Much needed advice please

[Montreal_Marisa]

OLVS will send you a sample of their lesson plans so you  can take a look. I heard from a student that used OLVS all the way  through that the only thing she would change was the art--it's a lot of  coloring.

 
  I noticed that, OLRS has a better art program it seems.  My son  has already shown some natural artistic skills, I want to cultivate  that for sure.
 

[Montreal_Marisa]

Just a note; I used OLRS  several years ago and was very disappointed in the quality of their  materials....most seemed xeroxed at best; plus it was quite expensive!

OLVS is very reasonable.....around $500.00 for all books and tuition for kindergarten.

My  daughter's #2 child will be starting kindergarten this year and the  expense will be much less; as we have the teacher's manuals, etc.

Maybe prayers to St. Thomas Aquinas will help you make your final decision?

J.M.J.

Mary

 
  I think I will have to pray to St. Thomas Aquinas, I can't seem to make  up my mind and the window of decision making time is closing by the  day.  What do you think of the Catholic National Reader?  Do  you find it difficult?  Alternatives?
 

[Sophia]

We use OLVS and it is without a doubt the best I've found!

 

What books  do they use?  Do they use their own publications or reprints?

 

Oooops.  I misread that, and thought you wrote "OLRS"

That's the one I was wondering about. 

[Sophia]

The Catholic National Reader is not a good text for a primer in my opinion.  I returned my copy and got the American Cardinal Reader Primer instead which was much easier on the eyes and less intimidating, but even that is a bit more advanced than typical primer level.  I used the Catholic National Reader book three this last year, and was very pleased with it, but my older children were already fluent readers by that time, so it worked well.  The little stories are very nice if you have a reluctant reader who is not quite ready to read books on his own.  The "Living My Religion" series for religion first books are very good for primer level too.

 

For beginning primer level I prefer the Angel Readers and a handful of other early readers, including Alpha-Phonics (not a perfect text, but ok.) 

[Montreal_Marisa]

Thank God for you ladies, I'd be lost without your help!
 

[Aeroharop]

Hi ladies,

 

I am a third year Seton homeschooler, and I used Kolbe for the first five years.  I must admit that I don't see much "modernity" in Seton, I do see a whole lot of fidelity to our Faith.  We use the DR Bible because it is recommended, evolution is Not taught as fact (Creation Rediscovered is used as supplemental text in High School), and the Faith and Freedom Readers were written well before the shenanigans of the 60s started working their poison on Catholic texts.

 

They have their own Catholic phonics courses, use Voyages in English along with their own Catholic English workbooks, science is deeply informed by the Faith etc.  American History starts with Spain and France colonizing N. America, and converting the natives.  We study the Saints who spread the Faith here.

 

Many of the books have full color, are engaging and well, I really like the structure too (I'm a fan, can you tell )!

 

Just my 2 cents...

 

Aeroharp

[Marybonita]

Seton is an "Indult" course if I can use that analogy which tries to marry tradition to the post-VII Church. That means the curriculum must be interfaith-friendly and must emphasize the Novus Ordo - two items which are anathema to traditional Catholicism.

The material is attractive-looking but I learned years ago that content - not the package - are what prove the worth of a course.

Here's a caveat: Even traditional textbooks may have problems in them. For example, the highly-praised (and rightly so) course Our Quest For Happiness doesn't use the Douay-Rheims Bible verses. The famous crushing of the head of the serpent is therefore done by Mary's seed rather than the Blessed Virgin Mary herself.

In general, the best aspect though of a traditional Catholic provider is the comfort a parent enjoys that we are giving our children the best available Catholic education with few pitfalls.

One of the best activities is to familiarize yourself with traditional Catholic writers and search local second-hand bookstores for older versions of Aesop's Fables or readers used in the local Catholic Schools in the 1950's and earlier.

I recently acquired a Geometry text from an antique dealer for $2 and a good talk on Catholicism.

In JMJ

[Montreal_Marisa]

I just got a 1945 Catholic prayer book for my 4 year old.  I have a  prayer journal, and he wanted one too.  He's soooo cute about the  rosary. 
   
  That's a great idea about antique dealers MaryBonita!  It would be  cheaper than what I just paid for the prayer book for sure!   Perhaps a used book store would be another great place?  I'll have  to check out my old haunts when I'm back in Ohio in a few weeks.
 

[Aeroharop]

"Seton is an "indult" course if I can use that analogy which tries to marry tradition to the post-VII Church.  That means the curriculum must be interfaith-friendly and must emphasize the Novus Ordo - two items which are anathema to traditional Catholicism." 

Oh, now I understand what you were saying.  I do see the NO  assumed to be the Mass attended, but I am not so sure about "interfaith-friendly", it simply does not come up in the early grades that I have seen.  I'll look harder...

 

A thought, however, even with the problems you mentioned it seems to me that one can work around this with Seton, at least in the Grades K-7 (what I have experience with).  I would be dismayed to see Seton written off as 'unfit for Catholics,' because they do teach so much about our Faith, our Saints and culture.  That  Traditional Catholic parents might wish for more emphasis on certain things perhaps would not be a surprise, but I am not so sure the stumbling blocks are insurmountable.

 

I will take your advice and look for used book dealers in my area; funny,  I already love thrift stores, gardening and inexpensive (free!) fun, but I never thought about used-book dealers.  Well!  It's summer, and school won't start for us until September...

 

Aeroharp

[Sophia]

What I've seen with some Seton texts is that they tend to emphasize the modern saints that the late JP II canonized, which can be a controversy with trads.  Another thing is the choice of pictures for Mass reflect the NOM and not the traditional Mass.  Those are things that just stand out to me.