arcara
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Everything posted by arcara
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I haven't used them, but I also have an IRL friends whose son is taking Latin (Henle 2) and Math with them and I know she's been very happy with them.
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Online Great Books or Literature Class?
arcara replied to raristy's topic in High School and Self-Education Board
Center for Lit has one with an optional writing section. My 8th grader did only the discussion section this year and we have been happy with it. -
AG can be tough. I have used it with my kids as young as 5th, but not for their first ever grammar. They had used some other programs when younger and then JAG. I would really recommend JAG Mechanics because AG doesn't get to those topics until Season 3. JAG is like Season 1 of AG except that the sentences are shorter and simpler and fewer (5 instead of 10 sentences per exercise) in JAG. You should be able to find samples on their site.
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What lit analysis instruction do you recommend?
arcara replied to arcara's topic in High School and Self-Education Board
Thank you! This is exactly the info I needed. It looks like WttW would be a good idea for her. -
My dd is finishing 8th grade, so I'm in the middle of planning her high school years. I'm wondering what additional literary analysis you would recommend for her. She's already well-versed in the "Teaching the Classics" method. She has taken their online class this year, so by the end of the school year she will have analyzed 12 novels with the authors of the program. So, she is good at talking about characters, setting, plot, conflict, and themes. What else does she need as she moves onto high school? I've seen these books/programs mentioned: How to Read a Book, The Well-Educated Mind, Windows to the World, and Teaching the Classic's Worldview Supplement. Which of these would be most useful without being redundant? Thanks!
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I'm assuming you're Catholic since you're pulling her from Catholic school??? Then, for Religionthe two main programs are Seton's Religion series (that's what we use - go to www.setonbooks.com) or Faith & Life. You could also go with the Bsltimore catechism. I also include Bible and saint readings as part of our religious studies. Are you familiar with the main Catholic homescho providers? You may want to look through their websites to see what they offer to see if any of it interests you. The major ones are Seton, Kolbe, and CHC (Catholic Heritage Curricula). There's also Angelicum and the Catholic Charlotte Mason site, Mater Amabilis. There's also RC History for a Catholic history program. I use a mix of Catholic and secular materials in our homeschool - 7 kids ages newborn to 13 years. Good luck with your planning!
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I personally love AAS (worked great for my 2 oldest girls), but I'm not sure it's the best fit for my 9yo son. He's a kid who works so fast, he just doesn't want to take the time to think about rules, I think. He's currently got what I term a "trouble word list" (words to review that he's missed during dictation) about 30 words long and the list never gets shorter - only longer. I don't know if a program with patterns would be better ??? I really don't know. Any suggestions? Thx!
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s/o biggest curriculum mistakes...biggest winners?
arcara replied to Upward Journey's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
MP's First Form Latin series Analytical Grammar Apologia Elementary science books RC History IEW AAS / AAR CC Memory -
What was your biggest curriculum mistake?
arcara replied to Queserasera's topic in K-8 Curriculum Board
Classical Writing!! It really doesn't have to be that hard! -
Planning for high school - where to start???
arcara replied to arcara's topic in High School and Self-Education Board
Thank you for the tips, OhElizabeth. I'll check those out. Dicentra, I'd be very grateful for the PDF you mentioned. I'll PM you my email address. -
Planning for high school - where to start???
arcara replied to arcara's topic in High School and Self-Education Board
Thank you for the replies! I read many of the links. I have read TWTM, but I've not looked through the high school section in great detail before since I didn't have a child of that age. Thanks for the tip. I will go back and read through that section soon. My dd will also take Italian, but I'm not sure what that will include at this point. My husband is Italian, but we've always struggled with teaching the kids Italian since I don't speak it and he's not home enough to do teach them either. Right now she's working through Rosetta Stone. In time I hope to add in some Italian Literature and writing. She will probably go and spend a few months with her relatives there when she is a little older. -
This is my first high schooler! I'm still researching, but here's what I'm thinking right now: Math: AoPS Geometry English: AG high school reinforcement, the Elegant Essay, Kolbe Greek Literature History: Kolbe 9th grade, Greeks Science: Kolbe biology Religion: Kolbe 9th grade theology Languages: Third Form Latin, Rosetta Stone Italian Church choir - 4 hrs/wk
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My first child will be starting high school in the fall. I understand which subjects are required and how many credits of each, but where do I look to begin fulfilling these requirements? A few things I feel fairly certain about. She's really enjoying AoPS Algebra this year and wants to continue with AoPS. She is also really enjoy MP's Latin "Form" series (she's using 2nd Form this year), so she will continue with that. We are also using IEW and Analytical Grammar, so we will continue those. My daughter loves history and lit, so the more thorough the better in regards to that. Anyway, can you point me toward some good resources or past threads that might help? Thanks!
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Thank you for all the replies. The general consensus seems to be that I need to raise my expectations and to consistently insist on better work! I'll make an effort to do this. Thank you!
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He does know how to type and I let him type his writing assignments, but math and spelling dictation need to be done by hand. I kinda figure this is a lost cause unless he decides that he cares about the appearance of his handwriting. I can't really MAKE him care. I was just wondering if anyone had figured out the magic trick that I do t know about in regards to this. Thx!
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Favorite WWI and WWII sources for 8th grader
arcara replied to arcara's topic in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges
Thank you for these suggestions! I'll go over them with my daughter and see what she finds interesting. -
Have any of you had success in convincing your boys to have decent handwriting. My son's (9yo) is pretty bad. He does his work so fast most of the time that it's terrible. If he's doing a handwriting page it can be ok, but math or spelling dictation and I may have to guess on some of his writing. Any tips or is this just one of those things that I'll have to accept? Thanks!
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My 8th grader has been taking Center for Lit's online class this year. It's been great! Mr. And Mrs. Andrews are very engaging. They meet about once every 3 weeks online and discuss an assigned book. I like the class because my dd is reading lots of great literature and getting to participate in in-depth discussions on them, which is something I just don't have time for, especially not for 12 books in a school year. My dd has enjoyed it. We will enroll in their classes again in the future! (They offer a writing component, but we haven't done that part, so I can't comment on it.)
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This year I have kids in about the same grades as you - 8th, 5th, 3rd, 1st, preK (plus a 2yo and newborn). I've never seen a boxed curriculum that would have worked for us. I piece together our curriculum to fit each child and our family best. I combine kids where i can - mainly history and science - and I keep things light in the early years - 3Rs and read-alouds. I pick the subjects for each child that I think they need me one-on-one for and other things have to be independent. Anyway, I just wanted to say that it's possible to teach a bunch of kids without a boxed all-included curriculum. Good luck with your decision making!
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My dd is in 5th grade and doing just OK with Math Mammoth. She may need something with lots of explanations and practice and video support for Algebra and beyond like Saxon. When would it be best to switch over to Saxon? Pre-algebra? Algebra? Next year? Thanks!
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We keep it light, continuing math and finishing anything from our regular studies - often Latin and history. We use Analytical Grammar which is designed to do over 10-12 weeks, so we do that in the summer and then do the review books during the regular school year. We take about a month off completely when we travel and visit family and friends.