S/O Apologia Notebooks - could they be used by a 5yo..?

[Hedgehog]

I'm planning on getting the Astronomy Notebooks very soon for DD11 and DD9. We started the program but have paused just briefly while I figure a few things out re these notebooks.

 

Currently DS5 is listening in to our reading of Science and is always very interested, and likes to be included in what we're doing. He's on Lesson 32 of OPGTR (knows all his letter sounds and is beginning to sound out simple words; he's not having any trouble with this); he's also capable of a limited amount of copywork (think short birthday thank you letter length) without much bother. So do you think it would be a good idea to get this little fella a Notebook as well? Bearing in mind that (hopefully!) his reading and writing will improve as we go on? My hesitation is over money, really.. I want to be sure it will be worth it as they're not exactly 2 a penny..

 

TIA! :001_smile:

[Tidbits of Learning]

I would not buy one for a 5 year old. I would print one of the free ones off the site for his so he could be included in notebooking.

[Guest]

Well, I would say it depends on the 5 year old and how advanced he/ she is. I am sure there are 5 year olds out there that are capable of using it and getting quite a bit out of it. My son at just over 5 had completed HOP Learn-to-Read and was reading probably at a mid to late 2nd grade at the time. He was also using Horizons K, which is very labor intensive in writing and also ETC. I am not bragging so please don't get me wrong. I am just trying to explain why, I personally, would still not bother with the notebook at that age. It is not just about how well they read and write. There's a lot of information in the Apologia programs for the child to absorb, so maturity is a factor as well. Again, in my opinion. At that age I would just let him absorb what he can, at his level, and either use the free notebook pages (do not print them all, just print the ones you think you will be using) or just make your own. If you make your own, I would just make a "Draw and Caption" one and he can write what he has learned in a short sentence and illustrate. HTH.

 

ETA: He can dictate a sentence to you and you can write it for him while he copies it, to help with spelling.

Edited December 4, 2010 by Guest

[Hedgehog]

....At that age I would just let him absorb what he can, at his level, and either use the free notebook pages (do not print them all, just print the ones you think you will be using) or just make your own. If you make your own, I would just make a "Draw and Caption" one and he can write what he has learned in a short sentence and illustrate. HTH.

 

Are these free notebook pages on a website? I haven't been able to find any. Or is it ok to make copies of some of the notebook pages?? I suppose I could find relevant pictures elsewhere? - the thing about that, is that I do find it very time consuming. Buying curriculum was supposed to save me that!

 

ETA: He can dictate a sentence to you and you can write it for him while he copies it, to help with spelling.

 

I was hoping to be able to do that, which will presumably get better as he progresses with his reading and writing.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

[Guest]

Are these free notebook pages on a website? I haven't been able to find any. Or is it ok to make copies of some of the notebook pages?? I suppose I could find relevant pictures elsewhere? - the thing about that, is that I do find it very time consuming. Buying curriculum was supposed to save me that!

 

 

 

I was hoping to be able to do that, which will presumably get better as he progresses with his reading and writing.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

You probably haven't found them because I don't think they are in the Apologia website. I found them in Fulbright's website. She is the author of the Apologia elementary books. Here's a direct link.

 

http://www.jeanniefulbright.com/notebook-pages

 

This might be useful also:

 

http://www.jeanniefulbright.com/charlotte-mason/notebooking

 

The free notebook pages are basic black and white. The notebook pages found in the journals that you pay for are also black and white. The color pages are the activity pages that are meant to be cut out. They are found in the back of the book.

 

I have one kiddo and I have a hard time keeping up with the stuff I want us to do, so I know what you are talking about. I prepared some of our notebook pages prior to our starting date but as we go along I get new ideas and change things or add things. It took me about 6 weeks for lesson planning, scheduling, printing stuff and putting things together. And this just for one child :lol:. I am saving whatever I make for my next child. It will make it a little easier. I hope :tongue_smilie:! Anyway, I know it would be difficult if I had several little ones to do this for.

 

What you could do is get him the journal, if you prefer, and check it out and put it aside for him if you feel he is not ready for it. When I place my next order for my son Adrian, for next year, I intend to also purchase replacements for all our workbooks that my oldest is using now, to save for my youngest. I intend to get the journal also and put it aside for him just in case something changes with the program in the future. HTH.

[Hedgehog]

I would not buy one for a 5 year old. I would print one of the free ones off the site for his so he could be included in notebooking.

 

You probably haven't found them because I don't think they are in the Apologia website. I found them in Fulbright's website. She is the author of the Apologia elementary books. Here's a direct link.

 

http://www.jeanniefulbright.com/notebook-pages

 

This might be useful also:

 

http://www.jeanniefulbright.com/charlotte-mason/notebooking

 

The free notebook pages are basic black and white. The notebook pages found in the journals that you pay for are also black and white. The color pages are the activity pages that are meant to be cut out. They are found in the back of the book.

 

Brilliant. Thanks for that!

 

I have one kiddo and I have a hard time keeping up with the stuff I want us to do, so I know what you are talking about. I prepared some of our notebook pages prior to our starting date but as we go along I get new ideas and change things or add things. It took me about 6 weeks for lesson planning, scheduling, printing stuff and putting things together. And this just for one child :lol:. I am saving whatever I make for my next child. It will make it a little easier. I hope :tongue_smilie:! Anyway, I know it would be difficult if I had several little ones to do this for.

 

What you could do is get him the journal, if you prefer, and check it out and put it aside for him if you feel he is not ready for it. When I place my next order for my son Adrian, for next year, I intend to also purchase replacements for all our workbooks that my oldest is using now, to save for my youngest. I intend to get the journal also and put it aside for him just in case something changes with the program in the future. HTH.

 

For other subjects, I have bought copies of the same program (once I know it's a good fit) as some curricula seem to get updated quite often - like Saxon Math for example; I've already purchased enough of the Meeting Books and workbooks to cover all my dc through to Saxon 5/4, so that they are sure to fit with our edition of the teacher's manual. I didn't think about that aspect of it for Apologia for DS5 but it's a good plan. (Obviously, if any program ends up being a complete misfit for any subsequent dc then I'd sell any unused materials.. I'm not saying they'd have to use it if it ended up being a disaster!!)

 

Thanks so much for your help!

[Nancy Ann]

I think for this age getting some paper that has writing lines on the bottom and blank on top for drawing a picture would be better. I have the notebook for Seas and Oceans and I don't think I could have used it for my son. At 5 my son was only copying 1 sentence. The notebook feels more like 3rd and 4th grade. My son is a 3rd grader now and I am still helping him write stuff in. In general I think notebooking is for older kids who have been doing copywork and writing for a couple years. Lapbooking is usually preferable for younger kids. There are lapbooks for Apologia but they are pretty pricey in my opinion.

 

Also, at this age I will usually have my son tell me what he wants to say and I write it out on a small size white board and than he copies it onto the paper. I have been doing this for several years and now I am gradually having him do his own writing.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Nancy Ann

[Hedgehog]

Lapbooking is usually preferable for younger kids. There are lapbooks for Apologia but they are pretty pricey in my opinion.

 

So the lapbooks are something different to the notebooks?? Where do you get these - are they on Jeannie Fulbright's website too? (I'm hoping not to have to "create" too much myself.)

[bluemongoose]

I use the lapbooks with my 5yo. I get them through rainbow resource.

[Guest]

So the lapbooks are something different to the notebooks?? Where do you get these - are they on Jeannie Fulbright's website too? (I'm hoping not to have to "create" too much myself.)

 

Like a pp mentioned Rainbow is my main curriculum provider also, so that is where I purchased the journal. They currently have a special on shipping for US residents. You get free shipping on orders over $25 until Dec 16th. I am attaching the link here for the Astronomy lapbook options.

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?sid=1291720150-894142&subject=2&category=2714

 

You have three options. The pre-assembled are pricey and pointless for you since they are already assembled so your child would have nothing to do. The other two options would be to either buy the CD's and print the booklets off yourself or buy the pre-printed booklets. Two thoughts for you to consider. I see from your signature that you have another little one. With the CD's you can use them again to print for your younger child. You can even use them for you older children also. Since they are CD's you can print unlimited copies for your family. With the pre-printed booklet pages, not only are you paying more but also it will be for only one child to use. Of course you have the cost of construction paper to factor in but that is pretty inexpensive anyway. Just some thoughts for you to consider.

I chose the journal for my son, for one because he is older, and also because we are already doing lapbooks for TOG so I figured that it might be a little too much. I did really like the journals from the start though anyway ;).

[Guest]

Yikes... sorry, I just noticed you are in England :tongue_smilie:. Nope, you pay more shipping than we do so the only way that it would be useful for you to order from Rainbow is if you have a larger order. That's what I do. Here is their shipping policy:

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/policyfaq.php?sid=1291720150-894142

 

Just scroll down :).

Edited December 7, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

OK, I'm back. Another option. Knowledge Box is the company that puts out the lapbooks. Through their site it seems that you can get them as ebook downloads, which would save you the shipping. One thing to point out though, they are $15.99 each and they are split up into two ebook downloads (half the lessons in each). Here's the main page with the lapbooks.

 

http://www.knowledgeboxcentral.com/apfupr.html

 

Good luck :)

[Hedgehog]

I'm really liking the idea of these lapbooks. I've just emailed Knowledge Box with lots of questions. I'm having difficulty finding the lapbooks anywhere else that ships to the UK for a reasonable price. (Christian Book ships for 33%, and I'm happy with that; it's too bad they don't supply them along with the Notebooks!)

 

Anyway thanks for your help and the links, I really feel like I'm getting somewhere with this! It's hard when you don't have any contact IRL with anyone who homeschools like you do. All my homeschool aquaintances think I'm nuts for just teaching my kids to read, never mind the finer points of science and history. :001_huh: They are, of course, decidedly hands-off unschoolers - by which I mean, that they leave their kids to learn whatever they can, with virtually no input from the parents. But perhaps this is a subject for another thread!

[Hedgehog]

Yikes... sorry, I just noticed you are in England :tongue_smilie:. Nope, you pay more shipping than we do so the only way that it would be useful for you to order from Rainbow is if you have a larger order.

 

Yeah.. the Rainbow Resource Center is fab, but the shipping is sometimes more than the cost of the stuff you're buying.. :glare: so I don't tend to use them. (How can they justify that, anyway??)

[Guest]

I'm really liking the idea of these lapbooks. I've just emailed Knowledge Box with lots of questions. I'm having difficulty finding the lapbooks anywhere else that ships to the UK for a reasonable price. (Christian Book ships for 33%, and I'm happy with that; it's too bad they don't supply them along with the Notebooks!)

 

Anyway thanks for your help and the links, I really feel like I'm getting somewhere with this! It's hard when you don't have any contact IRL with anyone who homeschools like you do. All my homeschool aquaintances think I'm nuts for just teaching my kids to read, never mind the finer points of science and history. :001_huh: They are, of course, decidedly hands-off unschoolers - by which I mean, that they leave their kids to learn whatever they can, with virtually no input from the parents. But perhaps this is a subject for another thread!

 

Glad you are figuring things out. I don't really have anyone around me that I know of that homeschools :lol:, so you are way ahead of me there. There are many homeschoolers in our area and our library system is very familiar with homeschoolers, it's just that I have not made a conscious effort to meet any. We are registered with an online school (it is law here that we have to be, in order to homeschool) but I choose the curriculum that we will be using. We have a teacher assigned to us and she is probably the only local homeschooler I have contact with :lol:. Think of it this way though, when you know someone IRL you tend to feel more obligated to follow their advise. In a forum you don't usually make these kind of connections so you don't feel that kind of pressure ;).

[Guest]

Yeah.. the Rainbow Resource Center is fab, but the shipping is sometimes more than the cost of the stuff you're buying.. :glare: so I don't tend to use them. (How can they justify that, anyway??)

 

I came across mentions of Rainbow long before I ordered from them for the first time at the start of 2008 and while living in the Middle East. I checked out their website several times but at the time we were using SL and SL had the best shipping for overseas so for things like Math and other programs that they did not carry I just ordered from Christianbook. Then SL's shipping went up and I went supplier shopping.

 

I usually wait and place large orders anyway, even now from Canada since we still pay shipping. If you always order Homeschool supplies from the US and you can wait to place large orders you will see that Rainbow is the best where shipping is concerned. They have pretty much any Homeschool product you can think of and with an order from $500 and up you only pay 20% and for orders $300 - $499.99 you pay 24%. For me here in Canada it is only 8% for orders over $500. That is the lowest I have seen anywhere and believe me I have looked :lol:. Oh, for books (RA's and readers) I also use Bookdepository. I love that I don't have to pay any shipping and the prices are quoted in our currency and charged in CAD. You probably know them since they are a UK company. Most of the time they are cheaper than our local Amazon, so they are my number 2 supplier.

[Hedgehog]

Glad you are figuring things out. I don't really have anyone around me that I know of that homeschools :lol:, so you are way ahead of me there. There are many homeschoolers in our area and our library system is very familiar with homeschoolers, it's just that I have not made a conscious effort to meet any. We are registered with an online school (it is law here that we have to be, in order to homeschool) but I choose the curriculum that we will be using. We have a teacher assigned to us and she is probably the only local homeschooler I have contact with :lol:. Think of it this way though, when you know someone IRL you tend to feel more obligated to follow their advise. In a forum you don't usually make these kind of connections so you don't feel that kind of pressure ;).

 

If you don't mind me asking, what part of Canada are you in, that you have to be registered with an online school? :confused: The reason I ask is because DH and I plan to move back to Canada soon (hopefully!) - he's Canadian - and I don't want to run into trouble with the law through ignorance!!

 

It's true that you come under some pressure to follow the advice of people around you who are doing similar things to you - I know I have done it - but I am getting to be a stubborn old bird and am used to nodding politely and then going off and doing the opposite!!! We've had to do it so many times when we've come under fire from my family.

 

And just by the way.. I took a peek at your blog, Marie.. I just have to say that your kids are unbelievably cute, and that SNOW!!! I am GREEN!! - partly because I know that a dump of snow doesn't stop you guys getting out and about; you can have fun in it and still go about your normal lives, pretty much. Just over a week ago, we had a real cold snap and it snowed to about 10 inches :blink: But the local council don't really deal with it; they plow and salt the main roads, but if you live up on what I guess you'd call a subdivision, well you can forget having your road plowed or salted. We just have to wait until it melts! And no winter tires for love nor money! Sorry for the sidetrack... :001_smile:

[Hedgehog]

I came across mentions of Rainbow long before I ordered from them for the first time at the start of 2008 and while living in the Middle East. I checked out their website several times but at the time we were using SL and SL had the best shipping for overseas so for things like Math and other programs that they did not carry I just ordered from Christianbook. Then SL's shipping went up and I went supplier shopping.

 

I usually wait and place large orders anyway, even now from Canada since we still pay shipping. If you always order Homeschool supplies from the US and you can wait to place large orders you will see that Rainbow is the best where shipping is concerned. They have pretty much any Homeschool product you can think of and with an order from $500 and up you only pay 20% and for orders $300 - $499.99 you pay 24%. For me here in Canada it is only 8% for orders over $500. That is the lowest I have seen anywhere and believe me I have looked :lol:. Oh, for books (RA's and readers) I also use Bookdepository. I love that I don't have to pay any shipping and the prices are quoted in our currency and charged in CAD. You probably know them since they are a UK company. Most of the time they are cheaper than our local Amazon, so they are my number 2 supplier.

 

Hmmm.. I thought the shipping was a flat rate for us, regardless of the cost of stuff ordered.. back off to check that out.. :auto:

 

(I do use the Book Depository quite a bit, but the other suppliers on amazon.co.uk are often competitive.)

[Hedgehog]

For shipping to the UK, I have to pay 5 times the Purchase Order rates, which are:

 

$25 - $49.99 15% ->75%

$50 - $99.99 12% ->60%

$100 - $199.99 10% ->50%

$200 - $299.99 8% ->40%

$300 - $499.99 6% ->30%

$500 and over 4% ->20%

 

So I think it's only worth me using Rainbow Resource if I'm ordering over $300 worth :blink: to be honest, I rarely buy that much in one go. But it is worth knowing the details, just in case.

[Guest]

For shipping to the UK, I have to pay 5 times the Purchase Order rates, which are:

 

$25 - $49.99 15% ->75%

$50 - $99.99 12% ->60%

$100 - $199.99 10% ->50%

$200 - $299.99 8% ->40%

$300 - $499.99 6% ->30%

$500 and over 4% ->20%

 

So I think it's only worth me using Rainbow Resource if I'm ordering over $300 worth :blink: to be honest, I rarely buy that much in one go. But it is worth knowing the details, just in case.

 

OK, I'm back :). Sorry! We were changing Internet providers and had to cancel our older provider on the 8th (for billing purposes) and the new provider just hooked us up today. I did mention several posts ago that it would only be worth your while for larger orders. This was why when we were using SL I would get the extras from Christianbook. Now we are using TOG and I get pretty much everything from Rainbow, with the exception of some programs like FLL, RS4K and the SOTW AG which we got on PDF and avoided the shipping altogether. If you purchase many things locally then it may not be worth you while. I don't buy anything locally because adding in the shipping it is still cheaper to buy from the US. I have purchased just a few books from Amazon.ca that I could not find from Bookdepository. Amazon here seldom has better prices than Bookdep. I even ordered my boys Christmas presents from Rainbow. I could not find the K'Nex sets I wanted for my eldest locally and then factoring in the prices at Toysrus here it is still cheaper to order and pay the shipping. That may not be the same for you there though ;). I have to dash out. More later.

Edited December 15, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

If you don't mind me asking, what part of Canada are you in, that you have to be registered with an online school? :confused: The reason I ask is because DH and I plan to move back to Canada soon (hopefully!) - he's Canadian - and I don't want to run into trouble with the law through ignorance!!

 

It's true that you come under some pressure to follow the advice of people around you who are doing similar things to you - I know I have done it - but I am getting to be a stubborn old bird and am used to nodding politely and then going off and doing the opposite!!! We've had to do it so many times when we've come under fire from my family.

 

And just by the way.. I took a peek at your blog, Marie.. I just have to say that your kids are unbelievably cute, and that SNOW!!! I am GREEN!! - partly because I know that a dump of snow doesn't stop you guys getting out and about; you can have fun in it and still go about your normal lives, pretty much. Just over a week ago, we had a real cold snap and it snowed to about 10 inches :blink: But the local council don't really deal with it; they plow and salt the main roads, but if you live up on what I guess you'd call a subdivision, well you can forget having your road plowed or salted. We just have to wait until it melts! And no winter tires for love nor money! Sorry for the sidetrack... :001_smile:

 

Thank you for your kind words about my boys. We live in British Columbia and where we are we don't see much snow. Adrian loves the snow (we all do) and so we had to take advantage when we got it :). I know what you mean about Europe though. We lived in Greece for a few years and when it snowed even a little everything came to a halt :lol:. I have also lived in the province of Quebec as a child so it was really funny to me. I have shown up for work here in Canada (before I had my boys) in a snowstorm. I could barely see to cross the road after getting off the bus, which took more than two hours to get there.

 

The homeschool laws vary here in Canada as you may already know, depending on the Province. BC is considered one of the best to be in when it comes to homeschooling but Ontario to my knowledge is also very flexible. All that is expected of you here is that you register with a school district. Online schools however also offer funding so they are usually preferred. Here is BC you have two options. You can register, in which case you have all the freedom you want with no requirement to report but you do not get funding and your kids do not get a graduation certificate. Since we are enrolled however, we get the funding and our children will get a graduation certificate (so important in order to get into a University with less hassles) when they are done high school. We do have to report weekly but our teacher is very flexible though. She knows that I work hard to do what we need to do and also meet our PLO's (Provincial Learning Outcomes) so we communicate via emails mostly and I send her what we cover each week and photos of some of Adrian's work. HTH.

Edited December 15, 2010 by Guest

[Hedgehog]

Thank you for your kind words about my boys. We live in British Columbia and where we are we don't see much snow. Adrian loves the snow (we all do) and so we had to take advantage when we got it :). I know what you mean about Europe though. We lived in Greece for a few years and when it snowed even a little everything came to a halt :lol:. I have also lived in the province of Quebec as a child so it was really funny to me. I have shown up for work here in Canada (before I had my boys) in a snowstorm. I could barely see to cross the road after getting off the bus, which took more than two hours to get there.

 

I'm surprised you don't get much in BC, but I'm guessing you must not be in a likely place for it. I have a dear friend who was born and raised on Saltspring Island and she's now living over here with her British dh and two dc, but she showed us lots of photos of snowy winters. Perhaps they were like Newfoundland - snow coming and going all winter long, interspersed with rain, sea fogs, and sleet.

 

The homeschool laws vary here in Canada as you may already know, depending on the Province. BC is considered one of the best to be in when it comes to homeschooling but Ontario to my knowledge is also very flexible. All that is expected of you here is that you register with a school district. Online schools however also offer funding so they are usually preferred. Here is BC you have two options. You can register, in which case you have all the freedom you want with no requirement to report but you do not get funding and your kids do not get a graduation certificate. Since we are enrolled however, we get the funding and our children will get a graduation certificate (so important in order to get into a University with less hassles) when they are done high school. We do have to report weekly but our teacher is very flexible though. She knows that I work hard to do what we need to do and also meet our PLO's (Provincial Learning Outcomes) so we communicate via emails mostly and I send her what we cover each week and photos of some of Adrian's work. HTH.

 

Oh, that sounds like what I had already heard in other provinces - that it's optional. We know that we have to be registered in a school in the province we're planning to live in, but there's nothing more to it than that, according to our homeschooling friends who live there. It's just that we may not stay there forever, and actually the Vancouver area is a possibility later on down the line.

 

I currently see our School Link Officer once a year, and he just comes and we have a natter over a cup of tea and biscuits. He thinks my curricula is great! I'm the blue-eyed girl in this area because of the way that we homeschool - most others are unschoolers and he can't really get a handle on it! Luckily for all of us, his philosophy is live and let live, so we are all let alone to do it our own way. :001_smile:

[Hedgehog]

Back to the subject of Knowledge Box lapbooks for Apologia science -

 

OK, I'm back. Another option. Knowledge Box is the company that puts out the lapbooks. Through their site it seems that you can get them as ebook downloads, which would save you the shipping. One thing to point out though, they are $15.99 each and they are split up into two ebook downloads (half the lessons in each). Here's the main page with the lapbooks.

 

http://www.knowledgeboxcentral.com/apfupr.html

 

Good luck :)

 

Two x $15.99 is ok; buying the complete Astronomy lapbook set on Rainbow is $23.50 for the CD (which I'm not totally sure I could use on our computer - it uses an unusual operating platform), and $34.25 for the pre-printed papers. You're right about the pre-assembled papers - they are a waste of money - there's nothing for DS5 to do!!

 

Unfortunately, I don't have a big enough order to make it worth buying from Rainbow Resource, which is a pain, but in actual fact I can get all of the other things I wanted from Christian Book, and I'm going to buy the eBook downloads from Knowledge Box. They were very helpful and came right back saying that I could print as many copies of the lapbooking papers for my family from either the eBook or the CD, and all I'd need was colored paper, file folders and craft supplies. SO.. I think that is all sorted now! At last! I am really looking forward to starting science after Christmas - it's the only thing we aren't doing at the moment.

 

Thank you so much for your help! It's been invaluable! :001_smile:

[Guest]

I'm surprised you don't get much in BC, but I'm guessing you must not be in a likely place for it. I have a dear friend who was born and raised on Saltspring Island and she's now living over here with her British dh and two dc, but she showed us lots of photos of snowy winters. Perhaps they were like Newfoundland - snow coming and going all winter long, interspersed with rain, sea fogs, and sleet.

 

We are relatively new to BC but where we are we have not seen very much snow and we have been told that that's the weather here. Mostly rain. BC has 25% of the tropical forests in the world. Of course if one lives on the other side of the coastal mountains, one will see snow :).

 

Oh, that sounds like what I had already heard in other provinces - that it's optional. We know that we have to be registered in a school in the province we're planning to live in, but there's nothing more to it than that, according to our homeschooling friends who live there. It's just that we may not stay there forever, and actually the Vancouver area is a possibility later on down the line.

 

Before coming here I only investigated two provinces that we were interested in living in. We were not originally from either one of those. One of the reasons we chose BC was because based on what I was reading the hsing laws were better here than the other province we were considering. We did not know about the funding back then.

 

I currently see our School Link Officer once a year, and he just comes and we have a natter over a cup of tea and biscuits. He thinks my curricula is great! I'm the blue-eyed girl in this area because of the way that we homeschool - most others are unschoolers and he can't really get a handle on it! Luckily for all of us, his philosophy is live and let live, so we are all let alone to do it our own way. :001_smile:

 

I don't know much about the other homeschoolers that our teacher has. She has told me that I do more than anyone else though :). Our school is a Christian school so there are expectations in that area also (another reason why I chose it). Our online school is not where we live. There were many reasons why I chose it instead of one that was close to us and so far I am glad I did. The teacher has phone communications or private meetings with the parents once every semester in order to put together the kids portfolio. There are schools that are more relaxed. I like the accountability ;).

[Guest]

Back to the subject of Knowledge Box lapbooks for Apologia science -

 

 

 

Two x $15.99 is ok; buying the complete Astronomy lapbook set on Rainbow is $23.50 for the CD (which I'm not totally sure I could use on our computer - it uses an unusual operating platform), and $34.25 for the pre-printed papers. You're right about the pre-assembled papers - they are a waste of money - there's nothing for DS5 to do!!

 

They all serve a purpose. There are families that are not hands on and the kids are not into making their own. The pre-assembled ones give them the benefit of having something for their kids to review to remember facts without having the put it together themselves. Knowing what you were looking for (for your little one to get more involved in the hands on stuff) was the reason why I knew that it would not work for what you wanted :).

 

Unfortunately, I don't have a big enough order to make it worth buying from Rainbow Resource, which is a pain, but in actual fact I can get all of the other things I wanted from Christian Book, and I'm going to buy the eBook downloads from Knowledge Box. They were very helpful and came right back saying that I could print as many copies of the lapbooking papers for my family from either the eBook or the CD, and all I'd need was colored paper, file folders and craft supplies. SO.. I think that is all sorted now! At last! I am really looking forward to starting science after Christmas - it's the only thing we aren't doing at the moment.

 

Thank you so much for your help! It's been invaluable! :001_smile:

 

Christianbook is a good supplier and sometimes has lower prices that even Rainbow on certain things. The benefit with them is that even though they charge a flat rate on shipping their rate is not as high as ordering from some of the others, for small orders. They also have the best prices from what I have seen on Bibles and Christian content books, and the best variety. For us though 25% is much too high for Canada, otherwise I would be using them on occasion also, when I have a smaller order rather than waiting to have a big order.

 

Yep, when you buy CD's or downloads that's the benefit you usually get. You are able to download for all your kids in you family. That is the option I usually recommend but some prefer not having to print their own. There's something for everyone :). That's what I do with our TOG lapbooks. I bought the CD's and have printed everything ahead of time for the whole year.

 

For science we are currently using RS4K pre-level 1 Biology and BFSU. BFSU I have scheduled for 43 weeks and I am stretching out RS4K since we are doing two. We will start Apologia when RS4K is done. It will be the best season for finding bugs :tongue_smilie: (we will be doing Zoology 1).

 

Your welcome. Have fun :)!

Edited December 16, 2010 by Guest

[Hedgehog]

We are relatively new to BC but where we are we have not seen very much snow and we have been told that that's the weather here. Mostly rain. BC has 25% of the tropical forests in the world. Of course if one lives on the other side of the coastal mountains, one will see snow :).

 

Do you know, I didn't know that - that BC had 25% of the world's tropical forests!! It seems so unlikely, being as it's right close to some really snowy areas and quite north, but I guess it must be low down near sea level and benefitting from some warm air currents, somehow. (Something to check out, methinks.. :001_smile: )

 

I don't know much about the other homeschoolers that our teacher has. She has told me that I do more than anyone else though :).

 

Isn't that a good feeling :)

 

Our school is a Christian school so there are expectations in that area also (another reason why I chose it). Our online school is not where we live. There were many reasons why I chose it instead of one that was close to us and so far I am glad I did. The teacher has phone communications or private meetings with the parents once every semester in order to put together the kids portfolio. There are schools that are more relaxed. I like the accountability ;).

 

You know, maybe because we've had a bit of an uproar in the homeschooling community here in the UK over these very issues, I am actually very glad that I don't have to be reporting to someone too frequently. It allows me the occasional week's flop without having to justify it. ;) I guess I am going to have to get used to being a bit more accountable when we (finally) make it to Canada, as this seems to be quite common. Hopefully by that time we'll have the whole Classical thing under our belts by then, and my littles won't be throwing so many spanners in the works because they'll be older. Here's hoping!!

 

I bought the CD's and have printed everything ahead of time for the whole year.

 

That is some organised!! I am now slightly in awe!

 

For science we are currently using RS4K pre-level 1 Biology and BFSU. BFSU I have scheduled for 43 weeks and I am stretching out RS4K since we are doing two. We will start Apologia when RS4K is done. It will be the best season for finding bugs (we will be doing Zoology 1).

 

Which was one of the reasons (although you didn't ask, I'm feeling chatty :001_smile: ) why I chose Astronomy first; at least the kids have the chance to see something of the night sky, since it gets dark here at around 4pm.

 

I'm hoping to do Botany or Zoology in the summer; not sure which is easier, or maybe they are about the same. I'll probably be back on here asking that in a few months time!

[Guest]

Do you know, I didn't know that - that BC had 25% of the world's tropical forests!! It seems so unlikely, being as it's right close to some really snowy areas and quite north, but I guess it must be low down near sea level and benefitting from some warm air currents, somehow. (Something to check out, methinks.. :001_smile: )

 

Ooops, I should have said temperate rainforest ;). I peaced together a small unit on Canada for my son and included BC. Anyway, we read it in one of the books. We got most of the books from the library so I can't quote the book right now but I did find this for you:

 

http://www.sierraclub.bc.ca/education/files/presentation-materials/pre-program-packages/trf-questions-and-answers.pdf

 

More later :)...

[Hedgehog]

Ooops, I should have said temperate rainforest ;). I peaced together a small unit on Canada for my son and included BC. Anyway, we read it in one of the books. We got most of the books from the library so I can't quote the book right now but I did find this for you:

 

http://www.sierraclub.bc.ca/education/files/presentation-materials/pre-program-packages/trf-questions-and-answers.pdf

 

More later :)...

 

lol, no worries. I still didn't know that! Interesting site - I'm going to have my 11yo and maybe 9yo read it tomorrow. They are generally curious to know more about Canada; unfortunately DH can't tell them much, as he didn't care for History and Geography when he was at school!

 

I would actually be very interested to know if there are any good Canadian History/Geography programs out there. I've no shortage of resources for the UK, or America if I wanted it, but can't find hardly anything about Canada and it's pretty important to me to have them learn something about the country their dad grew up in and where they will very likely live. So I don't know if you can recommend anything? (Does this need a new thread?!)

[Guest]

You know, maybe because we've had a bit of an uproar in the homeschooling community here in the UK over these very issues, I am actually very glad that I don't have to be reporting to someone too frequently. It allows me the occasional week's flop without having to justify it. ;) I guess I am going to have to get used to being a bit more accountable when we (finally) make it to Canada, as this seems to be quite common. Hopefully by that time we'll have the whole Classical thing under our belts by then, and my littles won't be throwing so many spanners in the works because they'll be older. Here's hoping!!

 

There are more relaxed situations to my knowledge, so I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you. I already stress too much over things like scheduling, lesson plans, making notebook pages, flash cards, games etc. I could use a more relaxed situation myself in that area but hey I chose the school :lol:. Anyway, this is our first year with them so we will see how it goes ;).

 

That is some organised!! I am now slightly in awe!

 

Don't be :tongue_smilie:, I am only hsing one right now and I sleep very little as it is. I doubt I could do it with more kiddos :lol:.

 

Which was one of the reasons (although you didn't ask, I'm feeling chatty :001_smile: ) why I chose Astronomy first; at least the kids have the chance to see something of the night sky, since it gets dark here at around 4pm.

 

I have heard Astronomy recommended as the one to start with, I just chose Zoology because my son likes animals (although Astronomy would have been a good one for him also) and I am considering doing all the Zoology ones first. We shall see.

 

I'm hoping to do Botany or Zoology in the summer; not sure which is easier, or maybe they are about the same. I'll probably be back on here asking that in a few months time!

 

Read this from Fullbright's website. Since she is the author I just go by her recommendations first ;). She does say that you can use them in any order but if you scroll down to "What is the ideal age for this series" and since you are combining different age groups you may find some suggestions there you might want to keep in mind :).

 

http://www.jeanniefulbright.com/faq

 

ETA: I just noticed something I had not seen before. She is talking about coming out with junior journals for the younger age group and they are hoping to have them by summer or early fall. She also mentions that the existing ones are ideal for older elementary. Hmmm... Now I am wondering what to do also?

Edited December 17, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

Ooops, double post :p

Edited December 17, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

I would actually be very interested to know if there are any good Canadian History/Geography programs out there. I've no shortage of resources for the UK, or America if I wanted it, but can't find hardly anything about Canada and it's pretty important to me to have them learn something about the country their dad grew up in and where they will very likely live. So I don't know if you can recommend anything? (Does this need a new thread?!)

 

You should be able to track some threads from the past on the subject, but you could start a new thread also. You won't find much in the area of programs but you will find many resources. You would have to peace it together yourself for the most part I would say, especially if you do not like the few programs that are out there. I have considered some of Donna Wards programs but since I have not used them yet I cannot recommend them to you ;).

 

https://www.donnaward.net/

 

Here are some of the resources I used for our small (two week) unit:

 

- The Kids Book of Canada, ISBN-13: 978-1-5507-4315-9 (I bought this one. I really like this series and am looking forward to getting more.)

 

- The Spirit of Canada - Canada's Story in Legends, Fiction, Poems, and Songs, ISBN-13: 978-1-8941-2114-9 (Highly recommend this one. I am looking forward to buy it by the end of this school year)

 

- British Columbia by Carrie Gleason (Scholastic), ISBN-13: 978-0-5459-8900-8 (this is a series also. I am looking at buying some of the provinces for this one)

 

- The West is Calling - Imagining British Columbia by Sarah N. Harvey & Leslie Buffam, ISBN-13: 978-1-5514-3936-5

 

- The Kids Book of Canadian History, ISBN-13: 978-1-5507-4868-0 (This is another from the Kids Book series, like the first one)

 

- The Kids Book of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, ISBN-13: 978-1-5507-4998-4 (And another from the Kids Book series :). Did I mention that I really like this series :D?)

 

- Far West - The Story of British Columbia by Daniel Francis, ISBN-13: 978-1-5501-7410-6 (This one could be used as a curriculum and there is even a teacher's guide put out by the Government. I am looking forward to using this one at some point in the future, if we stay in BC of course ;))

 

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/program_delivery/ss_storyofbc_teacherguide.pdf

 

Of course the BC books you could consider if you decide to move to BC but check out the Scholastic series anyway and see if it is something you would be looking for. This series is used as a supplement in one of the Donna Ward programs also.

 

HTH

Edited December 17, 2010 by Guest