Julie in MN wrote:I still think just starting with the next program is the best course.
Me too. Get ADV done now, or as much as possible, pick up with ECC next year. Dragging out a program like ADV, nah. I hear too much cyber chat out there that it just doesn’t work as well as people hoped.
Julie in MN wrote:The only issue, I think, is moms of oldest children having trouble holding back..
I agree!!!
In addition to holding back on amount of workload, I see another issue. One of the biggest problems that I think is out there is that homeschooling moms of oldest kid tend to have trouble holding back HELP from oldest. So listen again to what Julie is saying here and apply it. She said it well, and I’ll tag on at the end.
Julie in MN wrote: ECC does not *have* to be tons more work than Adventures, if you are doing it with a 3rd grader. My 3rd grader didn't color in every single map -- sometimes I colored all the oceans blue & he just made the key etc. My 3rd grader didn't really do any of the geography packets to speak of. I made the game. He enjoyed picture books in book basket. He did most of PLL orally. He only did a science notebook page once or twice a week, I think, and at times wrote just a title. His notebook looks like a 3rd grader's notebook. He enjoys looking at it as a 7th grader now and seeing how far he's come.
Julie in MN wrote:My only advice is to start by locking up anything that tempts you to do ECC as if you had a 6th grader...
- the geography packets
- Writing Strands
- and all those extras you were thinking of adding in
Play the game. Sing the songs. Take the nature walks. Have fun enjoying Our Father's World!
Well, agreeing very much in spirit with Julie that they don’t have to do all of it in 3rd grade. But. an oldest child will also enjoy the Great Animal Search book and read alouds from deluxe, and might like the origami book. So don’t lock those up. <wink>
And don’t lock up the World Geography book because you need it for the game. And when you do get around to Writing Strands (in 4th grade), don’t hold back help while teaching a child how to write!
From the perspective of someone who did ECC with first born homeschooling genius when she was in 2nd grader (ADV wasn’t written yet), here is some food for thought for using World Geography book packet with oldest for those of us who will have too much trouble leaving it out or at least want to try to use it with a 3rd grader. Again, if it tempts you to treat them like a 6th, 7th, or 8th grader, locking it up might be helpful.
It is ok if they struggle with latitude and longitude. Walk them through it and help them, don’t expect mastery of the concept right now. It will be easier later.
I think there are some pages in World Geography that some 3rd/2nd graders will enjoy WHEN YOU DON'T HOLD BACK HELP ON THEM AND DO THEM TOGETHER WITH YOUR CHILD. Even in the TM it suggests that you do these pages with the child (when they are old enough). My oldest and I did them together when she was in 2nd grade. And now, she does them on her own and I help my 4th grader.
Those of us who have done ADV and at least seen the back side of the State Sheets, you’ll be able to teach from a few pages in World Geography (human and physical geography summary sheets). Let them underline or highlight a favorite fact from those sheets. (So, maybe locking up the book isn’t completely necessary if you can show some restraint. LOL.)
So, if locking up the World Geography book is bit too much for you at first, then do one or two pages with your child. Have the book Intermediate World Atlas in front of you as you do the World Geography pages, and just show your child how to look things up together (don’t expect them to do this on their own just yet.) Skip the harder sheets. You don’t know all of that stuff either, so why should your 3rd grader?
But take a book basket approach to doing the book called World Geography in that you know ahead of that it is ok to not finish the book. They can do it again in a few years. Do NOT hold back help from your child while using the book, or using ECC.
Then if world geography packet book stresses your school day too much when oldest is in 3rd grade, then lock the book up as Julie said.
-crystal