... either I can join a new academic community (CC in this case) to be around other like-minded folks, or I can try to put togehter our own group (which I've also done to varying degrees over the years, but doesn't seem to be sticking) or I can keep slogging it out on my own. Since we've had friends move and others put their kids into school, we've lost a big social component which has been really hard and detrimental for us. I'm trying to decide if I'm willing to give up what I thought we were working toward all these years (a Great Books approach with Veritas, amongst other things) as we need that classical community around - we're the only people in our area that ahve ever classically schooled, and the only ones any more that use our basic foundational principals and curriculum choices. For instance, NO ONE here does Latin, beyond maybe a year or so. I've been classically schooling for 10 years and everyone else in CC is younger and thinks it's some new amazing method. So am I willing to give up the grammar program I like for the accoutability of Essentials? Do I keep trying year after year to build my own like-minded community, which I would prefer? Yikes, how did you choose? Moving is not an option. :)
  11. Hey, just jumping up to the high school board. A little scary. :001_smile: (Haven't figured out avators and signature lines yet. ) Anyway, we've been doing MP Latina Christiana II and will move on to FF II after that....but I have a son (currently 5th) who is not crazy about grammar or language study in general, so Latin is his least favorite subject, with grammar and writing right on par in his dislike. We did JAG this last year and he did GREAT with it - I also used AG in full with my 7th grade daughter who loves language study. Was planning to use it with him next year, but we're considering the CC Essentials program since we could use the camraderie and IEW writing program. Think he'd do better with some positive peer pressure. I know there is some debate about whether Latin grammar teaches the English grammar or vice versa, but my son did much better in his Latin this year after working through the JAG - he seemed to understand it more clearly. So I thought that what appears to be the overwhelming amount of info in CC Essentials EEL might be benficial to us in our Latin studies. But honestly, I think the EEL is kind of....over the top. I think the Charlotte Mason part of me just rebels against needing to spend more time on things that I can't tell are worthwhile, and are (frankly) boring and convoluted. (Honestly, 112 model sentences to memorize? To what end? I'm not judging as much as genuinely asking....) I thought the AG was somewhat interesting and my kids actually didn't mind and liked it. I had no trouble teaching it. Was pretty hands off, really. But the EEL seems more thorough and with more formal terminology. And more teacher/time intensive. So my question: we're planning to move on eventually into Henle or Wheelock Latin - will the CC EEL help us immensely in our First Forms and Henle/Wheelock study? We'll do it if it going to help....or if you ahve another English grammar suggestion that would be helpful, I'd take that too! Thanks! DD 13 DS 11 DD 8 DD 6 DS 20 months
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