Does anyone else do this program? This is our 1st full year (we did half a year last year). I was overwhelmed last year, but thought it was due to starting half way through the year. I was constantly modifying assignments for my kids because they were too challenging. This year I was hopeful things would be more manageable, starting from the beginning. I find myself feeling like CC gets in the way of our school work though. I've been using the Weekly Checklist for assignments, but there is so much to do that if I dropped ALL other work for them, I think we could manage. It's way too much work, and still overwhelming for me to teach. Does everyone else do all the work assigned? Any suggestions for how I can schedule this with my kids better, or educate myself better so I'm not so overwhelmed? Currently we spend an hour per day, four days per week, on Essentials. Two days are on EEL and two days are on IEW. We get about half the work done though, if that! My kids are so frustrated with the grammar charts that it's tears everyday that they have to copy those charts, and when I quiz them, they are learning NOTHING from it. The IEW is not as bad, they enjoy that more, but I just want to throw those darn charts at the wall! Does anyone ever actually learn them well enough to write them from memory (which is the goal each week, at least with our group). Any help would be very appreciated! I LOVE our group and LOVE the program...but we are personally struggling with this beyond belief! Thanks!
Here's what I can tell you... we previewed the program for a day last year and decided against it. I have a friend who decided to go for it. She constantly complains to me about the same things you're complaining about. They spend 2 hours a day just on CC stuff, they're not able to get together with us to play anymore, yada, yada, yada. She likes the charts, but they drag on forever when they're being copied! If we were doing a one-room-schoolhouse approach, I'd love CC. We're not, though. We're homeschooling according to our own needs and wants, and we don't have a classroom full of kids at multiple levels learning the same stuff ... and needing busy work. Just keep in mind that CC is optional - like everything else you do. If an assignment is dragging out forever, modify it. Don't worry about what other kids, parents, or tutors say.
Thank you for your advice. Yes, I know we don't have to do it all, but I feel like everyone else does! LOL! I need to ask around how they do it. Maybe part of the problem is stamina with my kids, they get frustrated pretty quickly.
I do know that my one friend has used it with her son. He has some difficulty, and the emphasis on memorization has really helped with him.
I have a feeling a lot of kids are doing everything because (1) CC is the only thing they do, and/or (2) they're trying to keep up with everyone else (perceiving that everyone else is doing everything).
