I'm not going to buy anymore curriculum until I use up what I already have! (Help me with this mantra!) I do not have to get anything for my 1st and 4th grader in the fall!!! I have Abeka "everything" through 4th grade, All SWB instructional books and SOTW 1 and 2, TOG units, every History and Science resource mentioned in WTM, several Apologia elem. sci books, Classical Writing-Aesop A & B, Stack the Deck-1st couple of levels, Song School Latin/Latin for Children A, Latina Christiana I, PowerGlide Spanish, several God's Design years, two different art programs, every history and lit pockets book from Evan-moor, and a gazillion phonics, math, spelling, etc. workbooks from cost-co,walmart, etc. an amazing library system, my computer, and the internet. So there! (I do have to get older ds stuff, but it's an investment for the other two...right?) Thanks for listening to me convince myself! :) Jennifer Blok dd11, dd9, ds5

:tongue_smilie:Thanks! I forgot about using the spelling rules along with learning to spell the words! Too many things to remember...how did we ever learn how to spell?!?!?

We have been focusing on phonics with ds9 this year. His reading skills have improved, yet spelling... I know that phonics instruction is important, but how can I help him differentiate between all of the different spellings of the same sound? Sample of spelling test: using ir-er-ur words (Abeka 1, list 10) X sirv serve X pers purse X bern burn X cerul curl X tern turn X dert dirt X ferst first X girol girl I can't purchase another spelling program, anything I can make or use from the internet? We already use Spellingcity and making flashcards. Thanks! -Jennifer

We use this cheer to remember the even numbers. All numbers that end with these numbers and 0 (zero) are even!

What do you do when your childen have already seen the movie of a "classic" book, i.e. Lord of the Rings, Narnia, etc.? Do you have them read the book anyway? My kids have seen all of these movies way before they were capable of reading such literature. Now my oldest is able to read them, but does not want to... he already knows the story. Same goes for books such as Bridge to Terabithia, Charolette's Web, Harry Potter... I'm not really interested in doing a major lit type study on individual books right now. I'm just trying to get him to 'read books!' Thanks! Jennifer

Why didn't I think of cardstock? Thanks... maybe the younger ones won't even care if their project is just a little bit different.

It is a little 4x4 block of canvas on wood with a pre-printed picture on it. We were going to color it with crayons and glue on sequins, jewels, etc. I thought of copying the image onto transfer paper and making the extras we needed, but would really like to avoid the hassle! It's just that the starter kit has a sample of each project they have available, and I KNOW that many go to waste, because people don't often use the packaged crafts. We normally don't either, but.... Thanks :)

Did anyone order the starter kit and decide NOT to use the "God Loves Me" canvas art included in the kit? We ended up with more registrations than we ever thought would happen, and are now short on craft supplies. Cokesbury is SOLD OUT of the canvas art projects. (and just about everything else!) Anyone interesting in donating/selling your sample from the kit? Desperate!!!! Thanks! --Jennifer

We used the projects from Apologia's Zoo I: Both are group activities. 1. A game of "Marco Polo" with bells for everyone instead of yelling... not as easy as it 'sounds!' Make sure the playing area is not too big. 2. Find your baby: Each student was assigned a scent (pepper, lemon, peppermint, etc.) and they had to locate their own 'pups' form a large batch of cotton balls prepared with the scents. We had 10 for each student (7) and laid them out on a tablecloth on the ground. Make sure the cotton balls are not too wet and they are not stored all together - the scents tend to mix together. We also used the notebook/lapbook materials from homeschoolshare.com, watched Magic School Bus "Bats!" video, read "Stellaluna," and looked up many websites online. Have fun!

All of the work is done together unless of illness - then we coordinate via e-mail anything that can be accomplished that week. Families are encouraged to maintain the "conversation" at home and to supplement with library books at home in their "book basket" regarding the current topic. We meet at the Library on Tues. and the younger girls do the Storytime while I have the older boys in a meeting room for "class." We are right there in the library to do research if necessary. Thurs is and my house for the "project" stuff. Ok...enough for now!

We are using SOTW with AG, Evan-Moor Pockets, library books, and tons of internet resources: Each student has a binder.... you could set it up as an "add the next thing" or split it into sections as outlined in WTM for olders. Read together the chapter/section of the chapter - as a read aloud for youngers or oral reading for olders (if read aloud, then have a color sheet of the topic to keep idle hands busy) Oral question and answer (m&m's, etc. for correct answers :) ) "Round the Table" type Mapping: any black line master... a different on for each topic or continue on a "permanent" one by adding to the map. Use AG or other mapping guideline. Narration Notebook Page: a prepared page with a picture or place to draw a pic/ lines for sentences (olders come up with own, youngers either dictate and trace or dictate only) This page can come from a variety of sources... homeschoolshare.com, liveandlearnpress.com, etc. Or the Pocketbook pages we do as Notebooking. Literature/composition: Sometimes we add myths/fiction/etc. and narrate or review... sometimes a biography or character analysis.... sometimes we write poems, etc. Project Time: Pick something fun from the AG or other source to go along with the topic... art/salt dough map/clothing/display... the ideas are endless!!! ** We are doing a 2 day a week co-op with another family based on SOTW 1: Roman Empire (current topic) and Apologia Zoology 1 (currently on lesson 10) 2 hrs each day (10-12 T/Th) 1 hr History, 1 hr Zoology (unless a bigger project presents itself). The above activities are them split between two days. The Zoo work is very similar. There are 4 boys ages 10 & 8 that I work with on this and the other mom has our PreK/K girls and is doing K unit studies with them :). HTH --Jennifer

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We put them on index cards and then used rings to create a flash card "Ring of Time." Sometimes they hang on the wall near the time line or they hook in the binders if we need to transport them. You can start anywhere in history and practice going forwards and backwards. The back of the card has the dates, age/era.

Hmmm.... anyone else? Thoughts on how you incorporate "writing across the curriculum?

We have to streamline the number of individual "subjects" for my guys. Their checklist looks like a grocery list.... I am going to incorporate composition/report writing skills, literature genre study, and lit analysis studies in with their SOTW and Zoology work. There is a ton of info, helps, worksheets, lesson plans, etc. all over the internet regarding this "English" work. After trying Abeka LA, Classical Writing, and Stack the Deck, it seemed like we were just writing for the sake of writing. It makes more sense to me to have it "worth" something in terms of learning about a topic, etc. For example - using the folk tale we are reading as supplemental lit for SOTW and explore the characterization or setting- or- work on a descriptive narrative by describing in detail a room in a pyramid or the Trojan Horse or an animal from Zoology -or- work on a persuasive essay by trying to persuade the Pharoah to let the Egyptians go... Creating a genre notebook to record readings from all of their subjects in the appropriate categories (Evan-Moor Lit pockets has a good start for this)... More "writing across the curriculum" as the main focus as opposed to an adjunct to a specific writing program. Anyone else do this? Thanks for you input!

We just went to the beach! Check out my avatar :D

Castellum Academy definition: the beginnings of a fortress significance: "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" byline: 'The Building BLOKS of Learning!" (Last name - BLOK) :D

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Well Trained Mind and Latin Centered Curriculum

I have read both WTM and LCC (2nd ed). What I am looking for is your opinions on a marriage of the two... what can/does it look like? is it possible - in keeping with the true identities of both "programs"... (Specifically K-8 at this time - High School is a different ball game :confused: IMO). I think the phonics/lang arts/math/latin seem in sync. The History/Literature/Science/Logic timing and selections is where I stumble. History/Literature: I think that SOTW moves really fast... we actually spent 3 months on Egypt alone. First grade seems a bit young to me as well to begin a systematic course of history and literature (we started all of this with my sons in Gr. 4 and Gr. 2). I like the Fairy Tales and Mother Goose Aspect of LCC for K-1, but then I think that the Greek Myths should be introduced while studying Ancient Greece/Rome, not while working on Ancient Egypt in History? Wouldn't that be confusing? I also like the idea of taking larger chunks of time devoted to Ancient Greece and Rome - but then what about all of the other great civilizations - Africa, China, Sumer, etc. mentioned in SOTW? The one thing that I like to do that is not promoted by either one is to use Abeka's K/1 Social Studies: My America/My World and Community Helpers to introduce everyday "America." - I would use that instead of "A Child's History of the World." I like having the whole world geography information at the younger level as in LCC, in addition to the period maps in the SOTW AG.... Let's talk Science.... school can get so mundane for active kids - all of that reading and writing and thinking - I think that a fun "let's blow something up/get messy" Science-y kind of thing is important. LCC does give some ideas for 'Nature Study,' but I think I like pairing history and science - as well as including biographies of scientists and inventions along the way (like one of the TRISMS courses). I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the Logic aspect of things - WTM/LCC nonwithstanding :) Anyway - I have probably already answered my own question by now, but since this took me forever to write out....:tongue_smilie: , I'm going to post it anyway! WTM + LCC ... or just choosing a hodge-podge of anything that works for you?!?!? TIA:D

Alfred Publishing has a very extensive collection of instruction and performance materials. The website is not that easy to manuever through, though... http://www.alfred.com and they do not do direct internet sales anyway - you have to find a local dealer. My suggestion is to go to your local sheet music dealer and look in the guitar methods section. There will be alot of 'methods' available. Look for the little Alfred Logo (many books have different authors and are listed by the authors name or Method Title instead of the publisher). Some I have used... BASIX TAB, Absolute Beginner TAB, and Alfred's Beginning Guitar wih TAB. When the student has worked through the first level of any series, then we decide what direction he/she would like to pursue - classical, rock, church worship, etc. Then we can choose the appropriate materials after that. A foundation in TAB (some standard notation is helpful), rhythmic notation, chords/symbols, and chord theory is essential to learning the guitar. All of Alfred's books have CD's available (included or as a separate purchase) that can either be used as a audio CD or enhanced CD-Rom - an interactive learning tool for the computer. Happy strumming!

I teach piano and guitar private lessons. I like the materials put out by Alfred Publishing- sequential and comprehensive. Even though your son knows how to read music, I would actually choose a TAB method. He will get up and running much faster and without having to decipher note names and then fret/finger information before playing each note. A good TAB method should teach both standard and TAB notation. The guitar is different than piano when reading the music - piano makes sense when using standard notation (5 lines/4 spaces) - the intervals are visually apparent on the paper and on the keyboard - you can actually count the number of keys you need to skip between notes just by counting the lines and spaces on the paper (give or take an accidental or two). On guitar, each fret represents a half-step - like playing every note on the piano (white and black keys) in order up or down. You can't see the interval relationship as easily. TAB is more of a visual system based on the guitar itself - 6 lines (not using the spaces) to represent the 6 strings on the guitar. It uses numbers instead of notes to indicate which fret to play and sometimes it will give the LH finger you should use to play that fret (not always). TAB is very helpful when teaching strumming patterns and chord structure. A triad uses only 3 notes on the piano, but you can use all six strings on a guitar if you are fingering those three notes but in different octaves to produce a more full arrangement of the triad/chord. TMI I know!!! HTH :D

I would let him keep counting them for now and encourage him to find 'patterns' based on the unit squares. Using the blocks - cover the 'unit' squares with the longer 2/3/4/5/etc. colored bars to see the relationship. Finally - have him learn to skip count by 3's, 4's, 6's, 7's, 8's, 9's, 11's, and 12's on paper and mentally/orally. I would play a game in the car with my oldest... "Let's go by 6's!" and then we would alternate calling out the next number in the sequence. Little did he realize that we was learning his mult. facts/tables. HTH :)

Our school name is 'Castellum Academy.' Our catch-phrase (not really a motto) is "The Building BLOKS of Learning" in reference to our last name - Blok. ;)

Stack the Deck - it's fun and promotes creative writing :) Start with "Check the Deck" (the first two are meant for early elem.) My son has a blast! We alternate semesters with CW.