Kathie in VA
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Posts posted by Kathie in VA
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I agree with the others in that tests are your form of evaluating how well he knows the material... his grades show he has learned it.
If you both want a different means of learning the material, then here is another option:
http://myhomeschoolmathclass.com/
The teacher for these online math classes is Jann in Tx. I learned about her classes from this site. We did two of them this year and it went well. BTW, she uses Lial's books.
hths
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I could be that it is scripted or it could be the approach.
I didn't like the approach. I tend not to do well with spiral type programs. I like to teach one thing and then work on that till I know they have it and then build on that understanding. I do like teaching with the abacus though. So to compromise in K, I used some of the Right Start tutor book Activities for the Alabacus and Worksheets for the Alabacus
http://store.rightstartmath.com/activitiesforalabacus.aspx
Then we moved on to Singapore math. We still use the abacus. We are in SM 2B and are slowing down for better understanding and memorizing facts but I've been thinking of pulling this out again as a supplement. This should help to make sure we are using the abacus right and give her more practice.
just my 2 cents, ymmv
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I too wanted to follow the WTM way of doing LA and history. I planned well but implemented poorly. We also had many outside interruptions to our school so it was difficult to get things *done*. Then my oldest began questioning all I gave her to do and doubts rose .... so I began to realize that maybe a curriculum with specific assignments would be clearer and eliminate the doubt that I was assigning too much. We still had trouble but at least I knew it wasn't due to poor planning on my part. We have bounced around a bit with curriculums and co-ops over the years, trying to find the right blend of classical approach, learning/rigger, enjoyment, growth of skills, and the hardest part ... time for life in addition to homeschooling.
We are up to 5 kiddos and are now in a new co-op that uses TOG, CW, BJU for science, and Lingua Latina. I still use FLL at home and I'm trying to get the group to incorporate logic as I agree with WTM that we need it. Now that I'm using TOG I do see it's benefits in that *I* have things laid out for *me*. I'm still not convinced it is better than just following WTM though. I love both in that they keep my younger ones on the similar topics as my older ones. With WTM I got to add but with TOG I find I need to cut or hope that the class leaders cuts enough... we all tend to assign too much! Then again I guess that could be the case with a WTM approach also. Anyway, we need accountability .. it seems to get things done and I just haven't found anyone willing to do a WTM co-op!
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When I started in the mid 90s ...
And before TWTM Guide to American Christian Education was quite popular
We got paper catalogs in the mail, and actually mailed checks by snail mail.
LOL I started about 2003 and the best single source of general information (that I had access to) was:
The Elijah Company catalog! It was from there that I learned about classical education and the WTM!
Then I used the internet and found this forum!
Anyway, my favorites:
Alpha Phonics
First Language Lessons (original 2 text w/o workbooks... works great every time)
Classical Writing
Tools and references: abacus from RS, ABCs and All Their Tricks, Wise Guide to Spelling,
<tempted to add more but keeping it short>
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I have used How to Teach Spelling in the past, it is similar to WRTR and SWR but it is workbook organized and relies heavily on dictation. I ended up switching away just be I wasn't keeping up with all the dictation...not with multiple kids. For my current 2nd grader we are using Rod and Staff Spelling and it is working out okay. I hear the later levels are closer to what I want so I'll probably stick with it. I do have two great resources that I tend to use as references: ABCs and All Their Tricks and the Wise Guide to Spelling (a reference book for the SWR program).
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Can you all please elaborate on what part of 2B is slowing you down? That's the book we would be starting next.
Thanks,
Kathy
Well we slowed down a bit with the mental math, but she does get that just fine... sometimes faster than I do. lol
I find I need to supplement to help her really learn and memorize the math facts. At this point she should know the multiplication fact 1-5, and 10, so we paused to work on thoses... lots more. She is having some trouble dividing with remainders but I think she get it better once she doesn't struggle so much with the basic facts. She seems to get the concept. The text shows this in two ways.. with repeated subtraction and also with division that comes close ... but this last part only works for her when she remembers her facts. She got really frustrated around here so we are pausing and reviewing facts. Its summer break so it's time to pull out the games anyway. Hopefully we will be able to skip along and finish the wkbk before fall but if not we'll have to just start there.
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I'm not familiar with TOG, but couldn't he do the required reading and assignments and use whatever else is needed to make it truly worth two half credits? Philosophy is generally considered an elective, but American Government is often a required high school course.
No, too late for that option. He just didn't have time this year and we will not be going back over it this summer... it's not worth it. We don't actually have course requirements here. Perhaps if he was going on to a 4 yr directly then we may have pushed for it but he will do the CC option first and then transfer.
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Actually, he is in 11th grade and will be dual enrolling at the local community college next year... so we won't be continuing the co-op for him (only for my other kids). So I'm really down to considering if I want to put it on the transcript and mark it 'audit' ... and not give grades or credit for it. It will probably be the only form of government class or philosophy class that he will get to do.
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We are almost finished with R&S Spelling level 2. My dd is learning some but I'm not sure how much this curriculum is actually helping. There are only two pages for her to work with and then we use white boards, scrap paper, oral testing, etc. I don't really want busy work but you do need to work with the words to learn them. These workbooks don't have her working with the words very much.. some of them are only written once or twice. Also, the choice of words do not seem to teach in as orderly a manner as I was hoping. Sometimes there's a phonogram/spelling pattern or rule to learn but that doesn't even hold for all the words.
I really wanted something that taught spelling with phonograms and rules but was also workbook based, simple pick up and go. Make the connections between the words, phonics, rules, and even exceptions. Mark the words to highlight the phonograms & rules; even drawing boxes around the words is fine as it helps to highlight the way the word looks. There are many ways to work with the words without busy work. I've used How to Teach Spelling with my older kiddos but I don't have the time for that at this point. I was hoping for more of a program to lead her but then let her go ahead to do the pages. I like MegaWords but that doesn't start till 4th grade. Will R&S Spelling get closer to what I'm looking for or should I switch now?
ETA: I've also used ABC's and All Their Tricks, it's a great reference book. I've always thought that it might be good to teach spelling in a similar but opposite way... given this sound, here are the ways we spell it and the rules that relate.. plus here are other spelling rules and concepts to know. However I don't see this anywhere and I don't have time now to put this together.
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My ds was offered the chance to take a Philosophy elective and a Government elective this year in our TOG co-op (each 1/2 a year). I didn't think he would have the time to do the work for the class so I wasn't going to put him into it. However it ended up at a time when he was free anyway. So he sat in on the class. .. he made it a class for two students. Although he didn't do the reading or the assignments for either class he was still able to participate by relying on his reading from history & literature classes and his own knowledge. When necessary he just had the other student or teacher lecture on the new material and then they had some great discussions. I wasn't in the class but I did hear about their great discussions. So, do I put this class on his transcript? If so, how? Do I give him a 1/2 credit each? 1/4 credit each? put it down as Auditing? or not mention them at all?
What does the hive think? :confused1:
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When we did CC the English grammar was not included in the songs. My kids had already memorized from FLL so we stuck with FLL definitions... and my younger kids also went with FLL. It made reading through FLL easier and it didn't really matter in our co-op classes or for the memory master testing.... besides I liked the FLL definitions better anyway...
Oh but for the prepositions... we combined the lists :D
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I heard SM start elementary at 7, not 6( my Aunt lives in Singapore, I might be wrong but that was what she said. ) so, use their "grade" might not a good gauge.
What I can tell you is that after SM 5, you should be able to comfortably start any PreA course. My DS started algebra after SM 6b and with NEM 1 /2 as supplement. What I am trying to say is if you solidly go through SM, you can catch up 2 years easily later on. So, don't worry too much, just go with the speed that your kids comfortable with.
Thank you for this. My dd is also suddenly struggling with math near the end of 2B also. I've slowed her down and we are focusing on the math facts and working more with pictures and manipulatives for the word problems again. I've been so tempted to push through the book so she can be 'on level' next year ... mainly because I don't want her to fall behind like her older siblings who then had trouble picking upper science classes when they didn't have the needed math.
I guess we will just take it slow at this point. We break for summer so we will add in more games and maybe slide a lesson in ... but I will try not to stress over the possibility of not starting 3A in 3rd grade. :eek:
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BTDT. I tutored a few different levels. Prep time varied. In the beginning I spent hours the night before going over the material to decide how to present each subject. Sometimes I planned to do the read and erase off the board option. For some I'd teach a bit to ensure understanding but had to keep that very short. For some we would sing the songs a few times and then read/erase. I made up some games like a hot potato thing and went around the room, word by word... after erasing it from the board. It also depended on the ages; younger kids did more singing then the older kiddos. Then again the youngest ones couldn't read so we couldn't do the read/erase option very well. Biggest thing to remember is that the goal is to get it into their SHORT term memory... that is what the 3 min per subject is for... then spend time reviewing. it is their job to get it into long term memory. That is their daily work. The review is for fun, for a reward for those who practiced at home, and an incentive for the others to study at home.
Sometimes I spent hours the night before, other times I was busy so my prep was limited to maybe an hour. It helped to have options of approaches laid out like read/erase, sing, hot potato, etc.
hths
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Because I have kids in different stages, I like TOG since it puts everyone on a similar topic weekly... however I miss the spine approach so maybe a TOG that focuses on a spine but allows time for additional reading. TOG is all about deciding where to cut back.. a dream curriculum wouldn't require cutting since the basics would be clear and advanced work would be right there too on a weekly basis.
For math I'm liking Singapore but would love it more if working the basic fact review were more built in... so it doesn't always seem like Mom is assigning all this extra work!
For LA, I like what I have so far. hmm, but a dream would be to use CW and complete it with all the depth it offers, by say end of 10th grade. This leaves one less skill to focus on in the last two years... allowing those skills to be used and relied on in the other subjects and allowing more time to focus on other skills like literature analysis, advanced math and science, college exams, outside work, sports, music, etc. Just more time for them would be so nice.
Oh wait, we are dreaming here, right? Then how about a science that includes access to a 3D virtual world for experiments! This way they can do all measuring and cutting, etc without all the prep, mess, and potential danger... plus there's no worry of the little ones getting into the chemicals, tools, etc. Some of the computer stuff today comes close but it's still not the same skills as actually filling the beakers, cutting the frog, etc. A 3D virtual world could do everything, except maybe the smells.
hmm, if we are going 3D, then let's do that for math also... with little ones around I hate pulling out loose manipulatives!
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So, I am not sure what was really accomplished in this whole mess. She still does not like homeschooling and now she is disappointed that her dad has decided it is best for her to stay homeschooled instead of going to school.
An interesting lesson to be sure. Her education wasn't really her choice to make. Yes, her opinion was her choice and she can always weigh the facts to reach her opinion on the matter. But the decision was always his to make.... and this is a good thing. Lifelong decisions are reserved for adulthood status after one grows in their maturity .. in our culture this is around 18 years old. This is why our basic education goes till they are about 18 years old and decisions are made about college. The teen years tend to be the years of struggle as they grow and begin to mature. This is why it is so hard; they think they are ready for all the mature decisions when in reality they are only ready to start thinking about them. As a kid they blindly follow. As an adult they need to lead themselves. As a teen they need to learn about leading. So now is the time to stop blindly following and begin to follow with questions to learn how to lead. Now they voice their opinions, weigh the options, and adjust their opinions. Sometimes we can let them lead and other times we need to teach them how to still follow, wisely. They also need to learn that even as an adult, leading themselves might mean choosing to follow another's lead. This will be the case in many situations: at work, in marriage, in sports, etc. Before you can lead you need to know how to follow ... and then you need to learn when to lead and when to follow.
It sounds like this was the time for her to work on these skills. I think if God did want her to try school, your husband would have made a different decision. So there's another lesson here; how to ask God for something you want but to accept when the answer is no. This is a hard one to learn but it can be so ... 'freeing'.... knowing that you gave the decision up to God ... since He is perfect His response must be the perfect thing for you even if you don't see it yourself.
So what may have she learned? How to bring to you an issue that is weighing her down. How to discuss that issue with you. How to weigh the facts as she understands them and come to her own opinion. How to bring that opinion to you knowing that it differs from your opinion. How to follow those God has placed in her life to lead her. How to accept this answer with grace. Hopefully she may also begin to learn how to apply these lessons learned to other situations.
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This year we shifted to one subject for about 4 hours. Then it was done for the week. We had co-op on Friday and one dc had math online classes on Tuesdays. So basically we had TOG-history/geography & Lit/vocab, Writing/Grammar, one dc had latin, both had math, one dc had extra math, both had programming 1st semester only. So they had about 4 to 5 subjects each. The plan was to be done by Wed. at lunch. This would leave some time to check over work or study. Didn't always happen but it was a great target!
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Been there, done that. My complainer is now 18 years old and just completed dual enrolling at the college this year.
She hated being home schooled ... all the way through. We took her out of a private school because it was really bad for her and we moved anyway. Planned to do charter school but it was filled. We ended up homeschooling that year (her 2nd grade) and continued ever since.
Her neighborhood friend kinda faded when they both hit high school. She did get to do the home school proms when she was in early high school. She even got to go to a public school prom once.
Funny thing is, by the time she was in about 10th grade or so she changed her mind!!!! She had noticed a difference in her public school friends and her home school friends. The public school friends... and the ones that were friends of her neighborhood friend.. seems "empty" and "shallow" to her. Their conversations were boring. She preferred her home schooled friends and even said words that were very surprising... "I'm glad I was home schooled."
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My currently 18 year old dd had a terrible time learning how to read and then even more trouble with spelling. For spelling I was using How to Teach Spelling... didn't really work well for her. We tried Sequential Spelling for a bit and she really liked it but we didn't keep up with it ... it wasn't working for *me*. I then tried Apples Daily Spelling Drills for Secondary Students. This at least got done and seemed to help some.
Want to know what REALLY WORKED? Email and chat. When poor spelling became embarrassing to her she suddenly started to improve. So my lesson to learn here is that poor spellers should have a pen pal of some sort.
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As suggested to me by a friend, we did Rod N Staff Eng but only the odd number years. Because of the repetition, we didn't have any trouble skipping the even years.
I also recently looked at AG and tried to compare it to R&S and Harvey's Elementary Grammar. Harvey's is the text suggested for use with Classical Writing. Our co-op will be using CW so we were debating on which grammar to use. I picked Harvey's in the end. Harvey's teaches parsing, gender, person, number, case, and declensions. And CW adds in the diagramming. I don't think either of the other two go that deep. Since we are also doing Lingva Latina, I thought it would be good to ensure we are getting the grammar down well. Also it is only about $70 for the text and the Harvey's workbooks that CW puts out for it. However that will cover about 4 years of grammar study. Add to that the grammar analysis done in the CW workbooks for those years and that is all the grammar that is needed in the upper grades.
I still like to do FLL for 1st and 2nd grade as it gives a great boost. After that we just use the grammar in CW Aesop (I have added in R&S Eng 3 here but not sure if I will again).
hth
ymmv
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From what I've read about this book, I'd second Spielvogel's book.
Another consideration might be Streams of Civilizations I and II. Donna Young's site has a description and schedules that you could use: http://donnayoung.org/history/stream1.htm
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My ds is turning 17 tomorrow! He is taking both Jann's Algebra 2 and Geometry this year (we are skipping science this year to catch up in math). It is working out. He likes the class and is doing well. Jann is very nice. My ds has had few weeks of being sick this year so he fell behind a bit. Her main concern is learning the material so she has been gracious in giving him a chance to catch-up.
I'm considering her classes for my next ds.
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I tried TOG year 1 classic years ago but it didn't work out. I got lost in the 4 week fog.
I tried it again this year with a co-op and we got through Year 1, redesigned. For me it took the accountability.
I am really glad I purchased the MapAids, we used it weekly.
I also purchased the Evaluations and used it, but not every week. It was handy to pick from for quarter tests. It was nice to see the essay questions and answers to use as a guide.
I purchased the PopQuiz for my hubby but we never used it.
We did almost burn out all our students though, because there is so much that can be assigned as hw. We are still working out ways to keep the workload reasonable.
We skipped the in-depth books this year only to discover that the questions sometimes relied on them. We will probably get them next year.
hths
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ug, I'm a bit frustrated here. I went ahead a purchased lots of software over the years for my older kiddos knowing that I had other kiddos coming up the ranks that will also use it. The idea was to save money in the long run by not purchasing new workbooks for each kiddo (plus they liked working on the computer and I liked the automatic feedback). However now that I want to dust them off and use them with the younger set of kiddos, they won't work! They need an Operating System that is at most XP. Our hard drives have crashed over time and we have gotten new computer which all came with newer Operating Systems (Windows7) ... and wouldn't you know it but these NEW OSs can't read the CDs made for the older OS. What happened to being backward compatible?
So now I need to make a choice. Do I put together another computer and install the old OS just to run all the older SW or re-purchase the SW for the newer computers?
--Mindbenders (3 levels worth), Reading Detective (2 levels), Editor in Chief (2 levels), etc.
Did I miss something here? Is there a simpler way to make this work? Anyone else run into these problems?
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I have two textbooks on mathematics for elementary school teachers. One (Parker & Baldridge) focuses on division as the inverse multiplication, and mentions division as partition. The other (A Problem-Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers) gives division as partition, as the inverse of multiplication, and as repeated subtraction.
So it _is_ out there. I suspect the focus on division as the inverse of multiplication is because of its application to algebra.
Well, good to know it is out there. I like the idea of being clear and teaching all three concepts: partition, inverse of mult., and repeated subtraction. However I'd pick the repeated subtraction first, then partition, then link to the inverse of multiplication. I think it is a shame that most programs don't do this.
I get what your saying ... that the inverse of multiplication concept is prep work for algebra. That is probably why they focus on that method.
I have a love/hate relationship with Righstart.
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I don't know if you need to stick or switch, but I just wanted to clarify something I said earlier. The Activities for the Alabacus and Worksheets for the Alabacus http://store.rightst...oralabacus.aspx are basically the RightStart program before they spiraled it and made graded workbooks. So if you wanted to re-arrange the lessons it might be easier using these books. Although I tried this for a short bit but didn't want to spend that much time organizing our math... so for us this is a supplement.