Your favorite 'boxed curriculum' or online program?

[Xilka]

I also piece ours together, mostly with free resources I find, and unit studies that I create myself.

 

Everything I find out there, as far as packaged curriculum, just doesn't cut it for me. The good-looking stuff is over-priced, and still probably wouldn't completely meet my expectations.

[3browneyedboys4me]

Hunter- I hear you and you make perfect sense. I was looking at Paces yesterday, but I could not get a feel for the curriculum. I wasn't able to view sample pages or anything like that. I will go back and see what I can 'see'. I have a niece that used Paces and did quite well. I've heard of it often; but, I seem to not be very attracted to it. I think it might be a part of the whole wanting to be creative in homeschooling. I'm not sure. I'm afraid it might be to dry for my little guys and make them HATE school work- worksheet after worksheet. I don't know. I like the idea of having the worksheet aspect for some of the day, but I really enjoy the idea of them having great books to read too. I've found that they do not really enjoy the reading books with most curriculum- CLE or BJU have not been big hits with my little guys.

 

Do you think that Oak Meadow is too challenging to consider? Maybe a bit too creative to be functional for my purposes? Memoria Press definitely looks challenging....not sure...

 

I might be trying to have my cake and eat it too here. I'm not sure. I'm on all new ground and trying very hard to compromise. :001_smile:

[keyjoh62080]

Actually, HOD has plans to put out a new guide ever year until they have completed 12 grades. If you look at their scope and sequence chart, you can see where they're headed for high school.

 

YAY for HOD!!! :lol:

[kathy_overman]

3 BrownEyed:

 

I have been reading every post with anticipation of what you may pick. I too would love a boxed and independent program I can stick with for the future.

 

I bought Oak Meadow, and quickly sold it. I loved how it read and the subjects covered, but it seemed very 'projecty' to me. There seemed to be a lot of creating, building, and free form art for learning. I LOVE the idea of this, but it reality these projects never get done.

 

I have also heard that OM gets harder in 4th, so I may look at it again.

 

MP looks much more workbook based (and dry), which in general my children enjoy.

 

I can't help but wonder if MP w/ a few more exciting/colorful subjects thrown in might be the perfect solution for us.

 

I am no help at all - just curious to see which way you go.

[thowell]

Actually, HOD has plans to put out a new guide ever year until they have completed 12 grades. If you look at their scope and sequence chart, you can see where they're headed for high school.

 

 

This is great to know! I am seriously looking at moving to HOD for all the same reasons the op has listed. My main problem is I will only be able to get one core so I am hoping to be able to combine my 4th and 7th grader in CTC. If it works I would love to have something we can stick with till then end.

[delaney]

I feel like HOD asks for as much extra books as TOG but TOG can pull in the entire family in one cycle. I have found that TOG is easy to implement and not as time intensive as many other programs out there. I look up the books before the year starts and then make a list of what I can't get at the library to start buying. The rest I take out in 3 week chunks since our library allows 3 weeks for books to be checked out. Heck, i reserve them online so I only have to run in to the front desk and grab them. Compared to Calvert it is cheaper and you can use it for 3 cycles!

[Hunter]

I never used the Paces. I couldn't afford them. My neighbor used them, so I did get to see them a bit. Her days got MUCH more frustrating when she switched to Alpha Omega, and less not more, got done.

 

She used a "better" high school option than American School and her daughter never finished. I begged her to use AS for her daughter, but she just wouldn't. "Better" isn't better when boxed, and if it doesn't get done. From day one, I could see that she was biting off more than she could chew and that NEVER works with a box.

 

When mom NEEDS a BOXED curriculum, I STRONGLY advocate the box being based off of PS standards, not private school standards. Rigor can be added by COMPRESSING those public school standards and SUPPLEMENTING, when and only when, you have the time.

 

Paces are based off of public school standards, and were written to get the job DONE. The same thing with the general AS diploma. AS general has decades of experience getting the job DONE.

 

Paces, AS general, early entrance into a CC might not be classical, but it is efficient and gets a child financially independent. my oldest was entirely financially independent 3 months after his 19th birthday and would have been even sooner, if he hadn't of misunderstood the start date of his last elective that he had planned on completing in the summer, but was forced to take in the Fall. All of his classical and religious work was enrichment work, not included in his box, but was significant enough the the college professors kept taking him out to lunch and begging him to take their classes. The classical part does NOT need to be IN the BOX.

 

When overwhelmed and looking for a box, I have found it best to keep the box in the box, if you know what I mean, and keep the enrichment as enrichment.

 

During easier times when I was feeling playful, I played and experimented and reached for the moon with my younger. It doesn't sound like that's what you want for NEXT year though. Have you read Ecclesiastic lately? I highly recommend getting a nice easy translation and sitting down and reading it. Seriously! The supposed wisest man ever talks about chasing the wind including chasing the winds in education and wisdom. There is a quote in my signature.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Hunter

[3browneyedboys4me]

Hunter- you are just too wise for me! lol!! I love it, and you are absolutely right. I get it. I get it!!!! Buy the paces and use as boxed, and then, add in my classical, fun stuff! Ahhh...perfect! :) My plan is forming in my head. I can see it now! Thank you!

 

By the way, I am an AS graduate....many moons ago! Back when homeschooling was reallllly unpopular lol! I took College prep and graduated. I felt very prepared. It's amazing to see how much has changed with their school! It was a great experience, and I was VERY motivated. :)

 

I am off to look over paces...again! Thanks so much!

[Hunter]

Hunter- you are just too wise for me! lol!! I love it, and you are absolutely right. I get it. I get it!!!! Buy the paces and use as boxed, and then, add in my classical, fun stuff! Ahhh...perfect! :) My plan is forming in my head. I can see it now! Thank you!

 

By the way, I am an AS graduate....many moons ago! Back when homeschooling was reallllly unpopular lol! I took College prep and graduated. I felt very prepared. It's amazing to see how much has changed with their school! It was a great experience, and I was VERY motivated. :)

 

I am off to look over paces...again! Thanks so much!

 

I'm glad you don't think I was being too pushy. I just thought you were going to regret the direction you were moving in, based on what you were telling me your priorities were.

 

My youngest son used some of the college prep courses as electives. I really mucked up with him when it came to AS. I should have just used the general and did the few necessary college preps as an outside supplement, but I was so broke and so desperate not to have to buy another book. And then I let someone shame me into having him drop out entirely just before he finished, to work on something "better" that fell through. He ended out having to take the GED to receive the federal funds he was eligible for :-(

 

Just know you can officially go GENERAL, but add in college prep courses as electives, and that sometimes it's best not to even do that.

 

Then you can add in whatever you want. My supplements were based on reading Climbing Parnassus and I spent a LOT of time conversing with the author of LCC as he was writing his book. I suggest reading the 1st edition of LCC and Climbing Parnassus. You can supplement to turn the final product classical. And both my boys claim the a thorough familiarity with the KJV Bible and church history are must for a classical education.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Hunter

[Hunter]

And I also want to suggest looking at college Classical Department websites for supplement ideas.

 

Yes, my son was only doing an AS general diploma for his box, but he was also completing bits and pieces of things off the college websites. Take a look at the requirements to start pursuing a degree in classics. I think you will be surprised how different they are than the typical college prep curriculum. I found that interesting. Yes some of these prestigious schools required more to get into the school in general, but not for the degree itself :-0

[armom]

We are using Sonlight for History, Science, Bible, and LA. I use another math, vacabulary, grammar and electives. I like Sonlight, but it a parent involved curriculum. We enjoy reading all the books.

[shinyhappypeople]

Hunter- you are just too wise for me! lol!! I love it, and you are absolutely right. I get it. I get it!!!! Buy the paces and use as boxed, and then, add in my classical, fun stuff! Ahhh...perfect! :) My plan is forming in my head. I can see it now! Thank you!

 

By the way, I am an AS graduate....many moons ago! Back when homeschooling was reallllly unpopular lol! I took College prep and graduated. I felt very prepared. It's amazing to see how much has changed with their school! It was a great experience, and I was VERY motivated. :)

 

I am off to look over paces...again! Thanks so much!

 

I like Hunter's advice.

 

Other independent options: Alpha Omega's Switched on Schoolhouse and Lifepacs. Teaching Textbooks is a GREAT math option.

[3browneyedboys4me]

Ok...I'm starting to think that I might be chasing my tail a bit here. :) But, in looking at the online boxed curriculum, I'm also pondering LifePac. I have all the Paces in my shopping cart, but I haven't been able to look at their curriculum in as much detail as I can LifePac. Now, I've never really been impressed with life pac. I looked at it many moons ago, and once tried it for LA a few years back, but it didn't work for us. I'm wondering how others have felt about it. My mind set is very different right now. So, I'm not looking to be blown away by the curriculum at this point. I just wonder how it compares to paces? I wish I could really get a good look at the Paces curr. but I can't get a good feel for it. It looks fine....just curious, as my order is going to be in the 'hundreds' of dollars for three kids. :confused:

 

Anyone have thoughts about comparing these? I noticed homeschool buyers co-op had life pac 10% off yesterday!:001_huh:

:bigear:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I also want to suggest looking at college Classical Department websites for supplement ideas.

 

Yes, my son was only doing an AS general diploma for his box, but he was also completing bits and pieces of things off the college websites. Take a look at the requirements to start pursuing a degree in classics. I think you will be surprised how different they are than the typical college prep curriculum. I found that interesting. Yes some of these prestigious schools required more to get into the school in general, but not for the degree itself :-0

[Hunter]

When my neighbor was using Paces and I was using a bit of the old CLE, which was slighted edited from the old Alpha Omega, at first glance the CLE seemed better, but when it came to getting the work texts DONE, it became obvious that first and foremost the Paces were designed to get DONE.

 

The CLE in it's desire to be "better" set a higher bar, but then didn't always include enough help to get the job done. I also noticed the CLE [1990s version] seemed to be writing to a higher income subculture than the Paces [1990s]. I remember the CLE 7th grade was covering an introduction to anthropology, sociology and all the social sciences, where I think the second half of the 7th grade Paces was on careers. At the time I was heartily unimpressed, but as the decades have passed and I watched these same children all try a variety of methods of working and sometimes failing their way through junior and senior high school, I learned a few things.

 

If a parent NEEDS a box, the box can NOT afford to leave a student high and dry with a lean mean curriculum that expects more than it provides. A choice needs to be made when a series of workbooks are created that are meant to be entirely completed in one year, in the # of hours considered to be one brick and mortar school credit. So you need to either expect less than private school results; or you need to expect private school results and expect the student to be highly supplemented by a teacher and other books.

 

Grades 1-8 Paces and American School can be SERIOUSLY unimpressive at first glance, and I mean SERIOUSLY. Their strength is in their PACKAGE DEAL. They accomplish what they say they are going to do. Paces were written for uneducated church members to use with the reality of a fresh load of public schooled students, of which most, were working below level and many from low income homes. American School caters to drop outs, child athletes and children overseas and living on the road. It's written to be FINISHED and to deal with the realities of its students. Busy students needing to school entirely out of that box, but often experiencing some other incredible opportunities.

 

I would not spend 100s of dollars on Paces without looking at them! After looking at them you may decide you don't want to school out of a box. That it's not your PRIORITY after you realized the full reality of what this means.

 

What I caution you against the most though, is believing that "better" boxes are going to actually get the job done. Make sure they can back up their claims...cause many of them cannot. And even the Paces get a bit too lean after grade 8 in some subjects, and so does some of American School when you start hitting the more serious college Prep courses. Only committed students with some back up support can complete them.

 

But grades 1-8 Paces and American School General are doable, seriously doable and have been fine tuned for generations. But to a mom with big dreams...opening the box could put you in tears. The key to drying up those tears if you truly NEED a box, is having the children rush through them, earning their credits in just a couple hours a day, and then letting them LIVE in the real world and see what unfolds for each of them. Or you can add extras on the days you are up to it. Extras that don't need to be counted or documented or explained or justified or even finished.

 

There is no rush, right? You have time to wait and get your hands on some scanned or used Paces? Is there still a Yahoo group?

Edited January 24, 2012 by Hunter

[3browneyedboys4me]

Hunter- there is no serious rush, but I am excited to get going on our 'second' semester with a plan that will work. I want to try to have a sense of completion at the beginning of summer. I'm going to go ahead and go with Paces this year. I'm committed to doing it. I will re-examine after this year and see if it is working or not. I sure hope it will!

[Melissa H. in GA]

CBD now carries Paces. They also have samples of some of them.

 

I will say that I'd been using R&S Math with my 5th grader basically his whole school career. After Christmas break, he started on Paces just for math and he absolutely LOVES them. He is now much happier and our whole school day goes much, much smoother.:001_smile: I wish I had started them sooner. He just really gets some things now and thinks checking his work in the score key is fun.

 

HTH,

 

Melissa

[Melissa H. in GA]

try this link for some samples of Paces

 

http://rockinhsmom5.blogspot.com/2009/12/ace-pace-samples.html

 

Just cut and paste,

 

Melissa

[raceNzanesmom]

My oldest used Lifepacs a bit in high school. My only real complaint about them was sometimes the info wasn't given for a question. He'd look, I'd look, and the answer couldn't be found. He also didn't like the upper math at.all. Loved TT for math.

 

try this link for some samples of Paces

 

http://rockinhsmom5.blogspot.com/2009/12/ace-pace-samples.html

 

Just cut and paste,

 

Melissa

 

This is ACE, not AOP Lifepacs, jsyk.

[...................]

but did you ever actually spend time reading the literature, and cartoons?

 

The Paces portray that:

 

Your pastor should always be obeyed

The highest achievement for a girl is to be a missionary's wife

THe highest achievement for a girl, period, is to be a wife (and I do NOT disagree that motherhood and being a Godly wife is a high calling worthy of the most intelligent and gifted of our little girls...but I think girls may aspire to being a wife and mother, and ALSO use their gifts in various ways, which may require further education etc.)

 

The cartoons OFTEN portray ACE (the main boy character, pronounced Acey),

"saving" helpless girls from silly blunders, falls, dropping objects, etc.

 

There is a character named PUDGE who is fat. (I don't believe in being too PC but a steady diet of 12 years of that is not what I want in my homeschool.)

 

I love the idea of character training, I can get over the strange look of the cartoons ...and I am a Christian. However, a steady diet of this type of over- generalization and stereotype, combined with the simplistic literature, and lack of true analysis of topics, just doesn't seem a wise thing to embrace unless one either AGREES fully with the teachings, or has no other choice (ie a houseful of kids and independent learning necessary)...But even then I would follow the route of doing simple 3R's via workbooks when they are little and switching to SOS before I would put PACES in front of my kids for any length of time.

 

(PS And yes one may obviously talk over differences in theology and belief...being a Christian and using Calvert has caused us a few interesting discussions. BUT don't forget ACE is self instructional. Therefore the chances of all this seeping into your children unchecked is very very high....and the "moral teachings" are in every.single.pace.)

 

Additionally, the PACES seem to teach a religion very dependent on external "shoulds"...another thing I try to avoid.

[...................]

I really love the looks of the new Memoria Press boxed kits. They are a bit flexible, too. I plan to use Calvert but these are something that will definitely be interesting me as I make my final decision over the next few months.

 

I think the OP would benefit from MP, if she can agree to their Latin Centered type of learning.

 

And of course, I also think Calvert could have been an option, except for it being out of her price range.

 

Which brings me back to the MP kits...they are VERY affordable!

[3browneyedboys4me]

Melissa-the link was perfect! That's exactly what I needed to see!

Thanks for sharing this link!!

[3browneyedboys4me]

I appreciate you sharing this. I hadn't thought of that, and would not have until I actually opened them up and read over them with the boys! That's something to definitely think about. Hmmmm...just when I think I've made a decision!:001_huh:

 

 

 

 

 

but did you ever actually spend time reading the literature, and cartoons?

 

The Paces portray that:

 

Your pastor should always be obeyed

The highest achievement for a girl is to be a missionary's wife

THe highest achievement for a girl, period, is to be a wife (and I do NOT disagree that motherhood and being a Godly wife is a high calling worthy of the most intelligent and gifted of our little girls...but I think girls may aspire to being a wife and mother, and ALSO use their gifts in various ways, which may require further education etc.)

 

The cartoons OFTEN portray ACE (the main boy character, pronounced Acey),

"saving" helpless girls from silly blunders, falls, dropping objects, etc.

 

There is a character named PUDGE who is fat. (I don't believe in being too PC but a steady diet of 12 years of that is not what I want in my homeschool.)

 

I love the idea of character training, I can get over the strange look of the cartoons ...and I am a Christian. However, a steady diet of this type of over- generalization and stereotype, combined with the simplistic literature, and lack of true analysis of topics, just doesn't seem a wise thing to embrace unless one either AGREES fully with the teachings, or has no other choice (ie a houseful of kids and independent learning necessary)...But even then I would follow the route of doing simple 3R's via workbooks when they are little and switching to SOS before I would put PACES in front of my kids for any length of time.

 

(PS And yes one may obviously talk over differences in theology and belief...being a Christian and using Calvert has caused us a few interesting discussions. BUT don't forget ACE is self instructional. Therefore the chances of all this seeping into your children unchecked is very very high....and the "moral teachings" are in every.single.pace.)

 

Additionally, the PACES seem to teach a religion very dependent on external "shoulds"...another thing I try to avoid.

[3browneyedboys4me]

Thanks to everyone that has helped me with this difficult transition and decision. You ladies are invaluable to me! Because of so much of your help and advice, I thought I might should post my decision on here! I appreciate everyones comments. All the pros and cons of the diff. curriculum has kept me on focus and from making more poor choices.;)

 

Since I am purchasing only for the last school semester of this year, I've decided the smartest choice for our family would be PACES. I'm excited!! I'm only ordering enough to finish this year. During the summer months, I plan on looking over my plans from years past and look over what I liked or did not like about PACES. I will then have to also assess whether or not I can move in a direction that will allow me to be more hands on or if I'm still in a place that needs to be less parent directed.

 

I really like the idea of starting next year off with a new program (if I can be more involved) like Oak Meadow or Memoria Press for the littles. My oldest son is most certainly going to do the BJU DL....unless something else amazing reveals itself! :tongue_smilie:

 

Thanks again!!!!

[...................]

I'm so happy that you made a clear decision!! I forgot, in my zeal to share particulars with you, that you are only looking at the rest of this school year right now. You are right, there certainly would be no harm done in that short of a time, and the PACES are so easy to use. I have used them happily in my homeschool one year, when I just could not find anything else for Spelling and I am happy that I used them and had no major problems with my choice (although as I said, a steady 12 year diet of them would not be for us.)

 

Let us know how it goes. And did you know they are now available at CBD?

[3browneyedboys4me]

Thank you! I will. :)

 

I just found out that they were on CBD. That is wonderful!!!

 

 

 

I'm so happy that you made a clear decision!! I forgot, in my zeal to share particulars with you, that you are only looking at the rest of this school year right now. You are right, there certainly would be no harm done in that short of a time, and the PACES are so easy to use. I have used them happily in my homeschool one year, when I just could not find anything else for Spelling and I am happy that I used them and had no major problems with my choice (although as I said, a steady 12 year diet of them would not be for us.)

 

Let us know how it goes. And did you know they are now available at CBD?