Planning for next year? What did you love this year? What did you wish you never bought? - Page 4

[Tjej]

scheelimama - Can you tell me why you didn't like Enki?  Had you done the Kindy stuff before level 1?

Tjej

[edwardsmom]

Originally Posted by myjo 

Well, I glad I have the hardcover then!  We've had it so long and loved it so much that I had to tape it up to keep it from falling apart.

We had to tape the binding on ours, too!  I guess that's how you tell it's an oft used book.
 

[pampered_mom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frugalmama 

There must be two sets of teacher's guides then - mine are from scholastic teacher resources and say Activity guide on the front. They look NOTHING like the ones you mentioned - MUCH more sciencey {creating words again} and less literature based than those. We have a few of the ones you mentioned and haven't used them yet. And the MSB Explorations books are great too, each lesson is a activity relating to a video.

I just thought I'd follow up a bit now that I have a copy of the Activity Guides in hand.  I was actually a little bit bummed when I discovered the reason why the Activity Guides are out of print...they're all available for free right here.  I do kind of like having them for a reference guide, though.

As for the ones from Teacher Created...I've found that even though they're labeled "literature units" they're really more science than literature unit study.  There is a brief bit where they talk about the author at the beginning, but then they include several different activities based upon sections of the MSB book in question.  Typically what we've done is combine the picture book that matches with the Teacher Created guide, the chapter book that goes along with the same topic, the MSB shows that match with the appropriate subject matter, and then the MSB activities to match the shows (either in the guide or online).

So, for the electricity unit we did at the beginning of the year we used:

"The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip" plus the matching Teacher Created guide

"Amazing Magnetism" (The Magic School Bus Chapter Book)

"The Magic School Bus Gets Charged" (Episode of the show)

Adapted the Scholastic Classroom activity by using Snap Circuits

For the Human Body unit that we're currently doing we've ended up using several books, episodes, and activities including the Teacher Created guide to create our own unit.  It's been a blast!

[elizawill]

this year we've used...

3rd Grade-daughter

SCIENCE - Rod & Staff Science Grade 3 -DON'T LIKE

Christian Liberty Press Nature Readers (Books 2 & 3). LIKE
MATH - Christian Light Education (CLE) Math 3  - LIKE

GRAMMAR/WRITING - BJU English Grade 3 - LIKE

SPELLING - Spelling Plus & the Dictation Resource book.LIKE

PENMANSHIP - Handwriting without Tears Cursive Grade 3. LIKE

HISTORY / GEOGRAPHY - Abeka Grade 3.  LIKE (truly I was surprised that we liked this)

ART - "How Great Thou Art" (DVD program & materials). DIDN'T REALLY USE IT

we did use WWE, writing strands, and R&S 3 english until december & then we switched to bju english. the other programs were good, she just was progressing with them.  bju has been fabulous for her.

1st Grade-son

MATH - Christian Light Education (CLE) Math 1. LIKE

SPELLING - Spelling Plus & the Dictation Resource book. LIKE

WRITING - Dictation from Spelling Plus (and his phonics program incorporates some writing). LIKE

GRAMMAR - Scott Foresman.   http://www.sfreading.com/resources/ghb.html LIKE

PHONICS - Rod & Staff LIKE

HISTORY- we just followed our own interests. LIKE

SCIENCE- Let's Read & Find Out About series with Magic School Bus & Beakman's World episodes LIKE

next year we'll be using heart of dakota, bigger - this way i can teach the bulk of their subjects together. i purchased the extension pack for my daughter since she'll be 10 in the fall. they will both use CLE for math. my son will use R&S grammar & phonics. My daughter will stay with BJU english. overall, i'm pleased with our year.

[EviesMom]

We love and will use again:

LA/SS/Sc: Moving Beyond the Page (although we slow it down and add lots of trips as well; we add more on dinosaurs; added evolution of the brain; and human evolution at the museum of natural history)

Art: Artistic Pursuits

Math: EPGY

Reading: We finished Headsprout Early Reading and will do Headsprout Reading Comprehension next year.

Handwriting: We've just started (since we finished headsprout) Handwriting without Tears Cursive

Spelling: All About Spelling.

We'll keep all of that. 

We tried Destination Math (fine for fun activity, but not teaching) and Enki (not open and go enough for me) although we've used parts here and there.

I'm torn on Rosetta Stone, because while it's very robust, DD is too young for some of the long sentence phrasing it's telling her to repeat and it doesn't register her voice that well, so she gets frustrated with it easily even when she is actually pronouncing correctly. I'm not sure what else I can use for mandarin though. We are joining a language playgroup next year, but any advice on tweaking RS to work better for 2nd graders would be appreciated.

[Pursuer]

This thread is awesome!!

For this last year, DD was 3rd grade. Most everything we liked. :)

We used Ambleside Online for history, literature, and natural history.

Grapevine Studies

Getty & Dubay Italics (Book D)

MEP for math

Pearables

Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey

The Play Grammar - so fun!

Home Geography for the Primary Grades

The only thing that was liked, but isn't a good fit for us was MEP math. I understand math and can teach the concepts, but it is boring to me.

So, this year, I am changing that. I'm going for Teaching Textbooks, which seems to have the same feel as MEP, but it's something I can have my DD do on her own, if I need to. :)

We're con

And, I was going to continue Getty & Dubay, but after reading here, I decided to do some research. I went to Amazon to see reviews for Write Now. A reviewer there linked to a free Italic handwriting site. It is AMAZING!!

Briem

[OhMel]

Great thread!

DS will be 9 and in 4th next year. We plan on continuing with what we are doing and adding in some fun science.  DS plans on being a scientist and just loves the stuff but I have yet to find something that is both doable but not horribly complex with DS age 2.5 around.

SOTW 3 and 4

WWE 2

HWT Cursive Success

Draw Write Now

Singapore 4a/b

MCT Island level (we took this much slower than others and will need two years to finish the level)

Piano Lessons

DD will be in K

HOP

HWT Printing

Singapore Math 1a/b

FLL

Faber Pre-Writing Piano