1a. At what age
should I begin using Epi Kardia curriculum with my
child?
It really depends
on your child. Parents often use the booklists as
early as 2-4 years old, reading aloud and exposing
their child to excellent literature. Phonics then
becomes the next logical step, typically beginning
between the ages of 4-6 depending on the maturity of
the child and his ability to focus on a lesson long
enough to make it profitable. Projects, language arts
skills, and science concepts are best added to your
child's program when he demonstrates a desire and the
ability to learn.
1b. What is the
difference between Kindergarten Complete and the
Primary Complete Program
(K-2)?
Kindergarten
Complete is designed for parents who have a
Kindergartener and prefer pre-written daily lesson
plans. Some homeschool parents enjoy the flexibility
of designing their own daily plans. However,
beginning homeschool parents may prefer to start with
a program that outlines each day in detail. In
contrast, The Primary Complete Program is designed to
be used over a period of three years and requires
that the parents actually plan their lessons, with
some assistance from the Parent Manual.
1c. I have two
children, one in Kindergarten and one in second
grade. Do I need to buy two different
programs?
If you use the
Kindergarten Complete Program for your
kindergartener, you will also need to purchase the
Primary Complete Program for K-2 for your second
grader. However, you can use the Primary Complete
Program (K-2) for both of your children if you do not
need pre-written daily lesson plans.
1d. Does the
Intermediate Complete Program (3-5) overlap with the
Primary Complete Program (K-2) in any
way?
Actually, in
relationship to history books, there are overlapping
book listings. Books that you read to your second
grader may be listed in the Intermediate booklets so
that he may read them aloud or independently. This
allows parents to use books in creative and flexible
ways. For example, your third grade child may read a
book to your first grader that is on both of their
reading lists.
1e. If I
purchase the Primary Complete Program and the
Intermediate Complete Program, do I need two of the
Epi Kardia manuals and CDs?
No. The Epi Kardia
Manual runs from K-5 so you don't need to purchase a
new manual until you get into 6-8 grades, and the CD
is the same on both levels. It contains tools for
various grade levels from K-5. You should purchase
only the unit booklets for one program, which saves
you $20.00.
1f. Why are some of
the books denoted as R:2 (interpreted reading level,
second grade) more challenging to my son than others
with that same notation?
Determining the
reading level of a book is not an exact science. We
basically look at the vocabulary, content and
sentence length when we decide upon a reading level.
Books that we recommend for certain grade levels may
be suggested at a higher or lower grade by another
curriculum company. The authors use their combined
years of both classroom and homeschool teaching
experience to make these determinations with the
understanding that these are recommendations and that
children on any particular grade level vary greatly
in their personal abilities.
1g. Why do
you recommend waiting until 3rd grade for formal
writing? My child loves to write, but she is only in
the second grade. Should I stop
her?
We recommend
waiting to teach formal writing because often
children are asked to write before they have
developed proper grammar and spelling skills. This
can result in frustration and leave a child with a
negative impression, which is not something we like
to see. However, as with reading, children develop at
different rates and if a child demonstrates a desire
to write, by all means encourage that behavior! You
should still evaluate the written work so your child
does not develop bad happens that will have to be
repaired later, which can also lead to
frustration.
2a. Does
the Intermediate Complete Program (3-5) overlap with
the Primary Complete Program (K-2) in any
way?
Actually, in
relationship to history books, there are overlapping
book listings. Books that you read to your second
grader may be listed in the Intermediate booklets so
that he may read them aloud or independently. This
allows parents to use books in creative and flexible
ways. For example, your third grade child may read a
book to your first grader that is on both of their
reading lists.
2b. There
appears to be a large leap from 3-5 to 6-8 in the
reading levels and book lengths. Why is
that?
The
middle school years transition a child from
elementary to high school. With the abundance of
reading required for most high school curricula, Epi
Kardia included, it is essential that middle grade
students have time to make that transition
successfully. It appears, from experience, that
children adapt to such changes better in 6th grade
than 7th or 8th. As well, by making the change in 6th
grade, they have more time to adjust to the more
challenging material and most 6th graders demonstrate
the ability to do just
that.
2c. If we
do not use all of the books in 3-5, should we still
move on to
6-8?
Probably. Most
families do not use every single book in any given
set of curriculum. They may bypass a book because of
content, lack of interest, reading level or
availability of the book. We do strongly recommend
that the core books be read (they have the book
symbol next their listings), but even that may not be
possible if those books aren't readily available. A
majority of the books read would be a worthy goal. Do
keep in mind that children using our curriculum
typically 4-6 times as many books as most other
curricula requires. Also note that between K-2 and
3-5, science and history concepts are often repeated.
However, the 6-8 curriculum may not cover basics that
are assumed to have been addressed in elementary
school. Therefore, you would want to be confident
that the general science and history topics have been
covered before moving on.
2d. If my
child cannot read some of the chapter books
independently by 5th grade, should we not move on to
6-8?
It is not the books
themselves that are the concern, but your child's
reading level. There is a significant jump from 5th
to 6th grade and you want to be sure that your child
can make take that step. Our recommendation would be
to look at the 6-8 sample and select a few 6th grade
reading level books to use in evaluating your child.
Remember that the sample is from the Civil War unit
meaning that it is later in the school year, so if
your child struggles a little, that's okay. If your
child really can't read any of the books and
comprehend them, you might want to consider one more
year on the 5th grade reading level. Another option
would be to pull independent readers from the 5th
grade curriculum, but read with your child using the
6th grade level books.
3a. Why are there so many experiment books
on this grade level compared to
others?
The
middle school years are an excellent time to learn
about why things happen and also to develop an
understanding of the scientific method. By doing
experiments, students discover rather than just read
about important scientific concepts. As well, the
hope is that older students will find science more
enjoyable and easier to understand through
experimentation. Most high school science programs
require labs, so it makes sense to prepare your
student for that environment, as well as providing
him with experience writing up lab reports and
understanding the process of laboratory
science. Click
here for a
simple review form of the scientific
method. Click
here for
information about creating lab reports. For examples
of middle school lab
reports, click
here. Remember, you can
adapt these materials to your homeschool student and
situation.
3b. Should we be choosing as many books per
unit on this level? The books seem to be longer and I
am concerned that we won't have enough time to read
as many books.
No. You are correct; the books are longer. You
want to stay within your weekly guidelines for each
unit if you plan to finish in one year. This will
probably require choosing fewer books per unit.
However, you'll note that there are not as many books
listed at the 6-8 grade level, for that reason. Some
parents plan the history units over 1.5 years,
allowing them to cover all of the material twice in
middle school. This gives them longer units with more
time to read in each unit, but the material isn't
covered as often.
3c. On what type of writing assignments
should my middle school student be
focused?
Again, the idea is to prepare your middle school
student for high school. Longer reports (not quite
research paper length) of 4-8 pages utilizing a
thesis statement (main idea), outline, research and
note-taking, as well as resources are a good starting
point. Essay styles such as expository (a factual
essay designed to teach or inform) and narrative
(retelling of an event) are certainly appropriate
with a length of 4-6 paragraphs. Continued skills
practice by pulling examples from books being read is
essential. Simple lab reports provide wonderful
writing opportunities. Poetry and short story writing
should also be experienced in the middle school
years.
3d. We used textbooks for writing and
history in elementary school but are switching to Epi
Kardia now at 6th grade. Will my child be well enough
prepared to use your
program?
That depends on your child. If you feel that your
child has really understood and retained the
information from the texts, he should have a basic
foundation. He may not have the detailed ideas and
examples that an elementary EK student would have,
but he can pick up much of that if you use EK
faithfully throughout middle
school.
3e. Is there an
overview of world history that you would
recommend?
Sure. Kingfisher History of the World contains
enormous amounts of information for reference purposes.
Note that it does have evolutionary material in the
beginning, but overall the information is quite valuable.
It not necessarily a daily reading resource, although
Elizabeth uses it with her son to develop note-taking
skills. They don't use every page each year, but focus on
specific people and ideas each day. Another resource that
is much more readable is Susan Wise Bauer's, The Story
of the World. It is a 4-volume set that reads more like
a story than a historical text. It may not be as useful for
reference, but it is much more palatable.
3f. What grammar resource do you recommend
on this grade
level?
The
Little Brown Handbook is Elizabeth's favorite.
Although it is a college level text, you can find the
answer to almost any grammar question in it. This
book will also take you through the high school years
as a grammar resource. It has multiple examples and a
very detailed, user-friendly index. She does not
recommend using the assignments in the text. Note: a
new copy of this handbook is extremely expensive.
However, it is readily available used. Don't worry
about the edition...grammar hasn't changed much over
the years!
Dana has
enjoyed using Writer's Express (4th - 5th
grades), Write Source 2000 (6th - 8th) and
Writer's Inc (9th-12th), from Write
Source http://thewritesource.com/. As it is written
to the student, she especially finds Writer's
Express helpful in explaining specific
grammar points in language easily understood by an
elementary aged student.
4a. Why aren't there any science books
listed on the high school level book
lists?
In
high school, students have very specific science
courses such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics. There
are not whole books designed to teach these courses
in full.
4b. Do you have recommendations for math and
science curriculum at this
level?
In
the past, Elizabeth used BJU which was
sufficient for Algebra, but became challenging later.
Her biggest issues with the curriculum was that it
didn't provide enough explanation or examples for a
mom who is not math oriented. Switching her daughter
to Math-U-See, she found much more success and
has been especially pleased with the instructional
DVD that provides a teacher demonstrating each
problem type. Math-U-See is also very
reasonably priced for a curriculum including a DVD.
Apologia is by far Elizabeth's favorite
high school science curriculum and she has had the
Chemistry evaluated by college level Chemistry
teacher and the Biology evaluated by a microbiologist
who is also a college professor, both with favorable
results.
For Math, Dana has
enjoyed using Teaching Textbooks. It has a DVD
component which shows the solution of every problem
in the program, and covers Pre-Algebra, Algebra I and
II, and Geometry, as well as lower levels of
math.
4c. Why don't you have
any reading levels for the high school book
lists?
Actually, there are reading levels in the form of Most
Challenging (MC), Challenging (C) and Less Challenging (LC)
noted with each book. Numeric grade levels are not
applicable in high school, for the most
part.
4d. What is the purpose of the list of
people, places and events at the end of each
unit?
This
list primarily offers the student and parent an
overview of the time period in a list format. It may
be used to select a topic for a research paper or
essay, create a timeline of events, research and
write mini reports or just orally review people,
places and events. Elizabeth's daughter would
highlight anything on the list that she could orally
explain and then she would research those things that
weren't highlighted.
4e. Can my student get high school credit
using Epi Kardia? What courses can be acquired
through your
curriculum?
Most definitely! PCC (Possible Course
Credit) listings in the high school book
list note which books can be applied to which
courses. Some of the possible course credits include
World History, U.S. History, World Literature,
American Literature, British Literature and Religious
Studies or Church History. World History may be
divided into I and II because of the extended time
periods.
4f. Can my child get credit for just reading
books or does he have to do something with the
information in order to receive
credit?
While state laws
vary on this topic, we strongly recommend that
students do something evaluative for each unit.
Options include short writing assignments, oral or
written narrations, book reports, artistic
expression, projects, timelines, and maps. We don't
typically make tests for each unit, but some parents
like to do so. Essay tests are usually the best
possible format to provide the student with the
opportunity to express all that was learned from the
reading.
5a. How do you decide which of the Epi
Kardia books should be used in each grade level when
utilizing this program in a private
school?
We
have already divided books based on grade level for a
school setting. As well, we can alter booklists as
needed to meet the needs of the
school.
5b. Do
students need to have a copy of each book in order to
use this curriculum?
No. Most schools
could not afford for students to have a copy of every
book and it's unnecessary anyway. We do recommend
specific books per grade level as classroom sets. As
well, we suggest multiple copies of certain books for
work in small groups and pairs. Finally, all other
books would be utilized primarily by the teacher in
presentation to the students.
5c. Is it
really possible for teachers to replace reading,
language arts, science and history textbooks with
whole books in a classroom
setting?
Not only is it
possible, but it's better! Students who use Epi
Kardia in the classroom often express how much more
they're enjoying history and science. They remember
information better because of the unique and
interesting presentation. Epi Kardia emphasizes
writing assignments and hands-on projects which are
often overlooked by textbook publishers. As well,
students receive an education that is detailed and
fascinating, often demonstrating more than one
viewpoint, rather than having to only be led by the
viewpoint of the textbook publisher. Finally, Epi
Kardia promotes classroom participation and more
interaction between teachers and students.
5d.
Obviously this would require teachers to instruct
their students differently. How difficult is the
transition and do you offer any
support?
The transition
doesn't have to be difficult. Epi Kardia allows
teachers to actually do what they've been trained to
do...teach! Teachers who are flexible and
enthusiastic tend to operate better with Epi Kardia.
As well, schools who are looking more at character
training, Biblical influence and mastery of skills
will find this curriculum truly beneficial. A "big
picture" point of view is definitely a plus when
using Epi Kardia books and materials. We do offer
staff training and support tailored to the needs of
the school and faculty.
5e. How do
teachers handle students who are ill or take time off
when there aren't copies of every book for every
child?
Typically, there
are books in the library that parents can check out
to use in the interim. Often, in private and cottage
schools, parents purchase books and establish a home
library so that their other children also benefit
from the excellent literature utilized in the
program.
For more information about
using Epi Kardia in the Classroom, click
here.
6a. Why do you only sell complete lesson
plans for some of the grade levels? Do you plan on
selling daily lesson plans for other grade levels in
the future?
We originally designed Kindergarten Complete to
assist moms who were just starting their home school
journey. Our thought was that more experienced moms
would appreciate the flexibility and economy of
having a three year curriculum, so we designed the
other grades in that manner. However, over the years
moms have requested that we add daily lesson plans,
so we have listened! In addition to Kindergarten
Complete, we also have Daily Lesson Plans for first,
third, and fourth grades as well as one level of
middle school plans that can be adapted to use for
6th through 8th grades. We plan to add plans for 2nd
and 5th grades as well as at least one more level of
middle school in the future.
6b. Can I
use other programs, such as spelling and grammar
curriculum, while using Epi
Kardia?
You can use Epi
Kardia as you see fit. We make recommendations in the
Parent's Manual, but ultimately you need to do what
is best for your unique family situation. Epi Kardia
was designed to be flexible enough to allow
incorporation of other curriculum.
6c. Is is
okay for me to change the documents on the Tools
CD?
Actually, we
developed the CD tools as Microsoft Word documents so
that every parent could adapt them to fit their
family. The great thing is that you can alter the
document, save it on your computer, and you will
always have the original on your Epi Kardia
CD.
6d.
Do I have to complete Epi Kardia in one
year?
Again, Epi Kardia
was designed to be flexible. We recommend the layered
affect of history that comes from studying all of it
each year, but some of our parents are more
comfortable completing the program every two years.
This seems to be particularly true in high school
when the material becomes more
challenging.
