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Kathie in VA

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Everything posted by Kathie in VA

  1. Ready to buy: http://www.classicalhomeeducation.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=376&category_id=70 There's another site somewhere that explains how to make your own. hth
  2. I'm kinda doing that also with my kids this spring-next year for Ren/Ref thru Modern [at least that's my current plan ;) ]. I have the Guerber books from Christine Miller that I will probably use. These are great narratives but perhaps a bit longer then SOTW books and geared for middle school kids (but fine so far for my rising 3rd grader as a read aloud). Other options could be: The VP history cards, just read the back and follow up with additional reading per card from encyclopedia and other library books. What about reading up on each US president and what was going on around the world during each presidency? hth
  3. Oh one more thing. Here is a website that someone here posted for me on how to take notes. As I've been re-reading it I think I'll print it for my kids and go over it with them. http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/ACCDitg/SSSQ3R.htm The site that Beth posted on notetaking also seems good.
  4. hmm, group work.... Hangman gaanhnm (or whatever you call it when you have to re-arrange the letters to form a word) spelling bee matching type game pairing the word with the spelling rules that apply sort the words by spelling rules? Why is it I can think of these things for others but never seem to do such things for my own kids??????
  5. I have the same Guerber books. My kids also have trouble outlining and notetaking. I've tried to do some of the notetaking as I read aloud to them. I figure they are learning most things through example so that it what I should be doing here also. I just read aloud and stopped when I thought we got to or through an important point (sometimes we didn't 'get the point' till we finnished that part). So then I write the names or places and events down on paper. I showed them some ways to organize as you go (a bit of outlining mixed with notetaking). I tried to have them do some afterwards but it didn't work for me either. Outlining Kingfisher was hard 'cause it was already so short; outlining a narrative like this is hard 'cause it's ... so.. full of discussion. I've also looked at the Remedial outlining books and keep them on my list of options. But we have sooo many different things to do that I'd prefer NOT to add another separate subject, if possible. I'm going to try again this spring to work on notetaking/outlining. My kids tend not to need to outline for their writing papers yet, but perhaps that will be changing soon as their papers will be getting longer. I may have them copy the outline this time (be better if I had a big white-board). I'm hoping that doing a few of these together will help them to get a feel for it. Perhaps I'll even have my two oldest (now 6th and 7th grades) work on some together as a team or in a competition if need be. My main problem with doing this is that it really slows down our history. One idea I had once but haven't been able to put into practice yet is this: Have both kids outline to write a paper. Write their papers from their outlines. After editing and finalizing they switch papers. Then they take notes and create an outline of their siblings paper. The lesson comes when they compare the outlines based on the papers with the outlines written before the papers. I have one of the Truthquest guides here also. One thing you could do is have your dc do small write ups for each ThinkWrite. You could also have them create a comic strip of what he learned, a narration, a comparison chart, two narrations each of a different point of view, etc. Perhaps they could also do a timeline and include events and people from each lesson. hth
  6. You can take a look at Classical Writing. I find it very logical and it gives plenty of time to learn each skill. I think it would work well with AG, especially the first level (Aesop) since it doesn't even require a separate grammar program.
  7. One thing I've learned is that there is a difference in the main focus. Omnibus focuses on the Great Books and gives some historical background reading however the history is more or less assumed. Since it is sold by VP it helps to look at their curriculum for younger kids. Kids that do follow all the VP curriculum WILL have a strong background in history already, so they won't need it in detail once they reach Omnibus. So what I've been told is if your kids have not done that time-period at all, then they should hold off on Omni till they have had some exposure to it. Now TOG, on the other hand, teaches history. It seems to be their main focus. TOG's schedule IS based on the needs of a high schooler first, and then, based on that they put together work for dialectic and grammar stage kids so all are working on the same main threads. With TOG you will also get related literature readings. I think in the classic the choices weren't always "the great books" but I think I've heard that the redesign does include "the great books" or at least some of them. The redesign also includes lit analysis so you will get that also. I have yr 2 TOG classic but never got too far with it. There are soo many choices and things to do that we got lost in the "fog" that they warn you about. I'll be seeing the redesign tomorrow night at a Tapestry Tea. I hear that is much easier to use. Now I've taken a look at Omnibus's online samples and they seem very easy to use... which is why I've been drawn to it. I'll probably end up doing none of them as we are so off schedule that I might just do my own thing to catch up. hope this helped some.
  8. I use different methods: copywork/dictation hear it, see it, say it, repeat chanting singing hand signs (I make up hand signs to go along with what we are memorizing so they just need to see or make the hand signs and they know what to say.) fill in the blank worksheets mathcing worksheets flashcards memory game (consentration) with flashcards Jeopardy games roll the die, answer the question games poster size display of memory work mobile book of memory work write on / wipe off sheets for map work hth
  9. I'm debating between using Streams of Civ II or the Guerber books from Christin Miller for my rising 7th and 8th graders. We'll be reading Story of the Ren/Ref next month and could do Story of the 13 Colonies and Story of the Great Republic next year. (I already have these books, I don't have SoC yet.) I was considering Truthquest or TOG but don't think I'll go those routes as they would take too long. I'm hoping to complete our history cycle next year (& stay close to my rising 3rd grader who will be doing Am Hist w/Classical Conversations-Foundations). However both TQ and TOG offer guidance to see biblical threads in history, I don't think I'll get that with just the Guerber books... and I know I won't see that without help. Eventhough the Guerber books are written from a Christian they are just a narrative of history, not commentary on it. So I was wondering, does Streams of Civ offers this type of commentary? tia
  10. The Story of Inventions is a great book. Not sure if it was already mentioned. This book takes you thru the struggles of the inventors as they work on their invention. It's in narrative style writing so it's easy to read and very informative. This might be part of the BF books, but I don't remember.
  11. A couple of years ago I asked the same question! I think the answer was 'elevation' is higher in the south at that location and lower in the North.
  12. I tried DWC at home but didn't get far. I got to read it again because I was getting ready to tutor a class that used this book for 6 weeks. It was great. I like the idea of teaching the 5 basic elements of all drawings. I put a drawing on the white board and we erased just the elements and guess what... nothing what left afterwards... a neat way to prove that the 5 basic elements really do make up all drawings. I also used Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain for ideas. Now at home I starte using Draw Squad. It's pick up and go and still teaches the basics. In fact the "forward" was written by Mona Brooks (author of DWC). hth
  13. Well I'm using CW Homer w/Harvey's Elem Grammar and between the two we are learning both diagramming and parsing. We label each word as Subj, Trasitive Verb, Intrasitive Verb, Direct Object, etc. As we get further into the program she will be listing everything about each word (it's part of speech, plural/singular, type of verb, etc.).. all this in addition to diagramming the sentence. Now something else I've discovered is Mary Daly's First Book of Diagramming. It does a great (sometimes better) job of explaining the grammatical terms... and it has lots of diagramming examples to study. hth
  14. Okay on the Classical Conversations website you will see Foundations on the left side. That gives basic info on Foundations. Once there on the right side you will see link to Resources. At that site (which is http://www.classicalconversationsbooks.com/fobo.html ) you will see all the stuff they sell. Check out the Complete Starter Package (lower center of your screen). It is the cheaper way to get all you need. I have only done Cycle 1 and 2 so far. Each year Foundations does a different "cycle" which focuses on different memory work for all subjects except math and Timeline. So the subjects for all cycles are the same but what the kids memorize varies with each cycle for those subjects. Next year they will be on Cycle 3 which focuses on American History for the history sentences, Human body for the science Q/A, and umm okay I don't remember the details of the other subjects that change each cycle (English Grammar, Latin, Bible, music history, art history). If you are doing this at home you can choose which ever cycle you want, but ALL Foundations program across the country will be doing Cycle 3 next year. Works well for anyone moving about the country. hth
  15. Darcy, I totally agree with OhElizabeth. Teaching division as reverse multiplication just didn't make any sense to my kids. However introducing problems that required repeated subtraction quickly lead to the questions of "Is there a faster way?" And wow when you look at the repeated subtraction and notice how many TIMES the same number is subtracted and notice that multiplication will get you to that final answer faster you are on your way to wanting long division. The steps also will then make sense. Good luck!
  16. I look at a few things: Where the program is going from my current dc's grade to 12th grade. What types of writing is taught(narrations, dialogs, essays, reports, etc.)? How is it taught, what other LA skills are incorporated or not incorporated (which also makes me as myself which way I want it), does it encourage writing across the curriculum or is that part on me, etc. Also, what about help on the editing process? Does the program offer clear guidelines on what each paper should contain and how to grade it? Then there are the general issues that apply to any subject: cost, re-usability, help for multi student use, learning style, teaching style, time required to teach, time required for dc, and sometimes the statement of faith from the author IF it enters the curriculum. There is also the fun factor... will my kid enjoy this program or at least not hate it.
  17. Fallacy Detective doesn't teach formal logic. It teaches informal logic, specifically fallacies or errors in logic. It's written in a narrative format. So you begin with a definition of a fallacy. Then it explains the fallacy and several examples are given. These are short paragraphs of one person talking to another to make a point or argument but using the current fallacy. After all this, there are about 10 exercises to read. Each is a short paragraph. Goal is to determine IF the current fallacy applies. Then there is another set of exercises to determine IF a fallacy occurs and if so, which one and why. That's the end of the chapter. We do the whole thing orally. My 13yo dd and my 11yo ds really enjoy this part of their day. My 7yo son loves when I let him join in and try to guess which is a fallacy. The funnest part is when my kids are watching the news, or more specifically the politicians and they point out the fallacies being used!
  18. I'm actually seeing lots of creative writing from the CW projects. Sometimes my kids just re-write the model but often times they write their own version by changing the characters. For example the Gingerbread Boy model became the Gingerbread Jedi for my 11yr old ds. My dd has done some letter writing with R&S Eng 3 and my son has done some with FLL. I also try to get them to do this to keep in touch with friends and family. My dd also emails her friends... but that's a whole 'nother language, itn't it? Essays will be taught later in CW. However my dd has written some for my dh to explain why she did the bad thing that she did, why it was bad, etc. Outlining, ug. I've tried to do this via WTM suggestions but it hasn't worked too well here. CW also encourages it but it's hard to get my dd to write an outline for a model that really does have in her head... she just doesn't need it to write her papers so far. My ds does write some outlines for the oral presentations he does in our Co-op. I'm hoping to focus on notetaking skills soon. Perhaps once they see it this direction then maybe it will help. Perhaps I should consider something like Remedia Outlining, I've heard it suggested here before.
  19. Classical Conversations offers three basic program that you may choose for your kids: Foundations, Essentials, and the Challenge programs (A,B,1,2,3,4). Foundations is targetted for kids in grades 1-6. It's focus is memory work. In addition to the memory work they also do a science lab, a fine arts lesson, and a student presentation. There is also a family presentation time (one family per wk). The memory work consists of one history sentence, one science question/answer, latin, math, English grammar, 8 Timeline cards/US Presidents, and a Bible verse. They meet once a week for 24 weeks. Class time is from 9:00am to 12:00pm plus 1/2hr lunch and 1/2hr recess. The fine arts breaks down as follows: 6wks drawing, 6wks tin whistle, 6wks art history, 6 wks music theory/history. The Bible studied is a whole chapter like Eph 6:1-24, taken by verse throughout the year. The Timeline is a chronological order of the Vertitas Press timeline cards, 8per week. This takes 20 weeks. The last 4 weeks that time is spent on memorizing the US Presidents. Math and timeline/presidents are the same each year. The rest change with each 'Cycle'. Foundations offers 3 cycles. For example the Cycle 1 history sentences focus on the first 1/2 of history, Cycle 2 covers the 2nd 1/2 of history, and Cycle 3 focuses on American History. You'll need their Foundations Guide to know what it covered each week. The tutors are trained and paid. They introduce the material to the kids with the goal of getting it into short term memory. The parents MAY then review and/or teach more on the subject at home. The only other homework is to prep for the 3 min presentation (show N tell for the younger ones). This class does not account for all a kid needs to cover for those years. Essentials is for grades 3 or 4 -6. It meets after Foundations from 1:00-3:00pm. It focuses on English grammar, writing via IEW, some spelling and some math. I'm not as familiar with this one... but you will need to have their Essential Guide so you know what's being covered in class and what the homework is. Yes this one has homework. Challenge is for Jr and Sr. High School. It is a complete program, no supplementing needed. They meet for more weeks then the other two programs, I think it's 33 weeks but I'm not sure. They also meet for a full day. You may opt out of some of the work like Math if you prefer something else. hth
  20. I noticed that a bit ago and was very surprised. Middle Ages to Modern in one year! What a change. Although... I guess it makes sense to focus more time on the last 200 years then taking all of history and dividing it up into 4 equal parts... hmmm, something to ponder.
  21. I'm using CW Homer with my 7th grader this year. That itself actually teaches grammar but we also do Harvey's Grammar since it's all lined up. Now I've just noticed that Mary Daly's First Book of Diagramming is a great help in how it explain the concepts (I got if for my 6h grader doing CW AesopB). I like how CW not only teaches the grammar, it not only shows it in literature, it not only has the kids re-work the lit by playing with the grammar, but it also encourages and expects the students to make use of the grammar within their papers. Tools that you can use. hth
  22. I'm a bit familiar with classic but when I went back to check on the redesign it seems that they may be different. Are they?
  23. My dd is taking a co-op writing class for 7th graders. She said that her class was told the use of many adverbs and adjectives signifies weak verbs and nouns. Why say that he 'swiftly ran' when you could say that he 'sprinted'?
  24. Pictures speak louder then words! Draw a picture of what YOU think your dc has written about. They can draw a picture of why THEY were thinking when they wrote their paper. Make big notes of the differences. If you dc wants you to picture something the way they are thinking it then they will need to use just the right word to get that idea accross. This works also works well if you use all the kids, everyone draw what they imagine when hearing one story. Differences will always be there but the best set of adjectives, adverbs, nouns and verbs will force more similarities to appear in their pictures.
  25. One thing to note: Foundations goes from 9:00am to 12:00pm plus 1/2 hour lunch and 1/2 hour recess if you want. So typically you can be out by 1:00pm. If you also do the Essentials program, then you are there till 3:00pm ( I think). So Foundations take 1/2 a day to a day. But don't forget to work on it during the week (if you want to). About 20 min day for weekly memory work. As the year goes on, some more time if you want to work towards Memory Master.
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