Amy in CO
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Posts posted by Amy in CO
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I am using it this year with a slightly advanced 6th grader and a behind in logic areas 10th grader. And it is actually perfect for both of them.
For my 6th grader, the logic puzzles were just way too easy. He wanted and needed more. So we started doing Critical Thinking 2-3 times a week for about 15-30 mins. We are about halfway through and he is understanding it.
For my 10th grader, this is the 3rd attempt at this book. She has struggled with logic and algebra concepts for a long time. But this year it is finally clicking.
Next year I hope to do Traditional Logic with both of them, and then try to move onto the basics of rhetoric with my older one while my younger continues with a final year of logic.
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thank you, I was not aware of the website with plans for the book
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I am very interested in using Caveman Chemistry in my dd's chemistry course next year. She is not scientific at all. She struggles with science every year, but I do want to cover the basics. We aren't looking for her to be prepared for SAT2 or AP test. I just want a basic chemistry course. But I do want it to be worthy of a credit.
What would you need to add to Caveman Chemistry to make it a full course?
To this point we have just followed the courses as outlined and this is the first time that I am trying to pull something together on my own.
Thanks for any help.
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Next year, we are planning on using the following for my 7th grade ds:
Math: Basic Math and Pre-Algebra with the chalkdust for less books, I doubt we'll get completely through both, but we will at least get started on Pre-Algebra
Science: Chemistry experiments at home and a Life Science at a coop
History: American History with misc books and activities that I am pulling together from all over.
English: AG season 2, Write Shop 1, Spelling Workout H and Vocab from Classical Roots A, and American literature to match history and historical fiction
At a coop: Spanish 1, Intro to Computers, PE, and Drama
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Can Keys to Algebra be used as a review with a geometry program to help a student remember what they learned and be ready for Algebra 2? Or would it be too much to try to do both a review of algebra and a geometry course together? Is there enough review at the beginning of Lials Intermediate Algebra that dd wouldn't need a review to be able to do it? She has struggled with algebra and I hate to lose any ground that we manage to gain while doing geometry.
We plan to do TT Geometry, and we are currently using Lials Algebra.
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Jackie,
Thanks. I didn't realize that there were two different Conceptual Physics. I thought it was just used in either later high school or intro physics in college.
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thanks. I figured not much had changed in the books.
Does anyone include labs in their physics?
All I remember from my physics class is building a bridge out of toothpicks and glue, and building a tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks. The teacher demonstrated some things. Oh, we had a huge slinky that we played with in the hallway to demonstrated waves and we also went into the hall, sat on a spinning chair, and put our arms and legs out and in to see how that slowed us down or sped us up.
This child doesn't love science, she barely tolerates it, but labs always help make science a little more enjoyable for her.
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When I mentioned to my dh that I was thinking of having dd do Conceptual Physics next year, he said he still had his from college. It is the 6th edition of Paul Hewitt's Conceptual Physics. Would this be okay to use, or does dd need a more updated book?
Also, what have you used for labs with this book?
Thanks
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We tried the book twice, and got stuck twice. Chapter 2 is difficult to grasp. I heard from someone on here to skip chap 2. We are trying it a third time, and are into chap 4, having skipped chap 2, and it is going much better. I am using it with my 6th grade son and a 10th grade daughter who is struggling with logic skills.
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What is your area of study for history this year?
We are studying the Middle Ages. This year my son wanted lapbooks and history pockets. He doesn't like to color them, but loves to have a folder to flip through to review what he learned. We are also working on building a castle out of plaster of paris bricks. We do 1 to 1-1/2 months on KFH and outlining, then spend 2 weeks doing lapbooks, pockets, and hands on activities. It has been working great.
For the MCT groupies, are you still enamored or has the some of the luster worn off?
Not a groupie.
What are your areas of focus for skill development?
We are working on not having to be done by lunch. My ds is in the habit of being done by noon, and gets stressed and feels behind when he isn't. I have been trying to help ease him into longer days as he gets closer to high school. We are also working on asking for help before getting completely stressed out and frustrated. He is continuing to work towards neater handwriting, but has started to type alot more papers now that he is in 6th.
Is there any tool or resource that you don't think you could manage the year without?
I make a weekly planner for him with all his assignments. Also having a netbook for the kids so they aren't all trying to use one computer has helped a ton. I also got a rubbermaid scrapbooking dresser for him. It has 7 drawers, and each drawer has a latching lid. Each of his subjects go in a different drawer, and then if we have to go somewhere, he can grab a drawer and off we go. He also puts pencils in each so he always has one. This has been a life-saver for organization and motivation.
How goes the writing process?
We are slowly making our way through outlining. It is really hard to outlining other people's work especially when they don't follow the "perfect" model. He knows how to do it, but making a book fit is hard. We are going to switch to different note-taking methods, and just practice outlining with different curriculum. It is a skill I feel he needs for organizing research papers, but not necessarily the best way for him to understand reading passages. He is also doing CW Aesop and Homer for Older Beginners and loving it.
If there is one new, invaluable thing you have learned that is helping you to be a better teacher, would you mind sharing?
I am working on my patience. It is sometimes hard for me to remember that they are just seeing this information for the first time while I have had years to know and understand it. I am also having to give more consideration to my son as he is starting to enter the teen years, alot of the posts on this board have helped me understand what he is going through better and how to help him through this time of change. I also try to keep in mind that I am awakening a love of learning and reading that will hopefully follow him all his life, and that he doesn't have to know it all now. We are focusing more on learning skills that will help him on his journey.
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We use AG too.
My dd used it 9th and 10th. Next year she will do the HS reinforcement books. I had her write out the sentences and mark them on her own paper instead of writing in the book. I have seen a huge improvement in her grammar abilities over this last two years. She also had used Abeka and it brought nothing but tears for her as well. We then tried Easy Grammar, which helped her figure out prepositional phrases, and how to find the subject and predicate, but not much else.
My ds is using it 6-7-8th and needs to write in the book since he struggles more with handwriting than dd does. He is just in the first season. Since we went through First Language Lesson 1-4 with him, this first season has been somewhat easy, but a good review since we just used misc things last year for 5th grade and this year got back to a serious curriculum.
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Excellence in Literature
For those who have used it, does Excellence in Literature fit this description?
http://everyday-education.com/literature/eng1.shtml
I was also looking for a program like you described and this is one I have bookmarked.
Ruth in NC
For Excellence in Literature, I have used book 1, part of 3, and now we are using 2, but I own all 5 guides.
The books are assigned, one focus texts per 4 weeks, or nine a year. There are also suggestions for honors texts. Sometimes these are written by the same author, other times they are just on the same topic or time period. Sometimes there are multiple honors texts to choose from.
There is no reading schedule. You are given a loose 4 week schedule for each unit with what should be accomplished each week. But it is left for the student to manage their time and figure out how many pages need to be read a day to finish on time.
You are given context websites and book suggestions. They cover art, music, and poetry from the time period, info about the author and historical events from the time, etc.
There are no discussion questions. At the beginning of each unit's context section, there is a focus, an introduction, a "something to think about...", and a "be sure to notice..." part. These bring out some ideas and literary devices to look for. But they are for the whole book, not chapter by chapter.
For the writing assignments, for most units you write an author profile at the beginning, and then answer an essay question at the end. Sometimes there is another writing assignment as well, but usually it is just the two. In the back of each guide, there is a writing guide for each type of paper you are asked to write, and there is a sample paper for you to see it in practice as well.
We have really enjoyed these books. My dd struggled in the beginning because we jumped in at book 3 and there was some assumption of knowledge that wasn't there yet. If you had time and an earlier book you could change some of the assignments to fit the ability of your child. We choose to just go back to book 1 and start with that. I have used Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, and a few other internet guides to discuss the books with my dd, usually once she is finished with the book.
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We haven't repeated Algebra 1 (yet), but we did have to go back and repeat pre-algebra.
My dd took pre-algebra in 8th, then tried to do algebra (chalkdust book and video) in 9th. We made it about 2 months in before she was failing miserably. She just didn't get it.
So we went, repeated pre-algebra with a different program (abeka the first time, chalkdust book, no video, the second).
She is now getting through it with some more understanding, and we are in month 4. It is still a struggle, but she is able to keep a B average. We also switched to the Lial's algebra book.
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I would love more specifics as well. This is something my children struggle with and since at least one child wants to pursue a science field, he needs to improve the skill.
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That's what we do. My ds does 4 experiments a week. I have him choose one to write up each week. But he does have to write it up completely and neatly, which is a struggle for him.
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I couldn't figure out why the biology course was 1 credit, the anatomy was 1/2 a credit, but if you did them together, they claim it is worth 2 credits. It didn't make sense. But it did say it on their website and on Rainbow Resource site (which is where we bought it).
But my dd enjoyed did enjoy it and was able to make connections when she read other things. That for me is a good sign. When they can later recall what they learned and apply it. I don't remember much from my biology class other than doing dissections, so I think it is great that she can remember things from hers.
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My oldest used this book last year. We combined the biology book with the anatomy one, for a total of eight booklets. Then we added the Castle Heights biology labs. Dd completed 1 book per month.
I didn't feel that it was worth the 2 credits they claim it is worth, but I did give her a credit for doing the above work. It took her about 30-45 mins a day to read the section and answer the questions.
It wasn't as rigorous as other programs, but I feel that it covered the basics. My dd enjoyed it, but chose not to continue with the physics/chemistry one this year.
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thank you so much for your work. It looks great. My son saw me looking at it and can't wait to do it for himself.
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another vote for Synonym Finder. We got it last year for dd, and now ds wants his own. It is the best.
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I am having this issue with my dd. I finally had to make the rule that regardless of if she is "done", she has to work until 3.
Then she started claiming to be done, when she wasn't, so that she could stop at 3.
So now she is having to work until I have checked her work and agree that it is done. It is a horrible punishment, for me, but hopefully it will be short lived and she will get her work done on her own again.
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we did this book over the spring and summer. We will be using parts of books 2 and 3 this year. Just wanted to say that this a great idea for a great book.
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thanks for the input. What great ideas. My dd was really excited about the Nature of Earth one. She has gotten into rocks this summer.
Can't wait to use some of these ideas over the year.
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I am looking at a couple of videos from Teaching Company for my dd for the coming year.
Has anyone used any of the following?
Meteorology: An Introduction to the Wonders of the Weather
The Nature of Earth: An Introduction to Geology
How the Earth Works
Are any of these worth getting?
Thanks
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Thanks Jann. I appreciate your thoughts.
Studying Logic
in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges
Posted
I actually use Buidling Thinking Skill with my younger kids. Both of my sons used levels 1-2 in 2nd-4th grade. It gets them thinking, but isn't that difficult.
I agree that Mind Benders are expensive. Someone on the board suggested Perplexors. We have been doing those this year with my older two. They both really enjoy them. Seems like they are about $10 for about 50 puzzles. They are a great alternative if your child likes the Mind Bender type of puzzles.
I also use the Logic Liftoff series mentioned.
I really like using a variety of sources so that the kids aren't learning a method of "thinking" and can't use it on a different program because it isn't written or worded the same.