Linda (Australia)
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Posts posted by Linda (Australia)
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Thankyou, Willow - that does help! This is pretty much what I'd come with, so it's wonderful to hear from someone who is already using the books this way - we'll give it a try!
God bless,
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Here in Australia, we don't have to wory about 'high school credits', etc. We've been using the Apologia texts (currently using General Science and Biology) - they're great, they really are - but soo heavy!
Does anyone have suggestion as to how to 'lighten the load'? My guys are sick of tests, learning definitions, etc. and they are fast reaching a point where they simply do not like science - the love of learning just ain't happening!
I'm thinking of somehow, notebooking, drawing diagrams, doing one or two experiments and labs, and then, moving on - but I'm not sure yet exactly 'how' - we've always been textbook-type people, but are wanting to move away from them to a certain extent.
Or, do you have any other suggestions? We want some FUN and enjoyment back in our homeschool!
God bless,
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I certainly prefer the older version - but, the newer version will still 'do the job'. If you can find the older version, yep, go for it - but if you can't it's all fine - sometimes I've stressed for hours over these things, only to find that in the end, it really doesn't matter!
God bless,
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Thanks, everyone! I feel somewhat better - we'll just do what we can, and not stress over what we simply don't have time to do.
I'm really in the the 'let's ditch the books, and have some fun!' mode at the moment - no doubt I'll get over it once we've done a heap of 'fun' activities, and we then have to clean up the mess!
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Well, I guess I'm literally a 'world away' - and I'm sure things are different here in Australia, but, my children will graduate around 18 - all of my girls have benefited by not being pushed too early. My 7 year old is just beginning to grasp reading now - and I'm glad, it has given her time to just be the cute little thing she is!
I begn my oldest 'on time' - spending hour after hour on phonics and maths - we had nothing but tears and endless frustration - she simply wasn't ready.
It really depends on the child - my son was a different story - he taught himself to read at five! Anyone who says to me that boys progress more slowly than girls doesn't know my boy! He trumps all the girls when it comes to school.
So overall, I vote for leaving formal education until a bit later, but as I say, it depends on the child - if they are ready to go and are keen - don't hold them back.
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With my older ones, we began Latin around 2nd grade, but, now that I have all eight to do lessons with - time is a real problem!
We've been using Prima Latina, but always seem to run out of time, and although beginning it in February, are only up to week six! Now, they certainly do 'know' the stuff, we've drilled it quite well. I guess I'm wondering whether to continue along our slow path, slowly but surely, and get to it when we can, or drop it for now, and come back to it in another year or two.
It's a constant battle, juggling all these lessons - but somehow, we DO get there!
Thanks,
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God's Design for Science is good - for that age, I'd recommend 'God's Design for Life'. Although there are three books in the series (Animals, Plants and the Human Body), you could just do one book per year. Each book has around 35 lessons.
My little ones absolutely love the Animal book - we're going through it for the 2nd time - on their request!
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Hmmm - it can be a challenge! My oldest has learning difficulties, and still needs a lot of help with essays and such. The next three are mainly independant - my 12 year old also needs a lot of help, as do the youngest three (check out my signature for their ages). It's a juggling act!
With everyone, there's some workbooks / texts that they do indepdently, and I have made up a timetable for each child, where I try and schedule that while the younger ones do math and phonics workbooks, I'll be working on Latin with the older ones - then, I do history and science with the younger ones, while the older ones work independently. And in the afternoon, I again work with the older ones on Logic and History, while the younger ones do drawing or building with lego, etc.
But yeh, it really is a juggling act - and like the poster said above, sometimes, you have to let go of some things you'd really like to cover, but simply don't have the time. That's been a difficult one for me this year.
No time to get bored, though!
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Yup. I have never regretted a purchase I've made through her chart or recommendation on her website. As far as I'm concerned, that book is worth it's weight in gold.
:iagree: This book has to be one of my all-time favourites - never let me down yet!
:thumbup:
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Me again - in case anyone else was looking for something similar, I found this site, in the UK:
http://www.musicbyarrangement.co.uk/index.html
Looks interesting! I've downloaded some free samples, and I shall put them all 'to work' in the morning!
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I have one child learning flute, one learning piano, one learning clarinet, and my son with a basic knowledge of guitar. We also have singers in the family, and I play the flute as well.
Now, what I'd 'like' to find is some music books whereby we can all play together - kind-of a 'band', but just some old favourites, perhaps sing-a-longs, that include music for all the different instruments I've mentioned above. Sheet music - flute part, clarinet part, piano part, etc. I KNOW these things exist, because I grew up playing in a concert band, where we had all the different parts, so they must be 'out there' - but I can't find any!
Any ideas or suggestions? It's great having all the different instruments in the house, but would be even better if we can all come together with them at times.
Thanks!
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I'd love to join a support group for this! I've been 'trying' to go no sugar for (hm-hmmm), about 3 or 4 years now! I know I need to go low-carb - I feel so down when I have carbs, and I improve so much when I don't.
Will this be a yahoo group, or other message board?
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Ok, ok. So, I've always agreed that history is best studies chronologically. Makes sense, after all - told as a story, knowing how certain events relate to others, knowing who lived when, and so forth.
And just when you have it all 'sorted', you read an article, book or post that makes you wonder.......
But how important is it, really? Why not just jump in and study the 20th century, or the Middle Ages, as your interests take you? I would think it would be important to use a timeline, though - so one can 'see' where things fit in history.
From an adult's point of view, it all makes sense - but what about to a young child? Does it really matter?
Do you or don't you study history chronologically, and why?
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Yep, I hear ya! Seriously, though - the 'perfect' curriculum just does not exist. I think all of us 'tweak' curriculums at times - sometimes you like to 'go with the flow', and follow a set plan or curriculum, other times you think, 'nah, let's do something more spontaneous or hands-on'. It depends on your (and the children's) enthusiasm, energy levels and interests.
This is why many people select a 'spine' to offer basic information, and then use extra resources - such as using one main text, with worksheets, activity ideas, etc. from other curriculums.
And it's all fine - it adds variety, which adds interest! I've been homeschooling for 12 years, and still do it - change around, swap, use bits and pieces from various curriculums, etc. All part of the fun!
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About 18 months ago, I was diagnosed with 'Low Thyroid' function - they put me on medication (thyroxin), at 50mcg per day, which was later 'upped' to 100mcg per day.
The thing is - all the thing that supposedly this would 'fix' - lack of energy, slow metabolism, inability to lose weight, feeling cold all the time - well, I still have all of it! I improved for a time, but lately - it's shocking.
Anyone else had a similar experience? Have you found any solutions - anything that might be negating the medication?
I'm going back to see the doctor tomorrow, although I had blood tests done only a couple of weeks ago, which said my levels were fine, so I don't know.
Anyway, thought I'd ask, in case anyone has had a similar experience, and had found a solution - hoping to arm myself with a little info before seeing our poor, overworked doctor.
Thankyou!
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We use a variety of things at times, but all mine have used 'Calculadder', with great success.
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One thing that really baffled me is that 'God's Design for Science' doesn't get a mention - not even as an 'alternate' text. I realise that it is a Christian series (well, duh! obviously, from the name!), and I guess mainly secular texts have been recomended, but it just fits so perfectly into the four-year rotation, and is absolutely a series based around the Classical model.
As for Life of Fred - my son is using this as his main text for Math this year, and it's going well as a stand-alone text. So, yeh, would've been good to see it recommended as a 'main' math programme, but I was just happy to see it mentioned at all.
As always, Susan has put together a wonderful book, full of helpful info and great resources. Now all we need to find is a writer to put together a similar book that includes Australian resources, and we'll have it all!
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For us - brilliantly! We had started Henle, but, hey, I'm a curriculum junkie - so, we thought we'd give it a try.
I absolutely LOVE it! Love the way it is set out - and the way the exercises lead from one to the next, so that you really 'know' the lesson before moving on. We're up to week 4, and the information has 'clicked' so much better already!
Of course, having said that, it was mainly 'me' that was having trouble with the info 'clicking' - the children (well, teenagers) were doing quite fine with Henle - but they all agree that First Form is more user-friendly, and more enjoyable.
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Math- Signpost Maths (Australian programme) plus Calculadder
English-Voyages in Literature 2 (Australian Programme for grades 3-7)
Writing - IEW (currently using 'Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales)
Spelling - Phonetic Zoo
Science - God's Design for Life
History - Story of the World Volume 2
Latin - Prima Latina (together with younger siblings)
Logic - The Fallacy Detective (with older siblings)
Art - I Can Do All Things plus 'Child-Size Masterpieces'
Music - Piano Lessons
Music Appreciation - Color the Classics and First Discovery Book and CDs
Geography - Geography Through Art
Reading - reading various novels with the 'Medieval' theme (Door in the Wall, etc.) plus several Australian novels.
Literature Analysis - Teaching the Classics (with older siblings)
Poetry - IEW's Developing Linguistic Patterns Through Poetry Memorization
Australian History - Projects / Lapbooks on various topics that we select
Choir - weekly choir practice
PE - tennis and swimming
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Well, we finally received our package of the new WTM this week! I feel I've waited so long - so it's wonderful to finally have it in my hands.
I'm finding it very interesting as to what is still there in the recommendations, and what isn't - but I've only had a quick skim-through thus far.
Was there anything that really suprised you in the new edition? I'm glad Life of Fred got a mention - my son is loving these!
Any disappointments? Any new-found delights?
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Activities and projects!
We often employ ideas from Dinah Zike's 'Big Book of Books', or lately, from her new book, 'Notebook Foldables'.
I find, even years later, it is often the activities the children remember, far above the information. And by remembering the activities, they can often link that back to some of the information. And, it's ususally the 'bigger the better' when it comes to activities, and the 'messier the better' - y'know, the ones that zap all the energy from Mum - those are the ones they'll remember!
As they grow and become a bit older, projects are wonderful - whether that be a lapbook, or just a folder in which they place each project on done on one or two pages, or a large poster that is then put on the wall.
The basics of it all is to have them 'do' something, that uses their hands, rather than just reading or listening, with maybe some writing. 'Children learn with their hands', as they say.
And field trips, whenever possible, help as well.
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I'd just like to point that that children actually love doing the read and narrate idea! As parents, we tend to want to liven things up a little too much at times. The idea of narrating about animals sits perfectly at the grade 1 level - many children (and not all, of course!), love reading and narrating, over and over again - repeating the same action day after day. They simply like the routine, and knowing what is expected of them.
This is how they learn in this stage, the 'grammar' stage. Too often, we parents want to jump into the 'more interesting' things, such as classification - but keep in mind that this is actually a 'logic-stage' activity. Now sure, some children will love such activities, but for others, jumping in too soon can lead to frustration.
We used the Kingfisher Encyclopedia - copying and narrating the information. But, because 'I' thought it was a little dry and boring, we moved onto more 'interesting' things - but you know, my children, two years later, comment how much they loved it when we were using nothing else but the Kingfisher Encyclopedia! They still have their notebooks, and still remember that simple activity.
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Well, I have eight children - aged 6 - 17. The only way I've found is to have some lessons where they work on their own (Math text-books, self-instructional English, Spelling, etc), and then to bring them all together for such lessons as History, Religion and Latin.
While the older ones are working on their texts in the morning, I'm giving reading lessons to the younger ones, as well as science and history.
Then, while the younger ones finish off with some workbook pages, I work with the older ones on History, Latin, Logic, Literature Analysis and Religion.
Personally, I think there are 'better' approaches than textbooks, and if I had the time, sure, I wouldn't use them so much. But .... we can only do what we can do, and if that what works, use it!
Is there any way to 'lighten the load' of Apologia Texts?
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
I have disovered the 'Mother of Divine Grace' yr 10 science curriculum - nature drawings, hands-on study on an animal of choice, etc. They then do Apologia Biology in yr 11, and finish up with Chemistry in yr 12. (In her book Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, it also lists the Apologia Physics as an alternative to maths in yr 12).
I think that'll work well. We've also decided to make use of the chapter summaries at the end of the Apologia Biology book (I didn't even know these were there!), using them instead of the tests. We'll do the summaries, the labs, and discuss.
My daughter is breathing a sigh of relief! Mod 6 required the learning of something like 45 definitions, and she was really struggling. She's happier now! I'm ordering the MODG syllabus, and we may even put the Biology aside until next year.
Thanks for all the suggestions, they are most appreciated.