KathyBC
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Posts posted by KathyBC
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ILL continues with gentle grammar and does not contain diagramming, if memory serves. Queen's Language Lessons are lovely, though we've only used the lower levels. Oldest ds began more thorough grammar in 6th grade (with Winston Grammar), and middle ds will likely follow the same path. You know your daughter best; if you're drawn to Rod & Staff and feel it's a good fit for her, then give it a try. But if you are drawn to Queen's LL, don't let concerns about "will it be enough" sway you. You're educating your dd, not an ideal, if that makes sense.
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I think that sounds like a great idea, Lisa!
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I finished The Pillars of the Earth (Follett) last night, and began Left to Tell (Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust) (Ilibagiza) today.
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Have you had a chance to look at Real Science 4 Kids Biology? Level 1 is billed as gr. 4-6:
http://www.gravitaspublications.com/store/catalog/Biology-5-1.html
The sample chapters might indicate whether they'd be a good fit for your son or not. I have no first-hand experience with RS4K, just lots of window shopping, lol, and thought I would throw it out there.
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We really like R.E.A.L. Science, both Life and Earth & Space. It endorses neither evolution nor creationism.
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There *are* less mom-intensive writing programs, though TWSS/IEW is not one of them. Wordsmith Apprentice, which is about $18cdn, is written to the student. From what I understand Jump In is also written to the student and, with the teacher's manual, is about $44cdn. I'm not sure if these programs would match up with your rigorous goals, though.
I'm with Lana - if you're doing the writing in R&S, copywork, dictation & narration that is plenty. If I understand Patricia correctly, you could drop R&S in favour of CW Aesop, if you prefer. I wouldn't try to do a rigorous, mom-intensive program in every subject all at the same time. There is a season where each is needed, IMO. My .02.
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I printed off an Excel spreadsheet, 4 columns a page. I have the student response book now - for $4.75 it seemed like a deal.
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I'm curious to know if episiotomies have a role in this....
For instance in NevadaRabbit it looks like from her sig that she only has 2 children... So I was surprised to hear her PF was so damaged... unless she had traumatic deliveries??? So this question is for NevadaRabbit and every one else who has this issue.
Have you had an episiotomy?
Did you tear in addition to the episiotomy?
Have you had more than one?
3 deliveries, no episiotomies, water broken for all 3 (or I suspect they would have all had to arrive in the sac). All very quick deliveries - time in hospital delivery room: 2.5 hours, 1.5 hours, 1 hour. All average weights: 7lb 7oz, 7lb 12 oz, 6lb 6oz. The middle child, who did the most damage, had the biggest head and crowned forever. The doctor actually reached in and pulled the cervix apart to deliver him - OMG. Wow. With him I felt like I needed to deliver on all fours but was put into the semi-sitting position (don't know why I went for that). But in relative terms, all trauma-free. I blame bad genetics, I guess. Poor dd - potential for both Graves disease and uterine prolapse. :sad:
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I'm due to go in for surgery for severe uterine prolapse, as well as cystocele and rectocele repairs. (Cervix has been 'exterior' at all upright moments for many years now.) My ob/gyn says he usually sees this severity in 70-80 yo women, not 37 yo, lol. I plan to set up a date for late 2009; I'm trying to get kids just a bit older so that heavy lifting post-op is more feasible. My mother had similar issues and underwent the same surgery in her early 50s - she tells me to hurry up and just get the surgery, lol.
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I'm still on the fence on planning for history. Part of me feels a tug towards taking history slowly, savoring our SOTW journey. That would mean starting next year, in first year ages 6-7, we would do SOTW 1 with a little bit of An Island Story thrown in. The next year SOTW 2 with a lot of An Island Story (history of Britain), the following year An Island Story with This Country of Ours (American History) thrown in, then back to SOTW 3, then SOTW 4. So SOTW 4 wouldn't be covered until ds is in fifth, or even sixth year. Dd would be in 1st or 2nd year by then, and listening in and participating. If SWB makes the younger SOTW 4 guide, we can do that. This schedule would leave plenty of time for lingering, cementing those facts and stories into our hearts.
Yes, I know I'm a green and enthusiastic newbie :)
The second part of me wants to go straight through: SOTW 1, SOTW 2, SOTW 3 and SOTW 4. Then I can continue a perfect cycle. However, I don't see how that would benefit our family except for my slight OCD :lol:
Curious on what others have to say :bigear:
I really like your plan. Forget "perfect": lingering, taking the stories to heart sounds like truly learning vs. OCD perfection issues, lol. :)
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My concern is that since we didn't start earlier in the MUS concept, will I get how to teach her the manipulatives and will she understand how it works?
MUS comes with a DVD of Steve Demme demonstrating each lesson. Yes, you will get how to work with the manipulatives. :)
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You could read through Child's History of the World by Hillyer this year and get a nice overview of the whole scheme of history before moving forward; or you could take a year off and focus on American History (I'm assuming you're from the USA) with Sonlight or one of the other great programs out there.
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I third that. I'm subscribed to all three yahoo groups, but I suspect that a subsection of this forum would be vastly more effective.
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Thanks everyone. And thanks, too for the"welcome back." It's nice to know someone "remembers my name." :)
Some of you may remember I was here in the Spring, freaking out about all the time we lost last fall.
I was going to make it up and work through the summer.
That, obviously, didn't happen!
OK: someone asked for our daily schedule--you do realise there's 2--the one on paper and the one that really happens, right?
The one on paper:
Breakfast
Copywork and recitation--15 minutes
(This is the fist thing to "go" when I'm stressed. As a result, neither child uses handwriting--just printing, still.)
Latin--(Using Lively Latin. 1 lesson every two weeks. This is supposed to take 1/2 hour, sometimes it's more)
Math--for my son. 1/2 hour. I set him up and he goes off and works independently. Sometimes he dawdles over it, sometimes he doesn't. We have to solidify his multiplication tables, but since he gets stressed at things which are "timed" I've been at something of a loss.
While I get him set up, I usually send my daughter to do one of her chores. Then I set her up in math and she does it at the kitchen table while I do dishes.
If my son takes an awfully long time on his math, my daughter and I will slip in a FLL lesson.
Then, there's supposed to be a short recess. If things have gone well, I let them go. If not, we stay and have a "working lunch."
(Oh and that's another thing, our body clocks are set for some spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean)
Then, spelling. We Use SWR. I absolutely love it, but it takes forever. It's just the dynamic. They really have fun with it, and they are doing well, it's just difficult, somehow, to get it done in less than an hour. If I cut back on all we're supposed to do, the dictation alone still takes 1/2 hr. (And then I feel quilty for short changing them. We do one list a week.)
This is what we are supposed to be doing 4 days a week--every day. And when we are in the swing of things (which takes a few weeks to get there) we do do this.
The less than every day stuff:
SoTW--I do this as many times as the chapter warrants. So, for example, if there is three "sections" we do one a day. Usually, the procedure is:
Listen to the CD over lunch or a snack, or colour.
Do the review questions.
Take a narration from the older boy--I write it out in point form and he fleshes it out. My daughter's is dictated to me, and I've started dictating it back to her before I give it to her to copy for her notebook.
This, too, takes 45 min to an hour, easy.
And that, honestly, is our day. My mom, bless her, comes over to help the children practice their piano (she pays for their lessons) and while she works with my daughter, my son and I do his grammar.
On the schedule, but so infrequent it's hardly worth mentioning (though the stuff at the top of the list gets done more frequently than the bottom):
Bible Study
CW Aesop for the boy.
Science. (We've started but never actually finished quite a few things.)
Canadian History
Typing for both
Music appreciation (from AO)
Picture Study
Art
Part of the problem is everything is far too teacher intensive and I don't have kids who will work on their own. I don't know how to change it--
Part of my "picture" of homeschooling is all of us, sitting around the table, talking and discussing things and working on them together. We'd do chores together, make supper, do laundry, etc....But honestly, after a while, I'm bound to say something like, "Stop having fun. Get to work!" And then, once they're done, just send them outside or away somewhere.
Oh dear, probably TMI.
Boy, I can sure relate to the ideal picture of homeschooling (i.e. doing everything together) vs. the reality. :tongue_smilie:
IMO, narration, dictation, and copywork are writing instruction; no need for CW Aesop guilt. :)
It sounds like you already have a four-day schedule. On the fifth day, would it work to do Bible, Science, and Art/Picture Study?
Cdn History: maybe you could borrow "CANADA: A People's History" videos from the library to watch evenings and/or weekends; or any time you need 'alone' time.
Typing: alternate narrations between copywork and typing? Or find an online game and encourage typing to be done independently.
Most of us can't do everything. Your instincts are telling you that something needs to change - I'm betting you will find the right solution.
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They're kinda pricey, but my kids like Handprints readers from EPS.
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Hey Alana,
First of all, everything Cadam said, lol. That paralyzed feeling is so very demoralizing, I know.
We had trouble getting on grade level with Singapore, too. Though it looks thinner and simpler than other curriculum, we actually had better luck getting all our math done each year with other curriculum. (I remain a big Singapore fan, it just didn't work out for us.)
If it's important to get caught up with History, then I would just read SOTW. Period. If you're having a good day with spare time, throw in the maps, activities, extra read-alouds. But if that doesn't happen, just keep going. I would imagine your ideal plan is to get through the history cycle at least twice; they will get more out of it next time around, truly.
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Miquon can be very good, but is not simple for the parent in the beginning. I used KinderMath for one child - it was okay, but lacking in the colourful and fun departments. DD *loved* DK Math Made Easy K this year. I picked it up at Chapters for under $20. Maybe cruise your local bookstore and see what you can uncover? Spectrum might be nice, too.
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You're doing a great job, keeping on top of your Kindergartner. If 4th grade Latin and Math are being done consistently, that's a solid foundation. As long as she listens to 2 chapters of SOTW a week, she will get it done this year.
If it were me, I would evaluate grammar and spelling. Do you need to do both Latin and grammar in the same year? Is she a poor speller? Is spelling vital? Of Latin, grammar and spelling, perhaps just two of those each day might be a good fit... at least for now.
Science once a week can work. It might not get you through the curriculum, but remember you are using the curriculum to accomplish your goals, not allowing the curriculum to be the boss, right? Another way to do science is to work on other stuff for six weeks, then take a break and just do science every day for a week or two, like science camp.
As you can tell, I fall into the 'less is more' camp, so if none of the above would work for you, feel free to disregard. :) You have my respect for all you are doing, and it seems too early to declare that you are failing your dd - keep reevaluating, keep working, Mama!
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Your plan sounds just fine. I did R.E.A.L. Science Human Body with a 5th and 1st grader a couple years ago and it was a lot of fun.
For physics at that age we were still messing around with kits and some reading from The Way Things Work, so I'm not much help to you for curriculum there. Good luck as you simplify this year!
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Would you consider archery instead?
While I don't necessarily have a problem with bb guns, considering the situation you live in, a bb gun is probably not practical and could potentially alienate your neighbors.
Archery might quench the kids' desires and be less risky. Plus, I actually know someone who got a scholarship to college in part because he as a fantastic archer.
Tara
Just thought I would mention that arrows can actually travel farther than BBs. BB guns are relatively safe. Our kids shoot both, but we're in a rural area. BB guns are pretty quiet; but they *look* like guns, which could be more of an issue.
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I'm reading the Twilight series, although I don't find it nearly as entertaining as my dd does. My favorite twaddle are mysteries. I devour anything written by Jonathan Kellerman, John Sandford, Patricia Cornwell (but she's gone way downhill), and Elizabeth George.
I love Elizabeth George mysteries, too. Sue Grafton titles are entertaining. Like other posters, I think there's a difference between light reading and twaddle. The majority of recently-published book-club books are painful; many mysteries are engaging!
Sandwiched between Eats, Shoots & Leaves (Truss) and a Sunday at the pool in Kigali (Courtemanche), I just finished a YA title, Princess Academy - it was so FUN!!
What twaddle can I admit to? Well, Janet Evanovitch definitely counts, lol.
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Wait... how about inventing option #4: IEW for oldest, Wordsmith Apprentice for younger dd? Or option #5: Wordsmith Apprentice for both girls? Hee hee hee... sorry, not helpful at all, just couldn't help myself since that's how my brain often works when making curriculum decisions... making it more complicated rather than narrowing things down. I'll stop talking now, lol.
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~ R.E.A.L. Science.
~ I have heard favourable things about TOPS and the Sonlight Discover and Do DVDs.
I loved your idea of using RS4K and Usborne, actually.
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So, prior to the first 1/2 of 2nd grade, you don't teach grammar? (I hope I'm not hj'ing the thread, sorry cowgirl).
Not formally, no. Just as when they were learning to speak, if they are narrating something, I will repeat it back to them using correct grammar as I'm writing it down. When they do copywork, I will point out things like sentences and names beginning with a capital, question marks at the end of questions, etc. But I don't explain that sentences have two parts, subjects and predicates, or name anything specifically. Sometimes words being a noun or a verb might come up in daily life, so we'll talk about it, but nothing planned.
Things evolve and change over time around here, though. We've been listening to School House Rock quite a bit lately, so my 5 yo can sing all the grammar songs. I'm not sure she entirely comprehends what she's singing ;) , but that's fine for now.
This is just what we do; I see plenty of value going at it the other way. This is what fits our family right now.
Has anyone tried the Singapore CD-ROM Vroot Vroom (Grade 3 & 4)
in K-8 Curriculum Board
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We used both Rainbow Rock and Vroot and Vroom, sporadically. They were fun; to echo Julie, more problem solving than drill.