just another shameless plug for MCT

[jenniferlee]

I'm sure it's been said already here before, but the MCT curriculum is rejuvenating ME! MY love for language and learning is being so stimulated. When I read through the lessons for the children I keep pausing to say, isn't that amazing? Or - can you believe that poem, it's so cool! or wow, I had no idea about all these word meanings/origins - or whatever.

Really, I don't think the kids are getting half as much out of it as I am:D

Anyway, just had to share with people who would understand. I tried to explain it to my dh and he was very polite about it, but....:tongue_smilie:

 

Jen

[Caitilin]

I agree--it's at least as much for ME that we do it as for my dc. :tongue_smilie: Love, love, love MCT. :)

[radiobrain]

:D

[phathui5]

What is MCT?

[Granny_Weatherwax]

What is MCT?

 

Make sure you have a hot beverage and lots of time then do a search. You will find enough threads to keep you busy for a month.

 

In short MCT stands for Michael Clay Thompson's Language Arts. It's a program a few of us use to teach grammar, writing, vocab and poetry. It is published by Royal Fireworks Press (RFWP).

 

To the OP: :D

[lisabees]

DS11 is coming home for the first time in January and I am sooo excited to do MCT again!!! I used it last year with ds14 who returned to ps.

 

Fun for everyone. :D

[1Togo]

We are huge MCT fans in this house -- all components. However, I want to put in a plug for Caesar's English. We have used several vocabulary programs throughout our homeschool years, but dd now adores words because of Caesar's English. In recent weeks, odious is a favorite since there are many odious things in life.:tongue_smilie: These and other CE words like specious, exculpate, and tremulous are becoming part of her everyday speech as well as her writing. It's not that she has never read these words, but CE has been the bridge for incorporating them into her life. Rich words also add depth and humor to difficult life situations.

Edited November 22, 2010 by 1Togo

[Sweetpeach]

I jumped on the MCT bandwagon because (a) our LA study was all. over. the. map and (b) the smartie-pants on this board were all over MCT LA.

 

We've been working our way through Grammar Town and Voyage with the Peachey Men (age 10 & 12) and we're all enjoying ourselves.

 

Studying grammar with MCT LA feels like we're putting a colourful puzzle together . . . and the kids ask for more.

 

My oldest did CLE 5 last year - he toiled and slogged and got it done but wasn't overly inspired and though he did very well on the end-of-year CAT, his love of language certainly didn't blossom. I've got my toes and fingers crossed that MCT LA will do both . . . inspire language learning and cover all the bases of necessary grammar learning.

 

Onward!

 

Tricia

[catz]

We are huge MCT fans in this house -- all components. However, I want to put in a plug for Caesar's English. We have used several vocabulary programs throughout our homeschool years, but dd now adores words because of Caesar's English. In recent weeks, odious is a favorite since there are many odious things in life.:tongue_smilie: These and other CE words like specious, exculpate, and tremulous are becoming part of her everyday speech as well as her writing. It's not that she has never read these words, but CE has been the bridge for incorporating them into her life. Rich words also add depth and humor to difficult life situations.

 

:iagree: My 10 year old is doing CE right now and I can't tell you how much fun he is having right now in very much the same way. His countenance is often serene, grotesque, or odious depending on the circumstances. :D I was really intimidated by the book when I first flipped through it and thought he'd hate it after loving Island level last year. Island felt like a breeze. We both LOVE it. Even my 6 year old is tailing it.

[jenniferlee]

Yes, I LOVE caesar's english! So much to learn and so many connections to be made. It is really expanding my sense of the connectedness of the language, where I used to always feel that English was so disjointed. I've decided to start the children in a formal Latin program now because I can finally see the benefit just from learning the stems.

[5Wizards]

My Island level books arrived yesterday and I'm so excited! I spent some time today looking through the material and I haven't been disappointed so far. I really struggled about whether to start with Island or Town, but I'm happy I will be starting at the beginning (and then my other 2 kids can use the material later). We'll probably fly through some of it as my DD does have a good LA background, but that's ok. It looks like great fun! Woohoo!!!!!!

[In the Rain]

Anyway, just had to share with people who would understand. I tried to explain it to my dh and he was very polite about it, but....:tongue_smilie:

 

Jen

 

:lol: This made me laugh out loud. My dh is the same way.

[ElizabethB]

:lol: This made me laugh out loud. My dh is the same way.

 

:iagree:

 

My daughter is appreciative, though! She thanks me for getting it and a few other things she likes better than what we were previously using.

[Shawn On the Border]

Ds12 and I love Caesar's English. We are studying words in Caesar's English and reading some classic scary stories in a collection (Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, etc.). He's thrilled when he picks up on a word we've been studying. I wish I had done it with his older brother!

[OregonNative]

What an encouraging thread! I just rec'd Grammar Island last week and am excited to start using it.

[Trish]

Even though we could easily start in town, now that the books are in I'm gratified that we're starting with Island. Just reading it over myself If found it a fascinating way to look at language, and to get kids excited about it. From the samples on the site I wasn't sure I'd like the funky typeface, but in person I actually DO. Love the illustrations, too.

 

I can't wait to dive into this with the kids on Monday.

[nd293]

I'm getting excited all over again! We did Grammar Island this year and I ordered Grammar Town et al last night. Their website isn't set up for foreign orders, though, so I have to wait for an e-mail telling me the outrageous amount of overseas postage I will have to pay. It will be worth it, though. Someone actually offered to buy my Grammar Island books recently. As though I'd ever part with them!

 

I'm glad the vocabulary programme gets such good comments - I really didn't enjoy Building Language.

 

Nikki (in Australia)

[KarenNC]

We're doing Town level. My daughter did not enjoy the Grammar Town text, but has fun with Practice Town (says it's like a puzzle) and likes Paragraph Town and Ceasar's Engilsh. We've only done a bit with Building Poems so far, but she also likes it. I was worried at the start because we started with Grammar Town alone, but once we pulled in all the coordinating pieces, it's really coming together.

[Matryoshka]

We're doing Town level. My daughter did not enjoy the Grammar Town text, but has fun with Practice Town (says it's like a puzzle) and likes Paragraph Town and Ceasar's Engilsh. We've only done a bit with Building Poems so far, but she also likes it. I was worried at the start because we started with Grammar Town alone, but once we pulled in all the coordinating pieces, it's really coming together.

 

This has happened here, too. MCT is my favorite thing for grammar, but strangely, the actual grammar texts (Grammar Town/Voyage) have not gone over well - mostly because they're pretty much straight review of the previous levels. The thin veneer of "theme" doesn't fool them. :tongue_smilie: They say, "this is exactly like the last book", and I can't argue...

 

However, the Practice/Writing/Vocab/Poetry books have all been big hits.

(Well, my kids aren't crazy about the Poetry books, but I love them. They are very meaty - I think they might actually like those better when we've done a second level and they're more familiar with the material).

 

Grammar Island did go over very well with my youngest, but I think because it was the first one she'd seen. I'll probably let her skip the GT book and go right into the rest of the Town level (as I let my older two skip GV and go on to the rest of Voyage).

 

Magic Lens seems to be a lot of review in the first part, but the Loops look very useful. We'll have to see how that goes, we'll be starting it soon with my older two.

[KarenNC]

This has happened here, too. MCT is my favorite thing for grammar, but strangely, the actual grammar texts (Grammar Town/Voyage) have not gone over well - mostly because they're pretty much straight review of the previous levels. The thin veneer of "theme" doesn't fool them. :tongue_smilie: They say, "this is exactly like the last book", and I can't argue...

 

 

I wonder if it's partially that there's a lot of explanation and not much "doing" in Grammar Town (the only one I've used)? I wish that it was set up a bit more like Paragraph Town, where the back of the book has it broken into lessons with practice. I realize Practice Town is the practice portion for GT, but I'd like to see more in the GT book in addition to that.

 

Of course, it could also be at least partly that this is my first attempt at using this material and I didn't have the optimal mix of using the various elements. :) I've also found that having her review the parts of speech, etc when she misses them or is uncertain in Practice Town helps. For some reason, she cannot seem to remember what's what (incredibly frustrating). I've been pulling in examples from "The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed" by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, a book my husband had (be aware it isn't aimed at children, rather PG-13 at times, but fun). She seems to remember prepositions more clearly, for instance, when given examples like: "The baby vampire hurled his bottle at his nanny and screamed for type O instead.";)

Edited November 27, 2010 by KarenNC