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Syllieann

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Everything posted by Syllieann

  1. We're using rs a for dd before going into mm. I think she may speed through parts of mm1 after rs a. My older used miquon Orange, which was fine preparation too, but I like rs better for the broader scope and the fun factor. Otoh, There are some things that are better illustrated on the rods, so we will incorporate those in mm1 for number bonds that don't equal 10.
  2. I agree with OhE about it being unwise to do nothing, unless you are actively unschooling in a way that has the child learning a lot. Aside from standards, all learning is based on what has already been learned. However, what you do should ideally involve a lot of hands on and active learning. For kindy level, I like right start math and all about reading. Both are scripted and open and go, so easy to do if you are in a sleep-deprived zombie-like state. The magic school bus videos could be kept on hand for times when you need a quiet self-led educational activity for the older while you take care of the baby or catch some shut eye. I like the read and find out series of science books too. My favorite science curriculum is bfsu but it will require some proplan ing so you might not be up to that. Nancy larson is open and go, scripted, with everything in the box. It is expensive, but you could consider it if you don't have frequent library access or the inclination to search out good books.
  3. Bible heroes and all things fun and fascinating could be used alone. The fix it grammar books can be used alone. They have a free shipping promotion right now under the 12 days of Christmas.
  4. RC history is connecting with history. It is what you're describing for history, lit, and geography wrapped into one. There are lesson plans for the first 2 volumes, and they are in the works for the other volumes. The lesson plans schedule the readings, mapwork, timeline, and copywork. You will need to choose projects and writing assignments from those listed in the syllabus. The literature guides for volume 1 are purchased separately, but it is included in volume 2. The literature is scheduled in the lesson plans, but the lit guides are not. It should be obvious that each chapter summary would following the reading of that chapter so I wouldn't expect it to be difficult to schedule in the lit guides. We have only done beginner level so I can't review the lit guides yet. It is not 100% open and go since you have to schedule the projects and writing assignments, but I think it's a great program for someone new to the faith. The teacher background and overview sections are helpful. The recommended teacher books are good too. It's a really nice option if you are wanting to learn along with your ds. http://www.rchistory.com If you think cwh might be too involved, you could look at the catholic school textbook project books. Chc has lesson plans for them and I *think* the tm has recommended corresponding literature. Hopefully someone else can give you more info on those.
  5. I would like to join a coop for extra classes such as gym, art, and music. Unfortunately, there are no inclusive, secular, Catholic, or Christian (in the general sense) coops in a reasonable driving distance. The only coops available are evangelical Christian.
  6. I haven't heard anything about a new edition of volume 2 either. There has been talk of a web-based version with a low monthly subscription fee. Idk how it will all come out, but the plans are that the web version would allow you to manipulate the text.
  7. The author also posted enhancements to the lessons on the website. They contain additional online reading and videos. It is nice to have the googling already done and organized by lesson.
  8. I prefer right start, but I have only used the first level of each. I don't think miquon is bad though. it would seem that right start would be more difficult with a toddler running around, due to all those lovely manipulatives. Surprisingly, I found that the rods were worse in that regard. At least with the abacus you only have to pick one object up off the floor.
  9. I get what you're saying OP, and I agree that picking up someone's abandoned spot is different than registering for a one semester course. Our cc is cheaper, but the classes they offer are below the level of high school AP classes, and the environment is not one I would ever think appropriate for a minor. I always wonder where these people live with such great cc's. I suppose if I had one by me, wtma would seem pricey. More options are always good though. My kids are still little, but I know I will need help teaching and grading writing at some point. I'm thankful the market is developing.
  10. The ag has comprehension questions for each sotw chapter. For the other lit you could have them narrate, draw, or just enjoy. Ag has the map work, and also games and crafts if you feel up to using them. We did cwh with sotw as the supplement so I havent scheduled around sotw, but it's popular here so I'm sure you can find a schedule and more feedback on the ag. Be sure to check your library. Mine had all the books and one ag. Audio was available for all via ILL.
  11. What about using sotw1 with audio and AG, then adding in some of the cwh (rc history) books for the supplemental reading? That would get you through ancients in a fairly hands off way.
  12. IDK if this applies to the families Andrea is writing about (and quite frankly, I doubt the veracity of her first post on this forum), but I do know there are a lot of people who call themselves Catholic and yet have no idea what the faith teaches. I have even found myself a bit flummoxed to discover Catholics as part of a group that requires participants to sign a heretical faith statement. The argument about setting the example in the domestic church is a bit ridiculous. Yes, we should do that, but why on earth would I then turn around and teach things which undermine it? Would the folks from VP teach their children from a Catholic curriculum? I seriously doubt they would entertain the thought for even a minute. All this to say, I wouldn't bank on vp working for you just because Andrea, who has an interest in the their sales, claims it works for some.
  13. Short daily periods of math, phonics, and handwriting are totally reasonable for a child of nearly 6. You could probably use materials that are more engaging and fun, but tbh, I don't think I reward her behavior at this point by capitulating to her demands for less school or by purchasing new materials. You presumably feel that what you have planned is in her best interest. She may disagree, but just like bedtime, brushing teeth, and eating vegetables, it needs to be done whether she agrees or not. Screaming at me and running away would earn a hefty consequence in my house. This is a separate issue, but I would encourage her to articulate her feelings instead. Together, you might be able to address her concerns while still completing whatever non-negotiable school items you require. It the math is too difficult, change it up. If she needs to wiggle, try to incorporate that. Maybe she just feels like she will be doing school FOREVER, in which case a daily checklist may help her to see her progress. If she declares that it's not fun, you could offer more interesting curricula as a reward for x number of days or weeks of doing school with a good attitude. Or, you could simply state that you're sorry she thinks it isn't fun, but that it must be done and she will have more playtime if she works diligently and cheerfully. I would absolutely NOT reward her negative behavior by convincing yourself that she isn't ready for school and putting it all on hold until next year.
  14. Sotw 1 is not problematic at all. The later books could be supplemented to give a more Catholic view. Imo Sotw series is an honest endeavor at impartiality by someone with a different worldview. She is not proselytizing, and the words don't drip with hatred. The timeline cards from classically catholic memory are very nice. They align with faith so you don't need to tweak.
  15. Start RS B. If you need to slow down later you can. Three is no point in slowing down just to slow down. If there was new material outside the standard S&S that you could do, it might be interesting to do that, but there are more of those things available when you reach 3-4th grade math. The choices you listed to slow down would not teach anything new. It would be redundant busywork. If you don't want to advance to B, you could just play games to make the math facts more automatic.
  16. How are the DVDs laid out in terms of tracks and labels? Is each day (for which there is a video) on a separate track or do you need to stop it yourself when it reaches the end of the daily lesson? For those that use this, do you copy to a hard drive and watch on the computer or use a DVD player and television? Other options? I watched some of the samples and didn't notice any small talk or lame jokes aimed at engaging the viewers interest. It will drive me batty if there are more than a handful of these. Are the samples pretty representative in this regard?
  17. Hmm, I disagree with a few of the things listed as cons and one of the pros too. I actually thought the aar blending procedure was pretty lame. We started with level 1 though, so maybe there is something better in pre level. I prefer the blending in phonics pathways, but tbh, I think the way blending is taugh stinks in most phonics programs. Regarding guessing, I found the opposite to be true. If the cursor is used as instructed, the child should not be able to guess on the readers or fluency sheets. The cards were a nice way for us to build fluency because they can be easily adapted to active types of learning, ie. Jump over the card, pick it up and race to the next one, etc. they are all the same color and font, so the child doesn't have visual clues except the phonograms themselves...no pictures to guess from, no colored outlines like sight readers, no other words on the card to give context clues. I think aar is one of the best available in terms of forcing the decoding and limiting the guessing. Some children may be prone to guessing, but I can't fathom how it would be a result of the aar methodology. In terms of reading level, I did find it somewhat difficult to find appropriate reading material after level 1 due to the atypical sequence. By the end of level 2 enough of the phonograms had been taught that the few unknown bits were readily inferred. At that point we could do most library type grade 2 readers. My older child didn't have much trouble with reversals. My middle child took a bit longer. Idk if aar has more than other programs, but if it does, it might be due to the fact that it lacks the writing component. However, that fact is also what makes it more accessible to younger learners. The fluency sheets are not fun, I agree. If you search you can find plenty of suggestions for making them more enjoyable. Maybe in a future edition, the suggestions will be in the tm. Fwiw, both children I have used it with have really enjoyed the little games in the activity book. I do not require automaticity before moving forward. As you move on, the fluency sheets and stories both contain previous words as well as new words. I would not move at a rate which required my child to sound out every single word, but there is definitely room to allow some play.
  18. Cornell has an app called Merlin Bird ID. It's free and great! Make sure you enable location.
  19. Early reading hasn't caused us comprehension problems. I see it thrown around, but I've never actually seen the study. Link anyone, or publication and date? Even if there was evidence, you have to consider that most kids that are very early readers learn to read by sight. Then they go to public school, and are probably never taught phonics. Some might receive differentiated instruction, but many won't. This scenario doesn't look anything like my homeschool.
  20. My kid has anxiety issues, and multiple family members with anxiety disorders, so I am very consciously working on taking teeny tiny steps toward grades. He also freaks out when he makes mistakes; we are working on coping strategies. Anyway...our math has tests, which I grade, and write a percentage, but I don't keep a running average. When the test is over, it is gone. For spelling, he gets to pick out a sticker if he gets 100%, but I don't write a grade. Anything missed gets written 3-5x and retested the next day. My plan is to start grading the spelling soon. When he can cope with making mistakes I will start keeping quarterly averages for one subject, probably math.
  21. Magformers have already been purchased 😀. I am also considering that herb game, Wildcraft. I wish it would go on sale though; price seems a bit steep. My mom has one for my kids at her house. The kids play with it for a few hours at a time, then it gets put away. If you have hardwood, it would be good to put the outlet portion into a wide flat box or something similar. Kids up to 11 enjoy it at her house. I can't recall the brand.
  22. Considering the circumstances, I think mep reception followed by 1a is an excellent idea. There is a big jump between reception (k-3/4 at most) and 1a. 1a is focused exclusively on number bonds, but doing it at half speed would allow you to mix in some other topics, and also slow the pace to a speed that is more kindy-like. If you do it every other day, you could work in the money, time, and measurement topics on the other days. Those are topics that are fairly easy to teach through games and hands on. If you can find a used copy of the RS 1st edition manual, you can create all your own manipulatives/worksheets from the appendix. I think this option is a little better in terms of open-and-go if you are able to find it. (I am the type that doesn't mind putting in a few hours up front but I can't deal with an hour of scanning pinterest every weekend.)
  23. I agree. I have no plans to study it. If kids enjoy latin, great, study latin, but the benefits of latin can all be gained in other ways. My kids do learn the bits that are relevant to Mass, and the stems as they come up. Tbh though, I don't think the time and effort required to become fluent in a foreign language (living) is worth it either. Unless one actually has an opportunity and need to use it regularly, I don't see it as super beneficial. The cultural appreciation and vocabulary benefits can be reaped in a much more efficient manner.
  24. Time and practice are good. Also, make sure he knows what the goal is. He might think he is supposed to sound them out. I needed to explicitly tell dd that she could just say the word if she knew it. Try having him sound it out in his head and then saying the word. Another thing that helps is to sound out the first few words of a sentence, then begin again, reading the first few words more fluently and sounding out the next few. Lather, rinse, repeat until the end of the sentence, being sure to only add a few words at a time.
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