Country Girl
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Posts posted by Country Girl
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For younger children, Rand McNally has an excellent workbook on teaching map skills.
:iagree:
We used both levels and enjoyed both. They were easy to implement and got the job done. This year I had actually planned to use them as a jumping off point to do more of a cultural and in depth study of each continent.... never happened here but if you are more ambitious that I;), it could definitely work.
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Can you all help me think this through and offer advice? I have two science issues I'm dealing with so I'll just kind of throw my thoughts out there and maybe someone can help me. :D
Issue #1 I'm thinking of using PH Science Explorer or Rainbow Science with my son next year who will be 8. However, I'm having a hard time with it and I'm not sure why...... I use many things that are considered above grade level with my son but usually only a 2-3 years above. These programs would all be more like 3-5 years above his "grade level" and that makes me a little nervous that I'm pushing too much. He is definitely a science oriented kid (especially physical science) and when I read the samples, I think that he'd be fine understanding the material (with me doing the program with him, I wouldn't expect him to do it on his own).
I think part of my concern is that I've heard really good things about both programs and I'm worried that if we use them now, he may not get the full benefit of what the two programs have to offer. Plus, I'm unsure of what type of sequence we'd follow after this.
So, anyone used either of these programs with kids below the intended grade level? How did it go? Any adaptations that you had to make? Would you recommend it and do you feel you got the full benefits out of the program?
Issue #2 Issue number two deals with deciding what to focus on with an accelerated child. In addition to PH and Rainbow, I've have also considered a few other programs like Bite-Sized Physics and Exploration Education. I know he'd like both of these since he does enjoy and do well with physical science. However, we've also focused a lot on physical science in the last 2 years and I'm wondering if it would be good to branch out a little. Which is why I'm confused again.... at this age should I be encouraging and nurturing his love for physical science and let him really master it or should I encourage him to explore the other sciences more so he is better prepared for the full range of sciences in the upper levels?
If you'd read through my jumbled thoughts... Thanks! If you have any thoughts or suggestions I'd be even more thrilled!
Thanks!
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I started with Rainbow for my 7th grade dd this year, and we are one of the minority who did not have great success.
My dd did love his tone, and some lessons had some good visual image descriptions that helped my non-science dd. For the most part, I found that I had to read and discuss each lesson with her because it wasn't fleshed out enough for her. She felt he made big jumps in concepts. As for the labs, it was convenient to have all the supplies. Many labs could be categorized more as activities to reinforce the lesson. I used the quizzes that are posted at the website, and my dd did miserably with those. It wasn't always clear what to focus on for each lesson when she studied, and it seemed that he sometimes chose more obscure items to quiz on. I know that most people have great success with this program. I fully expected to as well, but it just didn't mesh with dd.
We are now using PH Science Explorer. It is very different. Each lesson is fleshed out very explicitly. The books go into much greater depth than Rainbow. My dd is having much better success with this style. We use the guided reading worksheets which really helps her focus on the main points of the lesson. I bought teacher materials which have the lab worksheets. I do have to prep the lab materials, but there are so many to choose from, that I've been able to find easily doable labs. These books do have a LOT in them (lots of little mini-activites, chapter projects, etc). We don't do a lot of the extras (other than weekly labs) and have come up with a routine that works well for us.
I don't think one is easier than the other - just different styles of presentation and depth.
HTH
Louise
Louise,
Thank you for taking the time to tell me why the program didn't work for you. It is very helpful to hear both sides of the coin. Having a program that fleshes out the topics more thoroughly would probably be a good thing for a younger student. I'm not sure if my son could make the big jumps, plus the guided reading assignments would be good to help him know what to focus on (since he needs practice on this). Thanks, you have given me lots to think about.
Thanks!
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Someone mentioned that these are a mock-up of several books, and yes they are.
How would I characterize the labs? Some of the labs in Rainbow are less than exciting, like bouncing or rolling a ball. Some of the labs are great, like dissecting a flower and worm. Because the labs are all scheduled for you, there aren't extra ideas/suggestions. Our co-op has offered Rainbow Science twice. My dd took it in 6th and 7th grade-over two years. Our current RS class is moving through the book in one year. The first teacher found it difficult to occupy the kids in a 2 hour period, once a week. She had to come up with additional activities. This year seems to be a better experience with the kids working through all the labs in one year.
By paper labs, I mean a lab where you mark parts of the human body on a sheet of paper. It is not really a "lab" at all.
Prentice Hall has far more suggestions for labs and learning activities. You can pick and choose what works for you. Some of the labs are similar to what we saw in the Rainbow book. Some of them are learning activities that enhance the content-like making clay models of different types of viruses. Or making a yarn model of dna. Most of the "learning crafts" use cheap items that a teacher would have access to-clay, yarn, paper etc.
When our co-op first started, it seemed that science classes were easier when the labs were pre-decided and the materials provided through a kit. However, we've actually found that it is better to have many activities to choose from. The flexibility is preferable to a strict pre-decided regimen.
In terms of difficulty, I know that people on this board have different opinions about the correct age to use PH Science Explorer and Rainbow. As with any program, the older the student, the more they will retain. I think that Rainbow and Prentice Hall is best around 6th grade or older. If I were going to use either of the programs with a younger student, it would be Prentice Hall, not because it is easier, but because there is more choice as to what the reading assignment is.
Wow Holly, thank you so much for answering my questions so thoroughly. The flexibility of PH may be what I need if I'm thinking of doing this with a younger student. Then we could work through the books that best suite him right now. I have to say though, I'm very much a "box checker" and the layout of Rainbow with scheduled labs and all of the supplies is definitely appealing!
Thanks!
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There are more science explorer books than just the Life, Earth, and Physical science books. In fact there are 16 more. They are small topical books and they seem to me to be on a bit lower level. I think you could easily pick topics from these books and use them for a couple of years leading into the the other series. Both sets of PH books can be found here:
I've been using BJU science with my ds, but if my dd homeschools next year I was considering using some of these for a year before I start Life Science. I plan to switch from BJU to PH at either Earth or Physical science for my ds.
Debbie,
Thanks for bringing these up. I thought the Life, Earth, and Physical were just a bind up of all of the smaller (16) books in each category. So are the small books actually different than what you'd get in the Life, Earth, and Physical books?
Thanks!
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Thanks everyone for the thoughts and suggestions. I have been frequenting the etsy boards trying to figure it out, but was hoping someone I "know" a little better over here might be able to offer some advice. I'm aware of the new CPSIA guidelines that are coming out and they are the other big concern I have right now. Again, another thing that may stop my business before it even starts:glare:. However, I think I have a better handle on those guidelines and how to deal with them, than I do the liability issue. This is still really a sticking point for me!
I've never done anything like this before, and it really is out of my area of comfort. However, it is something I'm excited about and I'm trying not to take the easy way out and say it is just too hard and give up. I'm going to keep plugging away to see if I can make this work.
Thanks!
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Holly,
Thank you so much for the information! You were correct in assuming that I was referring to the Science Explorer series... thanks for reading my mind:D.
From all of the great reviews I've read on the PH books, I'm pretty sure they will be in our line-up at some point. I really like the layout that you gave for your ideal sequence. However, I'm actually looking at using one of these programs with a child that is below the typical recommended age level. I know I've seen people on the boards who have done this with the two programs so that is why I was curious about the depth and difficulty of the two.
I'm still torn between the two. The flexibility of being able to skip around in the PH would be great so we could move on if a chapter was too difficult (we will only be starting a 5th grade math text next fall and so I'm a little nervous about the level of math required to complete these middle school texts). However, the depth of the PH program could be too much, making Rainbow sound appealing. The inclusion and scheduling of labs in Rainbow is also a plus. However, how would you characterize the quality of the lab activities in the two? You mentioned that the 2nd year of Rainbow is a lot of paper labs, do you mean things like balancing chemical equations etc. or is there still a hands-on component?
Thanks!
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I'm thinking about starting a home-based business selling wooden toys that I handcraft myself. I've never done anything like this and am a bit overwhelmed with all of the things I haven't thought of. One of the big things is product liability insurance. Do you have this? If so, which insurance agents will provide this sort of coverage? Can I ask how much you pay? Please feel free to pm me if you'd rather not say on the boards. Since people sue for just about anything these days, I'm thinking I need some sort of protection in case injury or harm would come as a result of my items (I truly don't expect this but you just never know). I don't want someone to sue me and put my family's assests, home, etc. at risk but I'm also afraid trying to afford insurance like this will end my business before it starts. Any advice?
Thanks!
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Anyone used (or even looked at) both of these programs and can compare them? Would you say they are of the same level or would you say one program is easier than the other (ie. could be done at a younger age)? Is the depth of the programs similar? I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on the two programs.
Thanks!
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Thanks for the leads.... I'll check them out.
Thanks!
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I tutor through an online company that provides services to schools and individuals, as well as live homework help through public libraries. The pay is not wonderful, but the job requires no prep time, has flexible hours, and it is something I can do with my kids right in the room with me when necessary. I mostly see it as a way to keep something on my resume in case I ever go back to teaching ps.... although that seems pretty unlikely. Feel free to PM me if you would like more details.
Thanks Jen! I just sent you a pm.
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I am interested in possibly online tutoring this to add a little income to our family and was wondering if there is anyone who does this who could give me some info, advice, ideas, pointers, etc. Do you go through an established company or do you do it independently? If a company, which one? If indenpendently, how did you get established and find clients? How much time per week do you spend? I'm full of questions and would really love any info you could give me. I currently have a M.S. degree (Bio) but no teaching degree. My only teaching experience (besides my own kiddos) was in grad school as a T.A. I realize that since I'm not experienced in this, I'd probably need to have low expectations to start with. That isn't a problem though because I want to do this very part-time (probably only 1 or 2 students) and am only looking to make enough to pay for our homeschool materials.
Thanks!
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And now I am wondering what this textbook is...
:iagree: Me too!
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I ordered Jacob's Ladder Levels 2 and 3 through Ray of http://www.horriblebooks.com at 20% discount and free shipping. I just received the books and havn't had the time to look at them, but it looks promising.
HTH.
Lyn
Ohhh, thank you for this tip. I didn't know that they sold Prufrock books. Once you get a chance to look through the books more thoroughly I'd love to hear what you think.
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I remember someone mentioning this program before and added it to my "very interested for next year" planning sheet. Today I was looking for more information on the program and found this link:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/enriched/profdev/nfladders.shtm
It has a big portion of the non-fiction section for grades 3, 4, and 5 in pdf files. The program itself costs $40 and I've been unsure if I want to spend the money. I think I'll use this with ds to give me a better feel if I want to fork out the money or not for the whole program. I thought I'd pass on this link in case there were others it might help with their decision making process.
HTH!
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Yes. My kids are enrolled in a virtual academy and they use this test. It's nice for us because it can be done at home and we'd have to test every year whether we were part of the academy or not.
The test is done on the computer. There are two versions: the K-2nd grade and the 3rd through 12th grade. The K-2nd grade has an audio component so that the questions and answers are read to the student.
The test is adaptive. If the student gets a question correct, the next question is more difficult. If the student gets a question incorrect, the next question is easier. The test goes back and forth like this until it determines a raw score that corresponds to a grade level. It can be hard on some kids (ie. perfectionists) because it is designed so that you only get half of the questions correct as it narrows down the grade level. I've heard it is harder on gifted kids because they push the test to it's upper levels. My daughter, for example, was getting reading comprehension questions from Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner and Writing for College at the age of 8 because she's so advanced in that area.
As far as results, you get several things back. You'll get back the percentile as compared to the norm for the grade level your child is listed as. Then you get an overall raw score. The raw score can then be compared to a scale that tells you where it falls, grade level wise, in several categories (ie. 4th grade, 2nd grade gifted, 3rd grade advanced, and 1 and 2 standard deviations delay risk groups). Then you get raw score ranges in a few problem types within that test. For example, you might get problem solving, computation, and alegebraic concepts under the overall test for math. For subsequent tests, you also get a progress since the last test score.
It was this test that finally helped me to see that my DD needed more difficult/challanging/gifted curriculum in language arts. When I thought about it, though, the test results really made sense and helped me more fully understand what her CAT results were trying to tell me the previous year. My son's results fell exactly where I expected, both this year and last year. So, for my kids, it's pretty accurate.
JoAnn,
Thank you very much for taking the time to really give me an idea of how the test works and how the results can be applied. I figured the test would just be another measure like the ITBS he took in the fall and if he took it it would just be to jump through the hoop of taking the class. However, it sounds like the test could provide some good information for me as well and show me how I could better meet his needs.
Thanks!
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. . . I found this, which appears to be the publisher's website:
http://www.nwea.org/assessments/map.asp
There are some sample questions available.
Jenny,
Thanks for the link. I'm going to check out the info on it and I know the sample questions will be helpful.
Thanks!
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I am investigating the option of having my son enroll in the TAG class at our local ps. As part of the requirements to "qualify" the students have to take the Measure of Academic Progress test. I was just wondering if anyone is familiar with it and what you have to say about it.
Thanks!
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My 7 yo and 5 yo love them as well!
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Check out Visualize World Geography. It is pretty short and sweet - and fun. While I dont think it is exactly what you are looking for, it might come close.
Holly,
I've never seen this but it looks interesting. Are you using this and for what ages? Is it working? How is it laid out as far as daily lessons?
Thanks!
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This is something I wrote almost 2 years ago for someone else who asked me to compare the two. This was before I had actually used either. I have been using TtC since then and still really enjoy it. However, occasionally I get the "Am I doing enough" panic and think I should go with a program that is a bit more scripted, laid out, and traditional. That is when I start to second guess TtC and think about DITHOR again. A few of the things in this response were directed towards some specific questions she had so they may not apply to you.
First, let me start by
saying that I think both programs look VERY good and I
had a really hard time deciding between them. I first
found out about DITHOR over a year ago and I had
planned on using it ever since. However, I was thrown
for a loop at this year's conference when I learned of
TtC. If I never would have heard of TtC I would have
gone ahead and used DITHOR and I'm sure it would have
been great. I should also tell you that I am planning
on using this with my son who just turned 6. He
sounds like your dd, reads and comprehends far above
grade level, always gets comments on how mature he is
etc. So I think we are in a similar boat as far as
the type of child we are planning for.
I'm not sure if I can really organize my thoughts
about the two programs but I will try. However, they
will probably come out as a big jumbled mess and
hopefully you can sift through them and find something
helpful.
DITHOR:
For the most part, I've only looked closely at the 2/3
level of the TM so most of my comments will be based
on that. One of the things I really liked about this
program was the way 9 different genres are used. I
like this concept because it would force us to read
different types of literature (my ds would always
choose mystery if I let him). I also like how a story
element that is typically more predominant in a
particular genre is studied with that genre. For
instance, in the biography genre you would study the
story element of character, in the adventure genre you
study conflict etc.
I like the idea of the genre kick-offs that are used
with this but in reality I'm not sure how much we'd
get into them. I really don't like activities and
crafts, and as much as I would want to do them for the
fun factor, I could definitely see myself skipping
them. However, if you like this sort of thing it
would be great. She gives approximately 10 ideas for
each genre. The ideas range from simple to more
complex and include things like acting out a scenario,
doing a treasure hunt, take a field trip to a
historical building, visit a re-enactment, drawing
pictures etc.
One of the things I really liked that I'm not sure if
TtC includes, is prediction exercises. She may ask
you to look at the title, a picture in the book, the
synopsis on the back cover etc. to predict what is
going to happen in the book. I can't remember if TtC
covers this or not.
I also like the vocabulary exercises that are included
(which is something you mentioned). Again, I don't
think TtC covers this directly. She included optional
vocabulary exercises even at the 2/3 level so I don't
think you would probably have to order the extra
workbook if this is the main reason you were thinking
of the 6/7/8 wkbk. For the 2/3 level, on days 2,7,12
she lists optional vocabulary work. In the Appendix
she has 4 vocabulary activity worksheet pages that you
can choose from. One concentrates on using clues
about what is going on in the story to guess what the
word means then looking it up. One activity
concentrates on looking up synonyms to learn the
meaning of an unfamiliar word. The 3rd has you look
for root words, prefixes, suffixes to determine the
meaning. The final activity is based on contextual
clues from the sentence the unknown word came from.
Most of the activities have the student writing out
the dictionary definition and also using the word in a
sentence.
I also like the daily format of this program. I am a
check off my boxes kind of person and I love
schedules. So the fact that there is a day by day
guide of what to do really appeals to me.
My absolute favorite part of the program is the
discussion days. Which is why in the end, I
ultimately chose TtC. TtC is pretty much just
discussion and I realized that was really what
attracted me to DITHOR in the first place.
Strangely, one thing I didn't really care for is the
character element of the program. We are a Christian
family and this is one of the things that initially
attracted me to DITHOR. However, this past year we
used parts of her program Beyond Little Hearts for His
Glory. In that program she has a read aloud schedule
that is based on the same concept as DITHOR. In fact,
it is very similar but doesn't include the worksheets
and writing activities and concentrates more on
narration. The BLHFHG also included the character
aspect and I found that often we had a very hard time
making a connection between the character element that
was being studied and the book we were reading. I
felt like I was trying to force something that wasn't
there. Sometimes it worked out okay but often it
didn't. We may have been studying brotherly love and
the book we were reading just may not have had
anything to do with brotherly love, either positively
or negatively. So I found myself skipping these days
very often and I figured I'd do the same with the
DITHOR program.
Something that may be seen as a positive or negative
is the repetitiveness of the program. You can look at
the general daily format on her website and see that
for every genre, on days 1,6,11 you are going to do
pre-reading activities. The activities themselves may
be different and some may overlap, but you will still
be doing the same kind of activities throughout. This
can be good because of the reinforcement that comes
from repetition, it can also be good because kids can
anticipate what is coming, they know what to expect
etc. However, it could be a drawback if your child is
very easily bored. Although I do think she does a
good job of trying to keep the program fun and
interesting.
So, based on all of the positive things I saw about
this program you may wonder why I chose TtC. I think
the major factor came down to the fact that I was
looking for a program that was primarily discussion
based. While I liked the idea of the projects etc. I
didn't see them getting done at our house. Also,
since I am using this with a younger child, I wanted
something that we could get "meaty" with without
having to deal with the issues of writing out answers
on the workbook pages etc. I wanted something we
could cuddle on the couch reading our book and then
continue cuddling on the couch to discuss it.
While I liked the vocabulary activities included in
DITHOR, I figured I could easily add my own version to
TtC. The same thing goes for the
pre-reading/prediction exercises I like in DITHOR.
The trick for me will just be to remember to include
them since I don't have a daily schedule to follow. I
have to admit, not having the daily schedule was
probably the biggest drawback of TtC for me.
Also, since I still have the BLHFHG, I figured I can
pull things from that to help address the issue of
different literary genres.
Before I found TtC, I was planning on using the BLHFHG
schedule again to discuss our read-alouds and then use
the DITHOR program to discuss the books that my son
was reading. I wanted to choose books for my son to
read that would challenge his reading ability.
However, I had some concerns with asking him to learn
literary concepts and analysis techniques on books
that were challenging to read. TtC has solved that
concern for me. TtC is based on the premise that all
works of fiction (even children's picture books) share
the same basic elements. So I figured we would work
through the TtC concepts with the children's books
(the workbook uses children's stories to introduce the
TtC concepts). Then I would choose a more challenging
book that he and I would take turns reading aloud to
each other. I will probably use some of the Socratic
questions for these read-alouds too but it won't be as
formal as the study we do with the children's books.
I should also say, that I originally thought I'd try to add in some of the vocab and prediction exercises..... hasn't happened. I kind of figured that is the way it would go. A few weeks ago I did do a little vocab exercise with one of the books we were reading but that is as far as that good intention has gone:001_huh:. Maybe I'll try again! I hope this has helped somewhat.
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For computers, a lot of them now have dual-voltage, you should be able to check the power cable for your laptop for that. It may mean you just need a different shaped plug adapter, not an actual converter.
Oh, what Kate said here actually sounds familiar. I was thinking we purchased a converter but I could be wrong. I do remember that we had to get something to adapt it but it was no big deal.
Quality readers that aren't history...again
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
Bump:001_smile: