I was tossing around the idea of BJU grammar and writing but way to pricey for this year. So I just bought easy Grammar Plus and we are still using Jump In Writing. I like to do custom literature stuff because I need to hold his interest, so we will read a few fun books in the beginning like The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel and then move on to the darker stuff...LOL..dystopia ala 1984, I am the Cheese (which we were suppossed to do this year), The Giver, and maybe finsih up with The Outsiders and Lord of the Flies.
I was looking at the easy grammar plus one but it just looked uninviting to me. I need clear type and easy to understand stuff.. for me! Ds said yesterday when I asked his ideas, "mom I don't know why you show me all these things, I will do whatever work you get for me anyway." don't ya just love it! Good Job me1 ha!
Both ds and dh say this...well sort of, you know, "whatever you decide, honey/mom, is fine with me." nice, but not terribly helpful. I asked dh if I pulled up the science I was looking at if he would give me his opinion...sure! but when I do he loses interest at option one..."that looks great honey, do that one." ugh. "but you haven't seen anything else." I really wanted his opinion on the LA...but his eyes glaze over, and he just made jokes about Riki tiki tavi. So fine...I am just gonna pick.
YAY, go Jackie! And you love it, right?! I did really well with the 4th grade book, but started getting a bit mixed up in the 5th grade book, and had a hard time in the 6th grade book. I need more review! TMom, the R&S Teacher books are SOOOOO helpful! They lay everything out clearly. They also have a little review thing for each day that helps with recall and cementing the grammar in their heads! We ended up doing most of it orally. The worksheets were rarely used--only when they had a problem with a certain area. Then we'd slow down, re-study and use the worksheet for extra practice.
I know that Lightning Lit 7 has Rik Tiki Tavi. dd did that this year. Regarding the BJU--It is most likely a very thorough program. I've heard R&S and BJU compared and both get high grades. I have not used BJU, so I can't comment. I just know I LOVE the teacher books with R&S. Interestingly enough, however, ds15 wanted something different for English next year. So we ended up with BJU. I got the whole set used for $55, so it was worth a try. I just received it, but haven't had a chance to look through it yet. I probably really won't be able to form an opinion on it until we get going in it. All that said, TMom, what your ds said (cute!) is true--there really are certain curriculum choices that go better with certain learning styles, but after awhile you just have to stop agonizing and get something. Then you work to make it work. Not with force, but with ways that meet your ds's needs. It's very possible that no matter which of these Engllish/Grammar curriculums you choose, he will do just as well, as long as you and he are willing to work it to a way that meets his needs, and push through tough spots together! So I say, at this point, pick one and work with it! It'll feel sooo good to make that final choice! If, after giving it a really good go, it doesn't work, there are MANY places you could sell it to another homeschooler that DOES want/need that one!
My 8th grader is taking an online English class with The Potter's School, but last year he used Rod & Staff, and his brother used that in 7th & 8th for grammar. We also used Teaching the Classics for literature (can be used with any book) and IEW for writing. Ds#1 used Veritas Press' Omnibus I for literature in 7th grade, but I don't recommend that at such a young age.
okay I am looking at the one that is english 7 in the title, of the Rod and Staff.. may go with it, the set is only 46 so not so bad.. BJU kit is 95, but it has workbook and teacher books in those... and that is for the lit one, and if I choose to do Vocab instead, plus the spelling? See why I am so lost? HAAH< I still realy likehow voyages in english looks too so I may have dh look them over and see what he thinks too... since I like all threee! WA!
Deena what level bju are you doing? my ds did it for 9-11th grades thats where I got the idea of using it too... I really liked how it improved his writing and vocab work was super!
Alegnacb, tell me about Teaching The Classics! What grade is that good for? Is it literature by itself? Welcome, btw. I don't believe we've "met" yet!
I tried looking at the classics one but couldn't figure what link it would be.. do you have a link for that one? I figured out why I am having such a hard time deciding, btw, I want it to be perfect. Its a bad trait in me to try to do the best all the time instead of just choosing either of these cause they all would work for us, so I talked it through with hubby. He just listened and nodded a lot Lol. He is good for letting me choose things, doesnt understand why its such a difficult task for me, but I explained why its troubling me, and all. I want one that I can teach with out too much effort, even the areas I have problems with, but don't want a complicated teacher book either. I want one that says, __ This is what you do___ now do it! kwim? Easy to teach, plain and simple. I want to have kids with smart brains even if I feel like I am learning somethings along with them (diagraming was not that detailed in my days) and know what I am teachign well enough to teach it?
I would have put a link for Teaching the Classics, but I can't post links yet. It's by Center for Lit, so if you search those two terms at the same time, TTC should be the first thing that comes up. Teaching the Classics is for any age and grade. It is written to be used with any book, so there's no answer key and the teacher has to read the book that's being studied. TTC uses the Socratic method of teaching literature -- i.e. asking questions. This is a blurb from the website: "A syllabus notebook accompanying the course contains everything a teacher needs to conduct powerful literary discussions, including our exclusive Socratic List, a set of 178 graded discussion questions applicable to any book on your reading list." The questions are in groups, and the questions in each group get progressively harder, so you would only use the first few questions in a group with young kids, but with older, experience students, you'd use the harder questions that require a lot of thinking. If you decided to get TTC, you would definitely want the syllabus, but the DVD set is optional (and expensive). If you feel you need more help after watching the DVD and trying to use the syllabus, there are a few book-specific guides that can be purchased and downloaded. The author also offers three classic literature classes on DVD. I haven't used TTC enough, mostly because I signed my oldest two kids up for online classes. I too often don't get around to using it with my younger two kids. Thanks for the welcome. :angel:
Well, no and yes. The questions are in the syllabus, but you'd have to decide which ones to use (I tend to do this at the spur of the moment, since I'm not a planner). You'd have to read the book to know whether your student was understanding the book and giving correct answers. TTC wouldn't be a good choice for a teacher who doesn't have time to read the books. Progeny Press guides or something similar would probably be better for that teacher.
Actually the reading the book part is fun, I like that stuff, we are all reader rabbits, I think I found the link and figured it was just anothe radvertisement page Lol sorry, I will look again
So I looked at Teaching the classics...I kind of liked it. This can be adapted to any book right? you wouldn't have to buy the guides to particular books? And most of this could be done orally (for my writingphobes)? I want them to understand how stories are structured and what fiction says about how people are...I like this premise, but I need fairly structured when it comes to writing...are there writing assignments? Does it have any grammar...or is it pretty much just lit?
thanks for the links, I checked thier book list out and we are already reading several of those because we own them, it looks good but not what I was looking for for next year, maybe in a year or so I will look at it again though. thanks so much and nice to meet ya!
