Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

mom24boys

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    215

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Reputation

10 Good
  1. mom24boys
    I found a tutorial on how to do "scrapbook" pages with Google Picasa (free). It looks like it could be pretty easily translated into portfolio stuff. It's here: http://blog.persnicketyprints.com/p/picasa.html. Looks like a tamed down, quicker version of scrapping. I downloaded free paper last night. I think I'm going to try some form of this. I just need to research simple layouts to use although Picasa does have "mosaics" which will do the layout for you based upon how many pictures or papers you use with your collage. Then I have to either scan or take pictures of the work. Hmmm. Still hoping for other ideas/links/thoughts! Thanks!
  2. mom24boys
    I do think you separate by subject so that you can see progression in their work. So you would have a few samples of handwriting from the beginning, middle, and end of the year to see the change more easily. So right now I have a tab per subject and the work behind it. But it's boring! I want something more like a combined yearbook/portfolio/keepsake that will satisfy the "portfolio review" at the end of the year, but also be interesting enough for the kids to want to "review" as well. I also want it easy as I'm not a scrapbooker. I like to use shutterfly books or picaboo books, but I also don't want it to spend that kind of money so I'd rather do something on paper in a compact way. A three ring binder would be okay, but I hate how they store if they aren't full (the angles and all), that's why I'd rather comb bind it or put it in a more compact binder with plastic page protectors on pretty paper somehow. Something creative for this art-challenged engineer! Thanks in advance. :bigear:
  3. mom24boys
    I'm trying to get ideas to make better portfolios for my children...kind of a cross between a portfolio and a keepsake for our school year. Right now my portfolios are BORING!!! Tabs by subject with a bunch of papers in them. I have taken some pictures, but they aren't in there. I did come across something similar to what I am interested in here: http://www.heidi-strawser.com/2010/08/homeschool-portfolio-1-2-3.html. But I need more input! Does anyone have ideas/suggestions/links to more portfolios like this one? I'd love to read more blogs with pictures showing their portfolios. Thanks! Cyndi
  4. mom24boys
    Full disclosure: In actuality, the school room is a wreck...I just shoved aside the papers and such to get a good picture. Also, we attached the shelves to the wall with toggle bolts and they are SUPER sturdy. I have no worries about them falling on the children...even if they were to climb up the shelves it wouldn't budge. ;)
  5. mom24boys
    I think the problem is that you don't have any storage furniture. I could never bring myself to get rid of Legos no matter how many we had! I have 4 boys and we LOVE Legos. Having said that, confining them to their room would be great if possible. If you did move out the legos, I would get a coffee table that was full for storage...or maybe add baskets to what you have and put a cute chalkboard tag on them like this: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=chalkboard+tag+on+basket&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1600&bih=750&tbm=isch&tbnid=58sEQ1DXFzulZM:&imgrefurl=http://touristoflife.me/2010/11/28/7-ideas-for-reusable-chalkboard-anything-tags/&docid=CuYoFUhx4u6JbM&imgurl=http://nanhann.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/chalkboard-recycle-tag.jpg&w=3872&h=2592&ei=0knJT-LyNeHn0QGoxYCQAQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=343&sig=101419806855151313137&page=2&tbnh=131&tbnw=180&start=33&ndsp=42&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:33,i:174&tx=88&ty=60 Can you expand the size of piece of furniture that your TV is sitting on. It looks small, but maybe that's all the room you have. Something that has more enclosed space once again, like a dresser or a console or something. What about putting bookshelves behind your couch, like this: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=bookshelves+behind+couch&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1600&bih=750&tbm=isch&tbnid=7ecU393jK30OpM:&imgrefurl=http://blackwhiteyellow.blogspot.com/2010/11/bookshelves-behind-sofa.html&docid=-he1AdrUMR2l3M&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gQMChxMH7_Q/TGmAnCv5PvI/AAAAAAAAUdQ/hlpBy1sQh_Q/s1600/loving%252Bliving%252Bsmall%252Bliving%252Broom.jpg&w=1152&h=864&ei=x0fJT-GyOqnk0QHan-yRAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=176&vpy=144&dur=112&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=133&ty=72&sig=101419806855151313137&page=1&tbnh=123&tbnw=171&start=0&ndsp=34&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:73 or this: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=couch+in+front+of+bookcases&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1600&bih=750&tbm=isch&tbnid=qQCOH_7HB5TfTM:&imgrefurl=http://designmanifest.blogspot.com/2011/03/shelving-and-art-of-display.html&docid=c_LSAVcwj4N4QM&imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dmdNrXs-Rhk/TZESjJWpytI/AAAAAAAAOHw/yVuG3LNsLk0/s1600/sofa%252Bin%252Bfront%252Bof%252Bbookcase%252Bhola%252Bmag%252Bvia%252Bfull%252Bhouse.jpg&w=421&h=600&ei=JUnJT4-4HMHu0gHt1pSEAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=375&vpy=115&dur=327&hovh=268&hovw=188&tx=93&ty=119&sig=101419806855151313137&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=99&start=0&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:75 You could even leave a small hallway behind the couch so that you can get to all of the bookcase space. It looks like you could reasonable move your couch closer to your TV. I agree to get rid of secretary. Although a nice piece, it isn't functional for you. I have the expedit and I stacked 2 of them on top of each other (see attachment). I do like the rolling cart idea as well, though, if you have some place for that. HTH! :D
  6. mom24boys
    HomeschoolBuyersCoop.org 25% off? https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/reading-eggs/?c=1 HTH.
  7. mom24boys
    Thanks for the replies! We tried Xtramath.org. My #2 did fine with it but he did want me to type the answers. #1 still had real issues with it. Even though it isn't obviously timed...he was stressed out. I had to force him to do it and type for him as well. He liked the monster game that was suggested. :D Aurelia - Can you tell me a little more about two plus two does not equal five. Is it a "plan" for you to follow? Is there a lot of timed stuff in there? Or is it games or different methods for you to use with her? Just practice? Would love something that kept track of their progress for me. Has anyone used Sonlight Flashmaster? Any comments on that? Thanks!
  8. mom24boys
    For some reason I feel inept at ensuring math facts are solidified. We do MUS and they are progressing well, but I think they need to be faster and have their facts memorized and MUS doesn't seem to focus on the memorizing portion so much. So I have a couple of questions: 1. Is there a book someone suggests on how to teach math facts? Or a process I can follow? I just don't know that I'm doing it right. I don't feel like I have a plan. (E.g. Keep working on the same 50 problems/day until they can do it under 3 minutes.) Has anyone ever read Two Plus Two Does Not Equal Five, by Greenwald? Would this help me? 2. It would be great if they could practice their addition/subtraction facts with something electronic. They love electronics and we don't use any for school so it would be a special treat. The problem is that both of them stress out when a timer is involved and they melt down. Here are some things I have found. Any other suggestions/reviews/input? - Reflex Math Fact Fluency - internet based service - Twist and Shout addition by leap frog - http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-708431400054-Twist-Shout-Addition/dp/B00005BYPZ/ref=sr_1_51?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1338357581&sr=1-51 - Sonlight Flashmaster - Any app for an Android device? 3. Does anyone have a skip counting CD that they actually like? We got the MUS one but it's just blah. :confused: Thanks for your help!
  9. mom24boys
    I know this is kind of silly, but I am stumped as to how to teach math facts. My kids can add and subtract well but it's not so quick that I can tell they can answer without even thinking. So, do we just drill? A worksheet of ones for a week, then twos, then threes? Is there a great program online? Any thoughts about http://www.Reflexmath.com? What about number sense? Do flashcards for 6 minutes a day starting with ones and working up? Just let them play a particular online game a lot? An app? If so, what do you like? Is there a particular curriculum that is good at spelling this out rather than assume you'll do this on your own? I feel like I've got to get a handle on this now or I'll cripple them forever. :scared: Thanks!
  10. mom24boys
    Loving HOD, but not quite got the schedule down. It isn't flowing smoothly yet. I have 2 boys doing Beyond. I loose one kid when I focus on the other one. Going to try something new today. I'm going to work with one for 30 minutes, then the other for 20 minutes (reading, spelling, grammar), then follow up with all the combined teaching (history, Bible, rotating box, storytime, etc.) If you have 2 kids in one of the lower guides, how do you do it?
  11. mom24boys

    I never thought about using my olders to teach my youngers. I guess that will come with time. Maybe once the 3 yr old enters K, my olders can help a little with him. Thanks again for your input! You got me thinking "time blocks" instead of maybe subjects/boxes. =)

  12. mom24boys

    Thanks for your reply! We had a great year with LHFHG last year. So glad Beyond is working better for you this year. You are AMAZING doing 4 guides and homeschooling 7. That's awesome. We have 4, but only the first 2 are in school. They should be in Preparing, when the 3rd starts LHFHG so they should have more independent work by then. I think I need to pull out my "managers of their home book" and do a schedule that everyone can see and "participate" in. Right now, I've written a schedule for me, but maybe they need to know so I don't have to direct everyone.

  13. Sue G in PA

    Later in the evening, my husband will work with ds8.5 on more reading. When I ask questions during readings of history or poetry or whatever, I make sure I direct the question to ONE child specifically and make sure ONLY that child answers. We take turns. It is working well so far (this is only day 2 keep in mind, lol!). For us, I have to make a very detailed and specific schedule or I will pull my hair out trying to help all 7 children when THEY want my help. LOL. So, I had to go more by time allotments for each subject than the specific subject. Make sense? I hope you enjoy doing Beyond. We had a rough year last year and didn't enjoy LHFHG that much (too babyish for them) but we are loving Beyond!

  14. Sue G in PA

    Hi! Yes, I am doing Beyond with my dd6 and ds8.5. For various reasons, I MUST do some things with them independently b/c of the competition. ;) Ds8.5 is a struggling reader and just not as, um, "sharp"(?) as dd6. I do not want to sound like I am comparing them. I'm not. Ds8.5 has just always struggled while dd6 began reading at age 4 (on her own) and simply has a "gift" for it. Make sense? Anyway, here is what I do (keeping in mind I have 5 others I am also teaching, using 3 other HOD guides). I have my dd14 do the History reading with them first thing in the am. That frees me up to work with my ds10 in Bigger. Later, dd14 does spelling/grammar with dd6 and ds8.5. For the most part, I keep them together for most subjects/boxes. Really, the only time I separate and work independently is for reading. I will work with ds8.5 for 15 min. on his reading while dd6 does her copywork and then we switch. (more in next msg)

  15. mom24boys

    Hi Sue - I noticed you are doing Beyond this year with two children. I'm guessing they are somewhere around 6 and 8. I just started Beyond with my 6 and 7.5 year olds. How are you breaking up your subjects to teach them? I'm having a hard time "losing" one of the kids as I focus on the other as there is hardly any independent work. Do you add in independent work (like ETC or something)? I'm thinking about working directly with one child, then switching, then doing all of the common stuff last (history, bible, rotating box, poetry, handwriting/copywork, storytime). Any advice?

×
×
  • Create New...