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foofoobunny

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Posts posted by foofoobunny

    Can someone explain "suggested age-levels" for me (esp. history)?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Some authors/publishers are just wanting to sell the books to more customers. Other authors/publishers are experienced teachers who could teach just about any age from just about any text. As I grow in my teaching skills I can teach each level from a wider variety of resources.

     

    Waldorf taught me how to retell difficult texts and to create copywork from them. For early readers, I often create a title that declares the main topic, and a sentence each for 3 subtopics. I read the copywork to the student, tell them a paraphrase of the text, and then have them copy the copywork. It doesn't matter how many subtopics there are in the text; I pick 3 and retell just the information that fleshes out those 3. Of course I need to be flexible on the number, but I aim for 3, so I don't get overwhelmed by the complexity of the too advanced text.

     

    For slightly more advanced students I often still only use 3 subtopics. I usually create an outline as copywork, that we read before I attempt to read the text aloud. Seeing the outline first aids their comprehension. Then the student either copies the outline or writes a 3 paragraph report based on the outline and the reading. I usually do not have students write an introductory or concluding paragraph, but for some wordy students this would be appropriate, and a place to express themselves.

     

    More advanced students could handle more subtopics and more details, and could read the text themselves. When I was in the 9th grade, I had a history teacher who gave up complex outlines to copy for each class, as she fleshed them out verbally as we copied. We never used a textbook at all. We all talked about how much we were learning compared to the previous semester's class with another teacher.

     

    As for the other end of the spectrum, I am very quick to use low level texts with advanced students, followed by free reading at a higher level. The main ideas are so crystal clear in lower level texts, and the truth is that MOST students have not yet mastered the topics in them. The topics are often more important than the topics in more advanced texts. Too many students are capable of semi-learning the nonessential topics in the more advanced texts, but it's often at the expense of not reviewing and mastering the essential ones, and building a foundation that will allow better understanding of the more advanced texts later on.

     

     

    Thank you! That makes a lot of sense. I'm still new to homeschooling so going off of the "plan" still scares me a little!

     

    History Odyssey Middle Ages-- I would go with level 1 for a 9YO/4th grader.

     

    With History Odyssey, the difficulty level ramps up each year, so it will be more difficult than the Ancients level. The level two Middle Ages program requires pretty advanced reading, writing, and note-taking skills that have been gradually built through the years of the program. The readings for level 2 include Beowulf, Cantervbury Tales (with literary analysis) and library research projects with multiple sources required.

     

    Level 1 Middle Ages still uses Story of the World and Usborne, plus dictionary copy work among other activities and readings. It will be much friendlier to a 9YO. You can always ramp up by the readings you select (there is a large list provided).

     

     

    Thanks!!

    Can someone explain "suggested age-levels" for me (esp. history)?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I'm really confused about a history program for my 4th grader. She enjoyed SOTW Ancients last year so I thought of using SOTW Middles Ages this year. But the age level on it says grades 1-8. I don't understand how the program can be appropriate for that big of an age-range. Also thinking about History Odyssey Level One but it is grades 1-4. I don't want her doing simplified work. Does it get more difficult as you go through?

     

    Could she do History Odyssey Level One - but what books to go with?? SOTW? Kingfisher? Human Odysessy?

    More important - student interest or practicality (foreign lang.)?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    What do you think is more important in choosing a foreign language? Student interest or practicality?

     

    My girls (4th & 6th) are interested in learning French; however, I see more practicality with Spanish. The amount of Spanish speakers in the US are continuing to rise dramatically, and my oldest wants to go into medicine. I see Spanish as the obvious choice.

    On the other hand, I doubt they will ever be fluent in either language so maybe I should just go with what interests them?

     

    After searching for French curriculum here, Galore Park looks pretty good.

    I'm confused about Human Odyssey...

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    There is also a homeschool program, put out by Pandia Press, which is called History Odyssey. They offer study guides for a 3-level 4-year rotation program: Ancients, Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern. You can get it thru Rainbow Resource or Classical Education. Here's a link to the description:

    http://www.pandiapress.com/?page_id=64

     

     

    Thanks - I did order History Odyssey earlier today because I've fretting over it for too long now, and decided I needed to see it for myself. Then, I came across Human Odyssey - I liked the big texts but didn't see any students study guides.

    I'm confused about Human Odyssey...

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Those are the student pages for the second text book. That would be useless without the text to go along with it.

     

    Here is the first text book:

    http://www.amazon.co...dyssey volume 1

    Here is the second:

    http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_sim_b_1

    and here is the third:

    http://www.amazon.co...dyssey volume 3

     

    Three text books. They can be used in three years or (as I have done) used over four years.

     

    Do you just do your own questions and discussions with your kids?

    I'm confused about Human Odyssey...

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Human Odyssey reminds me very much of SOTW only on a more advanced level. It is a textbook but with a narrative flavor.

     

    If you have difficulty finding the K12 Intermediate History student pages, one workbook that would make a decent substitute IMHO is World History Detective from Critical Thinking Press.

     

     

    Thank you!

     

    You can see good samples here: http://www.christian...search=1&cms=1. And you do not technically need the guides. Just the books and the logic section of WTM would serve you well. :)

     

     

    Is this it?

    http://www.amazon.com/Intermediate-World-History-Student-Semesters/dp/B001BKJ6XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371840825&sr=8-1&keywords=human+odyssey+student+pages

    I'm confused about Human Odyssey...

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    The Human Odyssey is not what I would consider a reference book. It is an extremely coherent and interesting survey of world history for the middle grades. If you want questions and activities to go with it, you can either get the student and teacher pages used online or you can sign up for the K12 course. I believe that it is going to get harder and harder to find student/teacher pages because K12 has stopped shipping hard copies with it's courses.

     

     

    Thanks! I was hoping someone would say they were very indepth.

     

    If you search for the books on Amazon, you should see the teacher's guide and student pages down in that strip of "people who bought this also buy..."

     

     

    Going to check now...thank you!

    Could a 4th grader do Level 2 of History Odyssey Middle Ages?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I ordered this for my 7th grader last year and sent it back. I felt it was too much for her - while she is very bright and loves to read, there was just an overwhelming amount of 'stuff' assigned for each section. I ended up loosely using the books/lit program schedule at Classical House of Learning. I think if you wanted to include your 4th grader in a similar program to your 6th grader, it might be easier for her to tag along in something lighter, like CHoL. I know my 5th grader last year read almost all the same books as my 7th grader but there was no way I could've done HO2 with her.

     

    Wow - good to know! I've never heard of Classical House of Learning.

     

    I wouldn't. I struggled to make it work for my middle schooler only because she loved it so much. Even after a lot of tweaking, it's a lot of work. Having said that, we're sticking with HO long term because she gets so much out of it.

    Have you looked at level one?

     

    Could I do Level 1 with one kid and Level 2 with the other or will that be too much work for me? Is Level 2 fairly independent?

    Could a 4th grader do Level 2 of History Odyssey Middle Ages?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I ordered this for my 7th grader last year and sent it back. I felt it was too much for her - while she is very bright and loves to read, there was just an overwhelming amount of 'stuff' assigned for each section. I ended up loosely using the books/lit program schedule at Classical House of Learning. I think if you wanted to include your 4th grader in a similar program to your 6th grader, it might be easier for her to tag along in something lighter, like CHoL. I know my 5th grader last year read almost all the same books as my 7th grader but there was no way I could've done HO2 with her.

     

    Wow - good to know! I've never heard of Classical House of Learning.

     

    I wouldn't. I struggled to make it work for my middle schooler only because she loved it so much. Even after a lot of tweaking, it's a lot of work. Having said that, we're sticking with HO long term because she gets so much out of it.

    Have you looked at level one?

     

    Could I do Level 1 with one kid and Level 2 with the other or will that be too much work for me? Is Level 2 fairly independent?

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