jens2sons
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Posts posted by jens2sons
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I have been using SOTW 1 with the AG for my 8yo son and even though I go over the comprehension questions and have him narrate and review with him, he's just not retaining anything from this book. I have even printed up and laminated review cards from the AG and he really doesn't remember the stories. I have used AO's year 1 stories and he did better. I am just so frustrated when it comes to finding something that is chronological and at a 2nd/3rd grade listening interest when it comes to history. SL and AO have great reading lists but I just don't have the time to read all day long. My son is doing a lot better on his reading but still needs me to read-aloud to him. i am looking for chronological history that uses real literature (not text books) that has a Christian slant and is not necessarily grade specific (meaning "1st grade", "2nd grade" etc.) I am not interested in unit studies because I don't have time to complete a bunch of projects. I also want continue implementing note booking (I have a lifetime membership to notebookingpages.com). I have been considering the Beautiful Feet Study guides but they don't have much for younger elementary. I have looked at SCM but it seems like it is really geared for kids that are older even though it says you can use it for K-12. I am thinking about tossing out the history spine and just using books from my collection and library that go in order more chronologically. The problem I have with that is always wondering if I am missing something. But with my son being young still, I'm thinking that it really won't matter because he will go over it later when he gets older. I guess I'm just looking for something that doesn't take so much time to do. Using a spine takes a lot of time because I first have to read the spine book, then I have to go find the other books to follow up so that the subject is remembered and enjoyed. Ugh. I want to have a variety of books (not just use history as literature reading) so as to not get burned out with the subject matter. I'd really appreciate your input. Thanks!
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What I don't understand is if Spelling Workout isn't that great, then why does TWTM and Memoria Press suggest using it?
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I used Bridgeway for a short amount of time quite a while back. I did not use their curriculum choice though. At the time, I had a choice to use their curriculum or use my own. From what I remember, they have you use the teachers guides from the curriculum they use. Bridgeway records the grades and submits the scores to the state. Like I said though, it was a while ago. I decided to dis-enroll because I didn't want them telling me how to homeschool my son.
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You are describing a similar problem that I have had. I decided to drop OPGTR because my son was bored to death with it. I had been looking at Simplycharlottemason.com and she suggested the Pathway Readers. Timberdoodle.com also caught my eye with the same Pathway Readers so I decided to try them out. My son LOVES them and better than that, he started reading better using just the readers over any other program I had been using before. Many people on the forum scoff at the Pathway Readers but I found that we both enjoy the stories and they start easy and go up in reading levels as the kids move through the books just like any other reader. I think my son likes the story lines. He knows the characters and their names and he wants to find out what happens next. What more can I ask for? He still would rather play video games and play with Legos than read, but when I sit him down to do his reading, it's no longer a fight with him. He actually laughs and tries to look ahead to see what is going to happen.
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I have used all 3-- SWO, SSS, and AAS. For us they were a complete waste of time and money. Unless you have a kid who really struggles to spell, I would not even bother. Save your money for more good books to read and make use of copywork/dictation.
My son's spelling is horrendous. I wonder... if I decided to use SYS (by obviously not returning it) and use it for copywork, would it also help with his spelling? Or maybe that's the whole point. This way maybe it wouldn't be hardcore spelling and I would still feel that we are moving forward with a bit of spelling help. Does this make any sense?
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I purchased it but never got around to using it. I found that I did better without it. Sorry, that probably doesn't help.
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We use logic of English foundations and LOVE IT! I can't say enough about it. It is heavy on rule. That's why now that it's completed I feel ok with spelling you see.
Have you looked at spellwell? It is workbook but rules based.
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I haven't even heard of Spellwell. I'll look at it. I'm so frustrated.
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I'm starting to wonder if I should just go back to AAS since it's the only program the I can find that is hands on and has sooooo many good reviews. I want a spelling program that teaches the spelling rules, that does not go over unnecessary respellings of words, is more hands on than a workbook (although workbooks are appealing to me right now), and can reinforce phonics. My son's phonics isn't that strong. We have used SL and ETC which is just okay. It doesn't really go over the rules. I tried The Parents Ordinary Guide to tEaching Reading, but that got boring really fast. We have been using the Pathway Readers which my son does surprisingly well at reading with them so I haven't wanted to let them go since they are challenging him and he likes the stories. I just want a spelling program that can help with his reading at the same time. Maybe "MerryAtHope" can help me process this???
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I am really having a hard time deciding which spelling program to go with for my 8 year old. I originally purchased All About Spelling but I returned it because I didn't like how my son can't do it on his own. I tried Spelling You See "Jack and Jill" but my son was so bored with it because it was way too easy. So, I purchased the next level and it seems like he isn't ready for it yet. So I think I'm going to return it. Now I'm trying to find something else and I'm stuck between Rod & Staff's Spelling by Sound and Structure and Spelling Workout. I want a workbook format so that my son can work on his own as much as possible and is not expensive like All About Spelling. I also have read many posts on how SYS does not go over spelling rules and that bothers me. I know TWTM suggest SW but is it any better than SSS? Is SSS any better than SW? Between the two, which would be better for a wiggly child that just want to get it over with? I am thinking SW because it is in color. Any thoughts?
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Yeah, we actually had a talk about this just this morning. It's not so much about spelling, but sometimes he's so focused on READING that he doesn't process what he's reading. I have to stop him every sentence or two and ask him a question about what he read just so that he actually processes. And even then, he often forgets what he read once he's to the end of the paragraph/page. This isn't a writing issue, now, of course, but still one I'm not sure how to fix. Even when I took out the writing altogether, he has a difficult time telling me anything we read -- at least in part, because he wants to tell me EVERYTHING we read, and he has a hard time sorting through everything he heard to pull out just a summary.
What you are talking about really isn't a real problem at the age of 6.5. Just be patient and it will come. Narration is like a muscle. In order for it to work, it has to be exercised and it takes time to grow. Boys also are known to take longer for these things. It IS frustrating - I understand. If you haven't already, make him a LA notebook and have him put his narrations in it. Then you can look through his work and see how he is progressing when you are feeling like he isn't where you 'think' he should be. As long as he is progressing, even bit-by-bit, he is doing good.
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I know that this is about SL VS MFW but have you considered using The Story of the World with it's accompanying Activity guide? It would cost you much less than SL and then you could use the library for the book suggestions in the AG. I have used SL for quite some time but decided to change things up and after looking at MFW and other SL cores, I thought SOTW looked good to me. The AG has mapping, coloring pages, and project ideas that you can choose from. I use the Timeline book from SL and the wall map to go along with it too. SOTW is not grade specific (however is geared towards grammar stage (elementary) students) and can be used at the same time for all your kids which is a huge time and money saver! All you have to do is go to the library for the extra reading suggestions or hop on Amazon.
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I suggest RightStart math for a child with math anxiety. I switched over to it for my 8 year old son and his attitude has completely changed towards math. Math Mammoth may also work but it's not as fun. Rod and Staff is excellent when it comes to drilling the facts but my son was completely bored with it, plus there are way too many workbooks IMHO. I was just commenting on another post how much RS has helped my son. It is a mastery based program that makes learning fun. It is expensive but to me math is something that I want to spend the money on a good program. If you look at RightStart, look at the 2nd edition. The teachers guide is easier to understand. Please look in to it. Had someone on the forums not strongly encouraged me, I wouldn't have looked in to it seriously. I am so glad I did.
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He did an excellent job. Please remember that narration is not about correct spelling. It is about retelling back what was read to him. You don't want him to focus so much on the spelling that he forgets what was read to him. The spelling will come in time. Be careful not to pick apart what he writes. You don't want him to get frustrated with the process. He is doing far more than what is expected for a boy his age.
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I would try Pathway Readers. My DS has done really well since we started using them. They have a good storyline and characters that the kids seem to like. If you want comprehension books, Pathway has workbooks that are incredibly affordable.
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I have decided to return the Young Explorers science books that I purchased. We are already bored. We need a science that will get done and has short assignments. I own the CLP Nature Readers (1 & 2) but haven't used them yet. Would they be enough to use for science in the 2nd/3rd grade if we do notebooking? Or would something like R&S science be better? R&S science 2 covers nature as well.
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I just started SYS Jack and Jill. I completely understand what you are asking. It's not a phonics course but it definitely helps with reinforcing phonics as it goes over sounds as they are spelling. I was using A Reason for Handwriting and stopped because this works so much on manuscript writing that ARFH is not needed. However, it will never go over cursive as the teacher guides states that it is important to learn spelling in manuscript (I'm not sure if I agree but that's what they say.)
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MP has an odd sequence in my opinion. I personally like how TWTM suggests when/how to introduce certain subjects. It makes it easy to schedule and understand what will be coming next year. MP does not do that for the younger kids. The reading suggestions they also use are way too easy and this is coming from a mom who has a child that is behind in his reading development.
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I have purchased GrapeVine studies and as I'm starting to use it, I'm wondering how this is supposed to work. Unless I'm missing something obvious, I'm confused as to how I'm supposed to use it. It seems a bit disjointed. What am I missing? I've seen posts that GrapeVine is loved by families, so how does this work? My son is 8 years old and I need something that will keep his attention more so than the typical Sunday school format.
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I have been trying to use A Reason for Handwriting and as much as I want to use it, it irritates me and I don't know why. Maybe it it the daily format? It also doesn't seem to really challenge a student. The version of the Bible irritates me as well because when we memorize scripture we don't use the Living translation like the workbook uses. We generally use NKJV, ESV or NIV. I was looking at R&S and I'm considering the purchase but I'd like some feedback. My son is 8 and would like to learn cursive but still needs lots of manuscript practice. I do not want to use something with manipulatives like HWOT.
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I think that many people that may have had an issue with level C is with the old format. I had been looking at RightStart for a couple of years but couldn't get myself to buy in to it because I didn't like the old format. I purchased the new format this year and it is working great with my son. I was just reading in TWTM that it's important not to jump around with curriculum, so if level A and B are working fine, set aside the reviews of others and try it for yourself. Every child learns differently. But if you jump around due to reading others reviews, it will create more problems by creating confusion in your student. I personally identified with this problem as I jumped around a lot with my older son. Not because I was reading reviews, but because I was new to homeschooling and didn't really understand what my older son needed.
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I am so sorry that you had this awful experience. I feel the need to reply because we have had such a fabulous experience in CC and it has been such a great fit for our family. I would hate for others to miss out based on this thread alone.
I want to be clear that in your situation, I absolutely would have left, and I would do everything I possibly could to get my money back, going as far up as possible. The tarp situation and the behavior of the director is totally unacceptable.
I also want to be clear that I am not a director, or even a tutor. I am not getting paid by CC at all. Furthermore, our community does not push the marketing the way some other communities do.
For others wondering about CC, I just want to say that not all communities are like the one in the OP. I might not have tried CC if I had read all the bad press about it and we would have really missed out. Our community is awesome. The families are supportive, kind, encouraging. For us, it is not so much the academic content (I would certainly change some things if I could) but coming together with awesome people who share the same goals to experience learning in a group environment that is structured and predictable. The presentations have been so great for my kids. Our community really pushes developing public speaking skills each week with the presentations. We are provided with topics for ideas, as well as one skill to focus on each week such as confidence, volume, articulation, eye contact, etc. We also do field trips as a group on days other than our CC days (optional.) My kids have made wonderful friends that they get to spend time with every week without hassling me for extra play dates. The moms in our group are just incredible. They are people that I am thrilled to have my kids look up to.
We have done unstructured co-ops where everything is basically a free-for-all, it is like pulling teeth to get people to help out, and the children run around unsupervised without accountability. That is just not for me. Honestly, I am having heart palpitations thinking about our co-op experiences!! While I would absolutely change the Foundations guide in many ways if I could, the structure and predictability makes it worth it for me. But it truly is all about the specific group of people in any one community, and I believe that the director sets the tone for everyone. We are fortunate that our director is amazing. She is kind and gentle but a great leader, and she looks to the tutors and moms to help make decisions about our community.
So again, I am so sorry to read about this experience. I just wanted to share another perspective.
My experience was positive in the same ways as well. We're not doing it now, but not for any negative reasons--we just got too busy and it no longer fit our needs. But it was a very good experience. Community makes all the difference, I think.
I completely understand and I am glad that you both had good experiences. My sister is in a CC group on the other side of town and she loves her group. This is her second year and she loves that CC gives her the support and accountability. I may have been able to join in with her group but it is just too far of a drive for me and also the community idea for me needs to be in my community (I live 30-45 minutes away depending on traffic). Otherwise, again, we don't fit in because of distance. We have done long distance groups in the past and was always the odd-ball out. Our family needs to have something closer to home so that we can fully participate.
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So much with CC depends on the director, tutor, and community. This is our 5th year doing CC programs. Our community as a whole is very good. There are field trips planned, Mom's night out, Dad's group, planned get together activities in the Challenge group. With joining a new group it can take awhile to get to know people but if there are a lot of red flags from the start it is probably a bad fit. I would have a fit about a tarp between classes when I am paying for a class. I have lost some money on CC especially for registration fees because it is nonrefundable. This year we were going to do Foundations and backed out the week the final money was due. I had only paid registration at that point but I knew I was out almost $200. I do like aspects of CC but I also feel like it is not what a lot of people think it is when they sign up. I would suggest visiting at least twice to sit through classes before signing up. I am not a fan of the Practicums or the Window to Challenge and would not recommend signing up based on visiting either of those.
Our director likes to tell people that CC is so much cheaper than private school and if she hadn't found CC she would be paying for private school. While that is true CC is only one day a week for 24 weeks and it is very expensive for the little time it actually meets. It is an extremely expensive program especially if you have multiple children in it. Last year I had 2 kids do Challenge and 3 do Foundations which was a lot. I couldn't even think of trying to do Essentials on top of how much that already cost. This year I just have one child in Challenge and two doing Essentials. It is our first time doing Essentials and while I do like it we won't do it again. They tend to repeat a lot each year. The grammar appears that they go through the same thing each year which is fine but I'm not going to pay for the kids to sit through working on the same sentences each year. Same for the 3 year cycle with Foundations. We completed the cycle but I just couldn't bring myself to pay for the identical class my kids did 3 years ago. They may have learned more than their last time through but I do not think they should repeat so much. Every year they do the same drawing lessons for example and it is just too repetitive. My son really wanted to do Memory Master again but it wasn't enough reason to do it.
My 15 yo dd's Challenge group is good but it is so dependent on the tutor and group of kids in there. Her class is 10 kids and many of them have been together since Challenge A. There are 5 girls in there and those 5 get together all the time outside of class. This week alone she's been to the mall with the girls and to Bible study. Most weeks they get together outside of class at least once but a couple of the other Challenge groups only have 3 kids in them. Those classes don't seem to plan much outside of class and the planned activities for the Challenge kids are usually primarily attended by my dd's class and on other class. Most of the kids in other classes don't even show up for them. After seeing how hit and miss it is with getting a good class in Challenge we've already decided our younger kids will not be doing it. There are other reasons (cost, lack of flexibility, quality of instruction so dependent on tutor, weak science program, etc). I pulled my 17 yo this year because I was not happy with the tutor for Challenge III. She has been totally fine doing other stuff but I am spending every bit as much as I did on Challenge. So much for saving money.
As far as getting money back I think CC takes all of the registration fees and none go to the community. Building fees and supply fees may have already been spent. I think the director keeps around 30% of the tuition with the other 70% distributed among the tutors. It seems like some of that should be refundable but I would probably just consider it an expensive mistake. I know of people that have pulled kids out of private school and are out the tuition for the rest of the year.
This is a good point.
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I am glad that the call with the regional director went well, but I cannot imagine any situation that would justify hanging up on a client. It's all so bizarre to me. By the way, how did you leave things with the regional director?
I have briefly considered CC for one of my kids, but your experience makes me want to run away from it.
I really researched CC and had decided to ignore the negative feedback of CC since I had met such "wonderful people". If I could do it all over again, I probably would not sign up. I felt hesitation when I went to practicum but I had already signed up and paid. Had I paid attention to my gut feeling, I would have lost my registration but not all of the years tuition. I should have paid more attention. If you aren't sure, then don't do it. Of course, I'd say that about any decision though.
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We have our co-op at a Buddhist Temple. Some of the classes have their own classroom. We don't have enough individual classrooms for all classes to have their own space, so some classes have to share the banquet hall. Usually science or art-the messes are easier to clean in there. It gets loud and can be distracting, but learning was/is still done in there. It's unconventional, but so is homeschooling.
On Mondays we have a BizTown class at someone's house that can house 70 students. I subbed last week. A few have their own closed space, but it's pretty much just groups in open spaces. It is distracting at first, but I found it easy to drown out once we get going.
I know CC is different than some co-ops because they (CC) make the parents stay in the room to learn with the children. So it makes it hard to connect with other moms with the lack of time given to socialize.
With that said...and I know you aren't going back...I have found (from many moves) that it takes a good year in any new situation to comfortably acclimate. It's natural for those who know each other to hang together. If a new person approaches a group I am in, I welcome it, but I don't search out new people because I have my set friends. If my friends aren't there, then I will talk to whomever. I just do what is easy because I don't have to search out new friends. Others may be like that. They likely aren't trying to ignore newbies, they are doing what is comfortable. I find the newbies join together and become friends. Or people become friends with parents of kids their kids play with. When I was in co-op, there were some moms that would just join the group of moms sitting and talking. It was welcomed and I made new friends every year.
We have families that come to our park days and get upset their children didn't make a BFF by the second week. My kids have been going to park day for years, see the same kids all.the.time, and they still get shy and won't go talk to someone new...or someone they see all the time. It takes time to feel comfortable with new people and new situations. You have to go out of your comfort zone at the start of new situations. Don't be afraid to approach a set group and introduce yourself. My kids are getting better at approaching friends/acquaintances. And we have been active in this group for 5 years. I can only help them so much. They are on their own at park day. ;)
I have never looked into CC, but I have issues with requiring me to stay in the classroom. And I like to work at my own pace.
In our co-op money was not reimbursed, but it also is not high cost. They would lose maybe $30-$40 a child for supply fees plus a $15/annual family fee that goes to the Temple as a love offering.
I'm sorry it didn't work for you. I hope the new co-op works great for you. I can't believe you were able to join a co-op in Sept. Ours is all set/scheduled by July. ;)
I know the co-op situation, I've been in one for years (my oldest is in college now). This is specific to CC. CC is "not a co-op" they say because they have tutors. Supposedly, the "tutors" are there to show the parents how to go over the CC curriculum and not really for the kids (according to my director).
I spent the summer getting to know the other moms and kids. Everything was going great and then a large amount of those families backed out of the group by the time community day started up in September. The majority of the other parents that remained in the group were not the "newbies". So, they are sticking to themselves and not really reaching out and helping the small amount of new families get acquainted. I think it is a problem when people stick to themselves in a co-op. The whole idea of a co-op is to share with other families, not do what's easy. The easy thing IS to stick to yourself. Most people that are joining a co-op are looking for relationships for both themselves and their children. As a person that has been placed in leadership before, I find that it shows lack of leadership in an individual when the group is disjointed. A good leader leads by example and will do what it takes to help others feel welcome and supported (as much as the individuals allow them to). My director was not one to reach out.
As for the noise, some families can handle it. We can't. I have a very distractible child and borders ADHD when he gets in to gluten, so it's a struggle for us. With CC it has been assumed (and presented that way) that the classes are divided by physical walls. I have looked back and have found that, just as others have stated, much that is spoken is sheer marketing and exaggerated information.
The co-op I joined is the same co-op that I have used for years and I am glad to be back. Our first day was wonderful and it was good to see familiar faces, and get to talk with new families. My son was much happier.
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Rod and Staff English placement
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I would start with English 2. You can look at samples on milestone books.com to see. Also, if you purchase R&S English 2 and end up needing English 3 they are not expensive at all. Milestone even has a buy-back program. I am currently using English 2 and I am amazed at how it explains things. Sooo easy to use but it does have a good amount of writing. However, it is not too much if you just pick and choose what you want your child to do. It is not necessary to do every exercise.