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DoubleAMom

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Posts posted by DoubleAMom

    Christian-based history similar to History Odyssey

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I find this question bewildering, because History Odyssey is a program that is trying to take a more Christian-based book and make it secular. So therefore using Story of the World as written, with the Activity Guide, may well fulfill your needs very well.

     

    We have been using SOTW and really enjoying it, but my DS will be in 5th next year.  We are ready to start over with Ancient Times, and I feel that SOTW is too basic for him.  I would like something meatier.  I looked at History of the World, but it seems too advanced.  

    • Like 1

    AoPS Pre-Algebra/Intro to Algebra Questions

    in Accelerated Learner Board

    Posted

    My DS will finish up Singapore 5 this year.  I am considering condensing Singapore 6 into a the first semester of next year then beginning AoPS Pre-Algebra.  If you have had experience with AoPS Pre-Algebra, how long did it take you to get through the program?  How about for Intro to Algebra?  I'm wondering if either one would take longer than a normal school year for a fairly mathy kid.

     

    Thanks!!

    History Curriculum Help

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    I'm looking for a history curriculum to use in a co-op class for next year.  We'll have an American/Modern History class and an ancients class.  The plan for the classes is to have students read from the spine of choice/ living books at home then have discussions in class.  Here's what I'm looking for:

     

    A guide that has in-depth discussion questions.

    Integrates Primary Sources

    Integrates maps and geography

     

    I haven't been able to get my hands on Biblioplan to really look at it, but it may be a good option if the discussion questions dig deep enough.  

     

    Any other ideas?

     

     

    Singapore to Art of Problem Solving

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    My ds is currently working in US Edition Singapore 5A.  He should complete 5B by the end of this school year.  Looking ahead to next year, I'm trying to figure out if it would be better to skip 6A/6B and go into AoPS Pre-Algebra.  If we complete 6A/6B would we still go into AoPS Pre-Algebra or would it be better at that point to go straight into the AoPS Algebra course?  Any advice is appreciated!

    Blog about plagiarism in Douglas Wilson's Omnibus

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

     

    I completely disagree with this statement, and am horrified that someone who purports to be a historian would say such a thing.  

    Here's the thing.  Omnibus is a HISTORY text.  Quality sources are a critical part of the academic content.  The questions "How do we know this?", and "From what perspective was this written?", and "What are the underlying assumptions  that go along with this conclusion?" and "In general, how accurate and reliable is this work?" are a key part of understanding and critically evaluating any history source.  Readers, not always the students themselves but most definitely the teachers who assign such works, need to know whether the material comes from primary sources, or from the work of well-regarded historians, or from some other source.  If, later on, a particular source is deemed to be misleading, misinterpreted, mistranslated, otherwise unreliable, or flat-out wrong, a citation trail can help readers weed out the inaccurate information that was based upon it.

     

    My family did a study of Shakespeare some years ago.  We found some college lecture notes on the web (which, sadly, no longer exist - they were wonderful!), in which the teacher clearly explained how we know what we know about Shakespeare's life.  The teacher included the specific excerpts from works written at the time (mostly Samuel Pepys' diary), as well as information such as birth records, etc.   Armed with the specific knowledge of the very limited information available, it was interesting to then evaluate the non-fiction children's books we got from our library.  Some were very, very careful to stick closely to the primary sources, without embellishment or over-broad speculation.  Others, to be frank, simply made stuff up.  Since then, I've been much more aware of the difference, and much more appreciative of carefully, accurately written history books aimed at children.  I now choose such books with a much more critical eye.

     

    History texts that rely on Wikipedia for their content are simply not up to modern-day standards of accuracy and reliability. 

     

    Completely agree!  The examples of plagiarism are horrid, but the fact that a history text would use Wikipedia as a source is equally as horrid.  I had purchased a couple of the self-paced history courses for my kids for this year, and now I am wondering what sources VP used for those courses. 

     

    • Like 2

    colega spanish

    in Bilingual Education Board

    Posted

    We were introduced to Colega this year, and I love it.  I wish we had know about this curriculum a couple of years ago when we first started homeschooling.  We had been using Calico, which I enjoyed, but Colega is much more rigorous.  We jumped in at Colega 3 this year, but we're going to go back and refresh some of the grammar/vocab from Colega 2.  Where Calico was more focused on conversation and geared towards pre-school aged kids, Colega is grammar/writing heavy and geared towards middle-upper elementary aged kids.  It can be appropriate for early elementary kids who are able to read and write.

    Music. Art. Help.

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Loesje, thank you for posting! It's helpful to know that about Artistic Pursuits. We may hold off on it for another year or so, and work through what we do have. My girls are enjoying Draw-Write-Now, and we have all the books, so there's plenty of opportunity there. We also have Notgrass Learn to Draw, Notgrass Celebrate Thanksgiving, and Notgrass Celebrate the Savior (holiday craft books). If we do those, pull out the clay and watercolors, and read The Story of Art for the next year or so, that will be "enough." By then the girls will be ready for Artistic Pursuits at the 4th-6th grade levels. They'll also be better able to manage the supplies, the projects, and the clean up responsibly. Thank you.

     

    I know this is an old thread, but I was hoping to get some feedback from Sahamamama on Notgrass Learn to Draw.  How did you like this book?  Do you think it would be appropriate for a 6 and 8 year old?  Does it teach the fundamentals of drawing or does it give in instruction on how to draw specific drawing projects?  I'm looking for something that will teach my kids the basics of drawing so they can apply it to drawing anything.

    Art Curriculum Advice

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I am looking for an art curriculum for the upcoming year, and would love any recommendations!  Here's a little bit of background: my kiddos are 6 and 8.  I'm looking for something that will teach the basics of drawing and painting.  I don't want a curriculum that teaches how to draw or paint specific projects, but one that will teach the foundations of these skills to be used in many different types of projects.  I am able to put together instruction on art appreciation, so I just need a program that teaches art skills.  I also would like something that isn't heavily text-laden.  I have Drawing with Children, but I have never been able to get through it, because it isn't open and go.  Finally, I would like something that won't break the bank.

     

    I've been looking at the Barry Stebbing programs, but my concern is that someone wrote in a previous post that his curriculum doesn't teach art skills as much as how to create specific drawings/paintings.  If I did go with one of his programs, I don't know whether to get the I Can Do All Things program, or the Fundamentals of Beginning Drawing and the Fundamentals of Beginning Painting.

     

    Any advice from folks who have had experience with any of these programs or have other recommendations is greatly appreciated!

    Did anyone go to school in really small U.S. school districts? Class 1A (Div II)

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I went to this type of school in rural Missouri.  We were k-12 all in one building.  I attended K there and then 3-12th grade.  I really don't remember too many people moving in, but plenty of people moved away.  I started high school with 33 people in my class, and we graduated with 22.  The other 11 either moved away or dropped out.  If a new family were to move in, I would guess they would be met with suspicion, especially if they were from a city. 

     

    There were some things I loved about going to such a small school, and some things that I despised.  When I was younger, I loved seeing my big brothers in the halls.  When I was older, I hated how everyone knew everything.  Gossip was rampant and often strayed far from the truth.  I wrecked my car one weekend on a Sunday on the way to church.  When I got back to school on Tuesday the story going around was that I was out partying and driving drunk.  Another negative, once you had a reputation there was no getting rid of it.  The families from my town had all lived there for many generations.  If your family had a "bad" name, there was no escaping it, you were labeled the same.  Or if you were a "trouble maker" in elementary school, that label would follow you all the way through high school because all the teachers knew everything that was going on with all the kids (Only one teacher lounge and gossip was rampant there, as well.)  On the other hand, if you were from a "good" family or labeled a "good" kid, that reputation could take you a long way. 

     

    I felt like the academics at my school were good, especially for the size.  It offered AP science courses, and if a student was interested in an advanced course that the school didn't offer, they would try to get it via video or correspondence.  Because the school was so small, there were fewer kids to compete with for scholarship opportunities.  I was able to attend the University of Missouri completely free on scholarship.  Also, since the school was so small, anyone could play sports, cheerlead or march in the band--there were no tryouts.     My school didn't offer a variety of sports, but we did have baseball, softball, basketball, and track.  We played other small 1A schools in our conference for sports.

     

    It seemed like the school was divided between the kids who played sports (the "in" crowd) and those who didn't.  There wasn't really a division among academic-types and non-academic types as most of the smarter kids also played sports, which gave them an automatic bid to the popular crowd.  The major downside, I think, to growing up in such a small place is that there was nothing to do, so there was lots of drinking and causing trouble.  When I was in school drugs were not a problem, but I did hear that several years after my class graduated that drug usage had increased greatly.  I also heard that farmers and the farm store were being frequently robbed of fertilizer for people to use to make meth.  Those stories could be part of the proliferate rumor mill or could be accurate, I haven't been back to verify.

    • Like 1

    Fourth edition of TWTM...here's your chance to weigh in!

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I agree with previous posts suggesting Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BSFU).  I know it doesn't necessarily correspond with the four-year science cycle to go along with history.  However, it is the most comprehensive, well-organized elementary science program I have come across (after spending hours upon hours researching science curriculum).  If your desire is for your children to grow up scientific thinkers, independent science learners, with a thorough understanding of how all the disciplines of science interrelate, then this is your curriculum. 

     

    One suggestion:  Since it seems as many people favor more information relating to "how to homeschool" vs. actual resources, why not make the resource suggestions as on online supplement to the book?  The recommendations could be updated as new information and resources come along, and the book could focus more on homeschool implementation.

     

    I would like to see more information on how to integrate STEM and foreign language instruction other than Latin into a classical model.

     

    Looking forward to a 4th edition!  I should probably get a royalty for all the people I have recommended the 3rd ed.! ;)

    • Like 5

    Finished Super Scratch Programming Adventure--what now?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I went through Super Scratch Programming Adventure last year with my DDSs.  We all loved it, and they now enjoy playing around on Scratch and creating their own "programs."  I thought the book was a great introduction to Scratch and programming.  I'd like to continue to use Scratch next school year with my kiddos and am looking for the next step after Super Scratch that would still be age appropriate for them (6 and 8).  Anyone know of any other Scratch books or programming guides that younger children could follow?

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