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Misty Forum Pro
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Posted: Aug 21 2012 at 1:28pm | IP Logged
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I have been eyeing this site lately and have never used it. I am thinking for a 1st time high schooler this might be a good place to at least get my feet wet and use a guided approach to see how long and what a typical course looks like. Mainly for history and english/grammar.
So basically I am wondering if any of you use it for high school and what you do or do not like about it.
Thanks
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pmeilaen Forum All-Star
Joined: Sept 07 2008 Location: New York
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Posted: Aug 21 2012 at 10:31pm | IP Logged
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I haven't, but I really like Berquist's book and the Emmanuel book catalog that offers most of her recommendations.
__________________ Eva
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Angel Forum All-Star
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Posted: Aug 22 2012 at 3:46pm | IP Logged
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I use the booklists for history included in the Emmanuel Books catalog, but that's about it. I find I don't need their lesson plans, but I *do* like using many of the same books.
__________________ Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Misty Forum Pro
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Posted: Aug 22 2012 at 7:47pm | IP Logged
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Angel - so did you just copy off the website the book list and read them and do your own studies, essays, etc. for them? Thanks.. I was thinking about this myself.. never have seen a syllabus so didn't know what it really did. We had bought one for science but my kids read faster than they suggest and they never use it.
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4 lads mom Forum All-Star
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Posted: Aug 22 2012 at 8:23pm | IP Logged
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I found MODG’s syllabi helpful for high school, but like Angela says, you can do it on your own timeline using the booklist.....or purchase Laura Berquist’s book, “Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum.” I have a feeling that would be a great book for you to get a “feel” for what this can look like, without committing right away to the entire curriculum. I just didn’t have the time to put it together for my high school kids, at least the first two...but now I am following a much more Charlotte Mason approach. Keep reading Jen’s and everyone else’s suggestions and links. This first year is going to be every bit as much about *your* education along with your precious children. Be comfortable with that...and open to what Our Lady and Our Ever Merciful Lord are leading you to for this year. [
You can do it, Sister!!
__________________ Mom of four brave lads and one sweet lassie
Scenes From This and That
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Misty Forum Pro
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Posted: Aug 23 2012 at 6:47am | IP Logged
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Did you not feel that using MODG's book list and doing your own narration, essays, etc was a CM style of work?
I was thinking that I could easily break down what I want my child to read and then have them write a page narration about it every couple chapters. Have them find words they don't know and use that for vocabulary.
Is this not the same idea? I hope so!
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Angel Forum All-Star
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Posted: Aug 23 2012 at 8:25am | IP Logged
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Misty wrote:
I was thinking that I could easily break down what I want my child to read and then have them write a page narration about it every couple chapters. Have them find words they don't know and use that for vocabulary.
Is this not the same idea? I hope so! |
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Well, sure. Actually, I wouldn't change anything that you do just because your child has turned 13 or 14. Personally I like to use some of the MODG materials and the book 4ladsmom suggested, but I only use them as tools. Learning at our house is pretty fluid; it's our own hybrid of unschooling, classical, and CM. So what I do personally is to look up the MODG booklists that are given in the back of the Emmanuel Books catalog -- the paper version. I like using the hardcopy catalog because I can circle stuff throughout and scribble on it. (Although I have to admit that this year I was using last year's catalog... I never got a paper copy this year. Are they not sending them out anymore? Hmmm.)
The MODG booklists are only one of many lists that I reference when I'm trying to stock our books for the year, though. I also look at lists from many other sources, and I put together a collection of titles that I think my kids will enjoy. (I have a 10th grader and an 8th grader this year, in addition to a bunch of younger kids, and I like to keep us roughly in the same period of history.) My teens then usually choose a book from a shelf or basket, and then we discuss it as they go along (the narrations aren't really formal, but I think they're fruitful). I do like to have them write about the books they're reading as well, but we do that in different ways: assigned topics (I usually give a choice), end of term CM style exams, reading journals or blogs... etc. But this is all sort of a continuation of how we have always done things.
I do own a couple of the MODG syllabi. I have the Earth Science syllabus, because when my ds was in 8th grade I had absolutely no clue about how to put together a high school level science course and he wanted to do something Earth Science-y. (It turned into Paleontology, but that's a whole other story. ) I don't recommend the Earth Science syllabus, btw... there's so much writing in it, and not very much science. If we had followed the syllabus, I'm pretty sure that my ds' head would have exploded. But it was helpful to me to see the kinds of topics MODG covered, using what kind of books and what kind of schedule. From there I had a lot more confidence in what we were doing.
I also have the Natural History syllabus, which I find a convenient place to keep track of natural history titles for my 8th grader, who loves natural history, and also, I do like the description of how to do a natural history project.
But that's just how I use material from MODG. Very loosely. Others on these boards use MODG more extensively. It's all in what fits your family.
__________________ Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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OHmomof2 Forum Newbie
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Posted: Aug 25 2012 at 8:49am | IP Logged
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I personally like using her syllabi. It just makes it easier for me to have all the daily lessons planned out for me already. We are using the 11th grade Bible Study Syllabus, Chemistry Syllabus, Medieval English & Spanish History Syllabus, and the Latin I & II combined Syllabus. If you have any particular questions on those, I can help you out.
Blessings,
Pam
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SallyT Forum All-Star
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Posted: Aug 25 2012 at 7:58pm | IP Logged
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I own both the MODG Ancient/Classical History/Literature syllabus and an older biology syllabus which uses All Creatures Great and Small, Barrons Biology Made Easy, and a good bit of "living" reading (Darwin's Black Box, King Solomon's Ring, Fabre's Insects).
I wound up not really using the history syllabus, because many of the books were ones my first child had read as a middle schooler; I invented my own course based on the idea of integrating history and literature, but with more primary texts/reading we hadn't already done (and I can't remember now off the top of my head what's even on that syllabus . . . I did use bits of it for sure). I loved the idea of that integration of history and lit.
I did use the bio. syllabus somewhat for my first child, who did bio at home. It was all right, as I recall. She did very much like a lot of the reading, though we never did do the insect collection which supposedly began the year.
It was nice, the first time around, to have something to tweak and customize, and the syllabi are nicely laid out. Like Angela, I found them to be immensely useful tools.
Sally
__________________ Castle in the Sea
Abandon Hopefully
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