meganrussell
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Posts posted by meganrussell
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As a Christian, I am happy to read this article. I think it's wonderful. I've often asked myself why the rainbow was the LGBT flag. And I agree with vonfirmath - we don't have to solve the world's problems before tackling smaller issues.
And why would anyone be embarrassed to be a Christian because of Ken ham? He's a very smart guy who supports and promotes a literal, 6-day creation and a young Earth. I like him a lot. We read lots of his books and articles.
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I've used DITHOR and dropped it. It was so disjointed feeling to me. The book selections didn't match up with the worksheets....it was troublesome to use.
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Many units of LA for my 7th grader-poems(using popular Pop music to analyze), figurative language, rhetoric,short story.
Guided journal pages
Character bible study
States and capitals practice pages
Thank you for answering! ðŸ˜
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I've only ever lived in Massachusetts, so I've never thought about it being a HCOL place. I'm feeding 7 people (me, DH, and sons 21, 8, 5, 3, and 9mos) and spending +/-$800 a month, not including pizza Fridays. Do you have a Market Basket nearby?
ETA: Oh, the Berkshires... Sorry. I'm just north of Boston, on the NH line.
I have never seen a Market Basket. I shop at Walmart mainly, and there is a Big Y store.
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I haven't read all of the replies, so I'm sorry if I repeat something.
Homeschooling does consume my life. It's what I do every day, day after day, month after month, year after year. It used to bother me a bit - I would tell my husband "Homeschooling is so consuming! I can't do it anymore!" But now, I have just accepted that this is who I am - I am a homeschool mom. This is what I want to do, this is what I love to do. Even when it's hard, even when it's consuming, even when I'm tired....this is me and this is my life. And I'm pretty proud of it.
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I think this is actually pretty impressive for your family size and area. I'm in NY now, but grew up in CT. So I am familiar with the area and the cost of food.
Thank you, this makes me feel better! We are from a very LCOL area in Louisiana, where I would spend $200 - $250 a week max for groceries. Spending $400 weekly makes me cringe, but hearing it's not unusual does give me a little solace! We don't ear out, ever. We are in the Berkshires, far from town and stores. Going grocery shopping is an all day thing.
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Oooo I love TpT! What's in your cart?? 😬
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My 7 year old is reading now, so I'm excited to see him reading books for fun. I'm excited to have a few fun things added to our weeks - game days, art days and one STEM challenge day weekly. I'm looking forward to changes - I'm writing a schedule/routine right now. We need more structure, and that has me excited as well.
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We are in Massachusetts right now, a really HCOL place. I've been spending $300-400 a WEEK on food for 7 people - my husband and I, a 14 year old girl, a 12 year old boy, a 9 year old girl and a 7 and 5 year old boy.
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The best way is to look for the grade level and see if you can find a syllabus online. So we use Prentice Hall's Biology (the one with the dragonfly on the front); it's often used as a 9th grade bio book, so I look up Prentice Hall biology syllabus (sometimes I add the search term "notes" or "powerpoint") and then just cruise through the results to see how teachers are organizing the material, how long it takes, what videos they may show with certain chapters, how they organize their notes (this has been very useful for DD as this is her first year really doing note taking), sometimes descriptions of labs, assignments, etc.
Thank you!
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I do almost exclusively. There's a lot of plans out there already for many of them so if you really want easy I'd look for those then buy the texts that go with them.
I haven't seen anything like this. I've googled and can't find a thing! Could you give me some tips on how to find this.
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Great! I did buy Holt and GLENCOE, as well as some Prentice Hall and Scott Forsman. They are older versions, but look great. I think it will work well!
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I have never used them before, but I found one at the Goodwill store and it looks fabulous. I also ordered a ton from eBay for a very small price. I need a simple year for my older kids and focus more on my littles. Has anyone else done this? I did a Google search and couldn't find anything....
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Dawn M. Why do I feel like you're picking on me? 🤔
I just wanted to add my thoughts to the conversation. I will not make that mistake again.
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Aeropostale and American eagle had shorts, buy one one get two free and buy one get one half off (respectively) at our mall last weekend.
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You don't seem cool with it.
I'm not criticising your opinion though. I'm just stating my opinion. I am not coming with kids having phones, but I am cool with their parents reasoning and opinions.
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I also don't like my kids to feel left out, but, hey that's life. I also don't want to teach them to conform to society's "standards". It's okay to be different, even preferable. I don't want to teach my kids that to be happy, they must fit in, or to fit in, they must have/do what everyone else is.
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You say you're not angry but in your previous post you said you hate seeing young kids with cell phones. Why does it matter to you that other people choose differently? Also, this is the world these kids will grow up in. IMO it does them a disservice to not teach them how to live in their world. To me it's no different than waiting until a child leaves home to teach them how to budget and run a household. However, I don't hate seeing kids who don't have a cell phone. It's none of my business when you give one to your child(ren). It's none of your business when other people give one to theirs.
Okay, hate is a strong word. I do not like to see young kids with expensive smart phones playing games, texting and doing social media. It's unnecessary and silly. Everywhere we go small kids have phone, teens and parents are staring at their phones constantly...it's annoying. I just don't understand the generation of kids being brought up. Small kids think they deserve a phone because everyone else has one. Also I don't like that social interactions all occur because of online and social media stuff...if kids can't hang out with their friends and talk and play and go places without phones, that is just silly to me. When my kids friends come over that have phones that is all they do - no board games or giggling, just staring into a phone taking selfies a d editing the crap out of them.
This is my opinion by the way, so no need to criticize my opinion. Yours is different and I'm cool with that.
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Really? She doesn't know how to use a cell to call 911 in an emergency? That seems a bit unwise nowadays, with pay phones gone and landlines on their way out.
Yes, he knows how to dial 911 on a landline, because we have one. But he doesn't use my cell phone to call or text anyone. I'm not angry, not at all! But I just don't understand why such young kids need cellphones. It starts such a lifetime habit of always needing to check it, look at something on the internet, and text people. I just think kids should kids. And that just my opinion. I know I'm in the minority. But my young kids are never away from me or their dad or grandparents where they "need" a phone to call me. So maybe that's the difference?
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Great ideas, y'all! I was thinking of having two groups, changing the groups each time. My 5 year old loves to be on my "team" when I play games, so he often just move the pieces for me or rolls the doce or whatever while I actually do the strategy stuff, etc.
We have the game Last Word and it's a lot of fun! It is for sure going in our rotation. Most of the games y'all have mentioned I've never heard of. Off to Google them!
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So as I'm preparing to start our new school year I want to change some things up. First of all, I want to add more structure to our days - will probably make a new thread on that later. Secondly, I want to add more fun. I have a 9th, 7th, 4th, 1st and Kindy. I would love to have one or two days a week where we have a game hour - educational for sure, but also fun and relaxing games. I need some ideas about games that will appeal to all my kids, and also some for the older children and some for the younger as we may split into groups sometimes. I'd like to budget $100 for games or other fun activities. Cars games are a plus because a couple of decks of cards are cheap. Cards are so versatile but my brain is fried from too much sun ha! Any ideas or suggestions will be welcomed.
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None of my kids have cellphones. I didn't get one until I was 20 years old, and it didn't hurt me a bit. I hate seeing kids with cell phones, especially 5, 6 year old kids. Why the hell do they need a cell phone? My seven year old wouldn't know how to call anyone on it. I don't plan on getting my daughter a cell phone until she starts driving and it will be a dumb phone.
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Okay, I will scrap that idea and is health as is - a health/physical education credit! 😊
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Check out the info about what is required to work as a hairdresser or cosmetologist at the US Bureau of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook.
As Tibbie Dunbar mentioned in her post above, be aware that MANY cosmetology/beauty schools and trade schools do NOT accept homeschool high school diplomas. Unlike virtually all universities/colleges which DO accept homeschool parent-awarded diplomas, these schools REQUIRE either a GED, or an accredited diploma (which would be graduating from a private or public high school, or school at home through an accredited correspondence school). I've seen this happen in real life; in order to go to the local beauty school for cosmetology, a homeschool student I know personally had to take and pass the GED test in spite of being a homeschool high school graduate with a parent-awarded diploma.
Here is the GED website. The GED was revamped in 2014, and is now harder, and needs study and prep time before taking it. If you think DD will be needing to go the GED route, then during your homeschool high school years, you would want to cover some of the more traditional areas of Math (i.e., Algebra and Geometry at least), and Science (some exposure to basic Biology, Chemistry, and Physics topics), and be solid with the Reading, Writing, and Grammar.
Your DD would have to be a minimum of 16-18yo (depends on the state) in order to take the GED, so you have plenty of time to do a full 4 years of homeschool high school to help prepare DD for her future. :)
Another possibility: our local community college (CC) has a fantastic program with FREE courses in vocational-technical fields for high school students who have not yet graduated high school who are in 10th grade up through age 20. A student can actually get all the coursework AND the hours required to be prepared to take the cosmetology license exam -- for free! You might look into what programs your local CC offers.
And while there might not be a free vo-tech course option, CCs accept homeschool high school diplomas, so you wouldn't have the extra step of having your DD get the GED in order to be admitted to the CC. AND, most CCs allow high school students to attend for dual enrollment/dual credit, so your DD could possibly start working towards her cosmetology license even while in high school! :)
Our DS#2 here has mild LDs and is very strongly a visual-spatial learner and struggled with writing, spelling, and math (esp. abstract math topics of Algebra), so I totally empathize. Math-U-See (MUS) is about the lightest/most gentle of the high school maths out there, and while it was a struggle, DS#2 did make it through Alg. 1, Geometry and Alg. 2 using MUS, and then Consumer Math for a 4th math credit. If your DD has already completed Pre-Algebra, I think she would also be able to get through all 3 of those MUS programs during high school -- the Geometry was especially quick.
Side note of encouragement -- usually students who struggle with Algebra do great with Geometry, as it is very visual and "3-D", rather than abstract and algorithm-based like Algebra.
Other math-strugglers I've known clicked with one of the other Math programs I listed in my post above. Another good series of textbooks overall for struggling readers and remedial students, but might also be a good fit for your DD's Math, is Walch Power Basics.
Consumer Math is a great idea for one of your Math credits. Some one-year (1-credit) options:
- AGS Consumer Math (Wieser Education -- Pearson published a revised version)
- Walch Publishing: Consumer Math
- "Looking for Consumer Math class suggestions" -- post #3 = Consumer Math supplement ideas
You might actually consider doing Consumer Math in 9th grade with your DD. It is a good practice of middle school math topics (fractions, percents, decimals), and, of course, gives the student solid real-life math practice. Doing Consumer Math in 9th would also allow your DD another year for development/maturing of the abstract thinking portions of the brain, which is critical for being able to "click" with Algebra.
Then in 10th-11th grades, DD could work through Alg. 1 and Geometry (and maybe also Alg. 2, or do Alg. 2 in 12th grade), and finish her senior year with a solid course in accounting or bookkeeping that would help DD in managing her own finances while working as an independent contractor at a beauty salon, or in running her own salon. Or just in running her own home! :)
- Alpha-Omega Life Pac: Accounting
- ALEKS -- online, self-paced courses; Business Math; Accounting
What are you using for your current American History? If you plan to count this as a high school credit, then whatever you are using needs to be of true high school level -- in other words, enough rigor and volume of material, and covering enough topics typical to a high school American History course. I only ask, because if what you are using is mostly at a middle school level, we can suggest ways of "beefing it up" so that it can be a true high school credit. :)
Past thread on Equine Science has some ideas.
Other gentle "intro" or "non-STEM" science options:
- Integrated Physics & Chemistry (by Tiner) -- no labs; history-based; 2 year program
- Joy of Science (by Hakim) -- no labs; history/lit-based; text and workbooks; 1 year program
For both of these, I'd suggest getting a few TOPS Science units (or other kits) to do SOME kind of hands-on along with reading about science and scientists. For TOPS, I can recommend selecting from some of these to go along with high school science (be sure to also get the supply kit):
#23 = Rocks & Minerals (Earth Science)
#10 = Analysis (Chemistry)
#12 = Solutions (Chemistry)
#13 = Cohesion/Adhesion (Chemistry)
#42 = Focus Pocus (Physics)
#19 = Electricity (Physics)
#21 = Motion (Physics)
#15 = Heat (Physics)
Usually by high school, formal Grammar instruction is done, and the student applies Grammar in the writing and proof-editing of the Writing. If you feel the need for light review, The Chortling Bard is a fun 1-paragraph a day "bite" of grammar review, plus exposure to vocabulary words AND -- Shakespeare! :w00t:
For a more formal first / beginning Lit. program (for the Literature portion of your English credit), I'd suggest:
Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings
Lighting Literature & Composition 8
Another option is to select works of high interest to you and your DD and do them together, using individual lit. guides to go with each work. Does DD have any specific reading interests? Or do you have any specific goals for works you'd like DD to read during high school?
Then for the Writing portion of your English credit: If your DD enjoys creative writing, I'd nurture that with the One Year Adventure Novel. Otherwise, a solid program written to the student that covers pretty much all of the types of writing needed for high school is Sharon Watson's The Power in Your Hands.
In addition to doing a Drawing course in 9th grade, you might consider including quite a bit of Fine Arts throughout high school -- sort of like a college "minor" ;), to develop into a possible additional or alternate occupation for DD. If she's not headed towards a university, then the more skills she can develop now, the more options she'll have later on. I'd suggest doing some Digital Fine Arts and getting very comfortable with software that helps with graphic design and web design.
Out of time at the moment for looking up specific suggestions for Art, but hopefully others will chime in with ideas. :)
Most of all, I encourage you to be thinking through your overall goals for high school. These 4 years will pass by in a FLASH, and you need to be very intentional and planned about homeschool high school (esp. since you have a number of younger students also heavily needing your attention!) -- otherwise you will miss out on your last opportunity to see that important skills or experiences actually happen or are developed. :)
Find out what extracurriculars and opportunities are available locally for your teen -- many are open to homeschoolers as well as to public school students. And sometimes, you can count participation in an extracurricular towards a high school credit. :)
Talk to other homeschoolers with high school students in your area. For example, we never would have gotten involved with YMCA's Youth & Government program (and there's also Teen Pact) if not for other homeschoolers -- neither DS had any interest in politics or a career in law/politics, but had a *blast* doing this mock legislative program, earned part of their 0.5 credit of Government through participating -- and got experience in networking, writing, public speaking, and leadership/responsibility in a very fun way. AND they came out with a solid experience for how to go about understanding speeches and bills for when it came time to vote in real-life elections. :)
Things to think about overall for high school:
- Are there any extracurriculars you would like to see your DD involved in? -- youth theater, horseback riding, martial arts or dance classes, a sport...
- Would DD benefit from getting involved in a homeschool group with teens -- social activities, volunteering as part of a group, a student council, a shared interest in a community group activity...
- What about life skills? Things like using a computer, driver's ed, basic auto maintenance, budgeting/personal finance, how to grocery shop or do laundry or cook...
- What is the plan to expose DD to things like public speaking, civic awareness (voting), current events...?
BEST of luck as you move into the high school years with your oldest homeschool student! It's an exciting adventure! Warmest regards, Lori D.
Thank you so much. This was so helpful. I've read and reread this many times, exploring links and curriculum. ((((Hugs))))
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Take back the rainbow!! or Moxie hurt herself rolling her eyes
in The Chat Board
Posted · Edited by meganrussell
Anytime I put my opinion on any board here, I get made fun of or picked on. Why? I'm not controversial at all. Not confrontational or anything. I just nicely add my thoughts to everyone else's. I don't see the problem? I believe in a literal 6 day creation and a young Earth. I believe dinosaurs walked with man. And for that I'm considered unintelligent?