How to make Apologia (elementary) more "fun"?

[Alana in Canada]

We're doing "Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day."

 

We just took an hour and a half (with lots of interruptions, unfortunately) to do "Metamorphosis." I had them write down all the stages of each of the three kinds.

 

It was awful.

 

It felt just like PS--all I was missing was the overhead projector! They were having a hard time "remembering" what I'd read (this could have been due to hunger, fatigue or just a bad attitude this morning) so I responded by telling them what to write.

 

errrgh.

 

Either I need a different curriculuum or a way to jazz it up--I'm hoping for the latter!

 

(My son, who has now apologised for his attitude suggested we set a timer to "wake him up" every ten minutes. :tongue_smilie:

 

Any thoughts?

 

We school Tuesday to Saturday--with Saturday supposedly being a half day--science and art on an alternating basis. This shouldn't be so hard--should it?

[Greta Lea]

These books are FULLLLL of information! I am finding that my son is retaining more if I read *less* each day.

 

We started school 4 weeks ago and just this week my son is able to handle me reading two sections (one section is often just a couple of paragraph, but paragraphs FULL of detailed info).

 

When we are reading and I come to a new vocabulary word, I make sure he looks at the word in the book and reads it himself, then I have him say the word and the definition a couple of times before I continue with the reading. This is really helping him to retain info. Also, immediately after reading just one little section, I have him narrate to me. Then, this week when I actaully got to read two sections each day, I had him narrate one section before I started reading the next section.

 

Also, before I begin reading each day, I ask him what he found most interesting from the previous day's reading. He almost always will tell me about something that he didn't even narrate about the day before. If he forgets one of the vocabulary words, but is describing the voc. word that was new in the previous reading, I simply tell him the word. I don't stress if he doesn't remember everything.

 

So far he's not wanted to do any hands on stuff or notebook pages. We are just reading and discussing.

[Greta Lea]

Oh, almost forgot...one thing I am gonna add to our science time when we get to chapter 2 is daily review of the vocabulary.

 

I'm not gonna have him write out the voc. and definitons. I'm gonna type them up and put them in our book. Before each reading, I plan to practice them with him. Once he can spout off the definition to a word, I'll check it off and won't review it each day. I'm not planning to test him on these or anything, but I'm thinking this might be a way to help him retain a little more.

 

I'm not doing this right now, because I'm just wanting him to get used to the daily readings and alll that info before adding this next level of study.

[Alana in Canada]

Thanks Greta--is IS a lot of information, isn't it?

 

I do this with both my children--and the younger one was better able to narrate whenever I stopped and asked, "What did I just read?"

 

Hmmm. Perhps I could have them read a bit to each other. Maybe that would help.

 

 

How old is your son?

[Chris in VA]

Maybe they could make small booklets and put them into a lapbook? I can see Metamorphosis, for example, lending itself to a 3 or 4 part booklet.

Notebooking helps, too. Have them narrate a section or two and make a page once a week (or more). They can find art on the net to illustrate, or draw.

 

They are both still grammar stage, so maybe some games would help. Even something simple like vocab bingo (put the words on the bingo boards, read the definition--"cover" the word with something fun, like a Skittle or a raisin) can spice it up. "Jeopardy" is fun to play, too--Make a pocket board with the library pockets you can get at a teacher's store or online. It takes a while to prepare the catagories and cards, but boy it is worth it for the fun factor and the review.

 

Have you gotten to the experiments yet? That adds in a little life.

 

I agree, the books are dense, so just pick out some pertinent factual info and make it your goal not to cover everything, but to inspire curiosity and love of the study. They will cover so much of this in high school. You just want to lay a trail.

[fivetails]

Can you get out of the house with the schoolwork? I did that a lot last year with dd11 (when the weather was okay) - we took school work to the shore, to the park, to the trails, wherever....she loved being able to work outside. :)

 

We did the astronomy one last year & we made it fun in ways that worked for us - now, I know that you're supposed to do this 'notebooking' along with it, but I have to say, dd11's 'notebook' looks more like a scrapbook -- it has more drawings and paintings and photos of her doing projects than it has 'notes' ;)

 

I wasn't fussy - as long as she could 'show me' that she understood the material, we're good. She didn't have to do a bunch of writing about it if she preferred to do a drawing - so long as she could explain the drawing. Her sectional drawing of the earth got a bit wild and led to glitter being on the floor, the table, the walls, the cats, you name it. :tongue_smilie: ...but she sure had a great time making it and she was able to explain it after.

 

(we do writing in other areas, btw - so I wasn't pushing it here)

 

Something else that we would do sometimes was acting things out - ever seen an 11 year old girl play Copernicus? Too cute. :lol: ...but it sure cemented the stuff in her head....

 

Can your older one 'teach' the younger? - give him the book and let him play teacher...he can read from it to her, use a whiteboard for demonstrating, and YOU be a student too - that way, you can ask some 'leading' questions ....dd and I did that sometimes too. :)

 

Perhaps they'd like to make a huge poster about 'metamorphosis' - got some posterboard and paints? Crayons? Markers? Glitter? :tongue_smilie:

 

(by the way - do you know what their learning styles are?)

 

(oh and - have you tried letting them do something when you're reading to them? my dd11 remembers MORE and BETTER if I let her colour, doodle, cross stitch, etc when I'm reading...if I make her sit there quietly - and I did in the beginning - it takes so much of her concentration to 'sit still' that she doesn't take in 3/4 of what I read....)

 

just a few thoughts... we actually have flying creatures, but we're going with Considering God's Creation for now. :)

[Alana in Canada]

Games--YES!

 

How do I do "jeopardy?" I have a ton of library pockets (I think, I did a big purge a while ago) in my scrapbooking supplies.

 

How do I set that up?

 

My daughter loves Bingo--and I have a site where I can make up Bingo cards (we use it to review phonograms).

[Frontier Mom]

Not sure if you already have this but you can print out a "book" for your student at the Apologia website with the code located in the front of your book. I did this and they can follow along, draw pictures as we talk, etc. I have liked this much better than making our own.

 

Also, remember this is just a "touchpoint" course, as they will go through all this in more detail as they get older. If something is too long, I look for a movie, interactive clip, etc. to describe it instead of just listening to me. I would rather them enjoy science than worry about getting it all the first time.

 

BTW, we are doing the same one.

[LindaOz]

You've already recieved some great responses but I'd just like to second the 'read less' advice. Sometimes the sections are too big to take in. :tongue_smilie:

 

Maybe just decide to read for, say, 15 minutes then stop reading and have your children tell you what they have learned. You could then either have them record what you've read so far, or just move to the next subject and save the writing for when you've finished the whole section. Less info in one go may keep interest and retention at a higher level. :001_smile:

 

HTH

Linda

[Chris in VA]

Jeopardy

 

The way I do it! LOL My explanations are often ponderous, so bear with me.

 

I make a grid of pockets, maybe 5 x 5, on posterboard. In the pockets, I put cards--

 

Pick 5 (for example) topics, and 5 questions/answers for each. On each card, put the answer on one side, and a dollar amount on the other. Put the card in the pocket so the dollar amt shows at the top (write it across the short side of the card, very near the top, so you can read it when the card is in the pocket). Make yourself an answer sheet if you don't know the answers already, or want an exact answer (which is really the question--remember, this is Jeopardy, so they give you the question).

To play, they take turns asking for a card--

"I'll take (Name of Catagory) Parts of the Wing for 100, Alex (um, Mom, that is)"

You go over and draw that card out, flip it over, read the answer, and wait for the question. You can give each child a shaker, a bell or another noise maker, as long as you can distinguish the sounds, but I think raising a hand is easier.

First one to raise hand and answer correctly gets the points. You can subtract for wrong answers, but we just add--do it near a white board and keep track of the score (it goes faster if two adults play, or an older kid keeps score, but Mom can ask the questions and keep score).

 

When all the cards are gone, the game is over.

 

Is that pretty clear?

[Alana in Canada]

Thanks everyone!

 

Perhaps less is more--but then I'd have to schedule it during the week--and I'll look for a way to do that. Our days are already pretty full.

 

I stopped and had them write in order to try and keep them engaged. It worked OK for my daughter. I am using the notebooking pages Frontier Mom suggested.

 

However, since I posted the above, I've read through the next chapter, taking notes. I may be able to come up with a different way to handle theie interacting with the information.

 

I've also found and printed off pictures of a butterfly, a dragonfly and a praying mantis in all its different stages--I'll have them cut them out and either put them on a poster or sheets of paper in order to complete metamorphosis circles for each.

 

I also made up a little worksheet.

 

OK, probably too much.

 

However, I doubt we will ever go through this again, actually. There's SO much to do with science and I'm probably lost--not being the sciency type at all!

[Deana FL]

hi Alana,

 

Looks like you've already gotten a lot of good advice, just wanted to chime in w/what has worked around our house.

 

http://www.liveandlearnpress.com/viewItems.php?category=18

 

These are pre-made lapbooks designed to go along w/Apologia's Elementary Sciences. They have done the trick with my kids...helping them to retain the information that I read to them. And they have a great notebook to show off what they've learned.