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Maleka

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Everything posted by Maleka

  1. I could have written this post! :) I have been searching for a grammar to use after doing Essentials with our son. He is going into 6th and has done 3 years of CC Essentials (and may do another) so I've been reviewing other curriculums. I like the idea of imitating good books but also want just a nuts and bolts grammar program. I was looking at Seton English 6 to fill in the grammar rules that may not be covered here. Thank you to everyone for commenting, I was confused as well.
  2. Just my two cents... We are in our third year of Essentials (our seventh in CC). I love Essentials. But, that is probably mostly because 1) our campus is awesome 2) I have a weak grammar background and needed this for my own education - sad, but true. I am a CPA by trade so to me the math time is just a fun reinforcement and social time/break. The IEW program is really great, it has given us structure, guidelines to follow, deadlines, and fairly interesting topics to write about. With that said, now looking back over our time, the first year I was a little confused and overwhelmed. I think this is a natural feeling of first year parents. There is a lot of information to learn and figure out how to teach. But, with a good tutor and patience it all comes together. I will be honest and say that our first year we were pretty much tapped out at week 14-15 on the grammar side. After that we just reviewed what we had learned and didn't try to squeeze in the rest. I'm glad we did this, it worked for us because by the second year we hit the ground running and could cement the first part into our brains and then add the weeks at the end that are more difficult. This year is really all review with fine tuning on some of the more complex ideas, and add some that are in the resource but not necessarily taught in class. I think two years is enough for some students, those with parents that are strong in grammar or have a strong background themselves. Before Essentials we reviewed SWB First Language Lessons and knew the info from Foundations cycles. However, I think most would benefit from three years. I think it has been a valuable part of our school year.
  3. Great, thank you everyone. I like the idea of buying a second student book for me to do. That is what I'm doing with out FF French we are using. But, I have taken French so I was more comfortable. Latin is intimidating! I like the idea of saving that money for SFL.
  4. Thank you for your comments! If I can ask one more question... with no Latin knowledge myself do you think I can teach FFL if I have all of the materials, cd, dvd, etc? I only have one child so I have more time but don't want to spend hours each week doing prep. Just trying to choose the best way to spend our funds and online class time. I'm deciding between a socratic good books class (which we have done and liked) and doing Latin. I appreciate your input.
  5. Hi, I'm looking for input and pro/con thoughts on FFL online with Memoria Press vs. Kolbe. But, I'm open to any input of online FFL classes. Thank you!
  6. We have used Singapore math for a few years now. It has worked out great. Our son is wiggly (even at 11!) I'd say maybe no math program will be 'fun' for him :) It is hard to sit still and do math when you'd rather play outside. I allow our son to sit on an exercise ball or stand up to do his work. I also found that using a large whiteboard on the wall with colored dry erase markers helps get him up and moving. Just a few ideas to try before switching programs.
  7. We did the online socratic book class last year and liked it. The customer service was fine but there was sometimes issues with the internet and they were hacked once. But, overall we were happy. We didn't do it this year as it conflicted with something else. I thought talking with children from all over the country was helpful to broaden our son's perspective and made the class fun. The instructor was good and patient with the kids chatting too much sometimes.
  8. Hi, I am Catholic and looking at history curriculum for my 6th grader. I saw your post and thought I'd respond. He uses Faith and Life series for his CCD class. You can get them at Catholic Heritage online, or maybe Amazon. They also have history curriculum that would be good for comparison. Last year our son used the 6th grade Seton workbook, it is inexpensive and might give you enough. Or another book we have enjoyed is The Worlds Story, by Elizabeth O'Neill (this is a reproduction and can be hard to find). I would suggest you call a Catholic church and inquire if one of their teacher's or even the priest might meet with you all to discuss the differences. I know our priest would love to discuss the history of the church! :) It would give you a great resource, but I guess it would depend on the priest. This time of year (usually on Fridays) is the Stations of the Cross service, my favorite. Just a thought to attend and discuss with your children. Martha
  9. Hello, My name is Martha Saunders and I am the founder of Flowering Baby. A friend told me about a few posts on WTM regarding our program. I have homeschooled our son since he was three, officially, but have made a strong effort to work with him each day since he arrived home at 6 mo. As the child of a kindergarten teacher and early childhood expert I had a great source for ideas to do with our son. I had tried to get my mom to write a book for years to help families with little ones but she was too busy working with babies and toddlers to write. After tons of reading and research I wrote the program and had her edit it with her 50 yeas of knowledge and experience I can assure you it is a complete developmental program for children birth to five. With all that said I found having a company and doing conventions, the website, etc was more than my schedule allowed to do it right. I closed the website down a few months ago but still sell our products at Rainbow Resource and Currclick. However, we will not be reprinting any cd's and plan to stop selling the products altogether. I think it is a wonderful program that covers every developmental area a child needs to get a great start before 'real school' begins. It is organized and easy to follow and requires very little prep work on the part of the parent. There are easy to follow lists for each month of any supplies and books. We made a strong effort to only require things you can easily find, and probably already own. For the ages 3-5 there are themes (like mini unit studies) for your child to delve into various topics a little deeper. The price is extremely reasonable considering what you get. We have had many preschools and orphanages utilize our program with great success. Thank you for your interest in our products! Martha
  10. Type A - OCD mom of an only child Math: Saxon 6/5 (but looking at changing to Singapore) Grammar: Essentials & IEW US History History: Veritas Press online and SOTW - Ancients Science: Apologia Land animals & Human anatomy Spelling: All about spelling 3 Geography: Classical conversations & study one country a month Bible: CCD French: MP First form French Latin: Classical conversations Art: Study one artist a month, Drawing with children & lots of free drawing Music: Study one composer a month & piano lessons PE : Taekwondo We do CC (Foundations and Essentials) which we both LOVE! I'm learning so much :) We read aloud several books a year, many of them Lamplighter or classic children's books He reads books related to science & history if possible, or just fun kids books Plus at least one field trip a month - hopefully related to something we are studying!
  11. Thank you everyone for your input! I have an additional question. Our son is going into 4th grade and is currently doing Saxon 6/5. Due to the advanced difficulty of Singapore and his placement scores we will back up some. My question is do I need the teachers guide? Will I be able to do the program with just the textbook, workbook and HIG? The TG is quite expensive and I don't mind spending the money (especially in higher grades) but I'm a CPA by trade and am thinking I can save a few dollars? Any thoughts?
  12. Thanks everyone for your replies and honesty! It isn't clear on the website really what the difference is and I appreciate your reasons and the information. I don't switch curriculum without much study and thought so all of this helps.
  13. Hi, We currently use Saxon but I am considering switching to SM. Which edition do you use and why? I don't care if it is CC aligned. On the Singapore website it lists CC, US and Standards. I'm sorry to ask such a basic question but what is the difference? Also, I'm looking to only move if we can go all the way through HS with it. It seems like people move onto DM, is that a complete curriculum to get my son through HS and into college? Any and all input is appreciated!
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