Guest Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Oldest son in 6th grade: LA: He has been working on SOS 6th but our main focus in LA is Saxon's Hake 6th which just arrived with our second order. Math: Again he is working on SOS 6th but our main focus is on Saxon 7/6 and I will be getting him the Singapore standards 6th grade texts as well. This is his first year moving away from the Singapore approach. We will be getting Saxon 8/7 and Algebra 1 next year but I am also looking at Jacobs for him. He has shown great aptitude towards algebraic concepts but I don't feel AoPs would fit him. History & Geography: Working on SOS 6th, which covers many topics but only scratches the surface on each. We incorporate other resources as time allows but he loves Geography and the coverage here does not even scratch the surface for him. We are getting Holt Geography next year and incorporating Canadian Geography. Ditto for the history component. Science: SOS 6th again, again just scratching the surface. Our main focus was supposed to be on chemistry but I am leaving it for 8th grade and getting him Holt Earth Science with some Thames and Kosmos kits. I want to get him some chemistry resources I have on my list though, if the budget allows, to work on on his own. Bible: SOS 6th here too, just for this year. I am doing a Catholic introduction to the Bible Bible study with him next year which is for adult Bible study and since I am working on it myself this year we will do it together next year. 6th grade SOS is an intro to the Bible, which is a good review for him and also touching some people in the Bible that we have not covered before. This is actually our favorite from the SOS programs he is using this year. We are also working on his observation skills through nature observation and I am getting him a book to guide him through with some activities. I have worked on his observation skills and more awareness of his surroundings but I just can't do it all on my own. That's it I think ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Oh, and he is also working on his drawing skills with various resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I will put here that I am trying really hard to not manage ds14 but rather to allow him to manage himself and his own time more. He is actually capable of doing this and has in the past, but my own anxiety makes me ask him a hundred questions a day. I will look over my boys' work on Fridays to make sure they are on track. (They are both doing 9th grade work.) His math class has not started yet, but he is finishing up a bit of Algebra 1 work, and there is a deadline for this, as Geometry starts the first week of September. Sigh. I need to relax. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Texasmama, here I had an issue with the boys having a five year age difference and my youngest becoming a distraction to my oldest. We had one space which we used as our schoolroom and I could tell my oldest needed his own space. I gave him one of our rooms as his own private room for study and his projects. It is a small space but had enough space for his 4X4 Expedit bookcase with his curricula and other resources. We have a cabinet that has most of his science equipment, an IKEA Galant desk for his projects and study, and a smaller table for his computer. Above his computer he has a shelf where he puts his K'Nex and other projects he builds and he also uses the top of his bookcase. Since giving him his own space it has worked wonders at keeping him on task. The other thing that actually ended up helping him is that, being performance driven, he wants to do well on his tests and assignments with SOS so that helps keep him on task also. I'll probably have to come up with a grading system next year since we won't be doing SOS. He is also very used to their built in planner, which also keeps him on task, so I will have to get him to use HST+ next year. Still have quite a bit of work on EF skills though, in various areas. Time management definitely needs more work here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifera33 Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 DS 8 Reading/Spelling: Dancing Bears A1/A2, Apples and Pears A, LiPS, bits and pieces from Seeing Stars and Reading Reflex. I find that if we stick to one format for too long, DS can't generalize, so we use a variety of materials. LA: MCT Island Level Math: Rod and Staff 2, Ronit Bird Cuisennaire Rod ebook History: SOTW 1 Science: Ellen McHenry The Elements Art: Atelier, Wee Folk Art crafts Typing: Probably the Talking Fingers typing program Handwriting: Deciding if I want to fight this battle right now. :) Basic Skills: Executive function workbook from Linguisystems, Social Skills book DS5 Wee Folk Art Harvest Time Curriculum ETC Primer Level MEP Reception Something for handwriting--haven't decided yet Everyone: Field trips and activities through coop. Maybe a homeschool PE class. I need to make a schedule. It looks like a lot of stuff, but we won't do everything every day. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashell Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 nm 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfABunch Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 You guys have some fantastic ideas! DD is afterschooling with me this year. Her goals for this year look something like this: - She's going to focus on reading. She's starting to make some connections with phonics, which is exciting! - 1:1 correspondence - More HWOT. She's done this, and done it, and done it again for years. All of a sudden she has started making several nearly legible capital letters! She can now write simple words with carefully selected letters, like cat, bat, pat, etc. - Copy/type short sentences from her phonics lessons. - Hobbies. I want her to try a variety of things and hopefully find something enjoyable. I'm open to suggestions. - Begin a simple exercise program 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 We will be getting Saxon 8/7 and Algebra 1 next year but I am also looking at Jacobs for him. He has shown great aptitude towards algebraic concepts but I don't feel AoPs would fit him. After spending quite a bit of time on this, researching and thinking through, I think I will get him Saxon Algebra 1 with AoPs Intro to Algebra. I can see him doing well with the combo now that I have seen better samples of AoPs. Thought I would add that since I had posted our future plans where math is concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 This is our first year starting early and I think we will continue this, at least with my oldest for the time being. It gives me more time to make adjustments :) I just killed SOS math from his schedule in favor of pushing forward with Saxon. There is so much he had already covered through MiF that it's becoming a time waster. SOS LA might be the next coming off his list. Oh well! At least now I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinsomeCreek Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 After spending quite a bit of time on this, researching and thinking through, I think I will get him Saxon Algebra 1 with AoPs Intro to Algebra. I can see him doing well with the combo now that I have seen better samples of AoPs. Thought I would add that since I had posted our future plans where math is concerned. The two are soooo different. Have you tried or have you considered trying out Alcumus? It's free and would give you a taste of AoPS. It also adjusts difficulty for the student. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 The two are soooo different. Have you tried or have you considered trying out Alcumus? It's free and would give you a taste of AoPS. It also adjusts difficulty for the student. Edited this post. WinsomeCreek, thank you for your input. I appreciate it :) Like I mention in my following post I'll be taking time to think it over. I'm hoping to possibly get an old Dolciani, otherwise we shall see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I'm leaning towards just trying to get my hands on Dolciani, but putting future plans on hold till spring. It will give me more time to think this through! AoPs alone does not work with my goals and what I feel is best for my son's leaning style, so I think I'll take this time to just research options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest2 Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I think i have a plan, we start on Tues. DS10. ( no testing, done, probably dysgraphic...i'm a former O.T.), starts vision therapy in Oct., not sure about when/ if persue O.T. Math CLE finish 400's and start 500's Life of Fred( his request...i needed to try and keep math joy alive as writing all the numbers kills it) Trachtenberg mathematics. Need to figure out how to structure Grammar/English CLE Bartons(40-60minutes) 10 minutes of printing 15 minutes of typing Science Solar system with friend...i'm teaching NASA visits monthly Observatory in winter Videos and hands on projects Loosely following Apologia , but plan on morphing into earth science in spring History American histroy Videos History pockets Colonial projects/ foods Tae kwando, cub scouts, classes in robotics and hopefully a social group Dd13. Hopefully testing this year..probably dyslexic with some sort of expressive language thing going on). Seems most gifted of all my kids, but very quirky with learning. First form Latin slowly.....very slowly Math CLE 500-600 at her pace Language arts CLE 400's Websters online academy. Canadian IEW classes online..used with older sibs Barton 9 Science Will go to Nasa ect Complete anatomy and first aid Start Rainbow science in spring American history Homeschool connections .4-5 classes on American history Living books to read or listen to Will add world history in Jan. at her request Art Still figuring it out...will be Artpac and drawingtextbook video for first semester, possibly start classes at local art school in spring or summer Creative writing..just giving her time, maybe a video course Robotics class with brother and movie making class. Will be starting to work with Dad on some annimation software. Dd16.. Community college with biweekly or more meetings with me Add in World history in Jan Continue with lit Probable testing in spring after VT for college accomodations...really she just wants to record classes. I thnk that will get us started. Only planning two weeks at a time due to tweaking that is always necessary. We will be following dd16 schedule..so 16 weeks fall, 16 weeks spring, 10 weeks summer. That is more than we typically do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfABunch Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Life of Fred( his request...i needed to try and keep math joy alive as writing all the numbers kills it . Have you seen the app Mod Math? You don't have to write math anymore! Snap Type also. Take a pic of whatever worksheet and you can type in the answers. The apps have totally changed school work for DD. They're absolutly genius. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Dolciani Algebra: Structure and Method Book 1 1976 Ed. on the way and at a decent price :) Oldest son will end his brief journey with Saxon after 8/7. I'll be getting Foerster's Algebra 1 as well. That's the final plan! Both of these will be a good fit for him. We will also be starting guitar lessons together using some resources I bought him and some of my old books from back home. While ordering Dolciani's Algebra 1, I also added The Everything KIDS' Weather book for my youngest, which I had waiting in the shopping cart. We received his Tame (Pet) Tornado and Scholastic Weather book with our last Rainbow order, which have fuelled his interest in weather even more. He is also asking me to put his brother's SOS History & Geography on his computer and is constantly asking for his own lessons :) Wishing everyone a good school year :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Silver Brook, I'm a big fan of using First Form slowly. I've used the different levels with one child at different speeds and I've also used it in coops, and my general feeling is that kids retain much better when using it at a slow pace. Right now, I'm using it with a coop that that only meets 20 times a year, so I am covering only about two units per year with the kids doing most of the review lessons at home. That becomes one chapter every two class meetings. I've seen the best retention yet with this group. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest2 Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Thanks for math ideas, Momofabunch! I struggle with balancing some writing work with preserving the love of learning..i see this DS as doing something math oriented and I know in college he will have to write it out....but possibly he could figure a way around that. I have a lot of exploring to do ! Thank you. Thanks Tiramsu! My oldest DS didn't retain a thing. He was pushing through to get the credit as fast as possible to fulfill the 2 year in one language requirment (Rosetta Stone in two different languages was such an epic fail). DD 2-16 was closer to your two week scheule, and she remembers it all. We started too fast and had to back up and redo the first five lessons. When we slowed down , we were happy with the program. It is good to know that you found the slower speed has been a help for others. If you wouldn't have said something, it is possible I would have speeded up at some point, because I am so impatient. Thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I am back from the beach and I just came home from a planning session with the psych who is working with our OT with my younger son. Writing: IEW SWI A HWT and a heck of a lot of OT Math: Singapore math as the spine with a lot of Ronit Bird on the frame History: SOTW4--audio + projects Science: interest led projects The focus this year is on therapy and on building foundational skills. We hit a processing speed wall, and are having big sensory and other OT issues. Feeding the gifted side is our other focus. I realized this summer that I can't remediate our way out of some things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Re: Oldest, plans are much the same. I am spending more time handholding in algebra and wws2 than I had hoped to spend, but he is doing decently well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Dolciani Algebra: Structure and Method Book 1 1976 Ed. on the way and at a decent price :) Oldest son will end his brief journey with Saxon after 8/7. I'll be getting Foerster's Algebra 1 as well. That's the final plan! Both of these will be a good fit for him. We will also be starting guitar lessons together using some resources I bought him and some of my old books from back home. While ordering Dolciani's Algebra 1, I also added The Everything KIDS' Weather book for my youngest, which I had waiting in the shopping cart. We received his Tame (Pet) Tornado and Scholastic Weather book with our last Rainbow order, which have fuelled his interest in weather even more. He is also asking me to put his brother's SOS History & Geography on his computer and is constantly asking for his own lessons :) Wishing everyone a good school year :) My oldest who has CAPD, visual and motor weaknesses LOVED Foerster's. I haven't taken a good look at Dolciani but Foester's is very straightforward. The font is a bit small but the format is nice, with clean columns. Saxon was not good for her with the formatting and topic changes. She stopped midway through 87, too. Foester's is much more obviously systematic. I hope it works well for him. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I really like Foerster's Algebra. I also have Dolciani. And AoPS. And Saxon. And Key to Algebra. And Zaccaro's Real World Algebra. And probably a few others. My math shelf overfloweth. For my SN kid, Jann in Texas' online classes work very, very well, and he and I do not have to share the angst of Algebra, which is priceless. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 I really like Foerster's Algebra. I also have Dolciani. And AoPS. And Saxon. And Key to Algebra. And Zaccaro's Real World Algebra. And probably a few others. My math shelf overfloweth. For my SN kid, Jann in Texas' online classes work very, very well, and he and I do not have to share the angst of Algebra, which is priceless. If DS is still homeschooling when he hits Algebra I, I am seriously considering Jann in Texas. And gee, your math shelf must look a lot like mine. :) (My resource overkill thread... http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/549385-resource-overkill/?hl=too%20many%20math%20resources). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 If DS is still homeschooling when he hits Algebra I, I am seriously considering Jann in Texas. And gee, your math shelf must look a lot like mine. :) (My resource overkill thread... http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/549385-resource-overkill/?hl=too%20many%20math%20resources). Jann has a great understanding of SN kids/teens. Her style works really well with my ds. She makes herself available for tutoring at no extra charge. If I ever meet her IRL, I will probably kiss her on the mouth. Six and a half years I pushed that boulder up a hill. I was never so glad in my life to turn it over to her. I will probably enroll my little dd in her classes when the time comes. I can teach language arts through high school, but I bail on math early on, yo. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 And while I am at it, I will recommend putting your ds in Jann's online class in pre-Algebra. This would have made for a smoother transition for my ds into her Algebra class. (And it would have removed me from the equation a year and a half earlier...) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 And while I am at it, I will recommend putting your ds in Jann's online class in pre-Algebra. This would have made for a smoother transition for my ds into her Algebra class. (And it would have removed me from the equation a year and a half earlier...) He is still a bit behind in math so we are working on solidifying his weaknesses this year. I had not heard much about the Pre-Algebra class from Jann but now I am wondering if that might work well for 7th grade (next year). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Oldest ds is taking Jann's BCM (Pre-Algebra 1) class this year. I'm still not totally sure it is the right choice since his math skills have really solidified over the summer and his skills have jumped quite a bit, but the whole thing is still just glitchy due to the dyslexia, and I need to be done teaching him math. Too many fights. I'll let you all know how it goes. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 Oldest ds is taking Jann's BCM (Pre-Algebra 1) class this year. I'm still not totally sure it is the right choice since his math skills have really solidified over the summer and his skills have jumped quite a bit, but the whole thing is still just glitchy due to the dyslexia, and I need to be done teaching him math. Too many fights. I'll let you all know how it goes. :) Yes, feedback would be great! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I've listened to her classes, and she understands the teen brain and how it works. She is no nonsense, which works well with teens. She is repetitive, which my ds needs. She is understanding without being pandering. I don't know. I am just so relieved to have her in charge of my son's math education. I could really go on and on... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 I've listened to her classes, and she understands the teen brain and how it works. She is no nonsense, which works well with teens. She is repetitive, which my ds needs. She is understanding without being pandering. I don't know. I am just so relieved to have her in charge of my son's math education. I could really go on and on... DS gets really, really tired of being talked down to. Understanding without pandering sounds great. Really glad this is working out so well! :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 DS gets really, really tired of being talked down to. Understanding without pandering sounds great. Really glad this is working out so well! :) You remember my algebra freak out thread. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 You remember my algebra freak out thread. ;) Yep. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Ariel Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Where would I find out more about Jann's math classes? What level does she start with as far as teaching classes? Just starting to plan here as we don't begin til mid Sept. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Where would I find out more about Jann's math classes? What level does she start with as far as teaching classes? Just starting to plan here as we don't begin til mid Sept. Thanks! http://www.myhomeschoolmathclass.com/ She teaches pre-Algebra through Algebra 2. (I promise I do not get a kickback. I just really like her classes.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 My oldest who has CAPD, visual and motor weaknesses LOVED Foerster's. I haven't taken a good look at Dolciani but Foester's is very straightforward. The font is a bit small but the format is nice, with clean columns. Saxon was not good for her with the formatting and topic changes. She stopped midway through 87, too. Foester's is much more obviously systematic. I hope it works well for him.Thank you Tiramisu. Saxon's incremental approach is not necessarily the best choice for him but it will do for now. Good to hear Foerster's worked well for your girl! Programs like Dolciani and Foerster's agree more with my philosophy when it comes to math. AoPs works backwards for me and not a program that I would use as our spine. I know it works for many people. I go with what fits me and my philosophy. Even if we use Dolciani for Algebra 1, we will most likely not be so lucky at finding all the texts (I was only able to get Algebra 1 for now), so we may eventually have to switch to Foerster's. I only found the 1976 text with some answers to odd problems. I'm ok with that! I'll work through it myself first. It will be good at giving me the English terminology that I know in a European language. Math was fun for me and I don't have a problem teaching it to my kids. I know when and where to stretch them. I can intuit ways of presenting something to reach my own kids and use their passions quite often. I also use what they are learning in different settings and guide them to make connections. My oldest has some minor auditory issues, very similar to mine, and I have been teaching him how to work around them. He has an excellent memory, thankfully, so I have never had to re-teach anything. During my previous posts I was still doing research. When I took a closer look at Jacobs it did not fit my son. He does well with textbooks with well organized content, just like you are describing Foerster's. He also doesn't need the Saxon drill and kill. I'll be looking through that and picking what I feel he needs :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 DD's schedule/plans are solidifying so I thought I would toss them out there (and no, some of this is not truly 9th grade High School level but this is where she is at so this is what we will do): Math: Still working this out. Language Arts: Barton, IEW Middle Ages, Fix-it Grammar, Middle Ages Literature, and Touch Type Read and Spell typing to help solidify spelling and typing skills (she requested a switch to TTRS) History/Geography: Middle Ages self-paced on-line plus DVDs/Projects; World Geography (she requested both of these) Science: General Science (DD wants to study several areas and after waffling back and forth we are just going to call it General Science. We have a ton of resources for doing several topics. Her science exposure in Middle School has been erratic. She wants to explore different areas and in more depth.) P.E. - Working out with me Outsourced or group activity or pursuing on her own: Drama Class, Violin (just starting lessons at her request), Photography, 4-H, Graphic Arts, Story Writing, Sketching, Acrylic Painting, two different homeschool based Student Councils. DD loves to rise early so she is looking forward to our school day starting by 7:30am or earlier. Thankfully, I am an early riser, too. Getting a lot of her stuff knocked out before DS even gets out of bed is helpful. It also gives her the bulk of the afternoon to pursue her own interests and attend extracurriculars easily. She hates people hovering. She has always sought independence. She loves having time in the afternoon to just work on what she wants to work on. The non-core academics look a bit overwhelming to me but she is excited. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 Results of testing came back for DD. Phonemic awareness has definitely improved but I could have told them that. Still not super strong, but definitely better by a long shot. They are strongly recommending I continue with Barton. The difference between her original assessments in 5th grade while she was still at brick and mortar and now are pretty dramatic for phonological awareness improvement. Still digging through but her results are still all over the map in other areas. Some areas are really, really high, others are really pretty low and a whole lot of in between. I haven't talked to them yet or had a chance to reread several times so I won't post more yet. Need to ponder a bit before I decide if we need to adjust any plans. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 13 y/o continuing TT Math and SOS for the rest (this is his 3rd year of this combo), continuing year round swim team, working on releasing another retail product, writing a book, we bought him a 3D printer so he can test his designs, he's also digging into animation, and continuing to explore prototyping different materials. He has really impressed me this year with purposely choosing to work on his weaker areas so he can achieve what it is he wants to do. SOS he’s a certified handler of our therapy dog and volunteers regularly going into nursing homes, libraries, and attending local events with the dog, 4-H’s dog curriculum, What is SOS math? Can you tell me more about 4H dog curriculum and what it takes for a child to be a therapy dog handler? And can you share more about the bolded which all sounds very interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Pen, I could be wrong but I think SOS is Switched on Schoolhouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashell Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 What is SOS math? Can you tell me more about 4H dog curriculum and what it takes for a child to be a therapy dog handler? And can you share more about the bolded which all sounds very interesting! nm 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Thank you! Way cool stuff you all are doing! My ds got into moving making this summer. They did some stuff with claymation that I think he thought was fun. Can I ask about the home based business or does that cause a violation of board rules or something? edit: I meant movie making, not moving. oops. We are considering using Khan Academy as a main math program this next year if our computer situation gets good enough to support that. I'm not sure how to judge if it will work well, but at least in trial of it ds liked it, which is a start toward the goal of him liking math again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 SOS teaches to the test, which is not necessarily an issue if that is what someone is looking for. We are using SOS this year, most as add-ons to other materials, but moving away from it next year. Surface knowledge is not what we look for in our home but it can work well for kids that are looking to pursue other interests. We all make our choices depending on our own family goals and our own childrens' needs :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamashell Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 SOS teaches to the test, which is not necessarily an issue if that is what someone is looking for. We are using SOS this year, most as add-ons to other materials, but moving away from it next year. Surface knowledge is not what we look for in our home but it can work well for kids that are looking to pursue other interests. We all make our choices depending on our own family goals and our own childrens' needs :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 We start Monday and I have just begun to worry as last minute second guessing myself that the science I chose with ds's input may be too hard. Sigh. I am thinking to start the first day with mainly games and maybe some going through stuff and organizing it jointly and making some decisions. Then deciding on some Audible books. How will you guys start out, or did you if you are already started? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Cricket, That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. What I do not understand is I also have tried resources that didn't work for our family and are used by others. I don't feel the need to bash the program or other's choices, especially unsolicited. I haven't walked in their shoes, nor have others in mine. You've brought this up in multiple threads now. If SOS doesn't work for your family, drop it and move on. :) My older two did not start SOS until 7th grade, your children are not of that age yet. We've used it for 4 years, not 4 months. I don't believe you have teens yet in your household to even relate to this stage of parenting and homeschooling. I also never said that SOS is the only thing we use. Excuse me??!!! :confused1: I didn't realize I was talking to you or about you one_l_michele! You, reading into my words that I am bashing the program, is just you reading what you have chosen to read into it. I expressed an opinion on the program since we are using it. That's all! Pen mentioned SOS math, which is why I posted. This is not personal and has nothing to do with you or your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 By the way, not sure where you got that my son has been using it for 4 months :confused1: I don't even recall sharing when he started! My son has been using it for 2 months, all subjects of the 6th grade package, all quizzes, all tests, all extra assignments, and is graded by the system according to this scale: Lesson 10% Assignments 20% Quizzes 30% Tests 40% I also do not reassign anything for him when he makes a mistake on a test or quiz. He maintains a 95% overall. We have FULLY used the program since we have been using it and I sit with him on the majority of lessons, except for quizzes and tests, which we discuss afterwards if he has any mistakes. We are also really happy with their Bible study as I mentioned in a previous post, since you seem to follow what I post. I also bought my youngest son three of the Lifepacs (SOS is based on the Lifepacs for those that don't know), and we have used several Horizons materials also from the same publisher. So, I am quite familiar with the company and their materials. I have never bashed any program, at any point, nor have I done so with AOP now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Wise Bauer Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Um, Cricket and one_I_michele? Please move on from this. No more posts on that subject. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 We start Monday and I have just begun to worry as last minute second guessing myself that the science I chose with ds's input may be too hard. Sigh. I am thinking to start the first day with mainly games and maybe some going through stuff and organizing it jointly and making some decisions. Then deciding on some Audible books. How will you guys start out, or did you if you are already started? We technically start Monday, but we are starting some new things this year so I told the kids we would start in limited fashion on Monday. I plan to start Barton on Monday and our Middle Ages course. Still debating what else. Maybe do some games, too, but the kids don't get along very well. DS irritates DD just by breathing. She tries not to react negatively but her tone and body language kind of give her away. That makes it hard in planning a fun start day all three of us could participate in. (Actually, DS already started his on-line classes so he is already doing some academics). I do want to keep the week a bit light. There are a lot of things starting up this coming week that I want us to focus on and get established. Academics will come into play, but I have had to recognize that with these kiddos they need outlets and purpose beyond strict academics or they shut down/get depressed. They also do much better if they see purpose for what they are doing. DS is working at more advanced programming now and wants time to finish some things he has started. DD wants to take violin lessons and graphic arts classes. I finally found what I hope will be a great violin teacher (only $15 a half hour) and a possible option for graphic arts lessons with a local artist. Both kids also start drama next week, on different days (well, DD's class starts today actually) and DD starts Student Council again with one of the homeschooling groups. Hoping to make Monday something fun and memorable, though. Maybe bake a cake. Or go on a fun field trip... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Ariel Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 One Step, you've mentioned your Dd being on student council and I am wondering what that means in a homeschool setting. I remember from my own school days but was just curious how it works, whether kids are appointed, elected, etc. I think there might possibly be one where my two take a few classes this year but not sure what it involves (I am sure it varies among different organizations). I think ds might enjoy something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 One Step, you've mentioned your Dd being on student council and I am wondering what that means in a homeschool setting. I remember from my own school days but was just curious how it works, whether kids are appointed, elected, etc. I think there might possibly be one where my two take a few classes this year but not sure what it involves (I am sure it varies among different organizations). I think ds might enjoy something like that. DD is part of two different Student Councils for two very different homeschool organizations so naturally the two SC are vastly different in many ways. I will try to summarize: Larger group: Officers are nominated and elected by the SC. Duties for each position are clearly laid out. There is a parent facilitator but meetings are run by SC. They do community service projects at least once a month. They do a social gathering at least once a month. They do a yearbook, with another parent operating as teacher/facilitator but the kids do the bulk of the work. They have a Spring formal.Spring Formal is at an official venue. Parents can attend Spring Formal but must buy a ticket. Parents are not really encouraged to attend but are not really discouraged either. There is a Spring Formal Committee. The SPC decides the theme (parent facilitator has to approve), chooses location/food/dress code/cost and designs and sells the invitations as well as doing the decorating. Cost is usually about $20 per ticket. Each SC member can invite one person to the dance, whether they are a member of the homeschooling group or not. Meetings are very structured and follow Robert's Rules of Order pretty strictly. Parents can attend but are not to participate. At the end of each meeting there is a time for questions where parents can ask for clarification. There is an end of year trip that can be pricey so they do fundraisers to cut the cost. They do 4-5 different types of fundraisers throughout the year, primarily to raise funds for the end of year trip, but it is for other things as well. End of year trip is for the SC members. There are usually 3-4 chaperones. This is not a family event and no siblings are allowed if they are not on SC. To be eligible to go on the end of year trip you must participate in a certain number of meetings/fund raisers/community service projects. (They give you a sheet to record everything on but they track it, too). Participation is for anyone that is in 7th through 12th grade and a paid member of the larger homeschooling group. There are strict rules for behavior but honestly there is almost never an issue. The group is well organized and has been in existence for many years. Meetings are pretty formal. Meeting times/dates are set, rarely change/rarely run long. Meetings are held at a local church. Location never changes. Smaller group: There are no officers. Each meeting a different student is in charge of running the meeting and someone rotates through being the assistant. Leadership for each meeting is assigned way in advance. Different topics are chosen for discussion and sometimes outside speakers come in. Whoever is in charge of that meeting prepares the material for the topic and provides any handouts needed. If you don't want to run a meeting, you are not required to do so. There are sometimes training seminars. Meetings follow Robert's Rules of Order but are more intimate and relaxed. Parents usually participate in the meetings at least a bit (which can be problematic at times). They have field trips. They do community service projects. They have movie night. They have game night. They have swim parties. They have a Spring FormalThe group is small enough that there is no Spring Formal Committee. Decisions are made by group vote. Theme/dress/location/decorations for SF are supposed to be chosen by the SC with parental input but last year there was waaaaay more parental input than was healthy and we ended up with a lot of issues so we may need to change the structure a bit for this year. Spring Formal is a family event. Last year there was no charge to attend. Families just brought whatever food was required based on the menu chosen. People volunteered for what they wished to bring. Decorations were borrowed or donated so cost was very low. Last Spring Formal was at our house. Everyone came over the day before to decorate, including some parents, some came a bit early the day of to finish up, and everyone came back to break down and clean up the next day. They did a beautiful job. They turned the family room/kitchen area into a Bistro with formal decorations and mood lighting all put together with whatever anyone had available. The game room was turned into a dance hall. The education room was where the family room furniture went so there would be comfortable seating for those that needed it. The younger siblings are made a part of any special events, including the Spring Formal (they served finger foods on fancy trays and had special shirts to wear that they made themselves). Anyone 7th grade through 12th grade and a member of the smaller group is welcome to be part of SC. This year there will also be a Junior Council for 3rd through 6th graders. Meetings are usually held at a person's home. Everyone pitches in to provide snacks. Meetings tend to extend to include socializing among kids and parents long after the scheduled meeting time is over (which can be fun unless you are the host family and really would like some down time :) ). There is an end of year trip. There are fund raisers to cover the cost of the students that go on the trip. Only students who are going on the trip are required to participate in the fund raisers but others are more than welcome to come help. End of year trip is for the whole family. If there are funds available, those funds are used to help defray cost for the families going on the trip. I may be missing something. Let me know if you have any questions. I hope that helps clarify. They really are very different SCs even if they offer some of the same things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Ariel Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Thanks, OneStep, for writing all of that out concerning the student council groups. Both groups sound very active and I am sure your DD has learned a lot from her participation. I am not sure how this compares to the one where we are. I will let you know if I have questions. Thanks again! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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