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time4tea
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| Posted: Feb 08 2006 at 8:47am | IP Logged
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Hi Everyone!
Just venting here a bit at first, but would love to hear everyone advice.
Our oldest child is a boy who will be thirteen in only a couple of weeks now. He is in 7th Grade. Personally, I prefer a bit looser style of homeschooling, but after having a heart to heart discussion with ds yesterday, he told me flat out that he prefers a "workbook" style of education where he can just have his books and work on his own. Now what do I do? We had planned to have him do some Teacher directed courses with MODG next year, but in his opinion, he finds the poetry recitation and what he calls "touchy-feeliness" of MODG (and I would assume other similar curricula) annoying. I know some of the rest of you have gone through this with your students. What did you all finally end up doing? If you ended up using a traditional program, which one did you choose and why? Is it working out well for you?
Thanks so much in advance and God bless!
~Tea
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Bridget
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My 7th grade boy has expressed pretty much the same thoughts! Must be the age. He does not like questions that involve the emotions or intuition. He wants 'just the facts'.
I plan to take him to our hs'ing conference and let him look at the books from Seton and CHC and let him pick. Either the whole curriculum or piece together the materials that appeal to him.
He is a heavy reader and loves history, science and has a budding interest in government. So lots of literature is a given.
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God Bless,
Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
Our Magnum Opus
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BrendaPeter
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Hi Tea,
My 2 oldest boys (5th & 7th) are the same. We do a fair share of memorizing poetry but I think it's just because that's what they've gotten used to. The poetry goes over very well when it's something they like, for instance "Paul Revere's Ride" or "Casey at Bat". "The Harp & Laurel Wreath" has a nice selection of "masculine" poems for this age group.
I ended up signing both boys up for Kolbe next year for a couple of reasons. They've been learning latin for awhile & I would like them to stick with it. Also my eldest son loves science & I'm not a big fan of Seton's science books. Kolbe will be using some new ones published by Harcourt. I also like the thought-provoking topics that Kolbe suggests for writing assignments.
If you do consider Kolbe, I would highly recommend reading their booklet Implemention of Ignation Education in the Home. I have found it very helpful.
HTH!
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Blessings,
Brenda (mom to 6)
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ALmom
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| Posted: Feb 08 2006 at 2:14pm | IP Logged
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We use Kolbe - although we are totally not pure classical. My dc haven't even learned Latin. But Kolbe is so flexible with you if you want flexibility yet you can hand dc a courseplan if that is what they want. The questions are all very thought provoking - but all related to the content. We haven't found anything touchy-feely here, but neither have we found a regurgitate from the book variety. I have been pleased with their science (I am not the best judge of science but our dc are finally learning something!)
They are now going to be offering a grading service - they will look at any compositions and it is not restricted to their course plan assignments. I am not sure if they will grade everything or some set number but I am looking forward to that. I have been on the e-mail back and forth with a counselor all weak modifying the history plans for our 8th graders high school years. They were very, very helpful.
Here's my take on the workbook style education - If dc likes it that way, then it frees you up to be a totally unstressed out strewer!! Aren't we sneaky parents  .
Janet
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Feb 09 2006 at 2:15pm | IP Logged
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Dear Tea,
Several months ago, I posted on this very same forum, the following, under the heading "Please help me to understand my ds" or something like that:
*************************************
He just turned 12. He's not troubled or depressed or anything like that. I just don't understand him!
Two months ago he said he wanted to go to PS. We had lots of long talks which culminated in a job on Fri. afternoons and more classes with the coop. When he was complaining recently about one of those classes, I said, "But this is what you said you wanted." He actually said, "What conversation about public school?"
In a previous thread here I shared how he was so disappointed to not be able to attend Conquest. After one meeting, he says its boring now, and doesn't seem to want to go.
Today we had a talk about school. He tells me he could care less about me reading aloud or doing any of the interactive or CMish things we do. Can he please just have a list to do completely independently so he can just do it and be done. I'm thinking now, "Well heck, why don't I just sign him up for Seton then and call it good!" Then again, he may change his mind in two weeks and not remember telling me that in the first place!!! I'm so frustrated I could just scream.
I honestly don't mind if he wants to learn more independently and traditionally. As long as he is learning and is happy, thats all that matters to me. I just don't know if its what he really wants since he keeps changing his mind.
He's not a big talker when it comes to feelings and things like that. He's naturally a fairly private person. I sometimes wonder if he has a clue what he is even communicating to me...maybe he is saying one thing but meaning another? Or maybe he's just changing his mind?
Sigh...Please tell me middle school aged boys are just weird like this and I'm not the only one???
******************************
I thought it might make you  to see that you aren't the only one who's ds is saying stuff like this. I for one am glad you posted so that I know I am not the only one, either! Oh, and before I forget, I also asked about traditional high school hs programs on another thread that might help you, too (I think both threads are on page 2 now).
I've been fooling around with different stuff for my ds who *hates* memorizing or even reading poetry. He'd rather eat dirty socks, I am sure! 
I made more of his schoolwork independent, and combined subjects as much as possible. He likes that. Sometimes he even gets up early to get it done and is done with school by 10 am. Freedom, I've realized, is huge to him. He wants to just "get it over with" as painlessly as possible. If its not too fussy, he won't complain about it.
Coop classes have been a huge hit with him. He seems to like seeing other kids in a learning environment and he likes the bit of competition it provides. I make sure the teachers are good ones though (I made a mistake in the Fall with a teacher who had a very different style and it was a total bomb). I also let him take non academic classes (this quarter, art, guitar and gym) because this provides opportunities to make friends and to just have fun.
While poetry a la MODG is a bomb, the occasional assignment to discuss song lyrics (modern poetry if you pick the right songs) seems to be going much better. We discuss them thoroughly first, because he is just not thinking very deeply these days, without a lot of encouragement.
I changed out our history to a traditional format...read the texts, answer the questions, take the test (along with lots of good literature to fill in the gaps). He doesn't always do well on the tests (he's still learning to process the information and pick out what is most important to remember), but he is much happier with this than with the unit study stuff I was planning before.
As for high school, I am going to continue providing a variety of different experiences over the next couple of years to see what he likes. I may sign him up for a single class or two with Seton to see how he responds to that. I'm hoping that I'll have a better idea of how he really learns best by the time I have to keep a transcript.
One thing I have noticed is that while he is happier with the traditional methods, sometimes I think he is doing the "short term memory/regurgitate and forget it" thing. I recognize it because I did a lot of that in high school myself.  Next year, the history tests will be dropped in favor of short summaries of the time periods, along with a research format rather than a text format (CHC's 7th and 8th grade plans but without the Anne Carroll texts).
Hope this helps. If nothing else, I feel your pain...
~Books
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Erin
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Well I have a girl and she also is not into feely stuff. This is why I have just had to ditch Lingua Mater, it was too feely for her. 
After planning for hours for her seventh grade this year we have just thrown it all out the window. After only two weeks. My trouble is we are raising independent children, we want them to be this way I guess I shouldn't be too surprised when they are.
So with dd I know following a set thing like Seton would not work. But she does want to work independently and not be waiting for the boys. We have had a long talk and given her more control over the direction of what she does. She has picked what subjects wants to do, she has chosen maths, spelling, copywork and dictation. And then she has her 'readings' I help her select, she can reject but has to settle on something. One book follows her current interest and the other, my suggestion to 'broaden her horizons'. Already this week she has read a living book on otters and GA Henty's book In Freedom's Cause on Wallace and Bruce. I'm happy, she is happy, as long as she is productive whether its academics or creative arts I'm realising she is learning.
Tea, I really can emphathise, finding the right fit for your child is tough. I'm interested to know how you go. Good luck.
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Erin
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time4tea
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Everyone,
Thank you all for your posts! It does help to know that I am not alone in this situation. We have been enrolled with Kolbe this year, but I had our son substituting many of the Kolbe selections with more CM type materials, such as Lingua Mater (Erin, he also does not care for this book!). He wants to do pretty much straightforward type work - a "just the facts, ma'am" kind of guy I guess. Actually, I must confess that I have known these things about my son for awhile. We had actually been enrolled with Seton once before, and although the workload was quite heavy, he actually liked the structure of the program and did well with it. I however, did not like it so much for the reasons one of you mentioned above - I felt as if he was just memorizing and re-gurgitating information, and that drove me nuts! Maybe for next year, we shold just follow all of the Kolbe suggestions as laid out in their catalog. Then, he can follow the lesson plans and have that "order" and straightforwardness that he seems to be craving. I'm just not sure how exactly to get through the next 2 quarters - we are currently 2 weeks into the 3rd Quarter, and I hate to ditch materials now and switch things around......
God bless
~Tea
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BrendaPeter
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time4tea wrote:
| We had actually been enrolled with Seton once before, and although the workload was quite heavy, he actually liked the structure of the program and did well with it. I however, did not like it so much for the reasons one of you mentioned above - I felt as if he was just memorizing and re-gurgitating information, and that drove me nuts! |
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Hi Tea,
There's the danger of that happening with any boxed curriculum. There does seem to be more of a push for that type of "learning" when there are large quantities of material to be "shovelled in".
"Implementation of the Ignatian Education in the Home" says something like "to forego repetition (which is really testing the student (written, orally, whatever) to determine comprehension) in the attempt to cover more material is to MISUNDERSTAND education." As the primary educator, we have to be aware of the pitfalls.
I think it was Elizabeth who one time wrote something about not being a slave to the curriculum. That's when burnout occurs. The curriculum needs to fit into our lives - not the other way around.
time4tea wrote:
| Maybe for next year, we shold just follow all of the Kolbe suggestions as laid out in their catalog. Then, he can follow the lesson plans and have that "order" and straightforwardness that he seems to be craving. |
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We're planning to do the same. Maybe we can touch base & see how it's going at some point in the future!
time4tea wrote:
| I'm just not sure how exactly to get through the next 2 quarters - we are currently 2 weeks into the 3rd Quarter, and I hate to ditch materials now and switch things around...... |
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I know. You may have to ditch a few things, but maybe keep a few things? I was planning on substituting some of the things I like into the Kolbe syllabus. Just yesterday, the syllabi arrived in the mail. I was so impressed, particularly with their tests, that I decided to just use it as is for the next year. We'll just have to see how the year goes!
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Blessings,
Brenda (mom to 6)
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lapazfarm
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Tea,
Just my two cents.
You say your ds prefers a "just the facts" kind of curriculum. You, however, dislike the memorize and regurgitate methods.It sounds more like a learning styles vs preferred teaching styles controversy to me. I am not sure you can both get what you want out of any curriculum when you look at it in this light.
"Just the facts" curriculums are pretty much by definition memorize and regurgitate. Real learning methods are by definition messy.
Your son wants one thing while you want another.  Maybe it will be most productive if you two come to some sort of compromise on methods before you move on to which curriculum to use?
Perhaps you can use a "just the facts" curriculum to appease ds, but you can appease your own doubts by having frequent conversations about what he is learning. it is one good way to assess whether ds is indeed learning, or just spitting it all back out. And if he is indeed learning, then why worry that the method is not one that would appeal to you? At 13 I'm sure he will give you lots of other things to worry about! Perhaps you have other children with learning styles more like your own? 
Just my thoughts, for what they are worth.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Bookswithtea
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Theresa--
If I could find a way to make sure that my ds was learning well with a traditional method, I think I'd be ok with that. I mean, it sure is easier than strewing! lol The problem is, the regurgitate approach lends itself well to talking about it while you are studying it. I'd have to ask him what he remembered 2 months after we had moved on to know if the info. went into long term or short term memory. I'm not sure I could keep track of remembering to ask about it at the right times!
Here's a question about history for you....how much retention is it reasonable to expect from a jr. high aged child?
Tea--
I'd be interested in hearing more about how your ds responded to Seton. I've heard the workload is tremendous, but you say he kind of liked it. How did you make it work for your family?
~Books
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time4tea
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Books,
Yes the workload was pretty heavy, assuming you actually complete everything in the lesson plans. That said, my son often did complete pretty nearly everything in the lesson plans, sometimes working on the assigments methodically until supper time. He liked having everything stacked up in front of him, working through one text at a time until he was finished. As for me, I prefer a bit "meesier" stlye of learning, but as someone mentioned above, it is probably far better to let a child go with what they like - esp. a 13 year old, who needs to begin making those kinds of decisions anyway.
One thing that was mentioned was how much can we expect a jr. high school aged child to remember. That is a very intriguing question for me! Could it be that in general, we expect too much retention of information? I don't know, but I will look forward to hearing others' thoughts on this.
Blessings,
~Tea
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lapazfarm
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Bookswithtea wrote:
Here's a question about history for you....how much retention is it reasonable to expect from a jr. high aged child?
~Books |
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Yea, thats the million dollar question, isn't it?
I wish I knew. I think it really varies from child to child and depends on the goals you have for his education.
Do you want him to have a storehouse of facts available for instant recall?
Or do you just want him to have an appreciation and love for the flow and drama that is history?
Or do we strive for something somewhere in between?
Excellent question.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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time4tea
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Books,
I forgot to answer the last part of your question - essentially, ds would get his books out in the morning, sorted by subject, and go from there. It was pretty straightforward for him, the way he likes it. I missed having the back and forth discourse with him, though, that you get in a more CM style of education, where that dialogue is almost constant. Again as mentioned in another post above, maybe when using a boxed curriculum you just need to work harder to actively build that dialogue in that seems to come more naturally in more CM-style educational methods. I was just thinking to myself last night that it is certainly preferable to having my son at home with us - boxed curriculum or not - to sending him back to ps.
Blessings,
~Tea
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ALmom
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If your son is persistent at the regurgitate and forget and can get through a Seton type curriculum rather quickly, then how easy would it be to have real books strewn about (or movies, CDs, tapes,etc.) that might re-inforce or give a different point of view? This seems to be how other folks with Seton handle some of its deficiencies (every method has something they don't do as well - if you go with Kolbe as laid out, you lose an overview, with Seton you don't dig as deep and rarely think about what you are doing, etc.) So whatever canned curriculum you use, be honest with yourself and each other about the deficiencies - that is half the battle. Then you can attempt to address it.
Since going with curriculum plans, I really do find myself able to strew more easily - and it is more well received because neither of us has the intensity of the pressure that we felt when I was trying to design from scratch. I still do a lot of designing of my own with Kolbe but dd perceives that I am talking to "experts" and they help me be more confident which makes dd more confident. I tend to go with paper assignments from Kolbe because they are thought provoking, clearly phrased and Kolbe provides me with a list of expected things that should be touched on. When I gave assignments, I didn't do a good job, was not great at asking a question that would inspire, etc. DD responds better to this and is happier. There are plenty of other things we do more informally with no "assignments".
We just are freed to have fun with all the extras. This happens as long as whatever you use doesn't stress them out so badly that they never have time to pursue anything else. You can always strew on stuff related to materials he has covered in the past.
With my oldest I kept pinning her down to specifics about what she didn't like. Her biggest complaint was that she wanted to know more clearly exactly what was expected. Her criticisms - when the real problem finally came out - were dead right. That had been my biggest downfall. We thought we wanted a particular program because we thought that all that would be laid out so perfectly - then we found that it wasn't always clear what was expected and she got real frustrated again along with some of the complaints about not being able to think for herself. We had to look again for something that would help me provide what she really needed. It took a little while to figure out what she really needed and then to find something that would work for us considering both the needs and my limitations.
Sometimes we found dc having angst, saying something and then finding out that the complaint wasn't the real complaint. But they weren't trying to mislead us - they simply knew something wasn't working for them and then were trying to quess what it was. It was up to me to really talk to them to help them figure out the REAL problem. Our dd said she wanted to go to a real school - that really wasn't what she wanted but what was it about the real school that she liked - assignments were clear, there was a set start and stop time, there was the opportunity to share/discuss ideas or hear other ideas and the teacher wasn't endlessly coming up with new things to do when you worked hard and got done early. Mind you this may not at all be what happens in a real school - but it was my dd perception. It gave me some clues as to some of the things at home that were annoying her.
So don't be totally surprised by what seems to be contradictions. What was it that he thought was going to be available in ps? What is it exactly that he doesn't like? What did he like at home/school? What did he hate at home/school? You don't necessarily want to have a 100 quiz session (they tend to freeze up then especially if they really don't know yet themselves) - but kind of take mental notes of the things they are saying - like a detective and try to see if there is some pattern. Then when you think you see a pattern, you ask a specific question the next time it comes up - it will be a natural sort of conversation starter - then sit back and listen again. You'll probably be confused again but again take mental note and ponder it along with everything else. Eventually, you will both figure it out. My dc would need the time to ponder the newest question - it helped them fine tune their own awareness without putting them totally on the spot.
It's all a very humbling venture. If you go with a plan, just remember that you are still in charge and make it work for you without becoming a slave to the system. Pray to dc guardian angels, etc.
I'm sure you are doing all of this and probably its just being in the middle of that so confusing time. Don't feel like choosing a curriculum means you have to give up some of the things you really value in education - you just may have to step outside the box a bit and find a different way to achieve it. Some folks find Seton's memorize and forget very freeing - because they can play the game in short order, feel like they have a recognizable transcript - and then have totally stress free time to really learn. Some dc have done quite well with this. Is it really important that he retain every detail about history from the ancients through WWII. Seton's World History course basically means you memorize the text. If that is a game for your ds and doesn't stress him - well he has some memory practice. It is impossible to really learn history that way - but by the end you do have a general overview in your mind. Then you can read on areas that you want - there will be some vague, general overview to tag what you read and make some connections. So strew great books that might be appealing to ds or visit a battlefield or ....
Hope this helps some.
Janet
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Bookswithtea
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Harumph. Preteens are confusing. I can't speak yet about teens, but believe me, I'm scared!
If I could make a guess at what my ds wants, it would be very very clear instructions, no deep essay questions (he'd much rather do straight reading comprehension...he's only 12...maybe I shouldn't expect him to be able to dig deep on a subject yet???), simply laid out assignments that are easy to understand so that he can work through it without confusion and with minimal help from me...and as much time as possible to have free time.
I don't care if my ds can remember every little fact about the Stamp Act. But if he can remember that it precipitated trouble in Boston and was a big moment moving toward the Revolution, then I'm happy. If he can remember that Greece came before Rome, and that St. Benedict came before Francis of Assisi, that's good. I think its essential that he understands that the Catholic Church is responsible for the good things in the Enlightenment rather than opposed to it. And that if he doesn't understand how Hitler came to power, then he can't understand why Saddam Hussein was a real concern that couldn't be ignored. I'd like him to know that the Pilgrims weren't first in Nth America, and that they had some goofy ideas! lol I'd like him to know that the Civil War wasn't just about slavery, and that Southern loyalty to the Democratic party began with Republican Carpetbaggers.
Sigh...can you tell *I* like history? Am I expecting too much? I think he could care less, though...
~Books
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ALmom
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Well, I'll give you a good laugh. When oldest dd was your son's age, I went into panic mode when she could not distinguish Martin Luther from Martin Luther King Jr. I knew she was in trouble with history.  She did the memorize and forget routine with Seton in 10th grade. We went with it because dd wanted structure and clear assignments. I felt that she had retained nothing from our freer approach - and strewing, well she never picked anything up. I thought a very systematic history might help and at least we'd stay with something long enough. Generally her mode was to do what was absolutely required and as soon as she was done with whatever was required - then she wanted her time for music practice. She tended to minimize work in areas that paniced her. She certainly wasn't interested in reading.
Seton drove me nuts because I saw the regurgitate and forget. But really what it was was that it wasn't a good fit after all. I saw some sort of stress. Neither of us could quite pin our finger on it at first - there were some things we really liked. But neither of us felt free to formulate our own opinion about things and we both resisted that like trapped animals. (I'm not saying this is necessarily Seton - just the way our personalities reacted). We wanted more flexibility but I still wanted someone else to give feedback and grade some assignments and give us at least a sample of questions to ask, tests, etc. It is my nature to flounder indecisively when confronted with a world of choices. However, when I have the plans and the freedom to do what I want with them, I suddenly know exactly what we need to do to make it work. I say I use Kolbe - other Kolbe folks might not even recognize
what we do.
However, this same dd is still a lot less knowledgeable in history and science than I had hoped. She is quite capapble of learning both. She learns better auditorily and will have to take at least 1 Western Civ course in college. This summer she may be reading easy reading picture books to younger dc - history ones. (Sneaky mom ) and she is already listening to 11 yo brothers excited telling of history as we chat around the table. She won't have the grasp of history that I wanted her to when she graduates, but she will have had enough exposure to begin to fill in the gaps herself.
The Seton course was not wasted, either. She at least has name recognition. Right now some of it is - Oh that is the guy that was on the top of page 3 on my study guide. But because she has heard the name once, she does remember next time if I fill in one tidbit like what time period he was associated with. This generally comes out when she is reading some literature for something else - or there is a movie and she recognizes a name and announces her recognition. I usually ask her if she knows the century - a tidbit about why he was important, etc. and then she will typically laugh and tell me exactly what page of a study guide he was on - either I or her 11 yo brother then give her a tidbit or two. She generally doesn't forget this so the next time around she knows a little more. She never confuses Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr anymore.
Sure, I wish I had known more about strewing easy reading history books around when she was younger (that is how ds caught the history bug). I wish I'd known more about what would have worked. I wish I had even known how passionate she was about music and where to go for history resources with a music tie in - but I didn't. I wish I'd known and could do all the wonderful things moms on this board share. I am learning a bit at a time. But when we started a lot of this wasn't available, I was stressed just trying to figure out why dc didn't flourish in the way the Colifaxes and the other books described. I didn't want memorize and forget - but when nothing else seemed to grab this child, I didn't know what else to do. It took a while to find what did fit and by then she was almost out of high school. But it is easier the second time around - with dd2, not because the child is the same but because I have tried so many different things and made so many mistakes already - there aren't too many more to make.
The good news is that despite wrong turns, God writes straight with what we have attempted. I have done the very best I could and I am sure you are as well.
This year I told dd1 she had to write a history research paper in order to graduate. (Terrible pressure, I know - but we dropped it from last year to de-stress with the promise that she would work starting at the beginning of the year on this one thing at least and do her very best). I didn't specify topic and she went back and forth for a while. Well, she mentioned various things and these were all fine - but somehow I knew she was looking for the easiest way to be done with this distasteful task and her heart was far from the subject at hand. She even got that paniced look that means she is in danger of totally freezing. I explained why I really needed her to do this (in her best interest - but she could pick any history related topic - it didn't have to be in our current plan of study, I reminded her. I had also shared a bunch with her in casual conversation how I always picked research papers in college based on my interest and what the professor wasn't the resident expert on). Well in an aah hah moment, she decided to do her paper on something I knew nothing about - the influence of history on music. She has learned more about Industrialization, the Enlightenment, and on and on. She is talking about music patrons and technology and on and on - every night at the supper table. She is beginning to like this - even said she really liked music history and wouldn't it be funny if she added a music history major to her college plans. I could not have assigned this topic and had the same effect - and it might have been a bust even a year ago. Right now it is working.
You will find the way for your dc eventually. But boy sometimes when you are in the middle of the search, you wish someone could just bop you both on the head and say - Do it like this and all will be perfect. Problem is, nothing is ever perfect and we are continually seeing where we have failed or something isn't quite working and trying to change this for the better  - but sometimes it is helpful to stop and ponder what we have managed to actually accomplish. That really, really helps a lot.
Janet
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BrendaPeter
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ALmom wrote:
However, this same dd is still a lot less knowledgeable in history and science than I had hoped. This summer she may be reading easy reading picture books to younger dc - history ones. (Sneaky mom ) |
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Hi Janet,
Very beautiful post. Just wanted to mention (since my oldest is auditory too) we listen to alot of books on tape & for history, my dc love the Susan Wise Bauer "Story of the World" audiotapes. You can fill in the Catholic gaps/errors with Anne Carroll's history cds available from Seton School.
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Blessings,
Brenda (mom to 6)
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ALmom
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I wish the Anne Carrol CDs had been available when we did the Seton year. Unfortunately, Anne Carrol is the one history source this dd will probably never touch - she despises it. My dd2 on the other hand, has had fun reading it - and tons of other history source. Her comment is that Mrs. Carrol gets a bit annoying sometimes and leaves out a lot of stuff (like almost nothing on the American Indians).
I really do like your idea of finding good audiotapes. I look into the other ones you mentioned - but does anyone know of any audios, movies, tapes that are really balanced?
Janet
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Bookswithtea
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BrendaPeter wrote:
| Just wanted to mention (since my oldest is auditory too) we listen to alot of books on tape & for history, my dc love the Susan Wise Bauer "Story of the World" audiotapes. You can fill in the Catholic gaps/errors with Anne Carroll's history cds available from Seton School. |
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I was just looking at these from the link you shared (thanks!). I was wondering, are these 8th-ish grade material or 10th-ish grade material. They look good, and I have heard she is a great lecturer.
~Books
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BrendaPeter
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Bookswithtea wrote:
I was just looking at these from the link you shared (thanks!). I was wondering, are these 8th-ish grade material or 10th-ish grade material. They look good, and I have heard she is a great lecturer.
~Books |
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Hi Books,
Our family loves the Anne Carroll cds (especially my dh!). I would say they're geared for 8th grade but our 4th & 6th graders are as riveted as mom & dad. Compared to her books (which I do like), I find that her lectures are extremely easy to understand. We've only listened to 4 of them so far, but there hasn't been anything I would consider inappropriate for the little kids to hear.
Another series that we really enjoy & have learned much from are the Regina Martyrdom tapes. Unfortunately they're only available as cassette tapes. The quality is not the best & sometimes they're downright "hokey" but we love them! Besides learning a great deal about the saints, the tapes give you a sense of history of the time period in which the saint lived. Our favorites are the ones on St. Dominic Savio, St. Anthony Mary Claret, St. Margaret Clitherow, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Francis Cabrini, St. Joseph Moscati, The Story of Tobias, In this Sign You Shall Conquer (Constantine & St. Helena) and The Apostle of the Master (St. Jude).
Janet asked if there's anything available that presents a "balanced" view of history. I'm not sure there is. I find that with "The Story of the World", the Anne Carroll cds, and the Regina Martyrdom tape & appropriate living books ("On to Oregon" for example), we're managing to to get a sense of history.
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Blessings,
Brenda (mom to 6)
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: Now What?!
