Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

mc26

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    339

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by mc26

    Which Saxon Algebra?

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    Do you think it would be a bad idea to do a typical geometry text between Saxon algebra 1 and 2? I like the idea that the Saxon algebra 2 would keep the geometry fresh. I'd been thinking of doing this but give me a heads up if it's not a good idea.

     

    I am by no means an expert, but I am planning to use Jacobs Geometry after Saxon Algebra 1 (which we start on Monday  :001_smile: )

    Share hits & misses for 7th graders?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Can you talk more about this: what it does and why you guys like it? Sounds fun!

     

    Alley

     

    This is the Ellen J McHenry book.  It comes with DVDs, but we don't use them. I read the history/geography part of the lesson out loud and then the 3 of us do the map drawing.  We each have our own sketch pad and will have a nice portfolio when we are done.  I would definitely recommend it!

    Share hits & misses for 7th graders?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    How does Bookshark work? When I Googled it, the price came to $737.00. Is there a way to buy some of it a la carte? Or?

     

    Thanks,

     

    Alley

     

    I just bought the History Instructors Guide (under $100) from Bookshark, and found the readers/read alouds on Thriftbooks.com, or Amazon.  It wound up being pretty reasonable.  I resold the IG, so it was not an expensive miss.

     

    On the other hand, I am using the 5th grade core with my 11 year old (minus some of the fiction that would not appeal to either of us) and we are really enjoying it.  

    Share hits & misses for 7th graders?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I have a quirky, asynchronous 2E 7th grader who likes structure and routine.  

     

    Hits this year:  

    Saxon Algebra 1/2. We are starting Algebra next week

     

    Hake Grammar

     

    SOTW 3 & 4 with tests and Kingfisher History Encyclopedia

     

    RSO Biology 2

     

    Mapping the World with Art

     

    Misses:

    Bookshark--or to be more specific--any historical fiction or lit-based curricula.  This was his miss, not mine.  He likes everything compartmentalized and wants history to be history and lit to be lit.  Sigh.  Teach the kid you have...

     

    Vocabulary from Classical Roots

     

    Pretty much any writing program we have ever tried,  I shelved WWS and will try it again maybe in 9th grade.  

     

    Somewhere in between a hit and a miss:

    Caesar's English 2.  We loved CE1, not sure why we are not that excited about 2.

     

    Writing Skills 2--the writing book he dislikes the least.

     

    Rosetta Stone Spanish--we are sticking with it until we pick up Latin again.   It is fine.

     

    • Like 1

    Memoria Press Geography III

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    My ds14 is using it this year. I have read through various sections but not the entire book. He tells me there are not any religious references other than discussing the predominant religions in the demographic discussions about each geographical area.

     

    Thanks!!  I ordered it, along with the Runkle book to see them both in person.  

    2016-2017 8th grade planning

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    At the moment...

     

    Math:  Finish Saxon Algebra 1, we are starting in a few weeks when we finish Algebra 1/2, begin Algebra 2

     

    Lit:  LL8 (with MBTP Animal Farm unit subbing for the Hobbit since we did that last year)

     

     

    History:  American History using first 2 concise volumes of Hakim's History of US with US History Detective

     

    Science:  Looking at Exploration Education Advanced 

     

    Writing:  Ugh.  either Writing Skills 3, EPS's The Paragraph Book, or Wordsmith.    

    To say this child is a reluctant writer might be the understatement of the century.  

     

    Foreign Language:  Rosetta Stone Spanish. We want to pick Latin back up with Latin Alive--may wait until 9th grade though.

     

    Other:  Excavating English

     

    PE:  Tennis 4-5 times a week

     

    We own everything but science, Algebra 2, Latin Alive, and some of the writing books.  I am feeling pretty good about our plans.  

     

     

    Homeschooling an Elite Athlete in Middle School – Help please

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    National tennis players mom here :) We started homeschool because we needed flexibility to allow travel. We're getting out of school early every day to train, missing a lot of days due to training/tournament travel etc. After 6-9months of research and lots of back&forths, we decided to give it a go. (I should have homeschooled from the beginning - love it!). Now if we want an outside home class, we can only choose Wednesdays - travel for tournaments usually starts on Thursdays, and we get home on Monday/Tuesday. I joined Monday co-op, but quickly learned it was not possible for us to keep up because we missed at least half of them.

     

    We only homeschool at home, never at tournaments. On occasion we may take a few worksheets or a book to read, but usually kids are in their tourney mode, so concentration is on matches and tactics. When national tournaments have only a match a day, kids go practice with their friends in afternoons. So whenever we are at home, we do school every day (weekends included) to be able to keep up with a schedule. My both kids have the same curriculum (they are 15months apart). My son is accelerated in most subjects, so I do more advanced stuff and his older sister has to try to keep up with him. Works well for us.

     

    Sometimes it seems like we are never home and all of it is just too much, and I wonder is it worth it.... I ask my kids if they are tired, if they want to have sleepovers and lazy weekends or pointless walks at the mall with friends, or go to school dances etc. When they are tired and overwhelmed, I think they wonder that too. But the idea of giving high level tennis up is just unfathomable to them. It's a lot of hard work, compromises, but it molds their character like nothing else would... And at the end of the day I am with my kids 24/7 and I love it.

     

    Good luck to your daughter!

    Another tennis mom here--just getting started with national level tournaments.  Just curious what curriculum you use.

     

    Thanks!!

    • Like 2

    What are your curriculum plans for 2016-2017?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Working on our plans:

     

    8th grade DS:

     

    Math:  Finish Saxon Algebra 1, start Algebra 2

     

    Lit:  Lightning Lit 8--with the MBTP Animal Farm unit subbing for The Hobbit, which he read last year

     

    Grammar:   Finish Hake 8 (we have been doing 2 lessons a week this year)

     

    Writing:  Wordsmith (I think.  Or maybe LL8 will be enough writing).  I also have WWS1 on the shelf, we stopped this year after week 8, would like to go back to that at some point, he just was not ready this year.

     

    History:  US History.  I am going to make some kind of schedule using Hakim History of US and the new US History Detective with a few short biographies added in  This child informed me that he does not like reading fiction that goes with history.  He likes everything separate and compartmentalized.  OK, I guess I can work with that, LOL.

     

    Science:  Looking at Exploration Education for Physical Science 

     

    Foreign Language:  either keep going with Rosetta Stone Spanish, or start Latin again

     

    Other:  Excavating English

     

     

     

    7th grade DS:

     

    Math:  Pre Algebra.  Up in the air.  Either MM7 or AOPS.  I would love a secular Horizons style Pre A, but have not found that.  Also considering Oak Meadow 8th grade math.

     

    Lit/Grammar/Writing:  Oak Meadow 7

     

    History:  Oak Meadow World History 7

     

    Science:  Oak Meadow Earth Science 7

     

    Foreign Language:  Rosetta Stone Spanish

     

    This child is a competitive athlete, so we need to streamline and be very efficient in our schooling.

     

     

    All subject to change, of course. :)

    • Like 2

    Please tell me this is just a 12 year old boy phase

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I have a gifted and spacey 13 year old (October) boy just finishing up Saxon 1/2.  What works for us is to do math first thing in the morning with me sitting with him. I sit with the solutions manual, he tells me his answer after every problem.  He needs the immediate feedback, and can usually self correct.  It is more work for me but so much less frustrating in the long run.  We get it done this way in 45-60 minutes.  

     

    This week he has started shouting out the answers game show-style, and decided that he should get a few lifelines.  2 "skip the problems" and 1 "mom, tell me how to do this" (usually reserved for those pesky lateral surface area geometry problems).  I thought that was pretty amusing.  

    • Like 5

    What are you reading aloud with your middle schooler?

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    Ooh, is the Explosive one a chemistry related book? DS would be thrilled. He keeps begging for a hands on chemistry class and just more chemistry in general but I haven't been able to find one and no landry intensives in this part of the country. Thanks!

     

    Yup!  It is about a kid who is out to collect every element on the periodic table.  Action, mystery, science.  I read about it here (not sure who originally posted about it), but there is also a sequel called Itch Rocks.

    • Like 2
×
×
  • Create New...