What to do, what to do.
Last year we started Spanish. We have my husband's college text, workbook and tapes. While it is a college program, it was easy to break it down into bite-sized pieces. We did a few chapters and the stopped so we could work on vocab.
Well, then when I found out the Homeschool Co-op was going to do a buy on the United Streaming, I went ahead and signed up for the 30-day free trial at US. I did buy the HS Co-op version, which won't take effect for a few weeks. We used this a lot today and really enjoyed it. It's too bad they don't give homeschoolers the full version, but even when we get the reduced version after our free trial, it will still be great.
Anyway, Thomas and I have watched about three lessons of the Spanish program on US. Thomas hates it. I don't care for it. Bob and I watched one together tonight. We watched a unit 7 lesson to see what it was like further down the road.
There are pros and cons to doing hte US Spanish lessons. Pro is it's darned easy for me. The big con is that I don't like the instructor. Bob and I made fun of him the whole time we watched. (Thomas was outside playing and didn't get to witness his elderly parents being immature!) And it's not him, actually, it's his presentation. Just a tad bit too happy and geeky or nerdy or I don't know.
So my dilemma for the week is this: Should we go back to the text, or should we do the US Spanish.
I never took Spanish so it is like me taking the class, too. That's why the US is good. However, I'm good at learning on my own, so that's why the text would be good. The tapes are great, although we have to buy a new tape recorder because mine broke and I'm not moving my boom boxes because they're set up and I'm lazy.
I need the homeschool fairy to wave her magic wand and make the right decision for me.
Aside from that, Thomas LOVED his grammar book that I got for him. I'll blog about that after we've gone into it a bit more, but I know from his reaction today, it will be a huge hit. He also told me school is easy this year. Huh?? I told him he couldn't base that on the first day, as it was a light day. But he loved the online Science program. Another purchase through the Homeschool Co-op. A friend in DC mentioned it and I checked it out and signed us up for Life Science and Earth Science. It is the CyberEd class. So far, that's great.
Tomorrow we're going to do another light day, but still get some work done. I bought and washed five Haines t-shirts so they're ready for Thomas to decorate at will. I have a bunch of dyes, fabric markers, paints, etc., for him. I am going to make him a homeschool t-shirt, so he only gets to make four shirts. We've done this over the years and he loves his homemade shirts. So I'll have to dig my camera out tomorrow to bring back some pictures here.
Well,l the sleeping pill has kicked in. Hopefully I'll sleep, and sleep through the night, and not have any more weird dreams. Hopefully I'll be alert and refreshed tomorrow. (I'm betting we take a nap again, but we'll persist until we get a good routine down!)
8 comments:
We started back into it this week and my T loves his grammar book, too. We're using "Growing with Grammar," the grade 3 set. Now I'm just dying to know what your T is using.
And, about the Spanish... why don't you just move your town closer to my town. Just call everybody up and get those buildings on wide-haulers, okay? I'll wait while you do that.
Okay, did you get that done yet? :-) Anyway, I do speak Spanish and we decided we're doing Spanish as a family. Lessons for L also include knowing when I'm cussing him out in Spanish in return for some good lessons on how to tell when he's cussing me out in French.
We get our materials through the library system and we've fallen in like (not exactly love) with the Usborne kits. There are various ones for younger folks, slightly older folks and just folks in general. Then, we go in to the Big Town and hang out at the Mexican grocery and yak away with the owners and their kids.
Oh, almost forgot... we also have some more local friends from Chile that we like to talk with in Spanish. The only problem with that is that I taught them English when they immigrated here and they kind of prefer using their English. But, it works both ways well. :-)
I think I know what Spanish on US you are talking about. We use them. The kids actually like the instructor except for the fact that he talks so darned slow. It has a great teachers manual that has worksheets for the kids to use. We use the lessons with another HS family so we get practice in that way also. My suggestion would be to not use it if Thomas doesn't like it. He isn't going to learn with something that doesn't interest him. At least that is the way it goes in this house...lol. Good luck!
Oh, I also have a link for *free* Rosetta Stone Spanish if you are interested in that.
Not sure what to tell you there. My kids are speaking Spanish because there are so many Latinos around here, ell, we just pick it up. That and I LOVE our cheap little Mexican restaurant right down the road! Muy bueno!
Our grammar book is Grammar Rules! and after today, we're still both pleased. We need to give it more time, though.
Ms. Pickle, yes I'm sure it's the same Spanish program we're talking about on US. And that was one of Bob and my biggest beefs was that the instructor talked SOOO slow.
I don't know what we'll do yet...there's plenty of time to figure it out.
karmin, I have thought of going to our local Mexican restaurant for practice.
Andrey, I'll have to check out Usborne's kits. I would love to move my house out of here -- nah, I'd love to just move. If I'm dreaming, I'll dream big: I want a bigger hosue in the process! ha
How many languages do you speak?
I had to chuckle, a homeschool t-shirt. Boy was wearing his, wasn't he.
Good luck with the language, our group is trying to find a spanish teacher to come in, with no luck at this point.
In the order I learned them: English, Spanish, Latin, French. I speak Spanish & French equally well, but my French has a somewhat "spanish edge" to the accent. I read and write in French much better than in Spanish. I studied Latin throughout high school and into college, but haven't kept up with it well.
I'm also trying to pick up a bit of low German as well. We have Hutterites and many Mennonites around here. I love to go up to one of the Hutterite colony every now and then to visit with a couple of friends.
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