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time4tea
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
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I wanted to post this separately in case there were others who might want to chime in on this. I recently received the new CHC catalog and in it is a short article about NOT adding to the CHC course of study, but instead working the course of study for the year as outlined for each grade with no additions/big changes. What do you all think about this? Is CHC really complete enough that no additions are necessary? I have a hard time not making any changes to lesson plans, BUT I do find lesson plans incredibly helpful, esp. right now with a new baby in the house. What do you all think?
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Anne McD
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 4:25pm | IP Logged
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How funny--- I've been thinking the past couple of days about doing CHC for my second grader next year, but tweaking it!  I want to swap out the math for Right Start, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was more I'd want to tinker with. I'd love to hear more from other moms who have altered thier circ and have benefited from it.
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Anne
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Mommy to Alex 9
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and baby on the way! 10/14
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 4:43pm | IP Logged
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I've used CHC for K, 1st, 2nd, and currently 3rd. I'll be using it again for 4th. I always add to it!
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 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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Martha
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 5:32pm | IP Logged
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I'll have an 8th grader next year.
I have the middle school plans and plan to add/modify extensively. Here's the major changes.
I have enrolled him in Seton's 8th grade english, reading, and Science. The science text is the same as recommended by CHC. I want him to see it's not just mom that will have high expectations of him. I want to prep him for the rigorous workload that will be expected of a highschooler and certianly a college student. I want to encouarge a bit more independence in his studies and give him confidence in doing so.
I will be using Seton's 8th Grade American History for Young Catholics (not enrolled though) with CHC's 7th grade Timeline of the Republic Sea to Shining Sea Guide (because I will also have a 7th grader and a 5th grader).
I will be using Life of Fred because Saxon just doesn't fire a love of math that he used to have before we started it. 
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Martha
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JenniferS
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 6:26pm | IP Logged
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We use CHC, and we tweak it a lot. I think it is very easy to add in you own thing with CHC. That's why I like their plans. We aren't crazy about Saxon Math at all, either.
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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 6:44pm | IP Logged
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Saxon Math's spiral approach doesn't work for us. We've always swapped out math texts. I use mostly CHC materials for my 5th grade dd; we tend to add more than we substitute. We did do ancient Greece and Rome instead of From Sea to Shining Sea this year, to enable us to thoroughly cover U.S. history in grade 7. Also, we tried Latin several years back and did not do well, so both dc are studying German. Dd is trying to start Spanish as well, as she knows that it will be very useful if she decides to become a chef (her current plan). Since Spanish is useful, period, that idea was fine with me.
Basically, we start with CHC, change some subjects or add more materials, and go from there. One of our problems this year is that we've already finished some books (penmanship, history, religion) and I'm struggling to find good extra material this late in the school year.
(Religion ideas - please PM me, or we can start a new thread. We use F&L and I don't want to start next year's book right now; all the books follow the same basic structure and it's best to leave the grade 6 book until fall.)
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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ALmom
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| Posted: March 31 2008 at 7:23pm | IP Logged
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I've always modified heavily regardless of whose plans I use. I've used my version of CHC with mine in 1st, 2nd and 3rd. I don't start my dc in first grade by age but by readiness (in our house that means we've finished vision therapy and are not totally pencil resistant and showing interest in reading). However, I then let the children move at their own pace - so my older first grader is halfway through 2nd - but by age he should have been in 2nd this year.
I use CHC side subjects as a guide for the kinds of things not to forget.
Reading - we've generally done their stuff
Spelling - we do their book (I love the larger primary
print in this one and related sounds/phonics.
Grammar - I have done their stuff but this year
substituted Kolbe grammar workbook. I just
like the way it is organized but wish it had
the larger print like CHC. We use a magnifier
to make it work.
Math - We do Singapore math - whichever book we happen
to be in.
Religion - we almost always follow their religion - but
instead of the activity book, we make
catechism flashcards or read Lovasik books
or do our feast day celebrations or other
hands on.
Science - we looked at this but ended up doing our own
Montessorish science.
Social Studies - we are doing their tour of a continent
sort of but at a slow pace using my
Montessori maps and 3 part cards and
continent boxes.
Handwriting - we've substituted the Kolbe handwriting
mostly due to print size.
Art/PE etc. generally are self directed with the child
choosing from numerous how to draw books
including CHC stuff. I don't stress if we
don't do it on a day it is listed, but
remember to list it when we do actually do
it. With PE, I'm being sneaky and we
are doing some of my nephew's exercises for
developing use of both sides of the body
together. They are actually demanding
pysically and we make a big game out of it.
Having a house full of boys you can imagine
them cross marching to the marine corp
marching cadence that is on encarta. It is
loud and boisterous. Then we have daily
outside breaks - 2 per day - in which there
is always some sort of tag game. Chin up
bars are also used frequently.
music - this child takes violin so that is sort of
built in.
memory gem and character trait - we do this but I cut them out and laminated them. My son picks one character trait to work on. When we feel it has been accomplished, he picks another. Some of the traits are definite habits already and no point focusing on those. We spend more time creating habits on the ones we have trouble with. The memory gem, we pin up and review and when it is learned, we pick the next one. We'll go through these same things for many years.
We did add in some MCP phonics work cause I never got my Montessori reading kit ready in time and my child seemed to benefit from this. We skip pages and just use it as reinforcement and writing practice.
It takes my son about 45 min - 1 hour max to finish these and discuss with me. If you just count the written stuff - it is probably about 20 - 30 minutes.
The rest of the official school hours are spent in doing whatever he wants in the Montessori room - typically math manipulatives, practical life and sensorial plus drawing or science experiments with his brother. This has made huge contributions to fine motor.
So, yep, we certainly do modify and we also add, though not in a stress, my gosh, we've got to cover this or this ... Somewhere in there is a read aloud. It is such a routine in this house that my children would never let me forget.
I do think the note from CHC to not add to the lesson plans is to calm the tendency we have to push for fear of not doing a lot. Whatever you do, it shouldn't feel stressful. I really do believe that CHC has sufficient material to form a good base and there is no need to stress about making sure you add in stuff. I really do love the philosophy that CHC has about keeping things light and making sure you have time in your day to enjoy the outdoors, to play, to do chores, to explore things of interest, etc. I find them an anchor in helping me keep things simple as far as obligatory school. Any thing else that happens is icing on the cake, but if we only get done the stuff on the CHC plans
then we've covered what we need to cover and move on.
My particular child went tons faster in the CHC reading - mostly because he'd begun this the year before we officially started school so we simply kept at it from where we had gotten and kept the pace slow as CHC does so that then when he finished that part of the lesson plans for first, we simply moved into 2nd, again just starting where we left off.
Janet
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Adding to CHC?
