NewHomeSchoolMarm Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 HI Ladies, This calendar year has been a humbling one for me battling illness, surgery,and now a long & painfully slow recovery. Thanks to friends (cyber and church) a suggestion was made for me to use Abeka DVD Academy so that my dd 9 could still homeschool while I did Abeka K workbooks with dd5. This worked for everyone and my husband was thankful not to have to substitute teach for the year. :lol: So what's the problem?! Well, up until now I have always used a Literature Approach with my girls: WTM, FIAR, MFW, Sonlight, Winterpromise and I loved it!!!! Apparently the kids didn't:glare:. My dd9 loves her Abeka Academy Teacher, Workbooks and Classmates ( I don't have the heart to tell her they are older now and that this is pre-recorded) and now my younger wants to do this for first grade next year. See, I really believed that the Literature Approach was a better one, but I see my girls love workbooks. I guess that's fine, right?:glare: Has anyone contemplated this before? NHSM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Yep.:iagree: I went the total literature-based route. My dd doesn't love to read. She likes it, but doesn't love it. I wanted her to love it. I started pre-K with Sonlight. I loved it. My dd hated it, she likes projects. So then I went WP (reading w/projects) and my dd loved the projects, but hated the reading. Then I went with something else that was somewhat literature based, using all living books. I always wondered why someone would go the textbook-ish route when there's so much cool stuff out there. Well, I've finally figured out that BJU is pretty good and so is a few Abeka things :thumbup:and now I mix and match. I have accountability through the textbook curriculum but I can add in a living book or good literature if I want. What works for the parent doesn't always work for the kids. But now we may have found a happy medium and I'm no longer a snob.:cheers2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I've tried about it all - and my kids seem to really like the BJU Homesat classes. They aren't like the Abeka ones - just a teacher, puppets, props and such. Like the other poster though, we add in books - and DD does that on her own even. I always knew #1 was more a workbook kid though - she started at an Abeka using private school. The middle one needs a mix..... the 3rd hates to be read too. Well, she wants you to read - brings you books, then only stays for a page. Twerp! Anyway, just go with the flow and add stuff in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritAnnia Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 (edited) My younger ds loved the workbook format for lessons because he likes to know where the end of each lesson is. With the literature approach it wasn't always clear to him. He has a mathematically minded brain that feels more comfortable with facts laid out clearly rather than having to think on what he's heard and discover for himself what facts were included from a piece of literature. We did a blend and it he got the structure he needed to feel in control, knowing where the lesson was going, and I was able to help him open his mind to a little 'randomosity' :D Edited October 24, 2008 by BritAnnia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I feel ya.....my ds likes workbooks and checklists and anything that has a definite beginning and a definite ending and has NO "artsy-fartsy" stuff involved. Even as a preschooler he hated to color. I tried to do lapbooks with him...yeah, right. My youngest ds seems to love arts and crafts stuff so maybe I will get my chance to do the literature/lapbook route? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I understand! I've always dreamed of using the Charlotte Mason approach, but it just didn't work out for us. We switched over to Abeka DVDs for all of my gang this year, and this has been the first year that I have actually enjoyed homeschooling. I like being the "supplementer" - it is more fun. The kids enjoy it as well and are learning so much. They enjoy a happier mama,too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I love lit based learning, but my kids don't! We are using TOG this year and while they are doing it, they tell me often they would enjoy having text books instead. I am on the fence about what to use next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I love the literature approach too, but it seems that children have their own styles and preferences. How dare they:angry: I still struggle to accept this :glare: In our family it plays out like this oldest-literature; 2nd child-colorful textbooks & audio; 3rd-any textook & video; 4th-literature; & audio 5th-workbooks & projects; 6th-literature; 7th-literature Go with the flow and remember, these things can always be changed. Do what works for now. While they are using textbooks be sure that they still read and hear a lot of literature. Two of my older textbook loving children didn't read enough lit. and they paid for it in high school when they had to read some classics. They struggled with writing too, whereas that has never been a problem with the ones who followed a literature program. On the other hand, they were miserable when I forced a literature program on them and they do seem to have a stronger foundation in some parts of history and science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threetreasurs Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 It is a bit appalling to me how much my youngest is loving Calvert this year!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 I say keep doing it if they like it so much. If it's the way they love to learn. We did that one year with our son and he hated it though. I am one to do what works with each child as they seem to learn better if they are happy witht what they are doing. After all, isn't that what mentoring is all about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 This is our 3rd year of A Beka Dvd school and ds loves it. I say if it's working, go with it and no guilt.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 Whatever works!:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denainms Posted October 24, 2008 Share Posted October 24, 2008 :iagree: I feel your pain! I so wanted us to be lit-based with CM methods, but after trying Sonlight ( 3 times) :001_huh: and MFW, Ambleside, etc. my kids prefer the structure of texts and workbooks, :tongue_smilie: so, I am looking into next year, I KNOW we won't be using a Unit Study, (we are currently using MFW Adventures) but not sure I can give up Lit-based completely yet. So, we may use Truthquest for History with a text spine and the textbooks and workbooks for everything else. I have realized that MY wishes for our homeschooling may NOT be what is best for them. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewHomeSchoolMarm Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share Posted October 24, 2008 :grouphug: Wow--I am in great company. Thanks ladies for the input, wisdom, and sharing. I feel better already. NHSM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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