Spinoff of Rigorous yet easy post... Please share favorite workbooks that do the job.

[angela&4boys]

(BTW, Great thread MIch elle!)

 

I'm a CMer at heart, but in the past we have had success with:

 

 

• Explode the Code Series (Tried and True!)
  

 

 

 

• Bob Jones Writing & Grammar (One of the best imho, the writing instruction is excellent.)
  

 

 

 

• A Beka Arithmetic (Our eldest ds thrived with it.)
  

 

Edited to add: WWE (How could I have forgotten? This has made copywork and narration painless and easy!

Edited May 14, 2009 by angela&4boys

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Explode the Code (did all books 1-8)

HWT (not sure if it worked as well for my youngest...)

Singapore (EM & Primary)

MegaWords

R&S English Worksheets (in booklet)

Key to Series

Blast Off (Logic series)

[LNC]

Christian Light Education (CLE) - reading, LA and math

Christian Liberty Press - phonics, spelling and bible

Worldly Wise

DandyLion logic series and Profrock press Logic Safari series

 

Workbooks have been great for us w/ lots of living books for literature, history and science.

[Mommyfaithe]

CLE is LOVED by this CM fan. I am so impressed by this program of study. Thorough...gentle but rigorous...short lessons and then building on what the child has learned. Best of all, I find our bases are all coved and we have TIME for nature study, Art, Poetry, read alouds etc. I still use AO...BUT now I feel confident that they are not getting an adequate education, but a PHENOMENAL education. I wish I had found this program for my older kids.

 

As far as workbooks...we also loved A Beka K books.

HTH

Faithe

[mom2abcd]

Dd enjoyed the old Steck-Vaughn English workbooks that I used as a kid. Language Exercises Green Book

Mabel Youree Grizzard

ISBN: 0811406490

 

(Various colors are various levels). The new Steck-Vaughn English workbooks are nothing like these older, concise workbooks. These are simple black & white pages, but the typeset and layout helps make everything clear. We've used Growing With Grammar, too, but it didn't go over well. There was almost too much white space for good understanding/retention.

 

We use Rod & Staff Bible for grades 5-8 and have really enjoyed these workbooks. We liked Voyages workbooks from cph.org for the younger years.

 

I'm going to order the "The Story of the USA" workbooks for American history. I've heard lots of positive comments about those.

 

The School Specialty Publishing workbooks from Sam's Club are inexpensive, colorful, and full of nice information. We've used the Presidents & States one some.

 

Living books are great, but I feel more comfortable knowing we've covered a certain amount of information.

[deeinfl]

lots of School of Tomorrow Workbooks and love them! And also don't care who doesn't. I've known many moms who cannot even get passed their 7th grade online diagnostic test.

 

We love the Ace English for elementary grades...(I prefer Winston for higher than 5th/6th grade)

We are using and enjoying Christian Light Math-I love that everything is in there: calender work, money, time, temperature, speed drills, flashcard drills, and geometry in simple, small bites. I don't have to add ANYTHING! I am also very free to skip what I feel is too difficult, or redundant. No problem with skipping pages or problems.

 

We have really loved Rod and Staff spelling 2nd grade and have already purchased the third grade. Because of some diactratical exercises, I think we may go to BJU spelling after the 3rd grade.

 

Although I love lots of CM ways, I prefer a traditional workbook for English, and I do use WWE for our writing needs--So far, loving it and using the workbook!! WE also do some minor copywork, narration, and dictation in our science and history work.

 

So I would say that a huge part of our day is accomplished with workbooks. He is learning to pay attention, finish his daily work, and make and keep goals. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel anymore.

 

I am still struggling with what to do for science and history. I wish I found really good workbooks for this age, but I don't think it's necessary. Still searching...

 

Workbooks rule!!! :)

 

Dee

 

ps I still love WTM, CM, some unschooling, traditional...and so on! I'm just an eclectic gal living in an eclectic homeschool world!:lol:

[skaterbabs]

ACE's Etymology series is pretty good; I only took one year of it, but it advanced my vocabulary into an upper-college level. I did find it somewhat easy the first year, but that's less a reflection on the program than on my initial ability.

 

I also did well using their math (grades 7 & 8). I'm seriously math phobic, and after two years really had a grasp of basic algebra concepts so that when I returned to public school from private, I did very well in Alg. I. I don't know what the early levels are like.

[angela&4boys]

CLE is LOVED by this CM fan... Best of all, I find our bases are all coved and we have TIME for nature study, Art, Poetry, read alouds etc.

 

Faithe,

 

This is *exactly* why I'm drawn to some workbooks/independent sources. The meat gets done and there's time to have dessert... and enjoy it.

[mcconnellboys]

We do a lot of workbooks, too!

 

 

I use Spelling Workout for spelling and another series (still to be determined for future) for word study.

 

I use Singapore for math, as well as other workbook type programs.

 

I use Memoria Press Christian Studies for some of my Bible work.

 

I use Getty-Dubay Italics for handwriting.

 

I've used various workbook type programs for writing, including McGraw Hill's Spectrum series, WordSmith Apprentice, and next year's Writing Strands is somewhat workbook in style.

 

I turn my Abeka grammar into a workbook by modifying and allowing them to write in the book, do corrections in the book rather than re-writing, etc.

 

The Mind Benders I use for fifth grade logic are styled as workbooks; so are the logic books by Nance.

 

Espanol Para Chicos y Grandes, for Spanish, is a workbook. Spanish for Children is a workbook. We use a workbook to reinforce an outside Spanish class, too.

 

The Latin Primer/Grammar series is styled as a workbook.

[Tree House Academy]

More CLE here. :) I also really like what I am starting with Heart of Dakota.

 

And we have been ETC users since ds5 started homeschooling. We love it!

[Wee Pip]

I like BJU's workbooks, especially for Math & LA (English, Reading, Spelling, English). I haven't been as thrilled with their handwriting, because it has a lot of copying onto separate paper, which creates unhappiness with the 8yo - so for that, I think I liked Handwriting Without Tears better (short & simple). I feel like everything has been covered thoroughly.