Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

mrsfellman

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    81

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by mrsfellman

    Geometry for 9th Grade (MUS vs Jacobs)

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Hello from N.E. Oklahoma 🙂. I am trying to decide between Jacobs and Math U See for our Geometry course. My oldest has finished Algebra 1 during his 8th grade year and is ready to move on. Geometry is a course I have never personally had and I like getting a curriculum that comes with the videos. Student is pretty "Math-y" a has grasped most concepts well. In elementary grades he had mostly Singapore Math. He did PreAlgebra with Glencoe through HighSchoolMathLive. Algebra 1 first semester was done through our local jr high and second semester was with Glencoe through HighSchoolMathLive. 

    Language Arts for 5th/6th Grade with ADHD/Mild Dyslexia

    in The Learning Challenges Board

    Posted

    20 hours ago, PeterPan said:

    Have you done immersion reading? Does that work for him? It's very informative if it does *not* work, because that would point in a different direction for your testing/intervention.

    I have never heard of immersion reading. Can you tell me more about it or point me in a good direction to read about it?

     

    18 hours ago, Storygirl said:

    For a dyslexic student, working on spelling will generally be more important than grammar (assuming the student can write a decent sentence). Also, teach how to use spellcheck and Grammarly to edit his own typewritten work. Using text to speech to write is also very helpful (though not with math).

    We both hate spelling and therefore don't work as much on it as we probably should. However, we are starting realize that there are tools available these days that help, such as your suggestions of talk to type and grammarly. He asks Alexa to spell stuff to him all the time but he is copying it down. He loves to draw "comics" and can spend hours doing that with his own narration.

    This year we are slowly working on cursive handwriting hoping that might be easier for him. I personally hate physical handwriting myself and do not have very "pretty" penmanship. However, I am a pianist, violinist and knit and crochet all the time. But different fine motors skills?? Not sure why I hate the one and love the others.

    • Like 1

    Language Arts for 5th/6th Grade with ADHD/Mild Dyslexia

    in The Learning Challenges Board

    Posted

    DC#2 was tested/evaluated last summer when he was 9 yrs old and between "4th" and "5th" grade by a Dr. who has the following..."Doctorate in Clinical Christian Counseling, a Masters Degree in Multi-categorical Disabilities, is a Dyslexia Remediation Specialist, an Attention Specialist, Certified Educational Therapist, ADD/ADHD Coach, a Reading Specialist, and a Board Certified Cognitive Specialist." She was recommended by our Pediatrician. She gave us a 504 plan and he is doing therapy sessions once a week for 45 mins. Because we have to drive to a different towns we only go 1x a week but I'm thinking of taking him the recommended 2x a week. She updated me this week that he has been certain progression that has now enabled her to start working on some reading comprehension skills now. 

    DC#2 was HIGHLY verbal from a very early age. I.E. before he turned two he was saying long sentences like "Mommy, come get me out of here." Speech was so clearly enunciated that strangers understood all his words. About two months after turning two he stood on a tree stump and announced "this is spectacular". So when we started having so much trouble with him in K and 1st grade with reading and writing I reached out on here. I believe it was you, PeterPan that recommended I have evaluated for Vision Issues and in 2019 we took him to a Board Certificate Vision Therapist. He had convergence excess and some other issues. We did all the recommended therapy for that and he "graduated" from there in late 2019. Then the world turned sideways in 2020 and I put off getting any further evals until last Summer. 

    The Dr. who we are currently work with recommends that we "move him back a grade" but since we homeschool and the only place "grade level" matter is at church I have just adjusted his curriculum at home and left him in the 5th grade Sunday School class this year. Not sure how to proceed in the future years. If he is an out of sync child that may move back more "in sync" in the future as we ages or what will happen.

    These last two years we have focused on Math, Veritas Press History's Self Pace Courses (he likes those) and listening to good audio books and being read too. We did do WTMP's First Language Lessons last year in 4th grade. In 3rd grade we read through Grammar Island but didn't do the practice books. He LOVES stories and words, especially "powerful" words. 

    Good math for slow learners - rising 5th grader

    in The Learning Challenges Board

    Posted · Edited by mrsfellman

    My oldest son did WONDERFUL with SM and is now in honors Algebra 1. My middle son was constantly in tears with SM. We tried many different versions and a few other options before landing in (a grade below) with Apologia Math 4 this year. It was recommended from the KS MWC community because I wanted that for him (#3 boy has been using it for years now and we love it) but couldn't get him into the test pilote for the level we need. Both of these curriculum utilize a good bit of games to practice the math skills making it fun and desirable to do instead of pages of work (not that SM does tons of problems either).

     

    Definitely teach the child you have in front of you. Their siblings strengths may not be theirs. Also, you might look a other areas that they can be more independent on so you can spend math time with them. 

    • Like 1

    Language Arts for 5th/6th Grade with ADHD/Mild Dyslexia

    in The Learning Challenges Board

    Posted

    Good morning! I am currently working on our homeschool plans for next year and needed to find a better fit for my DC#2 in LA. We have been doing somewhat off and on the Logic of English Essentials Lessons 1-7. They are not hard for him but hard on our family schedule to execute. I also am an undiagnosed parent with similar issues as my DC#2. We both shared in Vision Therapy a few years back with slightly different convergence issues. All that to say I think I am the biggest issue in our lack of success with LOE. 

    We have used MCT with my oldest in the past and a I think it the artisticness of the series would greatly appeal to my DC#2. However, since he is heading into "6th Year of Study" I'm wondering about moving over to W&R or possibly LIGHTLY pairing the two. MCT for Grammar and W&R to practice writing skills. He loves doing online work and resists anything that involves physical writing. I usually help him in math by writing half the problems for him as he dictates what to write and then have him write the rest himself. 

    He also resists physical reading as much as possible but LOVES good Audiobooks. W&R has the audiofiles to go along with the books so I'm thinking that may prove to be a good fit. 

    These are my thoughts so far but I'd love to hear about other ideas that I haven't explored so far. We need as little parent involvement as I can get away with and ideally some level of video/online/audio support.

    Algebra 1 Options for a Math Minded Student

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    Good morning update. Thank you to everyone for the options and thoughts. I had typed up a post a few weeks back but apparently didn't submit it before leaving the sight. 🤦‍♀️ We decided to return to HighSchoolMathLive.com with the At My Pace option. It was not an option I knew about before posting my questions. It is already going well for my student and for myself. 🙂

    I am very appreciative of the help I always get here on WTMF and hope someday I can return the information favors. 🙂

    • Thanks 1

    Algebra 1 Options for a Math Minded Student

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    Any recommendations for a math minded 8th grader who has already completed the first semester of Algebra 1 (Honors Math at Local JR High). He has done mostly Singapore Math in his elementry years and did well with it. In 7th grade he took Pre-Algebra through virtual class/tutor and did very well with it. In 8th grade he asked to try the local Jr High but during the semeter break asked if he could return home (had an A last semester in Algebra 1).

     

    I had purchased the AOPS Into to Algebra books during the summer break between 7th and 8th but he isn't loving their curriculum format and today looked up some practice sheets to do based on where they were working in his jr high school. I'm not a huge fan of Saxon Math (I did that growing up in the 80's & 90's as a home educated child). Student wants to stay up challenging in this math skills. I'm rather lost at this point in helping him. 

    7th Grade Boy - Negative Experience this year with Exp. Writing/WWS

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    My oldest son is currently "7th Grade", 12 years old and having a very negative experience with this year's WTMA class he is in. He took the Prep for Exp. Writing class last year and did very well with it and the class got him to write more without "pulling teeth". It was a very positive experience over all with the class, the teacher and the work. This year has been a total opposite experience. He has been in literal tears over the work, the hard grading policy and that he "can't seem to please the teacher". Now, in the teacher's defense they are not being extra hard towards my child or the class, this is just my student's feelings. My student is struggling this year with moments of me wondering where his brain has gone. He is loosing focus or not reading the instructions fully and is struggling to remember stuff from the weeks prior. Which is rather new for us. I due wonder if the hormone dump of this last year, huge growth spurts, and voice changing is playing into this.

    I have been way more hands off with this class this year for a multitude of reasons. I am a congenital heart patient that has been put on medication at the start of the school year am now on my 4th medication change which has really effected my energy levels big time. We had a death in the family in the end of September while I was getting over my bout with COVID. I have finally started feeling more myself these last 2 weeks and have sat down more with my student and corrected several misconceptions with his writing assignments that I realized he had. I am personally feeling frustrated that there has not been more help from the teacher when there is multiple assignments that an element of the expectations are not being met. I wonder why the teacher would not reach out to me or my student to make sure there isn't a reason the child is consistently not understanding something. 

    While our family  doesn't "quit" things with out completing the season, course, class, etc. I have greatly considered this weekend pulling him from the last 5 weeks of the class and doing a final writing project with him. I don't want him to come away hating writing classes and we have lost alot of the positive ground we found last year in this subject. 

    Does anyone here have any encouragement, words of wisdom or advice? Can the next 5 weeks just be over, we're SO tired and ready for a nice long break. 🥴

    Engaging nonfiction audiobooks? Middle school ages

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    My husband & oldest son (11 yrs) really enjoyed listening to "Open Heart" by Steven Westaby. However, it does have some crass language at times, very detailed descriptions of surgeries & not all patients make it past a few days after surgery. That being said, it is a surprisingly captivating book. I am an Adult living with Congenital Heart Defects & I had Open Heart surgery 10 yrs ago so I found some parts REALLY hard to listen. 😳

    • Thanks 1

    E-bikes

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I do! I got the Rad City 3/step thru for Christmas & LOVE it! We live on the edge of a smaller town right by our lake/city park. I love it & can't wait to get a couple of baskets for carrying items. 

    McHenry Science - Help me decide order!

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Hi all! I was reading through several hive comments/threads back in the deep part of winter and decided I want to use Ellen McHenry's curricula with my boys over the next couple of years. I do plan to start with Element's for this fall semester but can't decide what order to go through the rest after. My boys will be 7th, 4th & 1st (12, 9 & 7) this coming school year. I seem to recall a particuar hive mom from New Zealand that had a great comment with a good order to study the sciences but I cannot find it again! 

    Veritas Press SP & Omnibus OR...

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    So after studying more on the Omnibus and reading through the comments here on WTMA it sounds like Omnibus is not a good fit for our family. 

    I'm still trying very hard to decide between using our MOH Volume 1 next year or stay with VP SP courses (OT & Ancients). I see things about each I like. I would probably just use our MOH but my boys absolutely LOVE the VP SP courses they are doing this year. I've considered just getting 1 account for it this year and doing it together. We have a large projector/screen set up for our "tv/movie" and can even use that to do our course on next year. 

    I will have 7th, 4th & 1st  grades this year and they are all boys. I'm really looking to have all 3 in history and science together next year. 

    Seventh Grade Planning Thread 2021-2022

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    This is my first year planning for a 7th grader. 🙂 I have all boys and they are each so fun and unique. After realizing this year that with my own personal health struggles I need more outside help  we started using WTMA and Veritas Press SP courses. I have been super happy with both sources and then added on SingaporeMathLive as another source to help me out. Next year I'm considering dropping VP and doing MoH. I want all 3 boys to study the ancient times together and also plan to do science course together. So far I have for my oldest...

    Math: HighSchoolMathLive course, Probably Pre-Algebra. I have him taking placement tests today but judging from where he is in SM Primary and how confident he is in Math I think Pre-Algebra may be our fit. If not he'll do their Pre-Pre-Algebra course.

    Grammar/LA: WTMA he is enrolled for Expository Writing and then Grammar 2 in the Spring. He loves to read so we will keep up with interest lead books. 

    History: Ancient Times with brothers 

    Science: Elements with Ellen McHenry for at least 1st semester (also with younger brothers)

    Spelling: He's finishing Spelling WorkOut G this year! 🙂

    Extra Curriculars: Soccer (been in soccer since 1st grade🥰) I'd like to have him add in an instrument or a language soon. I was a private music teacher for a decade before having my own littles (and medical stuff) so I could teach him piano, violin, mandolin or guitar but so far he hasn't shown much interest. I might just make this year a year of piano since it's such a great base and see if he wants to change to a different instrument in 8th grade. I'd love to have him join our local jr/high school band as I know the leader and he's an awesome musician but I don't know about dealing with all the "red tape" to get the school to allow him too. 

     

     

    WTMA Expository Writing 2

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    My oldest is finishing Prep for Ex. Writing this semester and I'm looking at the teachers for Exp. Writing 1 for the next year. Ms. Otto is his Grammar teacher for this semester and we like her alot but she isn't teaching Exp. Writing 1. His current Prep of Exp. Writing is Mrs. Scott and we like her too but she is also not listed for teaching Exp. Writing 1. Does anyone here have experience with the other teachers for that class, Ms. Samuelson, Ms. Strickler or Ms. Bouse?

×
×
  • Create New...