Sometimes I feel like the kid in “The Rocking Horse Winner,” rocking away because there must be more money. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy curricula, and through curricula comes happiness. So say we all.
I know there are a billion “homeschooling for free or next to free” websites out there, who will tell me I’m doing it wrong if I’m dishing out more than $5 for history, but between the gas and energy that would be required to go back and forth to the public library, which doesn’t have the vast majority of what Captain Science needs anyway, thus requiring heavy supplementing, I assure you, buying the exact curricula comes out cheaper in the wash.
I will confess to you that I’m about to make a major curriculum purchase, the Michael Clay Thompson Grammar Town set. We’re looking at the Level 2 Basic Homeschool package, because it has all the teacher manuals, which include the student books, for the level, which is for gifted 4th or on-level 5th graders. If only I had the money, I’d buy the complete package, which has separate student books, but I can’t dish out an extra $65 on top of the $105 I’ll be spending tonight. From what I’ve heard about the curriculum, it will be worth the money, especially for a language-mastering, Life of Fred-loving boy like Captain Science*.
Patchfire and I long to order the entire MCT series, so that we can see exactly where it goes. Unlike some curricula, which are available at the Scary Jesus Book Store (which I’m not sure I’ll be patronizing any longer, due to the owner’s attitude towards his customers), MCT can’t be bought locally, so we don’t have the luxury of flipping through it at our leisure. Between us, we’ll own Grammar Island and Grammar Town, but that doesn’t help us project forward to Grammar Voyage and the levels beyond. Will we continue to love it? Only time will tell, but I sure wish I already knew. I could develop a language arts plan from no until the end of time.
If I had an unfettered curricula budget, I would buy:
- Michael Clay Thompson language arts series
- Life of Fred College Prep Set
- The Medieval and Early Modern World seven volume set.
- The Definitive Visual Guides to Art, the Universe, and War
- Bevington’s Complete Works of Shakespeare, 6th ed. (mine is several editions out of date)
- Surely quite a few other things, but let’s focus on the brain candy above, shall we?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a limitless budget for curricula, so I have to buy only what I need, thus limiting my ability to plan ahead. As a secular homeschooler, my options for comprehensive, secular materials that challenge my gifted child, yet are engaging enough to make him want to learn are few are far between. Life of Fred is one of the few that meet nearly all of those goals (falling short only by not being entirely secular, though close enough for our purposes). MCT looks like it might fit into that narrow set of parameters. The DK books are glorious, though they require I develop all my own lesson plans for history (not a horrible torture, luckily). I also don’t have the money to keep replacing curricula that don’t work. It’s a hard knock life sometimes, being a secular classical educator.
What’s on your dream list of curricula?
*Captain Science declared tonight, “I don’t want to be called ‘Captain Science’ on the computer. I want to be known as ‘Shadow King.’” My answer: “Uh…yeah. You know, not so much.”
LOL. You understand why I usually get curriculum for my birthday! I’m interested in MCT but trying to avoid looking at it too closely. What we have works and works well so I shouldn’t look. Really, I’m backing away from the computer now…
BTW, I’ll never forget when DragonFly came and told me he didn’t want me calling him Snap Dragon on the computer anymore. I had given everyone wonderful floral names. Once he found out Snap Dragon was a flower, he put his foot down.
Going to take a peak at your list. I’ll probably wind up with Life of Fred for my birthday (eyes rolling).
This is my homeschool wishlist.
I particularly want the Bernstein DVD set, all of the DVDs, and the Young Oxford History of Women in the United States.
What is this hullabaloo about MCT? I have no knowledge of that curriculum and want to know why I am missing this huge and wonderful thing? This way I can be properly envious.
Part of the hullabaloo is that the author (and the publishing company) is writing for gifted students, which means we don’t have to keep buying curricula that’s written for children several years above our own kids just to keep them challenged. Captain Science grasps language arts concepts very well. He spoke early. He read early. He’s a natural speller with a intuitive feel for grammar. Most grammar curricula are therefor incredibly boring for him, but if we age up too much, we get into stuff that’s a lot more literary analysis than grammar. MCT seems to be a way to compensate for that.
I was actually initially dubious of MCT, because it was so popular. Flavor of the week syndrome, right? Then I watched a video of Mr. Thompson giving a lecture on grammar and how it should be taught to children, and I was in love. Patchfire and I had been looking for grammar curricula that taught those concepts in the same sort of format that Life of Fred taught math, which is within the context of a story, rather than as facts with no context. MCT also seems to meet that need.
Once I have my own copies of the curriculum, and I’m not just basing it on Patchfire’s copies and the samples online, I’ll write a review.
yup, see I was staying away because of the flavor of the week syndrome. Hmm I know a kid this would work brilliantly for. I’ll have to pass it on to is Mom.
What’s the dif between Life of Fred and Singapore Math? I’m loathe to switch now that I started Singapore, but if I see something I know that will work for a kid then I’ll do it. Esp my youngest son who is 5 and doing his sisters 2nd grade math. he hit a maturity wall though and I’m stuck because I can’t very well shove him down the rabbit hole, yet he’s in the doldrums now.
Life of Fred teaches math within a story. It’s like a novel (on in some areas, like a play, with discussion between characters, author, and reader), where math scenarios are explained within the context of the story. After each chapter, there’s a set of problems relating to the chapter, sometimes even to the story in the chapter) for the students to work. Every 5 chapters or so, there’s a “bridge” of problems that covers all the material from the previous chapters. When they can pass the bridge, they move on to the next chapters. The stories are very funny!
I just love it when you make D H Lawrence references.