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leeannpal
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  • 4 weeks later...

We've used Ace Paces at home and I like them. Some people don't and that's okay but really they work well for my oldest daughter whom I need to have working more independently and she needs the flashy color to focus on her work.

I have always liked their English Paces and Word Building.

Their science and history is fine, but I like to supplement with living books that I get from lists like Sonlight and Winter Promise. This has always been a very good mix with us.

We did use the Social Studies and Science for their 800 level and my oldest didn't like it as much and wants to try something different with those two subjects.

Their math is good if you have a child that does well with mastery math.

 

Some say it works slow , but it does in the earlier years because the pace eventually ramps up by the time you hit the high school years and it all works out in the end. It really does.

 

I like the more independent curriculums like Ace, Alpha Omega and Christian Light. So if your looking for something more independent Ace is a good curriculum.

I went to an Ace school and I think I turned out pretty well. Your success and your child's success will depend on your involvement plain and simple.

 

Like I said the only two subjects I found to want to supplement were social studies and science and you can read good books, make lapbooks, watch videos to round it more to make it more interesting. Those two subjects with any curriculum publisher always need to be supplemented in some fashion anyways.

 

I never found a need to supplement the English or Word Building. I don't use their Bible, as they use the King James Version , plus we're Catholic. LOL

I will use though what works for our family and Ace has been very helpful when I've needed it. Even my almost 6 yr old seems to want to use Ace this year so I'm thinking about it as she's pretty advanced and Christian Light seems to work well for her , but I think she likes the colorful pictures of Ace though.

 

Some people will say its fill in the blanks. It can be but some children learn best this way. My oldest seems to, and evidently I did as well. I don't feel any stupider for using it.... just kidding. LOL

I think its just all about what works best for you and your family.

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We only use Word Building for my ds who is now in 5th grade. I really love AcE word Building for him. He is a struggling speller who definitely improves with practice. And that's what the PACES basically do- they provide the paper and the review, so students can practice, practice, practice. WB requires about 3 pages worth of writing every day...and it's mostly just writing words.

 

I also appreciate the handwriting review and phonics review, and later on, the PAcEs cover SAT Vocab prep.

 

They are easy tO use, portable, self-contained and self explanatory. While I don't think using all ACE would provide a well rounded education (and certainly not a Classical one), I do think that every homeschooler should take a look at them because, for one or two subjects, they provide excellent, step by step instruction and are almost completely hands-off for Mom!

 

The theology in the cartoons is very works oriented, and character based. And girls are often portrayed as helpless stereotypes who sew, wear dresses, plan only to be teachers or moms, and are afraid of things like bugs and snakes. There's an overweight boy named "Pudge"....(need I say more on that?) and the black characters are always seperate from the white ones. (as if their two worlds never meet.) Which I think sends a subtle message I'm not happy with.

 

A steady diet of that in every subject for 12 years is not my cup if tea, but for one or two subjects, it can be easily discussed- my kids discuss all of the cartoons' theology and worldview and are easily able to see the differences from our own.

Edited by Calming Tea
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[quote name=Calming Tea;4108905

 

The theology in the cartoons is very works oriented' date=' and character based. And girls are often portrayed as helpless stereotypes who sew, wear dresses, plan only to be teachers or moms, and are afraid of things like bugs and snakes. There's an overweight boy named "Pudge"....(need I say more on that?) and the black characters are always seperate from the white ones. (as if their two worlds never meet.) Which I think sends a subtle message I'm not happy with.

 

A steady diet of that in every subject for 12 years is not my cup if tea, but for one or two subjects, it can be easily discussed- my kids discuss all of the cartoons' theology and worldview and are easily able to see the differences from our own.[/quote]

 

 

I swear the cartoons bother the adults more then the children. :lol:

I remember using Ace as a child and never put those things together in my head. Always thought of them as just a cartoon strip and when I got older as a little cheesy but read them anyways. They never made me who I am though as an adult.

 

 

I don't wear skirts, I never put two and two together about Pudge until I was an adult, and treat everyone with respect.

Even my 14 yr old gets a small chuckle out them but its quickly forgotten. Many of the cartoons have very good messages, about treating each other with kindness and respect, helping others and doing what God wants us to do, the right thing.

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The thing about the character "Pudge" is that his father died when he was a baby, and that was the nickname that his father gave him. Later on in the mid to highschool paces, this storyline is continued, and we learn this, and he also begins to go by his real name, though I forget what that was right now, and no longer goes by his beloved nickname, Pudge. (In other words, the children grow up and go through all types of situations, and have to learn how they should react, as opposed to how they would normally react without Christ in their hearts and lives) The name was given to him in love because of his pudgy baby cheeks. :)

 

The stories have never bothered me/us. I noticed that in the new revised paces, they are now starting to portray the black and white students together. I live in the south and have gone to many churches that are either all (or mostly) predominately white, or black. There has been very little variety in between, especially in the Baptist churches, so the fact that they are shown separately in some cartoons doesn't bother us at all--and I am a person of color. :)

 

With all that said, that is a minor issue that some people have mentioned they don't like about paces. Paces are educationally sound and when put side by side by Abeka and BJU, we found very little differences, except that the paces assume that a child/student will be working independently, so it is written directly to the child. If someone is looking at this (especially the lower elementary levels) and does not know about the curriculum in general, then they might assume that it's overly easy or dumbed down, that is not the case at all, as one look at their highschool paces, and you will know that it gets very challenging, especially the English and math. Take the free online diagnostic test to get a taste of the growing difficulty as the grades progress.

 

We have loved paces for at least two subjects every year since we have started, and I have seen and touched a lot of curriculum in 13 years. We still have a special place in our hearts for paces, and always will. :lol:

 

HTH,

 

Dee

 

ps. I just posted an article written by one of the moms on the yahoo group that is using paces. It's very encouraging. http://chosenthatgoodpart.blogspot.com/2012/07/ace-school-of-tomorrow-has-always-been.html

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I am a big fan of Paces for elementary, and American School for High School, for SOME families. These are the only curricula that I know of, that provide the tools for the student to independently meet the goals outlined, and only require the VOLUME of work required of PS students.

 

Most full curricula require a huge volume of work, or set high goals but don't provide the tools to meet those goals. So the students is either working 2-3 times harder than a PS student, or failing. If a mom is filling in the missing pieces of a spottily written curriculum, then a student will do fine, but if a student is working independently it is imperative that the curriculum is written with a reasonable volume of work, and that all the tools are provided to reach the goals.

 

A student who reads widely, works/volunteers/chores, and attends spiritual meetings, and uses Paces/American School will often be better prepared for life than a student who completed or curriculum hopped with "better" curriculum, and didn't have time to read, work, do hobbies, and attend meetings.

 

Sometimes "less is more" when it gets finished and leaves time for more important things. After graduating two boys, I've realized there are more important things than academics. Academics are critical, but not the first priority. Just like food is critical to our survival, but water and shelter are bigger and more immediate priorities. Paces/AS provide plenty of "food". Maybe not the tastiest or most exotic available, but good home cooked meals delivered on time.

 

For decades I have watched families use a variety of materials and I've seen nothing but good come from families that used Paces and American School, when the home life was an enriching atmosphere. I too have a problem with some of the subtle messages in the cartoons, but I don't know of anything comparable, so I often recommend the program anyway.

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  • 2 years later...

If they (my children) used it, it would be in a private school setting. There is a school three minutes from my new house and for the first time EVER I am considering at least learning more. I feel like I need time to heal and focus on my pregnancy and such and so homeschooling for us will either be classical unschooling or this for a little while. If you need to know what classical unschooling means to me I can define it. But it may not be necessary.

 

If they did go to the school I would incorporate classical books and memory work at home as part of our car time and our evenings. And I would either put my littles in the preschool across the street or just spend time with them at home. I am calling Monday to find out more, but I wanted to research here and was pleasantly surprised that you have a mostly positive opinion of ACE.

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I was educated partly with ACE Pace's and academically I think they are very good (except for the YE science). I wish there was a secular version. The stuff Calming Tea mentioned, especially about the segregation, is pretty awful and its something that horrified me when I got older and recognized it for what it was. Blech.

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I did my early grades in an ACE school. I know a few people that have gone all the way through with them. Unless they have been HEAVILY updated, I wouldn't use them.

 

I think they have an amazing reading program. I think their paces are fun and attractive and easy to work through for most kids. They are wonderfully independent. My problem with them is that they are heavily behind in the maths and sciences. Anyone that finished high school with ACE had to do extensive updating in order to get their high school equivalent and head to college.

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If you're looking for a similar system - student directed workbooks, ease of use, systematic - please take a look at CLE. Their language arts, reading, and math are awesome. They are highly regarded here. We used their bible in 2, 3 and 4 and it was great.

 

Science and history are boring and dry. I'd find something else for those subjects, like NOEO, BJU online, etc for science and maybe Notgrass for history.

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If you're looking for a similar system - student directed workbooks, ease of use, systematic - please take a look at CLE. Their language arts, reading, and math are awesome. They are highly regarded here. We used their bible in 2, 3 and 4 and it was great.

 

Science and history are boring and dry. I'd find something else for those subjects, like NOEO, BJU online, etc for science and maybe Notgrass for history.

 

I was just going to say that.

 

I tried to like ACE, but could never bring myself into buying it. Then I found CLE, and haven't looked back. It's awesome!

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I called the school but they were off for Christmas so I am guessing it will be Monday of next week before anyone will be there to talk to me.  For now I think I have identified three things I want to focus on:

 

1. Simple, relaxed routines for the morning (chores, grooming, nature walks, nutrition and supplements, my personal journaling, Bible reading, and prayer time etc. )

 

2. 3-4 hours spent on the basics: math and language arts (This can include other languages, but has to be language focused).  Either all in the afternoon or two hours in the late morning and the rest in the afternoon.  This would mostly be independent work, but I would need to work with my non-readers on phonics/spelling at least.

 

3. Evening reading time when it gets dark 

 

I made a few changes to my schedule since we live far out from town now.  I think we will go to a closer church on Sunday evenings.  I think I will stop tutoring CC next semester even though I love it because the stress of whether or not my health will be good enough and we will all get up early enough and get through traffic on time makes it more stressful.  We will stop boys choir on Tuesday nights and instead attend church on Wednesday night at a close by church.  This gives the kids a fun activity and dinner for our family without the weekend concerts or travel time on Tuesday evenings.  I think I will try to switch my spelling class to Thursdays so that I can stay in town for my daughter's choir practice (during which I shop for specialty food items I can't get at a regular grocery store and spend one on one time with one other child).  And I am keeping Saturday and Monday completely open for NOTHING!  But that is already the case.  But now I will get Fridays off too.  

 

Next year if they aren't in the school I will have my husband take my daughter to a campus in town that has a solid Challenge program and I will take the other kids to a campus that is much closer with far less traffic.  I am still debating whether I will teach spelling next year or not.  With a new baby, likely not.  But I feel better that I can make changes that make it easier and less stressful for me.  

 

I will keep you all updated on the school.....

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Oh, and my problem with doing ACE or CLE or Lifepacs at home is that it requires me to check it.  I would consider Monarch, but I don't know much about it and if it is truly independent.  I think the idea of them being on the computer all day bothers me.  And I'd have to figure out what I would do for K-2.  

 

I found a site that will check Saxon Math from Intermediate 3 on up to Calculus and it tells the student immediately if the answer is right or wrong so they can't move on until it is right.  This will at least give me peace of mind that they aren't just faking it. But I'm still thinking about language arts.....

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