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SeaStar
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I really like the not whiteboard idea! I have several black picture frames that I could use, plus a place to put them. Have to think about this some more...
Sally-
Our LOF is a supplement (we use Rightstart Math). I think by itself it would not be enough for some concepts. For example, we are almost through the LOF Fractions book. To me it just doesn't seem like enough practice with fractions, so I have my ds use the Key to Fractions series with it. That is working out fairly well. He had a good base for fractions with Rightstart already, just needed more exposure. So we are currently doing LOF/Key to Fractions one or two days a week and geometry the rest.
Fred is so unique... as a supplement it has been a treasure for us. I don't know that alone I would feel it gave enough practice, at least at the level I've used (elementary and middle levels). And I am not trying to scare you, Lindsay! You may find it works well for your son.
One thing about Fred is that it gives exposure to so many concepts, and I never know what is sticking in my kids head, but a lot of it (probably more than I realize) is sticking. I think I mentioned all the numbers my ds wrote out over two days this summer- pages of them! I had no idea what he was doing, and it turns out that he was writing out Fibonacci numbers.
He remembered the idea from LOF from months ago.
So I think LOF is more powerful than we realize, even if it doesn't seem to play nicely with standardized tests.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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SallyT
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Re Fred: Definitely, everything you say, Melinda! With my 12-year-old, who was in 5th last year, I did wind up using it as his primary math, and it served a very good purpose. I came away feeling more confident about *teaching* math, having read those books with him. We supplemented with various things, including MEP (the spirally nature of the primary lessons drove him batty, however, which is one reason why I bumped him into Y7 this year) and Khan Academy. And this summer we did Key to Fractions, too!
I really do think the earlier books, Apples-whatever the last elementary one is, could just about stand on their own as a primary math curriculum. I do think they need more, and more consistent practice in basic facts, though. I feel less sure at this point about the intermediate level and up, where it did feel as though we were reaching for higher, and probably more interesting, concepts without a firm foundation in the basic "grammar" of math, which is the boring drill-and-kill stuff, but also kind of the building blocks . . . We did Liver and Kidneys and ran out of gas at Mineshaft, in that 3-book intermediate series before Fractions, etc.
I would like to build those books back in once I have some budget for them, as math reading. I'd planned them in, then took them out when I realized I had less to spend than I thought (I have a kid buying college textbooks, and he's taking one more class than we had originally planned, and the whole budget felt the bite).
Anywaaaaaay . . . How about that Minn of the MIssissippi!
Sally
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CrunchyMom
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All great thoughts, ladies. Thanks!
I plan to use Fred with all the boys, and I am satisfied that it will be fine for the 6 and 8 year olds along with xtra math. It is my 10 year old I'll have to see about. I think that the Math Mammoth Blue series is a lot like the Key to... series and might have to supplement. Fortunately my oldest is ridiculously responsible and will probably tell me if he *needs* to start doing Math Mammoth again 
I had my son read through Minn independently along with Fr. Marquette and Of Courage Undaunted, and I had him do the exercises from the Beautiful Feet guide. I am embarrassed to admit I have not read it myself, but my son never complained.   I had no idea it was not as good as Paddle or Pagoo.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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SallyT
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Well, *I* thought it was pretty cool!
Sally
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Kristie 4
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I am actually excited to begin and have just my two youngest to myself- not that I didn't love our 4 child, then 3 child homeschool. But it will be so much fun to focus on two!
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RyaneM
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SeaStar wrote:
1. Using "The Bible Tells Me So" as a basis for our religious ed this year.
we are loving it! 
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Do you have a link for this, Melinda? I tried to google it but wasn't successful.
Thanks!
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Ryane in NY 
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sunny
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The full title is The Bible Tells Me So: A Year of Catechizing Directly from Scripture
CHC sells it and so does Amazon
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 01 2014 at 6:27am | IP Logged
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I forgot to add that we are really enjoying our SQUILT music lessons. I update my original post about it here.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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SeaStar
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Also wanted to add that as far as MEP/LOF goes... I find that sometimes no matter how great a program is or how well it is working for you, you just need a break. Then you are able to come back to a solid program and appreciate anew what it offers 
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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MarilynW
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Hits - Morning Time. ORGANIZED Morning Time. I planned out each quarter. I have everything I need in baskets around the sofa - so no searching for things. Including my tenth graders in Morning Time (they did not join in last year) - they join us for part of it and not everything.
Another hit - doing fewer work hours but more mom intensive work hours around the table for the non high school set. Less independent work, more group work. I have the luxury of doing this as I have no babies or toddlers this year  Also I minimize any distractions - my time during school is with the children and I want to be fully present.
Dad read aloud time at night after night prayer. We had been doing lots of individual bedtime stories for various age groups. Now everyone from preschool to college (when home) listen to the same story. It is a peaceful time - some are knitting, some drawing, some just sitting. Right now DH is reading Son of Charlemagne. Before that it was Cricket in Time Square, Red Sails to Capri, Treasure Island, The Family Under the Bridge and Animal Farm. We try to vary the ages of the books. The little are not quite ready for Dickens late in the evening. Next up...Little Women...
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CrunchyMom
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Our Morning Time is going well, too, Marilyn. I planned it out per day (numbered days) on a private blog, linking to the librivox chapters for books available each day. Some things I read from books or aloud, and I had a fleeting thought that perhaps I was cheating or had wasted my time until the baby started screaming unconsolably right as I started reading aloud from 60 Saints for Boys about St. Gregory today and was able to just click on our next reading on the computer, take the baby back to my chair as the boys listened, and direct my 10 year old to finish up the readings.
So, all the assigned readings for the day did get finished and one got narrated as a group even though we never did read about poor St. Gregory
We say a Morning Offering, practice a chant (YouTube video), and listen to the readings for the day (USCCB site) first off.
I set up similar private blogs for my non-readers including links to their x-tra math and altar server responses to practice. With so many audio lessons, we bought a chrome book and some decent headphones, and this has been great! I loved having it so I could spread out on the screened porch with books for planning (we don't have a laptop), but I mainly got it for this purpose, and I'm glad we did. I think I would like to get one more set of headphones so I can have everyone in the same room together.
My not quite 6 year old really likes the Logic of English Foundations program. I am using some of the materials with Sound Beginnings for my not-yet-reading 8 year old, but the program would be too babyish for him. Yet, today I worked with him first, then he did his copywork while I worked with his younger brother, and I think he benefitted from listening in and experiencing the multi-sensory activities if indirectly.
No misses so far, though I still haven't gotten everything going that I'd planned, so there is still time 
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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ekbell
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The main hit so far is Winnie the Pooh. I've always read it to my six year olds (and anyone else listening in) starting with my baby brother.
So I'm reading it to my six old dd and her eight year old brother. I like to read the title of the next chapter as a teaser and he's been having fun telling us what he remembers of that chapter. It's amazing what he can remember from two years ago.
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jawgee
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MarilynW wrote:
Hits -
Dad read aloud time at night after night prayer. We had been doing lots of individual bedtime stories for various age groups. Now everyone from preschool to college (when home) listen to the same story. It is a peaceful time - some are knitting, some drawing, some just sitting. Right now DH is reading Son of Charlemagne. Before that it was Cricket in Time Square, Red Sails to Capri, Treasure Island, The Family Under the Bridge and Animal Farm. We try to vary the ages of the books. The little are not quite ready for Dickens late in the evening. Next up...Little Women... |
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This is probably our biggest hit each year. My DH has been reading to them for years. At first he did individual books, but for the past three years he has done series with them. He started with the Wizard of Oz series, did the Lemony Snickets series, and is now in the middle of the Little Britches series. The kids all love it.
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Monica
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KackyK
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SQUILT is awesome! Anything that puts the Piano Guys in your day has got to be good The kids really like this. They aren't too pleased with our hymn singing...but I think they'll get adapted.
I have really buckled down on morning time (we call it "morning bag" time). We do a lot, sometimes they get a bit frustrated because they want to get to their independent work...but I usually end with a map tracing, or drawing or the SQUILT, so that leaves them with a pleasant ending
Visual Latin is a HUGE hit over here with my ds 7thgrade and dd 5th grade. They think he is a hoot and they have memorized vocabulary quickly.
I don't think I have hit a real miss here yet...but that can remain to be seen...
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SeaStar
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Kacky-
Have you seen the animated graphic scores that SQUILT links to yet?
Those are amazing, and slightly addictive. The more we watch, the better we are able to see each instrument coming and going and what each one is doing. Way cool! 
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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I have to say Professor Carol's music history online classes are AMAZING!!!!! I wish I had invested in this a LONG time ago. I love her delivery, and the kids, while were a little like, “Why are we doing this? What exactly is this class?” seem to enjoy it after we have gotten into it. We’ve just started, quite honestly, but I’ll update as we get further along. Wow...she is just so fun to follow and listen to. I can’t imagine how many of us would have LOVED history if it was presented as Professor Carol does....do check it out!!
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SeaStar
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I've looked at that program, Becky- I had the idea it was for high school age?
I have been biding time on that one- looks so good, and I can't wait to try it.
Do you think it could work for middle school aged kids? It would be good if we could move from SQUILT this year into Professor Carol next year.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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4 lads mom
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I think you were talking to me, Melinda?
Professor Carol is definitely 8-12 grade. Maybe a mature 7th grader....I would poke around on her website and see what you think. It’s impressive!
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jawgee
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Another hit for this year (even though we're only on lesson 3 of level 2) is English Lesson Through Literature. It incorporates simple grammar lessons with copywork and picture study. My son loves that many lessons include an Aesop's Fable. I like that many lessons include a poem or a quote from the Bible.
It works for us because the lessons are very short and because it is truly an all-in-one for grammar - grammar, copywork, picture study, poetry, quick read-alouds. I've always wanted to include Aesop's Fables in our homeschool, but it was just one more thing that I hadn't got around to each year.
Another great thing for me is that my 3rd grader is a reluctant reader. He's a good reader, but chapter books intimidate him. We have all the literature selections on audio book so each day before lunch he listens to a chapter of the book. (I'd like him to read-along in the book while he listens, but he's not ready for that, yet). He loves listening to the stories, and it's great because it is one more thing he can do independently. Siblings like to listen along, too.
English Lessons Through Literature is everything I had hoped Learning Language Arts Through Literature could be. LLATL was a big fail for us, though, because it was too workbook-y to suit my boys.
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Monica
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 10 2014 at 2:32pm | IP Logged
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4 lads mom wrote:
I think you were talking to me, Melinda?
Professor Carol is definitely 8-12 grade. Maybe a mature 7th grader....I would poke around on her website and see what you think. It’s impressive! |
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Yes- name snafu...
But thanks for the input. It looks like such a great program, but I will definitely wait on it for now.
The creator of SQUILT will have a holiday music unit out in November, so I am looking forward that!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Hits and Misses of the new school year
