HollyDay Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 My 11 yr old 6th grader is doing very well with HOmer A and Harvey's Grammar. We are starting unit 8 this week and I am very pleased. She is grasping the concept quickly and actually enjoying the process. We will obviously not finish A before the end of the 6th grade traditional year. Do I push on and do Homer B this summer? I would also like to do Beginning Poetry - she so much enjoys poetry I think it would be fun for her. But, how do I fit the poetry course into this? I just feel like we are behind and trying to catch up. When I speak with other families using other programs (I am the only one in our hs group attempting classical style education), they speak of the same age child doing research papers, compare/contrast essays, persuasive essays etc. So, where and how do we continue? Stay the course? Skip lessons?? Continue as we are??? Add Poetry???? Thanks!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I would not skip any lessons. If you stay the course you will cover things like essays and research papers. In any case, what kind of research papers are those 6th graders doing, I mean really? You can not compare the depth of knowledge your dd is gaining with CW with what most students cover in writing. I would just keep going, adding poetry in after Homer A, whenever that is. Karen (CW drop out ;)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in SoCal Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I would stay the course. No need to rush thru, or work extra during the summer. Tho if you are choosing to work thru the summer, I think that's where you might try to fit in Poetry. It's fun, light ... maybe a perfect summer project? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted January 21, 2008 Author Share Posted January 21, 2008 I guess I am worried about "keeping up" Is it "okay" to do Homer B in 7th grade 1st semester then start Diogenes in 7th grade 2nd semester? Homestly, if I do it the way I want to do it, I would: finish Homer A this semester Poetry of Beginners this summer Homer B 7th grade Diogenes 2nd semester 7th grade Intermediate Poetry (?) next summer Finish Diogenes 8th grade Would that even work?? What is after Diogenes? For some reason, I get the impression there something else she must get done prior to high school. Thanks for setting me straight!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 This may help: CW message boards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy from WT Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Oh my goodness, don't worry, you're doing fine! You're child is getting SO much more than anyone else with CW Homer! Do NOT rush through that goldmine of material. In fact, in our co-op, we just decided to take three years with it instead of two just for that purpose - so that we are NOT rushing our students through Homer, and so that we will not get to Diogenes too quickly. Diogenes, like Homer, is a very rich course. It focuses entirely on essay writing. You do NOT want to get to it too soon. In fact, if you don't get to it until 8th grade, that would be entirely fine. And if you don't finish it in one year, not to worry! Do not be pressured by other families that are giving their students broader writing educations by having their students write research papers, essays, etc. The purpose of doing a progymnasmata education with your students is to teach them writing one step at a time, as they are ready for it. In the Logic stage, the thought is that they are best fitted for learning narration, and so that is what they focus on. As they grow up cognitively, essay writing is introduced, and so that is what they focus on when they hit Diogenes. Essay writing is further honed in Chreia, which comes after Diogenes. If you really want your students to practice some research skills, give them a small research project or two once in awhile in your history or science subjects. But don't get bogged down with that in your writing now. Concentrate on Homer, and you will be thrilled with the results in the end. I hope this is somewhat of a help! I only know what I've seen - I've had one of my children finish Homer and was thrilled with the results. Another one is going through Homer now, and is in the co-op class that we slowed down so they could get the full benefits of the course. We felt that they were only getting a slap-dash surface approach because we were trying to rush through things so quickly. And my first one to finish Homer reached Diogenes much too quickly - he went through it in 7th grade. I will always regret that I didn't wait until he was in 8th grade to do it. He would have benefitted much more if I had waited until he was cognitively more mature to take that course. Blessings, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in MA Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 We've been at Homer A for a year now and will probably finish in the next couple of months (maybe!) My girls are 12 and 9. I think we'll do CW Poetry in between Homer A and B. It's such a great, meaty program that I decided not to worry about the pace at all. Learning to write form papers will come very easily to the girls when they are older, and presumably they'll be able to write well! They also keep up with their history writing (outlining, retelling, etc.) and are already very good at distilling the important info and organizing it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia in WA Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I would continue as you are. Your child is getting a full writing course. She is not learning a formula. She is learning to think and analyze and critique. I am doing Poetry A with my 11 yr old and we just love it. I have to run and will expand on this when I return later tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pensguys Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Can I butt in and ask ya'll a question? We've recently started Homer A and I'm glad I waited until now do do so for ds (10.5, 5th grade). I can tell there is a maturity that he didn't have earlier this year. I'm wondering about Grammar. I've decided to do the Harvey's assignments because they are systematic. We aren't keeping the notebook though. I decided earlier in the year to have ds work through Junior Analytical Grammar and he is doing SO well with that course. We will finish it this school year (we only do 2 sentences/day or the test...quick and simple.) I was considering doing Analytical Grammar after this, but do you think that between the Harvey's, the grammar in CW and the grammar we're getting in Latin that he'll have enough? I like the JAG because it is very repetitious and that seems to have helped ds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Welp, I'm about to start Homer B with my 2nd semester 6th grader, and I guarantee we will not finish it before Christmas next year, if then. So, is it "okay" to do Homer B in 7th grade? The answer is that you work where your student is at. Sure it's okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in GA Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I would do it as follows: finish Homer A this spring/summer Beg. Poetry A (summer/early fall) Homer B (for the bulk of next school year) Beg. Poetry B (next spring or summer) Diogenes (8th grade) Int. Poetry (after Diogenes, or as a breather mid-year) Don't rush it; enjoy it and learn from it. :) Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in GA Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Your schedule looks great -- but just remember that Beg. Poetry has two sections (workbooks A & B). Of course you can still do it all in one shot. Some people think Poetry "B" is intermediate poetry, when it's really just the second part of beginning poetry. I think that if you finish Diogenes in 8th grade, you'll be in excellent shape for high school. Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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