| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| hereford girl |
Posted - Sep 29 2011 : 08:52:36 AM
My 7th grade daughter and I are looking for a real life/practical english/grammer/writing program for homeschool. We used Saxon last year for 6th grade and started this year with BJU Press. Both are dry dry dry and driving me nuts! My daughters interests lie in science and math, so we are fighting an uphill challenge as it is. I am more concerned with reading and writing than on "count and noncount" nouns (where did all this junk come from? I dont remember any of this from school and I LOVED this subject!) If anyone has any suggestions I would love to correspond with you! Thanks in advance- Meredith |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Lanna |
Posted - Nov 09 2011 : 11:12:47 PM
I'm thinking maybe you're looking for something more Charlotte Mason/living books like? I know my oldest is still years behind your child, but we're grooving on Sonlight. Even if you just scour their booklist and find the ones that sound great to you. There's lots of things you can make connections from in the literature. And they're living books that grab your attention - not some dry Houghton Mifflin thing. We're just doing a ton of reading out loud, listening to audio books in the van while running errands (we got through Wizard of Oz in less than a week that was heavy with errands! and I got to relax and listen as well!), and using All About Spelling right now. I've heard good things about... well darn, now I can't remember the name. Something like Language Lessons or LLATL (Learning Language Arts Through Literature). I've got to get mine reading fluently before I can attack that particular thing, so it's not as solidly on my radar. :) Good luck!
(Oh, and we're starting with Life of Fred in the elementary stages, so far my 8yo and 5yo are loving it and hubby and MIL and I are greatly amused by the storyline.)
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Lanna, homeschooling mama to four little monkeys that still try to jump on the bed |
| Sourceress |
Posted - Oct 19 2011 : 8:41:33 PM
We are currently using Oak Meadow's English/Social Studies curriculum. Officially we are unschoolers, but the boys were mostly sitting on their tushes and not doing anything, and the homeschool monitor in our area just doesn't really grok the whole concept of unschooling, and can't comprehend the idea of kids learning anything without a formal curriculum and someone telling them what to do and how to think all the time. <Sigh> And until the boys get their rears in gear and get start doing enough stuff for me to justify not using a curriculum, that's just how it's going to be. One of the things I really like about Oak Meadow, though, is that it combines social studies (history, etc.) with the grammar and writing, so you're reading historical novels, for instance, and then writing about the period of history you're studying.
If your daughter really enjoys math, check out http://www.k-state.edu/smartbooks/ - I haven't had an opportunity to really browse it in detail yet, but it's basically a site that uses literature to introduce mathematical concepts to kids. I also really like the Life of Fred series (another math curriculum that uses storytelling to introduce math in a real-world context), and I'm planning to get some of the books as soon as our budget permits.
In addition to Oak Meadow, one of my favorite ways to do basic grammar (parts of speech) with the boys is Mad Libs. In order to play Mad Libs, you have to know what nouns and verbs and adjectives and adverbs are, and it's a great way to get the repetition needed to reinforce the lesson without being boring or repetitive. There are dozens of Mad Libs books on the market now (check your local bookstore; Michael's and AJ Moore also carry them), on any topic imaginable. Corwyn and Galen love Mad Libs, and generally end up laughing hysterically when I read the final "story".
Also, for older kids (not sure if your daughter is ready for it or not, you know her best), I *love* the book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: the Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation" by Lynn Truss. In addition to being really funny and entertaining, I actually learned a lot about punctuation that I never learned in school, including the proper use of semicolons.
Another good source for some wonderful basic grammar cartoons that can be read online or purchased as a poster set (I want to get the posters, again when money permits..) is The Oatmeal: http://theoatmeal.com/tag/grammar
A site my boys and I loved was the "Badass of the Week" site, at http://badassoftheweek.com/list.html. It covers mostly historical figures, with some fictional characters thrown in as well. Fair warning, though - as befits a site that covers the sorts of folks this site covers, the language tends to be a bit salty at times, and they don't pull punches in terms of describing the sorts of things these people did that got them on the Badass List in the first place. (We're talking about people like Caligula and Vlad the Impaler...folks like that, and not all of them are male, either.) If you have older boys(or girls!) who think that history is dull and boring and not nearly as interesting as the video game or action movie du jour, you might give this one a shot. Otoh, if you get bothered easily by salty language and frank descriptions of over-the-top violence and brutality, give this one a pass. This is definitely the kind of site where Your Mileage May Vary.
Anyway, I hope there's something useful for you in there. Good luck!
P.S. Natesgirl/Angela: We have a book called "Science Experiments You Can Eat" by Vicki Cobb and David Cain that teaches basic science concepts using stuff found in your kitchen, and most of the experiments can be eaten when you're done. Sounds like your daughter might really enjoy it. And for those who are just really hardcore, there's always "On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen" by Harold McGee, which goes into a lot of detail about the physical and chemical processes that take place in different kinds of food production. It's very hard science, and is written for adults, so it may be a bit over your daughter's head, but if she's really keen on the subject, it might be worth a look. My dad sent me my copy when I was in college, and I found it fascinating, even if I never managed to get all the way through it. I believe it's used as a textbook in college-level food science and nutrition programs.
Lis
*the Sourceress*
pagan unschooling mama to
Corwyn (4/99)
and Galen (5/01)
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| hsmommel |
Posted - Oct 06 2011 : 5:09:20 PM
I have to agree with Angela (TrueBlueFarmbgirl) here. I use a similar approach with my boys and it is amazing how responsive they are to this method. The internet and real, wholesome books are incredible resources that spark creativity.
"What you do speaks so loudly I can't hear what you are saying." -- Benjamin Franklin |
| sonshine4u |
Posted - Oct 04 2011 : 04:36:08 AM
You are most welcome! :)
Playing in the Sonshine
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| hereford girl |
Posted - Sep 30 2011 : 6:37:40 PM
Thank you all so much- I was really feeling stuck but you all have given me hope! I appreciate all of your responses- the homeschool "family" is so supportive! I am going to give all of the above time and consideration. Bless you all!-Meredith |
| Tall Holly |
Posted - Sep 30 2011 : 5:24:07 PM
I have this year just started with two of my children with the Teaching Writing: Structure and Style. It is a DVD set for the parent with a notebook of instruction for the parent. It teaches how to write using your other subjects. It is a costly program but can be used for the rest of her HS years because it teaches how to write. So, your daughter could use it to write about the science that she loves. I understand there is a website.
I have used grammar books and some other writing books but this is the first to use other subjects to learn to write. So, it is only as boring as what a child likes to learn.
Holly
farmgirl #2499
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| sonshine4u |
Posted - Sep 30 2011 : 4:46:51 PM
We are using Rod and Staff. It's a very solid grammar program. I'm thankful for it. It's not bad in price either.
Playing in the Sonshine
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| Lieberkim |
Posted - Sep 30 2011 : 11:52:26 AM
My children aren't that far yet, much younger but I love Abeka. Predominately I use Abeka but then I add in things that the children are interested in or that I think might be fun. There's also a Laura Ingalls curriculum that uses the Little House books. Supposed to be really good. Hope you find what's right for your family. :)
Excuse the mess & the noise, my children are making happy memories |
| natesgirl |
Posted - Sep 30 2011 : 11:06:07 AM
We are doing everything 'real life' by using real life things.
I use cookbooks and grocery flyers and such since my DD is only interested in cooking and kitchen things. This is also how we do math, spelling by making the shopping lists, and science such as 'science of yeast' and things.
I have found the internet to be a better creator of curriculum than any premade stuff. I simply find or make my own things.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| hereford girl |
Posted - Sep 29 2011 : 4:46:45 PM
thanks Kathy! I will take a look! |
| KathyC |
Posted - Sep 29 2011 : 1:12:56 PM
Meredith,
My daughter is almost 30 now so it has been a long time since we schooled but she loved Jensen Grammar. You can check it out here
http://www.jsgrammar.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Kathy |
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