S/O: anyone make changes yet?

[Heidi]

I thought this was a fun topic on the logic/middle school board, so I thought I'd bring it to the grammar/elementary board as well.

 

We just finished up our first week; it was great! Only one change so far:

 

SWR ---> R&S spelling

 

As much as I love O-G/spalding, or whatever it is called, I think I'm ready to give it up. I have more important things to focus my time and attention on.

[BugsMama]

We are 7 weeks in, and so far so good. In the first week we changed writing from WWE1 to EIW2. I still don't feel great with it, and may just go with IEW TWSS around Christmas.

 

Science may get changed up in here too. We have BFSU. It just isn't happening.

[Soror]

Well, I'm tweaking some, mostly due to having limited funds when ordering curriculum this Spring. I've bought the workbook for WWE2 while I had planned on just using the teacher's book and making my own assignments. I've ordered Draw, Write, Now to work on drawing and handwriting. I had been wanting something for drawing and am also seeing that ds is ready to do more writing. I had thought about it for a good while but he didn't have the stamina for the writing so I'm excited that we can finally use it. Lastly we've ordered Beast Academy. I wanted it this spring but I didn't have the funds. We are using it as a supplement as of now with an eye to perhaps transitioning to using it full time. We will see how it goes but I think it will fit his learning style well, time will tell if I'm right.

 

I'm not sure about anything else. I planned on just using grammar through Latin but am now considering doing a separate program but so torn thinking about just not worrying about it for this year as well.

[edeemarie]

We stopped with IEW PAL reading and returned to AlphaPhonics/WRTR. We stopped AAS and will do WRTR for that too. We started (briefly) with Saxon math for my oldest, but we are now doing MEP and loving it! I have decided for next year we will do our own homemade history and science instead of paying for someone else to plan it for me instead:)

[Heidi]

I'm not sure about anything else. I planned on just using grammar through Latin but am now considering doing a separate program but so torn thinking about just not worrying about it for this year as well.

 

Yeah, I would wait until 3rd grade to start grammar, especially with that baby coming soon. There is enough grammar in prima latina for second grade. I think the grammar in PL is about the same that is in R&S 2 anyway.

 

My dd8 is just starting her first year of grammar in R&S3.

[Soror]

Yeah, I would wait until 3rd grade to start grammar, especially with that baby coming soon. There is enough grammar in prima latina for second grade. I think the grammar in PL is about the same that is in R&S 2 anyway.

 

My dd8 is just starting her first year of grammar in R&S3.

 

Good to know, thanks.

[petepie2]

I started with Sonlight's p4/5 with my 4 year old DS, but then realized that it would be a much better fit for Kindergarten next year. We've gone back to p3/4 and he loves it!

[ByGrace3]

This is our third year homeschooling and our first year ever to have changes, let alone several! We ditched OPGTR for ds. He needs more instruction for now so we are waiting on All About Reading Pre level 1, but if he is beyond that when it gets here (a genuine concern!) :tongue_smilie: we will try out level 1. I hope to be able to pick up OPGTR again at some point, but it wasn't a good fit right now. We also dropped ETC 1 for him because I felt it was too much writing. We are taking handwriting slow with HWOT and I thought asking him to write things we have not yet had instruction in was not fair and only served to reinforce bad habits. I may check out ETC online though...

 

Otherwise we had a major history switch from Sonlight to Biblioplan (or really my version of a SL/BP combination). The verdict is still out here so I reserve the right to run back to straight SL or straight BP! :lol:

 

I was surprised with the changes we had to make. I am such a researcher that I have not ever switched completely before, but I did have reservations about these before so I guess I shouldn't be shocked...

[duckens]

--I've misplaced my Drawing with Children book TWICE in the last month, and I feel intimidated about teaching drawing. I am tempted to dramatically call it a "sign" the next time I misplace it, and just use general "art" projects from Teaching Art to Children.

 

--We purchased Visual Link Spanish, and I like it a lot, but it may be more than dd5 can do, even with me sitting with her. I think we will still use it, but I will use lots of flashcard games for her to do the learning part, and just introduce and follow up with the Visual Link program.

 

--We are learning Spanish this year. We're on our way. And it should be noted that we have a full and ambitious schedule planned this year.

 

Then I made the mistake of emailing the local Chinese Language School. Traditionally, they teach the children of the Chinese international students from the university. They teach within their own community. Their classes are geared for ages 5+, and for children that have lots of support at home. (Interpretation: their parents speak Chinese).

 

Possibly because of my question, the principal is organizing a parent/teacher class. They need 2-4 families to make a nice "learning team."

 

To me, Chinese (like Spanish) is one of the languages to know in the next century. Would I be a bad parent if I didn't offer it to my children? I would hate to miss this opportunity, but we have so much other stuff planned for this year already!

[SorrelZG]

Seven weeks down. I started with HOD Beyond as is plus Latin (and a couple more languages less formally which are continuing, more or less formally as suits) but now I'm using it differently and it's melted into my new schedule and curriculum which is pretty much first grade as laid out in the first edition of LCC except for starting CW Aesop "early" for my writer/storyteller and incorporating the chronological history via A Child's History of the World as per LCC 2nd ed. I needed to be doing a lot more reading aloud and had grown too caught up in "doing" my curriculum to the neglect of my priorities and my own responsibility as the teaching parent. We'll see how the changes go .. lets check up in another couple of months. :D

[ELITEANDLOVINGIT]

Looking for a better grammar program.

 

Currently we are using

Grammarlouges - Grammar *dislike*

Wordly Wise - Grammar *like*

Word Voyage - Vocab / Roots *like*

& supplementing with book reports and reading.

[MeaganS]

Dropped MEP Reception. It just didn't work for my verbally-challenged preKer. Maybe too many stories and games? I don't know, but Miquon and Essential Math are working very well and she loves math!

 

ETA: we are on week 7 but ditched MEP around week 4

Edited September 25, 2012 by MeaganS

[1GirlTwinBoys]

Dropped BJU Online English 3

Switched to Easy Grammar 3, Winning With Writing 3, WWE 2

 

Dropped Zaner Bloser cursive

Switched to HWT

 

Dropped BJU Spelling 3

Switched back to AAS

 

:)

[Heidi]

I added Writing With Ease 3. :)

[hsmom2011]

We dropped WWS for Essentials in Writing. So far it has been a hit, my dd enjoys the DVD lessons.

[Holly]

I've done a little bit of "tweaking".

--added Mavis Beacon Typing

--DD(10) needed more writing help, so we added Writing Strands 3

--I decided to combine my older two in MUS Gamma--DS was going to do Singapore 2, but he's really enjoying MUS. At some point we'll need to go back and cover regrouping, but it's working well for now.

--We added a composer and artist study. Right now we're reading an Opal Wheeler biography on Bach and Linnea in Monet's Garden. We're also listening to Bach throughout the day.

--We added Mark Kistler's Draw Squad and I picked up a Chinese brush painting book for our 2nd term.

--I had several math programs set aside for my 5yo, but we've pretty much settled on Miquon.

 

I've also played around with my schedule quite a bit...I'm still not 100% happy with it. I'm also still trying to figure out when to get my laundry done. :tongue_smilie:

[ChicoryChick]

The only thing we have really changed is grammar. I had ny reservstions abot CTGE at thw wnd of last yeqr but decided to give it a whirl. I do like the program juust wish it was less crowded on the pages. I ended up using Winston Grammar with ds10 (his sister was alreasy using it) and FLL3 w/ ds9, which he is liking so much better and easier for me to teach. I havwn't started IEW PAL back up with ds5 this year beacause it takes up so much time, so he has mostly been using Before ETC books and I ordered OPGTR to try. Other than that I am very happy with my choices.

[amyrobynne]

We're on week 4. I dropped Queen's Pictures in Cursive and got HWT (ended up getting it for my 1st grader too after deciding he needed more handwriting practice than just some copywork because his letter formation is wonky).

 

We've done nature study but I just bought BFSU and will probably start doing that.

 

I started them in Saxon 5/4 and Saxon 2 and won't drop those books, but I plan to switch to Singapore once their current books are done.

 

Originally, my 1st grader was going to do IEW's TWSS along with my 3rd grader but I dropped him and am doing narrations and copywork only. I'm considering adding FLL for him but might look at the table of contents and essentially do the same stuff on my own with him.

[Twilight Woods]

We just started week 3....

 

I added SWS1 and WWW1, FLL and WWE1 are a hit. SM math is working out well with IP.

 

I dropped SOTW and havent started science yet. We will be trying SL Core B but I may just leave it till next year for 2nd grade and just focus on the 3 R's.

[BakersDozen]

I bagged EE Science. In all my years of homeschooling I've not had a program go so badly. We are back to the God's Design series with Conceptual Physics as supplement and are very happy with it.

[....]

Our changes recently (we school year-round):

 

I wrote a syllabus for Write Source 2000 and started writing labs with the 5th grader and 4th grader. Every day, the three of us get together, read the scheduled text from Write Source and then they write on their own. Afterwards, we get together and edit/discuss their writing.

 

The 7 yro: After 2 months of trying to do "real schoolwork", she's back to unschooling. I put FIAR away. She spent the last several days building projects with Snap Circuits, so I brought out Physics Workshop. I told her that she could build with that, too. So, she spent several hours yesterday building machines with the PW kit.

 

The 4 yro: I decided to break out the Hooked on Phonics K Readers early, because she is reading CVC words!! :hurray:

[alisoncooks]

Week 8 for us...

We have changed:

 

Evan-Moor How to Teach Art + Beginning Geography ----> for a Little House on the Prairie year-long study (with *some* maps and crafts)

 

TWTM science recommendations for Year 1 ------> ACSI science text + add-ons

 

we tried just about every phonics program out there ------> finally landed on R&S Phonics & Reading

[Karen in CO]

Week 7 for us -

From my original plans, I dropped everything and sold the stuff with a high resale value and put dd in ps because she was very lonely with her sister gone. After two weeks, we brought her home again then started school with what we had on hand.

 

So, other than changing everything twice, I haven't changed anything. :D

[Aurelia]

I switched math from MM to CLE because Ariel was not retaining concepts with a mastery based program. She needs more constant review.

 

Also, changed spelling from AAS to Apples & Pears. She got hung up with her ability to spell a number of the words, and could recite the rules, but would only sporadically apply them. We might go back to AAS in the future, but then again, A&P is cheaper in the long run, especially since I already own 2 of the 4 levels because we used it before switching to AAS. I guess we'll see how well she does with A&P for now.

[Clear Creek]

We are on week 6-ish...I don't remember exactly when we started. The only thing we changed here was math for my 3rd grader...we went from R&S 3 all the way back to MUS Alpha, and it is going very well, so far.

 

Not a change, but it took a little time to find our groove with the MP items. We discovered that we aren't the type that feels it is important to memorize lots of facts and question/answer sets about every subject under the sun (just poetry, Latin, and Bible verses), so that helped streamline things a bit.

 

Apparently my 5th grader's brain switched from grammar stage to logic stage this week. Out of the blue she is asking questions (deep questions, not just why the sky is blue) and discussing things. For example, there was a question in her FMOR study guide about veto power as used by the American government (as in, how is veto power used by the government). She started asking questions about the legislative system and comparing it to what she had read about the tribunes in her chapter that day. That turned into a very in-depth discussion that lasted for about 30 minutes! :blink: We are having discussions about all sorts of stuff, and it is no longer just regurgitating information when she answers questions. She is actually evaluating information and pondering things.

[AimeeM]

Like, everything.

'Nuff said.

[Another Lynn]

....

 

Fifth was going to use MP JrK as she has done all the R&S A-F and ETC Primer wkbks. She isn't ready for McRuffy K so I have no ideas. What do you do with a child who knows all the letter sounds and numbers to 20 but isn't ready to blend yet?

 

I'm not sure about level of difficulty as I haven't used it, but CLE has a new kindergarten series out. It's still a "beta" version. It might be worth looking into.

[FO4UR]

I dropped Apples & Pears for ds9, and I'm taking him back through the Ayers List instead. He did SWR k-2nd. I sold SWR, but have WRTR on the shelf, so we are just pre-testing every Monday and working on the first 20 words he misses as his list for the week.

 

 

I am highly tempted to put him back into A&P once his sister catches up to the spot he left off so I can combine. We shall see.

 

 

I am slowly beefing up their independent reading and writing skills (esp ds9), but that's not really a curric change. Other than that, this is the first year I haven't gone from switching/adding/tweaking in one subject or another for someone...like an obsessive hobby or something.:blush: