Chrysalis Academy Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 It's funny, the other thread got me thinking about the fact that we have a pretty great year planned, and yet the one thing I'm *not* excited about doing is Art of Argument. Anyone with me? Anyone feeling like there is something in the plan that you aren't jazzed about doing, but feel like it's a must-do? And . . . do I really neeeeeeeed to do AoA? Where is the whiney emoticon?? ;) :wacko: :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perogi Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 WWS...... Forgive me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 WWS...... Forgive me. :lol: See, we spent all of this year being *not* excited about WWS . . . and have finally given it up. For good. I mean it this time. :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 This is not logic stage based but I'll chime in anyway. I'm not excited about doing K. There, I said it. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I'm not that excited about math. First Eldest got stumped by long division. Then multiple step mulitplication. And the word problems keep getting more and more complicated. (We use Singapore math, and are just finishing book 4A even though in theory he should be ready to start 5A in September. I just don't see that happening at the current pace we are going) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I'm not excited about teaching preschool - with a 2nd and 6th next year, I don't think much done specifically for DD3 would happen.. But she can learn by osmosis, right? :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tress Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I'm not even certain there will be a next year :banghead: .....maybe homeschooling will not be legal anymore :crying: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 This will be my first year homeschooling logic stage with two fifth grade boys. I find I'm not very excited about anything, but scared about everything. I hope I don't have to go through this again when we get through logic and hit rhetoric! The three biggest ones: 1)Saxon 6/5. Our year with 5/4 was anything but smooth. That said, it has done a great job as far as getting them thinking. I'm currently working out how to cut the time it takes to do a lesson, because currently it just takes too long factoring in whine time. 2)Writing. And that is so funny, because I love to write, and they enjoy writing. But I'm overwhelmed looking at Homer, a little underwhelmed in looking at CAP, in sticker shock over IEW and Bravewriter, and really disliking the grammar/writing combined curricula. Wah. 3)Critical thinking. If they have to be told five times how to open their books and read the directions on a exercise how can they possibly be ready to learn problem solving? Of course, you could look at that they other way and say it's high time! But it is at the end of the fourth grade year, it's spring, we are trudging along with our backpacks and sore feet and wondering if we will ever get to the top. So when we do, I'll take a month off and I suspect I'll have a better attitude about fifth grade and the logic stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Is it horrible to say that I am not excited about homeschooling at all next year? I am entering my 9th year and I just want to be done. Alas, no other viable options, so I will continue to homeschool and hope I find some excitement somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 This is not logic stage based but I'll chime in anyway. I'm not excited about doing K. There, I said it. :glare: I *completely* understand! ~ another mom of five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I'm not looking forward to it either :( We love BJU science 5 and science 6 will be similar but more lessons to complete in the year. I'm considering the online version with teacher instruction but that will add another 30 minutes to our day and I just don't see how we can get everything done each day. I will be starting DS on WWS and doing some WWE3 exercises with DD before moving her on to WWS later in the year. Not looking forward to this (being torn in two different directions). We took a writing bunnytrail which was awesome this year, but now we need to do this as I value the skills learned. As much as we enjoyed this year, and as much as they have learned and experienced, I'm currently focusing on what I had planned that we did not do this year. How can I expect to add even more to next year and think we can do it? :crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I do have the TM! I stubbornly think I should do all of the lessons LOL. I will definitely consider that next year for level 6. Did I you use the videos for level 6? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Thank you for the reminder about the required vs. optional lessons :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Not so much actual materials, but subjects. 1. Writing. Should I simplify, simpify, simplify and go back to WWE/WWS (maybe add in Write With the Best for Cyrus because he seems to enjoy it?) for the kids? Or keep trying to move forward with a mishmash of various resources? Right now, looking ahead at my work schedule, Cyrus's fencing classes, etc., I am tempted to just use an actual program. 2. Math. Cassia seems happy enough to return to Saxon... in fact she has asked for it, but for Cyrus I'm up in the air. He liked the looks of the AoPs Prealgebra sample I printed out for him, but then I read that the prealg is difficult to actually use. So what to use in the meantime for prealgebra? Grrr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Not so much actual materials, but subjects. 1. Writing. Should I simplify, simpify, simplify and go back to WWE/WWS (maybe add in Write With the Best for Cyrus because he seems to enjoy it?) for the kids? Or keep trying to move forward with a mishmash of various resources? Right now, looking ahead at my work schedule, Cyrus's fencing classes, etc., I am tempted to just use an actual program. 2. Math. Cassia seems happy enough to return to Saxon... in fact she has asked for it, but for Cyrus I'm up in the air. He liked the looks of the AoPs Prealgebra sample I printed out for him, but then I read that the prealg is difficult to actually use. So what to use in the meantime for prealgebra? Grrr. I hear you with writing. I'm looking forward to getting it right . . . . somehow. Still trying to figure out how . . . I know you've heard my rant before, but as the year progresses I am more and more in love with the combination of JA + Zaccaro Real World Algebra for PreAlgebra. Shannon is thriving with this, and she's started Alcumus and is doing well with that, too. I'm going to trust Alcumus to tell me when she's ready to try AoPS Algebra, (meaning, when she masters the PreA content on Alcumus), but meanwhile she is really blossoming under this regime, where I feel like AoPS PreA would have kind of beaten her up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I hear you with writing. I'm looking forward to getting it right . . . . somehow. Still trying to figure out how . . . I know you've heard my rant before, but as the year progresses I am more and more in love with the combination of JA + Zaccaro Real World Algebra for PreAlgebra. Shannon is thriving with this, and she's started Alcumus and is doing well with that, too. I'm going to trust Alcumus to tell me when she's ready to try AoPS Algebra, (meaning, when she masters the PreA content on Alcumus), but meanwhile she is really blossoming under this regime, where I feel like AoPS PreA would have kind of beaten her up. I do have JA, just not the teacher's guide... yet. And Zaccaro isn't too expensive - he's using Challenge Math right now and loves it. Hmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Yeah, for whatever reason she likes Real World Algebra even more than she liked Challenge Math. I don't know if it's a difference in the book, or a difference in her attitude/problem solving abilities, but where she just tolerated Challenge Math, she LOVES RWA. ETA: You are welcome to borrow our JA TM as soon as we're done with it. The bonus is I've corrected all the many mistakes in my copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Yeah, for whatever reason she likes Real World Algebra even more than she liked Challenge Math. I don't know if it's a difference in the book, or a difference in her attitude/problem solving abilities, but where she just tolerated Challenge Math, she LOVES RWA. ETA: You are welcome to borrow our JA TM as soon as we're done with it. The bonus is I've corrected all the many mistakes in my copy. You are awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Reformation & Renaissance eras in history. I actually jumped ship to American history last time through the cycle rather than teach it. It's seriously tempting to do that again, but I know my kids do, in fact, need to cover those time periods in European history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I'm okay with the schooling stuff. My dread is daily: HORMONES. (Where is the rollercoaster icon???) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Folding in K! Not looking forward to all the prep for this level. Lots of game time. I have to schedule it in and assign a child to do some of them or else I will go nuts playing games over and over again or making collages of living and nonliving things out of magazines or plants vs animals. Arts, crafts, Phonics---games, crafts etc. Playdough letters, sensory boxes. Handwriting without Tears with chalk! Bugs to Bunnies worksheets, crafts, hands on stuff. Do it once is fun, doing it twice fun because it was with a girl rather than boy (just something different-not due to a specific sex per se), third time-can;t remember doing it even though we did it, same with 4 and 5th-- a little more fun because it was with twins, 6th-I had to tweak it a lot because she was slow with learning the skills.... but this time it is going to doing K--- 7 times over. WHAT WAS I THINKING of having more kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 JoJo's mom: Is hormone issues yours or your kids or both? Hormone issues with both at the same time is a nightmare. Being pregnant or even going through menopause (not there yet) along with teenagers or preteens can be horrific sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 JoJo's mom: Is hormone issues yours or your kids or both? Hormone issues with both at the same time is a nightmare. Being pregnant or ever going through menopause (not there yet) along with teenagers or preteens can be horrific sometimes. Oh man. You are making me having flashbacks of my mom and I during my teen years.. she was going through menopause at the same time. My dad was a saint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 HERS. She's 11. (It's NOT me. I'm not peri-menopausaul. I'm not, not, NOT.) Well, maybe it's a little bit me. Perhaps. But not likely. :ph34r: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 And . . . do I really neeeeeeeed to do AoA? Where is the whiney emoticon?? ;) :wacko: :ack2: You don't need to do AoA. I looked forward to it because we did it in a group and it was *fun*. All by ourselves it would have been torture for both of us. --> I'm not excited about trying to either smoosh it all in or cut out stuff. I have SO MANY things I think we need to be doing - and there just isn't enough time or energy in each day. I'm trying to sit down & make a list of the things I really want them to work on every week (not curriculum - skills) so I don't keep adding in yet-one-more-thing. But, but ... then I look at my "things-they-should-do-in-X-grade" list and I think, "I'm BEHIND!" :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Math, but then it's always Math. I think we're going to spend some time going "deeper" into Algebra, from now until Christmas. Then do a short course of Geometry (Jan-Aug) The thing is, in H.S. I couldn't pass Algebra 1, let alone move on to anything else. So I expect my brain to hurt a lot over the next year. Also DD will be giving P.S. another try, I am not looking forward to trying to wake a night owl up at 6am, every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Driver's Ed. My eldest doesn't even have her license yet, and now my 8th grader starts driver's ed this summer. So, I'll need to be driving with both girls (separately) this fall. I really, really dislike teaching my children to drive. I know it will be my husband driving with them more than I, but I still find the whole thing incredibly nerve racking! :scared: :scared: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I am not excited that next year will be the last year where I feel like my daughter and I can follow all the bunny trails that we desire without worrying about getting other subjects completed. I love the middle school years and will be sorry to move over completely to the high school boards. :sad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 JoJo's Mom : If it is any consolation, my baby is starting to wean off breast feeding and my hormones shift with that and I have two 12yrs old and 1 ten years old. It truly isn;t a pretty sight some days! The evil eyes abound every where in this household. So yes along with folding in K er next year and chasing toddler we have HORMONES galore over here! No wonder husband works a lot of Overtime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Drivers Ed! Yes that has been rough on everyone. The nerves, the insurance rates etc. I ended up developing cramps in my hand while grasping no squeezing the clothes hanging thing above the head or side during driver's ed. I also lost my voice screaming " Slow down. We're going to die." My vehicles have experience some additional bumps and bruises since we have teens driving. I did hire a company to work with the teens but they still need to drive with the parents some. SIGH! I wish I can add to making this more manageable but I really can't. I do recommend taking a nice hot bath after each driving session with epson salt and some lavender essential oils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Mystiekm, if you feel like you need some kind of Math U see in your life--you can just get the videos and have the kids watch it before doing the work in a regular math textbook. Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happycc Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Is Art of Argument tortuous even with the videos? I was just going to hand the videos and the books over to them and have them go for it as they have been doing critical thinking 1 with a tutor this year. Possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Hmmm probably just apologia science- my son pretty mug loathes textbook science. :( He loves science just not from a textbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 JoJo's Mom : If it is any consolation, my baby is starting to wean off breast feeding and my hormones shift with that and I have two 12yrs old and 1 ten years old. It truly isn;t a pretty sight some days! The evil eyes abound every where in this household. So yes along with folding in K er next year and chasing toddler we have HORMONES galore over here! No wonder husband works a lot of Overtime! :grouphug: Having walked through some dark times in my life, "It could always be worse" has become something of a mantra for me. When DD (NOT me) is being a challenge, I will shut my mouth and say a prayer for you. (I only have one and she has me outnumbered and surrounded. You rock, sister!) Edit: ACK! I am having a grossly inarticulate day. I'm sorry! I do not mean that your life is "worse;" just that there are others who cope beautifully with so much more of a challenge. When I started the whole parenting thing, I intended to have several. Maybe God knew my limits when he blessed me only with one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 It's funny, the other thread got me thinking about the fact that we have a pretty great year planned, and yet the one thing I'm *not* excited about doing is Art of Argument. Anyone with me? Anyone feeling like there is something in the plan that you aren't jazzed about doing, but feel like it's a must-do? And . . . do I really neeeeeeeed to do AoA? Where is the whiney emoticon?? ;) :wacko: :ack2: Yes, we did Art of Argument this year, and I'm glad we're moving on without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I am not excited about creating folders. Oddly, I am sort of excited to have the bindings cut off of a bunch workbooks. I do like going to the local FedEx and watching that- no idea why. I am not excited about bringing them home and dividing them into semesters and then weeks. I am not excited about hole-punching all those stacks and putting them all in folders with fasteners. However, I am excited that Doodle requested to use folders again next year. Any time he takes an interest in anything having to do with school, I am excited. So, I guess mixed emotions on this one. Since I have no idea what we are doing for math, I am not excited. :( Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 And . . . do I really neeeeeeeed to do AoA? Where is the whiney emoticon?? ;) :wacko: :ack2: We did A of A "light". I read it aloud, and we discussed it. Nothing written. No tests. I didn't even buy the teacher's edition. It was not time-consuming, and they learned something. It's all good. :) (Part of something is better than all of nothing. :) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Is Art of Argument tortuous even with the videos? We didn't use the videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Reformation & Renaissance eras in history. I actually jumped ship to American history last time through the cycle rather than teach it. It's seriously tempting to do that again, but I know my kids do, in fact, need to cover those time periods in European history. What are you planning on using for this? What you end up teaching from could make all the difference. Maybe something like Project Passport would brighten things up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbabe Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I'm not even certain there will be a next year :banghead: .....maybe homeschooling will not be legal anymore :crying: .. Where? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Yes, we did Art of Argument this year, and I'm glad we're moving on without it. Wait, yes I really need to do it, or yes, you feel my pain and are giving me permission not to do it? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 We did A of A "light". I read it aloud, and we discussed it. Nothing written. No tests. I didn't even buy the teacher's edition. It was not time-consuming, and they learned something. It's all good. :) (Part of something is better than all of nothing. :) ) Yeah, I'm thinking that's how we'll do it to. My child actually is not at all argumentative, and probably could use some tips. ;) My 2nd child, on the other hand, will not be allowed to listen in, she needs no help becoming better at arguing, or at detecting my logical fallacies! :eek: :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I can't think of anything in particular that I am not looking forward to...except maybe my always desired involvement in science activities that I would just as soon they do on their own. But I am curious about your aversion to AoA. It is one thing I am very much looking forward to next year (without the DVDs, which I will admit finding painful to watch). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 What are you planning on using for this? What you end up teaching from could make all the difference. Maybe something like Project Passport would brighten things up? I have K12 Human Odyssey Vol. 2 and most of the chapters are fine. However, it's got not only an anti-Catholic bias but also misinformation about Catholicism. I really need to get my hands on a copy of Catholic Schools History Project "Light to the Nations" but it's expensive and I don't know if I'll have the budget for it (kicking myself for not buying it earlier). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 the one thing I'm *not* excited about doing is Art of Argument. ..... And . . . do I really neeeeeeeed to do AoA? Where is the whiney emoticon?? ;) :wacko: :ack2: Why? We really enjoyed it. We loved talking about all the billboards in town and what fallacies they use to manipulate us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 "Christ the King, Lord of History" by Dr. Anne Carroll would be inexpensive and pro-Catholic but BLECH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 I can't think of anything in particular that I am not looking forward to...except maybe my always desired involvement in science activities that I would just as soon they do on their own. But I am curious about your aversion to AoA. It is one thing I am very much looking forward to next year (without the DVDs, which I will admit finding painful to watch). I don't think it qualifies as an aversion, exactly. It's just when I pull the book out and start trying to pre-read it, I just go yawn and have trouble focusing on it . . . it's not very engaging to just sit and read. I think the topic is important and all, it just seems to me that the presentation is rather . . . dry? Why? We really enjoyed it. We loved talking about all the billboards in town and what fallacies they use to manipulate us. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. It's the kind of thing we love to discuss - fallacies, deceptive advertising, etc. Maybe it will be ok after all . . . It's just that I"m realizing that my eyes are bigger than my stomach, as usual, and clearly we won't be able to cover everything I want to next year . . . this is a common problem, however, and not really AofA's fault. :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I caught my dh in an Is-ought fallacy just this evening. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. It's the kind of thing we love to discuss - fallacies, deceptive advertising, etc. Maybe it will be ok after all . . . It's just that I"m realizing that my eyes are bigger than my stomach, as usual, and clearly we won't be able to cover everything I want to next year . . . this is a common problem, however, and not really AofA's fault. :unsure: We only did an hour a week, and just kept reviewing so it would stick long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I don't think it qualifies as an aversion, exactly. It's just when I pull the book out and start trying to pre-read it, I just go yawn and have trouble focusing on it . . . it's not very engaging to just sit and read. I think the topic is important and all, it just seems to me that the presentation is rather . . . dry? Maybe save it for the next election year! That would make it livelier! :tongue_smilie: In all seriousness, I think I am looking forward to it because discussions have been so much more invigorating around here lately, with the kids getting more assertive and self-assured. So the presentation itself isn't going to be the biggest factor in the way it goes down, if that makes sense. Following some advice here, I only bought the TG, a rare move for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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