m0mmaBuck
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Posts posted by m0mmaBuck
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I bought the Wii Fit Plus bundle for under $80 at costco. Without the board, you couldn't play much of the 'game.'
We love the game btw. The kids have a great time doing the games... OK, and so do I! And the yoga and pilates are nice for days I don't make it to the gym.
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I was just thinking about this since my state requires standardized testing.... Of course DS bombed the test when he took it in school (it was on the computer and they told him he could go outside to play when he finished so he answered "A" for EVERYTHING) so he can't do any worse than he did last year! LOL!
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It seems like it varies depending on what people include in what they consider the price of homeschooling. For us, we would have the internet and new computers and such because of our business (IT company run from home). We would have a zoo membership, a childrens' museum membership, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, swim lessons, and Scottish Highland dance lessons (DD) regardless. I would have bins full of art supplies and would be buying pencils, pens, crayons, notebooks, etc., for PS anyway....
So if I just were to look at the curriculum/additional expenses that I have encountered since we decided to HS DS, I would say around $300 (buying WTM, FLL, WWE, SOTW with AG, math curriculum, AAS, and a few other random things)...
Edited to add that $300 is for DS7 and then stuff for DD to do.
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I just started hs'ing and have found the AG to be extremely helpful. I have DS do the coloring page while I read from SOTW. I use the questions to make sure he comprehends what I'm reading. I use the narrations to practice spelling and handwriting in his journal. He loves the maps and after he colors them in we go to our globe and I point out the area. I use the book suggestions for read-alouds as well as independent reading (I put in a hold request for the books so that we have a handful of them available for each topic as we cover it.).
Personally as a new, slightly neurotic hs'er I find the AG extremely helpful.
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!!
I knew there would be some great suggestions here!
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I have difficulty finding books that my son enjoys reading. He reads at a 3rd/4th grade level but just really doesn't enjoy reading.
He doesn't really care for talking animals although he did read all of The Littles series. He has read every Star Wars book written for youth/juvenile readers. He read all of the Junie B. Jones books last year.
He didn't like the Boxcar Children series or the Magic Treehouse. He was OK with the Magic School Bus books, but they aren't a favorite.
He does like non-fiction books, particularly with military or history-related themes. He has also enjoyed a few nonfiction but set in a historical time period books (WWII, Civil War, Revolutionary War in particular).
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
ETA that I know someone posted RE: an 8 yo girl but her interests are different than my son'
s... He's not a Harry Potter/magic/Science Fantasy lover.
Michelle
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Olympia here.
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Tomorrow is our first official day of homeschooling. I am so nervous!
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I am so totally not ready at all. I am a bit obsessed at this point. I just filed my letter of intent to homeschool with the PS so tomorrow is our first day at home... Everyone... At home.... AHHHHHH!!!!!!
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This year (we're in SOTW 3) I made individual workbooks for each child and I *so wish* I had done this every year. I tore out the student pages from the Activity Guide, inserted blank pages with each chapter (for narrations, outlining, pictures, etc.), made an extra 2 copies for my two other kids and had them all spiral bound. It is so so so much easier; before, each lesson I would go find the pages, pull them out, I had binders for them to insert what they did. It was always cumbersome and time-consuming. The workbooks are much easier, faster, and neater. If we do extra activities/pages I simply staple them to one of the blank sheets.
I'm new to all of this but I like the workbook idea. So can you just take the books to a copier and have them make spiral bound copies of the student pages?
Michelle
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Life, liberty, and the PURSUIT of happiness.
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Thanks for the recommendation!!!! Looks awesome!
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I have a MS in Physical Therapy. I work about 200 hrs/year in my field, just enough to keep my license current.
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So bare minimum is workbook and text but HIG seems recommended by most... OK, that helps me know where to start. Standards ed is US plus more info which seems like a good plan for my mathy kid. I still need to have DS do the placement test and then I'll be ready to take the leap.
Thanks again! Seriously, you are all awesome.
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What components do I absolutely NEED to teach DS? Workbook, Textbook, Teacher's Guide, Home Instructor's Guide???? Which parts are necessary?
Also, which edition? US Standard or US Standard w/ CA guidelines (I live in WA if that makes a difference)?
Thanks!
Michelle
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So with Singapore are the Teachers Guides required to make it make sense for everyone?
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I've been considering homeschooling, but for right now afterschooling seems like the next logical step.
My son, Jaedon is a very young Kindergartner; he made the cutoff by 5 days. He entered Kindergarten reading at a third grade level and doing math at a second grade level. In these two subjects he learns NOTHING in school, yet only receives 'S' on his report card for them (satisfactory; on par with the class) He doesn't get 'E' because he refuses to do the 'baby' work (as he calls it) that they do in class.
His teacher can't assess him because he 'passed' kindergarten curriculum at his first assessment. She borrowed a math test from a second grade teacher just to find out what she could teach him...that was two months ago and she has yet to teach him anything.
After much effort on my part (and the school's gifted teacher) the school has agreed to place him into first grade for reading started after winter break.
The didn't want to place him before because he has behavior issues. MOST of his issues stem from him being bored with the work. He's bored because he learned all of this 2 years ago and should be placed in a higher grade...they won't place him because of his behavior...it's a vicious cycle.
Anyway, since the district won't test kindergarteners for the gifted program until the end of the year, he's stuck sitting in his class all day being bored or doing busy work (advanced work on his level but with absolutely no guidance).
He's told me that he's frustrated with school because all the other kids are learning something and he's not.
So here we are. I'm on the fencepost about homeschooling as I think the social aspects of school are good for him (he's never really been around other kids), but the curriculum is lacking. So we are going to try afterschooling and homeschooling during holidays and summer vacation.
from another online forum (BabyCenter, perhaps?). Anyway, my son is quite similar to yours. My 2nd grader had met all of the school's 2nd grade goals by November but I didn't want to push him in with the 3rd graders due to his emotional maturity and the school didn't really have much to offer besides more busy work. He did his work because it was his 'job' but he was hating school.
I have yet to begin homeschooling (other than the normal day to day 'teaching moments' that arise) but he is actually excited to be challenged. My thought is that since he is already where the public school needs him to be for 3rd grade, how much harm can I do even if we get it all wrong at home? I can always send him back to public school in the 3rd grade if it's not a fit. I would say that you could at least give homeschooling a try and see if it works for your family.
Michelle
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Singapore... Hmm... I have read such mixed reviews about it (I guess just like anything else) and the ones that 'scare' me are the ones that talk about the parent needing to be a math whiz themselves to teach it. I'm OK at Math (I'm a Physical Therapist and took many upper level math classes as pre-req's for my program) but I don't know that I would say I'm a whiz. I also got caught up trying to figure out which edition I should use and kind of wandered away from the site. Guess I need to go back there again, lol!
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Not a specific DVD suggestion but Zumba works your core and is fun is you like to dance. I'm sure there are DVD's on amazon.
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We got a few:
Yahtzee Jr
Monopoly Go
Scrabble Slam
Pentago
DD3 loves the Yahtzee Jr and the rest of the family is partial to Pentago.
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Hi Michelle, Carle here from BC boards. I am following your thread because I am still interested in spelling for next year too. I don't have a lot to add, except that there is a thread for dictation on here (something to the effect of "Do you make your own dictation?" is the title. It has a link to a free ebook for spelling by copywork and dictation that I just downloaded. Might be worth looking at.
Also, you said your program doesn't seem fun to you. I just wanted to say wait and see. I know very few who don't think that SOTW is fun. It is a real joy here. The stories and books are so exciting, and the projects and notebook are a source of fun and pride. I hope you have the same experience!
Carle, thanks for that dictation info! I skimmed the first few lessons and then downloaded it. It may be a good place to start. It looks interesting to me anyway, lol. And thanks for the comments Re: SOTW... I guess our program is fun! :)
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Here is a google e-book for you. It looks delightful! I plan on trying it out next year for ds. Free is good ;)
Thank you for this! It looks wonderful and I just may go ahead and use this for DS vs. buying yet another program!
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For math, we use RightStart and love it.
We use AAS for spelling, and I don't really find it teacher-intensive. It is scripted, but the part I struggle with is all the rules. I'm a natural speller, it's always been easy for me. Dd 8 yrs is not, and while she does "get" the rules in AAS, she has a difficult time applying them when writing outside of our spelling time. I keep struggling with whether this is normal and I should just keep helping her along, or whether this just isn't the program for her and we should switch. Anyway, that's just my experience with it.
I'm conflicted on AAS.... It seems like my program isn't particularly 'fun' (SOTW, FFL, WWE, probably either Saxon or CLE for math, science per WTM, piano lessons) so I thought AAS would be a bit more tactile and 'fun' for my spelling-challenged child... but Spelling Power and SWO seem more defined... Of course I may be totally wrong because I haven't tried any of them with my son.
Who knew I would agonize so much over this!
Michelle
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Have you looked into CLE math?? I am really happy with it. We used Saxon before and I liked a few things about it but found myself supplementing with it cuz it was lacking to many things.
It's kind of a slower math for the younger years.
I really like the idea of the whole "meeting strip" that Saxon does for 2nd and 3rd grade, so we actually still do that in the morning to refresh counting by 3, 4, 7, etc. It just kind of keeps me on a schedule so my child doesn't forget certain learning skills.
We now use CLE math and it does have alot in their and it's very teacher friendly.
It's kind of like Saxon but in a workbook formate.
HTH
Thank you for the link! I really like the fact that you can buy one workbook and try it out before investing in the entire year (as with Saxon). So do you feel that CLE math challenges the student more than Saxon? And how much do you use the Teacher's Manual or do you just find yourself teaching from the workbook?
Thanks so Much!
Michelle
How do you spend on schoo per year?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
We go to the library every Monday. We pick up our hold books (usually supplementals per SOTW), peruse the shelves for 'fun books,' play on the kid computers... Not only does it give us an outing for that day, but it cuts down on the number of overdue books!
Our library just started charging fines in October, 15cents per item per day. Once you hit $5 in fines you can't check anything out until you pay. I've probably paid out $1 in fines, and that has only happened on the few occasions where we broke our cycle and visited the library on a day other than Monday.
I need structure! Can you tell??? :)