JazzyMom
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Posts posted by JazzyMom
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Thank you for sharing this. Our oldest and only graduate has stumbled a bit, and though everyone else seems to be thriving, the task before me now seems so daunting. With 15 years down and potentially 17 to go, I needed to hear some positive stories.
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I hadn't heard of Tang Math before. I will take a look. Thanks!
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12 hours ago, Lovinglife123 said:
Were you able to have this all covered by insurance? My slow to learn kid rubs his eyes a lot when he has to read. He passes vision tests.. reading has been painfully slow and does exactly what you said about skipping words, replacing words, etc. These are CVC words he can tap out and read but when reading in a sentence… he messes up a LOT.
No, it has not been covered by insurance. They have given me forms I can send to our health insurance to see if it will be covered, but odds are, we won't be reimbursed for much at all. It has been fairly expensive, but well worth the money. My son noticed a difference quickly. The doctor told me to expect to see a difference in his schoolwork at around 20 weeks. At around 14 weeks, I started wondering if it was all a scam, lol. But right around 16 weeks, I saw a dramatic difference.
I was always of the mindset that you wait and let kids mature, etc., but this is something I wish I would have done much sooner. He's a bright kid. But I can only imagine how difficult it is to learn when your eyes aren't working properly and you aren't seeing things correctly. I'm very surprised he was even able to learn to read and enjoy reading.
My son goes to therapy weekly and does nightly exercises at home. There's also a vision therapist in our area who you see two or three times for evals and do all of the activities at home, so that may be an option in your area, as well. You'll need to start with a developmental optometrist. I'd taken my son to a regular optometrist, and he passed the tests, so I assumed his eyes were fine. I was getting more and more worried as he got older, and a friend whose husband is an optometrist referred me to a developmental optometrist.
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My dd is a rising senior and plans to major in premed. She is applying to some programs where science/medical EC's will be important. She has a few science programs on her resume and just got accepted to a shadowing program at a local teaching hospital. She is finishing up the paperwork this week, but likely won't have the shadowing hours complete before submitting all of her apps. How should she show this on her resume? I was thinking she could just say she was accepted to the program on x date and plans to complete x number of shadowing hours in x departments.
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2 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:
I've posted a few magic squares and puzzles as part of my Monday Puzzles 🙂 . Want a link? I can also make ones on request.
Yes, please share the link. Thank you!
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Just updating for anyone who may be dealing with similar issues:
We’ve been playing the dice and card games recommended in this book, and he’s already made a lot of progress.
The book was also helpful for helping me understand how to better teach him.
She recommends using magic squares, number bonds, number puzzles, etc. for practice, so I printed a bunch of free stuff from online.
So we’ve been doing a couple of games daily and a few worksheets and will stick with that for a few months, then see if he’s ready for the next level of his math program. He has really been enjoying it!
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Yes, it does make sense, and I totally agree with you. Dd isn’t applying to any top tier schools, but is working to land big scholarships at schools that I do believe will be a good places for her to grow and thrive. I just want her to be able to accurately show them who she is. I’m glad to hear about your son’s positive experience!
Two moms from the board read dd’s essay for me, and they both had the same feedback, which was very helpful. I’m so thankful!
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Would any of you who are experienced in the college application process and have had a good outcome with your children be willing to take a look at my dd’s personal statement?
She did a couple of sessions with an essay coach, and it seems good to me, but wanted see if I could get a pair of experienced eyes on it to see how it comes across from an outsiders point of view.
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Thanks, all. This is helpful!
Dd’s resume shows leadership (soccer team captain), community service, part-time job , etc. She has done 2 selective science programs and just got into a medical shadowing program. It all seems pretty self-explanatory, and I figure she will write about some of this when answering short answer questions.
Her test scores and transcripts look good. However, the course descriptions are very brief - 1 line each, plus a reading list for lit courses. Math and science were textbooks with labs done at a co-op. DE courses. No special providers. I don’t believe pages and pages of this kind of info will help her much.So I am thinking of using her counselor letter to go more in depth about her homeschooling and describe some of her assignments and projects - showing how she has challenged herself. I also want to weave in some info about the skills she’s developed as 2nd oldest in a large family and also touch on her personality. My rough draft is about a page and a half.
She is applying for some competitive scholarships, and I really want to show her as a strong student. Does this approach sound okay?
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So with the complete college application packet, all of the pieces (application, essay, resume, letters of rec, transcript, course descriptions, counselor letter) work *together* to tell a complete story, correct?
So the counselor letter should not rehash or summarize info from the transcript, resume, etc. And there’s no need for a laundry list of activities in her essay. Is that right?
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I looked at some sample STAAR tests online to see if I thought my 9 and 11 yo’s could pass, and I was similarly surprised at the content.
So I asked a teacher friend if kids were actually mastering this material at these ages, and she said that STAAR is all politics, and if I want to test skills or see how my kids compare to other kids to use Iowa or Stanford.
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9 hours ago, Gil2.0 said:
My poor speller only improved when I, the teaching-parent, got intense, intentional and involved in his spelling on a day-to-day basis. Hopefully my kid was just especially slow with spelling and your kid will take off with a lightly structured approach, but mine most certainly didn't. Personally, I recommend deciding if you think that Spelling is Important. If somethings "Important" for your HS/student then getting and staying involved is typically what works.
Sorry, OP, but skipping the "heavy review" is likely not going to cut it for a poor speller. It didn't for mine, but hopefully you'll have way better luck.
What program did you use?
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So did you all submit course descriptions even if they weren’t requested? I believe only 1 of the schools dd is applying to requests course descriptions.
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I'm interested in knowing how much time you spend per lesson and how many lessons per week. Also, how much time do you spend on self-directed exploration with manipulatives vs. instruction where you explain things with manipulatives vs. work on paper? Are you always closely observing their self-directed work? And if so, what specifically are you looking for?
I think that you, being mathy, probably have a clear picture of where you're headed. However, one concern I would have as a mom who was a strong enough math student but is not mathy (hope that makes sense) is whether or not you have a road map that is easy to follow? For example, I'd like my students to grasp this, then this, then this, and then we'll be ready for X. And if the ultimate goal is X, what is that X that you're preparing them for?
Have you ever encountered students who did not want to work with manipulatives? (Only asking this last question because I tried to show my 11 year old something with manipulatives yesterday, and he went along with it for a bit but had a look like, "Umm... No thanks, I got it." I tended to be that way, too, as a kid - not wanting a lot of exploration and just wanting to get on with it. I wonder if some kids are just like that or if my older kids are just like that because of the way I've taught them.)
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On 6/28/2021 at 11:52 AM, Not_a_Number said:
Does he also have no sense about which numbers are bigger and smaller, when we're talking about numbers under, say, 40?
Yes, he does. I know he can compare numbers up into the thousands on paper, but I just asked him which number is bigger 23 or 38. He thought about it and said 38. I asked why and he said because 3 is bigger than 2. I am surprised he needed to think about it, though.
I do think he is growing in understanding of place value. I just think I'm just seeing that he needs more hands on work, practice, and explanation than my older kids needed. He also probably needs things presented differently than they did, and since Ronit Bird's description of kids who lack a feel for numbers struck a chord with me, I think her materials might present things in a way that is helpful to him.
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13 hours ago, PeterPan said:
http://www.ronitbird.com/dyscalculia/ op might like to read Ronit Bird's article on dyscalculia. That to me was the striking thing in working with my ds, that quantities mean nothing to him. Things that just seem so simple (add 10, add 100, anex a 0) are super huge rocket science. She has activities and lessons for tackling the whole +10, +100 issue. The other thing you'll find is that she's brilliant about getting it into teeny tiny steps.
Yes, that’s the article I read that made me think, “Okay, I am seeing something different here.”
I think these activities will help him a lot!
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Yes, that’s helpful. Thanks!
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It’s surprising to me because it seems like a lot of steps when I would have expected him to either count up by 10 or add a 1 to the ten’s place.
My older kids seemed to have a good understanding, so I didn’t spend a lot of time asking how or why. But sometimes, if they were thinking out loud, I’d see they were taking a different approach than I would have, which was fine.
With this kid, I think if I spend more time asking how and why, I will understand him better. Sometimes he thinks a long time and then gives what seems like a random guess. But if I explored that a bit more, maybe his “guesses” wouldn’t seem so random.
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I don’t have a preference. I just feel that if I understand him better it will help me teach him in a way that is more helpful to him.
It wasn’t until we started drilling facts that I realized he was approaching things differently, so that’s why math facts were the focus of my initial post.
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Yesterday, I asked ds what is 45 plus 10. He said 55. I asked how he got there, and he said he took 5 and added it to 45, then added 5 more.
Later, I asked him what is 42 plus 10. He said 52. I asked how, and he said 10 plus 2 is 12, then you add it to 40 and get 52.
Previously, he would have counted it by 1’s, so I was glad to see this. Any guesses as to why he would approach it this way? Or is this just a way that makes sense to him?
I feel like understanding his approach will help me teach him better.
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4 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:
Yes, I understand. To me, it sounds like he doesn’t really have a feel for place value. I’ve seen this plenty of times. The fact that he’s doing it on paper is irrelevant, because he doesn’t understand why it works.
I agree. That’s why I didn’t want to keep moving forward. I just think this is more than just an issue with place value.
Please do link the blog re: poker chips when you finish it.
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3 hours ago, PeterPan said:
Ronit Bird is going to use them in a fresh way he might not have done before, and you're only using them to see if he can do the tasks. (subitizing, seeing quantities inside other quantities) Given that you said he's counting for basic addition, this is *not* babyish for him. He's just used to using the manips in a superficial way instead of deeply.
I also don't think the complicated worksheet pictured above addresses the subitizing issues that cause a person with dyscalculia to count for basic single digit addition. The need is not for more practice but for subitization and seeing quantities and thinking in terms of quantity.
Also, it's not necessary to use the rods. The c-rods are an excellent tool, but she shows how to do the same tasks with dot patterns, etc. In fact, iirc, I suggested op start with Ronit Bird's DOTS ebook. If you work through her Dots ebook and then play positive/negative turnovers (card game in her free Card Games ebook) he should have mastered all his addition and subtraction numbers. If you work it right, he'll also be solid on add/subtr with positive/negative numbers as well at that point.
So it's not what manip you use but how deeply you work with it. Dominoes, m&ms, anything will work. In fact, it's best to do the skill multiple ways if you're working on subitization. That way you're getting beyond his memorization.
I had already ordered another of her books, but I believe it also contains the info from the Dots ebook. It should be here tomorrow. I think it is really going to help him.
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2 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:
@JazzyMom, is your son counting on or counting from 1 for addition, by the way? (I had the impression that it was counting on, so just checking.)
He is counting on.
I am planning to use a variety of materials. We have poker chips. Glad you mentioned those because they will probably be more fun for him than counting bears, lol.
Hard to explain but it’s not just a problem with addition. He can add 55 and 10 (or really any number) on paper. On paper, he seems mostly fine with everything. But when we were working with the hundreds chart adding 10 to 25, then 35, then 45, then 55, he could not see that the pattern extended and that it would also be true for adding 10 to 22 and 32 and 42... And he could not see that his answer of 58 was unreasonable because the difference between 55 and 58 is too small to be 10.
It’s going to be hard for me to explain, but what I’ve seen working with him over the years are the same kinds of things Ronit Bird mentions on her website, but less severe in my son’s case. I’m not saying he has dyscalculia. But I was relieved to see it listed out because it confirmed to me that there is a “something” his siblings had that he maybe has less of, and he needs to see things presented differently than they did.
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41 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:
I do tutor. 🙂 Right now I have my extras in a pattern of:
1. new or continued exploration. This is our hands on portion and it's brain stretching. We rotate through concepts, connecting to previous work as needed. I try to max this out at half an hour, but it can run anywhere from 15-45 minutes. There is usually a specific goal that I have in mind for the exercise, and I try to gauge whether we are going to meet that goal that day (or break it into two or more sessions) or whether we can go longer and stretch a little further/give more open exploration time.2. Written work that is already mastered from hands on. It's a good way to end our time, revisit concepts in a different way, make sure they're really understanding the principals behind the work and make the switch from visualizing to writing. I have three kids at once, so I can rotate around and they can work individually or tell me what they're doing so I get feedback.
Would this be an okay length for daily work?
Glad you mentioned about the “little kids” aspect. When I pulled out the c-rods two days ago, ds excitedly said, “Oh, I know about those!” But when I told him we were going to use them, he said, “I don’t need those. Those are for little kids.” So I told him he could help me show his sister. And he did show her some things.
I also told him we were going to take a break from his Kumon book to do some games and stuff. But he wants to continue his book, so we’ll do both.
Thanks for the detailed description. Very helpful. Also helpful to see the different needs of each of the kids and how you’re addressing them.
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The "Classical Conversations" Method of Education - Thoughts?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted · Edited by JazzyMom
We have used CC at various levels. I mainly chose it because I always had a baby or toddler (and I still have a toddler now, lol) and I wanted to participate in a co-op that didn’t require me to help teach or clean up.
My oldest kids did 3 years of foundations (elementary school level). They did not do essentials. They enjoyed the games, tin whistle, art, science projects, etc. I agree that the memory work is disjointed, but they enjoyed it. We fleshed it out a bit with library books, etc. We liked the other families. We considered it a fun activity. After 3 years, we got busy with other things and moved on.
When my oldest was a hs sophomore, I realized he needed more than we were doing at home, so we joined CC again and he did Challenge levels 3 and 4 (a year ahead of the typical schedule). I liked the outside accountability, and he liked the time with peers both in and outside of class. Since he was going, the 2 next joined in. My 17 yo has done Challenge A thru 3. She doesn’t really need CC anymore but will finish out Challenge 4 to graduate with friends. She also does DE and online classes. My 14 yo completed Challenge A and B.
Challenge A and B had a lot of fun projects - draw the world, science fair, mock trial, 10 page short story, small research assignments, current events, etc. Nothing I would describe as rigorous, but also things we would not have done at home. Both kids loved it and want their younger siblings to do it, although I’m not sure they will.
They both enjoyed Latin (which I wouldn’t have taught at home) and have challenged themselves with things like NLE. They liked being a part of a group and presenting their work to a group. I liked The Lost Tools of Writing program they used for persuasive essays. While the content wasn’t necessarily deep, I do feel they gained skills that have been useful at the high school level.
High school has been a mixed experience for us. The science sequence is behind, so my 17 yo is playing catch up this year. I felt there were more novels assigned in Ch 1 & 2 than could be covered well. We don’t prefer A Patriot’s History of the US for US History. The projects and debates were fun. My 17 yo has been with the same group of kids since Ch A, and it’s a great group. But ultimately, CC focused more on things that weren’t as important to us and less on things we found important, so once my 17 yo graduates, we are moving on. My 14 yo will do 3 R’s at an academic co-op and also do DE.
I do feel some things I’ve learned from CC have made me a better teacher - mainly how to teach things incrementally and use projects and assignments to build skills.
I do not know anything about the administrative or corporate side. It is expensive for what you get, but has been worth it for us for the years that we did it. We needed the structure, accountability, and fellowship the years that we’ve used CC. We probably could have done it in other ways, CC worked for us. I don’t believe it is good or necessary for every family, and I wouldn’t recommend it for a family of only littles.