MorganClassicalPrep
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Posts posted by MorganClassicalPrep
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My 6yo is just now writing legibly by printing. It never occured to me that that might be a reason to start cursive earlier!
Those that started earlier, did you do a test of some sort to see if it would work before going forward? My son seems to be in a similar situation to a few here but I'm a little wary of starting him on something new which might be frustrating to him.
The reasons citied in the article about not teaching cursive that I read are that cursive is largely irrelevent in today's typing/texting society. But I have a couple of friends who teach at U of Michigan and Yale and there are classes there that do not allow laptops in the lecture hall because they have had problems with students not paying attention (Facebook) or cheating. Isn't cursive a much faster way to take notes? Strange to think that our children might be in the minority simply by knowing how to write in cursive.
I didn't do any sort of test. DD is reliably writing her letters in print, and was interested in cursive. The best time to teach anything is when they are interested! :D
I agree that cursive isn't quite as important now, but I still want my children to know it. Cursive isn't always a quicker way to take notes though, I think most people develop note taking skills differently. My class notes are printed, in my own invented shorthand. When I try and take notes in cursive it ends up a big jumbled mess!
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But every.single.assignment I grade and dc and I correct all mistakes together. I think that is a crucial step in the learning process.
:iagree:
I haven't graded anything yet, but DD and I do go over everything together so she can see what was wrong, and I know what she needs more help in. There have been times when we are going over things and she catches her own mistakes.
(and DD makes me put a check on everything!! If I look at something and put it back down she says "Are you going to check it?!?" :tongue_smilie:)
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http://www.discoveryeducation.com/pdf/streamingplusTitle.pdf
There is a list of titles they offer on the plus version, 143 pages worth!! I can't find a link for the basic version.
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I'm thinking of getting Discovery Education Streaming for the upcoming school year. It seems like there are a lot of videos we could use, but most especially Elementary Spanish.
I was just wondering if I should get basic or plus? DD is 5. I'm most interested in Elementary Spanish and some of the history videos - Liberty's Kids, etc. Magic School Bus and WordWorld would be nice also, but I'm not going to pay the extra 70 dollars just for those. :D
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None of this bothers me in the least.
I'm waiting for it to come out on DVD.
:iagree:
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I don't think there is really a perfect time for everyone. Another one of those things that you just have to let your child dictate the timing.
DD (5) learned to write in print without the help of a "program". Just some handwriting worksheets and lots and lots of practice. She has begun expressing an interest in cursive, and I've been printing up worksheets for her. She is picking it up surprisingly well. (Her cursive may even be better than mine! :tongue_smilie:)
Has your student shown any interest? How is their manuscript? If they want to learn, I'd do it now. If not.... I don't think it will hurt to wait.
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Hm. Well, I've considered changing my name. My legal name is Kimberly, but I don't like going by that or by Kim. I go by Kymmie, which is alright, but sometimes feels a little young. :tongue_smilie:I can't imagine being anything else though... I've spent so long as Kymmie!
I'd be a little sad if DD wanted to change her name, since both her first and middle name are very meaningful. For now, she loves having a similar name as her aunt! (DD-Jenna, her aunt is Jennifer. She was named for her aunt, who is also my best friend.) But.... if she does feel that she wants to change it, I'll respect that, and would possibly even help her pay for it if it was a thought-out decision and she had been living as the new name for awhile.
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Well, I can't answer all your questions, but I can say that many problems were solved for us when I eliminated electronics for awhile. It was a difficult transition, but I found attitudes much improved across the board.
:iagree:
DD has never really shown any resistance to school, other than some occasional resistance to certain subjects. She also is a bit of a perfectionist, and for a few months we went through a period when she didn't want to do formal handwriting because it was "hard". She'd get very frustrated when she couldn't do it. So, I dropped it, and left handwriting sheets hanging around in her desk, on the shelf, etc. Eventually she was willing to do it, and now loves to write.
But, all over, I find life much easier when we limit electronics. (And we are a very plugged in family. Laptops for both of us, digital camera, DS, phones, portable dvd player, mp3 players, wii, etc!) Our cable box broke a few months ago and i just never replaced it, so all DD can watch is movies. I'd get rid of the TV if it wasn't for the Wii, which we play together, but it is limited.
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:bigear:
I just (literally, 30 seconds ago!) said no to Rango. DD has been talking about Hop and Rio all week though, so I'm wondering how they are.
I use http://www.commonsensemedia.org/, which has good reviews by parents, and parents are able to give an age for NO, IFFY, and OKAY, which is translated to a little easy to read graphic. Not that I always go by that, but it's nice to see. And the reviews are particularly helpful because they include information about different categories (sexual situations, language, violence, etc.)
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I'm looking at graduate programs in history.
Funding for PhDs is fairly standard. Most of the schools I'm looking at offer multi-year packages of tuition remission and living stipend, with a combination of research assistant/reader/teaching assistant making up the requirements. As a general rule, bigger schools offer more money, but not always. (And by bigger, I mean more well-known in the field) The bigger schools also offer more in travel/research grants, which is important to consider.
Funding for M.A is less common, although schools that offer a terminal M.A. and no PhD are more likely to offer funded masters. The school I am at now offers funded M.A in history, but no PhD.
I've been told flat out by the professors I'm close to that I should not go into a PhD without funding. (Not that I could even if I wanted!)
I think this is all fairly standard across the humanities.
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I don't necessarily think it is a "calling," more like a decision. And I don't think homeschooling is best for everyone, because you have to consider family life also. It isn't all about academics. I know many people who would be horrible homeschoolers. I know many people simply aren't in a position to homeschool. I think I'm especially sensitive to this since I'm a single parent and full time student. The sacrifices I've had to make, and the workload I'm constantly under, are tough. I wouldn't say this is best for everyone.
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WELL. I just made it to page 50-something of the HUGE filing thread....
I can't find that thread. Could you give me a link?
I don't understand the filing system anyway. I am a huge planner and very organized, but I don't make lesson plans. I just count the number of chapters in each of my books and see how many I need to do per week to get done in 33-34 weeks. That gives me an extra two weeks in case I get behind a little bit. I plan a schedule for the year to make sure we are going to have school for 36 weeks. At the end of each quarter, I evaluate to see if we are on track.
Most of my books are organized to fit into about a 36-week school year anyway. Of my core subjects (math, English, etc), I just do one chapter per day. Of my more peripheral subjects, I just do them once per week and figure out how many pages I need to do per lesson to get the subject done in one year. So I just have bookmarks in every book, and each day I go on with the next lesson. If my husband teaches something, he just picks up where the bookmark is.
The only monthly organizing I do is going to the library to check out books for reading and supplemental history and science.
Any thoughts on this?
Here is the filing thread.
My thought is... if it ain't broke, don't fix it! :D It seems like you've worked out a system that works well for your family, and I think that is the main point of the filing thread. If you use curriculums that are fairly open and go, I think this can work perfectly.
Personally, I put together a lot of our work. For example, next year I am pulling together our American history, geography, art and music appreciation, art, and memory work. I will use a combination of products for math, phonics, French and Spanish. I'll only have a couple subjects that are completely open and go. Plus, we have a number of outside commitments which limits our time. Having a list of what I need all in one place, along with the lesson plans and such is the only way I'll stay on track.
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Everyone that's going should wear a rose pinned over our hearts... or some other crazy symbol. :tongue_smilie:
Ohoh, I know, we can all dye pink streaks in our hair!! :D
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Thanks again everyone. Anna has decided not to go to the circus. I am very proud of her for thinking it through and making her own decision. :)
Isn't it nice when children think through their own thoughts and still come to the same conclusion as us? :D You should be very proud! (of her and of yourself!)
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:001_huh: How do people even come up with the idea to do some of this stuff? Who sits around and says... "I think I'll make a chandelier out of tampons!"... :confused::tongue_smilie:
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Would I? Definitely. DD and I will probably be spending some extended time in Brazil while I do research and possibly be spending time in a French-speaking country if I put off grad school for a year and apply to a teaching program. In both cases, I will do all that I can to put DD in school (and not an American school!) to be immersed in the language. The opportunity to become totally fluent in a language is not one I'd pass up.
My view is... academics could wait. As homeschoolers, we have the flexibility to make up for lost time fairly easily. 6 weeks is really just a drop in the bucket when you think of 12-14 YEARS of school.
Concerns? Well, I would be a little concerned about where the children are academically and where the class they would be in is academically. It wouldn't really affect younger DD, but when it comes to the older children- where would they be relative to the other students in math, science, etc. Subjects that build on themselves are a little tougher to just join a class for a temporary time. Would you have access to the scope and sequence of those grades, so you could at least make sure the children are on a similar level for anything that they would need prior skills to be successful? I know you said academics would just be gravy, but I'm thinking of the children being able to enjoy it and not feeling "stupid", which seems to be a common phenomenon in schools.
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Bumping since it was buried pages down, hoping someone out there can help! :D
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I think the method you've chosen is perfect Nakia. Like you, I have some very strong beliefs on certain subjects. Even my religious beliefs are very personal, and have come about from my own reading/understanding of the Bible and morality, not from association with any particular denomination.
All the same, I also want DD to make HER decisions, not just take on mine. As she grows up, I will encourage her to think issues through, and then we can discuss what Mommy believes and why, and what Jenna believes and why. (Of course, all in age-appropriate doses.) I think the issue of the circus is a very good one to start with at 10. A will see that you respect her choices, and hopefully will come to value your opinion and be willing to consider your convictions as valid.
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That's our current method too. But new baby is getting less demanding and I'm looking forward to being more organized next school year! I love reading about the filing but I think something a bit less drastic will be ideal for us. (I'm not wanting to cut apart their CLE math Light Units, for example!)
I'm looking forward to reading about all of the great ideas everyone comes up with!
WELL. I just made it to page 50-something of the HUGE filing thread....
I won't be cutting up our books either. I really like having them bound in one place so I can look back and see how far she's come.
I'm thinking of doing a modified filing system. Instead of cutting up the books, I'm going to include lists of what is needed each week, (a list of which curriculum pages, a list of library books, a list of science and art supplies...) plus any extra print-outs, craft ideas, etc. I find. I'll probably just get a large binder to keep it in. I keep all of our school books in one area of the bookshelf, so it isn't any trouble to just pull the book out.
This is what I'm considering for now at least... :D I need something to keep us more organized, since we will be reporting next year (and our county is known for being tough on the portfolio reviews), but still want some flexibility (and bound workbooks!)
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I know there have been a number of threads regarding how/when to do American history, but I'm not having any luck searching for them. Anyone happen to know how I can find them??
I was originally planning on doing three 4 year cycles, as suggested in WTM. Then I planned to do two 4 year cycles, 2 years of American history, and fill the other two years with geography and let DD pick a topic to study.
I'm so confused! I do think it's important to know about American history, (and don't you have to have a credit of American history for high school? Would doing a 4 year cycle be enough for this?), but I also think the idea of a chronological history study is best..... -sigh-
Hoping I can find an answer in the old threads! :tongue_smilie:
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1. My heart is breaking at the books around the world being sliced open... :D I just... can't...handle it!
2. The filing thread!!! I read the beginning last year, but managed to stay mostly away from it. I currently have it open in a second tab.... considering diving in, since I really need some help. The current method (also known as flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants :tongue_smilie:) isn't exactly the most efficient way of getting things done.
See you all in.... a few weeks!! :lol:
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I agree that it is important (even at 5!) that a child feel their feelings are important and have been taken into consideration.
DD went through a period of time when she kept insisting that she was going to school. I just explained to her that there were all different kinds of schools, and that she goes to school at home. Then I told her if she went to school, she would never get to see mommy, since many of my classes are at night.
Just a few weeks ago, her cousin asked if she went to kindergarten, and DD said "I'm homeschooled. It's much better because I don't have to take naps and we do fun crafts and French!" :D
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Thank you for offering this! I was hoping to add this in next year, but was waffling because I didn't want to spend the money and end up not using it.
Off to read... :D
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My DD actually came to me with a JBJ book (she got free at the library) and said "Mom, this book is awful. I don't want to read it. Can we get rid of it?" That made me take a closer look and I agree.
:D That's great!!!
SOTW and American History?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I'm dealing with the same issue. I *think* I'm going to spend next year (1st grade) studying American history, and start SOTW in 2nd grade. I understand, and mostly agree with, the idea of chronological history study, but cultural literacy is important to me also. If someone mentions George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the pilgrims, the Civil War, etc. I want DD to at least have an idea of what they are. We may even just spend half a year on American history and then move on to SOTW 1, giving ourselves a year and a half to do Ancients.