Winter Promise Help

[Guest jeannette1972]

Hi all,

I am new to this board and new to homeschooling.

I have an 8-year-old son (3rd grade) and I have decided to use WP.

We are starting with CAW. AFTER I placed my order I realized that maybe I should have started with something other than CAW.

 

I really would love to hear about others experience with WP and what is the best order. I think I might have made a mistake and maybe should have started with The American Story 1???

 

Any feedback would be very helpful!

 

Also- Science? What order should I proceed and do you feel that this science program is "meaty" enough?

 

Thanks for the Help.

[unity]

I think you may be right that CAW might be a lot for a 3rd grader. The good news is that there is no way that WP has even looked at your order much less shipped it so I'm sure you can cancel and change it.

 

Depending on the interests of your child, I think you could have a happy year doing American Story 1, Animal Worlds, or Hideaways in History. It's ok---even good---if your child is on the upper end of the suggested age-ranges of the programs. I have personal experience only with Animal Worlds and Quest for the Middle Ages, but in both there is plenty of work to do and it would be tough going at the youngest of the age range. That's why, for example, I think HIH would work fine for 3rd grade. Check out the resources used (MLK's Microphone, for example)...they are good for 3rd grade, imo, but not so good for Kindergarten.

 

Since this is your first year homeschooling, I would suggest you not overload with stuff to do. Give yourselves plenty of time to explore and do child-led learning while still hitting the basics.

 

You might also ask at the WP forum.

[meet me in paris]

I think you may be right that CAW might be a lot for a 3rd grader. The good news is that there is no way that WP has even looked at your order much less shipped it so I'm sure you can cancel and change it.

 

Depending on the interests of your child, I think you could have a happy year doing American Story 1, Animal Worlds, or Hideaways in History. It's ok---even good---if your child is on the upper end of the suggested age-ranges of the programs. I have personal experience only with Animal Worlds and Quest for the Middle Ages, but in both there is plenty of work to do and it would be tough going at the youngest of the age range. That's why, for example, I think HIH would work fine for 3rd grade. Check out the resources used (MLK's Microphone, for example)...they are good for 3rd grade, imo, but not so good for Kindergarten.

 

Since this is your first year homeschooling, I would suggest you not overload with stuff to do. Give yourselves plenty of time to explore and do child-led learning while still hitting the basics.

 

You might also ask at the WP forum.

:iagree:

This is great advice! We did WP Animals one year and I think it was my kids' favorite year of homeschooling. It might be a great place to start out. American Story is another good choice.

 

You can make CATW work if you need to, though. I'm doing a combo of CATW and Sonlight Core 5 with my 3rd grader this year... you'll just need to be flexible and be willing to lighten it up a bit if it gets too difficult and/or mature for him. But there's so much great, fun stuff in there, too! Go with your gut. I'd go the direction you think will be most interesting for him this first year.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

I would call them right away and change your order. I would not leave a message but keep calling until you talk to an actual person. Once you get ahold of them they are super nice and willing to help.

[Guest jeannette1972]

I appreciate the feedback.

For those who have experience with this program.... In what order of themes did you proceed... ie, 3rd, 4th, 5th grade.........

[Homeschooling6]

We have used the Animals program, CAW the older version and American 1 & 2. My children love their books. I must admit that although we enjoyed CAW it was a bit much for my children who at the time were 4th grade and below.

I would call them right away, email and leave a message just to make sure they stop your order.

 

Although the newer version looks much more friendly for 3rd/4th grade.

 

You can always stretch CAW out. It doesn't have to be completed in one year.

[siloam]

I appreciate the feedback.

For those who have experience with this program.... In what order of themes did you proceed... ie, 3rd, 4th, 5th grade.........

 

Here would be my order:

 

AW 3rd

AS 1 4th

AS 2 5th

CAW 6th

QAW 7th

QMA 8th

QRR 9th

S&S 10th

AC 1 11th

AC 2 (with the government piece) 12th

 

They are still supposed to be coming out with a Quest for the modern age as well, or they were going to. If that is still true I would be temped to go ahead with AS 1 now so you have room for it later:

 

AS 1 3rd

AS 2 4th

CAW 5th

S&S 6th

QAW 7th

QMA 8th

QRR 9th

QMA 10th

AC 1 11th

AC 2 (with the government piece) 12th

 

I did AW with a 3rd grader, but just added in Hands of a Child Lapbooks on each habitat. I was also doing it for science while doing AS 1 at the same time. AS 1 I did have to add to for her because she loves history and is a serious reader. That is why I didn't continue with WP, it was hard to meed her need which was at such a higher level then the rest who aren't really into history.

 

Heather

[Lovedtodeath]

http://www.winterpromise-forum.com/showthread.php?t=5497 There are a bunch of plans in this WP thread...

 

I would start with AS 1 if I was starting with 3rd grade. As it is, this is my current plan, you could substitute AS1 and AS2 for the HOD guides that we will be doing. We love Shoot and Sprout Buzz and Bite for science. I haven't tried the other science programs.

 

3rd. HOD Bigger, Phonics Road 2

4th. HOD Preparing, Phonics Road 3 PK. DS- WP PK Phonics

5th. Sea and Sky, Phonics Road 4 PK. DS- IRL

6. CATW and SL 4 Science, WP LA 7 1. DS joins in with my own program

7. QAW, SL General Science, Latin Road 1 2. DS uses Ancient Explorations with it

Skip 8

9. American History from WP, SL Physical Science, Latin Road 2 3. DS goes along

10. American History from WP with government, SL Biology, Latin Road 3 4. DS goes along

11. WP QMA with WP literature study 5. DS uses SOTW 2 or Medieval Explorations if it is written

12. WP QRR with some SL 20th Century 6. DS is on his own! probably S & S

Edited August 29, 2010 by Lovedtodeath

[Chris in VA]

I think CAW is fine for 3rd grade, personally. They have dumbed it down considerably since the first year it came out.

Ooo--that's not quite the right way to say it--I don't mean any disrespect! Just "made it easier" by changing the resources.

[SnowWhite]

Since this is your first year homeschooling and it is likely your ds has not had a lot of American history, I think Amer Story 1 would be a terrific choice. I would not do just Animals and Their Worlds with a third grader unless that was a terrifically animal-obsessed third grader because most third graders are interested in PEOPLE. Here is what I would do if I were in your shoes:

 

3rd: American Story 1 and Animal Habitats 3-6 Science(it has the main parts of Animals and Their Worlds)

4th: American Story 2 and Rock Around the Earth

5th: Adventures in the Sea and Sky (includes science)

6th: Children Around the World and Jiggle, Jostle, Jolt science

7th: American Crossing and Sizzle, Solve and Survive science

8th: American Cultures (no science choice right now)

9th: Quest for the Ancient World High School (no science choice right now)

10th: Quest for the Middle Ages High School, Human Body and Forensics science

11th: Quest for Royals and Revolution

12th: future release Quest for Modern Times (no science choice)

 

We did Amer Story 1 in grade 2 and Amer Story 2 in grade 3. We're doing Adventures in the Sea and Sky this year for grade 4, but also following along with the first grader in Hideaways and I concur that it is meaty enough in content for a 3rd grader, though perhaps a bit light on the reading quantity, unless you do ALL of the suggested "You Wouldn't Want To" library books.

[Guest jeannette1972]

Thank you for replying. Snow white- that order looks really good.

 

Siloam, I ordered WP because I thought it was a good History program??

My 8-year-old also loves History, reads at a 4/5th grade reading level and loves to read/learn about anything factual.

Between your post and Chris in VA's post about it being "dumbed down"

I am a bit worried.

I hope I didn't just waste a bunch of money:001_huh:

[siloam]

Thank you for replying. Snow white- that order looks really good.

 

Siloam, I ordered WP because I thought it was a good History program??

My 8-year-old also loves History, reads at a 4/5th grade reading level and loves to read/learn about anything factual.

Between your post and Chris in VA's post about it being "dumbed down"

I am a bit worried.

I hope I didn't just waste a bunch of money:001_huh:

 

Not to worry! I think WP puts together a great program, and if I didn't have the time to pull off the planning in TOG, WP would be exactly what I would be doing.

 

The problem is my younger three are hands on learners and visual where my oldest is auditory and hands on. She loves to be read to, the more then better. She also loves history. I picked a program at my younger kids level because there are more of them, but it was not enough for her. At the time WP hadn't published the upper level programs for American history. I think they had AS 1, AS 2 had just came out and there was QAW and QMA. No CAW, not AC programs, no QRR. I ended up moving to TOG and then they came out with the AC programs that would have made it work. :001_huh:

 

Heather

[Shellydon]

We are doing WP AS1 with my 8 and 6 year old this year. We did AW last year. Love AS1 so far!

[Homeschooling6]

Thank you for replying. Snow white- that order looks really good.

 

Siloam, I ordered WP because I thought it was a good History program??

My 8-year-old also loves History, reads at a 4/5th grade reading level and loves to read/learn about anything factual.

Between your post and Chris in VA's post about it being "dumbed down"

I am a bit worried.

I hope I didn't just waste a bunch of money:001_huh:

 

I don't think 'dumbed down' is the right phrase. Before many customers where saying that CAW had too much mature content for a 3rd or 4th grader, so I believe WP adjusted it so it's more suitable for the younger students.