Crazyderiver
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Posts posted by Crazyderiver
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I don't think the suggestions were aligned with any standards. I think it's more dangerous than that if the rep, a 30 year veteran teacher, gets to give ridiculous advice to a potentially unknowing homeschool audience. I know the regulations in my state and can take the suggestions and walk away in confidence that I don't have to listen to a thing she said. I hope other homeschoolers are equally informed!
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Yes, the calculator suggestion came in reference to memorizing multiplication facts. The best part was that the reasoning for calculator use was that "all 9th graders are given calculators". :huh:
Anyway, I thanked her for her time and went home to drill my kids on their maths facts. :laugh:
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In my state, we have a yearly meeting with a rep. from the school district. My district is awesome about homeschooling and the reps are very supportive and encouraging. I sit down, show them my materials, and show them a recent sample of work in a few subjects. Easy peasy, no pressure, I'm not complaining! But....they do make suggestions and offer helps. This year's "suggestions" were interesting to say the least.
Suggestion #1. Writing - "Don't mess with formal writing and don't make them use paper and pencil. Offer creative writing options and let them keyboard. Good creative writing supports all the further writing they will do in life."
Suggestion #2. Math - "If you feel they know the concepts, just give them a calculator. Doing computations on a calculator will help them solidify their math facts."
Suggestion #3. Spelling, grammar, punctuation - "Don't worry with curriculums, just let the computer correct their work." (Since it's all on the computer now that they don't have any paper or pencils.)
I'm so thankful that their role is simply supportive. They have no say in what we do or how we do it. I'm pretty sure we would disagree on a few things! :001_smile:
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Teaching Writing Structure and Style by IEW
The Writing Road to Reading
Teaching the Classics
What else? Any curriculum or book that guides or leads the teacher so that as you (teacher) learn, you need the resource or book less and less.
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Can anyone recommend an all-in-one literature manual? I need something that will guide me through the basics of story elements, comprehension, allegory, symbolism, and whatever else is covered in "literature". We have used lit guides in the past, but I want to learn the skills so that I can talk through any selection we are reading. I know to talk about characters, plot, and setting, but I need something that I can use as a reference for all the other stuff. Definitions, examples, general questions that can be asked of any selection. Am I making any sense? Someone help? Literature is not my strength!
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What kind of evaluation? Pediatrician? Counselor?
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I'm wondering if any of you might be able to offer some insight/help. I have a friend who is struggling with her 4yr old DD. Her dd has started becoming angry when others around her are happy. She laughs when others are upset or sad. She seems to be struggling to interpret others' emotions and having opposite, even adverse reactions to them. During a funny movie, her mom starting laughing out loud suddenly and the daughter exploded in anger and hit the mom in the face. There has been some past chaos in the home and mom and dad have been working very hard to mend the damage, but this newer behavior is extremely troubling to them. The mom described it as "having no empathy and displaying the opposite emotion of what she is witnessing." Any help for ways to correct and/or encourage empathetic response?
My only thought was using a book that showed different emotions as a tool to assess if her dd can accurately read faces/expressions. But then what?
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We are very happy with the MP choices this year. We are 8 weeks in and haven't dropped anything. The packages are writing heavy so my 4th grade boy is using the 3rd grade package. Best decision ever!
Things we Love: Art Cards!!!!, Astronomy, States and Capitals, Latin, Copybook memory, and the Kindergarten enrichment book (mommy love).
Things we Like: Literature guides, memory work and recitations, grammar book, and Greek Myths.
Things we Dislike: Nothing!
My 4th grade boy thrives on knowing what to expect each day and is easily overwhelmed with busy pages. MP workbooks have been a good fit for him. The memory work has given all the kids more confidence and a love for learning. The only drawback to the memory work is that we have had to slow down Greek Myths and Astronomy to keep up. I am loving how the sources are fitting the strengths and weaknesses of the kids and how I am able to customize them. I can't say enough good things about the fit for our family, but I can easily see how it would not be a good fit for others.
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Ok, this might sound crazy but....superman pose! I watched a TED talks about the power behind powerful poses. I have a ds who also freaks out over simple tasks or schoolwork that is completely at or below his level. He will cower, cry, fake hyperventilate, etc. So we have started using the power of powerful posture to help. He is asked to stand superman style during flash cards or while I read directions or go over a task, chore, or assignment. Then he can complete the task. So far, it is showing signs of promise. Is it still very unnatural for him to stand strong and confident during instructions, but I can see on his face that it IS helping to change how he feels about the task. We also use TONS of positive talk and always try to rephrase or redirect negative comments and complaints (very hard to do because I am a pessimist as well). According to the TED talk, just 2 minutes of a power pose can lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone). We will keep trying it because standing like superman is better than a meltdown whenever he feels stressed. Good luck!
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Memoria Press! Rigorous, classical, workbooks, and literature enrichments!
http://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/classical-core-curriculum
CLE is great for math and reading!
Next year I will be using MP core curriculum products and graded schedule, but I will use CLE and MM for math.
Good luck!
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That's what I'd do if I were really curious. The only down side to that is the costs associated with enrollment. Here you have to have to have a physical exam, dental exam, and eye exam. If you already do those and they have been paid for then no extra cost. If not, then yeah that might just be too expensive.
I hadn't thought of the fees. I joked with my dh about enrolling them just to see this super-secret school building. I did mention that I was a registered homeschooler and that we were new to the area. He (the principal) said his school was old and didn't have walls. It is an open concept school. I had never heard of that, and yet he still seemed shocked that I would want a tour. He let me know that if I didn't want to drive by, I could see pictures of the OUTSIDE of the school on their website. Me thinks we may be passing on this opprotunity no matter how curious we are now.
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Is this the norm? We recently moved to a new area and everyone here raves about the school district we are in...the test scores, the teachers, blah, blah blah. Wanting to make an informed decision about next year, I called to request a tour of the school and to meet the teachers. I was told I would have to enroll my children first. The principal offered to answer my questions over the phone, but told me I would need to enroll my kids before he would set up a face-to-face meeting and tour. Security reasons I'm sure, but I'm a registered homeschooler in this state. I'm kinda :confused1: and :huh: and maybe just a little :glare: .
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Do 110 and then go straight to 202.
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CLE and MM at grade level.
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I know this is an older thread, but this is exactly my question as well. What would one suggest for a non-writer? IEW or Intro. to Comp? Could I do both? Too much?
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I use ABC and all their tricks as an extra practice supplement. It gives me lists of words that follow each rule and I select words that would be common in his writing.
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I am teaching a class using the Private Eye curriculum. Easy to teach, kids love it, and it works a whole range of skills!
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We don't do a separate vocab program in younger grades either. We do practice vocab by occasionally looking up a spelling word in the dictionary. If we come to a word in our reading time that I dont think they have been exposed to before, I give a simple definition or we use a thesaurus to see if we can come up with a definition ourselves. Dictionary work can be really fun for younger kids. My kids love being the first to find a word and read the definition.
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Thanks for all the comments. I guess I need to think through my educational goals again. My gut reaction says that the PS is a better fit for him, but I don't know for sure unless I try it. He is a bright kid, but lacks any motivation. He flourishes at co-op and in his church Bible classes and I can't help but feel like I'm holding him back. Things I try to teach him and encourage him in......nothing. Then, three seconds with someone else at co-op and he is blowing me away with what he is capable of. I don't see any of this with dd, who has learned and progressed steadily with me at home. So that further makes me doubt if HS is the best environment for ds. But I plan to continue to HS dd.....is this all crazy? Has anyone else gone through something like this?
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In considering the best options for my oldest ds, I think 1-2 yrs of PS would be of great benefit to him right now. I obviously can't see the future, but I would foresee him being HSed again before possibly attending a public or private high school. Has anyone had a student that they placed in PS for a year or two and then back home and then back to PS? Do you have any advice? How to transition him? Looking back, was it a good or bad experience? I am feeling very insecure (probably some fear about trying to explain to my parents and fellow homeschoolers in our community) about my inclinations to alternate his education experiences. Someone please share their experience.
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We just got a bunny for our 7 yr old dd. The bunny was 5mo old when we got her. She stays in a cage in the school room which is in the main living areas of the house. Bunnies are social animals and will not do well in a basement if isolated. Now, "will not do well" is very subjective. A bunny will have his own personality and could differ greatly from any norm. We also litter trained our bunny in less than a week. The smell the first days was awful! AWFUL! Since litter training it is not even noticable. We change her box litter 1-2/wk. She has a small litter box in her cage. They are small critter boxes and not cat boxes. She has special litter, NOT cat litter. If you consistently placed her droppings and any soiled items in the box, your bunny will quickly know where she should go. Bunny "norm" is to potty in a specific area. Her poo dropping often get tossed out of the litter box when she is getting in and out, but the poo does not smell. The urine smell will clear a room! We use a baby gate to confine the bunny during play time. We open her cage and she can come out and play once a day. She is actually very playful and will chase slippers, toss sticks around, and snuggle with stuffed animals. Our bunny is unspayed and at 6 mo had her first false pregnancy. Male bunnies not neutered can be prone to spraying urine, marking their territory. Females can have false pregnancies and are prone to uterine cancer if not spayed. Fixing a bunny is not cheap, and with all pet decisions is a matter of preference. I don't know about leaving the bunny. We fill the bunny water every 2-3 days, but she gets a small portion of food 2-3/ day. I don't know if you could just put 2 days worth food in her cage and leave. I could probably rattle on, but if you have any other questions, just ask. I am NOT a bunny expert and only have experience with our ONE bunny. All animals are different. That all being said....I think bunnies make great pets!
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I recommend Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer? By Dana Spears. It was a game changer for our homeschool and how I viewed my sons behavior around the school table. I learned how to better communicate and motivate him. Serious, game changer! You can preview pages on amazon.
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I need some 3rd grade reading level book suggestions for my ds. He is struggling with his sibling relationships and I would like to have him read some good books with positive family interactions. He is an oldest, so anything that might encourage an outlook of protection and responsibility would be perfect. It would also be nice if we could discuss differences in skill/ability, personality, and strengths/weakness of the siblings. Am I asking too much? I just need the perfect book to feed his young mind and heart.
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Are these audio books only free during the 30 day trial? Will I still have access to audio book portion if I cancel the audible subscription?
Teaching CLE with a Singapore undertone?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
Math Mammoth Youtube videos!!!!!