Phoatogirl
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Posts posted by Phoatogirl
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Oh, I should add that due to the course load we have in other areas, we do not do the activities (reports, art, food) in the book. They are wonderful suggestions if you have time, but we no longer do.
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We started out using it as written, but found that it was taking 25 minutes to do the 10 minutes of work (on the non-research days). It took more time to take out the materials than to find the items on the map and mark them.
Now I do geography 1-2 times a week for about 1/2 hour and use the mapping activities in the book as a guide, as well as the questions. I skip alot of the question (I guess these are the "trails") because I found they were asking for details that I knew my kids wouldn't retain. I want them to be able to find major points on a map and to have a mental image of the people and terrain at this point (middle school) as well as the region's impact on the world/economy (high school). We aren't studying for the geography bee, so I'm skipping the smaller stuff.
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It is rather long.
There are so many good books and just not enough time!!!! I'm going to spread this one out over 3 months so as not to burden the co-op kids with another 50 pages or more a week. They are all taking a lit class together, so I don't know if they would want to read another long book on top of the lit assignments.
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Here's another good activity/history book.
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No, it's not an elementary or middle school book, but Kolbe has it included in the Junior High Lit. program.
But this is a high school forum, so I'd guess we would be discussing reading the book for 9-12???
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I agree with the posts in favor of reading it.
I finally read the book at age 43, after years of learning how important it was in shaping opinions prior to the civil war. The book is referred to frequently and there are many illusions to it in our culture.
And this is when I realized I was culturally deprived by not having read it: My son was in a performance of The King and I (Oscar and Hammerstein) at a local regional theater. There is a scene where a big performance is staged for the Kind of Siam. Guess what the story is? Uncle Tom's Cabin. So my first encounter with Tom, Eliza, Eva, and Simon Legree was in a musical??!!! I really felt culturally deprived!!!!!!!!!
We will read the book as part of our history co-op and though I have the Spark Notes, I will not be making heavy assignments or using it as part of a full blown lit course. I just want the kids to read and enjoy it. (so when they see The King and I, they'll know what the heck is going on in the second act!!)
Wendy
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We just ordered it....after getting the two volume set from Amazon.....and found that the book has to be ordered through them in order to get the website access. You may be able to get an extension if your course runs over a year.
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We will be using America, the Last Best Hope by William Bennett. There is a companion website called RoadMap to the Last Best Hope.
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As a former music eductor (secondary), in the great state of Texas, I would say that if your son is serious about music and the music programs in your area are competitive (as they are here in the cities of Texas), you would seriously consider participating in the band program.
We do have homeschool band here, but they are quite a few steps down in quality than the public school programs. The homeschool bands could never tackle the same difficulty of music as the ps band programs. (When I was a hs band student at ps in Lousiana, for instance, our contest piece was the same piece that a junior high program here in the DFW area played for contest...and the jh played it much, much, better). The reason for this is the fact that the homeschool bands only meet once a week for an hour or so, whereas the ps bands meet for about 6-15 hours a week (depending on season). Also, the 4 and 5A schools have well trained and experienced band directors (as many as 4 on staff), a staff of private instructors, and other support people such as color guard and drum line instructors, drill writers, music arrangers, and large parent booster organizations to make it all happen.
I taught private percussion and the students I taught at the school ran circles around the ones who came to my home and were not enrolled in a band program.
In addition to the quality of the program, there are the other aspects another poster mentioned: solo and ensemble, region and state marching and concert contest, all-region and all-state band. If your son is serious about music, and is thinking of going into music in some capacity in college, those credits look really good on his application. They also may help him "run into" instructors at the college level who could offer scholarship money (many of the clinicians at these events are college directors, and many of the secondary music teachers and college directors know each other).
We are in the same boat, actually. Our son is an accomplished singer (not musician...yet) and the head of fine arts for a local district asked if we would consider putting him at one of her high schools so he could do all the aforementioned things. I don't think I'll do it this year, since I think high school is going to offer him enough challenge this year (and he's very involved in community theater), but will visit the issue for the next three.
Hope this helps,
wendy
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We found our copy of the Kamien at a used bookstore for around $25. A used set will do as well as a new. You may even decide on a Norton intro class, if you find that. My husband and I are music majors also, and what we liked about the course is that it covers the whole history of western music and the excepts are on the the cd...no searching the library for examples. I also used a similar program with a general music middle school class I taught for a private school.
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Oh, forgot to answer about LOF. We have fractions and decimals.
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Do you mean that LOF Algebra is a complete algebra course? Or pre-algebra?
The Lial's bcm seems to have all the topics which are included through pre-algebra. It is the book used for a non-credit, remedial college math class.
So switch from 76 around lesson 100?
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yes, we do have 7/6, and it probably makes sense to keep at it...at least until lesson 98 or so. But I don't have any Saxon after that.
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Oh, we have MUS Epsilon through Pre-Algebra
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The funny thing is that the high schools are getting the kids through advanced math concepts, yet they are put back in non-credit basic math courses in college.
I just visited with an instructor from a local college who said she is amazed that they get valedictorian's coming in who can not do math or write well.
http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/crs.pdf
In the College Board's words:
- While high school teachers felt it was more important to expose students to more advanced topics, college instructors felt it was more important for entering college students to have a rigorous understanding of fundamental math processes and skills.
- High school students that take at least Algebra II are gaining the math skills college instructors feel they need to be successful in college math.
I, too, was concerned about the people here who claim MUS isn't equivelent to other programs, but after researching this, I think we'll aim for solid understanding and foundations instead of a course entry on the transcipt.
- While high school teachers felt it was more important to expose students to more advanced topics, college instructors felt it was more important for entering college students to have a rigorous understanding of fundamental math processes and skills.
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Hello,
My soon to be 6th grader is currently on lesson 70 of Saxon 76 (where he stopped at the end of 5th).
I don't know what to do next. Should he keep working through this book (if so, for how long?), or should we move to something else. He doesn't mind Saxon too much, since I assign around half the problems from each lesson and not all of them.
I own Math U See beginning with Epsilon (using MUS with my 9th grader)
I also own Lial's basic college math book.
And I have an Abeka math course (grade 7)
We do supplement with Life of Fred already (although he doesn't like the idea of using "two" math books), and he tends to get all or most of the problems correct, but I don't think there is enough practice to make this the stand alone program.
Thoughts?
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Interesting how many have written that they didn't like it. But if you search the forum you will find just as many who love it!
My oldest started with the oldest edition of MUS, then got stuck at subtraction (in the Foundations book), so we continuted anyway with counting on fingers (horror!), finally we switched to Saxon, which went slowly but well...until we got to fractions. Saxons' incremental approach just threw him for a loop because there wasn't enough practice on a new concept. Then we tried Abeka, but it moved way too fast.
We revisited MUS (by now 2nd edition) and haven't looked back. I'll try to address previous comments:
Strange ways of teaching concepts: Yes, agree, initially. For instance, rule of 4 in fractions. Some of the ways Demme teaches are not standard, but work well as a beginning step. If you stick with it you will find that later in the book the method evolves to the more standard one you are accustomed to. Ex. Rule of 4 always works, there may be alot of reducing needed, but if a kids can't wrap his head around multiples quickly as least rule of 4 will get him there (using multiples comes up later)
Videos It takes all of 3-5 minutes to watch the lesson. Sometimes I watch it with and mostly I don't. I do read through the teach manual. Oh, you can read the manual first (one page, not scripted), then teach the lesson and not use the video.
Pacing: The first 2 or 3 workpages cover the new topic, the next 3 are the new topic mixed with review, so it spirals like Saxon....only there is more practice on new topics! If this is too much practice, skip some pages. You don't need to do them all. There is a test for each lesson. My friend's very mathy kid skips the video, they go over the lesson. He does one worksheet then takes the test. My slower son occasionally needs more practice so I print out the extra practice found on the website.
Blocks: Definately helpful for the lower grades. If you have them for the upper grades, they are worth digging out, but we don't use them much (we are in Pre-Algebra)....maybe one day out of 3 months. Previously mentioned friend doesn't even own them.
Subject Books: We didn't do the multiplication and division books and I can see where some kids might get bored. But the rationale behind this really makes sense. I'd move ahead if my kid got it and I wouldn't do every page. Also, I'd mix it up with some math activities and games. Oh, these books aren't meant to do one a year. You move through them as you are ready, so you may end up finishing one and starting another mid-year.
Word Problems: I actually find the word problems stronger in MUS than in Saxon. My youngest is doing Saxon just fine (7/6), so it would be hard to switch him, but I don't feel he is getting as many word problems as he would with MUS. And I've heard that there are even more word problems in the newest edition of MUS.
Presentation: MUS just came out with a new edition this spring. The student book is hard cover and is printed in color. There is room under each problem to work the problem. More word problems (at least in upper grades) and the "honors" section that used to be seperate for high school is now just included in the book.
Hope this helps.
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You have invested so much already that it would be a tragedy to stop now. I have a bachelors in percussion, but really, really wish I had continued piano as a child. There are many reasons for you to continue the lessons:
She will gain further proficency with additional study, which will lead to opportunities to teach, accompany for theaters, choirs, and churches, play for weddings and funerals, play for her own family at home, play for her own enjoyment, teach lessons for income.
I was told by a private school admissions person that all those years of music study look terrific on an application. And it could bring in some scholarship money.
Serious music study generally creates life-long patrons of the arts, and attending musical events is very enjoyable. Discussing them intelligentally helps one enjoy them even more.
If your daughter enjoys writing, she may choose to combine her musicianship with writing opportunities (music critic).
You can never be "finished" learning to play an instrument. Even orchestral players take a lesson now and again.
You don't know where the piano study will lead, but if she quits now there is a very real possiblity she will stop playing. Ask your friends how many played an instrument in high school and are still playing today. I have many friends with a trumpet or flute in the closet, yet these were people who were first chair players in big 5A high schools (Texas). The instrument just sits there.
Is an hour lesson necessary for a person who does not plan to major in music? Personally I don't think so. My my percussion students had a half hour lesson a week and three of them are band directors today (the rest majored in something else). My son's violin teacher teaches half hour lessons to all her high schooler (charging 20 a lesson) and they are in book 8 - 10 of the Suzuki program (orchestral level playing). My other son will likely major in voice or theater and he takes 45 minute lessons. If the teacher doesn't waste time a lot can be done in a half hour. Shoot, I had half hour lessons in college and I was a major!
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We will be using the William Bennet curriculum that is on-line and accompanies his two volume series "America, the Last Best Hope"
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It's not that he hates Saxon. It's mostly that he doesn't want to spend a half hour or more on math. I adapt the Saxon to his own pace, never requiring all of the problem set.
He is only doing 2-3 lessons a week (half the problems), so he currently isn't doing enough math by most standards. But since he's a bit ahead of the curve I let it go. He's bright, but not exeptional in math so he does need the continued practice....not as much as my first born, but I wouldn't teach it then leave it.
I'm content to stick with Saxon, since it has worked for so many. I'm unhappy that the next book doesn't have the lesson numbers next to the problems, though, since I make use of those. But on the other hand, would it be short changing him to work through the 7/6 book, then go to Lial Basic College Math for pre-algebra and add LOF or other worksheets as needed?
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Hello,
My 11 year old is on lesson 69 of Saxon 76. He will be officially finished with his 5th grade year in 3 weeks, but will probably only have worked through lesson 77, since he doesn't seem to get to math every day.
He says he doesn't like Saxon, but I think it's mostly that he doesn't really like math. I assign half of the problems in each problem set and he get the majority correct. He is not gifted mathematically, but math comes fairly easily and he is ahead by a year according to the Saxon placement.
I'm thinking of just continuing in the Saxon 76 book for next year (after trying to finish up Life of Fred Fractions and going through Decimals...I say "trying" because summer plans often don't materialize). Once we get to about lesson 100, should we go on to Saxon 87, or look at a different program?
My oldest uses MUS, but my youngest hasn't chosen it because he feels it moves kind of slowly. Anyway, I have the teacher books and videos for Epsilon through Pre-Algebra. I've also purchased an older edition of Lials Basic College Math. Would this work as a math book for an 11-13 year old? And then move into a standard alegra text?
Any ideas?
Wendy
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So it sounds as though MUS actually has more practice problems than TT, and that the answer dvds could not be as helpful as I envisioned.
I'm so thankful for this group and all your help!!!
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Dannie,
Thanks so much for sharing your daughter's experience. The reason you gave for moving from TT back to MUS is the reason we moved from Saxon to MUS; when he didn't quite grasp the new concept in a Saxon lesson, he still had to move on in the next lesson and there wasn't enough practice.
I was really considering the TT for the answer DVD, thinking it would free him up to check his problems when I wasn't available. But I think the new MUS program has the problems worked out in the solution book anyway.
I think we'll just stick with MUS.
History/Science for a 7yr old?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
For science I would visit the local science museum (consider purchasing a pass if you have a good museum) and read lots of library books on the topic of his choice.
For history I would pick a topic and read historical fiction for that time period.