SilverMoon Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 :iagree: ACE should be OUTLAWED (IMHO:blushing:) I could go for that. I used it myself as a child. :ack2: Pretty sure that curriculum is the reason I have a near allergic reaction to any boxed curriculum today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zookeeperof3 Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Spelling Power and Writing Power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 Saxon math Video Text Math Writing Strands Winston Grammar BJU Science (OMG suck the LIFE out of what should be fun) Apologia Sciences ABEKA Language Arts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted April 14, 2010 Author Share Posted April 14, 2010 I find it so interesting that what works, and works AMAZINGLY well for some, is on other peoples most hated list! I think over half of what I LOVE has been on this as peoples most hated list! Very interesting how different familys learn so differently! I think that awesome actually!!!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWifeandMommy Posted April 14, 2010 Share Posted April 14, 2010 100 EZ Lessons-just don't care for it. I would like something more fun. I am sucking it up for the year because while it's boring it is working. My son reads and now his little sister in almost on there. HOD Little Hearts For His Glory-wanted to enjoy this as the previous guide and the other guides but this one just didn't click. Sold the guide but then again bought it again and will suck it up to finish the year with it. Mostly because it's bible history and we already do that with church/Sunday school. Lifepacs-math seemed to jump around. My daughter was able to just fill in the blanks and not really remember what she learned. She remembers the books she read and not the workbooks. SOTW-Just isn't working for us. Wanted it to bought the whole set. Finally sold the activity book 1 and gave away activity 2. I still have 3 and 4 but don't plan to use them. Will keep the books and books on CD because we enjoy the reading but don't want to use it as school. Abeka - ya was given some for the early grades and bought for 4th grade. just wasn't a fit too school like. Horizons and Singapore not so good either. I know quite a bit of negitives but I have found some positives and after finishing my third year I have found (I hope) what is going to work for my family. I am not straying no matter how tempting the other stuff looks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khall Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I'm almost afraid to post this because I know so many people love this and use it quite successfully but we really disliked CLE LA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I'm going to get thrown off the board, but here we go.... We hate Life of Fred and Michael Clay Thompson Language arts.....sorry sorry sorry.... Willow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 The ones that come to mind that I have strongly disliked are: 100EZ Lessons RS4K Writing Strands Apologia Elementary Science for the same reasons that the other posters mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I'm going to get thrown off the board, but here we go.... We hate Life of Fred and Michael Clay Thompson Language arts.....sorry sorry sorry.... Willow. No hurling from me. Until I came around here, I never even heard of either of these products. I still never even have seen either one to know what they look like ! So often I read mention of products wholly unfamiliar to me, and wonder where on earth people are locating them to consider ! The annual homeschool bookfair here is sizeable, too. (except that it rudely excludes Catholic suppliers, so I can't browse new literature offerings from Bethlehem Books :sad:) Yet much of what you all discuss appears to be secular or Protestant, so I would expect to bump into these products. . . . :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessed2fosteradopt Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Sequential Spelling - bored us to tears. We are much happier with Megawords - thanks, Lori D. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amylarimer Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 My son has completed First Language Lessons, Level 4. What do you use next? Thank you for your help, Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyfizzle Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Very helpful thread, thank you! :lurk5: I was wondering what everyone's likes for elementary science are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I was wondering what everyone's likes for elementary science are. I haven't found a science program for elementary that I am completely satisfied with. I thought I liked K12, but it fell apart in 4th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadzwife Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Bethlehem Books is Catholic?? I didn't know that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadzwife Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 never really used a science program 4 younger kids...never really did much science then; to be honest... so i loved it wen i found Apologia's Biology (high school) and he said it was written for kids who had not done much science b4 that point in their lives. it was written to be a first science program! noooowwww he has come out with jr high programs and joined with the lady writing the elementary aged books, i know. BUT he told me, no one used to do science b4 high school age until the recent past--1930s? it was no biggie, as long as they didn't spend their lives in front of the tv/game system. AND if they read widely, all the better...did their own investigations, collections (u shoulda seen my oldest daughter's mini-science museum she had going by age 9!), went on field trips, watched PBS...greater still! BUT he was quite classically-minded back then wen it first came out--as long as they could handle taking algebra along with it (if not b4), they could do the program. the 2 brain capabilities are similar he had found. SOOO I Try To Remember This With My 2 Little Ones Now. formal elementary science would be nice to do, but im not sweating it. :) to be fair, i also toy with NO MATH til age 10 or 12 a la the Bluedorns of Trivium Pursuits. This thinking is also ancient classical methodology. Math was for "advanced thinkers". I know Mary Pride has said she learned all her math from gr 1-6 or 8 in one summer--even if she does have an aptitude for math...lets say you took a 13yo thru it in one year even! WOW save alot of time and frustration huh? sooo i just keep a-thinking...:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oops, duplicate account :/ Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 never really used a science program 4 younger kids...never really did much science then; to be honest...so i loved it wen i found Apologia's Biology (high school) and he said it was written for kids who had not done much science b4 that point in their lives. it was written to be a first science program! noooowwww he has come out with jr high programs and joined with the lady writing the elementary aged books, i know. BUT he told me, no one used to do science b4 high school age until the recent past--1930s? it was no biggie, as long as they didn't spend their lives in front of the tv/game system. AND if they read widely, all the better...did their own investigations, collections (u shoulda seen my oldest daughter's mini-science museum she had going by age 9!), went on field trips, watched PBS...greater still! BUT he was quite classically-minded back then wen it first came out--as long as they could handle taking algebra along with it (if not b4), they could do the program. the 2 brain capabilities are similar he had found. SOOO I Try To Remember This With My 2 Little Ones Now. formal elementary science would be nice to do, but im not sweating it. :) to be fair, i also toy with NO MATH til age 10 or 12 a la the Bluedorns of Trivium Pursuits. This thinking is also ancient classical methodology. Math was for "advanced thinkers". I know Mary Pride has said she learned all her math from gr 1-6 or 8 in one summer--even if she does have an aptitude for math...lets say you took a 13yo thru it in one year even! WOW save alot of time and frustration huh? sooo i just keep a-thinking...:lol: :bigear: I'm still wondering and thinking about when to introduce formal education. :confused: Thanks for sharing your thoughts and musings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oops, duplicate account :/ Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 ...for this thread. Could that be accurate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChemMommy Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I'm going to get thrown off the board, but here we go.... We hate Life of Fred and Michael Clay Thompson Language arts.....sorry sorry sorry.... Willow. What didn't you like about MCT?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted April 15, 2010 Author Share Posted April 15, 2010 ...for this thread. Could that be accurate? Does it count the same person going to it more than once? Or is it once per person no matter how many visits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChemMommy Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Definitely FLOPS! ABeka for anything other than LA (seriously shallow and workbook-y) Videotext (insufficient practice problems) Teaching Textbooks (work is below level advertised) SL language arts and science programs (too scattered in topics) Spelling Power (too hard to use) Oddly, 100EZ worked well for us, even if it is a bit oddly scripted. SL cores worked well for us in History/Lit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 ...for this thread. Could that be accurate? People want to save their bucks. Geez, I wish I lived near a HUGE and open on weekends store full of everything a homeschooler could ever dream of.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Hate is such a strong word. What I will not use again for youngest DD. The Elements Prentice Hall Middle School Science I have mixed feelings about grammar. I think all grammar texts must be boring, no way around that one, but I loath to go another year with Hake Grammar and Writing. I like it, but two years is all DD~12 can take of the repetition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Hate is such a strong word. What I will not use again for youngest DD. The Elements Prentice Hall Middle School Science I have mixed feelings about grammar. I think all grammar texts must be boring, no way around that one, but I loath to go another year with Hake Grammar and Writing. I like it, but two years is all DD~12 can take of the repetition. Iris, what did you not like about the these two science programs? Also, have you looked at MCT for LA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 What didn't you like about MCT?? After all the hype I thought I was getting something really special. It turned out to be much of the same...a different way of organizing the sentence, but all grammar programs have their own way, and a bit of other stuff thrown in for good measure. I was just rather under whelmed. By the way if you do by it, don't bother with the student book, the teacher book has all the student book in it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 We hate Life of Fred and Michael Clay Thompson Language arts.....sorry sorry sorry.... Brave woman!! ;) Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 After all the hype I thought I was getting something really special. It turned out to be much of the same...a different way of organizing the sentence, but all grammar programs have their own way, and a bit of other stuff thrown in for good measure. I was just rather under whelmed. So did you use and also not like the other components (writing, vocab, poetry)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen500 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I don't think I've bought anything we'd actually HATE. We really didn't care for Prima Latina, but didn't use it long enough to start hating it. I guess my dc came to hate Wordly Wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexdk3 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I agree that hate is a strong word...but having said that, we really really didn't like Saxon Math. We stuck with it for 2 years and it was pretty close to torture. :smash: I also agree with writing strands, both my dd and ds were bored with that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyFL Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 LLATL was really bad BJU Science DVD's - we paid a lot of money and ds didn't like science nearly as much with these. The teacher waving her hands around all the time was very distracting (ds couldn't quit talking about it with similar motions lol!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crl Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I dont like Abeka. When we started homeschooling 2 years ago, I started my kids on that because I kept hearing it was "THE BEST" :001_huh: I found it shallow, dry, and my kids were NOT being challenged! No more Abeka!!!! Funny, what works for some doesn't for others. We love A Beka math. The rest does get to be a little too much so we don't use them for other subjects only math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erica471 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 The annual homeschool bookfair here is sizeable, too. (except that it rudely excludes Catholic suppliers, so I can't browse new literature offerings from Bethlehem Books :sad:) Yet much of what you all discuss appears to be secular or Protestant, so I would expect to bump into these products. . . . :confused: That's awful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlutterbyMommy Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 The ones that come to mind that I have strongly disliked are: 100EZ Lessons RS4K Writing Strands Apologia Elementary Science for the same reasons that the other posters mentioned. Can you be more specific about RS4K? I am looking at this program and would like to learn more about what you found unattractive. :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runamuk Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I don't know about "hated" but there are a few programs we just didn't like. Winterpromise 100EZ Lessons Saxon Math RS4K Latina Christiana I MCT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenniferlee Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 winter promise - books were way too mature -theme wise- for my kids. and I just can't get into the projects. and no reading questions in the IG writing strands - just couldn't get through it rs4k chemistry - sooooo boring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Explode the Code, as it was nothing but busy work. My ds learned nothing from it. At all. Teach Your Child to Read in 100 EZ Lessons. That has to be the worst reading program on the planet. It did not teach my child to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 The Fallacy Detective. I found a cheap copy used, and being totally naive (thinking it was actually a book on "logic") I snapped it up. :blink: It never actually got anywhere near my child as, once read, it went straight into the trash. I was never again as blindly trusting of home school materials after that experience, sad to say. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Saxon Math The Reading Lesson 100 EZ Reading Lessons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I use Sonlight and am not bothered by John's preaching at all because I don't read his notes in the IG, and I skip books like Incans, Mayans, and Aztecs. I use SL secularly. Yes, I was thinking I must be really terrible because I've never read any of his notes. We even used the Incans, Mayans and Aztecs book and I just skipped right over them in there as well.:) Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 I dislike more than I like. If there is too much text before I get some eye candy, I start to weep and moan and tear my hair out.:) I really hated Phonics Museum. I spent almost $200 on it and opened it up and went OH NO OH NO OH NO!! I didn't even attempt to re-sell it as I could not be a part of sending it to anyone else. It was a lesson I learned the hard way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 100 EZ Lessons- :iagree: Not EZ at all for us. *blech*:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 ::Putting on flame-proof suit:: Rod and Staff English and Math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveBaby Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Winter Promise. Looks great, didn't flow well for us and the book selections weren't good for the age recommended. I also don't like scripted programs. :iagree: Truly, Winterpromise was such a disappointment for me. Looks amazing, but there were tons of errors in the guide, it jumped around like crazy and some of the books left me going "huh?!" Scripted programs make me nutty, nutty, nutty. I like things to be explained well so *I* know how to go from one thing to the next, but to actually tell me what to say feels so weird. It took me awhile to figure that out. I don't like gridded plans either (Sonlight/ MFW) because I always feel behind or the need to push on even though we are well beyond finished for the day. I like "do the next thing" materials that give me the chance to decide how long to work and I know where to pick up next, and I know the ending point. SOTW is like that...most text books as spines, Beautiful Feet, Ambleside Online etc.~~Faithe :iagree: I *want* to love MFW or plans like that, but I really do better with do the next thing plans as well. We were always on week 4 in science, 6 in history, 3 in bible etc...and I always felt behind and frustrated. I don't mind Biblioplan, since it's not tied to anything else..we just do the next thing whether it's the next day or a week later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 Materials that we didn't like: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons Growing with Grammar Writing Strands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branycbur Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 (edited) ::Putting on flame-proof suit:: Rod and Staff English and Math. :iagree: Also, Abeka Math. Edited April 15, 2010 by branycbur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlutterbyMommy Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 The Fallacy Detective. I found a cheap copy used, and being totally naive (thinking it was actually a book on "logic") I snapped it up. :blink: It never actually got anywhere near my child as, once read, it went straight into the trash. I was never again as blindly trusting of home school materials after that experience, sad to say. Bill What was wrong with it? I had considered it from my child when she is older. You are certainly giving me pause about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted April 15, 2010 Share Posted April 15, 2010 This has been a fun thread! I want to play...but I will choose just a few from my vast list of unfortunate purchases... *Patchwork Primer (anybody at all remember that one? :tongue_smilie:) *Phonics Museum (too schoolish, ugly, I didn't agree with the way it taught reading :001_huh:) *Christian Liberty Kindergarten (lots of busy work, but no fun for us.) *Konos-In-A-Box (I love the original volumes, but these were so bad, it hurt.) *Veritas Press history (loved the literature books, but the workbook and memory tape drove us to near madness.) *Abeka grammar (oh my.) Well, I should stop since I'm getting depressed! Believe me, there is more...much more! :nopity: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 What was wrong with it? I had considered it from my child when she is older. You are certainly giving me pause about it. Read the reviews at Amazon, which are mostly positive, but 5 or so negative. The gist was that the writers, reportedly, broke their own rules on logic to promote their religion in the book. Some people think the authors are really terrific, and some of us turned off by their take on life. That's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 1. Covenant Home Curriculum elementary- I sat elementary bcause the extreme boringness, seriousness, and textbook academics might be great for a high schooler. Not for a CHILD. 2. LLATL Blue and Red- I love the author, love the idea, but it was torture for me. The layout jumped around, there was not enough review, and the lessons took forever. Kids can learn to read and write with a pencil, paper and a book. Neither of my kids were interested in cut and paste, flip books, flip wheels, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle l Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 My kids hated Sequential Spelling. We dropped Sonlight's LA very quickly. Too sporadic and not enough direct instruction. All of a sudden my kids were just supposed to write a research paper from an outline. :001_huh: We actually really like our Apologia. May I ask why others didn't, or what you would recommend? It's all we know, as this is our first year, and I feel like my kids are learning enough about the subjects studied to actually be interested in them, but I'm open to considering something different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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