wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Would you recommend adding in any additional lit? I am planning to have dd read the books recommended in the Notgrass book even though its not in the MFW notes (as far as I saw) but would you recommend any other ancient lit?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in MN Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I think at least Bubastes is in Notgrass, but not many others. My son read lit with his book club, and it didn't relate to ancients at all. The only ancient lit I added was Oedipus at the end of the year, and I actually subbed it for part of Odyssey (and spent more time on Iliad). I think you can do it any way you like :) Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Of course we followed the MFW recommendation to add more literature to round out the English credit. In our case, we used some of the suggestions in the front of the AHL plans (we did CS Lewis trilogy even though only one of them was recommended). We looked at the list and decided that since we had just done CTG the year before that we weren't going to re-read some of the ancient stuff again. I like that the MFW additional reading list has a mix of "light" and "tougher" reading. I think getting through entire OT, and the scheduled novels is a lot for 9th grade. So anything extra is that - extra. so, since we had done a lot of literature in ancients in 8th grade, I let my daughter pick other books for reading that she enjoyed. Some of it was fluff by the Hive standards (Ranger's Apprentice series), some of it was non fiction. We even used World Magazine. Some of extra reading was carried over this year where she and her dad had read (or in dh's case re-read) all of the Wheel of Time series. and they are still waiting for the last one to be printed........ (I will be so glad when they are done with those 14 books! but I digress) MFW has a list in the plans for extra reading. They also suggest that if you don't like the "light" suggestions, then to use the 150 classics list in the Stobaugh SAT prep book they sell, or use any classics list. I don't think there is anything wrong with letting them read "scheduled school work" then read something else that is just to read and enjoy. I was college prep, and AP courses back in my days in high school and I hated reading for fun. No one ever let me read fun stuff - it was always school stuff that my 10th grade English teacher ruined by making every.single.page.be.about.symbolism. think balance to their whole day as high schoolers: they can read all day, or balance it with sports, learning how to program computer language, learn foreign language, job shadowing, service projects, or get all of their chores done.... just sayin', there are times where I want her to put the reading books down and get other things accomplished. Like Julie said, you can do it any way you like. But yes, "free" reading is part of the English credit in MFW AHL. check the intro section :) -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 We have done both. I have added a book from Stobaugh some weeks when other reading was lighter but have let him have fun reading when school work is heavier. He is reading "The Iliad" right now so I am not requiring any other heavy books at the moment. He has read 6+ other "lit" books this year but keep in mind that he is a serious reader and loves it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Yup! My son has read additional books as well. At the beginning of the school year I gathered some of the books recommended in the SAT book MFW sells. I have them on a school shelf and when I feel he needs additional reading I will have him pick a book from the shelf. There have been times when MFW is very time consuming though and it takes him almost 8 hours+ to complete his school (all subjects). During those periods I don't required any extra reading. I just play it by ear. I have also allowed him to read The Hunger Game series, as well as a few of the Harry Potter books (he had never read them) so not all of his extra reading has been from the SAT book shelf. ;) As another poster mentioned, my ds is also currently reading Iliad...boy howdy is that taking him some time each day.:tongue_smilie: In retrospect, the only thing I would probably add, aside from additional reading which MFW suggests anyhow (though for a non reader, it's not really NEEDED), would be a simple grammar workbook. I am not worried about it this year as ds is pretty solid in grammar and a light year is not going to hurt him, but MFW really doesn't cover much ground in grammar mechanics. They do, a bit, but in my opinion it is few and far between. I will be adding a grammar workbook, like CLE, into our MFW WHL schedule next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Of course we followed the MFW recommendation to add more literature to round out the English credit. I am gonna have a high schooler next fall, I should probably stop procrastinating and read the high school section now, huh? :blush: :scared: :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Thank you ladies! One of these days my panicked high school posts will stop, I hope :001_huh: I will better look at the lesson plans, I was really focusing on the lit portion yesterday. She will be going through R&S grammar because, well, you would have thought she grew up speaking Greek or something because this child is NOT strong in grammar, nor do I think she ever will be :001_huh: <sigh> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I just play it by ear. I have also allowed him to read The Hunger Game series, as well as a few of the Harry Potter books (he had never read them) so not all of his extra reading has been from the SAT book shelf. ;) sounds like my daughter! She zipped through THG. It was her treat to herself.... it went like this in her mind a few weeks ago in WHL. "ok.. for school I have to read Pride and Prejudice.... if I do my assignment today, my treat is to read THG!" LOL. I have to tell this part of the story... after P&P they have this assignment to reflect on what they would want for a spouse and all of that in light of events and happening P and P...... anyway... my daughter (with tongue in cheek)... hands me her essay. It read: "After reading Pride and Prejudice, I have decided to remain single." The end. I laughed and then she handed me a full essay written in satire on the topic. It was great! then she got on FB and chatted with her friend who is just a guy, and they discuss The Hunger Games... it's funny... some of the kids around here think THG is too violent and thought "ew", others are chatting on FB on it with each other. She thinks - not below high school. do not let my sisters read it or see movie. it's violent. oh yeah... if you want to add a grammar workbook, cool. I think for some of that, we've done SAT question of the day kind of review. nothing formal, but nothing graded either. that or let her catch the mistakes on yahoo news stories. ;) -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I am gonna have a high schooler next fall, I should probably stop procrastinating and read the high school section now, huh? :blush: :scared: :blink: it's in the lesson planner in the intro section. High school is going to be ok ((((hugs)))) -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 . He is reading "The Iliad" right now so I am not requiring any other heavy books at the moment.. exactly what my oldest felt! -crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallorie Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 She will be going through R&S grammar because, well, you would have thought she grew up speaking Greek or something because this child is NOT strong in grammar, nor do I think she ever will be :001_huh: <sigh> I had these same feelings about my oldest ds. Hates grammar, wasn't retaining it, he had given up that it was ever gonna be something he would be good at. In a moment of panic I bought Analytical Grammar for him. Best.purchase.ever. He's making really swift progress, and is getting it. I had a hard time swallowing the cost, but with two younger dc's, I figured i'd use it again. It can be done in a year, but we're just going to do it at whatever speed it takes, and when that's done, go on to some high school supplements that AG puts out. I really recommend it. We're in week three and I am amazed at how proficiently he's labeling parts of speech and diagramming. And we're done in 20 min or less. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 I had these same feelings about my oldest ds. Hates grammar, wasn't retaining it, he had given up that it was ever gonna be something he would be good at. In a moment of panic I bought Analytical Grammar for him. Best.purchase.ever. He's making really swift progress, and is getting it. I had a hard time swallowing the cost, but with two younger dc's, I figured i'd use it again. It can be done in a year, but we're just going to do it at whatever speed it takes, and when that's done, go on to some high school supplements that AG puts out. I really recommend it. We're in week three and I am amazed at how proficiently he's labeling parts of speech and diagramming. And we're done in 20 min or less. :) That was the plan but then I purchased and listened to SWB audio lectures and she seems to shy away from it. I was so sold on her method that I even sold the AG I had. So far she is doing fairly well with R&S once I found where she was (book 5 :001_huh:). We do it mostly oral with some done on the white board and some of the worksheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in CA Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) That was the plan but then I purchased and listened to SWB audio lectures and she seems to shy away from it. I was so sold on her method that I even sold the AG I had. So far she is doing fairly well with R&S once I found where she was (book 5 :001_huh:). We do it mostly oral with some done on the white board and some of the worksheets. Well... Hmm... I would never want to say anything negative in regards to SWB, but she also recommends 45 minutes a day of intense grammar work all four years of high school...or so I have heard (someone correct me if I am wrong). With all the other required components of a high school English course (literature & writing being the top two that come to mind), 45 min is too much in my humble opinion, and I am all for continuing Grammar instruction/reinforcement in high school. I personally like the looks of Analytical Grammar. I may decide to go that route, with the reinforcement book, for my ds's remaining high school years. I think money will be the deciding factor on that though. ;) Eta: I do think R&S is an excellent grammar curriculum!! You can't go wrong there and if it's working stick with it! :) Edited February 16, 2012 by Melissa in CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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