lulalu Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 What are some favorites for public domain or "older" books for curriculum or to use as a resource. I have been loving Dictation Day by Day, and Gattegno math. I find I like the freedom some of the older books give. I don't really like scripted resources. I am looking at Primary Language Lessons as FLL 2 isn't really working for me (too scripted, and too much memorization of lists). Anyone use PLL? Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulalu Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 50 minutes ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said: Webster’s Speller (free version on Don Potter’s site) also linked through @ElizabethB Phonics Page- has been really helpful. How do you use it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 We loved Grammarland, which is in the public domain. We read it aloud in elementary school. I did lots of silly voices. And then we practiced the things it talked about, though usually on easier sentences than the ones in there, which were, honestly, a little complex. I think both the old new math CSMP stuff and the original Strayer-Upton are both great free resources, though I didn't use either of them. I did really like the old Problems Without Figures book a great deal. But then I ended up updating it and then eventually put that up on Amazon. But just the original is still out there free and it's great with a little tweaking for kids who don't know what some of these old measurements are. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 There's a boatload of public domain materials here. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulalu Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 6 minutes ago, Ellie said: There's a boatload of public domain materials here. Thanks. Are any of these your favorites for elementary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 Some older or public domain books that I've used over the years for different kids at different times (sorry I can't give links right now, I'm on my older, grumpier laptop that doesn't like having more than one window open…): Word Mastery (phonics book on Don Potter's site, Ellie linked his site upthread) Blend Phonics (also on Don Potter's site) Both of those were supplements to whatever phonics we were using. I also used these as spelling/dictation practice. Graded Work in Arithmetic by Baird (also from Don Potter's site, if I remember correctly-- Google books and/or archive.org are places to look as well.) There are multiple volumes of this that could span elementary. I used this as mental math or math drill. Number Stories of Long Ago by David Eugene Smith This one was very good for my history loving math hater. :) Second Primary Language Book by O.S. Reimold All my boys have used this around third grade or so. The Robinson Crusoe themed writing exercises were a big hit. Much better (for my boys) than stories about sweet little kittens or robin redbreast or some of the other sweetness and light that permeates vintage LA. Latin Book One, by Scott and Horn This is an oldie, but a goodie. This is free for the printing, along with an *answer key*. If you search here on the boards for it, there are threads with links. I know I've used more PD stuff, but those are the first things to come to mind right now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 4 hours ago, lulalu said: How do you use it? If you work through my free syllables program, it teaches you how to use Webster's Speller. It is based on syllables, open syllables are long, closed syllables are short. You over learn the syllables in the syllabary, then it makes reading the multi-syllable words easy. http://www.thephonicspage.org/On Reading/syllablesspellsu.html 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 11 hours ago, lulalu said: Are any of these your favorites for elementary? I haven't used any of them; my dc are all grown up and adulting on their own. 🙂 The Franklin Primary Arithmetic and the Franklin Second Arithmetic look quite good. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 Maxwell's School Composition gets mentioned here from time to time. Probably best for upper elementary. https://books.google.com/books/about/School_Composition.html?id=E_8AAAAAYAAJ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 Not math or reading, but we really enjoy Paper Sloyd. It's a multi-year book of paper projects for elementary students. They start out learning how to make a perfect square and slowly build up each project, becoming more complex and interesting. We came to it late (it starts in 1st grade) but I stretch each project still, doing one week of practice and one week of perfection. Also, if you can find the free pdf still, or even if you can't, Harry Stottlemeier's Discovery is a brilliant introduction to a study of logic. It's told in story form, all about Harry trying to figure things out. We like to start there toward the end of 5th grade/6th before moving into something more detailed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulalu Posted November 15, 2019 Author Share Posted November 15, 2019 On 11/13/2019 at 1:15 AM, ElizabethB said: If you work through my free syllables program, it teaches you how to use Webster's Speller. It is based on syllables, open syllables are long, closed syllables are short. You over learn the syllables in the syllabary, then it makes reading the multi-syllable words easy. http://www.thephonicspage.org/On Reading/syllablesspellsu.html So you use this for reading or for spelling or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, lulalu said: So you use this for reading or for spelling or both? Both. It teaches a bunch of spelling rules and a few spelling words while teaching higher level decoding; phonics to a 12th grade level with syllables, but presented in a manner that a few K students and most 1st grade and above students can easily understand. For my K students, I do modify some of the latter lessons and expect them to do less, my K students are usually siblings in a group class. Edited November 15, 2019 by ElizabethB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 (edited) Not public domain, if that's specifically what you're looking for, but my best curriculum for English is all old, out of print, and usually cheap from bookfinder.com or ebay: Educator Classic Library books: Children's classics from the late '60s with useful definitions and illustrations in the margins for challenging vocabulary, and the best appendices I've ever seen in a child's book, providing interesting information on the time, place, writer, or topic of the book. Word Wealth/ Word Wealth Jr., which I rattled on about in another thread so won't duplicate here. Scribner School Editions/ Scribner School Paperbacks: High school (mostly) classics with superior study guides. The best of this excellent series are The Wind in the Willows and James Boyd's Drums. Hard to find: I had to use university inter-library loan to get hold of a copy with the study guide for Wind in the Willows. But boy was it worth it. Edited November 17, 2019 by Violet Crown 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 What age for WWJ you think. I believe I have both, but I was so confused as to how to use them with DS that I never did. I’m willing to give it a go with DD once we get state-side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 6 hours ago, madteaparty said: What age for WWJ you think. I believe I have both, but I was so confused as to how to use them with DS that I never did. I’m willing to give it a go with DD once we get state-side. WW Jr seems to be for middle school age. There was once a thread on how to use the books and when I have access to a better device I'll try to find it, & type up how I use them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 I have, but it's been a "hot minute." I remember loving With Pencil and Pen. And Progressive Composition (Braughtigam?). This old thread has loads of options. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 Seconding Maxwell's School Composition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof1 Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 McGuffey Readers- Primer and 1st Ray's Arithmetic- 1st book Don Potter's Blend Phonics for young children. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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