SC Levels 2019-2020

[GraceEllen]

Hello!

We are nearing the end of our academic year here. SC has worked beautifully for us with my three sons and I've seen great progress as well.

How do you all assess for the next year, in terms of progress, placement and any customizations?

This curriculum has been such a gift to our family this past year!!!

"Thank you", does not suffice!

[enbateau]

I can only speak for graduating SC B. First, I bought SC C for the next year anyway. My son has made tremendous strides within the curriculum, although there were definitely things we never got to, didn't finish, or that he didn't master. The driving factor in the decision to press forward is meeting 75% or better on the assessment for the next level up and his burgeoning ability to decode CVC words and understand number concepts 1-10. His writing is still almost nonexistent. He is still hit or miss with greater than/less than, determining the number that comes before or between a number, and visual discrimination (which object is different or which two are the same). While I know I can print more worksheets on these concepts, I've been told by a developmental psychologist that most cognitive abilities just come when they come, regardless of how much you work on them. Also, while my little guy's coloring has exponentially improved, he still needs daily reminders to outline the shape first and color inside the lines. And it's still not super neat. He's 5 and a boy, though. Cheryl had a great recommendation to pair color. Next year, I'm looking to fade those prompts and outlining help. But he literally cannot write almost anything. . We had to delay the R&S books by 12 weeks, so we're just now finishing them up with scaffolding (he traced my dashed outlines after he orally gave me the answers).

I've looked through much of next year's curriculum, and it boggles my mind that he'll be able to do it. SC C has a "Skills to Develop During the Program" that you can pre-test before you start and post-test when you're done. When it comes to writing letters top to bottom, left to right, with good spacing and on a line, I cannot wait to see him do it. It's funny how kids just miraculously grow over the summer, really honing their fine and gross motor skills and cognitively maturing. By delaying the R&S books so long, he was actually able to do them instead of crying all the time. We just wait for the adjustments when we meet them in real time. We play catch up as needed.

[GraceEllen]

Thank you, Enbateau!

I'm hoping to make some progress & hopefully a big order before the end of this week.

Still muddling through.

[GraceEllen]

Today is our last day of "formal schooling" until September. I'm going over the assessments this afternoon & looking at the SC 2 book Appendix. I don't know how I missed the Recitation section! I'm usually so thorough in preparation.

I'm thinking that I'll incorporate this into our summer "review".

God-willing, I'm hoping to get through all of this in time to place an order!

[jen1134]

We had to set aside recitation this year but I'm hoping to get back on track with it in the fall. Don't worry if you can't get to it over the summer as it is all reviewed in SC3

[GraceEllen]

Thanks, Jen.☺️

I'm not to a full assessment yet, but is there a way to blend SC 3 & 4?

I think my oldest is ready for the SC content but I don't want to skip over the SC 3 materials without making sure he's really developed the skills needed to move forward. I tend to be systematic to a fault.

[jen1134]

Thanks, Jen.☺️

I'm not to a full assessment yet, but is there a way to blend SC 3 & 4?

I think my oldest is ready for the SC content but I don't want to skip over the SC 3 materials without making sure he's really developed the skills needed to move forward. I tend to be systematic to a fault.

I haven't done Level 4 yet (starting this fall), so I'm not sure. But I'm pretty sure this is the reason they have the American History books for SC3 Enrichment. The content is more appealing to older students, so they are able to focus on building skills while still expanding their comprehension and appreciation in content areas.

[GraceEllen]

That's helpful!

[cherylswope]

Hello!

We are nearing the end of our academic year here. SC has worked beautifully for us with my three sons and I've seen great progress as well.

How do you all assess for the next year, in terms of progress, placement and any customizations?

This curriculum has been such a gift to our family this past year!!!

"Thank you", does not suffice!

"You are welcome" does not suffice, GraceEllen.

Usually students can transition smoothly from one level of SC to the next. We provide the optional (free) 8-week extension as a "cushion" if you need it. You can use this for light schooling the remainder of the summer in any area you want to strengthen or for review. If you teach from this, you can add the SC 2 recitations to the 8 weeks.

[GraceEllen]

Thank you, Cheryl.

I have seen in the forum some children are going through two levels a year, i.e. 3/4.

Do you recommend that kind of customization in some situations?

[GraceEllen]

Maybe if we do the "full" level 3, my son will be ready to progress more quickly once his writing is better established?

He's come so far in the last months with his reading, and doesn't want "baby books". But I think even in level three he will find the books interesting.

[GraceEllen]

You also recommended some customizations last year, would it be better to pm all of that information?

[cherylswope]

Good morning, GraceEllen.

Last night became too late to answer, as my daughter and I are reading the delightfully illustrated Reluctant Dragon at bedtime and *needed* to learn what would happen next before turning out the lights for sleep.


Yes, I unearthed those emails from May, 2018. Your daughter and two younger boys seem poised to move on in a manner one would expect. MP 9, SC 1, SC B respectively.

I can see why it is not quite so easy with your oldest son. His reading, spelling, and writing were low, but he was 9 at the time and still able to read from some "younger" books. Even so, we discussed omitting SC 2's STT if you were teaching from SC Writing, which you did. Similarly, you might simply move to SC 3, customize upward again for math, and omit SC 3's MSTT. We often do this with older students.

If this would suffice, I think the American history content will challenge him. Not only are the books and chapters much longer, but he will gain heroes. As an expat family, you may appreciate remembering the principles on which the country is founded. As a family of bilingual children, you may appreciate the much lengthier American history read-alouds written to broaden his vocabulary and comprehension in English. Initially these will be read-alouds, but as your oldest son moves through them he will begin to read portions himself.

If you remain concerned that even with the above modifications this will be too low, retake the assessment, www.classicalspecialneeds.com. See where he scores on SC 3, 4, 5&6. Report back here or by email, cherylswope@memoriapress.com.

I would not want you to over-purchase and thereby over-commit your time by trying to teach both SC 3 and SC 4. Perhaps we can pull together the components he needs. For example, SC 4's TS I and CS:LA might be very good for him right now.

Let's do this ...

Email me with these:
- his current age and interests,
- any new diagnoses, as testing was a possibility last year,
- results from the readiness assessments for SC 3, 4, 5&6 in the same manner as you provided last spring.

I feel certain we can customize an SC program for him that will not only address his language, writing, and reading needs but also his dignity as a young man.

[GraceEllen]

Wonderful, Cheryl. Thank you.