AHASRADA
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Posts posted by AHASRADA
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Background: BA in Modern Languages (French & Spanish) and Secondary Education
Pre-Homeschooling: Worked as a receptionist and language tutor through college, taught HS French and Spanish
Currently tutoring ESL grades 1-12!
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I just made one last night in the crock pot!
-Soak beans overnight
-Sauté 2 diced onions, 2-4 minced garlic cloves, 1-2 bell peppers (any color) and 4-6 stalks of celery.
-put drained beans and vegetables in the crock pot with:
1 quart of broth
1 quart of water
3 tsp. Mixed Italian dried herbs
Salt & pepper to taste
-Cook on low for 8 hours
-Add fresh spinach and diced kielbasa or cooked sausage in the final hour
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Thanks so much! That did the trick!
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Thanks, but I have no idea how to "check my code". I just copied and pasted it. Any hints?
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I've seen some members with tickers at the bottom of their signatures, and thought it would be fun. I created a ticker at TickerFactory.com, and followed their directions to use it in my signature, but it won't work.
They have code to copy and paste onto the message board. I used the "bb" code to use with vBulletin, which the WTM board is. However, every time I copied and pasted the code into my signature, then previewed it, only a link to my ticker page was shown, not the ticker itself.
Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Do I need to use a different ticker?
Thanks!
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My matches were:
1.*Orthodox Judaism (100%)
2.*Islam (94%)
3.*Sikhism (88%)
I wasn't surprised by the results, except for Sikhism. I don't know much about their beliefs, so that would be interesting to research. I think the results could be even more accurate if there were more precise options besides "agree/disagree/inapplicable".
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I second everything. Bac-out and a waterproof mattress cover. I have also used baking soda to soak up the wetness. Since it is already dry, you might want to get it rather wet in the affected area, use Bac-out, but then dump on a ton of baking soda to pull out the wetness. You can scrape off most of the soggy baking soda, let the rest dry, and vacuum it. Then put the mattress out in direct sunlight for most of the day. The sun will finish the drying, as well as disinfect.
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I knew about Selective Service (my dh had to sign up as soon as he became a US citizen), but it had actually slipped my mind as far as ds is concerned (as in, I'm in denial about how soon he will be turning 18!)
The info. quoted said "Living in the US". I guess I'll have to research it, but does that mean US citizens living *outside* the US don't have to register? If not, I would assume they would need to register if they re-establish US residency before turning 26?
Yikes!
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I was looking at their website yesterday. It looks really good. Am I to understand that if you choose the 'online' option, you get a book and the online materials? Amd it uses K-12 online materials? Does your child get help from a tutor if they are struggling to understand something? Can I enroll him in just a couple of their classes and do the rest at home?
I assume you are referring to Keystone. If so, I can answer your questions as it relates to Keystone's courses.
If you enroll in an online course, you will receive a textbook in addition to the online portion (lesson intros, self quizzes, exams, etc.)
It does not use K12 materials. The company happens to have been bought out by K12, but they have their own curriculum, completely separate from K12.
The course teacher can be reached by phone or email and will respond within 24 hours. I wouldn't expect in-depth, continuous hand-holding (as one might find with course priced at double the cost), but the entire staff is great about suggesting resources, etc. to help the student work through the program.
You can enroll in as many or as few courses as you'd like.
Only a couple of things to be aware of:
8th grade completion - They require proof of having completed 8th grade in order to enroll in their courses. My ds's 8th grade standardized test scores were sufficient.
Credit for homeschool work - If you are interested in receiving a high school diploma from Keystone, and want to do some self-designed courses on your own, they do have a procedure for granting credit for homeschool work. However, it is a lengthy documentation process with a lot of requirements, so be sure to get a copy of that portfolio application ahead of time to make sure you keep all the necessary paperwork in order to request credit at the end of the year. BTW, completion of 8th grade can also be proven with this portfolio, but it might be too difficult to go back and reconstruct the proof after the fact.
Keystone is a great option. However, if you are not interested in receiving official "credit", but simply want your child to be accountable to an outside entity for the sake of motivation and responsibility, there may be some slightly cheaper options, like Memoria Press and Write at Home.
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I google searched Keystone and found quite a few. Are you referring to keystoneschoolonline.com?
Yes! That's the one. Feel free to ask any questions about what you find on their website.
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I'm surprised that some people don't consider their own parents to be "immediate family". Maybe it depends on the relationship. I consider my immediate family to be my kids, my parents and my spouse, in that order (I don't have any siblings). My kids came forth through my body, so to me that is the closest relationship, followed closely by the people who brought me into this world. As much as I adore my spouse, commit my life to him and cannot imagine living without him, our relationship is a choice that we could choose to dissolve. For that reason, my bio-relations rank ever-so-slightly above him. He is equally loyal to his "family of origin", and both our families have meshed together lovingly and respectfully.
Now, if you had asked about "nuclear family", I would say that clearly consists of spouses and their children.
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I'm surprised how many people have baskets for shoes :confused:. I have seen that for slippers that are only worn in the home, but outdoor shoes? Don't all the shoes become filthy from having the dirty soles of one pair being knocked against, rubbed against and rummaged against the upper of another?
Maybe it's because I can only imagine shoes being dry enough to consider using a basket about 3 months out of the year, but even when it's dry, there's still dirt and sand on them.
I don't have a better solution in my tiny space. We have a shoe rack that is sufficient in the summer, but mud and snow boots stay on mats at the bottom of the stairs, unsightly and in the way. Oh well.
Love the simplicity and uncluttered feel of the basket idea. I just don't think it could get over the dirt cross-contamination.
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I went vegan (originally to lose weight) from 2005-2006. I also counted calories and exercised for about an hour a day, in addition to wearing a pedometer at other times to make sure I got in my daily quota of "steps". Of course, I lost a ton of weight. I also restricted carbs, but still ate them, just sticking to high-quality, whole grain, high-fiber varieties. I read both of John Robbins' books and became convinced that the arguments for avoiding meat products as much as possible for health and environmental reasons made sense.
I definitely agree that going "vegetarian" by eating mostly pasta, etc. will not help a person lose weight. A vegetarian or vegan diet must include mostly veggies and some healthy whole grains and natural proteins (beans, tofu, etc.) I did eat some processed tofu-based items, but this was not the majority of my diet.
I wish I could have stuck to that diet, because I felt great and really loved the food. However, there were two major obstacles that kept me from sticking to it beyond 18 months.
1. The rest of my family refused to eat a vegan diet. I made chicken and fish for them once a week, but they weren't that thrilled with the vegan meals, and it became a strain on our relationship and on my time.
2. Vegetables, tofu-based processed food, organic items, basically "healthy food" in general is expensive. I know there can be ways to cut costs, but financially we went from being able to afford weekly trips to Whole Foods to having to buy the cheapest of the cheap food, and I couldn't maintain my vegan, lower-carb diet.
Our grocery budget has increased a bit, and I am slowly increasing the amount of veggies in my diet. A plant-based diet is fabulous for your health and your waist-line (as long as you don't overdo the processed carbs). I would only suggest that you figure out how that diet will fit into your meal plans for the rest of the family, and how to balance your grocery budget while including more veggies and whole foods.
Good luck!
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Have you looked into Keystone? They are a mix of online and textbook. Each week, the student reads/watches an introduction on the computer, then reads the chapter in the textbook. There is then a self-quiz online for the student to check their understanding of the chapter, which is graded automatically. The unit tests are also online and, while the multiple choice questions are corrected by the computer, the short answer and essay questions are graded by the teacher. Teacher-issued grades are received within 72 hours, and any questions or other contact made with the teacher, whether by email or phone, is responded to within 24 hours. He has a year from enrollment to complete the course, so while a 36-week suggested schedule is provided, he can finish the coursework at any point within that year, leaving him plenty of flexibility.
I also did not want my ds at the computer all day (and neither did he), so this has been a good mix. That said, I find I still do a lot of hand-holding. That is just my ds's personality. I don't want you to think just because he is doing an online or correspondence course that you can wash your hands of him. If he needs a lot of assistance, teaching, going over concepts, helping him with scheduling, etc., that won't really change with the online class. The only difference is that he and you are accountable to an outside entity, so it is more likely the work will be completed (but still a struggle). It is also easier to slowly work him toward more independence, because that external motivation is there (as opposed to him simply not completing "mom-assigned" work because you didn't babysit him).
Best of luck with your decision,
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Between $1.33 and $1.40 per LITER. Multiply by ~4 to convert to gallons = way too much!!
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I was also 38 and dh was 41 when I had dd last fall. My other dc were almost 14 and 11. This pregnancy was a bit harder, although the labor and delivery were amazing! We never intended to have more than 2 kids, one boy, one girl, the perfect family. But, my biological clock started to catch up with me, our kids were growing up too fast, and we started to question whether we wanted to be "done" with the parenting thing already.
Sometimes I think it would have been better to have her earlier, maybe when my other dd was 5 or so, so there wouldn't be such a huge age difference. But, I wasn't ready then. I went through several years of feeling smug and content that I didn't have littles to chase around, that I could go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted, etc. At this stage of my life, I don't really resent the complications a baby or toddler causes. I know it will fly by so fleetingly, and try to enjoy every moment. Also, having big kids means there are plenty of people in the house to keep an eye on her so I can get things done, run to the store, etc. My big kids absolutely adore her and she has added so much joy to our lives.
Being an only child myself, I had absolutely no experience caring for babies whatsoever at the time I became a mother. My kids are now "baby experts" in every way, so they are getting valuable on-the-job babysitting and parenting training, which will serve them well.
I don't spend too much time dwelling on how old I'll be when she finally graduates, etc., I am just enjoying today (although I did calculate that older dd will be a senior in HS when younger dd starts K! :tongue_smilie:).
Best of luck with your decision.
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1. How did you learn to teach your children on your own? Was it through trial and error?
Pretty much, yes. Although I have a teaching degree, I have learned so much more about how to teach through homeschooling than I ever did in college or my time teaching PS. I began by giving my dc preschool workbooks, games, crafts, etc. How they interacted with these materials told me a lot about their learning styles and preferences. The rest I learned over the years.
2. What resources helped you learn to teach?
I used "Learn at Home" workbooks for K and 1st. I liked that all the core basics were covered, but it included project and activity ideas. I also bought "What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know", which is available for grades K-6. You could easily do the early grades with only these 2 resources and the library. That said, I read TWTM in preparation for 2nd grade, and mainly followed those recommendations that year. Add in the Rainbow Resource catalog and recommendations from this board, and it has been trial and error since then. Those "Homeschooling the Early Years" type books were also helpful.
3. How do you learn to use curriculum and tweak it to fit your children?
Familiarize yourself with the teacher's manual, intro., whatever explains how the program is supposed to work and try to feel as comfortable as possible with how to use it before implementing. Then, after the first couple of weeks, see what is working and what isn't, and make little modifications that your children enjoy or respond to better. Take their complaints about the program or apparent boredom or losing focus to heart, and try ways to remedy those issues. Stay true to the meat of the program, but don't get so bogged down with "following the script" that you forget to go at your own child's pace.
4. How do you choose resources/curriculum? I am not interested in a boxed curriculum and truly am prepared for " a lot of work" to be able to teach well. But, I don't really know how to get there.
I would either start with a basic core (such as the books I mentioned above), or follow TWTM recommendations. Find a philosophy or approach that resonates with you, and follow their guidelines. You will find out what worked and what didn't and make adjustments next year (or even midyear if necessary). Don't forget a curriculum should fit your teaching style as well as your dc's learning style, or you won't want to teach it.
5. How do you educate yourself?
I learn along with my dc. The vast majority of my world history knowledge comes from SOTW, etc. I am finding that, subjects which I didn't fully grasp as I child, I am able to pick up very quickly and it all fits together. I can be reading the same lesson along with my child, process the info. and explain it to him/her before the child grasps the concept. For my own personal growth, I listen to NPR a LOT as well as watching educational TV programming.
6. What advice to you have for a new homeschooling mother? I would be so grateful for anything!
The best advice I have for starting out, is not to overdo it. Don't over-buy and over-schedule. There are so many topics we want to cover and so many wonderful resources out there, we want to buy it all and do it all. The attempt to cram it all in will only burn out your dc and yourself. Start out slowly, adding in as it seems appropriate and if you feel you can fit it in. Think through what you want your homeschool to be, the atmosphere, the content, the learning approach, and only buy what fits those needs. You can always buy more, but unused books on the shelf scream to be used, whether that is best for your dc or not, lest you feel you "wasted" money. At the same time, don't be afraid to change something that is not working, just because you spent money on it. Buying and reselling curriculum that didn't fit your dc is part of the learning process, and most of us are still doing it.
HTH,
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It's an excellent resource, particularly Brain Pop Jr. for your dcs. This is a great opportunity to try it out.
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My ds is currently taking two classes with American School. He has recently sent in his first exams, so we haven't had experience with feedback and grading yet. We are very pleased with their materials and like how straight-forward the program is. It is a clear-cut, efficient way to earn credits from an accredited program. It leaves time for the student to pursue other interests, for enrichment, or to finish HS in less than 4 years if desired.
The only drawbacks I see are a lack of direct support from a teacher or any similar perks offered by more expensive programs, and sending tests via snail mail can be inconvenient. I wouldn't hesitate to give them a try!
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I had no world history until college. It might have been offered, but if so it only would have been available to the highest track (I was in the middle). My HS history consisted of US history, Civics/Gov't and Psyc./Soc., and this was at a very well-regarded PS school.
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Thankfully, I never started the cursing habit, so at least I don't have any bad words to eliminate from my vocabulary.
My generic exclamation when something goes wrong is: Stupid!, Stupid thing!, Stupid idiotic thing! and, for the worst offenders, Stupid idiotic piece of cr@p!
When it is more of a circumstantial annoyance, I use "Oh, for heaven's sake!"
BTW, we use "cr@p" shamelessly in our house. It's somewhat of an inside joke between ds and I. It's always used with a chuckle and a wink, such as "Put away your soccer cr@p!", "Who left this cr@p on the table?", and ds's favorite from years ago, when he asked me what "politics" means. I didn't have time to give an appropriate answer, so I hastily shouted, "Umm, ohh, government cr@p!" (Isn't that the official WTM definition? :tongue_smilie:) I guess we use it interchangeably with "junk", but cr@p is so much funnier. :lol:
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I plan the year in advance (basically divide each course/text by 36 weeks). Throughout the year, I print a dated check list for each child of their work to be completed for that week. I then file those completed checklists as a "record".
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For my ds, it's a combination of ADD, working memory and processing speed. He needs to be able to devote all of his working memory to focusing on the math problem. If he needs to jump back and forth between looking at a textbook, copying the numbers, making sure he copied them correctly, allowing correct spacing, etc. it takes him forever, he gets distracted and makes mistakes.
He has slowly worked into strategies such as keeping a finger or post-it note under the problem he is copying and using a black Sharpie to do his math work because it stands out on the page, making it harder to lose his place. Before he began doing this on his own, I would hold my finger on the problem, catch any mistakes quickly, and pull him back if his mind started to wander.
HTH,
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Oh.My.Word. Your dd sounds *exactly* like mine! Very observant, outgoing, caring and helpful. If anyone can't find anything (keys, socks, you name it) she's the only one who will know where it is. She notices if someone had their hair done and complements them on it. She can straighten up a room in no time flat and can always see the best way for furniture to be arranged, ie: to solve a problem that can be addressed visually or manipulated.
She also has the *exact* same academic issues. Anything that is not continually reviewed is lost, or at least buried. If an assignment calls for finding the verb, she might look at me with a blank stare, until I ask her, "What is a verb?" Then the chant from FLL automatically rambles off her tongue at lighting speed, "A verb is a word that does action, shows a state of being, links two words together and helps another verb." Then she can do the assignment. :tongue_smilie:
I can't suggest strongly enough to have her tested. It doesn't solve the problem, but it gives you an answer to the "why", so you can stop blaming her, and especially yourself. I was (and still am) sometimes embarrassed by things dd doesn't know or uses the wrong word for, but I know there's a reason. For years, I suspected a problem, but mostly doubted myself, wondering if I really was the problem, I was a bad teacher, she needed to go to school, etc.
My dd is severely dyslexic. It sounds like your dd remedied her reading issues, but dyslexia has other symptoms and is hard-wired. All of the strengths and weaknesses I mentioned are symptoms. She may just be a dyslexic who can now read well. Check out Susan Barton's website http://www.dys-add.com/ She has symptoms lists, and will even answer your email with her professional opinion. I sent her a list of dd's symptoms before shelling out the $$ for testing, to see if she thought dyslexia was a possibility. She is very helpful and does not charge for this email advice.
Best of luck.
The special needs board will have tons of suggestions for specific writing programs, etc. that might help. Writing Skills and Megawords come to mind.
The most academically rigorous complete curriculum?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I strongly 2nd Calvert. I can't comment on the other (religion-based) programs, since I use primarily secular materials.
My ds used Calvert for grade 7, and it was a huge success. The manual is made up of daily lessons (not weekly), so you can schedule your school year however you would like. Not every subject is covered every day (ie: art, technology), but that is all pre-planned for you. Each lesson tells the student which subject will be covered and which books are needed for that day.
I was very pleased with the literature selections. We did them as read-alouds together, leading to wonderful discussions. The amount of map work for geography and comparison charts, etc. for history were just right. The discussion questions were very useful, and could be written out or done orally. We also used all 3 years of their art history courses, whether we used Calvert's complete program or not, just because we loved it.
I think buying a complete Calvert curriculum in the lower grades is a bit of overkill. It is not that hard to pull together a 1st or 2nd grade curriculum for much less money, and one that is tailored to your child's level in each subject, since that varies so much in the early years. However, beginning in grade 4 or 5, it is a wonderful program if you are looked for "boxed".