Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 ...what should I buy and what grade do you start? Do you all use the complete package or just parts? I would be buying Level 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonNative Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 subbing-I am considering this too for grade 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 (edited) You only need the basic homeschool package. It comes w/ just teacher editions of the books. You do need the teacher and student editions of Practice Island. well, you don't absolutely need it if you want to have DC write the sentences down or you want to write them on a board but I like DC to have their own Practice Island b/c it's easy to take with us. So you need: Grammar Island teacher manual Practice Island teacher manual Practice Island student book (you may want this) Building Language Music of the Hemispheres Sentence Island teacher manual I think for Town level, MCT has revamped Grammar Town and they now recommend HSers to get both the Teacher and Student manual since he put more teacher help in that one. I have not seen all of it yet to say whether or not agree. hth, Capt_Uhura Edited November 14, 2010 by Capt_Uhura changing complete to basic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 You only need the complete homeschool package. It comes w/ just teacher editions of the books. You do need the teacher and student editions of Practice Island. well, you don't absolutely need it if you want to have DC write the sentences down or you want to write them on a board but I like DC to have their own Practice Island b/c it's easy to take with us. So you need: Grammar Island teacher manual Practice Island teacher manual Practice Island student book (you may want this) Building Language Music of the Hemispheres Sentence Island teacher manual I think for Town level, MCT has revamped Grammar Town and they now recommend HSers to get both the Teacher and Student manual since he put more teacher help in that one. I have not seen all of it yet to say whether or not agree. hth, Capt_Uhura Capt made a little mistake... she meant to type the Basic HS package. :D I am also not positive, but I think that with the Town level, they include the SB for Grammar Town with the basic package now. I haven't checked, as I finished with Town and don't need to buy anything else until Spring. I think I read that on the yahoo group at some point... but I wasn't paying close attention. Island Level.... 3rd- 4th as a general rule, can be a bit sooner or later, depending on your kid and family. All other levels build on that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 Thank you both! Can you tell me the difference between the teacher manuals and student manuals? From the samples it looks like they are basically the same. Are they hard cover or soft cover? Is everything except the Practice Island book non-consumable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 As yes, Thanks Radiobrain! I corrected my post. That will teach me to type in a hurry. :lol: The teacher manuals have little blue boxes with teaching tips etc. Other than that, they are complete full-sized reproductions of the student manual. My boys and I read through it together. They are soft cover but mine have wore pretty well. Yes, the only consumable is the Practice Book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 Thanks! Also, does it teach diagramming in the upper levels? I'm thinking not as I couldn't find anything about diagramming but maybe I'm missing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 Everything except Practice Island is nonconsumable. They are softcover. I have had to type a few pages from the TM for ds (pretest, posttest, quiz) because answers are on the page in the TM or on the next page. I've just used Post-Its (software stars out letters if you don't use the hyphen here... wow) to cover some of the notes in the TM. None of the levels teach diagramming. The "four level analysis" does teach parts of speech. We modify it and I have ds draw arrows from adjectives and adverbs to what they are modifying. I also got Rex Barks and we're using it for diagramming. It felt really strange to me starting out with the MCT program. Overall, I'm liking it though and it's getting done more than Write Source did last year! I am planning on going to the Town level next year and am looking forward to seeing MCT present at the SE convention this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 Everything except Practice Island is nonconsumable. They are softcover. I have had to type a few pages from the TM for ds (pretest, posttest, quiz) because answers are on the page in the TM or on the next page. I've just used Post-Its (software stars out letters if you don't use the hyphen here... wow) to cover some of the notes in the TM. None of the levels teach diagramming. The "four level analysis" does teach parts of speech. We modify it and I have ds draw arrows from adjectives and adverbs to what they are modifying. I also got Rex Barks and we're using it for diagramming. It felt really strange to me starting out with the MCT program. Overall, I'm liking it though and it's getting done more than Write Source did last year! I am planning on going to the Town level next year and am looking forward to seeing MCT present at the SE convention this year! Thanks! It took me a good couple of minutes to figure out that it was Post-Its that had been blocked (it showed up as Pos**** when I first read your post), and why:lol: I couldn't figure out what you could use that would be blocked. My dd is in 1st so I think I'll get it and see what I think. In the past I've used (and loved) Shurley English but am always open to trying something new;) From what I can tell the parsing looks similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 (edited) None of the levels teach diagramming.The "four level analysis" does teach parts of speech. I have heard that MCT teaches traditional diagramming in one of the middle school levels. We're finishing up the "town" level so I'm not sure which of the Magic Lens books contains it. My DD finished Practice Town on Friday & I'm having her start the Mark Twain Media Sentence Diagramming workbook on Monday. Edited November 14, 2010 by Crimson Wife fixed typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 I've glanced through the upper levels. I may be wrong and someone feel free to correct me, but I don't think MCT teaches traditional diagramming. He uses diagramming to illustrate points he's trying to make but he doesn't teach it in a step by step systematic way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 I've glanced through the upper levels. I may be wrong and someone feel free to correct me, but I don't think MCT teaches traditional diagramming. He uses diagramming to illustrate points he's trying to make but he doesn't teach it in a step by step systematic way. I haven't seen upper levels at all, but I thought on the Yahoo group it was said clearly by MCT that he doesn't use diagramming, so I don't expect it to be anywhere (there're forums now and the yahoo group is ending - but the forums will likely be helpful for MCT users). Cheryl - just as a heads-up - the Island level is recommended for 3rd/4th grade. I don't know that my son would have been able to use it well in 1st or 2nd. YMMV :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 I haven't seen upper levels at all, but I thought on the Yahoo group it was said clearly by MCT that he doesn't use diagramming, so I don't expect it to be anywhere (there're forums now and the yahoo group is ending - but the forums will likely be helpful for MCT users). Cheryl - just as a heads-up - the Island level is recommended for 3rd/4th grade. I don't know that my son would have been able to use it well in 1st or 2nd. YMMV :) Thanks:001_smile: That's what I was wondering. The earliest I'd start would likely be 3rd (I don't like to start before 3rd). My dd is slightly older because she has a summer birthday but I still think I'd wait until she is in 3rd grade (9 years old), which gives me time to figure it out (or stress about it:lol:). ETA, why is the Yahoo group ending? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonNative Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 Sorry to hijack, but I have a question about the basic package: Do I need all of these items to just teach grammar? Grammar Island Building Language Music Hemispheres Sentence Island Practice Island Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 Sorry to hijack, but I have a question about the basic package: Do I need all of these items to just teach grammar? Grammar Island Building Language Music Hemispheres Sentence Island Practice Island What you have listed is grammar, writing, vocabulary and poetry. ETA: To just teach grammar you could omit BL and MH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonNative Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 What you have listed is grammar, writing, vocabulary and poetry. ETA: To just teach grammar you could omit BL and MH Thanks!! I was a bit confused about what to order:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 ETA, why is the Yahoo group ending? Because they're making the switch to forums: http://rfwpsupport.com/forum.php I think it'll make searching easier. And I hope it makes checking errata easier too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted November 14, 2010 Share Posted November 14, 2010 Sorry to hijack, but I have a question about the basic package: Do I need all of these items to just teach grammar? Grammar Island Building Language Music Hemispheres Sentence Island Practice Island Hijack away:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.