Need help teaching Language Arts

There are some software reveiws on this site, but no central location that I know of. When I was a grad student at U. of South Carolina, we had an educational software lab so people could try thigns out. There’s a lot of edutainment stuff out there that really has no educational value to speak of — I think it was Dave Edyburn who did some research on the actual process of educational software development and lots of that stuff was “tested” on the offspring of the developers, and that was it. Software that has good pedagogy behind it costs more.
That said, Sunburst has some good stuff as does Don Johnston.
Another important issue is that language skills really are hard to teach via software, especially vocabulary. However, there are lots of SAT prep things out there. I’ve put some vocab. stuff online at my site, ttoo — www.resourceroom.net — look in “reading comprehension” and scroll down for “vocabulary exercises — word parts.”

Thanks, I will search under those publishers. A few years back we used this Language Tutor progam to supplement our home study program. I think it helped two of my guys even though they were resistent. If there isn’t time to teach or you need to juggle several kids at once it is better than not doing anything to try and help them.

Friends of ours who have kids in the area enrolled in LD schools state that the school is teaching nearly all the language arts and reading by computer. IMHO, I expect teachers to deliver the bulk of the curriculum when the tuition is 14-17K. However, they must be getting some sort of progress using software or the school wouldn’t be fully enrolled. One such software program used is “Expressways to Learning”. I viewed this briefly at a demonstration party and it seemed to be set up like the Phonographix program, but delivered absent a tutor. My older guys are beyond this level and so we didn’t buy into this, but I admired some of the concepts behind this.

If I could find something that continually repeats and corrects grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules, it would be great. Although I was able to teach them to read , I am not very qualified to teach all the rest. My patience wears thin when starting with a capital and ending with a period has to be repeated for five years before it becomes routine.

I found an interesting software that Alpha Omega puts out. My daughter responds well to the math, history, science and language arts. She is a multi-sensory learner so it helps her. EPS publishing has some interesting material-expensive but good for learners who don’t need all of the “movement” associated with some learning methods. Try researching them both.

Jenna,
Do you have the websit for Expressways to Learning? I am leaning more and more towards homeschooling my 4th grader next year. The software you mentioned may be something I would like to check out for my child.

I am also interested in this program. I have been homeschooling for 9 years now. I was able to locate this teaching/learning system at:

http://www.expresswaystolearning.com

GOOD LUCK!!

My *favorite* book for this is _When They Can’t Write_ by CHarlotte MOrgan. It builds in a lot of repetition and structure but with enough creativity and variety so that you don’t rend your garments and hair in frustration.
It’s published by York Press (www.yorkpress.com) and alas, is priced for schools and teachers — but IMHO worth the investment; if you get book and workbook, you’ve got the curriculum laid out for you.
Another excellent resource is Diana King’s _Writing Skills for the Adolescent,_ although this is more of a “here are 1000 ideas with an example or two— you come up with the repetition.” IT’s a whole lot cheaper, though. It’s at www.epsbooks.com .
I have not found a computer (program) smart enough to really work on grammar or even spelling. Lexia LEarning’s SOS software is good for up to middle school level reading decoding — Word Workshop is good for kids who wrestlewith the longer words (www.thewordworkshop.com).

Hi:

I’m a longtime poster but I want to stay anonymous for this post. My dd (status post kwashiorkor, CAPD, visual processing disorder, ADD, and sleep apnea, all remediated at this point, off meds, no current therapies) is currently in sixth grade and in an excellent school. Unfortunately, it is a little bit too excellent. Although the school currently serves average to gifted children, it began as a school for gifted children, and that is where its heart lies. Its average ERB scores are 95% across the board. (That means on average, the kids in this particular school are all gifted. Since in fact, about a third of the kids are only average to above average, the top third may actually be profoundly gifted.) At present this gifted thing only matters for mathematics, which has three tracks in the middle school. It will start to matter more in high school, as track determines what science and math courses you can take. The middle school kids in the top track take Prealgebra in fifth grade, “Basic Algebra” in sixth grade, Algebra I in seventh, and Geometry in eighth. The kids in the bottom track take Prealgebra (under a variety of different names) during each of their fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade years, managing to tread water mathematically by switching between series every year, so that they use textbooks which range from a solid 7th grade level in fifth grade to a high 8th grade level in eighth grade (by using an eighth grade “Basic Algebra” text covering 70% of what is typically taught in Honors Algebra I.) My kid is currently in the bottom track, and given that her 5th grade ERB scores put her at 56% math facts, and 80% math concepts, and given that the upper two math classes are at capacity anyway, they don’t wanna promote her. I therefore have made arrangements to send her to residential summer school in Virginia this summer, in order to take a fully accredited Algebra I course; which they agree corresponds to the info taught in their TOP sixth grade/BOTTOM eighth grade track’s Basic Algebra. Assuming successful completion of this course (which I expect) they will promote her to the MIDDLE group, thus allowing her to take their version of Algebra I in eighth grade, and Geometry in 9th. Now, I can basically hassle with them next year too, maybe arranging for her to take Algebra II at Wolfesboro summer after 7th grade in order to get permission for her to take Geometry in eighth grade, OR I can make arrangements for her to get the “gifted” label on her behind, thus making them look at her differently. (For my own part, I put no stock in this gifted sh*t, because 6 years ago, she was testing in the educable mentally retarded range, and now she’s functioning on the above average level across the board. However, her school doesn’t know that, and would probably think less of her if they did. (It would be “Gee! She’s an overachiever! Well, we don’t want her to feel too stressed out…”) So I figure it will be better to just get her the gifted label, as the only summer school programs they actually respect are those put on by the various Universities - Northwestern, Stanford, etc. - which sponsor talent searches.) I don’t want to move her because (1) she likes the school and her friends and (2) its rigorous English, Latin, Spanish, Science and Social Studies courses makes a better language development program than anything I could put together. Now, my kid will not get into Northwestern’s Talent Search due to her merely above average math scores on last year’s ERB. I don’t think that the sixth grade is scheduled to get ERB testing this year, although I also think she might make the cutoff if it did.) BUT if she takes Algebra I over the summer, I do think that she would NOT have any trouble getting a 540 on the math portion of her SAT in 7th grade. She is actually pretty good in math, and those SATs are really achievement tests not ability tests. Now, finally, here is my question:

How do you, as homeschoolers without standardized test scores or report cards, make application to the various talent search programs? I figure that’s what I’m gonna have to do; pretend I’m a homeschooler, and make application that way.

NT

Hi,
My name is Lillian. I check in with the message board from time to time. I saw your message and I was wondering did anyone respond to your question? Also, how are things working our with you and your daughter?

Since I may not hear from you for a while as you may not check in regularly as well I would like to ask you a question. It is a very simple question, but before you answer it I would like for you to sit down and meditate on the answer. Stepping outside of yourself and your stuff and focus for a while on your daughter. I noticed in your message that you stated, “I don’t want to move her…” What does your daughter want? Is she putting all of this pressure on you to attend Northwestern, Stanford, etc. Is she asking you if she can take the SAT in the seventh grade? Generally speaking, is she really happy in her present school environment? I know that I am asking more than one question, but please, really think it about it and write back to me, please. I would really love to hear from you. Take care.

Warmest regards,
Lillian