rockala
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Posts posted by rockala
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We have been in several co-ops and currently are involoved with a closed one. Yes, sadly after years of trying we felt that this was what was needed. You have to be careful to find like-minded families and sometimes too late we found out we had some big time grumblers. This past fall that made things a little too difficult, so we are now a private co-op.
I know, I know that sounds harsh, but when the kids were younger the other kind worked well. It is just that now we are focusing on mainly jr/sr high and the parents cannot take time out of their week anymore unless it is really worthwhile.
We have 14 students and they need to attend all classes. There is homework as some of it is spine.
IEW
Medieval History
European/World Geography
Public speaking
These are the classes offered. Also we have some field trips we do. To encourage class particiaption and a good job on homework this semester we are offering a fun auction on the final day. The kids earn points and will get play money to bid on donated items. This involves simply stuff like candy, teenage girl stuff like soaps and baths etc. The kids will have a ball.
HTH
Kathy
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We started off this past fall with IEW and actually over last summer planned to have the moms get together to watch the IEW vidoes. We thought we would meet at someones house who has a nice large screen and watch the first one or two to start. Well..... long story short with summer schedules that did not seem to manifest. So..... we sent the videos home to individual families, hoping to pass them around and tried that. It was still slow getting them to actually watch them, but a few moms took to it and ...surprise...they became the teachers.
We just started semester 2 of co-op (we take a ski season break) and the woman teaching had all the moms present for the first class where they reviewd again the skills being looked for. The kids broke apart paragraphs in class and then go home and complete and embellish them. She will focus on IEW, I as their medieval history teacher am requiring a book report and 1000 word biography.
So she will cover some addtitional things than just the regualr IEW format. It is working for us. Are co-op is working well, but we mainly do jr/sr high and the kids are all 11-15.
Hope this helps,
Kathy
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I remember my kids requesting this at that age. My ds still likes Horizons math as a 6th grader as it is colorful and fun. Although he now can deal with many B&W texts.
One year we had tried a different program and they requested to go back to the 3rd edtion Bob Jones Writing/English. We did use it for a few years and they moved past that.
She is 7, I would allow her at least a few books she finds fun.
Kathy
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I really like your idea about a persuasvie essay for the book. I am looking at the a biograpghy that my ds did last year and if I double space it, it is almost 4 pages long and 1,167 words.
So maybe I should require the biogarpghy to be 1,000 words, 3-4 pages double spaced, times new roman 12 point? Otherwise I think if not double spaced it should be 2000 words?
Now, the essay- I am thinking 1,000 would be too hard for that- perhaps only 300-500?
Thanks for any advice,
Kathy
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We are doing a hs co-op with 14 kids aged 11-15. We plan to teach writing...IEW, middle ages semester 2 1100-1600 and geographgy terms and Europe with Where in the World and Physical geographgy.
I have assigned a different living history book to each of the kids from that time period along with a person from that period as well.
We plan to have them write a book report on their assigned book and a biography on their assigned person. I am trying to figure out what length the reports should be.
They will type them and do some writing IEW helps in class. Since they are typed they can do a word count easily as well. What should the length be? I thought we could vary is for the 11 yo vs the 15yo?
I just do not know how long. I imagine the book report would be shorter, as how long can you make it, but the biograpghy could be very long.
Anybody know what should be expected at these ages?
thanks,
Kathy
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I have a friend whose child went to a nice private high school this year and found that although he was very well prepared with what he had learned, he did not know how to take notes.
He did take notes-as he saw the other kids doing, to study from, but when he would read them back at night with his father they did not really make any sense. He is having to learn how to listen and take notes. To listen for what you know may be on a test and the important stuff, not the fillers/fluff.
I , too am teaching a co-op class to middle/high schoolers (on the middle ages) and trying to figure out how to help them learn the skills you are talking about, so great thread!
Kathy
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I love you women....you are so funny! Humor does go a long way.
Murderous or suicidal...I can't wait to tell dh that one.
.... and Aunt Flo, that is hysterical.
I am allergic to chocolate, but cookies and milk are great.:D
And, yes regular excersise has kept cramping to a minumum, still get
witchy and weepy though.
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I have a complete B complex I try to stay on a week before. I also have what we call....stress dots... I keep in my purse. These are B-12 dots that melt under your tonque.
I get what we call broomstick grumpy and my 13dd and I do cycle together too- that is difficult if you don't know! It has helped a lot now that my ds knows. My hubby tells him privately (once it starts) do be extra gentle with the me and dd, and he keeps it on his calendar. Sometimes (when I don't see it coming) I feel cranky at first when he tells me I am a week away and I get upset, but then I look at the calendar and see he is right. I think is is easy for me to think ohh he is going to blame it on that again- until I see he is right.
I can vascilate between witchiness and weepiness- for up to a week before. The B-12 dots really help me a lot. I take one under my tonque and feel better in 5 minutes. This is nice when I am out at a store of hs event and feel like I am losing it. I have even opened my purse and given to other moms who are stressed out and they say it helps.
HTH,
Kathy
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I am going to be facing this too and I always thought that was it, no more grammar after EG6, that they moved on too more intensive writing and added literary analysis. I was hopeful they could not possible need more grammar.:tongue_smilie:
kathy
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Hello,
I am teaching a middle school home school co-op on the middle ages and trying to decide which play to do and with what resources. I work part-time and need something not heavy on preparation. I also want them to have a good experince.
I have used EDCON publishing William Shakespares levels 2 and 3 before. I am considering Henry V as it is time period, but admitteldy do not know much about it.
Any help on a good first play and resources/workbook would be wonderfully appreciated.
kathy
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I am working on our second semester of co-op where we are doing the middle ages and although we are using STOW, we have gone of on soem other interesting topics as well. We have 14 books we are going through and we have 14 biographies we are assigning to each one of 14 kids!
here is the list which will cover much of 1215-1600. We had covered fall of Rome through William the Conqueror the first semester. Additonally we may do Henry V for Shakespeare.
The biographies include a lot of christian bents.
1 Queen Eleanor 1122 Proud Taste of Scarlet and Minerva $5.99 208 pp
2. Magna Carta 1215 The Magna Charta $10.19 169 pages
3. Gutenberg 1398 Fine Print $6.95 64 pages
4. Joan of Arc 1412 Beyond the Myth $8.95 192 pages
5. Michelangelo 1475 Michelangelo Diane Stanley $6.99 48 pages
6. Da Vinci 1452 Second Mrs Giaconda $7.99 160 pages
7. Martin Luther 1483 Luther Biography of a Reformer $10.19 219 pages
8. Galileo 1564 Along Came Galileo $11.95 90 pages
9. Plaque 1664 At the Sign of the Sugared Plum $8.44 176 pages
10. War of the Roses 1455 The Black Arrow $10.44 142 pages
11. Med/Knights Men of Iron $9.95 224 pages
12. Poland 1300 The Trumpeter of Krakow $5.99 224 pages
13. Japan/Samurai 1500's The Samurai's Tale $ 6.95 256 Pages
14. England 1290 Catherine called Birdy $6.99 224 pages
biograhies;
1. Joan of Arc 1412-1431
2. Henry VIII
3. John Wycliff 1320-1384
4. Ferdinand Magellan
5. Christopher Columbus
6. Michelangelo Buonarroti – 1475-1564
7. Leonardo Davinci 1452-1519
8. Marco Polo 1254-1324
9. Martin Luther 1483-1546
10. John Gutenberg 1400-1468
11. William Shakespeare 1564-1616
12. Galileo 1564-1642
13. John Calvin 1509-1564
14. William Tyndale 1496-1561
Kathy
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This is all very interesting to me and I love to read though what can be done. I believe I grew up with a processing disorder, and never learned to cope. Of course we had no idea there could be such a thing. It was the very reason I hs my children because I new how difficult it was for me in school. I just learned of the diagnosis as a possibility recently.
I know my dd13 has some sort of auditory processing disorder but has not been diagnosed. We have learned though how to cope better- she can tolerate fireworks now but it is not her favorite activity and when she was younger forget it. We would view from a long distance with the car windows rolled up. I don't know if it helps, but here is how I/we have learned to adjust.
Sitting in the front row helps a lot.
Having eye contact -especially with the teacher.
However,
If I work for a boss who I do not think holds me in much regard, well then no information goes in.:001_huh: I know I have to write everything they say down and read it later when I can process it- the same can go for other relationships.
My dd eyes glaze over if she is off or triggered about something. We have to process the emotions that are happening to her before she can learn anything.
HTH,
kathy
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Thank you all so much, we had almost dropped out of Latin Prep and are trying to give it another go, so I appreciate knowing what is acceptable as I have no Latin background.
thanks,
Kathy
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I think it is a spelling program, just trying to find out the name.
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I am looking for a book list with this time period. I thought there was an ambleside one but I cannot find it.
I am looking for good middle school books on the following. I would like ones without too much reading difficulty as our co-op will have ages 10 1/2 to 15.
Michelangelo, Martin Luther, Da VInci, Gutenberg and Joan of Arc as well as others along that time period. I find quite a few by Diane Stanley but am unsure if that will be too young and we nedsomething a little more but that is not too much. Am I fussy??
So far we The Magna Charta, Proud Taste of Scarlet and Minerva and the Black Arrow down.
Thanks,
Kathy
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I am looking for a book list with this time period. I thought there was an ambleside one but I cannot find it.
I am looking for good middle school books on the following. I would like ones without too much reading difficulty as our co-op will have ages 10 1/2 to 15.
Michelangelo, Martin Luther, Da VInci, Gutenberg and Joan of Arc as well as others along that time period. I find quite a few by Diane Stanley but am unsure if that will be too young and we nedsomething a little more but that is not too much. Am I fussy??
So far we The Magna Charta, Proud Taste of Scarlet and Minerva and the Black Arrow down.
Thanks,
Kathy
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Hello,
My dd is in 8th grade and is just finishing Math-U-See pre algebra and beginning Math-U-See Algebra. I have heard that many PS do not start Pre-algebra until 8th, but it is different here in MA.
From what I understand in MA they do Pre-Algebra in 7th and Algebra one in eight. Then they do Algebra I again in 9th with a different program. I know that Math-U-See is not a strong Algebra program and so am struggling on where to go after we finish Algebra 1 in math-U_see.
Should I start a better Algebra I program in the fall when she starts 9th grade? She is being tutored now to help catch up. We own Life of Fred, but dd finds it difficult right now.
Kathy
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We are still in chapter 2 of latin Prep and the kids have to translate a passage. They did pretty well but in converting some words came though slightly different.
For instance, exercise 2.5, they came up with Cassia sings and Alus shouts, but the answer book says "Cassia is singing and Aulus is shouting."
Is this just normal translation from latin to English or are we off?
Thanks,
Kathy
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thank you and thank you for the links too. So what you are saying is the kids doing 8th grade Algebra will continue doing Algebra I in 9th grade? Now this is very good for me to know. I guess I do need to inquire about what kids really are doing for math in high school here. I had no idea and assumed it would be Algebra II for 9th in MA.
We are planning on continuing home schooling all the way- but she may take some courses at the local college. I wonder if after taking basic math- if that is what they would require of her if she would end of having to take Algebra I again in college?
I do feel better, maybe she is not so behind as I thought. Thanks for the links too, they look good.
Life of Fred is very different. His way of thinking made it very hard for me to help. I am sorry to say that right now my ds in 6th grade is thinking of dropping the other two books he offers. It does seem very good in the way of thinking outside the box though- of course I guess that would be for a new thread.
Thanks again,
Kathy
:D
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Hi Sue,
Wow, thank you for the link and reply, it really helps a lot. We can at least move forward and get through lessons 21 & 22 before we begin the next program.
Also, it appears you are saying that LOF Beginning Algebra is not a Pre-algebra program like I thought. Since it stated beginning I thought that was sort saying Pre in a different way. We own the companion book too.
I am not sure why it seems so different here in regards to grade level. We live in Massachusetts and dd is on a swim team locally. All the girls she knows do pre-algebra in 7th and algebra in 8th. It is the standard - not an option. I don't understand am I missing something?
It would be hard for me to tell her she is not behind when she hears what the other kids are doing?
Kathy
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Well, that is interesting, I have personally never heard that. The public school systems here all do pre-algebra in 7th and Algebra in 8th. That is what all the curriculums I have viewed recommend as well.
K
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When my son was at this stage someone suggested he was mildly dsylexic. Almost four years later we have learned he is dysgraphic.
I am, of course, not saying your dc has this, but it is much more common than people know. It is also easy to correct if you know what to do.:)
Dysgraphia ...(quote from WIKIpedia) "is a deficiency in the ability to write, regardless of the ability to read, not due to intellectual impairment. People with dysgraphia usually can write on some level, but often lack co-ordination, and may find other fine motor tasks such as tying shoes difficult. It often does not affect all fine motor skills. They can also lack basic spelling skills (having difficulties with p,q,b,d), and often will write the wrong word when trying to formulate thoughts (on paper). In childhood, the disorder generally emerges when they are first introduced to writing. They make inappropriately sized and spaced letters, or write wrong or misspelled words despite thorough instruction."
My son is also very perfectionistic and it makes things difficult. He reads wonderfully now and comprehends deeply. He is now trying to play catch up with writing and spelling. I wish I had known sooner.
Dianne Craft offers a handout in which they form the letters correctly to correct the right/left brain functions. He did this daily for awhile- and it will fill the gap between the right/left brain and your dc will not struggle so dearly as a result.
Now I watch to make sure he forms the letters correctly as we use Megawords and Sequential Spelling.
Megawords has helped the most and does have some vocab built in.
HTH,
Kathy
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Hello everyone,
My dd (13 now) struggled last year with pre-algebra. We did the first 9 lessons of math-U-See pre-algebra and the first 3-4 books of the key to series. We started this year with Life of Fred and made it through chapter 3 before we bailed. This year she is in 8th and we have gone back to finishing math u see pre-algebra with a tutor.
She is terribly bothered by being behind a year. She is a very bright student and is advanced in many areas. The tutor helps her over the sticking points and boy do I wish I did this last year.
She is on lesson 17 now and they are covering celsius vs farenheit. She does not need a tutor for this as well as many more of the future lessons, I am noticing it is a lot of review. She is covering lesson 18 with her tutor which is algebra.
She wants to start Math-U-See Algebra I as soon as possible and we will run them simultaneously. I want her to still finish the pre-algerba. My question is does Algebra I do some pre-algebra review and do you know at what point I could start the Algebra I? I am thinking that given all the review in this program and the review at the start of Algebra I that this could work out. But I do not have the program to view.
Also, am I right in sticking wioth math-u-see? I appreciate anyone who can help me with these questions.
Kathy
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Hi everyone,
My kids (dd13 & ds 11) started out really liking Latin prep and I found you can buy a online book that speaks it starting in chapter 3 I think. We are stuck in chapter 2, towards the end after the first few excersises it seems to turn a lot more complicated.
Has anyone else had this problem and have any advice? I just don't know what do to and school starts up again on Monday. I do not have any latin background at all.
In addition, my dd is in 8th and we have not done any other foreign language, except a little bit of Hebrew :tongue_smilie:. This was a big investment and I had to quit things, never mind so soon. I know there are many of you who love this program- any advice?
Thanks for your help,
Kathy
Please give me your thoughts on dd's 8th grade science options...
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I faced this same decision last year. My daughter who was then going into 8th grade could do a local co-op of Apologia Biology. She is wanting to go into the medical field and absolutely loves biology and disection so at first it seemed like a no brainer.
I spoke with some older more seasoned hs who advised to go through the Apologia general and physical first. She had done various science programs, including chemistry and some basic good BJ 3rd edition science. this made me more convinced she should do biology and did not need apologia.
After much debate we did do Apologia general for both my 6th and 8th grade kids. They have gotten so much foundational thinsg out of it- and are now doing the last modules on the human body. they both now LOVE science and talk about what they are learning all the time. My dd LOVES horses too.
I know I am giving this from an Apoligia perspective- but some others who did put their kids in the biology class young- it did not go well and I fear turned them off to science. A good foundational program should deepen their love of science- I do not regret waiting even though I know she will not do biology now until 10th as we will do Physical next year.
Hope this helps,
Kathy