Results tagged “Rosetta Stone” from Learn at Every Turn - Creative, Enriched Homeschooling

Galen will be four years old at the end of September. Although too young to enroll in our charter, he loves learning and seems to soak up information from his environment. He really enjoys jigsaw puzzles, matching games, tanagrams and other games where you construct patterns from different shaped blocks. Recently, he's become enamored with books and studies them with an almost unsettling focus. He's been able to count up to and back from ten (and maybe to 20) and recite his ABC's by rote for the last year, but he also seems to be learning to recognize numbers and letters by sight on his own as well. And he doesn't seem to miss any logical connections, which he normally articulates at the top of his lungs with glee.

For a brief time, I considered getting Moving Beyond the Page's 5-7 curriculum for Galen, with the idea that he could work through it slowly. I suspect he is almost ready for it. In the end, however, I've rejected that idea.

I didn't use a formal curriculum with either Landry or Kipp at Galen's age. Instead, I made some fun one-on-one time each day to work on phonics, printing and numbers. I also made certain to take the time to explain whatever was interesting to them. After much debate, I've decided that I can see no reason to depart from what has worked in the past.

Therefore, my curriculum list for Galen is short and low key. I have some basic Kindergarten curriculum books from Costco, a dry erase board for printing, Hot Dot cards for phonics, a board with tiles numbered 1 to 100, Bob Books, and some learning puzzles to teach basic skills. I think Galen will enjoy all of that. In addition, he can join in art with his brothers, and I might see if he enjoys learning Spanish through Rosetta Stone. When he shows an interest in a subject like the moon or ants, I will find books on that subject for him. And I will make the time to read copious amounts to him.

With that, my initial thoughts on curriculum for all three boys are complete. I still need to clean and organize my homeschool room. However, as much as I will miss the summer (and I really will!), I think I am beginning to look forward to this school year. I am excited to see where the year takes us.

Kipp is seven and a half years old. He's enrolled in second grade and attempting third grade state requirements.

As a parent, Kipp fascinates me. I think I instinctively understand Landry and Galen. The way their minds work makes sense to me. Kipp, however, is very different from me. It may be that he is more like his math and engineering father, or it may be that he learned different coping mechanisms as a middle brother. Whatever it is, he challenges me to figure out what is best for him, and I like the challenge.

Kipp has a slight problem with ambition. As far as I can tell, he has none. Unless involved in building, robots or computer games, he will disengage as soon as possible. Indeed, he had me convinced at the beginning of summer that he had a problem with reading. Having listened to him read this summer, I've come to realize the problem has nothing to do with ability, but desire. He's just rather be doing something else.

This character trait makes homeschooling more of a challenge. Kipp drifts into a daydream and builds with anything available the moment I'm not watching him. So, my biggest goals for Kipp this year would be to encourage him to work more independently and help him discover  his own love of reading.

Language Arts: Like Landry, Kipp will continue with Moving Beyond the Page for literature. Kipp really enjoys these units and surprises me with his insights. Just when I think I've lost his attention, he will pop up with some observation about the characters or plot that catches me off guard. So, even I'm looking forward to this portion of the curriculum.

I am also going to introduce some workbooks which I hope will encourage Kipp to work independently. Like Landry, Kipp will have Spelling Connections and Write Source workbooks. I am also going to add in an Explode the Code workbook to see how he takes to it. Depending on how things are going, I may also add in a cursive handwriting workbook.

This summer, Kipp read The Jaguar's Jewel, one of the A to Z Mysteries, aloud to me and enjoyed it. I would like to continue to encourage his oral reading, so we will see how far he can read through that series this year.

Science: While Moving Beyond the Page has a science component, we usually skim these units and will continue to do so. The substantial portion of Kipp's science curriculum will be the same as Landry's. I'm also toying with the idea of auditing science classes with Kipp and Landry at our local junior college to see if anything ignites their interest.

Math: Kipp will continue with Singapore Math. He will start with 3A and 3B. I also have a great resources called Math in the Garden: Hands-On Activities That Bring Math to Life. The chapter topics include numbers, operations and algebra; measurement; geometry and pattern; and data analysis. The activities subsumed under those headings simply look fun. I think it would be wonderful for the boys to see math applied away from workbooks.

Khan Academy videos are another resource I want to try to use more this year. Once in a while, it's nice for the boys to hear a voice different from mine, and I'm really impressed by the Khan Academy.

As with Landry, I am also going to try to encourage Kipp to memorize math facts in whatever way I can.

Art: I will use the same curriculum choices for Kipp as Landry.

Social Studies/History - Again, Moving Beyond the Page provides a social studies curriculum that should meet state requirements. As with Landry, however, I would like Kipp to have an understanding of world history. In addition to the resources I listed for Landry, I just bought two new ones. All through the Ages provides lists of literature by grade for what appears to be every major topic in history. From what I have read, The Human Odyssey is a three volume series of books that uses stories to teach history. I purchased the first volume, which covers from prehistory to the middle ages. I would like to use the former as a resource for free reading. Moving Beyond the Page suggests that I read aloud to the boys for a half an hour each day, and I thought The Human Odyssey might make an interesting choice.

Foreign Language: Kipp will continue Spanish with Rosetta Stone. 

Music: Kipp will continue with piano lessons in September.

P.E.: Kipp has an yellow/orange belt in bok fu kenpo and will continue his lessons in September.

To reiterate, however, this is more a list of resources than a detailed plan. We will see what works and what doesn't and adjust accordingly.

Ah yes, do you feel that summer heat radiating off of every inch of your body? It must be time to plan next year's curriculum. I  should preface the next three posts with two remarks.

First, starting in mid-August, I will be acting as an editor for Moving Beyond the Page. In return, they will provide free curriculum to the boys.

Second, I am learning to approach curriculum in a more relaxed way. What follows would best be described as a list of resources from which I will draw, rather than a detailed plan for next year. I'm learning that an open-ended approach produces the better results for all.

Landry is nine years old and enrolled in fourth grade, but his curriculum will meet fifth grade standards.

Math: For the past year, Singapore Math has worked well for us. Landry will start with 5A and B in August. However, having seen these materials, I wonder if they will be enough. I suspect we will either have to go on to 6A and B, or find new materials at some point in the year.

As a homeschooling parent, my weakness is information that must be memorized. I just don't enjoy drilling on rote memorization. Landry has an excellent grasp of the concepts of multiplication and division. At the same time, Landry needs to memorize these facts. He will continue with Timez Attack, and I will continue to look for fun ways to accomplish this relatively monotonous task.

Science: Moving Beyond the Page includes a science curriculum, so that will provide a jumping off point. However, science proves challenging for me because the boys are advanced in this subject. I am looking into a private science class taught by a teacher familiar with gifted students. If that fails to prove a good fit for us, I will continue with homeschool classes twice a month at the Lawrence Hall of Science. I think I will also continue to use the Private Eye materials as time permits because the hands-on nature of these materials makes a nice change and because they provide a useful bridge to other subject areas for my science-oriented sons.

I am less concerned about planning science than other subjects because our lives naturally provide many opportunities to learn in this area. I'm more at ease with something akin to child-directed learning on this subject. We have ample resources lying about the house, and Jerry really enjoys watching documentaries and internet videos and them with the boys. 

Foreign Language: Landry will continue with Spanish through Rosetta Stone.

Social Studies/History:  Here again, Moving Beyond the Page provides a social studies curriculum. Still, I feel remiss without attempting to give Landry a sense of world history and also to try to bring history alive for him. We will continue to listen to Story of the World audiobooks in the car on long drives. When we finish that, I would like to take a closer look at Joy Hakim's Story of US. I'm also researching local history tours and living history days to add some variety. I will also be researching games like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego to strength Landry's geographical knowledge.

Language Arts: I really like the literature units provided by Moving Beyond the Page. The literature he will read is first rate, and the activities are well designed. I don't feel the need to add anything to this aspect of Landry's curriculum. These units will also provide Landry ample opportunity for writing.

While MBtP does include grammar and spelling components, I think Landry needs more. For that reason, I'm returning to Spell Connections and Write Source. I'm not fond of workbooks, but I will say that Landry seemed to have a better grasp of these subjects when we were using these texts. As a side note, Landry does well when left to his own devices with workbooks. I'm hoping that will buy me one-on-one time to spend with the younger boys.

I'm adding something new to Landry's curriculum. Words on the Vine will introduce him to Latin and Greek word roots. I loved this sort of thing when I was in school. Landry seems to have my love of language and writing, so I'm hoping he will enjoy this. 

Art: Landry will get some art through the Moving Beyond the Page materials. However, I have a few more resources I would like to explore. The boys have done various projects listed on the Art Projects for Kids blog this summer, and I've been delighted to see how they are expanding their skills artistically. I would love to continue to incorporate those projects into our curriculum. On my shelf, I also have Discovering Great Artists and How to Teach Art to Children, Grades 1-6. The former gives biographical information about well known artists and art projects related to their style of work. The latter provides a more technical understanding of the elements of art. Finally, I am also curious about a website called Meet the Masters, which provides technical and historical online art instruction for a fee. Because it's online, I think the boys may take a greater interest in it.   

P.E.: Landry has earned his orange/yellow belt and will continue with bok fu in the fall.

Music: Landry will resume piano lessons in mid-September.

This seems like quite a lot. However, if I can, I would also like to find a fun way for Landry to improve his keyboarding skills. He really loves to write stories if he can type. I can't imagine how much he would enjoy it if he did not have to use the hunt-and-peck method.

I am also researching several short educational trips for the family about which I will post when they are definite. However, this is where we will start in August. Where Landry will go remains to be seen.

Spring has arrived, so we are outside every moment possible. I didn't realize how much time has passed since I last posted. Then again, that may be a good thing.

I am starting to organize my thoughts about next year's curriculum. Kipp will be enrolled in 2nd grade and Landry in 4th, so I got a copy of the state requirements for 3rd and 5th grade while at the charter last week.

I skimmed the requirements and found little, if anything, that will be new or challenging for the boys. Landry will need some American history, but that is about it. In particular, the science requirements are pitiful.

From my reading, I drew two conclusions. First, I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to home school my sons and go wherever they are ready to go, academically. What a shame to think that something as amazing as the human mind in its youngest stages may not be given every opportunity to be appropriately challenged and to grow. What a loss to the children, and what a loss to us.

Second, I feel a sense of almost complete freedom in setting up next year's curriculum. I will not look at the requirements a second time, but will be guided by what I think is best for each son. I suppose for those who are completely independent of the state, my feelings are pretty commonplace. However, I think it's a very positive step in our journey that I am able to feel this way.

Looking beyond the statement requirements, I have been thinking about what is working well currently. I'm delighted to write that several things should not change.

(1) Singapore Math - The boys respond well to this series. Singapore does not rely on endless repetition of new concepts. Instead, they move through a broad range of concepts quickly, but thoroughly review often. This suits the boys, and we will definitely continue.

(2) Rosetta Stone - I often use Rosetta Stone as a fill-in activity. If two boys need me at once, I ask one to work on Spanish for 15 to 20 minutes to buy me time to help the other son. And I leave the boys to their own devices with Rosetta Stone. I rarely interfere beyond checking to see that they are moving forward. Despite my lax attitude, I'm often shocked at the sentences the boys can now understand with ease. I took Spanish in elementary school, through all four years of high school, and in college, yet I suspect their comprehension is approaching what I had in high school or college. So, we will definitely continue with Rosetta Stone.

(3) Story of the World - We listen to these stories in the car as we drive to activities, and the boys just love them. More importantly, I hear them using information and ideas gained from the stories in other situations, which tells me that they are making the information their own. So, in one form or another, we will continue with this series.

(4) piano - The boys continue to progress with their piano and like it. I had the most amazing experience recently. Our piano is in the room that opens on to our patio. I was working in the ornamental bed next to the patio, when Landry's music came drifting through the open window. The moment was surreal. Not only was the sound beautiful, but so was the realization that a person that I brought into this world could make something so lovely. Wow! So, piano will remain part of our curriculum.  

(5) bok fu - The boys continue to love their martial arts class and are rapidly approaching their orange/yellow belts. I like that my very energetic sons get a short lesson in discipline each week and are learning to defend themselves. So, we will continue to make our weekly drive for their 45-minute lesson.

(6) Lawrence Hall of Science enrichment classes - The drive to the Bay Area is insanely long, but it is the one source for science classes I've found thus far that actually seem to challenge the boys. As long as they continue to enjoy the classes, I'll be making the twice-a-month trek to Berkeley.  

So, now that I've identified what must be accomplished next year (almost nothing!) and what is currently working, all I need to do is fill in a few gaps and I've got our curriculum planned for next year.

Okay, I mean the subject line half in jest, and I will explain that by the end.

I've started this post several times only to delete it and start again. Last semester was so busy with outside activities, I had little time for reflection. Now, having had a peaceful week after Christmas and having restarted teaching  with a less hectic schedule, I think I see our homeschooling with much clearer vision.

My conclusions? Some changes we made this year have been worthwhile. Other aspects need to change. Some of those changes will occur immediately, while others will probably have to wait till next year to be fully accomplished.

I'll start with a review of our texts and materials and conclude with a review of our activities.

Singapore Math: I have no regrets about choosing this text. It appears to be an excellent fit for both boys. They are being challenged reasonably without mind-numbing repetition. I can see where Singapore is smoothing the transition into more advanced mathematics. Honestly, I can say enough good things about this text.

Moving Beyond the Page: I have mixed feelings about MBtP. I realize that no curriculum will be a perfect fit. I like how MBtP makes cross-curricular connections. Many of the activities are clever and fun. Still, several issues trouble me.

First, MBtP is advertised as a boxed curriculum for gifted learners. However, gifted learners are often asynchronous, and I doubt any boxed curriculum can adequately address that issue. In our case, I've come to realize that, while the boys tend to work a year ahead of grade level in most subjects, they are significantly further ahead in science. The science portion of MBtP does not begin to challenge them and, frankly, was a waste of money. Since we are paying little attention to it, the boys are not getting the full benefit of the literature tie-ins as a further result. While I will continue to thumb through the science units, I am going to create our own science curriculum to keep the boys adequately challenged. This will consist of hands-on projects at home and science museum field trips.

I have less difficulties with MBtP's literature and social studies units. Here, I would only say that, although the boys occasionally have grammar activities, I think they need a more systematic and organized approach. Similarly, I believe they also need a spelling book which provides rules, rather than what appears to be a random list of words from their reading. Furthermore, I wish the boys were receiving more in terms of world history. However, by the time we work through the social studies activities, the boys have little patience or attention for more.

Finally, I wish the boys were receiving a better education in art. While MBtP definitely gives the boys many creative opportunities, it offers little in terms of technique or history. I have a lead on a better art program. However, I will probably not be able to implement it until next year.

To conclude, I suspect we will not return to MBtP next year or at least not the entire curriculum. In the meantime, I will be making what we have work for us by editing as the need arises.

Rosetta Stone: I am pleased with this aspect of our curriculum. Landry comprehends fairly complex sentences, and Kipp, who just started this year, seems to be following suit. However, because this isn't state-mandated, I tend to give this lower priority when I feel we don't have enough time. I would like to remedy that since they appear to be learning from this program.

Lord of the Rings: Giving credit where credit is due, MBtP suggests reading aloud to your children for one-half hour each day. For that reason, we started reading Lord of the Rings aloud, and I think this is one of the nicer parts of our curriculum. Even after the most trying day of homeschooling, it's nice to end the day on a good note with a few pages of LotR.

Faith First: I describe our homeschooling as secular because our religious beliefs do not influence how I teach subjects like science. That said, I do teach our children catechism. We use the Faith First series, which I like very much because it emphasizes love of God and neighbor and good works over arcane doctrinal principals. Again, however, it does get pushed aside more than I would like, if we are pressed for time, and I would like to change that.

Outside Lessons: Our school will continue to pay for martial arts and piano for part of this semester, and we will continue with these. This is yet another area that would benefit from a more consistent practice routine.

The issue of consistency leads me to the last part of my review. I'm not quite sure how our last semester evolved into what it did. We are fortunate to live in an area that affords us many opportunities for interesting field trips, classes, and outings. Looking back, I cannot say that I regret any one activity. Each event, however, came at a cost in terms of consistency of our study routine, our energy, and family time.

I noticed the cumulative effect, especially in the quiet days after Christmas. It felt good to be home. We seemed less stressful because we weren't always running out the door. And, although we have only been back to the homeschooling routine for a few days, all three boys manifest a different attitude toward their studies when they have several, uninterrupted days to accomplish their tasks and a predictable rhythm structures those days.

Does this mean that we are going to become hermits? No. I would not want that, even if it were possible. However, we will choose our activities and outings with a careful eye to the cost involved this semester. In particular, I will seek activities that will help to remedy what I see as some of the shortcomings in our current curriculum.

So, that is why I half-jokingly entitled this post. The home school stereotype that these children are not socialized because they rarely leave home is far from accurate, at least in our house. On the contrary, we need a little less social interaction for the time being.

Of course, it's all a matter of balance. Then again, isn't it always?

My book order for next year is due to the charter by the second week in June. Usually, this deadline produces a crazy flurry of activity from me because I research each part of the boys' curriculum independently. Once I find what I feel is best suited to each boy in each area, I attempt to make cross-curricular connections on my own.

This year, however, I am relaxing. A friend of mine brought Moving Beyond the Page to my attention. According to the website, MBtP is an all-in-one curriculum designed for creative and gifted learners. It meets state and federal standards and is concept based. Honestly, it sounds a bit too good to be true. However, my Education Specialist and I pored over the website and concluded that it deserves a closer look. Relying on the 30-day money-back guarantee, I ordered a 7-9 curriculum pack and a 8-10 curriculum pack this morning. It should arrive in one to three weeks.

I am hopeful that MBtP will provide a solid, well-coordinated core to our curriculum. Still, I suspect that it will not be enough. It is simply too much to expect that one curriculum could provide the boys enough to keep them happily challenged. For that reason, I'm putting together some resources with which to supplement their studies. Here are my thoughts thus far, in no particular order:

(1) math - MBtP does not include mathematics at Kipp's and Landry's levels. This is done to allow students to work at their appropriate level. We have used Math Steps for the past three years. Although both Kipp and Landry have a solid understanding of math, Landry grows tired of the repetitive exercises in his text, and I fear Kipp will follow suit. For that reason, I am taking a closer look at Singapore Math, which reportedly requires less repetition.

(2) world history - MBtP does not appear to emphasize world history. This would make sense since this curriculum meets state and federal standards, neither of which emphasize world history in the grades my sons have completed. I continue to believe that this is a terrible shortcoming. We are increasingly becoming part of a global economy. We need to understand the history and cultures of other countries with which we must interact. Furthermore, I believe the cliche that those who do not understand history are destined to repeat it. For these reasons, I want to continue with Story of the World. While I am not fond of the biblical stories presented occasionally as fact and I suspect it simplifies some history, SotW provides an amazing overview of history. I find the literature suggestions in each chapter especially effective for making history come alive to my six- and seven-year-old boys.

(3) science - While MBtP includes a science component, we cannot get enough science in this house. We will continue with Young Scientist Club kits, GEM unit studies and an Engineering is Elementary unit study .

(4) art - I would like to continue with projects created by my watercolor instructor. I've also got a couple of good art resources I want explore further: Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters and How to Teach Art to Children

(5) foreign language - I would like to see Landry continue learning Spanish with Rosetta Stone and let Kipp experiment with different languages on Rosetta Stone until he finds one he would like to pursue.

(6)  piano - The boys enjoy piano so we will continue lessons when school starts in August.

(7) bok fu - The boys also enjoy their martial arts class and just received their yellow belts, so we will continue when school resumes.

Of course, all of this hinges on Moving Beyond the Page withstanding our scrutiny when it arrives. I have high hopes that it will. However, if it does not, you can assume the blog will be on hiatus for the remaining weeks of school while I scramble madly to cobble my curriculum.