Kay in Cal
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Posts posted by Kay in Cal
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I typed in four paragraphs at random from Fellowship. Basically, I set the book on edge, and let gravity pull it open. Turned out to be the first four paragraphs on page 238 of my edition. Word came up with a lexile level of 7.5
I guess that's my point... do they take the "average" of the whole book? Or they only key in certain parts (previews off of Amazon)? Even the selection I copied is much more challenging (IMHO) than the HP books. I'm not dissing either, I'm a huge fan of both, but I just can't agree with thier relative ranking. I guess I really don't believe that an arbitrary word count program can really measure how challenging a book is. Or, for that matter, how good writing is--how I hate those grammar/style suggestions in Word!
The passage I entered was:
In the North after the war and the slaughter of the Gladden Fields the Men of Weterness were diminished, and their city of Annuminas beside Lake Evendim fell into ruin; and the heirs of Valandil removed and dwelt at Fornost on the high North Downs, and that now too is desolate. Men call it Deadmen’s Dike, and they fear to tread there. For the folk of Arnor dwindled, and their foes devoured them, and their lordship passed, leaving only green mounds in the grassy hills.
In the South the realm of Gondor long endured; and for a while its splendour grew, recalling somewhat of the might of Numenor, ere it fell. High towers that people built, and strong places, and havens of many ships; and the winged crown of the kings of Men was held in awe by folk of many tongures. Their chief city was Osgiliath, Citadel of the Stars, through the midst of which the River flowed. And Minas Ithil they build, Tower of the Rising Moon, eastward upon a shoulder of the Mountains of the Shadow; and westward at the feet of the White Mountains Minas Anor they made, Tower of the Setting Sun. There in the courts of the King grew a white tree, from the seed of that tree which Isildur brought over the deep waters, and the seed of that tree before came from Eressea, and before that out of the Uttermost West in the Day before days when the world was young.
But in the wearing of the swift years of Middle-earth the line of Meneldil son of Anarion failed, and the Tree withered, and the blood of the Numenorians became mingled with that of lesser men. Then the watch upon the wals of Mordor slept, and dark things crept back to Gorgoroth. And on a time evil things came forth, and they took Minas Ithil and abode in it, and they made it into a place of dread; and it is called Minas Morgul, the Tower of Sorcery. Then Minas Anor was named anew Minas Tirith, the Tower of Guard; and these two cities were ever at war, but Osgiliath which lay between was deserted and in its ruins shadows walked.
So it has been for many lives of men. But the Lords of Minas Tirith still fight on, defying our enemies, keeping the passage of the River from Argonath to the Sea. And now that part of the tale that I shall tell is drawn to its close. For in the days of Isildur the Ruling Ring passed out of all knowledge, and the Three were released from its dominion. But now in this latter day they are in peril once more, for to our sorrow the One has been found. Others shall speak of its finding, for in that I played small part.
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Thanks for remembering! No... I found out that basically there isn't really any way to tell after the fact if the lead is out of their system. So it might have passed through them, might not, no way to know. So I decided that the amount of exposure we had going to the park, even frequently, probably wasn't going to cause ongoing problems. Of course, the park is still closed.
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I'm a fainter! :tongue_smilie:
I'm also a big chicken... but now I give blood regularly. When my dh was in the hospital three years ago he needed lots of blood (12 units? probably more), and I decided I would try to "pay it forward". I also have A negative blood, which is often in short supply--I'm on the Red Cross email list so they will send periodic reminders.
I was nervous the first time, but did lots of deep breathing and relaxation... I use the same routine I did for hypnobirthing, actually. I hate needles! I've found that if I get up too fast afterwards (like, move and sit at the little table with cookies and juice), I pass out after about 20 minutes.
Now I tell them that I'm a fainter, and ask if I can stay laying down for an additional 15 minutes or so after I am done donating, THEN I move to the juice and cookie table. I haven't had a problem since then. In general, I think it's pretty unusual that people faint afterwards...
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in an effort to eat more frugally... now what do I do?
I currently don't own either a slow-cooker or a pressure-cooker. Do I need one? What are some good vegetarian recipes that use pinto beans?
Thanks!
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OK, so I checked... a couple hundred titles here in the Los Angeles public library system. 84 on Wicca, 158 on paganism, 45 on neopaganism, 21 on earth religions. These are different titles, there may be multiple copies of some.
For comparison:
Christianity ... 10126
Judaism ... 3810
Buddhism ... 2991
Islam ... 2821
Bahai ... 167
Shinto ... 123
Scientology ... 115
Mormonism ... 105
Sikhism ... 97
Jainism ... 48
Different search terms would probably turn up more, but I thought it was interesting, anyhow!
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ENFP -- but getting close to J. My strongest is the N--I'm 100% N!
I'm married to an INFP. He is a very strong P. I think that is what is driving me to be a J.
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It may be more than you want to spend, but the resource "My World and Globe" has nice stickers that come with it. It's basically a set of a book, inflatable globe, and stickers to use on the globe--though there are way too many to fit them all! They aren't stickers of countries, per se, but lots of landmarks, cities, animals and other geographical points of interest that might be fun to include in your book.
We used it K year when we did a world geography survey with my older son, and I bought another to use next year (K) with younger ds--a new one so we'd have a new set of stickers! The little book is nice as well, we used it to cover basic geographical concepts.
Square picture stickers:
Buffalo (the animal), Alligator, Gorilla, Sloth, Kangaroo, Zebra, Toucan, Penguin, Kremlin, Cars, Oil, Bananas, Coffee, Eiffel Tower, Rice, Tea, Pineapple, Wheat, Sears Tower, Tiger, Monkey, Reindeer, Walrus, Blue-Footed Booby, Panda, Camel, Cheetah, Llama, Elephant, Stonehenge, Great Pyramids, Desert (2), Volcano (2), Rain Forest, Taj Mahal, Statue of Liberty, Machu Picchu, Great Wall of China, Tundra, Glacier, Redwood Forest, Mt. Everest, North Pole, Hawaii, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Grand Canyon, Mt. McKinley, South Pole, Mt. Fuji, Great Barrier Reef, Victoria Falls, Magellan, Columbus, Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Day, Night, Hot, Cold
Then there are some Label-type word stickers with arrows:
Greenland, Sumatra, Madagascar, Tierra Del Fuego, Chicago, London, New Zealand, Beijing, Shanghai, Washington DC, Sydney, Ottawa, Lagos, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Panama Canal, Hong Kong, Cairo, Tokyo, Paris, Moscow, Santiago, Bombay, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Havana, Suez Canal, Amazon River, Mississippi River, Alps, Andes Mtns, Nile River, Rocky Mtns, Yangtze River
And some write-on stickers like:
"I want to go here" "(blank) lives here" "I LIVE HERE" "I've been here", etc.
Amazon doesn't seem to have it anymore--I think I got mine cheap at a Scholastic sale last year? We also used the animal sticker atlas and the flag atlas. Can you tell I like stickers??
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I found this site interesting... then started checking the level of some books. I started with what my ds has been reading for fun lately: they have the first three Harry Potter books at 880 (I guess I buy that). Then checked "The Hobbit"--1000. I agree, it uses more complex language than the Potter series. Then checked "Fellowship of the Ring"--860. Really? An easier read than "The Sorcerer's Stone"? The book written by Tolkein for grownups, with very sophisticated vocabulary IMHO, has a lower lexile level than its own prequel written for kids? Having read both recently, I think this is way off!
I guess I'm just questioning how accurate these measures really are.
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Thanks for all the input! I guess I'll plug ahead working out the program without using the workbook. Feels ironic, because so many of the reviews have said how necessary the workbooks were to really implement it... but I think the core book will just have to be our center. We'll pull texts from the workbook and some ideas, but use the method in our own way.
For those who are using the program at the older levels--are the workbooks similar? Thanks!
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Updated pic above.
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We're staring Aesop A next year. I have the main book, as well as the student and teacher's guides. After all the recommendations for how much better the program is now that it is all planned out in a workbook, looking at them as a whole I'm not sure it will work for us. I had a good vision for how it might work after reading the main book, and then looked at the student and teacher's guides... I guess I think the student book is TOO planned out. I see how the exercises progress over the year, but it seems like it will be difficult to use the workbook and have the program meet my ds where he is--I like the writing piece, but the grammar, for example, is just way too simple. Looks like lots of busywork to me.
Here is what I would like to do: Continue on using GWG 4 next year for grammar. Similarly, continue with SWO D for spelling. For the "analysis and imitation" part of CW, focus on textual criticism (genre, voice, character, etc) as well as found vocabulary and dictionary skills, then move on to the writing project. This would mean far less time spent on analysis and imitation each day than is scheduled in Aesop (less than 30 minutes, because grammar and spelling would be scheduled separately), more time just workshopping his writing, as well as pretty much not being able to use the workbooks.
For those who have used CW, will this work? What is really the value of the program? If I lose the workbooks and focus more precisely in the analysis piece, are we just missing the boat?
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Got it! We had the same problem.. I couldn't figure out why it placed ds at the 5th grade level when he hadn't missed any words yet!
I just skipped ahead to the next lists, but that doesn't really work right either... so I guess we'll wait until they have the test finished.
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I knew the frist two stanzas of the first poem, but I'd forgotten the third... and I only remembered bits and pieces of the second poem. I'm still amazed that any of it is in there! I haven't read those books in almost 30 years!
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No... that's the older one... This is my younger ds. He's 4. Which is apparently his rebellious stage.
So tomorrow I get to fix the hair, but for tonight, I'm just letting it be...
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I'm kind of a "crazy cat lady"... so I'd trap 'em, spay 'em, and release 'em. And never admit it later. Ever.
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Thanks for the heads up. I'll talk to my boys tonight. I guess it's about time, huh?
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Interesting question... I think I'd have to say:
Writing (including grammar, spelling, handwriting, composition)
Mathematics
History
Literature
Science
Bible
Latin (or other foreign language)
Art & Music
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Dh and I made the mistake of watching the movie... ugh! It was terrible! Though my 6yo liked it. Yep. That good.
The books are fantastic. I can still do the entire poem from reading them at 10 years of age--
"When the dark comes rising, six shall turn it back,
Three from the circle, three from the track,
Wood, bronze, iron, water, fire, stone,
Five shall return, and one go alone."
I know the next stanza too... anyone else? :blush:
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Another fast mover in Math here with my oldest ds... We're planning to stick with EPGY because he's thriving. So, this would be using thier courses:
K: Miquon Orange/Red, Singapore 1a/1b
1: EPGY Accelerated 2 and 3
2: EPGY Acclelerated 4 and 5
3: EPGY Accelerated 6 (leaving some wiggle room to slow down here)
4: EPGY Honors Pre-Algebra
5: EPGY Honors Beginning Algebra
6: EPGY Honors Intermediate Algebra
7: EPGY Honors Geometry
8: EPGY Honors Pre-Calculus
9: EPGY Calculus A/B
10: EPGY Calculus C
11: Linear Algebra/Differential Calculus or other topics
12: Same--more advanced courses through EPGY (they offer up to post-grad level)
If he doesn't slow down, we'll be moving through it more quickly. I think that math is pretty important--we'll be continuing with course work for as long as ds is homeschooled, regardless if he "finishes" normal high school recommendations. My BIL is a math prof at Northwestern, so we can always pull in some really good resources when it surpasses our knowledge, but my dh feels pretty confident teaching through calculus.
With second ds, I have no idea yet--I think we'll be doing the Singapore through NEM route.
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Nay, born in 1970, and was a military brat! I was born in the base hospital too... strange!
Dh also born in 1970, he doesn't have one either.
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Well, at least he takes initiative, right?
Here is ds4 after this morning's haircut. It actually is straight across the front, just sort of touselled with some product right now. I did find a couple of bald spots in there, though... luckily they don't show much.
He was happy to have it short again, as you can see! Bad mom only likes to do haircuts every 3 months or so, but I guess he can't wait that long!
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Hey there! I've been to Kidspace... it is pretty cool, but I would say that 45 minutes is optimistic... I guess it depends on when you do it. To clarify -- I drive that far all the time, but if I was on vacation or visting, I might look for closer things. I'm not sure it's a "destination", if you know what I mean. Pasadena is a great place to hang out and there are other things to do (the children's garden at the Huntington is wonderful!) in addition but with kiddos those ages, they will probably be exhausted already! My ds really liked all the opportunities for climbing (the tower, and the bug warren especially...)
Have you already visited the science center that's right there off the 5 in Santa Ana?
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We take shoes off when we come in the house... most of our friends do as well. That's here in So. Cal. I also think it is a generational thing--I don't notice elderly folks going without shoes as often (and I visit lots of people in their homes).
My dh grew up in New Jersey, and they always wore shoes in the house. My family always took ours off... from the midwest, but lived all over.
When visiting: If I see a pile of shoes by the door and my host/ess is barefoot, I take mine off. If they are shod, I leave mine on!
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Congratulations! Now THAT is a reason to celebrate! :party:
Does the Handwriting Without Tears site offer discounts of any kind?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I don't know of one... but Amazon does sell most of the HWT stuff. It may be cheaper there (especially if you get free shipping).