Chris in VA Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 So my dear friend is considering a video-based curriculum. She was loving how the teacher uses lots of visuals. I was trying to steer her away, actually, but also trying to not impose my viewpoint and honor her right to choose what she thinks is good for her child. So I know she doesn't use the teacher guide with her child's LA program--just the worksheets. I asked her if she had it, and she read to me from it. UMMMMM..... It was basically just "Do page 16." WTHeck? No gathering of materials, no intro, no "teaching!!" I was stunned. (This is Abeka.) Does she have the right manual? No wonder she thinks it's useless! No wonder she's impressed with the teacher on the video! So my question is, tell me about GOOD teacher manuals, and ones you've used that are really helpful. Just...discuss, I guess. And if you use Abeka, (lower grades) is this really all they tell you? "Practice making letter M" "Do page 16 and 17." Really? Isn't there another book maybe she should have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 The best open and go teacher's manual I've consistently used is AAS. I learned to read before I was "taught" phonics so I was completely nervous about teaching phonograms. I need the step by step hand holding it provides. The two best teacher's manuals I've used to formulate and inform my instruction are The Writer's Jungle and The Well Trained Mind. All the other teacher's manuals I have function for me as suped-up answer keys. Wait... SOTW has awesome book lists in it, I do use those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 The products written specifically for homeschoolers are better. We used Abeka for 1st -3rd and it would drive me crazy. The teacher's guide is an answer key. There were, I think they're called curriculum guides that have more teaching, but no answers. I've tried to block most of those days from my mind though. ;) Our geometry text for the year is driving me insane because I really need more help, yet it's a public school text so it presumes a qualified instructor and the teaching notes are minimal. Rod & Staff does a good job of adding teaching notes, and they are all contained in a teacher's guide with a reproduction of the student book. I also have an older copy of Speilvogel's Human Odyssesy teacher's edition which has good notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Our geometry text for the year is driving me insane because I really need more help, yet it's a public school text so it presumes a qualified instructor and the teaching notes are minimal. How old is the text? I hadn't had my hands on a classroom teacher's manual in almost a decade when I ordered on a few years back. I about feel over when I opened it up. It was for an elementary grade math course and was the single most scripted TM I've ever seen....including the open and go homeschooling TMs. If I had received that as a classroom teacher I would have been enraged that they thought I was so ignorant as not to understand how to remind the students how many days are in a week. My mom is still in the classroom, so I asked her about it. She told me that more and more that is how even the secondary grade level TMs are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I think she needs the other manual. I believe Abeka calls it "Curriculum." As in "Homeschool Phonics/Reading/Spelling 1 Curriculum." Those are scripted. It gets a bit away from scripting as the student gets older, but no, there's usually more than Do page 9. Just make sure it says "Homeschool" and "Curriculum." That's a different thing from the "Teacher Edition." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 How old is the text? I hadn't had my hands on a classroom teacher's manual in almost a decade when I ordered on a few years back. I about feel over when I opened it up. It was for an elementary grade math course and was the single most scripted TM I've ever seen....including the open and go homeschooling TMs. If I had received that as a classroom teacher I would have been enraged that they thought I was so ignorant as not to understand how to remind the students how many days are in a week. My mom is still in the classroom, so I asked her about it. She told me that more and more that is how even the secondary grade level TMs are. It's from 2001. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 If she wants a Christian curriculum, I think the BJU teacher's manuals are excellent -- and the teachers on their video classes are very good, as well. BJU's video courses are much different from the Abeka classes, but IMO, they are much better because the teacher is speaking directly to your child (not a classroom) and they have lots of good visuals, as well as cute things like puppets. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 It's from 2001. Mine is from 2010-ish. Hmmmm. I wonder when the shift really started? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 HWOT for K and 3rd grade are worth the money (if you have those two, you have all the nice multisensory stuff). Singapore HiGs are worth having, and Singapore Science pretty much requires it. for MCT, I just buy the TM, not the student book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 There are a bunch of programs people rave about that are basically just schedules and I really don't get why other HSers think it's worth paying $50 or more for something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 There are a bunch of programs people rave about that are basically just schedules and I really don't get why other HSers think it's worth paying $50 or more for something like that. I agree wholeheartedly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.