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marlowefamily

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Everything posted by marlowefamily

  1. Grammar - Tentatively Kolbe/VOE 8, but we may want to shake things up some...The VOE books look the same year to year. And, he hates diagramming. Literature/History/Composition/Geography - Tapestry of Grace, Yr 3 Dialectic, 1-on-1 tutor, ~30 books for general history and ~6 books for literature including the intermediate C.S. Lewis texts Math - AOPS Algebra Science - Wilson Hill Physical Science/Physics 1 using May's text Religion, Spanish 1 - Kolbe Self Paced w/ online language lab and outsourced grading Study Skills Homeroom - Something online that Kolbe put in place this year Art/Music - Piano Lessons w/ Music History, possibly some projects for composing his own music using synthesizer for his own youtube videos. Self-Directed - Programming (Ruby Language) and Advanced Video Editing using Lightworks/Houdini Sports - Local gym has general fitness twice/week + squash 1-2 times/week, otherwise at least 1hr/day in pool or on treadmil Optional - If I could, I'd push greek/latin on him too, but I don't think he'll let me, he already did 2 yrs of latin and hated it.
  2. Great experiences this year: - Wyzant, 1-on-1 tutoring, Creative Writing - youngest son learned to write scripts for movies, learned how to constantly revise his writing. - Wilson Hill Academy - Honors Physics, Great book, lessons, and teacher - best general physical sciences class for an 8th grader, cons: the school itself is still in growing pains, hand grading of lab reports/exams can take forever, horrible communication/general website - wish they just used schoology rather than own infrastructure. - Kolbe 8th Grade English, first time ever that my oldest son has full confidence in his language arts skills and enjoys writing projects. And, he had to work hard to earn his 'A' grade.
  3. My experience w/ various literature programs: Memoria press allows you to focus on specific books and run your own program, but their curriculum is very workbook focused. My kids hated that as it had them focus on minutia of each chapter, rather than historical background, morality, or philosophy. Veritas Press has an excellent grammar stage online literature program that my youngest son adored - and, honestly the selection of books for grammar grades is aggressive - but in middle school, they integrate literature w/ history..so if you aren't doing their history program, it doesn't really make sense. Kolbe has a great online set of middle school literature classes, but the grading is a little tough and the book selection is not as ambitious as I would like. Oliver Twist is considered 8th grade. On the other hand, the teachers are excellent with bringing out the historical context and morality of each characters actions and in focusing on the real meaning of the books. Wilson Hill Academy we are considering this year based on good experience with their honors physics class last year(awesome books and teachers), but they do have some weaknesses in not using schoology and teachers sometimes taking forever to grade material completely (I think some of the teachers aren't careful about hand grading answers the computer can't handle). WHA, like some other schools, also seems to be in a hurry to wipe the online system fast after the end of the year making it more difficult to get a complete grade report/end of year transcript.
  4. I was an initial proponent of as many hours as possible, but after homeschooling for awhile, I came to the following realistic expectations for real dedicated active learning time (Doesn't include reading or sports): 3rd Grade: 3-4hrs/day, 6 days/week, All Year except for ~30 days of vacation 4th-6th Grade: 4-5.5hrs/day, 6 days/week, All Year except for ~30 days of vacation For 7th-8th Grade, I'm expecting 5-7 hrs/day, 6 days/week, All Year except for ~30 days of vacation
  5. From my own experience with my 5th grader last year, I'd really recommend Latina Christiana, at least, before pushing First Form Latin, especially in the context of a class. In general, the first form classes out there (especially online) typically have students that have completed Prima Latina and Latina Christiana already and your child may feel like the slowest person in the class and the teacher might feel compelled to move to harder material at a faster rate than your son is comfortable with. This is not conducive to learning and introducing a subject that is known to be difficult. Learning on his own and getting a good comfort level with basic Latin would be so much better.
  6. Wordly Wise Online The Great Courses Online (Streaming Video, Audio doesn't get the same attention span) Discovery Streaming AOPS Online Course + Videos/Homework/Challenge Problems Memoria Press DVD's edX Courses (we like opencourseware rather than coursera) Google Apps/Email ChessKids We try not to overdue the online components as the kids are already addicted enough to tablets/computers/etc and we want them to focus on learning, not being entertained.
  7. A clean house definitely goes a long way for homeschooling, especially when the house and home schooling area is smaller than one would wish. I fought somewhat with my kids on this for many years. It's best if you can get them into cleaning habits while really young, otherwise it is difficult to get them to really value cleanliness, especially with multiple boys, until they get older and have the mindset to want a clean house. In any case, what works for us is: a) Give the kids cleaning chores, and have it done before school starts each day b) Do some cleaning while the kids are busy doing schoolwork during the day, and never let the kids get away with not picking up after themselves. c) Ensure that the house is at least acceptable before letting everyone go to bed. d) Spend at least an hour or two each weekend having everyone in the family working together to clean the house.
  8. You can get by just using the teacher guide and having the kids write their answers in a standard notebook and then grading that, but we purchased the student books also this year. I do think the MP literature books are well done and add quite a bit, especially with vocabulary and common/legacy expressions and word phrases.
  9. My rising 6th grader is enrolled in the online aops class, two weeks per chapter on average sounds right, but he actually follows a schedule that is: Monday: Do simple math problems for the section he is working on, 1-2hrs Tuesday: Do a few 'hard' math problems, 1-2hrs, I usually have to help him work through these. Wednesday: Read up on the next section and watch AOPS videos, 1-2hrs Thursday: Attend online class, ~90 minutes Friday-Sunday: Nothing planned, but his mom or I will usually spend some time with him to ensure he fully understands the current topic.
  10. I have two tween boys, the oldest is just turning 12 -- From what I've noticed, this is the age when they really push to see what they can get away with and if you give them anything, they keep on pushing....so, to keep things productive, I have to combine negotiating rewards for completing all work at the end of the day with not letting them get away with _anything_ during school hours. So, my oldest can have the playdates with friends that he wants from 3pm-6pm if all his schoolwork is completely done at a good level and if I'm happy with his effort and attitude that day, but he gets zero computer/tablets/games or fun outside of normal activities from 9am-3pm. I'm a dad, so this is easier for me to enforce....the kids know how to get anything they want from their mom, which is probably why they test me somewhat to see if they can get away with the same stuff.
  11. Standards Edition through 5B, If student is doing well and is confident then go directly into AOPS Pre-Algebra, otherwise 6A/6B for additional review before.
  12. We did the Terranova Complete Battery Plus this year - It was OK for reading/spelling/vocabulary/language arts, too easy for math, and very poor for science/social studies/history. My 3rd grader asked why all the emphasis on American rather than Roman and Greek History....
  13. 3rd-5th grade: completely optional, likely more pain than it's worth, incorporating writing in other subjects is probably the best approach. 6th grade: where you really have to have a plan and begin to emphasize writing as its own skill. 7th-8th grade: Key years writing essays and being able to clearly express thoughts in an organized fashion, and learning how to avoid the common writing pitfalls. Let them get lots of feedback and create multiple drafts.
  14. Last year, for my 3rd and 5th grader who had recently left public school, I reviewed the Easy Grammar, First Language Lessons, Voyages in English, and English Grammar Recitation books - there were good aspects to each of them, but there wasn't anything in Easy Grammar that was unique - I ended up doing a hybrid of FLL/VOE/EGR using VOE as the baseline with FLL to supplement wherever VOE was weak and then requiring the EGR workbook to be completed for review, essentially serving as mini-tests. This worked well, and we'll likely continue this year, but we'll be adding much more writing/composition.
  15. History: MP has Famous Men of the Middle Ages, and Teaching Company/Great Courses have some excellent streaming video courses for history of the middle ages. Grammar: There are lots of choices, but my understanding is that Easy Grammar more of a supplement than a course in itself... I considered using it, but stuck with a hybrid of FLL + VOE + EGR instead. I wanted to make sure my kids really understood grammar so that they would be ready for intensive writing during the middle school years. It's a pain to combine several courses, but grammar + math is really what 4th-6th grade is supposed to focus on.
  16. My oldest son started AOPS pre-algebra recently...yes, there are some videos and perhaps not as much class interaction as I would like and I have to help him frequently, but overall - he is getting and enjoying it. And, AOPS is making him at least think about what he is learning - not just memorize rules/forumula's. On one day/week, he does assigned reading and watches videos, the next day he attends class, the day after that is trying to solve problems given to him by the online alcumus system, the next day is completing homework/challenge problems.
  17. We are using Holt Life Science + Earth Science, the packages specifically for homeschooling include a DVD with quizes/tests and other material to ensure the students really grasp the material. Now, as far as teaching goes, I teach from the holt text book...but the students study a different textbook. The science fusion texts are much more approachable and cover essentially the same material, and are not that expensive if you buy them on Amazon rather than directly from Holt (which assumes you want to use their online resources). And, then to help with visualizing, we have discovery streaming + discovery science online + whatever time we can make to do experiments at home. Ellen McHenry Books are also great supplements.
  18. I think it was: Step by Step Model Drawing: Solving Word Problems the Singapore WayYou can find it on Amazon.
  19. My 5th grader, with no-one in the family having any prior experience in Latin, signed up for First Form Latin 1 online last fall. He managed to hang on to it for about 3-4 months and then he found that the course was moving faster than he could process given his other coursework. We ended up dropping the course and restarting with Prima Latina and DVD lessons which let him progress at his own pace. This has worked much better, and we hope to do Latina Christina 1-2 in the same fashion this year. I have to say that I was not impressed with the MP online course..it seemed like there was about 20 students and the teacher just went through the material w/ minimal checking to see if everyone was getting the content. Yes, audio feedback was possible and questions were occasionally asked, but my son didn't really feel that he got any help or that the teacher even noticed when he fell behind.
  20. From 3rd to 5th grade, the use of bar diagrams to solve problems can be confusing for both the child and adults. The intent is to get the child thinking and visualizing somewhat in a pre-algebra type manner. There is a good instructors book that explains how adults should understand and explain the bar diagram problems for kids...I ended up purchasing it and that was the only way that I could help my two sons with getting through SM. Very easy once you get the hang of it.
  21. We successfully started AOPS Pre-Algebra Online a few weeks ago. Glad we had the courage to try it - although I've heard that Algebra I becomes much more difficult. We also purchased memoria press courses for logic and classical composition, along with the dvd's which contain narrated lessons for each.... I also signed up with Kolbe Academy to have their staff review and comment on all the essays and papers the kids write this year, as I know getting feedback from more than just one person is important and I don't trust myself to catch everything.
  22. Tentative: Math: AOPS Pre Algebra or Singapore DMCC 7 (going back and forth between) Logic: TBD Science: 2nd Half of Holt Life Science, MP Astronomy or Botany Spelling: Kolbe Word List Writing: MP Fable Stage, Writing Strands, Essays on Demand Grammar: VOE 6 + MP Recitations in Grammer 2 + Excerpts from FLL Vocabulary: Wordly Wise Online + MCP Word Study Literature: MP Poetry + Kolbe Middle School Reading List + Book Reports Reading: MP Teaching Guide to one of their recommended 6th grade books, Catholic National Reader Greek: Introduction to Greek Alphabet Latin: Latina Christiana or New Missal Latin History: Famous Men of Greece, Continue MP Ancient History, SOTW Middle Ages, Great Courses Videos Geography: Daily Geography, MP Geography Workbooks Music: Yet more Piano Art: TBD Theology: Kolbe books, Catholic Catechism for Kids Other: Scouts, Karate, Swim Team, First Lego League Current Events/Discovery: still undecided, might have them choose one article from WSJ or Encyclopedia Britannica to share and discuss each day
  23. Language arts *are* the critical skill for K-6, so with my 3rd and 5th grader we went with a full year calendar with: * FLL two lessons/week, I may skip lessons I don't find helpful, ( I find FLL a good basic foundation for explaining concepts and teaching diagramming, but not near enough practice) * Voyages in English 4-5 exercises once/week, much of it done verbally * Catholic National Reader (vocabulary, pronunciation, plus speaking stories out loud) 3-4 stories/week * English Grammar Recitation (4 pages/week), We substitute memoria press poetry copying/comprehension book occasionally for this. * 1-2 chapters of writing strands per month * Memoria Press Literature books with review of vocabulary written paragraphs explaining what happens in each chapter (Each book takes about 4-5 months) * Wordly Wise Online w/ social studies and science supplements * Kolbe Press Style Book Report every few months * Ensuring science and other subjects have assignments which require answers in extended written form. * Memoria Press New Century Cursive Writing Program * starting memoria press fables/composition books in the near future * Prima Latina low-stress on the side which reinforces grammar concepts
  24. Amazon has a bunch of educational videos in prime...you want the larger screen, it's also helpful for educational games/apps or simply using the kindle as a portable whiteboard (which we do for singapore math sometimes).
  25. Homeschooling budget will partly depend on what you include in 'homeschooling' but in general: * In first year, expect to spend about twice/normal * High School online classes will really add up * For the most part, books and essential expenses might add up to $3K/yr for two kids * Other non-essential stuff could easily add up to $1K/month, the sky is the limit. * Homeschooling makes more financial sense the more kids you have, the base cost doesn't increase that much with the number of kids...so homeschooling 5 kids is much cheaper than sending all those kids to private school, whereas you might not save much $$ homeschooling just a single child versus private school.
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