We need another Eclectic thread! - Page 7

[Jennifer3141]

Well, my order's on backorder with CHE and they typically don't tell people when that happens.
So I cancelled most of it and ordered through Amazon instead. Now I'll have it in 2 days at least.

But the Calvert boxes are coming today! DD is so excited. She told her father last night that, "School is coming! School is coming! I'm a big girl now!"

[mangopassion]

Thank you for the responses! I think your good thoughts worked for me. I'm feeling much better right now. I think my mom may be doing a little better, too. Thanks again... it is SO MUCH appreciated!

[mangopassion]

Originally Posted by Jennifer3141

I would love to know what your family(ies) thinks of the CDs. I tend to drift off during CDs of people talking so I want to know if they hold attention.

I kind of drift off, too. But from what I understand Jim Weiss is wonderful! I haven't gotten mine yet. I ordered it from RR and hopefully it will be here this week or early next week.

Originally Posted by Jennifer3141

Did you get the ancient China treasure box too? I want to know what's in the darn thing.

Originally Posted by MyLittleWonders

Mangopassion - many 's and prayers for you, your mom, and your whole family.


That stinks about the wait time with HO. This last time I ordered an ebook and printed it myself (turns out, we probably won't be ready for it until December/January as we basically did no history last year, but I have it none-the-less). I would consider dropping them an email just to check and make sure it's coming.

I have never ordered the extra books/materials. When we did Ancient Times, I did buy the Ancient Civilizations Pocket whatever book - we did a few of the different activities from it and enjoyed them. This time around for Medieval Times, I am just using the maps and copywork ideas from HO, plus I am hoping to integrate the Book of Centuries pages from Tanglewood.

I know the question about China's Treasure Box wasn't for me , but I finally ordered this one and will be happy to let you know what's in it. I've been curious, too!

MLW, Thanks you so much for the kind words and hugs... that's just what I needed.

I have been majorly slacking in the History department. We got HO and SOTW Ancients almost 2 years ago for my then 5 year old and 8 year old. We haven't even made it halfway through... so we are still doing Ancients when we should be in Modern Times. Which is kind of weird because MangoPapa and I both love History (now that we are adults... our public schooling background didn't help develop that love) and I've been excited about learning History right along side the kiddos, but I just haven't been able to "fit it in". Hopefully now, with the workboxes, I'll be able to.

We are also doing the History Pockets and think they are pretty fun! I might par it down a little because some of it seems like busy work, but the kiddos definitely love the craft aspect of it.

And I'm still trying to figure out a good timeline that would work well for us. I've been thinking about this one for years!

Originally Posted by Jennifer3141

But the Calvert boxes are coming today! DD is so excited. She told her father last night that, "School is coming! School is coming! I'm a big girl now!"

Awww... that's so sweet!

[Jennifer3141]

Mango, I'm so glad you're feeling better.

My HO order should ship by the end of next week. That's ok because it'll take me that long to figure Calvert out. This is a load of stuff. Wow.

I got the History Pockets stuff from amazon. Only the Ancients one is for grade 1-3. The Egyptians and Greeks are for grades 4 and up. So we won't get to those until much later unless I just ordered the wrong ones.

[mangopassion]

Jennifer, how goes it with the Calvert sorting?

[Jennifer3141]

Mango, we LOVE it. I can totally see why other families would be derisive about "school in a box" but my DD absolutely loves it. She was crushed when I suggested taking the weekend off so I think we'll just "do school" until she wants to stop for a day or two. The worksheet work is so easy that she's gaining a lot of confidence, except for the writing. We cheat on that. She's not ready to write her name yet so I hold her hand and we do it together. But she's still in the scribbling stage of life.

How have all of your weeks been?

[LauraLoo]

Originally Posted by mangopassion

I have been majorly slacking in the History department. We got HO and SOTW Ancients almost 2 years ago for my then 5 year old and 8 year old. We haven't even made it halfway through... so we are still doing Ancients when we should be in Modern Times.

You are probably doing it the right way! -- Ancients were around a looooong time.

We didn't finish HO Ancients last year. We have a bit of Roman and Ancient China to finish up before we can begin Middle Ages. I'm considering it review.

I have so much to do. My bookshelves are completely cluttered with last years stuff (ds likes to revisit so doesn't like things to be put away and out of reach,) and all the books for this year. I need lots of time to tackle it and get it organized. I've barely peaked at the new stuff beyond making sure that I got everything that I ordered. I won't know if I have everything that I need until I lay it out. The next couple of weeks are packed with activities and we're having a couple of parties.....I guess I'll have about 3 days before we begin to figure things out. Yikes. And double yikes!

[AbigailGrace]

Originally Posted by mangopassion

I have been majorly slacking in the History department. We got HO and SOTW Ancients almost 2 years ago for my then 5 year old and 8 year old. We haven't even made it halfway through... so we are still doing Ancients when we should be in Modern Times. Which is kind of weird because MangoPapa and I both love History (now that we are adults... our public schooling background didn't help develop that love) and I've been excited about learning History right along side the kiddos, but I just haven't been able to "fit it in". Hopefully now, with the workboxes, I'll be able to.

We've always been slack in history and science. It's the first to go when we are in a time crunch. Funny, though, because I believe it's given my kids a drive to learn it now. The older ones are 13, 11 and 9 and they are eating it up and don't mind when I give them longer lessons!!

[MeadowSong_]

I'm really glad to see some of you have been kind of slack on history, it will be and all ready is my downfall. I know it too. I'm much more book driven, I want them to read, I want to read to them. Books. Books. Books. : LOL

We started yesterday with our modified workboxes. Each boy has 6 boxes (really just two sets of Sterlite drawers) and we are just filling them with 3 things at a time. Until they get back in the grove of things. I refilled them both yesterday after they finished them and they both came back to finish them again (mainly to earn some computer time lol).

I figure once we get in the full swing of things, I'll fill all 6 with various reading, writing, literature, logic puzzles, or math activities. Then they can do them. We do all science, history, and read alouds together each day so we should be able to cover a lot of ground this way. At least this is my plan, we shall see lol!

[Jennifer3141]

I HATED history in school. Absolutely hated it. And now, what do I read for pleasure? History. And my Netflix box is full of movies about it. I just sent back a 4 hour documentary on Napolean.
I'm going to try really, really hard to make history fun but I'm going to let it go if it doesn't become a passion until adulthood. I know I really didn't care that much about government until I became a voting citizen. Now, the thought of John Adams murmuring, "Thomas Jefferson survives" on his deathbed brings me to tears.

Science is easier on us because we are all science lovers around here so I just teach to the current interest. I'm sure someday I'll stop spending a couple of hundred dollars a summer on butterfiles and mealworms.

And I don't even HAVE a bookshelf for this year's school yet so some of you are really, really ahead of me.

[Aurora]

Originally Posted by Jennifer3141

And I don't even HAVE a bookshelf for this year's school yet so some of you are really, really ahead of me.

We start Monday and I don't have a bookshelf ready either.

I had wanted to get some sort if cubby system put together but that hasn't happened either.

[AbigailGrace]

Originally Posted by Aurora

We start Monday and I don't have a bookshelf ready either.

I had wanted to get some sort if cubby system put together but that hasn't happened either.

We are starting full blown school Monday. We started slowly, adding one subject per week and it worked really nicely for us. But I am cramming to pull the schedules together for 4 different aged kids! ugh!! Race, race...

[craft_media_hero]

Does anyone use a Waldorf style block system? Working on one main theme for a couple weeks or more and then going to something else?

We have been alternating 2 wks of math (with short literacy activity every day) with 2 wks of literacy (with short math activity daily), and on paper---we should still "get through" everything in a regular year.

I'm just wondering if anyone's BTDT because even tho it makes sense to me to take a break from focusing on one then the other and allow the new information to sink in....I don't know, even though I've done our planning for months ahead, I'm feeling wishy washy.

Someone on the HS thread said that if you commit to any program, it will "work" and that it's the switching around all the time that causes distress, so I'm just trying to commit to one method at least until mid-school year and then re-evaluate.

[christinar]

I don't know what the Waldorf block method is, so I don't think I'm doing it ... but I have found that my kids love integrated learning. My dd (7) also loves history and geography, and stories, so we integrate that way. I'm planning to do start this year with Prehistory unit which will mix up history/geography/science and then math/reading stuff on the side, for example. Then we'll do ancient history with Story of the World. Last year we did a month-long unit on Cinderella around the world - again with the history/geography/stories and math/science on the side. Instead of seperate binders, she keeps a "lesson book" which is an idea from Oak Meadow - everything is integrated into that book, some written/drawn into it, other things cut & pasted in. Basically I get an idea from her or one curriculum or another, or the calendar with seasons/holidays, and mix as much into our lessons from other disciplines as makes sense, and put the other disciplines on the side; then another idea and different disciplines added and other ones go on the side.

[Jennifer3141]

I don't think we're doing the Waldorf block method either. Somedays, we plow on through and somedays, it takes all day because we're resting and playing in between a lot.

[fivepointedstar]

I'm just starting homeschooling my daughter, but we're doing blocks for new material, but still doing a little bit of math and LA everyday for review. I think it's important that new content has that time to rest, but some things do need everyday practice. For example, the new math content that we'll be working with is decimals -- we'll do that in our math block. But in our everyday practice she'll be working with fractions, times tables and long division.
Can't really give you a BTDT response, but this is my plan anyway.
Meredith

[AbigailGrace]

As for the Waldorf block method, I'm not familiar with it. With my kids, I have learned that a break from math is the worst thing I can do for them. My kids remember language arts, history, etc. But not math. It's the one thing we do every day. Well, that and reading and journaling. The other things we spread out and do 3 days a week. Sorry I'm no help.

[heket]

We use Oak Meadow as a base for now, so waldorf lite and no blocks. I can understand the idea of commit to a method. But at the same time as teachers, we have to understand when it might be time to change that method. We used OM for pre-k (I wasn't impressed) and kinder somewhat (better but we're not into main lesson books.) I have it again for 1st, but we've also decided to go a more unschooling route. So I'm pulling from OM as well as other things I've found. We have some games and I hope to gain more. TBH, we're looking to games being our main educational focus for now. This allows us to focusing on reading and math as play. We also don't mind TV and I'm utilizing our DVR to record shows like Reading Rainbow, Between the Lions, Magic School Bus, and other "educational" items as well as those for fun. I've realized that just like dh and myself, the kids have their favorite shows and ways to decompress. So I'm trying to honor that.

But in regards to blocks, I thought normally they're at least 3 weeks long. Could the 2 week time period be too short?

[Jennifer3141]

We "did school" for 6 days straight as of yesterday and yesterday was HARD. I'm thinking of taking today off but I'm worried about losing our rhythmn. Arrgghh, type A homeschooling moms cannot be good.

I tried to take yesterday off and DD begged for her workbooks. So then we tried to do some pages and she melted. But everytime I tried to redirect us to something else, she melted MORE.

So I might have a type A kid too. Yikes.

[MyLittleWonders]

Even though we hs year-round, this week marks dh's official return to work, so it is like we are starting our school year now. I should say, *I'm* starting my school year today since I no longer have dh to help with lessons and/or redirecting way-ward children. So, I got up early, showered and made my smoothie and am waiting for kidlets to wake. I told ds#1 that I would read another chapter or two from the Burgess Bird Book when he got up - then, it's breakfast, chores, and lessons. Their public-schooled friend is coming over at 2, so hopefully we can get through everything well before that. He doesn't return to school until the 9th, so the boys have two weeks left of being able to play with him in the early afternoons before it's back to only weekends.