Mommy2BeautifulGirls
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Posts posted by Mommy2BeautifulGirls
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Here's my dilemma:
My daughter is going to be using ES Biology this year. We usually do a 2-day per week schedule, and I love that one is included for the program. However, I notice that there are more activities to be performed on the 5-day schedule than the author included in the 2-day schedule. I'm now trying to figure out how to fit in the extra activities.
Has anyone else who uses ES ran across this? If so, how did you work with it? Did you tack a bit onto each day? Skip the "extras" all together? Have all the reading done during a separate reading time?
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I've been bad about "weekly updates," but I've been trying to make posts as I prepare for our new school year, which begins 8/5. Here's the link to my blog.
(My vote is for the general board. :))
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If you are using Google AdSense, how did you manage to get approved for it? I had applied a while ago, and they denied me, but I was unable to find out why. Now, I'm trying again. I was assuming that maybe it was because there had been a gap in my posts. I've been trying to post more, and would really like to get my blog going somewhere.
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Certainly one has to keep in mind that some students do work faster. One of my children is an *avid* reader and can zip through assignments where as the other is a slower reader.
:iagree:
This is my rising 5th grader. She can do two lessons of grammar in about 10-15 minutes, math takes her about an hour now that she is doing more multiplication and division, and she spends about an hour each day on either history or science. Writing is done WTM-style through her history summaries, and then science summaries when we get started with her ES Biology in a few weeks. She reads a LOT on her own, so doing formal literature with her is hit and miss. When I have her doing literature as an assignment, it only takes her about a half hour to read and do the required activities that go with it. We will be adding in logic and probably continuing Latin at home since no one signed up for the co-op class for level 2. But even then, it looks like she should probably be done in about 3-1/2 to 4 hours. It seems light for 5th grade to me, but she gets it done and is progressing, so I just go with the flow. :D
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I use a mix of things, really. I've been meaning to make a detailed blog post about my method. It's a mix of handwritten plans and Donna Young's V Planner.
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Please be aware what Fed Ex Smart Post is--because it's not good when you have a problem and need to track it.
I had to return a package and when I did, I found out that Fed Ex is only the originating shipper. The first tracking number you will see is for Fed Ex. Fed Ex THEN sends it to USPS and it gets a USPS tracking number. When I refused the package, I watched my post carrier scan it back into his system. The package didn't make it back into the Fed Ex system, even after 3 weeks. So, I didn't get the refund (and we aren't talking about small potatoes here, either) until I called and called.
My order was double posted online--so by the time MUS realized that two orders had been sent out, they couldn't recall the order through Fed Ex Smart Post like they could have with UPS.
If you talk to a MUS customer support person they will recommend spending a little more and going with UPS. After this experience, I agree.
I think MUS has officially reached the critical mass for price point. Not one more $, I tell you. It's also concerning that they haven't moved to online video or PDF downloads. I have been spoiled by Peace Hill Press and Math Mammoth--love those PDF workbooks. Love those online videos from Lively Latin. Really, MUS should be an iPad curriculum with PDF optional print.
Someone gave me their "extra" student book for Beta last year, and only a few pages here and there were missing, including all six pages for lesson 4. I called them and asked if they would be willing to just send me a couple pages from lesson 4, and they said "no." I felt like saying, "Do you really think saying 'no' is going to make me purchase an entire book for one lesson?" I, too, am spoiled by being able to use eBooks for each child.
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Research and practical experience all point to the idea that our thinking process works better when we don't have to think, oddly enough. In math, this means that my kids who are struggling and upset need to go back and get their math facts down cold. They also need lots of practice doing multi-digit computations over and over again to gain proficiency. They need story problems presented systematically so that they can learn to see the underlying structure of the problem.
This is where we are at with my 9yo daughter. She, like her mother before her, really hit a wall once division was introduced into the mix with MM. We are now taking some time to really start to go over the multiplication facts. I'm including my 8yo, too, who uses MUS. We are literally going to be repeating "3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18..." over and over a couple times a day until we know them forwards and backwards. (The author of MM has a video on her site about multiplication facts.)
:grouphug: Totally understand! I was in your shoes with our younger DS who is a highly visual-spatial learner with some mild LDs in some of the language arts areas and with the less visual/more abstract topics of math.
We finally found MUS for him starting in 5th grade. At this point DS was at least a year behind the usual scope and sequence, largely because he was still struggling with multiplication and division of larger numbers. We used the Original ("Classic") MUS, level "intermediate" which covered grade 4, 5, 6 topics. We did have to skip a few topics towards the end, as it was getting a just a little beyond him, but overall it was a great way to introduce DS to the MUS way of doing things.
Instead of the Beta and Gamma levels, perhaps you might want to consider buying used the Original ("Classic") level of Foundations. Ebay has the VHS tapes and teacher book and MUS has the student workbook. This option may require you to also buy or borrow an old VHS machine to plug into your TV if you don't have one.
This option would allow you to move very quickly through most of the program, but also allowing you to slow down for a topic that DS is less sure about. This will also easily allow you to continue to use Math Mammoth as a great supplement for seeing math from a different point of view and encouraging math connections and math thinking.
OR, if you do go with Beta, I'd like to encourage you that your DS will likely move quickly and confidently through it.
Continuing our own story: the following year (grade 6), DS did both MUS Delta and Epsilon levels, AND we supplemented with parts of Singapore Primary (which is not too different from Math Mammoth). DS was able to fly through Delta at the rate of about 3-4 lessons per week -- he completed Delta in 9 weeks. We would watch the lesson together, and then I'd have him do EITHER the A or the B page, AND then TWO of either the C, D or E pages (whichever had the review material I thought he would best benefit from). DS did Epsilon at a rate of about 2 lessons/week:day 1 = watch first lesson, do pages A and Cday 2 = do pages B and Dday 3 = watch second lesson, do pages A and Cday 4 = do pages B and Dday 5 = do the two E pages from both lessonsWhere DS needed it, we did slow down several lessons to take a full week per lesson. DS finished Epsilon in about 18 weeks. That gave us a full 9 weeks to work through a skim review of Singapore 4A/B.You can use Math Mammoth as a supplement daily -- just don't go longer than 15 minutes later in the day, so you don't burn our your DS on math. Or, work on MUS on Mon-Thurs, and on Fridays, spend your full math time just on MM.Hope that helps, seeing that there are many ways to do it, and that your son will quickly catch up. :) Hoping MUS is what will really click for your DS, and that you can continue to supplement with MM! BEST of luck, whatever you decide to do! Warmly, Lori D.Do you think it is also possible to keep with MM, which my 9yo usually thrives with, but then supplement Delta and/or Gamma to solidify the facts a little better? She has never really needed manipulatives to learn things in the past, but I wonder if maybe, just maybe, this would be a good supplement for her. How do you think that would look?
To the OP: I have one child who uses each. MUS is a perfect fit for my 8yo. She's the type of learner who always likes to draw or color when being taught, but then knows exactly what's going on. If you make her "pay attention," she totally doesn't get anything out of what you're telling her. She was also a wiggler as a toddler whenever it was time to sit and look at books. She doesn't always need the blocks to do her work, but when she's stuck on a subtraction problem, she pulls them out and gets the answers right away. I usually don't have to interact with her much, but just earlier today she was showing me the "proper" way to do the blocks for a subtraction problem, and I could totally see the answer in front of me. I was always a struggler in math, and still have to pause when asked to figure something out without a calculator. However, being a visual person, I could see how MUS really gives you a different approach to math, not just with having something you can touch and manipulate to arrive at an answer, but with something you could picture in your mind when doing the same problem later on.
Good luck!
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I, too, am now thinking of testing this out. I know when my oldest was first starting to write a lot, I had gotten the fat Ticonderoga pencils. I don't think I've gotten any since then.
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Staples will start having great weekly deals where things are like a nickel or a quarter. I stocked up on pens, pencils, and the erasers that go on top of your pencils last year, and still have plenty left this year. I think Office Depot does the weekly deals, too. I would definitely get extra 1-subject notebooks, pens, and pencils if you get the good deals. It's better to have less to buy next year than to have to run out and get something for a dollar that you could have gotten for 10 cents!
I also highly recommend rubber cement. If you do any type of lapbooks or mini offices or timeline books, the rubber cement holds better than glue sticks but doesn't make the paper all wrinkly. :)
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Who's playing this week!
Wordless: Summer Fun
Wordfilled: This is the most fun I have ever had with a blog project- we were sent a box full of color activities!
And, link up with the blog hop if you have time! It's been so much fun having a bunch of wordless posts to check out!
(and, enter our giveaway with Logic of English if you have time- I am SO stoked they are giving away foundations!)
I love your color wheel and your library labels. Thanks for sharing the file for those!
How do you link up to the blog hop?
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Worded, but with pictures. Totally didn't think about it being Wednesday! I could have saved myself some time! :P
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We have been using the R.E.A.L. Science Life Science for a couple years. (We also do Apologia at our co-op, so they get LOTS of science!) I really like it for the grammar stage, but I do have to stay on top of the supply list, as others have said. However, my 9yo is going to be doing ES logic biology this year, and she is really looking forward to it. The WTM style of history for logic stage is going really well after three weeks, so I think this will work for her as well. I can't say that I love the look of the ES grammar stage materials as much as the logic stage ones. My vote would be R.E.A.L. for grammar.
Good luck deciding!
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Two hours of intensive, on task work is PLENTY when supplemented by free choice activities. When we schedule too much, we squelch the child's desire to self-study, and we accomplish less instead of more, in the long run.
"Potential" is a topic for a whole other thread. The more a students does, the more people expect of mom and child. It's a vicious never-ending exponentially horrible downward spiral you do not want to enter. Trust me. "Good enough" IS good enough, especially for children/students that still love learning. If they NEED more they WILL find and ask for more.
I believe that all children have the right to quickly complete age level work and then do other quality things. If they ASK to accelerate or do not engage in other quality activities maybe a mom needs to step in a schedule more. But most of the time the students with "potential" go looking for what they need and don't need scheduling or pushing.
I think at one point when she was younger I knew that. Thanks for the reminder!
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Glad you were able to decide—the page protectors sound like a great idea.
Even though you've already decided, I learned about another option while reading a journal the other day. It's an online interactive timeline website, dipity.com. I haven't looked deeply into it, but like the idea of it being able to expand automatically (instead of me sometimes vainly trying to get the tape to stick on the wall or find more room) and include photos/illustrations.
Erica in OR
When I did an image search I had found several that looked like they were done on computers. They looked really nice, but I know that my daughter would rather do hers the "old-fashioned" way. I do like the nice, neat look of the compter ones. Maybe someday I'll have to do one like that! Or maybe save that for when she gets to the next rotation. Thanks for the link!
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Thanks again, everyone! That helps me not be so stressed about things. I just always think that if she's only spending 2 hours on school, she must not be learning to her potential. She does do a lot of reading and writing on her own, though, and I don't take that into consideration. Her new history program, WTM style, is going pretty well so far. She really enjoys that she gets to read, write facts, read more, do map work and timeline work, and write a summary. We're three weeks in, and no complaints so far. :D
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Anyway, back to your original question .... For that age (4th/5th), I give 'em between 45 minutes and an hour for 'reading' daily. That covers anything I've assigned for history, science, etc. and if they've already read that, they get to 'free read' for that time. My oldest already reads anytime she gets the chance, so that's not a problem. Dd#2 reads slower & would rather draw than read, so it is useful to give her a 'slot' for that purpose.
So you don't do an actual literature program? Just reading for other subjects?
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We have the Add-A-Century Timeline.
One can adjust the time periods according to one's needs. You may list a two-page spread as 100 years, 50 years, 10 years, or whatever works for you. Each page has category stickers to help keep political vs literature vs art, etc.
This timeline is kept in a 3ring binder, but can be removed to hang on the wall, or to look at several centuries at once.
There is also a separate "ribbon timeline" for prehistory, to express how long ago or far apart certain prehistoric events occurred.
I am hoping to purchase a second timeline for our second daughter. Then each daughter will have her own timeline to use as a resource in college if needed.
:drool: :drool5: I now want this for MYSELF!!!
Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. Here's my blog post that describes what I decided to do. We just started using it a few days ago, and I think it's going to be a good fit for my daughter.
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Thanks, OP and everyone -- helpful discussion. I'm about to start the switch to homeschooling, and will be spending enough on curricula to get started that hearing opinions, pros, & cons on print vs. digital, perfect binding vs. other is quite helpful.
I was going to order some things printed, but DH insisted that pdf makes more sense, being cheaper. Okay, but that means he's going to have to replace the color printer -- it's dying, and we were debating whether to replace it or just stay B&W (our back-up printer). I want color in my books where ever the original has color. And the new printer will have to handle double-sided printing without me manually flipping every blasted sheet.
HP makes a really nice OfficeJet. They are sort of a cross between an ink jet and a laser. Ink is WAY cheaper than ink jet, but the printers are WAY cheaper than lasers. I paid around $200-300 for mine in December. I think it's the OfficeJet Pro 8600 Plus. There are three in the series, and I got the mid-grade one. It does color, and it also does double sided without you having to flip the paper.
In addition, it's also a scanner, a fax, and has wireless capability. If you use a laptop, like I do, this feature is way more helpful than I could have imagined. I can be upstairs in bed getting ready for the next week and print out materials without getting up!
And my 2 cents to the OP... I prefer getting PDFs for as much as I can. It gives you the option to make extra copies if you need to. I can't tell you how many times we've taken a math assignment somewhere, didn't get it completed, and then "misplaced" it. I don't usually do all my printing right away. I plan in 6-week increments, so I only print out what I need for the upcoming 6 weeks.
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Okay, I know it's been two years, but I have to know - Did you ever find the binder? If so, where was it?
My mom lost dish soap once, and about a year or two later my dad found it hiding in the corner between two cabinets under the sink. He only found it because he was tearing out the cabinets!
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So books really do seem the way to go, based on the responses so far. Do you think there are any advantages to something like the Book of Time or the Record of Time over the Book of Centuries, other than you can fit more per page? It looks like the Record of Time has five years per page, which is better than a two-page spread to cover 100 years, but if we're just jotting things down instead of using pictures, would the Book of Centuries be enough? How full do your pages get on these books? (I'm just thinking free versus $25+ at this point in time.)
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Anyone else?
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What do most of you do for timelines? Do you have a wall timeline? One that folds up into a binder?
We have actually just recently begun a Book of Centuries as a family.
If you use a wall timeline and your children are not using the same curriculum, do they each have their own? Or do you share? It seems like if you shared, the younger children would never get to add to the timeline.
If anyone has any recommendations for a nice timeline to purchase or make on your own, I'm open to all suggestions! :D
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Aahh... This helps to have more specifics about your DD and how she works/learns. :)
I thought it might. :)
re: Grammar
I was looking at your signature to see what you are using. Is it still Growing with Grammar? If so, GwG only has 108 lessons per level, as the program assumes you're teaching grammar 3x/week for a 36-week school year. Since your DD is grasping the grammar and moving along at an advanced rate, what about going ahead with 2 lessons per day, 3 days a week, and completing two levels of grammar per year? So she could do GwG 5 and 6 in grade 5, and do GwG 7 and 8 in grade 6. Then when DD is in grades 7 and 8, she could do a final Grammar wrap-up/review with something like Analytical Grammar or Rod & Staff Grammar 8. (A review or final completion of grammar in grades 7/8 is very helpful, esp., if the student is moving into studying a foreign language in middle school, or will be doing so in high school. Grammar is a tool that helps a student grasp the different sentence structure, pronouns, and conjugations of a foreign language.)
Another thought: 5th grade is a great time to start putting the "tool" of grammar into use more heavily with writing and proof-editing -- a "GUM" (Grammar Usage and Mechanics) resource. This is a separate type of skill-builder than instruction and practice of a straight-up Grammar program, so it is not going to be a "drill and kill" program for your DD who does not need "3 days/3 ways".
Proof-editing is a skill everyone needs to be able to fix and improve their own writing Some frequently used GUM (Grammar Usage and Mechanics) programs include:
Spoofing and Proofing the Classics
Take Five Minutes: A History Fact a Day for Editing
Fix-It: Grammar and Editing Made Easy
Teacher Created Materials: Grammar Usage and Mechanics
I had considered something like this, but she is going to be taking IEW in the fall at our co-op. I wasn't sure if it was overkill or not. Maybe I'll have her work on some editing, for now, at home and then see how much editing she is having to do for her IEW class and adjust it accordingly.
In addition, what about devoting some of that extra grammar time into writing (i.e., putting the grammar into practice)? Perhaps have DD write longer or more frequent assignments, and then spend some of that "extra" grammar time putting the tool of grammar into practice by revising and proofing her own writing?
We have been using Writing Strands off and on. However, with the 5th grade year around the corner, I'm doing more of a WTM approach to science and history. I'm going to be following the guidelines for logic stage history, and using Elemental Science for science, both of which will require a bit of writing. She's actually quite excited about writing weekly reports about what she is learning.
What I'm trying to get at is that if DD is quickly grasping the grammar concepts from the grammar lessons, then she's ready for you to take her deeper via using and practicing what she's learning with real life applications. :)
re: Literature
I was thinking from your signature that your DC were younger (gr. 3 and gr. 1, plus 2 youngers), but as far as time on literature for a 5th grader, you can definitely bump those suggested times up, depending on your DD's reading and comprehension levels -- say, 45-60 minutes of solo reading, and 15-20 minutes for working through the Lit. program pages. Or more. Or less. Again, base the "time amount" on your DD's ability and interest and what helps her progress without being overload. That may mean bumping up the reading level of her books and literature program, too, as she sounds like a smart cookie! :)
So, what you're saying is that I need to update my signature? :D
She does a lot of reading on her own already. We're using MBtP literature units, which she seems to enjoy. Of course, the level that she's using contains books that are lower level than what she reads on her own, but for the work involved in the lessons, they are a pretty good fit for her. Honestly, I really only do literature with this child because I feel like not doing it isn't acceptable! And, until she discovered the Warriors books, she wasn't overly interested in fiction. She taught herself to read at 3-1/2 and reads all the time. Apologia textbooks books are something that she reads cover to cover because she enjoys them.
I would still encourage you to include both read aloud time (you reading a more advanced work aloud), AND some time each day where your DD reads aloud to you (or do "popcorn" reading aloud together = "you read a page, I read a page"), which lets DD to learn vocabulary in context/in the moment, and discuss/analyze the literature with you as she reads. Out loud reading also continues to develop memory, comprehension, and thinking skills. And it gives your DC practice to become fluid and expressive in oral presentation.
I do not do read alouds with her, but we do listen to audiobooks. She gets plenty of practice reading to her siblings, and she also reads things to me that she finds interesting. Do you think that is enough? She's never really had a problem with sounding things out, except maybe the occasional dinosaur name when she was younger. Her literature program also has her read chapters aloud to me once in a while. I have always thought that was enough, but maybe not???
Just my 2 cents worth! You know your DC and their needs and abilities best. :) Wishing you all the BEST in scheduling your next school year. Warmest regards, Lori D.
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The problem is this: My daughter is going into 5th grade, and could easily complete the bulk of her school work in just a few hours. She learns quickly and is not the type who needs the general rule of "3 days, 3 different ways." Once she has been taught it, she is ready to move on, and generally retains information, as long as it's not history facts. For this reason, we generally don't finish any curriculum. She gets to a point where she knows the rest, and we just move on to the next level or choose an entirely new curriculum all together. Now that she is a bit older, this has slowed down a bit, and I feel like we are finally in all the correct levels and curricula.
I don't want to let her just float through doing her work in such a short amount of time. I can't really skip ahead, because if she hasn't learned there/their/they're yet, she needs to learn it. If she learns it in 5 minutes, I feel like more learning needs to happen. Hence, why she frequently will knock out several grammar lessons at a time. If I don't let her keep going, aren't I just holding her back?
Elemental Science 2-day schedule question
in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges
Posted
Okay, let me rephrase. :D
For those of you who use ES for the logic stage, how do you schedule the lessons? Do you follow the guide or do your own thing? If you do your own thing, do you mind sharing what a week looks like?