SS in MD Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I'm considering using WP QMA for our oldest 13 yo dd (8th grade). How do you all like it? Any dislikes? Do you think the junior high guide w/books is rigorous enough for 8th grade? We did AWOA this year, it was fun. But, I think for 8th grade she needs something more indepth and with more reading. I'm also toying with the idea of enrolling her in the Potters School JH Middles Ages history class. It's for 7-9 graders and uses MOH II as well. But, its pretty $$, so WP would be a cheaper option, but I just want her to get somewhat prepared for hs level classes by taking grade appropriate history (the last 2 years she's been doing history w/younger dd (11 yo) so, things are more watered down) ... who knows, perhaps I shouldn't worry about it.... geez.. I'm confused...help!!! Thanks for any advice you can provide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 I have ordered QMA! We are excited. I will be using it with my 15yo and my 6yo will be tagging along. Obviously, I have no btdt experiences to share, but here is a link to the first 2 weeks. http://www.winterpromise.com/pdfs/QuestfortheMiddleAges-Experience2009.pdf I would also suggest that you also search over on the WP forum. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 Mandy, Thanks for the link - I will check it out. We have not used WP before. Have you? thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 We have not used WP before. Have you? thanks again. Yes, this year we used Animals and Their Worlds and Sea&Sky. Next year we will use QMA, Human Body and Forensics, and World Around Me.:D Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 How do you like WP? Is it easy to use and are the kids learning/retaining? Anything you didn't care for? Thanks so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 How do you like WP? Is it easy to use and are the kids learning/retaining? Anything you didn't care for? It is working for us. ;) I had planned to create my own US history for my 15yo, but when I showed him QMA in the catalog he wanted to use it. Since he hardly ever has an opionion about schoolwork and the thought of using QMA was making him smile, our plans changed. Of course I tweaked things this year and I am tweaking things for this fall. For the 15yo I am adding material from AO Year 7 to QMA. I can't wait for it to show up so that I can tweak it some more. (I think tweaking must be a disease.) However, this was middle ds's 7th year at home and it was his best. Yes, they are learning, retaining, and enjoying school with WP. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 Thanks for the post Mandy. I had a question, what exactly are you adding to WP QMA from AO year 7? (I'm assuming AO stands for ALpha-Omega?) Also, why are you tweeking? Just wondered if you thought WP needed more meat? Though, I'm guilty of it too, I don't think there has been a curriculum yet I haven't "fine tuned!" - Thanks again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS in MD Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 Also, I was just looking at the catalog and Jiggle Jostle & Jolt looks interesting for my 11 yo (she'll be in 6th grade in the fall). She hasn't done Physics yet, and I've heard Thames & Kosmos kits are good. Have you heard anything about this curriculum? Thanks so much for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchel210 Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Thanks for the post Mandy. I had a question, what exactly are you adding to WP QMA from AO year 7? (I'm assuming AO stands for ALpha-Omega?) Also, why are you tweeking? Just wondered if you thought WP needed more meat? Though, I'm guilty of it too, I don't think there has been a curriculum yet I haven't "fine tuned!" - Thanks again!! I think she means Ambleside Online. http://www.amblesideonline.org/index2.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) I think she means Ambleside Online. http://www.amblesideonline.org/index2.shtml Yep, that would be the one.:D I am dropping the WP QMA adventure readers. If they were history books I would indeed count them as history, but they are historical fiction (which my middle ds doesn't like anyway). Since they are literature that is not high school level and ds doesn't like historical fiction, I just don't want to spend that much time or money reading aloud books that I will not be including on his transcript. I have no problem using material that will not be on his transcript if ds wants to do it for fun. We did the 1st semester of S&S history for fun. Instead I am using that time and money to create a more CM experience for him. I am adding- 1) Ourselves: Book 1- Self-Knowledge by Charlotte Mason, about 1 Chapter each week (This is used in Ambleside years 7-9; This is in the 4th volume of CM’s 6 volume series) 2) English Literature For Boys And Girls by H.E. Marshall, about 1 Chapter each week (Literature in Ambleside Year 7) 3) BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY: THE AGE OF CHIVALRY, about 1 Chapter each week (Literature in Ambleside Year 7) 4) Memory/Copywork I know that we will use some of the Magna Carta, but I'm not sure what else. (in CM fashion) 5) The Royal Road to Romance, about 1 Chapter each week with drawn narrations (I wanted a geography addition. This is used in Ambleside Year 9) 6) A Child's History of England by Charles Dickens, chapters 1-28 about 1 Chapter each week (This was suggested here as a pre-requisite to the Churchill book used in Year 7) 7) The Teaching Company Foundations of Western Civilization, lectures 16-48 about 1 Lecture each week (Not Ambleside, but I already own it. This would perhaps be a beefing up or maybe just a secular and audio component.:)) 8) The Teaching Company Great Artists of the Italian Renaissance, about 1 Lecture each week (not Ambleside, but I already own it) 9) Weekly Picture study and oral narrations from the artists in the TC lectures. This is not the one artist a semester that CM would do, but I figure we are sort of doing that with QMA and Leonardo da Vinci. (I want ds to earn a full credit in Renaissance Art, so with this and the TC lectures and the art in QMA he may just get there.) 10) I would also like to ds to keep a Commonplace Book where he will write quotes and whatnot as he completes his independent work. HTH- Mandy ETA- Some students really like historical fiction and it adds to their history experiece by having them really connect with the time period. This connectedness will lead to a much better retention of history. This was certainly true of my oldest when he used SL. Edited May 15, 2009 by Mandy in TN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Also, I was just looking at the catalog and Jiggle Jostle & Jolt looks interesting for my 11 yo (she'll be in 6th grade in the fall). She hasn't done Physics yet, and I've heard Thames & Kosmos kits are good. Have you heard anything about this curriculum? Thanks so much for your help! I'm sorry I haven't looked into this one at all. Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Also, I was just looking at the catalog and Jiggle Jostle & Jolt looks interesting for my 11 yo (she'll be in 6th grade in the fall). She hasn't done Physics yet, and I've heard Thames & Kosmos kits are good. Have you heard anything about this curriculum? Thanks so much for your help! Well, I know it is brand new and uses God's Design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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