Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

christine in al

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    664

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by christine in al

    Suppose the Wolf Were an Octopus

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    :ack2:

     

    I just bought the bloody thing.

    I think I REALLY want to get the DVDs of Teaching the Classics..

    but ,, durn, I just just just bought Suppose the wolf and the wolf pack of books..

     

    okay, WHY would anyone BOTHER to do literary analysis on these books. when there are beautful Newberry winners and fine fine books out there? Why did they waste their time and why are they wasting mine??!?!?

     

    sigh, I guess we'll do a few of them, ' cause I just can't stand spending yet more money on TtC when I have this brand new stack of books, ARGH..

     

    I am completely loving the MCT LA,... I wish.... oh well.

     

    thank you, back to your regularly scheduled program now.

    c. in al.

    What would you do? Singapore or RS?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I have Singapore sitting on my shelf because I couldn't make the switch from RS to Singapore. I believe Singaproe is a great program. But I am increasingly happy with RS. Kids spout our mental math for the joy of it. I think Singapore would have worked for us if I had used it from the beginning but I tried to suppliment RS half way through and the sequence is so different that it didnt' work for us.

    I need the hand-holding and I am trusting RS more and more.

     

    If Singapore is working for you,,, stick with it. I would add just the RS card games and go happily forward.

     

    cheers.

    Chrsitine in AL

    Suppose the Wolf Were an Octopus

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Suppose the Wolf. is Royal Fireworks Press, written by Michael Bagly and is NOT a Michael Clay Thomas book.

     

    I am dissappointed in the readling level, but , as I am new at Literary analysis, I am liking that all the books came in a bundle for in-class reading and come with questions. This will make my life so much easier that it is worth it as an entry level.

    I have Suppose the Wolf were an Octopus ( 1-2 and 3-4)and I'm looking at a borrowed TtC syllabus, AND I have coming from Amazon Deconstructing Penguins. At this point, come January, we are going to start one of the in-class reading books from Royal Fireworks Press. It is worth a great deal to me at first that it is at least a complete package and I can get going with the process.

     

    I wish SWB had a literary study to accompany WWE. The books she uses in WWE are wonderful.

    ~c.

    Secular/Historical Story of Christmas

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    The stories are pretty different and that can be a good way to talk about what gets put into stories depending on what the writer wants to convey to the particular audience. Star and magi in one, shepards and angels in the other. They even have different versions of what happens after the birth. Comparative Mythology in the same book.

     

    We use the New International Revised Standard here.

     

    And check with the Unitarians. They often have some very good resources.

     

    Happy midWinter.

    ~christine in al

    Christmas at our house

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    So, We are getting ready to go out of town, 7 yr old is wrapping presents.. a few minutes ago she asked how to spell " Grandmere" ( we aren't French)

    She had spelled it "Grand merd"

     

    Then she just sat back on her hanches, with a big grin surrounded by mysteriously wrapped presents , " That was fun, I hope I got them all right"

    Coffee nearly came out of my nose. I hope so too.

     

    Happy Holidays

    Chrsitine in AL

    Science is just not happening

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Insert different curriculum and it's exactly the same story here,

    If we do it first thing, then other stuff falls off the day.

     

    SO... I"m looking at loop scheduling... you may try it. Just do a search on the boards and there's even a yahoo group.

    good luck, you aren't alone.

    ~c.

    help- I need a frosting that hardens

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    It's been a while, so I'm nervous just telling you what I remember without the caveat to double check, but I mixed confectioner's sugar ( buy a good quality kid with out too much corn starch) and .... milk I think.. and food coloring,

     

    I really think I just made a thin paste,

    Anyway, confident that confectioner's sugar is the right direction to start. good luck.

    ~c.

    SIGH......I have been slack and now my 6 yr old is behind

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I understand your concern. good for you to see it now.

     

    Just maybe do his bits first thing in the day to make sure you get them done. Maybe even look to your other two to do some independent work for a bit.

    You mentioned spelling as a concern, there are lots of good programs out there, just get going. ( we use SWR and have never dobted it,,, ( except her politcs, I just reword her sentences)

     

    AND know that if he is reading and LIKES to read... you're miles ahead of many folks. Concentrate on putting good quality fiction and non fiction in his hands. Make sure that what he is reading is nutritious material and not junk food.

    If Story of the World fits your family, listen to samples of the Ancients CDs and see if you like them. If so, put him in head phones and let him listen to them as he reads along with the book.

     

    I pushed cursive too early with my son, lots of unnecessary tears. ( and please don't judge SWR by my typing) So maybe don't push writing too quickly, but there is always typing to try.

     

    AND Remember that many many advanced cultures don't even START formal schooling until 7. No biggy, just start.

     

    Blessings,

    ~Christine in AL

    Right Start Q

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    In C it's cool to see the numbers jump by mulitples.. ds has used it a few times ( less then 5) in D and once he was freaking out so he did a worksheet by finding the answers with a calculator then had to work the problem 6 times to get teh answer correct. FOR HIM , on that ONE worksheet, it was helpful. He stuck with it until he got eh correct answer. Mostly he prefers to do everything in his head and pretty much can, thanks to RS.

    ~c.

    Don't bite my head off, but is MCT just the next "flavor of the month"?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We are using both MCT and LOF. and I find them to be similar in their tone.

     

    AND We are using LOF and MCT as add-ons to Right Start and FLL and WWE. I too have thought of a similar " feel"..

    If the " talky" style of LOF bugs you , then MCT, might not be for you.

     

    I like the straight forward style of FLL, ( and for ME.. I needed to know the grammar basics. MCT assumes I know stuff I would not have known.. being a product of Alabama public schools. So, for the teacher to have a clue is helpful. My kids are really liking Grammar Island and we are TALKING about language outside the lessons.. That's pretty cool.

     

    If you aren't completely taken by it,, I'd look at it some more.

     

    There really is something called , " NRE" New Relationship Energy, the "crush" stage of a relationship and lots of us are here with MCT...

    That said, I was once at the crush stage with my husband of 26 years.

    Excitement ain't all bad.

     

    cheers.

    ~Christine in AL

    S/O Flavor of the month - MCT.....

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    My children would miss an entire year of something potentially good for them just because exuberence was being squished.

     

    As far as others " convincing me to buy something"... well, I'm a big girl and buy what I want to buy.

     

    We shop for clothes at the thrift store and don't eat out much, but I buy all the materials I think I need to give my kids the best education I can. For ME,,, not for everyone, for ME, I like the confidence that comes from researching and trying whatever I think will work for us. Not everyone needs new materials. I think life might be more simple if I had less curriculum.

     

    What I think IS important is that we support one another's choices. Homeschooling is hard enough without getting judgemental with one another. We could leave snarkiness to folks who ask us about socialization.

     

    Peace.

    ~christine in AL

    Story of Mankind (sic) which edition ?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Some reviews say that the TOC doesn't correspond to the contents, and that " this was a rushed printing job with no illustrations" , but Amazon clumps the reviews for all editions together so which is which?

     

    My History Odessey guide suggests 1999, but there is a 2008 edition. Any folks out there who have an edition they love?

     

    Thanks.

    ~Christine in AL

×
×
  • Create New...