noashmam
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Posts posted by noashmam
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Hi, I found my older dd's commonplace book for Diogenes...she has Progymnasma Headers and Encomium on the same page together. She has colored flags separating the headers from Rhetorical Topics, Special Rhetorical Terms, Figures of Speech, Logic and Favorite Passages.
Thank you so much. This really helps!
Kim
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Sorry, no experience with this.
I do have a kiddo who strongly prefers to write with a pen, though. We got the Frixion Pen for her to try out. It is a pretty good pen for her and erasable (the most important part).
However, what we did not know is that heat makes the ink disappear. When her writing was exposed to heat, she lost most of her science notebook.
a devastating loss, I assure you.
Just letting you know b/c I wish we had known.
Thanks for the info. :)
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If you set up a commonplace book, can you help? On the numbering of the pages, instructions say to write on pg 15 of the commonplace book "Progymnasmata Headers"....and then a few lines down, the instructions are to subdivide the section "Progymnasmata Headers" into separate sections and to write on page 15 "Encomium." So on page 15 should my son write both "Progymnasmata Headers" and Encomium? I'm wondering if its' a mistake and he should skip a few pages and write "Encomium" on page 17 instead. It probably doesn't matter, but since he's taking the time to write in the book in PEN, I'd like for it be correct since he won't be able to erase. He's a leftie and he prefers pen. Thanks!
Kim
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We found 30 minutes to be sufficient for the majority of the lessons. On the days she did run over, an extra 10 minutes was usually sufficient.
Thanks for the help!
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We are going into our 6th year of using Classical Writing. I'll be using different levels with three of my kids this year. I love the program for several reasons.
1. It is imitation based at the beginning levels. The student can focus on how they are writing not what they are writing. Each assignment starts with a good quality model, analyzes how it is put together, and then rewrites. In contrast, the modern assignments that I sometimes have the kids try from their English book just give them a topic and a brief overview of what is required of the assignment. In general, the quality of the CW work is much better than the English ones.
2. It incrementally builds copia skills over time. Aesop focuses on basics: spelling and dictionary skills; sentence types, punctuation, and quotes; and the eight parts of speech. Homer builds on this and increases the complexity adding thesaurus skills, analyzing the difference parts of speech, and building copia skills with each. It diagrams sentences and uses the 6 sentence shuffle to rewrite the same sentence in multiple formats, which can then be compared back to the original. It also begins working with paragraphs with lots of paraphrasing, then summarizing. Diogenes continues working with sentences and paragraphs. I much prefer the copia exercises to the more modern teaching of "dressing up" a rough draft or having requirements for so many time and sequence words or whatever else is being emphasized.
3. I love the progression of analysis of the model's structure as a basis for the writing. Aesop is just the basics, looking for sequence, dialogue, and description. Homer uses Theon's components to do some basic literary analysis of the model, which it then uses to identify what the author is emphasizing and which parts of the model are essential. Then it shifts to using the components and basic summary skills to create a basic outline of the model that can then be rewritten in chronological order, starting in the middle, or backwards. Finally, it focuses on checking the work for credibility, concision, and clarity. The writing projects are based on this structural analysis.
The Homer / Older Beginner level do require a time commitment of 40-60 minutes 4 days a week. Half of that time is for analysis or copia work and the other half is for the writing project. Generally, I teach new concepts during the first half, but allow the student to do part of the work on their own. The writing is independent except for the editing portion.
For us, it has been well worth the effort. HTH
Deanna,
I am getting ready to begin Diogenes Maxim with my son, just waiting for it to ship from RR. Would you mind sharing how long a lesson takes your daughter? We have done Aesop and Homer A and B. I heard that Diogenes is a breeze after doing Homer so I am hopeful he can get his work done in 30 min or so. What was your experience?
Thanks,
Kim
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Here's our classroom: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252521
It's not really what you're describing, although it is cozy. :001_smile:
I'm going to make some tea and settle in for the night looking at classroom photos. I'm ready for a little inspiration.
I love it. Where I'd you get your pianos music stand? I have forever been trying to figure out how to store our piano music for 3 kids taking lessons. I don't have room for a bookshelf but I would have room for what is in your picture! Looks perfect!
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The ES is telling me it has to come off the HQT stuff for Alg and higher. I have a feeling we will not be back for next year. Being locked into a program does not sit well with me, if it doesn't work we switch to something that does. I just realized we spend about $250 a year just in gas to meet with the ES (100 miles around trip), STAR testing is going to cost another $100 min plus hotel costs. At this point the only thing they are paying for is Brainpop and our TT. Next year the K12 alone would exceed our funds. (I'm paying for the K12 right now) it will suck to give back our lovely Ipad lol. Just going to have to wait for the meeting next month and see before I decide.
We are in Skymountain and use TT. My son who will be in 8th grade will be taking Alg I next year for high school credit. TT is not listed as HQT yet on Skymountain's website, but it has recently been approved as HQT. However, it will need to be supplemented because it is missing some CA standards. From what my ES has told me, we can take ALEX to substitute for the missing standards. I don't know which standards those are yet. But that is what I have been told. I plan for my son to take Alg I and Spanish for credit next year. A student has to take two high school level classes at a time in order to be counted for credit in 7th or 8th grade. Keep in mind that HQT is not a-g. I have not read all of the other posts so this may have already been mentioned.
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Does he understand that conversions at the most basic level are simply like multiplying by the number 1? That is the easiest way for my kids to just go, oh, got it. Taking anything very familiar (like 12 ins in 1 ft), regardless of how you write it, 12 in/1 ft or 1 ft/12 in, they are both simply another way of writing 1. (you can take a white board and come up with as many as you can think of.) Then they have to recognize what units they want eliminated and what units they want to get to determine which way they want to write it.
Don't know if that explanation helps at all.
I will try this! Thank you.
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This is a short video from Derek Owens' Pre-algebra course which does a nice job introducing unit conversions.
Here is a video from Art of Problem Solving Pre-algebra which also addresses this topic. There is a second follow up video.
Great! Thank you!
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Reposting because I posted this on the General Board first by mistake.
My ds is currently in TT PreAlg. But we also use Fred as a supplement to TT. He ha done LOF Fractions, Decimals, and now Pre Alg-Bio. In Fred, in the past, he got stuck on the conversion factor explanation. We moved on anyway. But now we are at conversion factors again in LOF PA and he is not understanding the concept still. I am not very good at explaining it either! Does anyone have a link to an online video directed at middle schoolers or another site that might present it in a different way to help him get it?
Thanks!
Kim
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My ds is currently in TT PreAlg. But we also use Fred as a supplement to TT. He ha done LOF Fracions, Decimals, and now Pre Alg- Bio. In Fred, in the past, he got stuck on the conversion factor explanation. We moved on anyway. But now we are at conversion factors again in LOF PA and he is not understanding the concept still. I am not very good at explaining it either! Does anyone have a link to an online video directed at middle schoolers or another site that might present it in a different way to help him get it?
Thanks!
Kim
Whoops. I meant to put this on the curriculum board. Sorry!
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My ds is currently in TT PreAlg. But we also use Fred as a supplement to TT. He ha done LOF Fracions, Decimals, and now Pre Alg- Bio. In Fred, in the past, he got stuck on the conversion factor explanation. We moved on anyway. But now we are at conversion factors again in LOF PA and he is not understanding the concept still. I am not very good at explaining it either! Does anyone have a link to an online video directed at middle schoolers or another site that might present it in a different way to help him get it?
Thanks!
Kim
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Thank you for your input. Now I gotta choose which one seems to be the right one. Hmmmm.... Is one more interesting than the other? Anyone know? Out of the two, Gen or Physical, which did your dc like best? I'm also looking for something he can do mostly independently. Thanks again.
Kim
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My son is currently doing Elemental Science Biology for the Logic Stage. I plan to also have him do McHenry's "The Elements" this year because I bought it a few years ago and we never got to it. He is in 7th. Next year I am thinking of switching him to Apologia since there is no Elemental Science Logic Stage ready for him yet. Plus, he will be in 8th grade and I want to get him ready for high school. If he were to use Apologia, should I have him do Apologia General or Apologia Physical Science for 8th? (I do not think he will be ready for Apologia Biology.) Since he can't do both Gen and Phys in one year, which of the two middle school Apologia's is more important if he were going to start Apologia Biology in 9th?
Thank you in advance!
Kim
ds-13 7th
dd-10 5th
dd-6 1st
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:confused:Should I not be instructing my IEW students that said is a banned word? My thinking is that if they get used to coming up with stronger vocabulary, later on when the word is no longer "banned" it won't get overused. Anyone agree with that?
I'm interested in this too. We use CW and beginning in Aesop one of the editing steps is to check for varied utterances. I guess "varied" is the point? I dunno.
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My dd decided to start with scene 5. Basically she would start with scene 5, then go to scenes 1-4 and then 6-13.
The Trial of the Bow by my dd in media res
With tear-berimmed eyes, Penelope proudly carried the longbow of her husband into the midst of the room where the Suitors sat eating and drinking for all their worth. She gently laid the bow and arrows on a stool beneath two pillars, and declared, "Those of you who have haunted me with your sweetened words, listen to me now. This bow and arrow were the possessions of my late husband, Ulysses and, as he has not returned home, I have taken it into consideration and I lay before you a challenge. Whoever can draw the string and shoot the arrow neatly into the target, I will marry. This house I will leave, and in my sleep I will dream of it and of the happy days which I spent in it."
Many hours earlier, the admirers had devoured their meal with fervour, while the stewards passed an unkempt stranger his victuals, in response to the instructions of Telemachus. Everyone was unaware of his identity except his son Telemachus, and Ulysses was yet disinclined to reveal himself.
Ctesippus, who was infuriated to see this foreigner being treated like a man of wealth, waited until he was engrossed in his meal, then launched the hoof of a bullock with all his strength at the matted head, and he would have hit his mark, had not the man deftly ducked.
The inhospitality of Ctesippus was witnessed by Telemachus who threatened him by sputtering, "Ctesippus, you were lucky that you missed your mark or your father would be singing a dirge for his unfortunate son instead of hosting a merry wedding!"
The Suitors laughed scornfully at the little speech of Telemachus, but on remembering their purpose, they grew solemn.
In the late afternoon, the suitors languidly lay in the sun and walked aimlesly around the grounds until Antoniüs felt that Penelope was wasting precious time and slyly suggested to Telemachus to encourage his mother to hurry up and wed one of the suitors.
"She will marry the man who pleases her the most, Antoniüs, but this house is hers and I will never send her away from it for all the gold your father can offer," he replied coldly.
The suitors howled with mirth, but their laughter was not carefree and a great blanket of darkness settled around the abode.
Thus, Telemachus now positioned the mark for the trial of the bow. He began to draw the bow, but Ulysses gestured him to leave off. Heeding his elder's advice, Telemachus sighed, "I am too young, and you that are of greater limb and are wiser shall be first."
The first contestant was a priest by the name of Leoides, who was in truth the kindest of all the suitors and disagreed with their ways, but for all his morals, he remained with them. He endeavoured to bend the bow, but failing to do so, he cried in bitter remorse, "I see now that whoever makes trial of the bow, it will bring great pains!"
"What negative feeling thou hast, Leoides, yet do not despair," mocked Antinoüs, and taking a pat of butter off a tray, he attempted to soften the string, but in vain.
All the suitors tried their hand at the bow, until only the strongest man, Eurymachus, was left. He, thinking he was smarter than them all, swore to himself that he would succeed and win the hand of the fair Penelope. Catching sight of the flickering fire, he strove to warm the strings of the bow. Once again, he tried to draw it, but on finding that he could not, he lamented bitterly, "I do not grieve for the loss of Penelope, but for the fact that we are all weaker than Ulysses."
"Take heart, old Eurymachus. The day is holy to the god of Archers; let us make an offering to him, and hope that the next morn will bring more promising results," comforted Antinoüs.
The men were uplifted by these sensible words, until the stranger pleaded for a trial of the bow. The admirers were infuriated and fervently argued that a man of no degree should not be permitted to join in on the competition. Ignoring the jeers and shouts of the crowd, Penelope stately informed the stranger that if he could draw the bow and strike the target, she would reward him with many gifts. Telemachus, upon noticing his father's hand indications, instructed his mother and her maids to remain behind their doors no matter what their ears might perceive.
Before drawing the bow, Ulysses carefully examined it to discover any flaws, while the suitors derided him for being so cautious. He twanged the string, and the sound was like the song of a dove. With one graceful motion, he bent the bow back as far as he could, and let the arrow fly through the air. It struck the mark right in the centre. The suitors' mouths were agape with wonder and indignation while Ulysses bade his son to stand by him with a lance, as they prepared to end the night with a more satisfying banquet.
Wow! By typing this out I see even more areas I'd like to work on with my dd. I'm not completely happy with the transitions but it's only her third writing project focusing on this skill and it is not an easy skill to learn! I have to reign myself in and focus on a few items to work on so I don't overwhelm her. Overall I'm happy with the result and at this point I'm not going to have her edit it again. I will let it sit awhile and then have her pull it out at a later date and see what she thinks of it with a little more practice and experience under her belt.
I hope this was helpful (and not too long a read). :001_smile:
Thank you for sharing! We are in Homer A and just about to begin Homer B. I just wanted to say that I think your daughter's rewrite is wonderful.
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I would like all TT users to respond to their personal expierence. Has anyone used TT and tested poorly or do you see that they do well. I am looking for grades 5 and up. Thanks for your time and thoughts they mean alot to me. This forum is a blessing.:Angel_anim::Angel_anim:
My son has done TT 6 in 5th grade and TT 7 in 6th. He took the California Star test both years because we belong to a charter school. Both years he scored Advanced which is the highest level on that test.
HTH
Kim
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That is what we did at first. Eventually it becomes easier, and you can do both as you go through the model.
Narrow Gate, I just want to say thank you for typing out this outline of Circe. I showed it to my ds yesterday and it helped him (and me) so much to see how you set it up. The process seems so much simpler now. Again, just wanted to say thank you!!
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A scene (from Lesson 3 of Day 1, Skill Level 1 p. 28 of core) are events which occur in a specific setting.
Acts (from Lesson 2 of Day 1, Skill Level 5 p. 44 of core) consist of several scenes which are related by a common topic or progression of a common event in the story. Essentially there is one larger theme, evnt, issue, or character.
For the Tale of Circe, if I listed the scenes, I would have something like...
I. Introduction (Odysseus and his men arrive on Circe's island)
II. Main Body
A. Scene 1 - While on the beach, they sight smoke and send men to investigate
B. Scene 2 - They travel and find the house of Circe and are invited inside
C. Scene 3 - Eurylocus watches Circe turn the men to swine and returns to Odysseus
D. Scene 4 - Odysseus travels to Circe's home and is invited inside
E. Scene 5 - Odysseus confronts Circe
F. Scene 6 - Circe frees the men
III. Conclusion - They remain on the island for a year in friendship before journeying on
Listing acts and scenes isn't about dividing the story into smaller chunks, but grouping chunks together. So an outline might look something like...
I. Introduction (Odysseus and his men arrive on Circe's island)
II. Main Body
A. Act 1 - Odysseus' men are enchanted by Circe
1. Scene 1 - While on the beach, they sight smoke and send men to investigate
2. Scene 2 - They travel and find the house of Circe and are invited inside
3. Scene 3 - Eurylocus watches Circe turn the men to swine and returns to Odysseus
B. Act 2 - Odysseus rescues his men
1. Scene 1 - Odysseus travels to Circe's home and is invited inside
2. Scene 2 - Odysseus confronts Circe
3. Scene 3 - Circe frees the men
III. Conclusion - They remain on the island for a year in friendship before journeying on
This is very helpful. Thank you so much! So it seems to me that we should outline the Scenes first as we have been doing up to this point. Then look at the scenes and group them into acts. Am I thinking right?
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I am having a hard time distinguishing between Scenes and Acts. We are on Lesson 17 of Homer A and took the summer off which may be part of the problem:tongue_smilie:. We are at the part where we divide the narrative into Acts and Scenes. I've read and re-read the Core but I'm having a hard time distinguishing between the two. Part of the problem I think is that up to this point we have been dividing the narrative into scenes only. I wish there was an example of a narrative which had only been divided into Scenes in a previous lesson and is now further divided into Acts and Scenes. I think this would help me. Are the scenes just the sentences in a paragraph and the Acts the paragraph (one topic)? Could someone who is familiar with CW have pity on me and walk me through the difference between a Scene and an Act? have a feeling I'm overthinking it. Thank you.
Kim
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This year we were horrified when we saw the practice STAR test books (the California standardized test). The problems were so difficult it was apparent that they were way above grade level. We haven't received our results back yet, but the actual test had to be easier than the practice book! (I have a science degree and had a difficult time answering many of the science questions in the 5th grade book. This was almost college level material!)
We live in California and my children took the STAR test last year. My ds was in 6th and dd in 4th. DS in 6th used TT 7 last year for his 6th grade, and TT 6 for his 5th grade year. He scored Advanced on the STAR test both years. Just wanted to share. (DD used Rightstart and also scored Advanced. We are switching her to TT 6 this year after completing Level E which is the same thing we did with ds.)
Also, I should add that my son used to HATE Math. Math has not come easy for him. Maybe it was developmental or maybe he just struggled with Math. But once we added Rightstart in 4th and TT in 5th (we used MUS before) his understanding and scores improved. Now he thinks he's good at Math! He used to say he was terrible. :sad: Last year he used TT 7 alone. He will be using TT PreAlgebra this year.
TT is working for us so far.!
Kim
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Ditto on let them read SOTW4 solo and start as a family in Ancients.
Apologia Gen Sci was the most boring we've done in 12 years of home schooling. So much so, I will not use it again. Go with ES and beef it up with a science ency worth of 7th grade.
Think depth and shoring up skills for logic stage....skill and content versus volume.
Thanks for chiming in! I just finished photocopying ES Biology for my ds and I ordered a microscope! I'm getting excited about the year now! Thanks so much, ladies, for sharing your words of wisdom here. I love these boards. I don't post very often but have learned so much from so many of you. Big thanks to SWB for these boards!!!!!!
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Okay, this sounds good. One more question! (Again, thanks so much.) How did you come up with supplemental reading? Did you use WTM list or some other list?
I did not read Human Odyssey to them, they read it independently. I did read it when I made my lesson plans (to tell the truth, I found it fascinating!). I would just choose 2 or 3 people/things that I wanted them to narrate from each chapter and one section to outline. The level of outline and length of passage to outline depended on the kid.I did not use any other k12 materials so I can't speak to the student/teacher materials, sorry.
We did history 2 days one week and 3 days the next (science was done on opposite days from history). There was also supplemental readings to do so often dd would do Human Odyssey and ds would do supplemental stuff that day then they'd switch the next history day. We would discuss most of this together at dinner. (I'm schooling four right now, mom time is at a premium!:tongue_smilie:)
HTH
Teaching Textbooks and the PSAT
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
Thank you for sharing. This is very encouraging. My ds is currently taking Alg 1. We switched to TT when he was in 5th grade also (began with TT 6). Did your dd take Geometry also? Or did she do Alg I, then Alg II? Just trying to decide what my ds should take after finishing Alg I.