Can someone point me in the direction of the best MCT thread...

[Shawna in Texas]

I called the company... I had already figured that I'd start my 3rd and 4th grader in Island together (although, they will both fly through this). They suggested I buy the first three sets, and let my oldest read through Island and Town (not do all of the practice), and then do Voyage.

 

So, if I do Island/Town for my 3/4 kids and Voyages for my oldest, I still need a spelling program for my 3/4 (They can be in the same level, my 4th grader struggles a bit with spelling, my 3rd grader is pretty much once and done). I still need to cover diagramming...and something else for other writing assignments?

 

I found a suggestion for an e-book for diagramming. But is there something else that might be better?

 

I have a nice sized budget to work with next year, but I don't think I could do MCT and IEW (I think that might be overkill?)

 

Suggestions? Ideas? Thanks.

 

I don't think you'll need additional writing unless you want to add copywork, dictations, and narrations should you feel you need to. Paragraph Town and Essay Voyage are really quite thorough.

 

If you're set on diagramming, I'd just diagram the same sentences from the Practice books that you are already analyzing.

[TracyP]

Also, could you guys briefly tell me how you use/schedule these books? (Talk about a general question! :001_smile:) What does a typical day/year look like? Perfect world and/or real world. We will be using the island series.

 

 

I ran across this thread and thought it might help answer your question.

[Susan in KY]

I have a nice sized budget to work with next year, but I don't think I could do MCT and IEW (I think that might be overkill?)

 

Yes, I think it would be overkill. Spend $12 on SWB's writing lectures for elementary, middle and high school. It's money better spent, and then you can move forward from there after you firm up the basics. :001_smile:

[Aludlam]

I ran across this thread and thought it might help answer your question.

 

Thanks it was a help.

 

Ok, before I order --- if RFP the best /only place to get MCT?

[Capt_Uhura]

yes it's the only place unless you find it used on the for sale boards.

[Aludlam]

Ok then. So, unless anyone has any objections (;)), I am ordering the Basic Island Package.

 

Sound good?

[Mom-ninja.]

Thanks for helping me (and others) out.

 

Now, oh wise MCT masters, shall I go ahead and get Sentence Island now and do it along with FLL4, or should I wait until next year and do it after we go through Grammar Town?

[Dawn E]

Ok then. So, unless anyone has any objections (;)), I am ordering the Basic Island Package.

 

Sound good?

 

Wait..wait...

 

Just kidding. :D It took me a little while to pull the trigger last year, but I am so glad I did. We've been just fine with the Basic package. I use MCT alongside what we were using before. It is such a breath of fresh air. Dd loves it. I'm sure you and your dc will, too.

[Aludlam]

Wait..wait...

 

Just kidding. :D It took me a little while to pull the trigger last year, but I am so glad I did. We've been just fine with the Basic package. I use MCT alongside what we were using before. It is such a breath of fresh air. Dd loves it. I'm sure you and your dc will, too.

 

 

You are SOOO funny!

 

credit card is smoking.

 

How long does the shipping usually take?

[Dawn E]

I'm thinking it was right around a week...but I'm not certain. I'm so spoiled by Amazon Prime. I want everything to arrive in two days.

[idnib]

You are SOOO funny!

 

credit card is smoking.

 

How long does the shipping usually take?

 

I'm not using MCT LA (kids are too young) but I just ordered other items from RFWP on Nov 6 and they arrived Nov 16. I'm on the West coast and it shipped from Unionville, NY. HTH.

 

I lurk on all the MCT threads and think of life 2-3 years from now. :tongue_smilie:

[MariannNOVA]

Enjoy!

 

The more you are looking forward to the MCT arriving, the longer it seems to take!:lol: I remember waiting for what seemed like weeks this time last year -- it really only took about 4 days, I think.

 

One more thing -- if you do read alouds or if your kids are always looking for something to read, the RFWP website has wonderful fiction/non-fiction lists with wonderful, complete descriptions and age/grade recommendations.

 

My dd10 just read TREEHUGGERS a few weeks ago (literally the week after it was published) and she recommends it to everyone -- she loved it.

 

HTH!

[love2read]

What do you think of the poetry studies? I must admit that I'm not a lover. And from the surface, I really don't see the point.

It clicked for me when MCT said (In Building Poems around pg 60)

"The English language is naturally iambic. We tend to speak in iambs naturally. For this reason, poets use iambs for noble characters and good news, and often use trochees--anti iambs--for evil and for villains."

This, after having given examples of iambs and trochees so that they were both already our good friends. Some naturally manipulate these things in their writing and speaking without giving them a name, others intentionally make use of them. We now know their little secret :glare:

[idnib]

Enjoy!

One more thing -- if you do read alouds or if your kids are always looking for something to read, the RFWP website has wonderful fiction/non-fiction lists with wonderful, complete descriptions and age/grade recommendations.

 

I can't seem to find these on the site. Can you point me to them? For some reason the RFWP site and I don't have a meeting of the minds. I can never find anything on there. TIA...

[MariannNOVA]

I can't seem to find these on the site. Can you point me to them? For some reason the RFWP site and I don't have a meeting of the minds. I can never find anything on there. TIA...

 

of course --sorry I didn't see this sooner -- next time, just PM me!

 

http://www.rfwp.com/browse_novels.php

 

On the home page, to the left there is a column of items in red -- look for novels. HTH :)

[idnib]

of course --sorry I didn't see this sooner -- next time, just PM me!

 

http://www.rfwp.com/browse_novels.php

 

On the home page, to the left there is a column of items in red -- look for novels. HTH :)

 

Thanks so much! I wish I'd seen this before I ordered on the 6th. I'll get some next time.

[MariannNOVA]

Thanks so much! I wish I'd seen this before I ordered on the 6th. I'll get some next time.

 

You're welcome! And somewhere on this curric board (I'm sorry it will require a search - but an rfwp search which should not be as bad as an MCT search) I think I did a list of rfwp novels. I'll look for it and post the link to the thread here if I can find it.

 

ETA: Here is some of it -- I know I did this a couple of times -- I will check in my PM box.

We are reading JULIETTA - I selected this as a novel for dd 5th grade as literature with her History Odyssey Middle Ages work, but we are doing it as a read aloud as the twins (3rd grade) LOVE the story as well.

 

Here are the others (we are reading JULIETTA and one other right now - I get :willy_nilly: if we have more than two read alouds going on simultaneously. I have given the links to other RFWP titles below that I have purchased or will be purchasing as I plan for summer and the new school year.

 

http://www.rfwp.com/0890.htm (reading right now) - Harly Weaver (I selected this b/c we are seriously impressing upon all three children the discipline and responsibility involved in playing a sport)

 

http://www.rfwp.com/2621.htm Ordering this to use with Medieval History in 4th grade curric for coming school year. TALES FROM MERRIE ENGLAND I AND II

 

http://www.rfwp.com/9007.htm (Ordering this simply b/c I am baseball fanatic and I collected BB cards when I was a kid -it will probably be a read aloud.) THE T-206 HONUS WAGNER CAPER

 

http://www.rfwp.com/1609.htm (Ordering for all three to use as Literature when studying this time period in History) TRAPPED!

 

http://www.rfwp.com/4632.htm (Ordering as Lit to be read when studying Civil War) WAR COMES TO MADELINE

 

http://www.rfwp.com/3733.htm (Ordering for Lit for WWII History Study) WE HAVE TO ESCAPE

 

http://www.rfwp.com/6393.htm (Ordering for Lit for Civil War Study) YOUNG HEROES OF THE CIVIL WAR

 

http://www.rfwp.com/6416.htm A WILL OF HER OWN (Link to a review if you follow my link) - shakespeare, elizabethan - dd will be reading this within a month or two

 

http://www.rfwp.com/1064.htm CASSIE'S WAR (WWII)

 

http://www.rfwp.com/4969.htm CHARLIE BOY (1890s)

 

http://www.rfwp.com/3105.htm THE EERIE CANAL - (1829) Will do as a read aloud for the 4th grade twins

 

http://www.rfwp.com/3105.htm GLASS INHERITANCE (WWII)

 

Edited November 20, 2010 by MariannNOVA