alisoncooks Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 We are getting along pretty well with the curriculum I picked out for this year, though we have made a few changes. So far: Pentime --> NAC Veritas Self-Paced OTAE --> homemade ancients that includes Greece and Rome CLE LA --> Easy Grammar and hodge-podge writing --> BJU English :o :o Typing it all out, it looks bad! But we really have been happy with most things and are getting work done. So, what changes have you made? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Sonlight Core 430 American Lit and Bookshark Core 120/8th => Notgrass Exploring America Kolbe Biology => Apologia Biology Latin is still with PREP Academy, still using Wordly Wise, still taking Dual Enrollment Linux class. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmstranger Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Saxon 3 changed to CLE Math 300 I'm in the process of switching up science: Apologia Chem & Physics to Ellen McHenry The Elements and keeping Apologia Physics part or using living books (checked out a bunch from the library today, so I can make a plan) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 None. Bam! The only book that's new is the Cursive Handwriting Workbook on Amazon from the Brookdale Press peeps, but that's because DD wasn't feeling very confident after finishing her first cursive workbook. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TianXiaXueXiao Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I added IEW SWIB to our schedule in a moment of panic thinking dd12 isn't getting enough writing instruction. It was a good addition and we will follow it up with Lively Art of Writing when we are done and we will also continue with ELTL as we are taking it slow in hopes that level 6 will be available soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Switched ds10 from Rod and Staff English back to Climbing to Good English. Why I thought he was ready to copy from a textbook, I have NO idea. However, I get bonus points for switching after only 3 days, don't I? Everything else is going well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FO4UR Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I was going to stick to just Singapore Math for all 3 kids. :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: Oldest is doing a Gattegno/Singapore/Strayer-Upton/Patty Paper Geometry mix. 2nd in line is doing Khan Academy with a smidge of Singapore thrown in. 3rd is doing Gattegno/Singapore/Calculadders. I'm ready to outsource math. :svengo: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilBearsMama Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 PAL Reading/Writing --> ASD Reading and Pentime Horizons --> back to Spunky Math/Matific/Ray's combo Tweaked to death AO Year 1 --> tweaked to death combo of AO and Layers of Learning Years One Using BFSU book 1 to guide lessons/avoid gaps/make sure of understanding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jessica* Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Math Mammoth ---> Teaching Textbooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Added Writing Strands 3 for DS8. - "Most Wonderful Writing Lesson" just turned out for me to be too planning intensive for me to pull off along with everything else. We'll keep partnership writing along with it. Taking a break from Miquon for DS6 to do parts of Right Start B (not just the right start games like I had planned). I think we'll get back to Miquon, but I really like some of the place value work in RSB, and didn't want DS to miss out on that. I also like the clock and money practice in RSB. I think that's it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Oh, well, my middle two have math hopped, but was expected. They do some of AOPS then something easier, then more AoPS, lather, rinse, repeat. DD/2nd did add Math in Focus. I spaced that. I was going to add it to Horizons to get her out if the recent slump, but her attitude about Horizons is awful enough right now I'm not sure it's worth it. (She informed the moms at her siblings' MOEMS meeting that Horizons was easy and stupid. Thanks kid!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Teaching Textbooks to MUS. I just got it. I'm hoping we'll be happy with the change! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 The only change we've made is from Duolingo to Song School Spanish. I think we might switch back. He doesn't like it nearly as much and seems irritated by the songs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I switched from 100EZ to All About Reading for the youngest. We added Build Your Library 5th grade American History, Darwin, and will start a Thanksgiving study in about a week. Everybody loves it. I'm not a fan of EIW writing. It gets done. The kids don't complain, but right now it's just too grammar focused IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethel Mertz Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 BBC's Dance Mat Typing --> Type to Learn (DS couldn't stand the voice prompts for Dance Mat Typing.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleBears Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Horizons math to CLE for my youngest. I use it for my middle ds just constantly blow away with how easily understandable CLE teaches everything. Horizons speeds ahead too much in certain areas and not enough in others. Half the work is too easy and half of it does not develop the skill slowly enough. I'm constantly supplementing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hands-on-mama Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 We haven't really changed much of anything-or added anything. We did quit adding in extra units to Adventures and are just doing it as written now. My youngest will switch from the doing the math in MFW 1st to CLE math 100 soon. Other than that, we are status quo and happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbes Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 We haven't changed anything. Happy dance!!! I have adjusted some writing in Brave Writer style, since I bought TWJ and read it through this month. Love. It has influenced the way I use some of our other curricula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 RightStart Math -----> Beast Academy with a bit of Math Mammoth to solidify addition/subtraction But that's it. The rest is all what I planned. Yippee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insertcreativenamehere Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 We've basically dropped the MFW Rome to Reformation schedule and several of the books; I just didn't like having all of the subjects tied together and scheduled every day. Too many transitions. We prefer to do history and science 2-3 times a week, not every day. I'd already tweaked it by adding in our own science as well as adding SOTW1 in place of some of the MFW books. It makes me feel so free and our days are going so much more smoothly. I love the idea of MFW but I just can't make it work for us. This is the second year that I've tweaked it beyond recognition, so now I know ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Dumped TT=> Jacob's algebra and geometry Dumped Critical Thinking Understanding algebra as well Dumped easy grammar=> Rod & staff grammar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 DD - 9th grade MOH IV ----> Beautiful Feet Early American and World CLE Algebra ----> AOPS Intro to Algebra (this is DD's favorite change) Biology ----> Earth Science (Tarbuck's) & The Cosmos Added in Lingua Mater for grammar and comp. Sticking with Memoria Press American Literature: Poems and Short Stories with 3 novels and 1 play thrown in DS - K/1st grade Using Dancing Bears sparingly. He's pretty proficient regarding sounds and digraphs, so we've moved to a blended sight-sound approach (it works for us - don't hate, lol) using a Free and Treadwell reader. Sticking with Miquon for math and Simply Classical Copybook for copywork. Sticking with BFSU and related literature for science. Added in (picked back up) using How Our Nation Began as a primary read aloud for American history, alongside related literature. Using literature to discuss grammar and basic writing skills (sentence structure, etc). Sticking with Chats with God's Little Ones, The New Catholic Children's Bible, and Leading the Little Ones to Mary for religion, alongside related saint/religion literature. Dumped Catholic Schoolhouse for the year. We just had too much going on with the move. We'll pick it back up next year for Ancients (loved it; wish I had time for it this year). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 McGraw hill science ---> Apologia Land Animals (dd absolutely loves it) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 We dumped the fun Spanish early on for ods. After picking up lots of asl via yds's speech issues, we've found that asl is more practical and useful for us on a day to day basis. So we're going with that for foreign language. Everything else is going well...and even better, everything my oldest is doing has a next level. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 DD11: Horizons Math --------> BJU Math MCT Town Level ----------> Fix-It Grammar Combined history with sister using Beautiful Feet Ancient History ------------> independent history using Beautiful Feet Ancient History DD8: Spelling U See ------------> Modern Speller Combined history with sister using Beautiful Feet Ancient History -----------> history with me using Beautiful Feet Early American History 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaniceO Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 DD 5th grade: Switched from Fix It Grammar to Jr. Analytical Grammar. She loves it and is WAY happier. Dropped K12 Literature to just read books. She started out liking the K12, but I think got bored with it. She asked to drop it in favor of just reading, which made me happy since she doesn't usually like to read. DS 8th grade: We added Writing With Skill 1. He still does EIW, but on a lighter schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 The only change we've made is from Duolingo to Song School Spanish. I think we might switch back. He doesn't like it nearly as much and seems irritated by the songs. The Fun Spanish from Brookdale House is between those two in difficulty. No songs, but some silliness that really helps the vocab stick. Like the blue horse had three orange wings sort of silly. My 7yo who is not ready for the spelling required in Duolingo is using it this year, and my 5th grader used it last year. It's been super simple to use and effective for us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 For 7yo dd, we dropped VPSP OTAE in favor of read alouds. For 10yo ds, we dropped Singapore math and returned to CLE. For 12yo dd, we dropped Singapore and Keys to combo to return to Saxon. For 12yo dd, writing is mostly across subjects, but I wanted something else to add in when those assignments are lighter. The "something else" keeps changing. Grammar was finishing last year's Daily Grams, but it got to be the easiest thing to drop on longer days, until it got dropped for good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abeilles Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Switched the older kids from MM to CLE Math - to get them up to speed and be more independent. Switched K5 child from LOE to AAR 1. Otherwise very happy with everything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 The only change we have made is I stopped trying to get to Spanish with ds... :lol: but now that I think about it...I might need to make some changes for my youngest....she has lost her excitement about school... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 The Fun Spanish from Brookdale House is between those two in difficulty. No songs, but some silliness that really helps the vocab stick. Like the blue horse had three orange wings sort of silly. My 7yo who is not ready for the spelling required in Duolingo is using it this year, and my 5th grader used it last year. It's been super simple to use and effective for us. Thank you for that! It looks like a much better fit for his style. :) I forgot when I ordered that this child is my non-joiner. Expecting to sing songs or play with puppets? Ha! No. His brother would have loved it, though. Right now he's hampered by the fact that he's still learning to write, so the minimal writing in SSS was what I was aiming for - it's hard to find something that fit that. Next year he'll be switching to The Fun Spanish. We'll just rework SSS in the meantime. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc26 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 DS1 TT Algebra----->Saxon Algebra 1/2 DS2 TT Pre A--------> MM6 I think these are the only outright switches we have made, but we have done some tweaking with other stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callapidder Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 For DS9, our first year homeschooling: Spelling Power--->AAS--->R&S Spelling 4 Abeka Handwriting ---> Reason for Handwriting C Also, we put WWE aside to experiment with Writing & Rhetoric: Fable. I won't call it a switch yet, as we may decide to alternate the two. Considering that it's our first year, I'm pretty happy that these are the only adjustments we've made so far. Everything else is working out well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 We dropped L'Art de Lire for French. He wasn't ready for formal foreign language study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 We've dropped our memory work for dd10. We are really having to plow through a lot of math this year, and we just needed the extra time. We've also lightened up our home Nature Study because she at the last moment started a program with the Young Naturalists club that is filling that gap for us. With dd7 we had to stop reading Seabird as she found the whaling too upsetting. We've gone with Tree in the Trail instead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UCF612 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I added Pentime and Ancient history task cards but haven't stopped or switched anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Writing with Skill --> Seton Composition Abeka French ---> Galore Park French Classical Mythology Workbook Reader ---> Memoria Press D'Aulaire's Greek Myths 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 We like everything. The issue is time. ds is only seven, I don't have as much energy as I used to, and we just have too MUCH good stuff! He's a bit of a type A like his mama and even though I avoid the "we must keep competitive with China!" curricula in favour of the dollar bin, don't you young'uns think for one minute that the '90s were Mayberry either. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scbusf Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Every. Single. Thing. I am not even kidding. Actually, 2 kids are still using the same math they have been using for a while. But I have completely changed our style, and then came curriculum changes. I am a curriculum hopper and I am hopeless. Every time, I tell myself that THIS will be it. THIS will be the time it works. History - Changed from Tapestry of Grace to SOTW to now just library books. Writing - Changed from Treasured Conversations for DS and nothing for DD to IEW for both. Science - I don't even know any more. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junie Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 BJU Spanish ==> homemade Spanish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shernandez Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Hmmm... We switched from Elemental Science to Considering God's Creation with a bunch of supplementing. ES was great, but dd was really interested in a few areas so we chose to focus on those this year. I may be adding some cursive practice into our day. Other than that, our year has gone surprisingly smooth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 R&S math 8 -----> BJU Pre-A, with Kahn Academy Dolciani Pre-A -----> BJU Fundamentals, with gobs of Kahn, and MEP 7 I'm in mourning over this math switch...but mental ability and puberty collided, so a change was necessary in order to keep things moving forward. (I'm also mourning the $$ spent on the TM for Dolciani....one of my kids IS going to use this math!! It will not just sit on the shelf and mock me...) R&S science 4 -----> Easy Peasy's biology, level L My dyslexic needed something with less reading/writing. EP is scratching that itch nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Tharp Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Oldest HO History--> Famous Men of Rome + MP Georgraphy I He needs something extremely straightforward he can do mostly indepedently. R&S Reading-->MP Lit.--> free reading Prima Latina--> LCI This is just because we finished it so quickly. Yay! WTM science--> free reading. It's fine, but somehow we never get to it. Plus, he needs something he can do independently that gives him more general knowledge. Still looking for something. Youngest R&S Math--> Beast Academy--> Beast Academy + CLE SOTW-->Child's History of Famous Americans This is our surprise hit this year. MP States & Capitals--> just reading about the united states. He hates the workbook. MP Lit.--> free reading from a selected list. Boy is a voracious reader with excellent vocabulary & comprehension for his age, so at this point a formal lit. guide seems redundant. I do love the MP lit. guides, though. MP Astronomy-->WTM science--> free reading 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 The only thing we dropped was Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings....I couldn't bribe my teenager with a million dollars to do this curriculum (which is bad, because it felt like I paid a million dollars for it). I think it might've burst into flames when I shelved it (and the Eye of Sauron appeared on the cover of the teacher's guide). It's clear to me that I may need to switch the older two kids back to using living books/hands-on activities. I don't know what their deal is, but they just retain absolutely nothing with textbooks. What are they going to do in college? Oh, and my daughter never misses a question - EVER - with Lial's Algebra. Is that bad???? :confused: Should we switch back to AOPS next year?? So confused... :svengo: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Bravewriter Arrow --> MBtP lit units --> ? Still trying to find a fit with grammar. + Write Now because DD needs handwriting practice - Latin - French - English From the Roots Up On the plus side (ha), our days are more streamlined since I've dropped several things. :laugh: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IfIOnly Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 For me it's not what have I changed but what haven't I ordered yet! I really need to make a decision on science. :glare: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Little dd has moved from Singapore math to CLE math and from Spelling Workout to Rod and Staff Spelling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 I dropped Rod and Staff and Math Mammoth, two of my favorite curriculum. But it was a good move. My kids are happier now, and I love what I'm using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnmusic Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 For 6th Grade: Math: From MM ==> Saxon ==>CLE==>back to MM==>AOPS Prealgebra, now he seems happy! It looks awful but does it make it any more excusable that the switching happened over a couple years? History: From library books ==>SOTW audiobook ==> SOTW silent reading along with mapwork and self corrected chapter questions from Activity Guide, this has been working great for us. Now finally history is getting done twice a week! Science: He reads Tiner's Exploring Physics book chapter, followed by writing out answers at the end of each chapter. Not as rigorous as I'd like to be with science, but it's getting done 3x/week and he says he learns a lot from it. We'll step up with more textbook-y stuff and labs next semester (outsourced class). This is all I could manage this term feeling tired and pregnant with 6th child. Still doing IEW for writing, CLE LA (love) For 4th Grade: Math: From MM ==> CLE==>back to MM at her request, she's enjoying it a lot more now Same history as above CLE LA (very happy) Science: Apologia Swimming Creatures ==> McGraw science textbook for 4th grade general science topics + workbook and my favorite add-on for the year so far (for both): Abeka's grade level Spelling, Vocab and Poetry student workbook - they do 1 spelling and vocabulary activity per day, and work on memorizing a richly illustrated poem in the back (awesome selection of poems, these are all ones I want them to learn by heart). I've found that with 5 dc, I've really had to make our curriculum be do-able on auto-pilot, meaning as independent as possible and not reliant on me. All our changes and keepers are ones that get DONE every day, the kids learn a lot from them, and they enjoy it, and I can easily pop in and out and check on their progress. They don't wait around for me to come and teach them, they can start and finish on their own and come ask me questions if they come up. I can spot check them, ask them for a narrative or summary of that day's topic in the subject, or just flip through and check their work, but all the teaching is embedded in the text so it's so nice that school runs even when I'm focusing on the littles or cooking or whatever. I lied, here's my absolute favorite change we've made this year: dc self-correct their work after each lesson. This has been fabulous! They take ownership of their mistakes, see what they did wrong and I don't have to argue with them why it's wrong, they can see it for themselves in the answer key, and learn to go back and see what went wrong. They even use the red pencil and everything and mark the top of the page, just like I do. But there's far less arguing with me, and they take ownership of their mistakes. This has rocked my world, things have been so much more peaceful and the kids actually seem to be learning what they're doing wrong instead of repeating mistakes over and over and me getting frustrated with them and them with me. I just handed them the answer keys and told them the rules: must correct their work AFTER the lesson is done and rework it until they get the right answer (this works particularly well in math). I check their pages to see what they're getting wrong and spot teach those topics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama25angels Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 The only thing we dropped was Literary Lessons from Lord of the Rings....I couldn't bribe my teenager with a million dollars to do this curriculum (which is bad, because it felt like I paid a million dollars for it). I think it might've burst into flames when I shelved it (and the Eye of Sauron appeared on the cover of the teacher's guide). It's clear to me that I may need to switch the older two kids back to using living books/hands-on activities. I don't know what their deal is, but they just retain absolutely nothing with textbooks. What are they going to do in college? Oh, and my daughter never misses a question - EVER - with Lial's Algebra. Is that bad???? :confused: Should we switch back to AOPS next year?? So confused... :svengo: Do you plan to sell LLLOTR? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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