Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

oliveview

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    315

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by oliveview

    Someone to talk to me about teaching cursive

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Hey Sherri,

     

    I hope you don't mind me sharing my *obsession* of the moment which is learning to write cursive with a fountain pen.

     

    With-in the past half-hour I was discussing the whole fountain pen thing with my wife. And I mentioned how people who grew up with fountain pens, like my grand-parents and parents, all have such beautiful writing, and I speculated that ball-points might have been at least partially behind the ruination of penmanship skills.

     

    But then I said, of course you learned with ball-points and your handwriting is beautiful (it truly is lovely). And then she said: "No I didn't, my father had a fountain pen from the bank (he was a banker) and I would practice my handwriting by signing checks and filling out ledgers, and it's how I learned to write well."

     

    You could have knocked me over with a feather.

     

    There are a number of inexpensive options, including a "disposable" fountain pen called a Pilot Varsity that you can get at Staples. They only run around $3 a piece and are shockingly good.

     

    Just a thought. I don't want to hijack the thread.

     

    ETA: I'm looking at a program called SmithHand. I have no experience with it, nor have seen much real-world feedback about it, but I'm intrigued.

     

    Bill

     

    This is also a GREAT idea! My boys would love this!

    Someone to talk to me about teaching cursive

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Our boys have great handwriting, dare I say beautiful. They are anxious to start cursive. I bought a New American Cursive book. It's okay, but it is just one double page on each letter. Is that how most of the cursive books are? Where do I go from there? Also, I'm not sure this if the right one for us. What have others used? We used HWOT for printing but I really do not like the look of their cursive.

    How did/do you use IEW's Poetry Memorization w/Kers?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We also use it in the car. It works that way for us. Last year when we started I had a 5 yo and a 3 yo. They learned very fast using the cds. We are taking a break from them now to work on some other things in the car (Latin, skip counting, history) but we still review once a week or so and they all still have the poems memorized solid.

     

    We would go thorugh the old poems once and then listen to the new ones 3 times and then we were done. They knew most of them pretty quick.

    I need an idea for cub scouts!

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I have let this slide and now it is the last minute. I have to pull this together today and I just have no ideas. My Wolf Scouts (2nd graders) need to make some sort of decorations for their table at the Blue and Gold banquet. The theme this year is "America" and we are given Alaska and Hawaii. The decoration needs to be mostly made by the boys and be 3-D (not just coloring something flat). We have a couple of weeks to do the craft but we start tonight. Any ideas?? I am just at a loss...

    Plant press questions

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I bought a plant press to use in our nature study and it did not come with directions. This is what it looks like

    http://www.hometrainingtools.com/product_categories/181/products/6426-plant-press-9-x-12-

    Do I just put the object between two pieces of the white paper and the leave all the cardboard there? How many uses will I get out of the white paper? Are there any tips or tricks that will save me grief/time/money? What have you done with the plants once they are dry?

     

    Thanks so much!

    Am I the only one who doesn't care for Apologia Elementary?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We tried Astronomy and it sucked the life out of me and the kids! I really don't know why but it just wasn't right for us. Right now we are working in RS4K and my very science minded kiddos are loving it. It really is about finding the right thing at the right time, and if it's not right, find what is. I wanted to love the Astronomy book, but it just didn't click. I say move on and find something you love.

    The "professionals" critique the math programs: link

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Wonderful. I hope it proves as valuable to you as it was to me.

     

    While Dr Ma's focuses more on cross cultural comparisons of how math concepts have traditionally been taught in public schools in the United States vs Asia, and, while it does include numerous "examples", it is more descriptive that proscriptive. That is to say this book won't teach you all you need to know in order to teach math. It points the way, but it is not a math "curriculum".

     

    Her book did , however, solidify in my mind what I wanted from math programs. As well as clarifying the sort of approaches I want to avoid.

     

    I'm concerned about the articles I read on "Illinois Loop". There may very well be "fuzzy math" books used in the public schools these days. But the answer is not to return to the flawed approach of the public schools of the 1960s, and use an analogue-only "solutions based" texts as the alternative.

     

    And see "manipulatives" lampooned in the comic on their webpage [as in a boy can't solve a problem because he can't find his scissors] makes me think this group has an agenda that is "wrong-headed," and that they are doing a disservice to math education.

     

    I think as a "hive-mind" we know how many great math programs both use manipulatives, and teach math concepts, while at the same time giving students the ability to "calculate" solutions.

     

    Liping Ma's book makes the case far better than I ever could. I hope it proves valuable to you and your children.

     

    Bill

     

    Thank you again. I am looking for an understanding of why and what. I guess I thought I really researched math and I think on some level I did, but I see now there is so much more. I look forward to reading the book and the other articles that were listed.

     

    You are right to always have a critical eye about bias. It can be right in front of your face or hidden down deep. Math is an area that I am out of my comfort zone and I am glad to do the background reading now with the hope that knowledge will make this journey somewhat easier and help me meet the needs of my children.

     

    My gut huntch is that this will not change our currnt curriculum choices but you never know! :001_smile: Our children are still you and we use both Saxon and Singapore and I have been pleased so far with how they have been progressing.

    Reading help!

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We just go back from an overnight trip (a wrestling tournament) and on the long drive there and back I had a chance to think and also talk with my dh. I am going to order the OG program. In the meantime, I will try some of the online options like ElizabethB suggested. Thank you so much everyone!! It feels better knowing that I have a plan.

    Reading help!

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted · Edited by oliveview

    Thank you for the replies. I agree that there is so much to chose from that it is overwhelming at times, esp when I am so frustrated with our progress! It's hard to see them so advanced in areas in then behind in others.

     

    I think at this point I am strongly leaning toward the OG style. I have looked at the same material that lovedtodeath suggested. If I went this route, what do I do about spelling and when? My boys are both good at memorizing (esp the 6 yo) and relying on pictures. I just have to do something...and soon!

     

    Also, would it be better to go ahead with AAS and drop ETC or would it be better to do a OG phonics and then go to AAS?

    Reading help!

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I am looking to go back and review phonics with my 8 yo ds (and also 6 yo ds). He reads but he is below level and I am not sure about his level of comprehension. We have used 100 EZ Lessons and Bob Books in the past. We are currently working in book 6 of ETC. I have a copy of OPGTR that I could use. I have heard that Phonics Pathways is good. What about readers? Does anyone have any suggestions about any of this? I had thought we would go on to AAS once we finish ETC but maybe I should start it now? I am really lost as to what to do.

    Anyone doing something "special" for Inauguration Day?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I printed off some things from Enchanted Learning, lots of coloring pages on the monuments and the book that they can work through. There were all sorts of other things like word searches and puzzles.

     

    I am also printing off the free guide from CurrClick. I think it looks great even though I will probably get more out of it than my younger kids. Here is the link

    http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=27217&it=1&filters=0_0&manufacturers_id=206&SRC=Newsletter#previews

     

    Other than that, we are going to have a picnic lunch in the living room in front of the tv.

    What direction to go with history?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Sorry for the gap in my response. We were out of town for several days leading up to New Year's and it takes a few days to get back on track.

     

    Well, I am really not sure what to do. I think there are some great suggestions here. Also, in the last few days I have had my best friend ask me if I would switch to TOG Year 2 and let the kids do a co-op once a week. She is willing to take the lead on this. In turn, I would need to do a science lesson once a week and keep her on track with science. Now I really hae NO idea what to do!

    What direction to go with history?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We have stayed pretty well up with all of our other subjects, except history. I like SOTW, they like SOTW, but it just isn't getting done. We have been working on the same text since last year. I don't have a problem with that, and I don't have that feeling of being behind. I think we are just all so burned out on Ancients. I can't stand the idea of opening up to that time period again.

     

    I have 2 boys that want to know everything about American history. They play red coats/blue coats out in the yard. They make structures of the Old North Church. They are itching to study American history.

     

    Not to mention that this coming fall we will be taking a long trip to VA, Williamsburg, and surrounding areas.

     

    So, what would you suggest as a 6 mos or longer study of American history? They are so eager to learn it. I feel like I need to run with this. I can pick back up with world history sometime later.

×
×
  • Create New...