A Tale of Two Japanese Programs

A few years ago when Z decided he wanted to learn Japanese, I had a mini-breakdown, sort of. I made sure he understood that it would not be me teaching him Japanese, it would be us learning together.

I searched to find the right program, one that would be audio and visual and teach grammar and writing. Irasshai was that program. Because of life and other pressing academic matters we started and stopped a few times. We poked at it with a stick. This year we started full-time effort. The Irasshai program reminds me of how you would learn foreign language in high school. The videos on GPB feature Tim-sensei breaking it down into palatable chunks for us. We're using the textbook and workbook to make it a full and rich program.

However, here comes the cons, it does move slowly. Not OMG! Would you move already slowly, but incrementally to make sure all students are progressing.

Because I like to make things difficult and because ds's interest allows us to move at a faster pace, I added a second Japanese program, Beginning Japanese by Tuttle. It includes a text, workbook, and website, timeforjapanese.com. I like it as well, but it moves at a faster pace. It introduces kanji in chapter 1, it assumes you will know hiragana and katakana early on. It is probably best used when there is a trained Japanese teacher available, or a motivated student. In my case I have the second.

The pros of this program are you feel like you're reading and using Japanese, even after the first chapter. They also have a website with access to teacher material. I e-mailed for access and received approval right away. The website also features the dialogues in the book. These are great because they speak at a natural speed. Irasshai is mostly classroom speaking, s.l.o.w.e.r. so you catch pronunciation. They have some video dialogues as well, but the audio isn't as crisp as the recordings from Beginning Japanese.

Right now we are merging the two programs, switching around each week. Irasshai has two volumes that break down into three years of study. Beginning Japanese is followed up by Intermediate Japanese with Advanced Japanese not yet available.

Which is better? Neither. They both serve a function. It really does depend on how motivated your student is and if you, as the teacher, will be learning alongside them.

The Art of Poetry: A Review

Z and I have been taking a break from our regular literature to venture into The Art of Poetry from Classical Academic Press.* I received these books right before we moved and we haven't been able to implement them until lately. The more I read from this book, the more impressed I am. While it has been a long time since I have formally studied poetry, I was the kid who wrote little poems in her free time. Sometimes in class when I was supposed to be doing other assignments. So I approach this subject with appreciation for poetry and not a lot of formal background to teach.

We dabbled with other poetry programs, but this one struck me as different right away. The ART of Poetry, the clue is in the name. Some programs have you working on meter and rhyme scheme in the first few lessons. The Art of Poetry leads you into appreciating poetry first, dissecting it later. The first chapter is on Images, appreciating the WORDS of the poem first. As a classical educator, I find that a breath of fresh air. Even Z, who kind of raised an eyebrow when I mentioned studying poetry again, has enjoyed the lessons. He's added one of the poems from chapter one to his memory work, which he aced yesterday.

We've also added a fun activity suggested in chapter one, word association. We've played several times and it is so interesting to see the direction it takes. We start off with one of us saying a word and then the other states a word associated with that. I wrote them down and we took turns trying to stump each other. Our first foray into the game took us from the word graph to Mom, filling a whole page of words in between including yak, Veggie Tales, and Gandalf. It's a great exercise to show how people will approach any writing from the own perspective.

The layout of the program is such that you can take several weeks or multiple years to finish. There are two sections, The Elements of Poetry and the Formal History of Poetry. There is also a section with short biographies on the poets, which has been most helpful. Because our school year has involved a long distance move (otherwise known as the year of chaos) we're opting to take two to three years to finish the program. We're completing two to three chapters this year and at least finishing section one next year.This is exactly the type of program I've been searching for. The scheduling can be flexible, but it is meaty enough to encompass multiple years, and fitting for middle school through high school.

The real joy of this book is the Teacher's Edition, which was freshly published when I received my copy. It's an exact copy of the student book with copious amounts of teaching notes. If you don't understand poetry or feel like you need help to wade through the works of Dickinson and Yeats, this is for you. The teacher's material answers all questions found in the student book. It's done in a way that you are drawn into the work, not reminded of what you don't know about poetry.

If you are looking for a comprehensive poetry program that will help you teach without being intimidated, this may be for you.


*standard disclaimer: I received a copy of the TE and the student book from CAP free to review and use. My review of the product is my own and was not determined by the fact I received the materials gratis.

Transition, a new science sourcebook, and fleece pants

Our transition is still in process. Today I'm sitting in our cozy bungalow that is 90% completed. Completed as in ready to move into, not that all of our stuff is here. But we now have internet and we'll be able to breath again. Okay, I know living without internet is not the end of the world, but it's part of our educational budget and our entertainment. Especially this winter. This will be our first winter back where it gets cold. By cold I mean you have to sleep in socks for more than two nights out of the year. By cold I mean own a coat and wear it. By cold I mean being thankful for buying the fuzzy Old Navy scarf before we moved.

I had to go buy a couple of pairs of fleece pants. The other day I had on four layers on my torso, tank top, long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, and jacket. Yuck! But we're here and I must adapt (or hibernate, which is entirely possible with the internet and homeschooling ;)

Speaking of hibernating today I have been curled up with the above book The Sourcebook for Teaching Science. This was a fantastic find on amazon. It's geared for grades 6-12 and written for science teachers. As the mother of a child who likes science I'm excited about this resource. I just received it today (thank you Amazon Prime!) and have thumbed through the first seven chapters. Not only will Z learn a lot from this book, I will too. There are chapters on the vocabulary of science, reading of science materials, and writing on science. This will be most helpful for developing those skills needed to write a proper science paper. The companion website is also full of links and hints.

An adult who desires to expand their understanding of science could find this a valuable tool as well. If you combined this resource with the book Science Matters, a book on Scientific literacy, you could have a great self-education course covering the major areas of science.

It's warmer out today and so I ventured outside. However, this evening I will probably pull on those fleece pants, settle down in the quiet of my new house, and enjoy my new science book. Tomorrow I'll finish organizing the kitchen.

A Review: The History of the Medieval World

As a regular poster on the Well-Trained Mind message boards I was excited when Susan Wise Bauer herself offered a preview online copy of her latest book, The History of the Medieval World, to posters in exchange for a review. Excitedly I rushed off my e-mail to Peace Hill Press with a please, thank you, yes, I'd love a copy.

It arrived and my first words were "Whoa!" or maybe "Wow!" All 741 pages of the proof copy. I discovered a few things in a short period of time.

1. I have a really hard time reading any book online. As a budding (would-be, going to be, hopeful) novelist I even print off my copy to read. As much as I love technology I will be one of the last people to order a Kindle.

2. This time period is fascinating! We are currently studying the Middle Ages and there are many things about this time period I a) never learned, b) have forgotten, or c) wasn't paying attention during that class period. My best guess would be "a".

I should preface my review by stating I received this proof copy free in exchange for a review, good or bad. I should also state that while we have homeschooled for 6 years now this is only our second year using a classical method. Our history programs prior to last year have not included world history. Unfortunately, I can't go back and change that.

I will also state I did not finish reading this book in its entirety. I focused on the areas where we were at in our school studies and then returned to the front of the book, but have not read as far as I would have liked.

If you could rate books on their density this would be a medicine ball not a basketball. The way this book is formatted is great. You can pick a chapter and read from that. I found it most helpful as we finished our study of Charlemagne. I would read about him and then turn to the logic stage materials we are using in class with a greater depth of understanding.

My only concern about this book is the short period of time it covers. According to the table of contents the chapters start at year 312 and the book ends at year 1129. In comparison Story of the World vol. 2 covers a much larger time period.

After delving into this material I can understand why. My only real memory of this time period from high school is people conquering, killing, and moving. This book covers not only the Western Civilization but the Eastern Hemisphere as well. It is a true world history book.

My concern for this comes from those that might be planning a four-year history rotation for the rhetoric level. Although this book is quite readable I can see where some students might struggle to read this book and then continue in another history text all in one year. I have not searched to see if there is an answer to this issue, but I'm sure there is a viable solution.

If you can only order one book on this period of time, I'd recommend this one. It would be a wonderful resource for self-education, rhetoric level studies, or even as reference book. I plan to order a print copy for myself.

The History of the Medieval World is available at Amazon or from the Peace Hill Press store. For a limited time if you order from PHP you can request an autographed copy.

Asian Studies? How LCC of You

I recently posted a rough draft of our schedule for next year. It includes Asian Studies for history, geography, and lit. If you also notice we follow the Latin-Centered Curriculum as our educational model. If you are confused because you never read the page about Asian Studies in LCC, don't be, it's not there.

Z is currently fascinated with the Japanese language, stemming from his interests in Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, and Naruto. He has asked numerous times to learn the Japanese language. Not wanting to waste an educational opportunity I have worked Japanese into our schedule for next year. What about Greek? We started Greek last year and after our experience I had already opted to keep the Greek fun and perhaps work it in at the high school level. We'll discuss Latin in a moment.

Because we entered the classical model of education at the fifth grade level Z missed some of the richness that classical provides at early elementary level. One of those was world history. Our previous curriculum focused on US History and took a more social studies approach to history. We missed many of the rich history of the Asian culture. Last year we focused mainly on Greek and Roman history, this year we are studying the Middle Ages. Next year my goal was to hit the Renaissance/Reformation period and Moderns in 8th. So going back to Asian studies to hit what we missed in previous year seems very in medias res of me.

My current plan is to use a history text as a spine touching only on the chapter on Asian history. We will then take a deeper look at the East Asian countries of Japan, Korea, and China. We'll also finish our three year world geography tour on the Asian continent. We'll also add in art with Japanese calligraphy, origami, possibly silk painting, or wood block printing.

I've very excited and have already picked resources for many of these areas. Pssst - many of these items were already sitting on my bookshelves.

Latin will still be our main language. Latin, math, and composition will still be our core subjects. Following an LCC will actually give us the time needed to pursue Z's current passion. So perhaps it is very LCC of us to take the time to explore Asia.

Mid-Year Mix it up & Mayhem

Getting back to school after a long Christmas break has been hard. It's like a good stretch, it hurts a little, but you know it's good for you. We're mixing up a few things on this second half of the school year.

We have finished our reading of Science Matters and have moved into our biology/anatomy study. Biology is not Z's favorite science, it doesn't involving setting anything on fire and he doesn't like looking at dead animals. In the last year we have found a dead dragonfly, bumble bee, and a tiny frog in our yard. Me, being the curious one, have brought them into the house, photographed them, gazed at them under the microscope, and then placed them back into the wild to be a part of the "circle of life". Z made a face, took a quick look, and left the room. He nearly gagged at my suggestion of dissecting the frog, he was already deceased. I opted to delay the lab portion of biology as well and we put the frog back outside in the yard.

As much as I love CW Homer, we have put it on hold for a few months. It was simply moving too quickly for us. We are concentrating on R&S Grammar and a few workbooks on paragraph writing. I'm hoping later this spring to return to Homer and then finish it up next year. I had a brief moment of panic before I chose to take this action. Then I remembered when I purchased the Homer OB book my plan was to spread it out over two years if necessary. Panic attack averted, I'm actually following my plan. :svengo: (that's the fainting smiley code).

Math is progressing well. We are finishing up the LOF decimals and percents book this month and then we will move into LOF pre-algebra (biology). I'm also continuing with the Dolciani pre-algebra book as needed. The LOF pre-algebra book just fit too well into our studies this semester, I couldn't pass it up. We'll meld the LOF with Dolciani for the rest of the year and next year with our Algebra study as well.

Logic is another area where we have changed course a little. I do like Art of Argument, but I'm not sure he's getting the most use out of it at this point. The book is broken into two units and my plan is to finish unit one and then complete unit two next year. Part of that has to do with some long term planning goals and the fact I KNOW this child will need a good foundation in logic and reasoning skills. I still haven't decided 100% what we will do, but I'd like to have a logic/worldview/philosophy course going at all times and I'm still debating on curriculum.

I have seen the waves of maturity coming in for Z. His study habits are getting better. His ability to focus for a longer period of time is hit or miss. I can tell when he's going through a growth spurt and when he's just being a goof. I'm starting to hear a deeper tone of voice come from across the table. He's 4 1/2 inches away from being taller than me, he handed down socks to me, and we bought the same size gloves for our winter trip up north. I'm not sure if that is the mix it up part or the mayhem, but I think twelve is a great age for homeschooling. We keep a growth chart on the door frame in his bedroom. He's grown many inches so far this year. But that's not the only growth, I see it in his papers for school, his attitude towards life, his respect towards his family and himself. It's a journey and I'm glad I get to experience twelve with him.

Fahrenheit 451: Through the eyes of a child

I'll admit I might have had some ulterior motives to choosing Fahrenheit 451 as our read-aloud. I read it earlier this year for the first time and wondered why I waited so long. You can read my review here. One reason I wanted to read it to Z was because he has an affinity for the TV. He loves to keep it on even when he's doing something else. He's more likely to be found watching Mythbusters or the Military Channel than anything else, but I notice the Disney channel has been on less lately. That's okay with me.

His first remark about the book was "It's weird". We talked about the future as viewed from the eye of the 1950s. We discussed what technology is available today. We discussed what seems out of place in today's society, like the medical personnel smoking during a procedure.

He picked up on some of the finer points of the book and didn't balk when I almost cried over the burning of the books. We discussed about a few of the things that set us apart from others in society, the books we read being one of those.

We even discussed the generational appeal of the physical book, that encounter is posted here. In the end I was inspired to have us each become a book, in the sense that Montag is the book of Ecclesiastes. For Z I have chosen Goodnight Moon. I have many fond memories of reading this book to him when he was little. Reading it many times in one night. So our next memory work will be Goodnight Moon. I pray he will always carry that with him. He will always be that book, that book will always be a part of him.

I haven't decided what book I am yet. I'm writing a few, maybe that's who I am. There are bits and pieces of many of them in my head. Thankfully we still have the opportunity to pull them off the shelf and look up what we can't remember. What if that choice did not exist?

Curriculum for 2009/2010

Thanks to Darcy for putting together this August Blog Hop. I've finally finalized our plans, which is great considering we start school next week. This will be our second year use The Latin-Centered Curriculum as our model, which worked wonderfully for us last year. Every year we do a theme. The theme for this year is The Journey: Treasure Quest. It seems fitting for what we have planned for the year:

Latin - Latin for Children B. We're looking forward to furthering our Latin this year and checking out the cool new DVDs from CAP featuring Supra Vir.

Writing/Grammar - Classical Writing Aesop & Homer for Older Beginners. Homer recently underwent surgery in my house, yes that's a scalpel in my hand. I unbound the workbooks and put them in a binder to make them easier to use.



Math - Math, math, math. Normally science is my wishy-washy subject for the new year. It has been math this year. Now my plan is to finish Life of Fred Decimals & Percents and then move into a 1972 Dolciani pre-algebra program. I also have Singapore CWP 5 to supplement.

Logic - The Art of Argument. If ever a child needed to learn how to argue it would be mine. Z is a master of negotiation and hence this is part of the molding into a young man that I deem necessary.

History - Famous Men of the Middle Ages is our main text. We will also use "the Story of the Middle Ages" and many historical books to fill in this fascinating time of history.

Science - Science Matters, which is a book I reviewed a few weeks ago. Absolutely fascinating, I think any parent who is confused about science should make this a must read.

Literature - We will read about King Arthur & Robin Hood as our main texts. I've chosen Roger L. Green for King Arthur and Howard Pyle for Robin Hood.

Geography - This is a continuation of our world geography study from last year. In year two we will focus on Asia, Africa, Australia & Oceania, and Antartica. Lots of As in there.

Religion - we will focus on the history of the church for this period. Z will also do a short study on Proverbs for boys and I have some fascinating Louie Giglio DVDs to expand our horizons.

Art/Music - we will study one period, genre, or artist each month.

I'm truly looking forward to starting back next week. Z is not as excited, but I can't wait to see what new adventures this year will hold.

A Quiet Victory

Z is a reluctant writer. He does not lack in the imagination department and can tell wonderful stories, the struggle has been to get him to put them down on paper. This year I bit the bullet and purchased Classical Writing's Aesop B for our grammar and writing program. Yesterday we finished the eighteen week program.

I am so proud of Z, he has moved forward greatly in his writing. We are still working on getting all of those wonderful creative ideas onto paper but he has made real progress. I give credit to Classical Writing for that. It is a deep and rich program. If it were chocolate it would one of those creamy decadent kind. You know the kind that you put into your mouth and simply let it melt because of its texture. Okay, now I've just made myself hungry. Anyway, we could redo the entire book and have a completely different experience. It is that kind of savory experience with a curriculum that I desire.

Z has even said that one of the fun parts of school is diagramming sentences. I know he is my child, but that is not something he picked up from Tigger or I. So there is hope that he will be smarter than both us. :)

Because of my experience with Aesop I have no qualms, although a little bit of stage fright, about moving onto their next level, Homer. We won't dig into that until fall. Until then we are going to work on CW's Poetry for Beginners A. Z keeps telling me that poetry is girly. I simply raise my eyebrows because I know better. I'm currently reading The Iliad and there isn't a "girly" aspect to it. I truly think he will enjoy the poetry, he loves to memorize song lyrics and we are always playing goofy rhyming games.

Armed with CW Aesop we have won another battle. There are no trumpets, no banners, and no war games to coincide with this triumph, but it is victory just the same.

Drive Thru History: Greece

If you're like me you've had some teaching on Ancient Greece, although Z might say it was in the ancient days. Twenty-five years does seems like a long time, yes do the math, I'm 41. If you're also like me you might have had some biblical history thrown in via Sunday School, messages from your pastor, etc.

So if this were a visual I'd be holding up both arms wide apart. I'd shake my right hand and say "On one hand you have Greek History" and then I'd shake my left hand "On the other hand you have biblical history, and never the two shall meet." At least that has been my experience. So these histories are as far apart as my arm span, which honestly is not that far, I have short arms. You can't mention God in the public schools and you don't hear so much about ancient Greek culture in Sunday School.

Drive thru History: Greece solves that dilemma. The three videos on this DVD weave Greek culture into biblical history in a way that is fun and educational. To top it off Dave Stotts is a hoot. He seems to possess a humor that is similar to that of me and Z, so he is very welcome in our classroom.

These DVDs are produced from a Christian perspective however I believe anyone interested in biblical history should watch these. They do not come off as overly evangelistic, IMO. I would also say that anyone who in using the neo-classical or classical model for education should watch these. We are using MOH (Mystery of History) as our history/religion course and this DVD ties in nicely with their schedule. If you have not studied biblical history and how it relates to the ancient cultures this DVD ties them together nicely.

I would rate this DVD as PG. Z is eleven and I did not find anything I would discern as objectionable in this DVD. However he does discuss some of the less savory habits of the ancient world, but it is done tastefully. There is also artwork scrolled that depicts ancient life. These are more pencil-like drawings and I did not see any true "nudes" however you might want to preview for your family's standards.

I had been wanting to buy these as I have caught some episodes on TV, but it was never a priority in the budget, kwim. Our local movie store did not carry them, so we requested them from Netflix. I'm learning to love Netflix and the other installments of Drive Thru History have been added to our queue.

Go Hypothesize!

Z and I have these cards. It's simply a deck of regular playing cards with a different scientist on each number or face card. Today we decided to make up our own game using them. Well, it was basically Go Fish but with a twist. Instead of calling out the value of the card we had to use the scientist name. If we didn't have that card instead of saying "Go Fish" we said "Go Hypothesize" and then that person drew a card from the deck. It was fun and educational. I know Z learned a lot in that fifteen minutes of play. One thing I learned is that it is possible to still laugh and learn at the END of the school day. We haven't done that in a while.

Latin For Children "A" : Our Review

We are in week 5 of using Latin for Children, also know as LFC. Click on the picture to go to the publisher's website. Z and I are enjoying this program a lot. I have had no Latin training so I ordered an extra workbook to complete on my own. I think Z likes that we are doing something together.

I had four years of Spanish in high school and amazed at how similar many of Spanish words are to Latin. I also find myself speaking Latin with a Spanish accent, quite by accident.

This curriculum clicks with Z, who is very wiggly. Perhaps it is the DVD's which we watch on Mondays. On Tuesdays we work on our chant and march through the house military style while doing so. We also carry toy rifles and I pretend to be a Latin drill sargeant. It makes Z laugh, but it also helps with memorization. The format for each week also helps.

Week five is a review week and he has retained the information quite well. I agonized for weeks over which Latin program to choose. I am pleased to feel I made the right choice.

We liked it so well we ordered the "Greek Alphabet Code Cracker" also published by the same company. We have only completed one lesson, but it too is a hit. Well that's for another review.
Have a blessed and happy day.