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littlefamily

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  1. This happened to my Mom and she went into the emergency room. They gave her soda pop (I'm pretty sure just regular coke). There is something in it that is supposed to make the throat get a bit larger and the food can go down. It worked for her. Hope you are already doing better.
  2. That jump to independent reading is a tough one. Both of my children did what I think you are describing - picking books that are too tough to read independently and then complaining about not liking to read. My oldest at some point shared with me (a few years after we got over the hump) that the books on her reading level, never had a very interesting plot - too simple - and that is why she hated reading at that level. Who knows if that is what is going on with your children... But here is what we did. I made a reading list for them and they started with just 15 minutes of reading what I said they had to and then another 15 min of what they wanted. The next year it increased to 30 min of what I said they "had" to read and then 30 of what they wanted to read. I picked books that had as interesting of a plot as possible, but on the easy side as far as reading level (and not tied to history or science, just good reading). But they "had" to read for the specific amount of time - no negotiating. It took about two years, but by the end of the second year they got over that hump. This board gives great suggestions for good books and the Sonlight reading lists were great resources for the books I picked. Good luck!
  3. We homeschooled in the past and my youngest did SOTW all four volumes. Then she went to public school, but will be home again next year. We moved to Philadelphia, so I thought I would do a year of American History (with lots of fun field trips) before starting the 4 year cycle again next year. She will be in 4th grade. I have been looking at Hakim's books, but it seems too much for a light year. Then I contemplated using SOTW books 3 & 4 and just focusing on the American history sections. Any other suggestions before I start planning for the year?
  4. It is difficult to balance what is too much and what is "necessary". I had great plans for our afterschooling, but the reality is that my girls don't want to do school after spending all day in school. And I want to enjoy the time we have together afterschool and not spend it wrangling with them to get more "school" completed. That being said, our agreement is that they can continue to go to school, but they need to complete some extras at home. They understand that school doesn't provide everything and the key to being successful in life is to learn what is necessary and not wait for school to provide it.... Math is very important to me (and they do Everyday Math at school which I am not crazy about...) so they have to complete 3 math lessons of my choosing every week. I use Singapore math extra practice books and the Challenging Word Problems series. Very thorough, but not overkill. We also keep up with reading lists individually and we also read together every night. You can cover so much by doing that - grammar, writing, logic, etc... Again, fun together time, but not overkill. Finding the balance that works for you and your family is not easy. But if you are creative, you will find it!
  5. That is what I love about this board - y'all's humor! Thanks - I started to second guess myself when the teacher seemed so confident she was right. Ahhh - another life learning lesson when I tell my child she was right, but let's keep it to ourselves and not push the subject any longer..... Laura
  6. My daughter needed help with a worksheet to label words either plural, singular possessive or plural possessive. Is "yours" singular possessive or plural possessive? I thought it was both, but the teacher said it is only singular. Sign me stumped....
  7. Unfortunately, the text books that our children are using in schools perpetuate many of these inaccuracies. Many of our teachers today have been taught from the same inaccurate text books while going to school themselves. What is so lacking in our educational system today is teaching children to question ideas. They are taught that if it is in a textbook it is correct and even to a certain extent that if a teacher teaches it, it must be true. Being able to evaluate a source to determine its credibility is especially important in this day and age of the internet. Wikipedia is a perfect example of this. I think the best gift you can give to your child is to teach them curiosity and the ability to question (in an appropriate way) the accuracy. And to teach them when it is appropriate/important to correct and when it is best to keep it to yourself! I know that I have learned so much when my children question something and we research it.
  8. One of my favorites for the fact sheets: http://www.mathfactcafe.com Then this site sells math tile puzzles that are fun: http://www.marcycookmath.com Our school also uses Everyday Math, so I supplement with Singapore math. We do the Challenging Word Problems and also the Extra Practice book. I was talking with my daughter's 5th grade teacher about Everyday Math and although she likes the program for the most part, she sees the biggest problem is the transition to the higher maths. When the students get to Jr. High, the expectation is that you know the "traditional" algorithms to solve problems and the kids have trouble making the transition. So I am a stickler about the girls knowing how to do math "the old way". ;)
  9. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe McCain voted for the stimulus plan that allowed a form of "redistribution" of wealth in the form of rebate checks. Checks were given to those that who did NOT pay taxes and people who earned "too much money" did not receive checks even though they did pay taxes. If that isn't a form of redistribution of wealth, I'm not sure what is.... I'm one of those voters on the fence, but these "sound bites" drive me crazy! I usually only lurk, but as long as I have ventured out.... It also drives me crazy when people consider changing opinions as a character flaw. If you are running a business and have a product or idea that you love, but it flops when you bring it to market, do you stand behind it because you stated it was your product? Or do you modify it now that you have a better understanding of the market? (I'm not meaning just saying something to get votes, but for example the banking crisis - the original plan has morphed into something very different from its original state.) I sure hope that when either is elected, he will have an abundance of resources/advisors to help understand issues in a more thorough way and I sure hope either one is willing to change his stance given this wealth of information that he should have available to him as president.... I'm back to lurking....
  10. It has been a few years since I lived in Illinois, but basically you only had to notify your school if you were pulling out. No records/reporting was necessary - not sure you can have fewer requirements than that.... Currently residing in PA - now if you want to talk about regulations take a look at PA's laws.....
  11. I am the same way. My dh was doing about two trips a week and I would just have him e-mail the itinerary if I needed it for an emergency, but just didn't keep it in my mind. He just knew I was that way and it didn't seem to bother him at all. So I didn't feel much guilt about it. Now on the other hand when neighbors would ask about him and I didn't know where he was or when he was returning (I would at least know the day he was returning, but not the time) I always felt kind of silly. It would always seem so.... unkind on my part when I would have to admit I didn't know.... Thank goodness he is no longer traveling like that, it does make life easier to have him home all the time.
  12. So sorry to hear about your situation. For various reasons, we also enrolled in PS this year. It was a difficult decision, but it ended up being very positive for us. I agree with the advice to keep your attitude positive even though you don't want to go down this road. I like to think that not only did it make the transition easier, but my girls learned that even in difficult situations, focusing on the positives is more productive than focusing on the negatives - especially when you can't change the situation. Also, if you have the opportunity, let the principal know in a casual way that you are wanting to stay involved in your children's education. I think that he specifically placed our dds with teachers that he knew would be receptive to my e-mails and other communication. I probably worried more about the transition than necessary, but the teachers always answered my questions/emails quickly and seemed to be concerned that the transition was positive as well. Good luck.... We made it to the other side and survived. I do miss the way life used to be, but we still find time for that snuggle time every night!
  13. Are you able to see the tests? If so, it might help you see the patterns/problems. Although my dd is younger, we are having the same problem. I found that going through the test with her and asking how she came to her answer helped me understand what was happening and how to help her. Her biggest issue is time - she feels the pressure to get it finished in time and then she doesn't read as carefully as she should. So she was getting tripped up on what we call the "tricky wrong answer". Before a test, I will quiz her on the material and also ask her to give me the "tricky wrong answer". Again she is younger, but for example 12X5 = 60 and a tricky wrong answer is 50 (forgetting to carry the one). It has helped her to slow down and to understand how teachers write tests. Good luck, I know how frustrating it is!
  14. Full disclosure - I'm the ekkk Everyday Math poster. :001_smile: I was hoping to read something positive about EM somewhere so this thread caught my eye. I have 2 daughters, DD1 is a very "traditional" learner and DD2 is a very non-traditional learner. It will be fascinating to see if EM suits one or the other better. I will keep everyone posted. Also, DD1 is in 5th grade and so far I am very impressed with her teacher. Her teacher seems to be on top of things and very organized and efficient with her time. One thing they do everyday is a very traditional math drill on multiplication facts before they start the day. I find it interesting (and I don't know enough about the teaching philosophy behind EM) that most everyone who has an positive opinion about EM usually stresses the need for drilling the facts in one way or another. So maybe the negativity an/or poor results stems from poor implementation rather than curriculum?
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