CarynB Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I have children in grades 5, 3, 2, and 2 in K this year. Unfortunately I need to change our plans due to a chronic illness that I am suffering from. I really need something I can hand over to the kids to work on independently (except the K'ers, I'll continue to work with them on reading etc.). Although we've never been a workbooky/traditional homeschooling family I think that's the best direction to go in for this period of our life. I am leaning towards Christian Liberty Press, can anyone give me feedback on them - or any other workbook or textbook based program that wouldn't involve alot of teacher prep? I first turned to Abeka, but then read so many reviews that said it's not best for homeschools that I scrapped that idea. I need to order materials N.O.W. so please help me out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Abeka is great for homeschoolers. It just may not fit your family. Is there a way you can keep your current curriculum but adapt it to work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 (((Hugs))) I'm sorry. What are you using now? I also wondered if there are ways to adapt what you are using now. Workboxes have really helped us with getting kids to work independently, even if the curriculum isn't necessarily a workbook type curriculum. Merry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Lilac Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Check out Christian Light Education (http://www.clp.org) or Lifepacs (http://www.aophomeschooling.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 (edited) I, too, think it would help to know what you're using now. Particularly, what math are you using now? Is it already workbook/doesn't require much teacher? Also, you might be able to do some fun but not teacher involved stuff too. It doesn't have to be all workbook (thinking Magic School Bus science for example or documentaries like the BBC Earth and similar; maybe they could listen to SOTW and the oldest could pick a project a week or similar to do alone or with the six year old). If this is a longer term switch maybe it would help ease into it at those young ages if you could have sort of a mix of workbook and a bit more rather than going from where you are now straight to workbooks? Edited October 2, 2012 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caribbean Queen Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 ACE paces are tried and true. You can order them from Christian Book Distributors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsingscrapper Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Another one for your 3rd and 5th is Switched-On Schoolhouse. You'll have to add penmanship but will be able to re-use for the younger ones. It's the same material as the Lifepacs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 We use CLE math and I've been pleased. I've also heard good things about their language arts, but the science and social studies are pretty dry. You might be better off just checking library books out for those subjects, or having your 5th grader read SOTW to the younger ones for history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 CLE would be great for math and LA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stm4him Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 If I were going to go back to a traditional approach I would definitely go with CLP. They are thorough, cheap, and rich in theology. I just kept wanting to add memory work and languages and thinking skills and so eventually we went back to a classical approach. But I really think CLP is the best traditional program out there. Also, another classical program that could be somewhat more independent than other classical programs in memoria press packages. You should look into those...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 ACE paces are tried and true. You can order them from Christian Book Distributors. I've spend over 2 decades watching ACE be a better open-and-go option than CLE and Alpha Omega. CLE and AO keep updating, so that could change at some point, but I don't think so. CLE and AO try to cram a private school education into a public school number of pages, and that is a disaster waiting to happen without a teacher to fill in the missing pieces. Not that you are asking, but I recommend American School Correspondence School for high school after elementary ACE. The Amish Climbing to Good English and Study Time Arithmetic are another option. The Robinson Method can be used without purchasing the CDs. Saxon math, writing and lots of reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarynB Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 Wow, thanks everybody! We are using Math-U-See and Rod and Staff for math which my kids are successful with largely on their own. I just give additional instruction where they need it. We also use R&S for English, which I do orally and they complete the related worksheets. I do have my oldest also complete the writing assignments with R&S. We are using Learning Adventures for history, read aloud, science etc. I thought this would be great since I could combine the kids for alot of the day. The main problem is that when I have a bad day (or days) LA doesn't get done and then the kids don't have anything else to use for those subjects. I plan on keeping Learning Adventures and returning to it next year (hopefully!) but for now it would just relieve a lot of my stress to know that the kids' academic needs are being met while I work on getting well. We have used CLE in the past for some subjects, I'll have to reconsider them as well. I really like Memoria Press' materials - but it'll be too much $$$ for this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 If you are not looking for a complete box, take a look at Evan-Moor Daily Science workbooks for science. http://www.evan-moor.com/Product.aspx?ISBN=9781596734203 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txmommyofboys Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 workboxes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I've spend over 2 decades watching ACE be a better open-and-go option than CLE and Alpha Omega. CLE and AO keep updating, so that could change at some point, but I don't think so. CLE and AO try to cram a private school education into a public school number of pages, and that is a disaster waiting to happen without a teacher to fill in the missing pieces. Not that you are asking, but I recommend American School Correspondence School for high school after elementary ACE. The Amish Climbing to Good English and Study Time Arithmetic are another option. The Robinson Method can be used without purchasing the CDs. Saxon math, writing and lots of reading. Could you elaborate on this? Just curious! :) And, for the OP, I don't have any suggestions that haven't already been given. Sorry you're not well. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I've spend over 2 decades watching ACE be a better open-and-go option than CLE and Alpha Omega. CLE and AO keep updating, so that could change at some point, but I don't think so. CLE and AO try to cram a private school education into a public school number of pages, and that is a disaster waiting to happen without a teacher to fill in the missing pieces. Not that you are asking, but I recommend American School Correspondence School for high school after elementary ACE. Could you elaborate on this? Just curious! :) ACE was designed to deal with the reality of children being pulled from public school and being taught by dedicated but untrained and overwhelmed adults. ACE is based on average child development, and the worktexts are not graded, so students are more likely to be properly placed. On the other hand AO, and CLE which is based off of the older version of AO, were designed to be "better" than the PS model. They wanted to include more critical thinking and to keep pace with private schools, which often have a disproportionate number of gifted students. I have found that to be successful at "better" includes a larger VOLUME of work. Sometimes a MUCH larger volume of work. AO and CLE don't include the volume of pages needed to help the student reach the loftier goals. This becomes increasingly evident as the curriculum progresses. The upper level math and science is a joke. I've used them as review with a gifted student, but as a stand alone self-teaching curriculum, they are unusable. When mom is sick, or unable to teach, I think it's better to follow a PS model--a successful not failing PS model--as the core, and have the student move through the series quicker or to supplement with lots of free reading and hobbies. I'm not at all thrilled with ACE's worldview, but it's a solid program that accomplishes what it promises. Yes, some precocious children can just quickly read and regurgitate the worktexts without the deeper comprehension of having used a teacher intensive and more time consuming program, but if these students engage in meaningful activity AFTER finishing their daily assignments, they will often be better educated than the students who spent longer with their "better" curriculum. American School is similar, that it is also based off of normal child development and provides the same VOLUME of work as is expected by the PS. More able students can pick harder courses, or more courses, or graduate early. The worldview is secular but the school bends over backwards to accommodate students. Amish students that choose to complete high school, use American School much more often than the Mennonite CLE. I have watched families that were entirely successful with ACE, fall flat on their faces when they switched to Alpha-Omega and CLE and CLP. I don't know if the CLP high school program has changed, but I didn't at all like what I saw back in the late 90's with my neighbor's daughter, compared to American School. I have never seen the CLP full program for the younger grades, in action, but it looks much more teacher intensive and choppier than ACE. You really can test and dump kids into ACE, and have them make steady and real progress, if the HOME environment is enriching, and provides additional opportunities to read and explore and work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 The Swann's used the school in a box method, and are a must read. http://www.amazon.com/Regrets-Homeschooling-Masters-Sixteen-ebook/dp/B003K16NCU/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1349270464&sr=8-1 http://www.home-school.com/Articles/columnists/joyce-swann.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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