Would a fairly strict adherant to WTM for 7th grade post what you're using?

[momee]

How is it going? Do your children like it? Do you find it easy to use?

 

I'm re-reading the WTM and comparing what I've chosen to use in relation to what she recommends. I'd like to get back to one of the things that drew me to homeschooling, TWTM :)

 

Now that I have older kids I think if I'd gone with her rec's they'd be very well prepared had we used her rec's.

 

I may still keep SL for bible, history and lit, not sure though and would love to hear about time commitment. REAL time commitment, not SWB's made up ones for her publisher, kwim? How long does it really take?

 

And as far as literature, do you feel the need for another lit program (like Lightning Lit or something) in addition to her reading list?

 

Did spelling workout give your guys enough spelling instruction (rules, etc.)?

 

Did you find the writing to give you enough handholding in how to instruct or did you need something else?

Edited September 30, 2010 by momee

[Jean in CA]

My 7th grader is my oldest student. I have also a 5th grader, K-er, and toddler running around, so I've had to limit my direct independent involvement with the two older students to approximately 45 minutes each morning, with an addional 20-30 mins for K, and "on call" time with the toddler! The bare bones break-down of how dd 7th spends her day looks like this:

 

Bible: With parent: 20 mins

Math: With parent: 10-15 mins, Independent: 30

Grammar: With parent: 15 mins (orally)

Spelling/Vocab: 10 mins independent

Writing: 15-30 mins independent

History: 30 mins independent

Science: 20 mins independent

Latin: 10-15 mins with parent, 15 mins independent

Listening to family read-aloud 30 mins with parent

Memory work: 10 mins with family, 5 mins independent

Assigned reading: 30 mins independent

Total: Independent 2.5-3 hours daily/ 1.5+ hours with parent

 

 

So much of the "school" day, however is incorporated into meal time/ evening time that it doesn't "feel" like were schooling 4.5+ hours a day! Plus, I don't really consider Bible time, read-alouds and independent assigned reading time as "school" because we'd be doing this anyway, even if we weren't homeschooling. But I wanted to include them above just to give you an idea what things look like.

 

This is our 7th year homeschooling, and we've worked out most of the kinks from earlier years. Since we have 4 children, one of the hardest things for us is balancing time with each child, and picking curriculum that is not completely time-intensive for mom/dependent on mom. For this reason, SWO has worked well for us. I DID take each child aside in 3rd grade to teach them the WWR method of spelling with phonograms and this provided a more structured "language" to communicate about spelling patterns. My children are also visual spellers, so they have not needed much spelling instruction. They read a lot, and can "see" the correct spelling in their heads.

 

I love the writing instruction for R&S and have used it almost exclusively. We dabbled with CW and I incorporate some of their methods in our writing, but overall, find it too time-intensive for our family. We're adding PTIW this year. It is a program written by homeschoolers. I find it includes much of the same material in R&S, but provides great constant review and more detailed instruction on how to put it all together. I also like that it is written to the student, so, I can focus on "coaching" dd, not figuring our the teacher's manual!

 

As for adding literature... We also love to read;dd can read 10 novels/week, so I've added literature from SL, other booklists. We try to have all these ready at the beginning of the year, because making it to the library can be tough every week. Also, I've found that "library hunting" is one of the more consuming things that eats up my time, so for our family, having the luxury of collecting books has been a great timesaver.

 

Here are specfics below on what methods/materials we're using for each subject:

 

Bible: talk with Dad working through Bible 20 mins/evening

Math: New Syllabus Math (Singapore) supplementing with UCSMP Algebra (10-15 mins with mom, 30 mins student)

Grammar: Rod and Staff 7, done orally with mom(only class practice and selected written practice) 15 mins, writing assignments take longer. We use topics cross curriculum, not R&S selected topics

Spelling/Vocab Finishing up SWO H, continuing with Vocabulary for Classical Roots (pre-test with brother, work on own throughout week 10 mins/day

Writing-Put That in Writing Level 1 15-30 mins/day. We’re in the early lessons without much writing yet. I’m sure the time will increase as we get into more involved lesssons.

History: WTM outlining from National Geographic Almanac, supplemented with Sonlight literature list (using SL 5 and 6 this year) Outlining takes 30 mins/day Student completes on own (This took some work last year to train/teach, but now dd works independently, with me checking in on her once or twice/week)

Science: Here’s where we’ve diverged a bit from WTM recommendations. We’re using SL 5 for our topics instead of buying kits on our own. DD takes notes from reading (instead of doing SL worksheets). We’re supplementing with experiments that she can complete on her own. We keep a lab notebook (started in 5th grade) with WTM suggestions for what to record. (This is also doubling as a drawing program for now, as we don’t have time to do art separately LOL!) 20 mins/day

Latin: Henle First Year Latin (Students follows MODG syllabus for Henle 1, modifying pace to finish units 1-5 this year) Mom spends 10-15 mins doing exercises orally with her, students spends additional 15 minutes writing out grammar drills, reciting vocab, translating, etc.

Logic: Have not gotten around to this yet! Might start Fallacy Detective in January... I don’t know if we can “fit” anymore into our schedule this year...

Read-Aloud time: This is one of my favorite favorite things to do as a family. So we try to aim for ½ hour each day. Currently reading from SL 5 list and Biblioplan 1850-2000 list. Mom time (30 mins/day)

Poetry recitation/ memory work for history/ Scripture: 10 mins/day at breakfast All children cycle through their selection for the week and we do Scripture memory together.

HTH!

 

Jean

Edited September 30, 2010 by Jean in CA

[momee]

Thanks Jean that helps very much. Especially since you are also using SL rec's. We're doing core 7 and she is enjoying it very much. I don't want that to change and was interested in adding in more WTM rec's as we have time for.

 

I appreciate your time to type all that out. Sounds very similar to what I'm leaning towards :)

[Jane Elliot]

I originally didn't want to post because I'm not sure what you mean by "strict adherant". I'm certain I don't fit the definition, but we've used mainly WTM for the last 10 or so years. There are years we've gotten sidetracked and not been purists about it--and actually I've never had a year that ended with me saying, "We really did it this year!" But we do try.

 

I've leaned heavily on IEW in the past (and I probably will in the future too), but this year I'm trying to do the WTM recommendations for writing, and I've dropped IEW for my 5th, 7th, and 8th graders. (Actually I dropped IEW for all but the 10th grader.) Recently, I've listened to the writing and literary analysis lectures over and over to make sure I'm getting it right and to gain some confidence.

 

My 7th grader's daily assignment sheet looks like this:

 

Math - 60 minutes (Life of Fred PreAlgebra - We were using Saxon. She needed a break from that.)

 

English - Rod and Staff - write the definitions in the remember box and review definitions from previous lessons. We skip all the writing lessons. If there's a worksheet she does that, and if not, she does the written practice.

 

Spelling - Spelling Workout - I've used this for all but the twins and I do think it works. I wish I had used it with the twins; they can't spell to save their lives.

 

Latin - we're finishing up LCII

 

History - We use reading recommendations off a Biblioplan schedule (mostly SOTW and History of US.) They read and do the map. I'll explain the outlining below.

 

Science -Rainbow Science

 

Reading - I give them a stack of books and let them choose. I use literature recommendations off the lists in WTM and Biblioplan and Sonlight.

 

ETA To answer your question about literature programs: No, I absolutely don't see a need for an extra literature program in the grammar or logic stages if a person is using the questions in WTM and having the student write about them as described in both WTM and the literary analysis lecture.

 

Writing - I have them (7th and 8th grader) do one writing project per day. They get to choose what they will do on a given day, but they know that in a week they should do 2 outlines, write from 2 of their outlines, and do one literary essay. I let them choose what they will outline and show them how to find something. So, for example, yesterday 7th grader outlined a section of her science text and 8th grader wrote a page and a half from an outline she had previously done from the old Kingfisher Illustrated History. Tuesday, 7th grader finished Sing Down the Moon. We discussed it using the questions in WTM, and she wrote 1/2 page about what we discussed. I'm tring to get her to write longer literary essays, but this is a stretch for her as it is. We'll work on this.

 

Writing Skills - We're still doing dictations and I'm using WWE4.

 

Read aloud - We're on Moderns this year, so I'm choosing books from the logic stage Modern list in WTM. Right now we're in the middle of Little Women. I try to discuss it a lot with them and have them narrate by saying before we read, "Now remind me what we read yesterday."

 

Logic, Art, Modern foreign language, Music - I can't seem to squeeze these in. I'd like to figure out how to squeeze in more primary sources and Critical Thinking in U.S. History, too.

 

ETA: I keep thinking things I want to add in answer to your questions. You asked if the dc like these methods. It is not much different from what they have always done, so I do not think they would know to like it or not like it. I do know that my older dc (graduated from homeschool or almost graduated) have thanked me for the foundations that were laid by WTM methods. They have served them well in college and beyond.

 

I hope more people will post about what WTM in practice looks like in their homes.

Edited September 30, 2010 by Luann in ID

[Rhondabee]

How is it going? Do your children like it? Do you find it easy to use?

 

I'm re-reading the WTM and comparing what I've chosen to use in relation to what she recommends. I'd like to get back to one of the things that drew me to homeschooling, TWTM :)

 

Now that I have older kids I think if I'd gone with her rec's they'd be very well prepared had we used her rec's.

 

I was very strict-WTM when my oldest was in logic-stage. We almost always outlined from the KIHW on Mondays, for example, and did mapwork on either Monday or Tuesday. I forget! Somewhere there's a detailed schedule in an old post, I'm sure - I just don't have time to look - Sorry!

 

We all liked it - For history we used SOTW as our main spine, though we started our week with KIHW, and used SOTW for our narrations. We also read from library books occasionally, and we did read-alouds from the Sonlight lists.

 

 

I may still keep SL for bible, history and lit, not sure though and would love to hear about time commitment. REAL time commitment, not SWB's made up ones for her publisher, kwim? How long does it really take?

 

We usually did history 4 days a week for about 45 minutes a day. There were some days we ran over because I felt the material was worth it, and other days we didn't cover what I had planned because time was up. I decided at some point that if SWB only thought history should take 3 hours a week, then we shouldn't be doing history for 6 hours a week just to "get it all done" and everyone was much happier after that!

 

I did not count the read-alouds in that time.

 

And as far as literature, do you feel the need for another lit program (like Lightning Lit or something) in addition to her reading list?

 

I loved the WTM Literature lists! That is what lured me to WTM!! But, I did find it helpful to watch the Teaching the Classics videos. I also highly recommend reading the novel section of Well-Educated Mind, then re-reading the Logic-Stage Literature Section of Well-Trained Mind. I freely mix-and-match the above, and would feel constricted by any pre-planned lit program.

 

Did spelling workout give your guys enough spelling instruction (rules, etc.)?

 

No - but if you compared my DS's spelling to my husband's you would understand that no curriculum will ever win that war.

 

Did you find the writing to give you enough handholding in how to instruct or did you need something else?

 

About writing: I don't feel qualified to answer that question, because I had such a great writing teacher in AP English and I draw very heavily from that experience in teaching writing. I used R&S exclusively in teaching my oldest up through R&S-8, and it taught him well. I'm now using a combination of R&S with IEW with my younger DS, and loving the mixture of the two. I do think IEW really reached my younger DS in a way that R&S alone would not have, as he is not as naturally-bent toward writing as my older DS.

 

I know that you are using SL right now, and I just wanted to say that we used SL for awhile, too. Right now I'm actually using MFW, and I'm still using the WTM Literature exactly as before. And, really, I'm still doing the history skills (I do tweak MFW a bit): read, outline once a week or so, work with maps & timelines, write reports. Those skills can be done no matter what curriculum you're using (as long as the reading isn't too overdone).

 

Blessings!

 

ETA: Here's a link to my old 7th-grade "pure" WTM schedule.

Edited October 1, 2010 by Rhondabee

[mcconnellboys]

Would a fairly strict adherant to WTM for 7th grade post what you're using?

 

I am using a variety of things for religious studies this year. Right now my son is reading some missionary biographies.

 

I'm doing the mapwork from SOTW to go along with our history studies, adding in the mapwork from Knowledge Quest Maps (I think that's the name) and also doing some other general geography study.

 

(Reading in these subjects, along with reading of fictional works related to our history studies is scheduled for an hour daily.)

 

My son is using a Dolciani algebra book for math work and I'm using Russian Math 6 to do some drill work.

(An hour daily is scheduled. It doesn't always take that long.)

 

I've been using Rod and Staff Grammar, but I have to say that I just hate it. This has never happened to me before. I'm getting ready to change over to Easy Grammar Plus.

 

I'm using Vocabulary for the College Bound this time around, instead of Vocab from Classical Roots, because I just didn't like it that much when I used it with my older son.

 

(I have vocab scheduled four days a week most weeks; writing 3 days and grammar 2 days. I've allowed an hour for the entire language arts set. The vocab generally only takes him 10-15 minutes so the rest is left for writing or grammar.)

 

On M,W,F the next hour is devoted to Latin and Greek study. I've only added in Greek because this son is interested in it. For Latin, I'm still using the old, old WTM rec of Latin Primer/Grammar (because I already owned it and it's sound). I'm using Elementary Greek for the other.

 

On T,R this hour is devoted to Spanish. He has a class with a native speaker once a week and they use a workbook in that. I've been finishing up Learning Spanish with Children and will be using a Barron's Spanish Grammar the Easy Way for the rest of the year at home.

 

We're working through Introductory Latin (Wilson/Nance) for half an hour a day.

 

I've allotted two hours per day on M,W, F to history/lit, which I put together using WTM recs. Those two hours are devoted to science on T/R, also using some WTM recs along with other things I've come to like over the years.

 

How is it going?

 

I think it is going well.

 

Do your children like it?

 

Yes, my son seems well content with it.

 

Do you find it easy to use?

 

Yes, but I tended toward doing things the same way SWB recommends even before I read WTM and I've done this once before, with an older son.

 

How long does it really take?

 

Just for history/lit, or for doing the entire curriculum? We've always done school from about 8 to 3 or 3:30, but we read a TON and you certainly wouldn't have to do that in order to make it worthwhile. I do history/lit for about 2 hours, 3 days per week. But my son reads on his own daily and where we have extra time, I'm also reading aloud extra....

 

And as far as literature, do you feel the need for another lit program (like Lightning Lit or something) in addition to her reading list?

 

No, I don't think it's necessary. I do some extra things with my younger son now, because I have time to, but I didn't with my older son and he did just fine.

 

Did spelling workout give your guys enough spelling instruction (rules, etc.)?

 

I used it all the way through with both of mine and have been well satisfied with it.

 

Did you find the writing to give you enough handholding in how to instruct or did you need something else?

 

My older son went all the way through Writing Strands with no difficulties. My younger son is just not a writer AT ALL, poor thing, and Writing Strands just has not worked well for him. I think WordSmith Apprentice worked well for him. I used Writer's Express with him one year and it worked out well. I have him in an outside writing class this year so that someone else can critique his writing and it's working out well for him.

 

If you use Writing Strands then you should get their book "Evaluating Writing" and read it first. It will help you in critiquing their written work.

[Colleen in NS]

How is it going? Do your children like it? Do you find it easy to use?

 

I think it's going pretty well so far - ds started grade 7 a few months ago. No, he doesn't always like to do his work, but more often I am seeing that he enjoys it when he gets into it - he gets excited about learning new Latin grammar forms because he likes patterns, but he doesn't like having to write out his English-to-Latin translations, lol. Things like that. Today he was completely excited about explaining a math concept to me that he had figured out on his own - it was somewhat beyond me, uh oh.

 

I do find many of the WTM methods easy to use, once I understand them. To me, WTM is all about study methods and practicing them on content material. So, ds is learning three-level outlining right now. He might not like having to go through the process of outlining, but I try to find interesting passages of science or history to have him outline, and through that process of reading and outlining, he learns the material a little more.

 

For me, it has been about learning methods, how and why they work, and how to apply them to studying, and then how to schedule that all out into a weekly routine that includes big chunks of time for reading. Usually once I get a routine going, I feel like things are going well.

 

Now that I have older kids I think if I'd gone with her rec's they'd be very well prepared had we used her rec's.

 

I was thinking about this sort of thing today. Sometimes I wonder if I'm nuts to keep on trying out suggestions in WTM that I have never done before, like using Henle (a rigourous high school Latin text) in 6th-8th grades or trying the Traditional Logic program in 7th grade. But, so far, I have found that these things keep working out for us. I may possibly have to adjust some timelines for dd coming up through the grades, but at least I know what is possible now. Anyway, as we were answering a few questions today in the judgment chapter of Traditional Logic 1, I realized it's a challenge, but it's doable for my ds (we go in small increments), and I think it will provide that much more thinking skill to him when he reaches high school reading and writing. I am finding the same thing with writing - I use the WTM/SWB lecture advice, and so far, it's working the way she said it would.

 

would love to hear about time commitment. REAL time commitment, not SWB's made up ones for her publisher, kwim? How long does it really take?

 

I'd say, including two hours reading time, about 5-5.5 hours/day, 5 days a week. I spread things out over more weeks in the year, though, so that I can fit in things like art instruction/appreciation, and music instruction/appreciation, and craft skills. I do a lot of lessons orally with my 7th grader, because I see no need right now to make him write out math/grammar/Latin answers that don't need to be written for any reason. He does write out math calculations/word problems, grammar diagrams, and English to Latin translations, because there are skills involved that I want him to practice. We even do the VfCR orally now. The whole lesson in one shot on the day we don't do a grammar lesson (I don't have him memorize roots or derivatives anymore - that was way too much unnecessary work, IMO), just for the word exposure and practice with the type of exercises in the books.

 

And as far as literature, do you feel the need for another lit program (like Lightning Lit or something) in addition to her reading list?

 

Nope. The chronological reading plus the analyzing and evaluating questions, plus the more fine-tuned guidance in SWB's literature lecture are a full lit. program. Very thorough, IMO. And much more enjoyable to me that having to follow a lit. guide. The WTM reading lists are very full.

 

Did you find the writing to give you enough handholding in how to instruct or did you need something else?

 

The WTM? I went by that exclusively for many years. Where I got held up was in giving writing instruction. Then I went to the WTM anniversary conference last year, and heard her lectures on writing and literature - these are FABULOUS supplements to WTM. They gave me the details that I couldn't seem to extract from WTM. Also, the Science in the Classical Curriculum audio lecture is a great supplement - again, just a slightly different perspective from SWB - she adds helpful info. there that is not in the book.

 

I guess between WTM, the audios, and these boards, I've gotten so much "how to teach" help. My teacher-mother got me started when my kids were younger, and WTM etc. kept me going with more specific details.

 

I guess no one's schedule will look like what's in WTM, but I've taken the principles and adapted them to my own family. Still always learning, too - I am currently thinking about science-teaching and wondering how I can continue to improve on that. WTM got me going on this "how to learn" business; I'm not going to stop! :D

 

hth

 

P.S. Yikes, I just re-read your title question! Sorry. We use R&S math, R&S grammar, Traditional Logic, Vocabulary from Classical Roots, SWB's writing lecture advice for writing and literature study/writing, Henle Latin, WTM literature/history/science topic readings lists, Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, and when ds was doing spelling we used Writing Road to Reading because my mother had taught me how to use it. We use the library for supplemental reading (plus a few rec'd. books like science encyclopedias that I bought) and for memory work material. The only thing I've had a hard time with up until recently was science for this year. We are doing chemistry, but the kit rec'd in the 2004 WTM isn't available anymore, and I had read many bad reviews on the 2009 chem kit - besides, it's really expensive for me. I have finally settled on using Vicki Cobb's Chemically Alive! book, thanks to a tip I got recently here. We will do experiments from it and use the WTM experiment questions for a write up. I even bought the WTM rec'd. chemistry activity book - it's great! And I've never seen people here talk about it. But I can see why it's rec'd. in WTM.

 

P.S. again....we also use Knowledge Quest's new MapTrek historical map program. You know the blackline map series rec'd. for grammar stage history? Well it is extended now for all through high school - I love it! The 2004 WTM rec'd. geography book was NOT applicable at all to our logic stage history. I'm not sure why it's in WTM.

 

another thing - we use the website listed in WTM logic stage history, for primary source material. I read bad reviews about the Jackdaws (expensive for what you get), but have been able to get material from the rec'd website, that we can use to read, discuss, and write about. I'm starting to figure out how to find primary sources at the library, too.

Edited October 1, 2010 by Colleen in NS

[Kate in Arabia]

My oldest is a 7th grader (I also have a 4th grader and a KG-er). Here's his schedule:

 

religious studies - 30 min

 

math - 60 min

+he's finishing Singapore 5B (with all supplements), should be starting 6A next month

 

english - 60 min

+Classical Writing Homer, he has one writing assignment per week with this program. He'll be done with A by December, we'll start with B in Feb.

+Spelling Workout H, he started with level A back when he was 4, it's been a great program for him (but terrible for his younger brother)

+Zaner-Bloser Handwriting for Middle School, his handwriting is ok, but I wanted a "review" after not having penmanship for a couple of years

+Analytical Grammar, it's a bit dry (this is our first year with it), but he's doing ok with it and doesn't balk too much :)

 

Arabic - 30-60 min

+This is sort of our "Latin substitute", although I have several Latin curricula that I've bought over the years and plan each year to try and fit in :001_huh: .

 

These are our core subjects that we get done every morning. The remaining are sort-of alternated after lunch.

 

Geography - 30 min four days a week

+Trail Guide to US Geography (1st semester)

+Indian geography (2nd semester)

 

Logic - 30 min, days as time permits

+Critical Thinking Company materials

 

History - 60-90 min, twice a week

+SOTW 4, he writes a longer narration plus the mapwork

+Kingfisher Encyclopedia, he outlines and incorporates into his weekly narrations

 

Science - 60-90 min, twice a week

+Mr Q Chemistry

+Chemistry kit

[Colleen in NS]

Recently, I've listened to the writing and literary analysis lectures over and over to make sure I'm getting it right and to gain some confidence.

 

Aren't they just great? I feel like I'm constantly advertising them here. But they were so helpful to me.

 

To answer your question about literature programs: No, I absolutely don't see a need for an extra literature program in the grammar or logic stages if a person is using the questions in WTM and having the student write about them as described in both WTM and the literary analysis lecture.

 

Writing - I have them (7th and 8th grader) do one writing project per day. They get to choose what they will do on a given day, but they know that in a week they should do 2 outlines, write from 2 of their outlines, and do one literary essay. I let them choose what they will outline and show them how to find something. So, for example, yesterday 7th grader outlined a section of her science text and 8th grader wrote a page and a half from an outline she had previously done from the old Kingfisher Illustrated History. Tuesday, 7th grader finished Sing Down the Moon. We discussed it using the questions in WTM, and she wrote 1/2 page about what we discussed. I'm tring to get her to write longer literary essays, but this is a stretch for her as it is. We'll work on this.

 

We work very similarly.

 

Writing Skills - We're still doing dictations and I'm using WWE4.

 

Would you be willing to share why the 7th grader is still doing dictations? It's something I carried on through grade 6 (partway through, anyway), but have dropped this year. But a part of me still worries that I should still have ds do it. He does very well now (and believe me this is a LOOOOOONNNNGGGG way from where we were when he was around grade 4) with getting his thoughts into words and words onto paper; the second of which was my aim for dictations. But he never did do excellently at those WWE 4 dictations. I sort of gave up on them when he transitioned over to writing his own narrations without my help, because his sentences were fairly involved; I imagine due to all the reading he has done. BUT. Is there any merit in maybe having him practice those longer dictations? I used to wonder why SWB made them so long - what is the thinking behind that? Any insights?

 

I hope more people will post about what WTM in practice looks like in their homes.

 

I'm glad you posted yours. I've always liked your posts - you are one of the long-time WTMers who have gone before me! :)

 

I've been using Rod and Staff Grammar, but I have to say that I just hate it. This has never happened to me before.

 

Uh, oh, now when *you* say something like this, I listen, because I've admired your posts for years. I am just getting into R&S 7 for the first time. What is it you hate about it - is it book 7? You've used it before, right? Are you just tired of R&S in general? So far, I like it, but it definitely is more challenging to me, grammar-wise. And I find myself having to explain theological things more often because the grammar teaching understandably incorporates more of their beliefs. I can see that as we move along, this is going to happen more, esp. in books 9 and 10. So far I'm planning to stick with it, but since *you* are saying you hate it, I wonder why. I wonder if I am going to come up against something that I'm not aware of yet.....

[momee]

Thank you all so much for posting that.

With all those recommendations and peppering of wisdom, I'll be printing this one out and reading for a while.

 

You know what I think has drawn me back to WTM?

 

That statement I made about if I had been using it for my kids as she's recommended I'd be very pleased with their progress.

 

We've switched around and jumped and hopped. I'm ready to do what works, do it well, and partake of the fruit of our labor!

Thanks for the encouragment! and I am listening to those lectures by SWB now. Very helpful. Loving the independent learning one. Everyone needs quiet time in this house, asap:tongue_smilie:

[Jean in CA]

You are welcome!

 

It took me many years to find the balance of how much to research, modify, tweak, and when to "just do it!"

 

I learned that re-inventing the wheel isn't always better, and have appreciated the time saved from sticking close to SWB's recommendations. Especially in teaching the oldest child, this has saved me much time!

 

Jean

[Jane Elliot]

I'm glad you posted yours. I've always liked your posts .....

 

And I yours, Colleen!

 

You asked why I've continued with the dictations for the 7th grader. Actually it's probably the 8th grader who needs them more. She just still needs some help practicing "holding a thought in her head" as SWB puts it. She's also still gaining confidence in punctuating a sentence correctly. And she's needing to develop a better ear for what a beautiful sentence sounds like. Probably if I had been more diligent with dictations when she was younger....sigh.

[mcconnellboys]

I wonder if my personal book is some sort of misprint, LOL.... I wish I would have marked all the times there's been a misuse of possessives; if so, I'd give you page numbers. Once might be just an accident, but several times within the first hundred pages of the book seems a bit much for a grammar book, if you know what I mean....

 

Just about every lesson seems to me to be written in an excessively wordy way. It's not that the lessons are incorrect (save for those minor printing errors that I think should have been corrected). It's just the verbage that seems so taxing to me! My son has groaned so many times when I've picked it up to begin that I'm losing heart over it. I started reading yet another boring tome on Thursday and just couldn't take it any more. WHY do I want to make my already language arts challenged son hate grammar by doing this to him????

 

No, I haven't used this level before. Abeka was the recommended text when my older son was going through school. I used the God's Gift of Language series A, B, C with him, then the Language and Composition series (whatever it's called) I, II, and III before he went back to private school. I like Abeka and have no problems with it. However, it's set up well to be used in a workbook format and my younger son tends to want to just work through it on his own (trying to get him to go through it with me at this point would just cause a power struggle). He just doesn't do well going through it on his own. He's just not a language arts kinda guy like my older son was....

 

I wanted to slow down and go through the lessons with him more thoroughly. So I thought changing programs this year would give me the perfect excuse to do that without a struggle. I used R&S with him in second and third grade, before switching over to the Abeka A,B,C books. Other than the rather extreme religious content (I think 2 was worse than 3), I did like them. I'm as shocked as anyone that I dislike the way this level is written so very much. Perhaps if I had used the 4, 5, and 6 books with him, the changes each year would have been more incremental and I wouldn't notice them at all. But coming back to this series after three years away from it is just killing me (and him).....

 

So I guess I'm jumping ship. I've heard many good recommendations regarding Easy Grammar from a friend who also has a very LA resistent son, so I'm hopeful perhaps this will help me fill the gap for my son. Best of all, she says that he is actually enjoying it and says things like, "I'm getting pretty good at this grammar business." She's been testing his knowledge in other areas of their work to see if it's carrying over from the exercises and reports that it is, indeed. So I guess that's the way I'm going at this point.....

 

If I have to pinpoint my biggest point of displeasure with the work, I guess I'd have to say it's just the syntax. It's not at all enjoyable for me to read aloud and it's not enjoyable for my son who is listening, either. I just don't think that a grammar book need be boring and uncomfortable to read. The subject matter isn't exactly everyone's favorite thing to hear, anyway, LOL, so why not at least make the work readable?

 

I've thought of just sort of paraphrasing and using the exercises, but that sort of slows me down in getting grammar covered because I need to be able to read through the lesson first. I'd rather have a pick up and go curriculum that I don't have to pre-read every day....

 

Maybe I'm just getting too old and muddled to think, LOL. Maybe my brain is wallowing in the shallows of too much internet usage and I can't deal with complex syntax in a written work anymore, I don't know.... or maybe I'm just my same old, impatient self.....

[Colleen in NS]

And I yours, Colleen!

 

needing to develop a better ear for what a beautiful sentence sounds like.

 

Aw, thank you!

 

And, hmmm...I could give this reason a bit of thought for ds....thanks for explaining.

 

I wonder if my personal book is some sort of misprint, LOL.... I wish I would have marked all the times there's been a misuse of possessives; if so, I'd give you page numbers. Once might be just an accident, but several times within the first hundred pages of the book seems a bit much for a grammar book, if you know what I mean....

 

Oh wow, yeah! Now I'm going to have to go comb through it - I think we are past those pages, but I hadn't noticed!! But probably because I am still learning grammar myself.

 

Just about every lesson seems to me to be written in an excessively wordy way. It's not that the lessons are incorrect (save for those minor printing errors that I think should have been corrected). It's just the verbage that seems so taxing to me! My son has groaned so many times when I've picked it up to begin that I'm losing heart over it. I started reading yet another boring tome on Thursday and just couldn't take it any more.

 

I am howling with laughter! I know exactly what you mean. And it's funny - I thought you had been using it all along, and had used book 7 before - but I, as one who HAS been using it all along, still find it to be wordy! I thought it was just because I was getting tired of learning new things every. single. year. and feeling like the idiot who didn't get what she should have gotten in my own public education.

 

It's not at all enjoyable for me to read aloud and it's not enjoyable for my son who is listening, either. I just don't think that a grammar book need be boring and uncomfortable to read. The subject matter isn't exactly everyone's favorite thing to hear, anyway, LOL, so why not at least make the work readable?

 

Yep, I get it. I couldn't imagine reading it out loud. We both sit on the couch and read our books silently, then go through the exercises together. But, he gets it by reading silently, so there isn't usually much to discuss or clarify. I could see why a non-LA child could get sick of listening to it read aloud very quickly!

 

Maybe I'm just getting too old and muddled to think, LOL. Maybe my brain is wallowing in the shallows of too much internet usage and I can't deal with complex syntax in a written work anymore, I don't know.... or maybe I'm just my same old, impatient self.....

 

:lol::lol::lol: This last bit is hysterical to me! I totally get it.

 

Thanks for explaining! Now I know it's not just me who sometimes feels bogged down. I'm even feeling that way with R&S math book 8 right now. It doesn't seem to explain some of the "why" behind things as much anymore - but probably because it assumes you've had the previous levels. Oh well. I'm going to continue, because I just. don't. feel. up. to. researching anything else (those Dolciani 1960s TEs keep eluding me and it's really frustrating), and I'm (we're) at least learning grammar/math.

[mcconnellboys]

Ah, I don't even know if Russian Math (Perpendicular Press) goes higher than level 6 (which is really pre-algebra), I absolutely love the elegance of it!