Pics of Getting Ready for RTR

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my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Pics of Getting Ready for RTR

Post by my3sons » Sun Jun 15, 2014 2:23 pm

Hi Ladies! :D I've had some ladies ask for pictures of getting ready for RTR, so I snapped some and thought I'd share them here. :D Before starting any HOD guide, it's a good idea to read through the entire "Introduction", as this helps us get ready for our year and understand the purpose of each box of the plans. While reading the "Introduction", I jot notes in the margins about the materials I want to choose to use. The pictures here reflect some of those choices, so your materials may be slightly different if you make different choices (i.e. you might use tabs and 1 very large 3 ring binder instead of having separate binders, etc.). :D I also look through the Appendix and read any sections I need to there, so that is always time well spent before starting too. Okay, here goes... :D (If you click on the pictures, they will be larger. :wink: )

Sticky tabs in the RTR Teacher's Guide for these sections:
Daily Plans, Oral Narration Tips, Written Narration Tips, Written Narration Skills, Dictation, Math, Poetry
***NOTE: You'd need a sticky tab for the Extensions if you are using those.
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History Notebooking Pages in 1 1/2 inch 3 ring binder, slide cover in front, have clear plastic sleeves on hand to insert pages as dc finish them.
Shakespeare Notebooking Pages in 1/2 inch 3 ring binder, slide cover in front, have clear plastic sleeves on hand to insert pages as dc finish them.
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Print Map Trek CD pages, place in 1 inch 3 ring binder, put in clear plastic sleeves back to back right away.
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*NOTE: You can print these one at a time as they come up in the plans too, if you'd rather not print them all now. I prefer to print them all at once as it saves time in the day to day.

Plan for "Drawn into the Heart of Reading". Put sticky notes in the Teacher's Guide and the Student book for the first genre you'll do, and choose your books.
I like to choose my DITHOR books all at the start of the year. I pick the genres we didn't do last year (as we are now on 3 days a week for DITHOR within the guides, and we get through about 5 genres). To pick books, I use HOD's book packs - I love HOD's book choices!!! :D I just look at the link on the web for the total number of days to spend on a book, divide the total number of pages of that book the number of days, and fill out the reading calendar in the Student Book. (I'm sharing an older index card plan from a few years back for us here, to show you 2 students planned out.) :D
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Label composition books for R & S English, Dictation, and Writing. (NOTE: Looseleaf lined notebook paper can be used for Writing entries instead of a composition book if you would like, as there are not as many entries. Or, still another option would be to get one 3-subject spiral notebook, as it already comes with 3 divided sections.) :D

For the Writing box portion of the plans, follow the directions in the Introduction: Writing front of the RTR guide to compile your Student Resource Notebook (SRN). I put the pages in clear plastic sleeves. (I actually was able to just reuse the one I made for Wyatt 4 years ago, as these are not consumable and are used as a reference. So, even with multiple dc, you only need to do this once (unless you are using it for multiple children at the same time - then you may want to make several copies :wink: ).
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Paper hole punch 12 or more index cards and put on a ring for the Storytime part of the plans:
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Choose a Common Place Book. I took my dc to "Crossroads", a wonderful Christian bookstore, and they had many lovely selections that were inexpensively priced. Here is a picture of our dc's Common Place Books (only 1 is needed for RTR, and it can be used in the years to come for the next guide's Common Place Book entries - until it is full - if you like):
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***NOTE: RTR's Introduction describes a Common Place Book this way:
A Common Place Book is often a bound composition book with lined pages. It provides a common place to copy anything that is timeless, memorable, or worth of rereading. It is for copying text and not for original writing. Bible verses, classic poetry, and memorable quotes will be written in the Common Place Book this year.

Make sure you have a globe or detailed world map on hand for the history portion of the plans. Also, choose to either use the free online Wikipedia encyclopedia or a different general encyclopedia of your choosing for the history Research part of the plans. (We used Wikipedia, as it was free and matched the research topics so well. As with any computer Internet use in our home, I stayed near my ds while he did his research.) :wink:

For science, in a 2 inch 3-ring binder, label 3 tabbed sections: "Notebook Entries", "Written Narrations", and "Science Experiments". Either looseleaf notebook paper or lined pages from a lined composition notebook (torn out and placed in binder when done) can be used for the written narrations. We prefer white cardstock for science notebooking entries, but white copy paper or construction paper can be used as well. Last, make 37 copies or so of the Science Lab Form in the Appendix of RTR (35 copies are needed for the year, but in case something spills or gets lost, I always make a few extra copies :wink: ). I didn't get a picture snapped of this, but here is a picture of one of Riley's completed Science Lab Forms... :D
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The last thing I do is go through the first month of plans in the guide, and put any books we'll be using during that month in a plastic tub that fits in our kitchen homeshcooling cupboard. I put the rest of the books we'll need later in a different tub in our homeschooling cupboard, and we switch them out with the ones we finish as needed:
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HOORAY - we are ready to start RTR! :D I used to get ready for months to teach in ps. Getting completely ready for RTR took me such a small amount of time. I like to get everything ready I possibly can, so if you'd rather do copies as they come up in the plans, that works just fine too! HTH, and I hope we all have a wonderful time sharing our year with our dc in RTR together here with each other on the HOD Board! :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

pjdobro
Posts: 1491
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:45 pm

Re: Pics of Getting Ready for RTR

Post by pjdobro » Tue Jun 17, 2014 8:16 pm

Thanks for sharing this Julie! Though we've finished RTR, I'm sure Rev2Rev will be similar and seeing your set-up is helpful. :)

I have a question about the way you do the notebooking pages. Do you put the pages in the 3 ring binder to start and then have them put them in the plastic sleeve in the binder when they are done or do you keep them somewhere else and just have them put the pages in the 3 ring binder when they are completed? In the past we have put the pages in the 3 ring binder at the beginning of the year and have the dc work on them in the binder. This has been a bit of a problem because my dc tend to pull on the pages while they work and consequently the pages will tend to rip out at the rings. I've gone through lots of those hole reinforcers over the year. :wink:
Patty in NC

b/g twins '02 Rev2Rev 2014/15
previously enjoyed LHFHG, BLHFHG, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, RTR
******
Nisi Dominus Frusta (Without God, frustration)
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

Gwenny
Posts: 750
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:07 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Pics of Getting Ready for RTR

Post by Gwenny » Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:49 am

I always have the child take the page they are working on OUT of the binder and then put back in when done.
Nancy
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG

chillin'inandover
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:05 am

Re: Pics of Getting Ready for RTR

Post by chillin'inandover » Fri Jun 20, 2014 1:35 pm

Patty,
I take the notebook page out for the week and then put it back when finished. That way I know it is complete and no holes or rips will happen. I haven't put them in protective sleeves as they fit in a smaller notebook. I take out science notebook pages and labs as needed, but I put them in a protective sleeve as my paper isn't 3 hole punched or sturdy. I put maps in protective sleeves for the same reasons. The Shakespeare Pages and History Notebook pages are high quality and 3 hole punched making them sturdy and easily inserted in a notebook.

I would also like to mention that I have put all the recipes from history projects on index cards on a ring. This helps keep my TM in good shape since it stays out of the kitchen. It makes a nice keepsake since I started in CTC. I will add recipes from each guide as the recipes are yummy and my son likes to cook. I wrote on the index cards because my son struggles with writing.

I hesitate to mention but I have copied the directions from TM for science labs that are messy or in the kitchen. There were a few in RTR. This helped keep the TM in good shape. I hesitate to mention as it may be a violation of copyright, but I am only using it for my personal use and will not share it. It seems to be an adaption I have made for my son to be successful and so I won't stress that the TM is a disaster. He often loses his place with the tiny print and I use a post it note. I put the lab direction in a protective sleeve and he heads to the kitchen. The glacier experiment near the end is quite fresh in my mind. My son has loved corn starch experiments so this made his day!
Tammy
Wife of 32 years
Mom to 4
DD 29 Technical Manager FA, Playwright, Producer, Lighting Designer
DD 28 Master in TESL, Lead ELL teacher 3rd grade
DD 19 AAS welding
DD 16 , WH
Home Educator since 2000 HOD LHTH-US2

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Pics of Getting Ready for RTR

Post by my3sons » Sun Jun 22, 2014 3:18 pm

pjdobro wrote:Thanks for sharing this Julie! Though we've finished RTR, I'm sure Rev2Rev will be similar and seeing your set-up is helpful. :)

I have a question about the way you do the notebooking pages. Do you put the pages in the 3 ring binder to start and then have them put them in the plastic sleeve in the binder when they are done or do you keep them somewhere else and just have them put the pages in the 3 ring binder when they are completed? In the past we have put the pages in the 3 ring binder at the beginning of the year and have the dc work on them in the binder. This has been a bit of a problem because my dc tend to pull on the pages while they work and consequently the pages will tend to rip out at the rings. I've gone through lots of those hole reinforcers over the year. :wink:
I pjdobro! It is so good to hear from you :D -missed you at the book fairs this season!!! :( I have a very unsophisticated, unplanned way of doing the notebooking pages. :oops: The kids take them out to work on them each day, and yes, this can result in ripped holes from time to time. Every few weeks or so, they put the completed ones in clear plastic sleeves in order. They still have lovely binders at the end - but during the school year, they don't always look quite so pristine. :wink: It works for our busy life right now!!! :D Also, I have boys. They tend not to be as 'neat' as girls, I think - though I'm just basing this on my having 2 very neat sisters to live with growing up - not on having daughters myself, so I could be wrong. This probably does not help at all, but at least you can feel very organized compared to me!!! :D :D :D Have a super Sunday evening!

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

John'smom
Posts: 757
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 6:24 pm

Re: Pics of Getting Ready for RTR

Post by John'smom » Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:17 pm

Going to be working on this some tomorrow. Well, that is if Lizzie (5 months old on Wed.) will cooperate as everyone else is going to Kings Island. Thanks for doing this Julie. :D
Edwena
*Married to my best friend for 16 yrs
*Mom to ds (15), dd (13), dd #2(3)
*Combining my dc in WG (2017-2018)
*Completed and absolutely loved BLHFHG through MTMM

my3sons
Posts: 10698
Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:08 pm
Location: South Dakota

Re: Pics of Getting Ready for RTR

Post by my3sons » Tue Jul 08, 2014 7:47 pm

Thanks, Edwena! I hope your little sweetie cooperates! Of course, there is always time for hugs and kisses for a wee one. :D :D :D

In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie

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