You want 5, but will settle for 2.

I'm crossposting this to the Chat Board because I know some of our best and brightest homeschooling momma's don't really frequent the Gen. Ed boards anymore. I am trying to come up with a good sign for my classroom door. It's a 5th grade class. The sign will read something like "STOP. When you enter this room, you must LEARN. But "learn" will stand for Listen Attentively Engage Your Mind or Enunciate Your Words (I have trouble with kids mumbling and muttering and repeating themselves at the same unintelligible volume/pace) Actively Participate Read??? or (Respect Mistakes yours and others) Note-down ??? (I can't think of anything for N. Note taking is an important part of the lesson, but is there something better that I could use?) I'm trying to think of another one for the inside of the room when we leave and are in the halls of the school building... We are about to LEAVE Line Up Egress Quietly and Advance Very Efficiently Hive, I need your help. Any Ideas?

I am trying to come up with a good sign for my classroom door. It's a 5th grade class. The sign will read something like "STOP. When you enter this room, you must LEARN. But "learn" will stand for Listen Attentively Engage Your Mind or Enunciate Your Words (I have trouble with kids mumbling and muttering and repeating themselves at the same unintelligible volume/pace) Actively Participate Read??? or (Respect Mistakes yours and others) Note-down ??? (I can't think of anything for N. Note taking is an important part of the lesson, but is there something better that I could use?) EDIT: NEATLY complete work!!! What do you think of Listen Attentively Enunciate Clearly Actively Participate Read Neatly Complete Work I'm trying to think of another one for the inside of the room when we leave and are in the halls of the school building... We are about to LEAVE Line Up Egress Quietly and Advance Very Efficiently Hive, I need your help. Any Ideas?

Yertle the Turtle and The Sneetches were on my initial list, but I had cut them because the Dr. Suess books take a while to read well and I doubt that we'll have time but I would like to do them at some point any way.

I'd like to compile a list of books that are 1) able to be read well in about 10-15 minutes (or less) 2) very discussable in a group for 9-11 year olds. NO NOVELS! I found and liked Oliver: The Second-Largest Living Thing on Earth. I think it's a great message to share and invite kids to think about for themselves--especially as young-peoples society becomes more and more obsessed with Likes, Shares, Subscribers and Re-tweets, etc... I also like After The Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up. The message on what to do after "a fall" and how it addresses and models the insecurity that follows a set back is good. That's something that I feel that is worth re-visiting with older children. I also remember really liking the book What Do You Do With an Idea but it's been a long time since I've read it and I need to re-evaluate it with this particular activity in mind. But... I am having trouble thinking of/remembering others, so I'm coming to The Hive for help. I'd like to use books that have a message that can promote self-development, self-reflection, and have a mostly upbeat message.

Several of the vintage books from the Open Court Basic Readers series are online as PDFS. These are from the 70s They are at the bottom of Paul Wigowskys Open Court Page. 1.2 Reading is Fun 2. 1 A Trip Through Wonderland 2.2 Our Country 3. 1 A Magic World 3.2 A Trip Around the World 4.x What Joy Awaits You are all available online.

I would guess that if you want to cover History sans-violence or the hard-edged stuff, that you should look into public school textbooks. They're typically written to hit the middle so you can always add to them, but they'll provide the basics without any really upsetting stuff. I can't recommend a specific text/series for History, and it's hard to tell whats in them without hunting them down in person and perusing them. But a list of publishers to get you started would be: McGraw Hill, Pearson, Scott Foresman, SRA, Houghton MIfflin and Harcourt. If you are open to doing US History than Open Court Reading and Writing: From Sea to Shining Sea is a US History Primer written at the 2nd grade level and meant to take ~1 semester. From Sea to Shining Sea coverage of US History is gentle, lacks violence and provides a broad over-view of US history that isn't dumbed down or babyish. You can easily build it out using articles, documentaries and additional books to be meatier if you want.

I just wanted a snazzy sounding title 🙂 In my experience, I have found that for many students fractions are the make-or-break concept for their mathematical literacy and competency in higher level mathematics and I've been working to build out my delivery and scaffolding of fractions. I have found that many students struggle with fractions because often fractions are the first topic in mathematics where context is as meaningful as the numbers and operations themselves. It can be very difficult to work through fraction problems without understanding what the symbols mean. There are a few things that make fractions seem complex to young students, such as: an incomplete understanding of the basic operations +, -, * and / can be uncovered when students begin to work with rational numbers and fractions. Because this is the first time that a student may be exposed to a more nuanced meaning of the operations, their confusion and thus struggle may mistakenly be attributed to rational numbers. the need to be mindful of context and thus unit-blindness the algorithms for calculating fractions can seem very random/arbitrary when you don't understand the operations or the meaning of fractions themselves (or both). an under-developed understanding of fractions and their various context-based interpretations. the widespread use of the notation a/b for different concepts. It doesn't matter what curriculum you use in your homeschool or tutoring. Fractions are a concept that many kids struggle with. In my own teaching, I've found that really developing strong unit-awareness while still working with whole-numbers greatly helps to ease the transition to fractions. Another practice that I've found helpful is getting students very familiar with numerical expressions. Anyway, I want to open the floor now to discussion of strategies for teaching the concepts with-in the fraction concept in such a way that students are not lead-in ever-widening circles of confusion and despair--which is how some kids really seem to feel when it comes to fractions. Most students want fractions to make sense, and when they feel as though fractions don't they can turn to the dark-occult practice of Algorithm Worship.

Topic Moved to the General Education Board with the other Math Talks. Sorry for the confusion.

What in basic school mathematics do you feel is "Need to Memorize" and why? What content, facts, patterns or relationships has your combined insight, experience and education led you to realize is truly useful for students to know as they continue through the continuum of mathematics. Memorized in this context simply means reliably committed to a memory that is easily and reliably accessed and activated when needed. I don't want to get super technical about what it means for something to be "memorized" in this context. Use your best judgement. It can be anything from the scope/sequence of school mathematics. You may quantify your response, such as "Before Grade_, kids benefit from having memorized..." or "To thrive in ____ topic, kids need to have..." One last thing, I know that this question invites a list-style response, but please take the time to explain why something made the list or what it is about it that leads you to feel that it should be memorized. Your justification could provide useful insight for someone else who reads this topic down the line. Please enjoy, 🙂

So, the role that language plays in teaching arithmetic, particularly in primary/elementary school level, interests me a lot. It's something that I've been thinking about quite a bit for a while now. If you had to give each of the operations a simple, plain-English definition (or interpretation) to be used in 1st-8th grade arithmetic, what would it be? Please note the range there. If your definition is only good enough for a sub-set of that range, can you think of a way to improve it? (It's okay if the answer is "no") To be clear, the arithmetic operations are: Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division I'm especially hoping some of our Math-minded homeschooling parents will chime in on this, but everyone is invited to chime in. If you feel that you're elementary math series of choice gives a really good definition for the operations, please share the definitions/meanings that the series uses. (Hint: you may need to check the teachers guide to get the definitions/explanations as opposed to just the student text).

Stick with Abeka is my vote. Abeka has a fantastic scope and sequence for beginning reading and their phonics can be beefed up or pared down as needed without straying from that publisher. The Handbook for Reading is very comprehensive. You don't have to have workbooks and writing assignments. You can just do the HfR and use a wide-tip sharpie on construction paper to make cards for her to hop on, slide together/pull apart, etc. Let her write in sand, diluted soap, or whatever. I wouldn't buy anything. I won't even put in a plug for my favorite and go-to beginning reading program.

I have a a few illustrated hard back version of "classic" books that I like A Little Princess and The Secret Garden both illustrated by Graham Hurst has beautiful illustrations. The Arabian Nights illustrated by Sheila Moxley, retold by Neil Philip is really nice also. The Hobbit illustrated by Alan Lee is a pretty nice D'aulaires Book of Norse Myths (I'm on the look out for the other D'aulaires book of Greek Myths in hardback) I still need an amazingly illustrated anthology of fairy tale, poems, etc.

I have a 14yo boy who greatly enjoyed Animal Farm. He enjoyed Old Yeller more than Big Red, but he liked them both. He enjoyed Animal Farm so much that his dad has decided to read the book as well so that they might discuss it. He requested another lit-book instead of nonfiction. I went to purchase Lord of the Flies for him--I only know the premise, I've never read it--but the font is tiny so I'm going to go look at several copies at the library and try to find one that isn't such tiny print. I looked at The Old Man and The Sea, but I am not as familiar with it and I couldn't judge. The font was much better though, but I don't know if he'd like the story. I'm going to read it to get a better feel for the book. I remember enjoying Of Mice and Men, but I didn't see that book on the shelf either. I remember it being a thin, short book. Any recommendations? Nothing intimidatingly thick or with frustratingly tiny print. Please, I think I have seen lists of short novels recommended by someone ( @Lori D. ?) but I can't find it and maybe it's the wrong user? I'd like to get 5-8 short novels that I can recommend. We'll be blending in lighter 4th-6th grade books, between the "deeper" books. He really liked Old Yeller, The Lemonade War + The Lemonade Crime and I'm planning to do Frindle with him next, but I could use some neat 4th-6th grade books as well.

So you do you want something that offers guidance/support to a teacher or something aimed at the student? You seem to be leaning towards older resources. Any reason why you haven't looked at something more modern/readily available? What made you interested in these particular materials? The SRA Reading Power set is probably a good set to have around, but it gets tough quick, It starts at 1st grade level and hits highschool passages by the end and it's only 100 booklets, but it does include little exercises for each one that make it easy to pull a few for 10-20 minutes of reading practice. Just an FYI: The 1989 version of Open Court--Open Court Reading and Writing-don't have ANY exercises or student questions in them. It's only the TOC, the articles/stories/poems and an a glossary. The 1989 OC series requires the workbooks and teachers guides to be a complete program. The TGs and WBs are expensive and hard to find. The workbooks can be very hard to find. The 1970s version of the Open Court student readers have exercises in them but I've never found the TGs for them. The 1960s edition of Open Court are expensive when they are available. All that to say, I'm not sure that I would choose the older, meaty versions of Open Court. SRA Reading Mastery is an intensive program, though I've read a lot of good things about it. You need the student textbook, workbook and teacher presentation books to do the program correctly. All of those are essential to using the program.

I am specifically making to the effort to make and maintain the distinction between "drawing" and "art". Drawing is the specific fundamental skill that I'm talking about in this thread and art is the broader subject, with many subtypes of art. 3D animation is not drawing. Painting is not drawing. Sculpting is not drawing. Collage is not drawing. Metal working and jewelry making are not drawing. Drawing is drawing. McIntyre specifically talks about "art" vs "drawing" on p. 9 of The Drawing Textbook in How the Art Department Got Its Name.

I've only completed lesson 1 of The Drawing textbook, practicing regularly and already my drawing has improved some. Because I've learned that a foreshortened circle and square exists and are the "heart" of some shapes/images, I'm able to draw other things that use the foreshortened circle. (my foreshortened squares still need work). I can not only draw a decent cake, but am able to draw food and soda cans, canisters, cups, bowls, vases, hats and ponds. Seeing that progress is motivating me to draw more. If there is a drawing that I can't seem to get, I check The Draw Squad (since it has step-by-step break down of all the drawings) and that usually helps me over the hump. Square and rectangular things are getting easier also. I'm practicing by not only drawing old fashioned TVs and block tables that are prescribed in the book but also microwaves, stoves, and boxes--and there are a million different boxes--just look in your pantry or garage and look at all the slightly different boxes. The box that microwave popcorn comes in is different from say, a cereal box or the various amazon boxes that come in the mail. I feel that I can get better at drawing this shape and these things, because I'm learning to control the basic shape and how it fits on the page. The more iterations of the box that I draw, the better I get at drawing the specific picture in The Drawing Textbook.

What McIntyre writes on page 10 of The Drawing Textbook really resonated with me and aligned with what I felt, but couldn't articulate. He goes on to write on page 11 about "Free Expression (creative self expression)" and "Appreciation" which are often the stated goals of a schools art program. I agree with his point about Free Expression being dependent upon an ability to draw. I liked to draw as a child, but I became discouraged by my inability to draw and my lack of improvement as I grew older and I all but gave up by the time that I was in my teens, though my desire to draw didn't leave, only my dissatisfaction with my inability to draw grew larger and larger.Various 'how to draw' books only seemed to make it worse, because I was copying pictures without ever getting better at my own ability to draw. I learned to draw cartoon characters from various "how to" tutorials, but I never could extrapolate from drawing SpongeBob in that one pose, to any other pose. I could never put together a scene.

@Lori D. thank you for chiming in. I really love hearing your thoughts on things. I'm adding Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain to my list. I just want to clarify one thing. For this discussion, I'm specifically making a distinction between drawing and "art". When I'm done with McIntyres' Drawing Textbook, I will probably move on to Drawing With Children, to learn more about the 'alphabet of shape' and how to use them to draw what you see.

I do like the Complete A Sketch: Vision Dexterity Focus book that I have, but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I think that a I would like to have students achieve a solid mix of perspective and technical drawing skills. (Hopefully I used those words correctly. I'm also lacking in the vocabulary of this subject.) The same way that a highschool graduate is expected to how to write a narrative, exposition or argument. I think I'd like to have a high school graduate who can draw skillfully in 2 or 3 "basic" styles, though what those styles would be is not yet known to me...

So, as a kid I used to think that drawing was a talent, then as a teen I realized that drawing is a skill that can be taught explicitly and directly. In recent times I've grown to feel that drawing should be given the same priority as writing because being able to clearly, skillfully and fluently communicate your thoughts--whether verbally or visually--is important. I was delighted to find that some artists and authors feel the same way and have began reading and drawing my way through art programs trying to suss out my feelings and thoughts on drawing instruction and piece together what I think might be the basics of a "solid" drawing program for K-12, or any sub-range within. So far I really like the vintage D. R. L. Augsburg New Drawing series and Bruce McIntyres The Drawing Textbook supplemented with Mark Kistlers Draw Squad. (or vice versa? I see Draw Squad kind of like a "revised 2nd ed." of The Drawing Textbook. Not truly it's own separate book/program.. ) McIntrye and Kistler advocate and enable 3D drawing from 1st grade, and gently and slowly teaches it starting with the 1st lessons, where Augsburg advocates 2D drawings until 4th grade. I instinctively like the idea and goal of teaching children how to capture 3D in their drawings from the get go much better, because I feel that its making children aware of and attentive to proper perspective right from day one and teaching them to record more accurately and faithfully what they see and more importantly, it's teaching them the fundamental skills that they need to record what they see. McIntyre/Kistler provide a very intelligently designed progression of drawing tutorials that do help you to see and draw, but it's still a list of drawing tutorials. Take these steps and you make this picture. The teacher has to put in energy and elbow grease to flesh it out into a full drawing curriculum (I feel.) Meanwhile Augsburg includes form drawing, teaches observational drawing, placement/composition and walks you through how to do a lesson with your student(s) and includes some wonderful drawing exercises and explicitly includes drills to build skills incrementally and systematically. As I work through the DrawingTextbook, I'm writing lesson plans and notes to try and pull the best of Augsburg into a program based on McIntyre/Kistlers progression and focused on 3D drawing, I'm still very much "in development" with putting together my full thoughts on an ideal drawing program and philosophy, and am interested how others view and/or have tackled this matter in their own family. If you agree that drawing should be taught, do you have an opinion on when it's "enough" drawing instruction? ie what milestones are you looking for before you'd let your student "drop" or "be done with" drawing as a subject? Do you have an opinion on introducing/teaching 2D vs 3D drawing? How do your kids practice their drawing? Do you think that drawing is essential or extra-curricular? When do you like to start drawing instruction? Do you think that traditional/2D animation should be included in the "drawing progression" or no? What books helped inform your view on drawing education? Any other comments or questions that you'd like to add to the discussion, please do. I'm interested to share ideas and learn from what others have learned or done.

You don't need the TMs or HIG, per se, but in order to get the best out of the program, you should know how to teach numbers in accordance to the part-whole model, and learn to use bar-models yourself. You should also scaffold in the appropriate amount of drill and mental math practice. The workbooks are part of a greater whole, so if you use the workbooks like just any old workbooks, and not in accordance to how they are meant to be used, then you might as well use dollar tree workbooks or print worksheets from the internet. You'll want to search for "2 step" word problems, but aside from having 2 step word problems already there is nothing inherently special about any of the Singaporean math workbooks themselves.

What does this mean to you academically? What does it mean in your homeschool? How do you as the parent/teacher determine that some academic material: concept, skill, idea, task, etc is developmentally inappropriate for your child(ren), vs just difficult? How hard do you work at something that is difficult before you begin to consider whether it is even developmentally appropriate? How long do you think that "developmental appropriateness" of a skill, concept, whatever, is a legitimate concern for a childs education? For example, would you worry about the developmental appropriateness of some academic material for a 10yo? a 14yo? a 16yo? I ask this because the technical definition of developmentally appropriate that I learned (from looking online for all of one minute) is this is a concept that technically applies to young kids birth-8ish, yet I've seen it mentioned even for middle and high school students. Do you think that after a certain age, kids can tackle anything with correct instruction and enough support? Is it teaching methods or academic skills/concepts that are developmentally (in)appropriate? I know that this will "vary with children", but is there a general pattern for what you've found in your family or your experiences with extended family/neighbors/etc.

Well, they're already several years and grades ahead of the standard curve, next year seems like a reasonable place to pause, provided that you'll have them review the material that they've covered throughout the year. Honestly, it sounds like you're dreading the change almost as much as, or more than teaching physics. Any particular reason why you're even trying to teach physics next year?

If you do, then can you please get me the ISBNs for them? They just might be perfect for what I want them for. Likewise if you're ready to part with your set, please PM me.