Dolphin
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Posts posted by Dolphin
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I got the core and read it. I really liked it, not as much as WTM, but it is the first guide I have read that I found more than one thing I would like to try on my own with the kids.
However, I had a few frustrations right from the start.
1.) It didn't give all the information needed. You HAVE to buy some things from them in order to know what they are talking about. The history chapter in particular.
2.) When I looked into it, it is really not meant for people to read and pick and choose what they want, it is a sale of CC
Now, I still like enough of it that I bought the foundations curriculum guide.
3.) I found these to be more evident when I went to the public library of the CC community that is listed on page 225 of the core to get the maps that they say are there. They aren't there. So I wrote to them, twice. They told me that they only way to get the map outlines that they say are public in their book, is to get a paid subscription to the Foundations program. Is it just me, or is that total misrepresentation. Anyone else who has the book let me know.
The curriculum guide also says they have printable maps available on page 110.
Just the whole marketing of The Core as something to use at home. This is a exact copy of the e-mail I got today. from Shelley Johnson. Is it just me, or is this dishonest?
Nicole, I did refer to the previous ticket and see where Michelle Walters, our foundations program director did reply to you referring to the Classical Conversations resource. The connected community to which you refer is an on-line subscription that anyone can subscribe to that wishes, however it is greatly discounted to those participating in a licensed CC group. The Classical Conversations program is designed to be used in a community. Although it can be and is done individually in some cases, it does not work best that way.
Thank you for listening to my vent, I just get really frustrated when people are not as ethical as I would be with them.
Nicole
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You are about 5 min from me. Enjoy the concert.
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I am still new to this, so I usually say that my kids and I are learning together, and we really like being together.
However....
Another mom told me this one, I tried it once and I think it will be coming out more and more often as the shocked look was great. Before they get to that, when they ask why my ds is not in school. I kept a straight face and said "Oh, we quit, I don't believe in school" and walked away. It was great, she was being a nosy parker in a rude way and nothing I said would have been good, so I had fun!
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I have just printed this off to put next to my computer. Thank you, I needed that.
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I would leave out the ****, but the rest sounds like a good idea to me. Sometimes I need to not see or hear my children for 10 min so I can go talk to them with a happy heart.
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cool, thanks!
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Hi,
I am about 6 months into home schooling my 3rd grade son. He did K-2 at a private school.
I would start with ancients, but do it over two years. With most things look at where you want him to start 5th grade on. I have been having to stop and fill in gaps so much this year. Another home school mom told me to just slow down.
It has been a learning curve, and I can see why people quit early on. I know 2 other people that started at the same time as me who have already put their kids back in school. It is so different than what you are used to. Not only are you taking on a new role, but your child will most likely go through a 100% curriculum change. Learning the new ways that your chosen courses teach the subject, the language that they use etc... When we got totally bogged down I wrote on here, and then took a two week break. It made all the difference. We are now going at a slower pace, and planning on year schooling at a slower pace. This board has really helped, when I have asked for it.
We are really enjoying the Story of the world. It is nice as my 3 year old likes to listen to the chapter and then she does the coloring page too. I have not read the WTM for a few months now, but I think what SWB does is even when she has a product, she usually still gives resources for other options. She also supports this board and has no problem with us all talking about different products. I have never seen them remove a thread when someone is complaining about a product. I really like most of her products, for me they are teaching me how to teach.
Nicole
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We did cave in, kinda. My son went to a private school for k-2 and he had a hard time with the fact that a lot of the kids not only had everything in their house, but an extra set in their rooms. One child had a TV/DVD/Blu ray, plus Wii, Xbox and whatever sony does and a DS. It was crazy. I think what made it even harder was that these children were not well behaved and they had all this stuff. My ds is such a well behaved and sweet boy (my ds is not so I have no illusions that my children are perfect cherubs:tongue_smilie:, but ds is pretty darn close). We made a 2 part compromise.
1. When DS goes away to a four year college and is in a dorm room, We will buy him whatever tv/blue ray thing is the thing at the time.
2. Over a year we set various tasks for him to earn his own DS. He did them all and more so he did get ti. We monitor the games and time. He is only allowed to play it when he wakes up, if it is after 6am. He does his morning routine and then he may play until breakfast. He is so proud that eh earned it, and takes good care of it. We have not had him ask for anything else electronic in over 18 months. This was enough for him. He probably only plays it about twice a week, at the moment playmobile with his sister is his main morning activity. The DS only comes out if he is up before her.
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I think part of what I like about the flash master is that it just does Math. We keep it with our Math things, and it isn't used for anything but Math.
For my ds he needs to focus when he is doing Math, I find things that are used for multiple purposes are just harder for him to focus on. Even if he was doing a drill on the itouch, he would be thinking of what else he could be doing. If he could ask to do something else as a treat after he finishes his Math etc...
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We love it. There are so many times when you are not around a computer, ie the car. Flashcards are cheaper, but I find I have to sit and do them with ds. I just assign the level, and it does the rest. DS, grumbles less with the flash master than with flash cards. For me, the time it saves me is worth the money.
Nicole
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My 3rd grade son volunteers at an autistic school once a week. These schools usually love volunteers and my son loves it. We also volunteer together at the local food bank.
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I second the Getty Dubay. My son is 8 and his handwriting was horrible, the switch to italics was so worth it. They talk a little about it in the teachers manual, I guess manuscript and italic use different paths in the brain and some kids just can not do manuscript(and vice versa). I noticed and change within a week of changing with my son.
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North and South is wonderful! Another good one is a TV series from the 1970's called the Good Life (sometimes Good Neighbors in the US) About a couple who quit the rat race and go for self sufficiency in suburbia. It is really funny.
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We have Latina Christiana on DVD. We were warned that they were not very good, but I needed 1 subject that I was not teaching or I would go crazy, so we thought we would give them a go. I watched the first lesson, and I saw what the other parents saw, she was annoying.
However, my son loves them, and I am not watching them. He likes having someone else teach. He watches a lesson one day. The second day he does as much of the workbook as he can, then the third day he watches the lesson again with his workbook to finish. It is great, totally complete. All I do is add the flashcards to his ring each week and occasionally quiz him, and check the workbook. It is our easiest subject, and one of his favorites. He wants to do Latin every day.
Hope that helps.
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I give them candy. Even if they don't dress up, I would rather they were coming to my door asking for candy then off doing what I know other teens are doing that night.
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Thank you all so much. We are going away for 3 weeks over Thanksgiving. I was going to bring Math and History with me, but after reading all your advice, I am thinking maybe a three week break from teaching might be better in the long run.
The number bonds is exactly what we have gotten to and where I found more holes. I have borrowed friends books, and we are going over number bonds and mental math in the previous books. We are just doing it orally. What surprised me what his addition and subtraction skills from 0-12 are really bad. We have been doing flash cards, and the addition is getting there.This week we are going to work on subtraction.
I will try and remind myself that this is all a journey not a race to the finish line. So 2 more weeks, then a 1 week break. That is doable. Thank you again for the support and advice. I am on weight watchers, so I think I will eat a Giant Latte Bar tomorrow during math.
Nicole
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My favorite TV book (a book that takes as much effort to read as to watch TV) Is "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich. IT made me laugh out loud and was scary too. Mindless entertainment that I totally lost myself in.
Another good one is "A Town Like Alice" by Nevil Shute. It is about a young lady trapped in Malaysia at the start on WW2, I just had to know what happened. This one is written really well.
Nicole
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This is our first year of home school. I have a major case of the blahs. Things were going well at the start, then I started to find the "holes" My son is in third grade and he was at a good private school, so I am surprised that I am finding as many holes as I am. Especially in Math. The other problem is, that since we are starting at 3rd grade, the Math programs have an expectation that you have done them all along. So not only are we learning a new style of Math, Singapore, but we have not been doing it from the beginning of their program. (Oh, and I love Singapore, I am not looking to change Math Programs)
I am trying to remind myself to chill out. I am giving my son time too as he has had a change of every curriculum from what he was doing last year, but it just feels like we keep stalling and hitting these blah times. Please tell me that it gets easier.
Thanks for letting me vent
Nicole
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One thing that is fun, and tasty is making ghee or clarified butter. One of my best friends is Indian and she has been teaching me to cook. She would not let me buy ghee as she says the store bought is just not the same. You heat unsalted butter for about 45 min. on the stove. You keep going until it turns to a dark ale color, the pour into a glass jar. This does not have to be refrigerated, I keep mine in a cupboard. Academically you can talk about how this was done as until recently most people did not have refrigerators. When you make this, there is a small amount of sediment you will find in the bottom of the pan. This is really good tossed in pasta with some sage.
Along the preserving side, you could also make yogurt. Indians eat a lot of yogurt. Bring milk to a boil, then let it cool to room temp. Then mix about 1/4 cup of any live yogurt into the milk. pour into a jar or Tupperware and put it in the oven. Turn the oven on to 170 and turn it off as soon as it reaches 170. Turn your oven light on and leave at least 3 hours, I leave mine overnight. Put in the fridge and you have yogurt.
My kids love helping with both of these.
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We have found them very useful. I bought them, with all I am doing it is nice to have something already done for me.
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The boarding school books by Enid Blyton. Mallory Towers, and the St. Claire's series. Great book for a girl. The Anne and Emily books. Christy, Jane Eyre. Not about ballet, but those are what I was reading and I was/am a book worm. Oh, and Dragon song, Dragon Singer, and Dragon Drums by Anne McCaffery. They are sci/fi fantasy and that is not a genre I usually like, but I was introduced to those by our librarian when I was starting 4th grade. She was trying to find something that would interest/ challenge me while still be age appropriate. I loved this trilogy.
Nicole
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I returned Rosetta Stone (in my return window) and we got Tell me more to try. My son wants another week to make sure, but he likes the tell me more better so far. He says it feels more like he is learning something with it. Thank you all for the suggestions.
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I second Swallows and Amazons. My son started that one last week and he likes it so much he has made up a song about it. The other ones that he is really enjoying right now are The Famous Five by Enid Blyton, and the Guardians of Gahoole series. He is also in 3rd grade.
Really Frusturated with The Core and CC
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I will look up Uncle Josh's Maps. I do really like the concept of the Geography, I was just really disappointed that in both of the 2 books, it really sounded like the maps were available to print on those pages. Also, I was surprised how all or nothing they were. That either you join a community, or good luck. If their customer service was better, I might have ordered a few things with them and used certain parts. Yes, I wouldn't spend as much as if I was in a community, but I would have bought a few more things.
Oh well, live and learn. There are more resources out there. I will take the geography and be happy I read that.
Thank you for reading my vent. I was just so irritated that I had to get it off my chest. I guess I am just really more of a SWB fan.