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SoCal Sandra

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Everything posted by SoCal Sandra

  1. otherwise it's tap dance and hip hop dance, as well as some team sports.
  2. I also posted this on the College Board. What are your dc doing to prepare for film school and to increase their chances of acceptance. TIA.
  3. If so, how are they preparing and what are they doing to increase their chances of acceptance? TIA.
  4. I've read great reviews re: AAS and especially like the way it supposedly teaches the student to know why words are spelled the way they are. We haven't accomplished this with the spelling programs we've used. My one reservation with AAS is that the tiles, although useful, might seem babyish to 11 year old dss. Any suggestions? What level should a sixth grader start with? Our goal is to fill in gaps and provide dss with a systematic approach to spelling. All comments appreciated. TIA.
  5. Gladwell emphasized the culture of working hard. The language issue was secondary. I remember his explanation that generations of people getting up at the crack of dawn to face a long day working in the rice fields produces the kind of discipline and work ethic that leads to success. This is a curriculum forum, so I can see why posters are commenting on the language (and I agree--we started math with Right Start and still use it to supplement SM) but the connection of images that Gladwell created, in his masterful way, sticks in my mind. Hard work yields success.
  6. Dss have been in a summer reading program that is reading the Fellowship of the Rings as the official class novel. Students are required to select two books from a list of books at their reading level, which for dss are books at the same level as Fellowship. The Earthsea Cycle books have caught one ds' eye. Any opinions? Please note that both dss started the reading program in the middle school class and the teacher moved them up to the high school class after the first meeting. So when I first signed dss up for the class I wasn't as concerned about the content of books as I am now.This left me short on time to review the books on the list. I'd appreciate both general comments about the books as well as comments about any scenes or themes that may be inappropriate for 11 year olds. TIA.
  7. As always, I'm grateful when someone takes time out of the busy day to share words of wisdom. My life is richer (and easier!) as a result.
  8. I don't know if dss were already reading fast. In the pretest given at the first class, one timed at 340 words per minute and the other was just under 300. I don't know if the teacher moved them up to the High School class based on speed alone, as they tested at the high school level in speed, comprehension and vocabulary, which were the three categories. She said their speed would be in the middle range of the high school class, but since I don't know if the high school students are remedial or not, that doesn't tell me much. At the last class the faster son tested over 700 words per minute and the slower one just over 600. The teacher has now intentionally slowed them down, which is something she told the class she might do to ensure that comprehension does not diminish as speed builds. Dss are not crazy about the curled hand method, so I allow them to use just their index finger. The curled hand method is supposed to do two things: block out distracting words in the sentences below and pull the eye like a ball and chain. I figure the index finger can pull the eye, and if the words below the reading line become a distraction, we can try modifying the curled hand approach in some way. I understand your comments about using the method with the Lord of the Rings. Dss sometimes tell me they just want to savor the story. For that reason I push the method more heavily when they are reading other things. A relative recently introduced them to the "Fablehaven" and "Ranger's Apprentice" books, which are very easy reading for them. I tell them that the speed method is especially good for these type of books. I do have to remind them a lot though because they need to reach a point where the method a habit--used automatically, except when they intentionally slow down to savor a good story or comprehend difficult text. As for the vocabulary book, they start that after the third class. Dss have only done the first chapter, but it looks like it will provide good review as well as some new roots. Regarding outlining, dss said that the method is not as specific as the WTM method because they don't use Roman numerals and they use bullet marks for the detail level of the outline. Nonetheless, any practice is good, as you said. Did you have a hard time moving your dc up to the high school class? After dss were moved up and attended the first high school class, I got a call from the company telling me dss would not be allowed to stay in the high school class because they were only going into sixth grade and the company doesn't allow skipping more than one grade. I asked to speak to a supervisor and appealed the decision. I asked that they speak to the teacher who moved dss up because her input might be valuable. They did and then called back and said dss could stay in the class. I was impressed that they were willing to listen to reason and be flexible with their policy. If your dc are going to go to ps, I think the class may prove valuable as a comfortable introduction to a public classroom setting. I'm assuming the classes are on a college campus (ours are) and being in that setting is a nice way to acclimate them to the idea of college long before they go. That's another thing I like about the class.
  9. Mine did and the teacher moved dss up to the high school class--Fellowship of the Rings--so dss are just loving it. It seems like a solid program so far and dss have already doubled their reading speed, as promised. I thought I'd let you know just in case your dc haven't started yet and are still undecided.
  10. I just received the Memoria Press "The Classical Teacher" summer catalog. The first article, "Letter from the Editor" discusses a movie that I haven't seen, but would have liked to (acting by Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman). Unfortunately the editor reveals important parts of the film and has probably spoiled the film for me. Personally, I hate spoilers. (Years ago a friend spoiled "The Crying Game" for me and I still associate him with that selfish act.) This is just a heads up for people like me.
  11. Dss are 11 and just finished their fourth year of dancing. They started with tap and only occasionally danced hip hop, but this year they took back to back tap and hip hop classes and found they really love hip hop. Having a gymnastics background would have been very helpful in hip hop because cartwheels and flips can really take the performance to "new heights." My husband has suggested enrolling dss in gymnastics for this reason, and for one of them it may be a viable option. One of them, however, had a huge growth spurt over the last year and is three inches taller and twenty pounds heavier than his brother. It would likely be much harder for this big kid to get into gymnastics now. If he had taken gymnastics at a very young age, though, the skills would already be in place and readily transferable to other activities. Studio/gym environment is also an important consideration. Having seen too many dance studios where preschool girls shake their booties to music that was definitely not age appropriate, I consider myself lucky to have found a Christian Performing Arts Center where my sons could learn to dance in an environment that supported the values of our particular family instead of working against them. This may not be an issue for you and your family, but I raise the point because I know so many families that enroll their children in ballet thinking that they won't be exposed to provocative moves and scanty costumes, only to find out that at the performance they have to sit through countless numbers of just those things before they get to see their child dance. The same holds true for the music and lyrics. Even if your child takes only ballet, at performances, you may find yourself watching dances to music that has lyrics and you may want to know in advance if there will be any that you don't approve of. Perhaps this is only an issue in a city like L.A., but I thought I'd bring it up anyway. Good luck with your decision. I hope that I've added some thoughtful considerations.
  12. Blue is a calming color that is great for bedrooms or other places of relaxation. For me, a blue schoolroom would put me to sleep. I tend toward pale yellows for areas where work is to be done. It brightens things up and invigorates without overwhelming. That's my taste, for what it's worth.
  13. Correct grammar has become a part of who dss are. They are now 11 and we are reading Return of the King as a family read aloud. When dh puzzled over the meaning of one of Tolkien's cumbersome sentences, one ds said, "Take out all the prepositional phrases and you'll understand the sentence." Dh did, and he did. This brings to mind a single exercise in one of the FLL workbooks, in which the student crosses out all the prepositional phrases from a very long sentence and is left with the core meaning of the sentence. I think that starting early with grammar has shaped the way dss think.
  14. FYI, I called Singapore Math and talked to Jenny, who was very helpful and directed me to the SM forums for help on specific questions. Even though I ended up ordering Bar Modeling: A Problem Solving Tool, I was impressed by the fact that she first recommended the forums so I wouldn't have to spend a lot of money. Thanks again for the help, everyone.
  15. Dss will start 6A in the fall. The teacher's manuals have been great for use with the workbooks, but sometimes I think it would be nice for me to have more guidance in helping dss with the challenging problems in the IP and CWP books. I noticed several teachers resources on the SM website and I wonder if any of them could teach me tools and strategies that could help. Which have you used and what do you recommend? I've looked at sample pages of both Bar Modeling A Problem-solving Tool and The Singapore Model Method for Learning Mathematics as well as Arithmetic for Parents. Comments? Opinions? TIA
  16. Unless Legoland has improved the decking of the water play area, it can be very slippery. My son slipped on it and was injured. That was years ago and the surface may be different now, but be sure to size things up when you get there. One attraction not to miss is the ventriloquist show. I'm all a giggles right now just thinking about it.
  17. It sounds like the same program (Institute for Reading Development) and yes, dss will be in the 6th-8th class. Evidently the person I spoke with gave me the name of the book used in the 9th-12th class by mistake.The person I spoke with was aware that my dss are strong readers and are looking to increase speed. He told me that the program would benefit them. It is supposed to strengthen all students, even advanced ones, by assessing each student on the first day and then monitoring each student's individual progress. Thanks for the heads up on these issues. We will definitely discuss these things with dss if they read the book.
  18. Unfortunately I signed dss up for a summer speed reading class because I had been told over the phone that the class would read "Fellowship of the Rings." Today I visited the website of the company that gives the class and saw "Banner in the Sky" listed as the novel the class will read. Dss love LOTR and will be sorely disappointed. Well, unless I can undo this and find a replacement speed reading class, I will have to console my self with the fact that if "Banner in the Sky" is boring, maybe dss will desire to speed through it to get it over with. Thanks for your response, Trish.
  19. Comments? Is there anything in the book that parents should have a heads up on? TIA.
  20. Dss read the first chapter of the first volume at the beginning of 5th grade. Both dss told me the author's tone was too condescending for them.
  21. If your son knows that he wants to practice criminal law then he can make that his focus in law school. A good goal right now would be to choose a major that will develop his writing skills and analytical abilities. Getting good grades at a reputable college and then a high LSAT score would be the next goal. If your son wants to do criminal trial work, then some public speaking experience would also be helpful. I don't know much about specific colleges, but I recall reading that the debate team at Patrick Henry College often beats teams from Ivy League schools and that some PHC team members have gone on to Harvard law school. I don't know much more about PHC, except the fact that it is Christian and admits many homeschoolers. HTH. Good luck to you and your son.
  22. You've helped me zero in on the problem and I think my son is either not recognizing the steps he is taking or is unskilled at communicating them. This isn't the first time that he has solved a problem in a way that seems backward to me, but this time he solved it so very quickly that I think he failed to distinguish the steps he was taking. You've given me quite a bit of insight and I think he jumped straight to the end, recognized a ratio, dropped the zero from the 110 for a quick "guess and check" and solved the problem. SM 5B covers both ratio and estimation, so he has used those a lot recently. Since they may have made their way into his approach to this problem, perhaps that means that SM taught the concepts effectively. I will monitor this. I check every single problem and ds is required to correct every problem he gets wrong. Since we use the textbook, the workbook, parts of the extra practice book and parts of the intensive practice book, correcting even a few errors makes math a big part of our lives. Regarding the bar models, they are introduced in the textbook and sometimes modeled in the workbook, but I think the best examples are found in the "Friendly Notes" section of the extra practice book. We use the standards edition now, but I think the U.S. edition called the section something else. The instructor's guide also gives a good narrative description of using the bar models. Thanks again, Math Mavens!
  23. My dss solved the following problem, which is problem 25 from Review 11, on page 115 of SM 5B workbook: "June spent 3/5 of her money in the first week and 1/3 of the remainder in the second week. She spent $110 altogether. How much money did she have left?" I used algebra and the SM bar model to work out the problem, but my ds solved it in his head. He got the correct answer, $40, but I don't understand what he did. Here's his explanation of what he did: "I dropped the 0 from 110 and treated it like 11. The largest multiple of 3 that you can get out of 11 is 9. I added the zeroes back to the numbers, so the amount spent on the first day was $90, which means $20 was spent on the second day. Two times $20 is $40 dollars. $40 was left. Also, three times $20 is $60 dollars, which added to $90 equals $150, and $150 minus $110 equals $40. When I asked ds why he divided the $90 by three he said it was because 3/5 of the money was spent on the first day. I don't quite understand how all of this got ds to the correct answer. He thinks differently than I do, so perhaps I'm missing something. Does anyone understand the logic in his approach? Or did he just make a lucky guess? TIA
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