momma2three Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 If there's a curriculum that you and your student are totally ambivalent about: - child doesn't mind doing it, but isn't terribly excited when it gets pulled out. "What do I still have to do after this?" is usually the question. - not bad, but not exactly inspiring - it's unclear if anything's being retained, but perhaps it is? - I'm just kind of overall meh. But is it me, or the curriculum? Do you plug through it, because finishing things that you start is character building, and it's not like it's making anyone miserable? Or is life too short for "meh," and it's time to move on? Does it change your mind if what you'd like to replace it with is, you feel, a much better curriculum, but your kid does not like it because it requires a lot more writing? Does it change your mind if you're more than halfway through? Week 20 out of 36? I KNOW I'm overthinking this, so you don't have to tell me. It's Growing with Grammar and Winning with Writing, fwiw. They're not bad. Neither DD nor I groan or cry when I pull them out. I think the order of things and the topics are fine. I'm just totally uninspired, and trying to decide if it's worth it to stick out the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghanL Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 If it's working but just not exciting, I would finish the year and then change it up if I want next year. But, I try to limit mid-year changes to as close to none as possible, so take that for what it is. I also think grammar is just a "meh" subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I teach for a living. I know that if *I* can not get excited about teaching, I can not expect my students to be excited about learning. If you can not be enthusiastic about the materials you have chosen, the student will sense it and will not feel motivated. I would try very hard to keep school inspiring, especially for young kids. If you are not inspired, they won't be either. Life is too short - but OTOH, there is also enough time to ditch something you don't enjoy and find something you do. Especially for young kids like yours, I can't imagine having to get through a subject so urgently that I'd be willing to use curriculum that I don't like (I could see the necessity to simply check off a high school credit with a less than exciting curriculum so it gets done). I can not see a character building value in continuing to do something that is not working well; I'd rather be fixing the problem. Being through 20 weeks of it is irrelevant to me. What has been learned won't be lost, but no need to prolong the pain. It would not be relevant that the kid does not like the workload, as long as I am convinced the new curriculum meets my learning objectives in a superior way, and the amount of work is what I need to demand of my child. I allow my kids input on curriculum choices, but I do not allow them to determine what amount of work is appropriate for their level. That is my call as the parent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Given the age of the student and the very uninspiring nature of the programs, I'd say DITCH in a heartbeat. K5 and 1st are awesome years, and they're WAY too fleeting to WASTE on insipid programs! Go do something fun that rocks his socks and makes him come alive and create and exude, sister!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherOfBoys Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Wow, I thought more people would say stick with it till your done. Seeing as you only have 16 lessons left. Can you accelerate the rest to get your money's worth and make it more challenging? No one's crying over it so get your money's worth this year and then pitch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 If there's a curriculum that you and your student are totally ambivalent about: - child doesn't mind doing it, but isn't terribly excited when it gets pulled out. "What do I still have to do after this?" is usually the question. - not bad, but not exactly inspiring - it's unclear if anything's being retained, but perhaps it is? - I'm just kind of overall meh. But is it me, or the curriculum? Do you plug through it, because finishing things that you start is character building, and it's not like it's making anyone miserable? Or is life too short for "meh," and it's time to move on? Does it change your mind if what you'd like to replace it with is, you feel, a much better curriculum, but your kid does not like it because it requires a lot more writing? Does it change your mind if you're more than halfway through? Week 20 out of 36? I KNOW I'm overthinking this, so you don't have to tell me. It's Growing with Grammar and Winning with Writing, fwiw. They're not bad. Neither DD nor I groan or cry when I pull them out. I think the order of things and the topics are fine. I'm just totally uninspired, and trying to decide if it's worth it to stick out the year. If you're switching to something your child doesn't like, there may begin to be fighting over doing it. I've found that causes me all sorts of grief. My suggestion is to finish the curriculum and begin anew next year. That being said, I've switched grammar programs in the spring. We were rushed going into the program, I didn't place the kids correctly because of the rush, and we struggled through the summer. Looking back, I still think we should have made the switch, but we should have made it at the start of the school year instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 Wow, I thought more people would say stick with it till your done. Seeing as you only have 16 lessons left. Can you accelerate the rest to get your money's worth and make it more challenging? No one's crying over it so get your money's worth this year and then pitch it. If you go to a restaurant and order a dish and you don't like it, do you force yourself to eat it up to get your money's worth, or do you leave the rest on the plate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabet1 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I would not switch over these reasons. If you really do want to switch, and find something you like better, then go for it. Otherwise, I would not stress just because they are not excited about math. I am not excited about broccoli, but that doesn't mean I should stop eating it. Something needs to be their least favorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabet1 Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 If you go to a restaurant and order a dish and you don't like it, do you force yourself to eat it up to get your money's worth, or do you leave the rest on the plate? She didn't say she did not like it, so much as she is "meh" about it. It doesn't excite anyone. 16 lessons will be done in less than 3 weeks. Might as well finish and then try something new. It takes time to research other programs, so use it while researching and waiting on a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherOfBoys Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 I would eat it, for sure! It's not poisoned it's just not preferred. BIG difference! Plus what she wants to switch to might come with a little fight so use the time between meals to relook at the menu! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 In First Grade you could drop them both and start again next year and just do something else for the writing - without a curriculum. You could finish them both and then also not start another til next year. You could drop them both now and get a new curriculum. Whatever you decide will not be the end of the world - even if that decision is to decide nothing for now. Maybe you both need a break from curriculum that is set out for you - maybe doing something that you decide yourself would be fine - you have done 20 weeks - you know sort of what to expect and could easily pick something similar but in a vein that would make you and your child more excited about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 First grade? Oh my gosh. Drop it. Get fun grammar stuff. Grammar Tales, Parts of Speech Tales, Punctuation Vacation, Eats Shoots and Leaves. Have FUN with it. There really are a lot of fun grammar things out there, but you have to look. Oh, Schoolhouse Rock is another fun thing! You might look into Language Smarts B for second grade. The assignments are very short and colorful, if you want some kind of written output. The Sentence Family is pretty great, although I believe it's geared for 4th grade-ish. Humpties is a gentle cute grammar workbook. I think there are some Montessori grammar manipulatives, too. Enjoy! And personally, I like Writing with Ease 1 (modified a little) better than WWW, but YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 - it's unclear if anything's being retained, but perhaps it is? For this reason, I would quit now. I'm not interested in mindlessly filling time. If it's working, it's working, whether it is WOW or bleh. We do some WOW and we do some bleh, but nothing stays if I see no evidence of retention. To me, it would be irrelevant that I paid for it. Simply going through the motions to get it done does not give it value. The value is in the learning. No learning equals gone here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 What I would do.... I'd glance through the end of the grammar book and take note of the topics covered. Then I'd make a point to talk about those topics casually over the next few weeks while you are researching what LA you are going to switch to. (School House Rocks is fun.) Grammar repeats over and over and over again through the years. Make an introduction of the topics, and search for a better program...or just let grammar be casual via copywork for a long while. I wouldn't even worry about the writing at all for a 1st grader who is doing well with spelling and handwriting. Spelling and handwriting are higher priority. Maybe beef up on copywork and oral narrations to take the place of grammar/writing for a while. Language Lessons Through Literature is really very good. I'd encourage you to look through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Wow, I thought more people would say stick with it till your done. Seeing as you only have 16 lessons left. Can you accelerate the rest to get your money's worth and make it more challenging? No one's crying over it so get your money's worth this year and then pitch it. Yeah, this is my feeling on it as well. You are in the home stretch. Even if you're not particularly inspired, you are at a good spot to finish up the program and start the next one when you start your next school year. I always feel like if I switch something mid-year I need to work double-time to "catch up." Even if you don't mind that, you will get more out of the stuff you did at the beginning of the year when it gets reinforced at the end of the year. There is something to be said for a program that is basic and easy to get done. We are on our third year of GWG and while I wish the exercises were less predictable and required some real reasoning rather than just identifying, it is something that is painless to do every day. I teach it on the whiteboard, come up with new sentences, review old stuff, and keep trucking through. At this point it is at least bringing the concepts and terms up to the surface again and again, so when we have the time & energy to do a more substantial program, we're not starting from scratch. I believe that is enough of a benefit to keep going. But I have a kid who needs a small dose over a long period of time to learn things, and couldn't just jump into an intensive program. For grammar, it's worth it to me to keep it easy and frequent, and I can see that we have made big gains over the long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebbyribs Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 We're similarly ambivalent about GWG this year, but I'm inclined to stick it out. It's quick and not parent-intensive, and I think it's doing the job of introducing grammar concepts. I think if we were feeling "meh" about something that was taking a lot of our time, then I'd be more inclined to make a change ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 GWG is the ONE curriculum I ever tossed. I tend to be a 'stick with it' kind of girl, but GWG was just not right for us. We did FLL 1-4 and after that GWG5 was just so boring and simplistic that we couldn't take it another day. Plus, I believed that my son's excellent grammar skills from FLL were actually de-evolving before my eyes. We switched over to R&S after that and everything has been great since. Is grammar the most exciting thing ever? Nope. But at least R&S is slightly challenging so it feels worth the time you put into it. But grade 1 is no place for something that you don't like. Really. You have years ahead of you for that. Why start early? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I'd finish it. My methodology is to save the switching of curriculum for when a program is absolutely failing us - either because it isn't a good fit or because the curriculum itself is faulty. Think of it this way - do you want to set a precedent for switching curriculum now? Sometimes things just have to get done, wether or not they excite us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 ... - it's unclear if anything's being retained, but perhaps it is? ... I'd try to figure out whether it is or isn't. If no retention, what's the point? You'd both have to love the program so much it gives momentary pleasure so that it would be like any other mindless entertainment done for the fun of it, for it to be worthwhile with no retention IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I say finish because its not horrible or even bad so go ahead and finish but SWITCH for the next level. Do not switch to something that shuts your student down though. If he'll be ready for the program you want in the level he needs in the Fall, then go there, if not, find something else that you think that you'll both find refreshing. I have never been inspired by grammar, for what its worth. I certainly didn't find it fascinating and inspirational when I was 6. I just did it and went outside to play. I say get some easy grammar stuff in the summer and see how much he knows or can recall. There are books by Sand Castle on a bunch of different grammar topics, School house rock, and a bunch of stuff available through the library system here. Also check on YouTube and online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLMom Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 After years of homeschooling, curriculum hopping, etc. I say later rather than sooner. Most kids can learn from anything if time is put in. Math is math, grammar is grammar when you just get down to it and bells and whistles don't make it better for much longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyndiLJ Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I may be the voice of dissent here, but I often find in reading the posts that parents are too concerned about learning being "exciting", especially at the young ages. While I do not advocate at all sticking with something that is clearly not working, is head bangingly boring, or is rote work, I tend to be in the camp that feels I am doing my kids a disservice if I lead them to believe that everything in life is going to be exciting, interesting and engaging. Truth is, folks, life is just not that way. There are things in life we just have to do. Grocery shopping has to get done, and no one has ever shown me a way to get excited over it. Laundry has to get done, again, not exciting. The lawn needs mowed, the oil needs changed, the dishes need washed, etc. When we give our kids the impression that this is not a part of real life, is it any wonder that hitting adulthood is like a smack in the face? What??? The daily tasks of living are not always entertaining? I have to actually WORK and not play at it?? Don't get me wrong, I think the younger years are indeed special, and where we can we ought to try and offer interesting curriculum and use engaging materials,. but I see nothing wrong whatsoever with having something here and there that simply has to be done, exciting or not, and if it is not absolutely despised, then I think it is a learning opportunity of a different kind. Oh...and yes, I have switched curriculum mid-stream, more than once, but it wasn't because it was "boring", it was for other reasons offered above. All of us pick a zonker once in a while, and I always reserve the right to try something else. But simply because it is not "exciting"? Not so much... Perhaps I could sum it up as "In every life, a little 'meh' must fall!" Hahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I may be the voice of dissent here, but I often find in reading the posts that parents are too concerned about learning being "exciting", especially at the young ages. While I do not advocate at all sticking with something that is clearly not working, is head bangingly boring, or is rote work, I tend to be in the camp that feels I am doing my kids a disservice if I lead them to believe that everything in life is going to be exciting, interesting and engaging. Truth is, folks, life is just not that way. There are things in life we just have to do. Grocery shopping has to get done, and no one has ever shown me a way to get excited over it. Laundry has to get done, again, not exciting. The lawn needs mowed, the oil needs changed, the dishes need washed, etc. When we give our kids the impression that this is not a part of real life, is it any wonder that hitting adulthood is like a smack in the face? What??? The daily tasks of living are not always entertaining? I have to actually WORK and not play at it?? Don't get me wrong, I think the younger years are indeed special, and where we can we ought to try and offer interesting curriculum and use engaging materials,. but I see nothing wrong whatsoever with having something here and there that simply has to be done, exciting or not, and if it is not absolutely despised, then I think it is a learning opportunity of a different kind. Oh...and yes, I have switched curriculum mid-stream, more than once, but it wasn't because it was "boring", it was for other reasons offered above. All of us pick a zonker once in a while, and I always reserve the right to try something else. But simply because it is not "exciting"? Not so much... Perhaps I could sum it up as "In every life, a little 'meh' must fall!" Hahaha! One thing I think I've learned over the years from my own kids and teaching in coops is that not all kids learn well with workbooks. They just can't take what they've learned and apply it. Since the OP is referring to dropping GWG and WWW and they are workbooks, I'm wondering if the right connections are being made to engage. If kids can get excited about a curriculum and it engages them, then they will learn more. That's a fact. So, if there is a program for something that grabs their attention, I'd go with that over something that doesn't because the time you invest is much more likely to pay off. One other point is that kids are not created equal when it comes to attention or their interests. If you have a kids with any attention or learning quirks, I'd say it's very worth the time and money to get something that works to motivate them because things can be harder for them and harder for you in general and you need to conserve your resources. Part of life is that there will always be something will always be an unavoidable slog and some subjects are going to be "meh" no matter what you use or how you use them, but I think it's worthwhile not to waste our time and energy or take the joy out of life anymore than is unavoidable. Last point. I think a lot of times, it's not the curriculum but how you implement it. I have a friend who has always sworn by what most people think of as the most dry, boring, workbook curriculum ever. But she is energetic and creative and has a way to make it come alive. So, perhaps, rather than changing from GWG or WWW, the OP can read the lessons and figure out a way to teach the same material in a creative way aloud or with a white board. My youngest sometimes becomes the teacher, sometimes she pretends our animals are giving the answers in their respective voices and we have to participate, or she works in a room with no light with the flashlight to make it feel more like an adventure or else provide sensory deprivation. ?? Honestly, it's really not my cup of tea, but if things were done my way, it would be really boring, we'd be fighting overwork, and most of how we spend our day would become a drudgery for me and for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Grammar can definitely be meh. I wouldn't even do it in 1st grade (or 2nd). But, if you do, use something more memorable & less blah. Like some others said -- Schoolhouse Rock, Grammarland (online free), or Sentence Family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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