sweetpea3829
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Posts posted by sweetpea3829
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I'm putting Word Roots into my Rainbow cart....
Somebody talk me out of it and tell me why Latin is better, lol.
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Huh. I can't think of a thing. I'll be curious if anyone else can. There were a lot of boy adventure stories that were written or read contemporarily to Anne... but most of them were more like Howard Pyle's Robin Hood... or they were things like GA Henty's various adventure stories for every time and place - he churned out books a little before Montgomery and his books have largely been forgotten for good reason - they weren't that good (plus, racism, so much racism). It's the female-centric stuff that has made it through from that time period - Secret Garden, Anne, Rebecca of Sunnybrook, even the Oz books have a female heroine. I mean, we remember Horatio Alger... but as a sort of stereotype, not because we think of the books as being very good. Of course, there are many contemporary orphan boy tales - but nearly all the ones I'm thinking of are fantasy, like Harry Potter, which is just a different kettle of fish.
I don't think Oliver Twist is too much necessarily if you do it on audio or read it aloud. And then you can watch Oliver! because it's actually quite a fun little movie.
Farrar, I've come up with a few but interestingly, what I'm finding is that most male-orphan novels trend towards following the male protagonist through misadventures and hijinks (think, Tom Sawyer) while most female-orphan novels do not.
In Anne, she is "adopted", settles into her new life, adjusts, and grows up. She has some adventures along the way, but not necessarily the kind of trouble Tom Sawyer would get into.
I'm going to screen Oliver Twist and see what I think. I may just stick with it. I'm kicking around Tom Sawyer but...we listened to that on audiobook and some of the content is just wholly inappropriate.
Others: Freckles; Maniac McGee; Bud, not Buddy; Blood on the River; and a couple of other more obscure ones that I've come across.
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So I was planning on starting DS10 in Latin (instead of vocab) this coming semester. DD11 I was undecided but leaning towards staying with vocab development.
Then I came across Vocabulary From Classical Roots and thought perhaps that might be a better way to go? The whole point in teaching DS Latin would be to bolster vocab development at a deeper level than just studying vocabulary. From there, I figured we could launch into a foreign language (likely French) within a year or two.
So thoughts on skipping Latin and just diving deeper into a vocabulary curriculum that focuses on roots? Any suggestions for such a vocabulary curriculum that studies roots, prefixes, etc., and not just vocab words?
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I would say SoTW for your 7th grader would be fine for the next two years. Then, when you hit high school and begin studying Early Modern and Modern, switch to something more appropriate.
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You know what would have been an awesome companion novel if it existed. August Rush. And for what it's worth, there IS a novel titled "August Rush" but it is absolutely most definitely not related to the movie of the same name, lol.
Too bad, because that story line would fit perfectly.
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Any good novels out there with a somewhat relevant story line similar to Anne of Green Gables, but with a male protagonist? You know, orphaned youth, making their own way, etc. Probably along the lines of Oliver Twist, but Oliver Twist is perhaps a bit too advanced for my middle schoolers (particularly the 11 yr old).
What I'm kicking around right now is having my Bigs (11 yr old girl and 10 yr old boy) read Anne of Green Gables and then follow up with a similarly themed story with a male protagonist. I would want to compare the similarities and differences, discuss the roles of gender, etc etc.
***Side note...if you know of amazing, awesome lit guides for Anne of Green Gables, please do share. Last year I used Discovering Literature Series' The Hobbit teaching guide (Challenging level) and it was the best lit guide I've ever used. Concise, no fluff, got right down to literary elements, etc. Unfortunately, they don't have Anne, lol.
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I linked a lot of book titles, individual lit. guides and programs for grades 6-8 in these past threads:
"Who can guide me to good literature studies?"
"First formal literature course"
And if you're interested in using short stories as part of your middle school lit, check out these threads:
"Short stories for an 11yo girl?"
"Short stories every middle school student should read"
"Best short stories for middle grades"
"Favorite Short Storis for 6th-8th"
"Suggestions for Short Stories for Literary Analysis -- 7th/8th grade level?"
"Middle School Literature Using Short Stories?"
"Favorite 20th century short stories" (for middle school)
Lori, thanks for these links.
Would you have any suggestions on an overall "arc" for the next few years? I just need a general idea of what needs to be covered, and when.
I have composition, vocab, and grammar covered. It's mostly literature that I need that general outline.
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Ok...how about middle school science? One of my kiddos will most likely be seeking AP science courses at some point. So I'll need to prepare for that.
My daughter, on the other hand, will not likely be in AP science. Her math LD is pretty significant.
Up until this coming school year, I have always kept the four kids together for science (grouping them together, but requiring less of the younger two). This year, we are using Science Fusion and I like it enough.
What kind of arc should my AP-oriented kid study from here on out? Bio ---> Physics ---> Chem---??? What about Anatomy, and other sub branches of Science?
And for resources, what do you particularly like for middle school and up?
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Sooooo.....what are y'all doing for Middle School lit? LOL!
Typically, I choose 2-3 novels for the year (one for the fall semester, a short one for Christmas, and one for the Spring semester). We read the novel, discuss, and I try and tie in discussions on literary elements, etc.
I would like something a bit more formal. What's out there? 6th grade for this year, but feel free to recommend higher grade level material.
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I own the entire series and used it with my emergent readers as soon as they were able to decode CVC and words with blends and digraphs. I found that the combination of writing and reading enabled my readers to reach fluency more readily. I didn't just go through the books in order. I would take pages from a few different books and assign them randomly...one a day (both sides). Of course, I'd only choose from material we'd covered. (I began my youngest readers with HOP, and switched them to Progressive Phonics, which is free for printing online, usually after the 3rd HOP book).
As we covered more material in Progressive Phonics, I'd add pages from higher level books. I do this through 2nd grade and sometimes even into 3rd, depending on the student.
That said, I do not love ETC, lol. The pictures are really not that well done. There were quite a few times I couldn't decipher the picture myself. If the drawings were more clear, I'd have nothing negative to say about it, lol.
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Yes, I do. For summer, they have a list of books to choose from (but I also entertain suggestions from the kids on books they might like to read). Reading is integrated within our school curriculum, so it's not an option during the school year.
But in addition, mine can earn tablet time in two ways...they can pay for it, or they can earn it by reading. I have one for whom this isn't enticing enough. But for the boys? They're all in.
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We've enjoyed Science Fusion this year.
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I started out using the tiles but scrapped them pretty quickly, lol. They were more useful for AAR, but I didn't particularly care for AAR as a whole and only used the first level.
We've used AAS through Step 6 without using the tiles and it's been fine. Honestly, I also don't use the cards either, lol. (But this is a thing with me...always reinventing the wheel).
EIW lessons really are pretty short. The work itself is a little longer, but not really at the 2nd and 3rd grade levels.
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I never found any of the packaged Literature programs to be useful for any of my kids, grade level readers or not. But particularly for my advanced reader.
If it were me, I'd can the LL, pick up Essentials in Writing, Grade 2, and come up with my own literature component. I assign a specific book, that we read a chapter or two a week. I find various discussion material on the internet, or a lit guide (these are really hit or miss...most of them are junk imo). We discuss various literature concepts as we come across them.
All About Spelling books 1 and 2 to for spelling for this year (book 1 will probably be easy and you'll fly through...book 2 is a bit harder but it's the base of the program, imo).
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I really like ETC for practicing phonics after my students are readers. I understand your wish to cut down on competitiveness, but I had mine all go through the ETC workbooks and they were all at various stages and it never caused any issues. TBH, I didn't even go through the books in order. I pulled pages from every single book (I own the series), and randomly assigned them.
It's a bit more complicated than that...as they emerge as readers, they are able to take in material from the higher level books, and I'd shuffle those pages in accordingly.
Anyways, I also used the Spectrum Phonics workbooks for practice. Up through Phonics Grade 3.
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I haven't done this in a while, but previously I had to set myself up as a "Coach" (I think that's what they call it) and then I could assign specific skills for dd to work on rather than just the typical grade order it does for students. I never figured out how to do that from my parent account. Until I figured out the coach thing I just looked up individual skills and pasted them into OneNote for her to check off as daily assignments. It was time consuming but it worked.
I recall doing this as well, a couple of years ago, but I can't remember how to do it. And it wasn't a perfect solution, lol. I couldn't have geometry randomly inserted into the standard 5th grade mission, kwim?
I'm a little surprised they haven't made this more accessible by now.
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What I love most about Prodigy is that I can choose specific skills for my students to work on. But their assignment page is still a pain to navigate...content can be difficult to locate.
I plan on having my kiddos work on Khan Academy twice a week, alternating with Prodigy on the other two days. I'd like to be able to set up specific content for each student. For example, my son will work through 5th grade review, but I specifically want to throw in extra geometry, ratios, and rates. I want him to see those skills mixed in with the 5th grade stuff, but at a more frequent rate than it likely already is.
I can't see any way to do this?
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I liked MUS as a gentle introduction for my kiddos that were too young to really sit for Singapore. But after that? It's just TOO mastery, lol.
Wendy had some great ideas. I don't know anything about Saxon. I can tell you that Singapore is solid. I love it and my kids do very well with it. Plus, it's easy to make adjustments based on your child's needs. Got an accelerated learner? Add in some Intensive Practice. Got a kiddo that needs more help? Add in the Extra Practice.
It's problem-solving approach is top-notch, too.
One more thing...if you choose Math Mammoth, Homeschool Buyer's Co-Op ALWAYS has it on sale. I bought the entire series (every single book for every grade, plus their extra books) for a very low price...can't remember now what it was...less than $200 though.
The downside to Math Mammoth, imo, is that it's digital. You can print it just fine, and that works for some folks...but I need a HIG to guide my instruction and MM doesn't have that. The teaching is all on the work page.
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Honestly? IMHO, MUS is not a good fit for your guy. If he learns math readily, he will be bored with MUS. The incremental, repetitive approach is too slow. I used it with my math-LD kiddo for a couple of years and recently switched her out of it because it was not building enough of a conceptual framework for her.
Have you considered Singapore? Or another conceptually strong math program?
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Yes, it's perfectly ok to take a break! Especially if you guys are getting frustrated.
That said...he sounds like he's right on track. Somewhere around this point, fluency "clicks" for most kids and before you know it, he'll be reading on his own.
Typically, at this midway point (once they've mastered decoding, but are not fluent), I add in Explode the Code. I find students internalize decoding and words more easily when they have the ETC worksheets to work through. At first they struggle a bit, but then they pick up and go. Seems like, actually writing the words down makes a big difference.
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Thanks for sharing those! I've been able to find the specific heroes for each book, but I can't find the actual character traits they explore for each hero. The TOC for the first book lists the hero and the traits for each one (I think there's three traits for each hero). But I can't find a TOC for any of the other books in the series.
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Folks,
I am looking for a better way to supplement our Character Building curriculum (which...basically is whatever I can find on the internet, lol). I came across Hero Tales mentioned in a different thread and liked the first book I saw. Came across a TOC for it and it looks great. But it doesn't have all of the character traits I'm looking for.
So I found out there's actually four volumes in the series. But I cannot find TOC or traits listings for the last three books. They are hard to find, and it appears they may even be out of print.
Does anybody have them and if so, would you mind listing for me the specific traits covered in each volume? I would so much appreciate it!
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I can't really address the differences between Singapore and Saxon as I've only ever used Singapore, MM and MUS (for my dyscalculic daughter who needed MUS incremental algorithmic approach at the beginning, but is now using Singapore to fill in conceptual gaps).
For each level of Singapore, there are a number of corresponding books, as well as additional add-ons that you may or may not choose. Let me see if I can remember them all, lol...
We'll use 1st grade as an example...
-Home Instructor Guide 1A and 1B (also called the HIG)
-Teacher Guide 1A and 1B (absolutely not necessary for homeschoolers...definitely go with the HIG)
-Textbook 1A and 1B (teaches the concepts, and includes practice problems)
-Workbook 1A and 1B (Practice problems)
-Extra Practice 1A and 1B (provides additional practice)
-Intensive Practice 1A and 1B (this provides additional practice but at a more challenging level than either the WB or XP books...you don't need both IP and EP...pick one based on your kiddos needs)
-Test Books A and B (includes tests for each topic, as well as cumulative tests)
-Process Skills in Problem Solving, Grade 1 (I don't think Singapore specifically produces this, but it complements their program extremely well...I highly recommend it, and we do this a half year to a year behind grade level)
-Challenging Word Problems, Grade 1 (This IS a Singapore product and it complements Process Skills very well. Process Skills does a much better job of actually teaching the problem solving methods, but CWP does a better job of providing practice of those methods. We also do this program a half year to a year behind...usually after completing the grade level in Process Skills).
What am I missing? I think that's about all of them. There is an ensemble of other corresponding books that you can purchase and I probably have all of them for Grade 1, but you soon realize it's overkill, lol. There's a speed drills book, a Math Express book, and there's even a Problem Solving book that is not as challenging as the CWP books.
One of the biggest complaints about Singapore is the amount of moving parts and the complaint is valid. But once you get use to it and get into your own kind of system with it, everything falls into place. Typically, I teach the lesson using the Textbook, and my students and I complete a handful of the TB assignments together. Then I assign the corresponding pages from the WB. Awhile later, as spiral review, I'll assign corresponding pages from the Intensive Practice books (or I'll pull some pages from the Test books if the IP pages are too difficult).
I treat problem solving as a separate subject in our home...a tag-along to math, if you will. Typically I work through the Process Skills book and then follow up with the CWP book. I usually assign problem solving twice a week, with the other two school days set aside for critical thinking/logic/reasoning type stuff.
Over the summer, I'll pull from whatever is left over and assign topics for spiral review. I'll also use Khan Academy, Prodigy, and sometimes even just random stuff I find online. Anything to keep those topics fresh.
All of this is for 3 of my 4 kiddos. The 10 yr old also gets Beast Academy, but that's a whole other story, lol.
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Okay. Thanks for your input. We do it just to make things different from the usual Saxon routine. Yes, we use manipulatives. I do this to see if he can figure out real-world problems that don't follow a standard formula. First grade Saxon is basic addition, subtraction, fractions, money and measurements (plus days of the week, seasons, etc.). There are problem solving exercises too, but very repetitive. And I asked about MM because I'm thinking of using it along with Saxon.
Saxon also does the N + ? = 10 but kinda limited.
CTVKath, my DS does equations quickly too because they are familiar. Sometimes I wonder if one should even be worrying about conceptual vs. procedural at this point. I read somewhere that in the Logic Stage they will be thinking more conceptually anyway, and at this stage, memorization is essential.
I can tell you this much: my kids know better math now than I did at their age. :D
While this is somewhat true (I personally disagree with the memorization is essential *in math* part), introducing math conceptually at a young age, as long as it is done appropriately, will lead to a math student who has a much more thorough understanding of MATH, and what it is.
My kiddos can compute mental math incredibly well because of the conceptual framework that Singapore laid in the early grades. My 10 yr old can often compute multiple digit multiplication faster than I can type it into a calculator.
So don't discount the importance of the conceptual stuff!
That said...I can't remember which curriculum it is...either Saxon or one of the other ones similar...but I've heard a couple of times that their students struggle with the terminology, if the test questions are presented in a way that differs from what they are used to. So yeah, it's important to switch that up a bit, just as you are.
You might like to combine Singapore's Process Skills in Problem Solving (and the companion book, Challenging Word Problems) with Saxon.
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After two weeks with AOPS Pre-Alg, some thoughts
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
Thanks for posting this, Monica. Your son sounds very similar to mine. He just finished Singapore 5B in April, and launched into Beast 5, which we'll complete prior to starting AoPS Pre-Al.
He's been more frustrated lately, than I've ever seen him in math, and I think he might need a bit of decompress time before I give him over to AoPS. But we'll see. He's only halfway through the Beast 5A book, so it will likely be more towards winter before he starts Pre-Al.