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Dina in Oklahoma

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Posts posted by Dina in Oklahoma

    New Killgallon - Nonfiction for High School

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Well, I just did it! I compared prices at Heinemann and Amazon and ended up spending $84.00. . . but I saved approximately $30.00 and shipping! :hurray: :hurray:  :hurray: Thank you Abeille! We are set with Killgallon!

     

     

    Until April 18th, you can buy the Killgallon books (including the newest one) from the publisher for 30% off and free shipping. Use the coupon code NCTM15. Not affiliated or anything, but I stumbled across it this morning when I was looking for the teacher book downloads.

     

    http://www.heinemann.com/products/E05378.aspx

     

    • Like 2

    Your input needed for pre-diabetes (foods, food substitutes, menus, cookbooks, etc)

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Thanks for posting Sheryl! I am in the same boat and have been researching the best approach to getting my health under control. It's helpful to hear what has worked for others. :)

     

    Nurse called today to tell me that my labs all came back normal but my cholesterol and sugar a little high and I'm now considered pre-diabetic.    Oh no, how can this be?!  

     

    Anyway, enter here and share with me your best tips to REVERSE pre-diabetes.   Full blown can not be reversed but pre can be is what I've heard over the years.

     

    The little bit of research I've done said to reduce calories and fat. 

     

    I've buy non-fat or low-fat dairy items.  Or, use coconut milk, almond milk, etc.  Sheep milk, etc.   That will help to cut down on cholesterol.

    Additionally, he wants me to take a statin.  I'm going to go back on Red Rice Yeast and maybe Niacin which help with cholesterol.  They act like a statin and is why I took myself off, but he assures me that these 2 above are fine.

     

    Reduce calories - ok, no brainer here.  I guess - tongue in cheek.  That leaves broccoli, lettuce and Trader Joe's pea shoots!  LOL!

     

    Reduce fat.  Give up red meat.  And, give up on what kind of fat?  I dunno.   :)    Maybe I will have to give up butter.

     

    See, I don't use chemicals and am an organic type of gal so that will be hard for me to do.  Still, I have the red label earth balance.  That will work right?

    I don't want my dh and dd to suffer.  I was afraid to make/eat dinner tonight.  Silly me.  I ate grapes, 1 wasa sourdough crispbread and blueberries.  Oh joy!   I do like these foods but they are NOT hearty!

     

    HELP!   Your suggestions should be with me REVERSING my pre-diabetic condition in mind.  THANKS!

     

     

    • Like 1

    Homeschool Spanish Academy, Livelingua, Other Online Spanish??

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    My dd15 has had a great experience with La Clase Divertida.  She's in Spanish 2 and all set for Span. 3 next year.  The teacher is Sr. Gamache, who is a seasoned high school Spanish teacher and now teaches online classes as well.  There are two classes per week; each class is 75 min.  It is very reasonably priced.  He could easily charge more than he does.

    Couldn't agree more. My DD is in Spanish I and is signed up for Spanish II next year! Highly recommend!

    DS14 to start HS in Sept... please look over plan...

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I needed to hear this today! Thank you Lori. :)

     

    Always helpful to be able to think it through aloud with others. :)

     

    Totally want to be supportive and respectful of your choices, as you best know you DS and your family's needs. Just want to echo again the advice to be very careful about doing more than one online class to start with -- twoboysmom gives great advice out of personal experience very similar to what you are considering, about overwhelming a 9th grader with too much change and too many online classes. 

     

    Gently, and I could be way off base here, but it sounds like you are fearful that you won't be able to make high school "rigorous" enough and are changing up a LOT of what you are doing that has been working out of a little bit of panic:

    - switch away from a gentle math (TT) to a very rigorous math (AoPS) with a VERY different presentation

    - outsource 3-4 subjects as online classes -- and not having done online before

     

    Again, very gently, high school is a marathon, not a sprint. And it is a *transition* for students to move into doing high school work -- not a light switch that flips on day 1 of 9th grade. Some students are fully high school ready in middle school or by end of middle school. But a large number of students are are a "mixed bag" at 9th grade, working at high school level for some subjects, and at middle school level for one or maybe several subjects. Some students aren't ready for all high school work until 10th or even 11th grade! That is okay -- everyone has their own academic maturing timetable.

     

    Not only is it okay to keep gently moving forward from where your student is at, in the long run, you'll build a MUCH more solid foundation and avoid a LOT of tears and stress all around instead of trying to force brain development and maturing. Really, it will be fine! By the time your student is in 12th grade, you'll be amazed at how much maturing he's done -- in his own unique timetable.

     

     

    With that as preface, here's just another of my 2 cents, FWIW ;). Your revised list of credits:

    1. English

    2. Math: Algebra 1

    3. Science

    4. History

    5. Spanish

    6. Elective: PE

    7. Elective: Bible/Worldview

    8. Elective: choice

     

    A few thoughts:

     

    Streamline

    You're planning so many different options to accomplish the different credits -- be prepared that it will be hard on your family's schedule and hard educationally for both you and DS to bounce in multiple directions each day to accomplish the different credits.

     

    Something like My Father's World could be a great choice for both your DS AND for you. It combines your History and English (Literature/Writing) in a very helpful way, and it really streamlines your scheduling and subjects, so you are not having to figure out how MUCH history or literature to do, how to come up with assignments, etc. All that is done for you. It also includes Bible/Worldview! So further streamlining which simplifies things for you. And you could choose to not use the writing in the program and go with Write at Home or other focused writing helps program.

     

    English

    These sound like fine choices for grammar and writing: Analytical Grammar, Write at Home. If you don't want to go with a package for History/English, and just want something to fill in for Literature, I'd suggest something to really hold your hand and to be a gentle intro into literature: Lightning Lit. 8. (Yes, it can be a great option for a 9th grader; one of my DSs did it in 8th, the other has mild LDs and it was perfect for 9th.) Everything is very laid out for you, and much of it can be done independently by the student. And, you can add some Progeny Press guides or other individual guides to the books to "beef up" the discussion aspect if you wish.

     

    Math

    I really suggest NOT switching away from a math that is working. Especially at the critical foundations of Pre-Algebra and Algebra 1, which all the higher maths build on. TT is a fine program, and if DS is connecting with it, stick with it. You'll be able to go all the way through Pre-Calc (12th grade), which definitely covers everything you need for college prep. You can also use supplements as needed. The Tablet Class you've purchased. Khan Academy free tutorials. A local math tutor. And if you find that TT is NOT working, then consider a switch after Algebra 1 and repeating Algebra 1 with a different program the following year. You absolutely do NOT want to push forward with Math without a firm understanding of the foundations laid out in Algebra 1. Why not wait until you see how things go with Math next year, before making a switch? Another year of brain maturing might be all it takes… :)

     

    Science

    A good plan! Co-op support for science is always helpful. And it gets you out and being with other students.

     

    History

    At home for sure! Great choice to do this subject yourself. One suggestion: see above under Streamlining above about going with a packaged History/English could simplify things for you this first year of high school, and you can branch out and make it more "Do It Yourself" the following year.

     

    PE

    A good plan! Good to keep up with enjoyed activities and friends this way. :)

     

    Electives

    This is a heavy load for just starting 9th grade -- if everything is 1 credit, then you're looking at starting high school with 8 credits (8 hours of work per day). Even if each of the electives is just 0.5 credit of time/work, that's still 6.5 credits, so plan on 6.5 hours of work a day. Plus time spent on the online class(es). Plus time spent away from home for Science at the co-op and for PE activities. Plus time spent away from home for other extracurricular activities…

     

    For the electives, I would recommend NOT using any online classes this year. Let the electives be the flexible part of your schedule. So, once you get into 9th grade, if you find you need a lot more time than originally planned for the core classes of English, Math, Science and Foreign Language, you can back off on the Electives -- drop them down to just 0.5 credit or even just a 0.25 credit of time put in this year. That is okay! You can spread out a 1 credit Elective over all 4 years of high school. :)

     

     

    BEST of luck at you continue to research and plan! Warmest regards, Lori D.

     

    • Like 1

    When to begin a second foreign language?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Very helpful, THANKS!

     

     

    I do not know if it would work for you guys, but here the languages are called primary, secondary, and introductory. The different designations allow Ds to think about the way he is learning differently.

    Primary is Spanish because he has had it the longest. He does the most work in it because it is just the most familiar. It takes less work to get further and fits into just conversation easier. Ds does it first thing every day without even thinking about it. I do not think he even considers it "studying" anymore. He is nowhere near fluent, but the level of active, struggling work is gone. He is absorbing and relatively at ease with it.

    Secondary is Latin. He does more translation work because he is still developing. The pace is no where near as fast, but it is plugging along. This one is still work, so if the day is full it gets dropped (usually his first choice to go). It is a secondary thought that is much more planned to work with.

    Introductory is Japanese. Ds just started this year and he is playing with it. Basic alphabet, sounds, writing. This one gets very little time, but is hit every day. It is still fun, silly, and takes less than fifteen minutes a day. It is not seriously studied at all, but just being introduced.

    The different designations show a level of density to the studying so Ds does not get overwhelmed.

     

    my mother passed away

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    Dear Holly~

     

     

    My heart goes out to you. :grouphug: We lost my dearest FIL two years ago, dearest Uncle six weeks after that, and dearest MIL a year ago. No words can adequately express the difficulty of losing a parent, but I hope your memories will see you through.

     

    Best Wishes,  Dina

     

     

    How are online classes going?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Matryoshka ~ The pace is going well and allows us to add additional writing into the mix; which we desperately needed to do as we are playing catch up from last year!  I can provide you with an update later in the year if you'd like. Dina

    I'm thinking about that Combo for next year (LToW and Center for Lit classes).  How are you liking them together?  Is the workload good?
     

     

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