Thank you for all the ideas and to duckens for the link to the other thread. Glad to see I'm not the only one looking for incentive ideas! I get bogged down with some types of systems because they get too messy- seem to need too many rules and details. I like seeing all the ideas though and hopefully this weekend dh and I will come up with a plan. Because right now I'm not enjoying even being with my children much of the time. :sad: I think a clear and written routine and some kind of incentive(s) will make a huge difference. As for homeschool itself being the reward- I'm afraid to try that one! What if they say "We want to go to public school!" :ohmy:

I'm VERY frustrated at the way homeschool is going for us so far this season. I know that I need to set up a definite routine and more subjects (we have only been doing some "back to the basics" math, spelling, writing mostly). I'm having a hard time finding the time and peace (and also at a time when my brain is functioning clearly) to sit down and make a routine, get notebooks ready, etc. to start our curriculum. However, when we are doing school the attitude of 8 yr old is horrible and is starting to rub off on 5 yr old (who had been up until this rubbing off super excited about "school" and learning and writing, etc.). They also "goof off" and act silly and distract each other while I'm sitting at the table right between them! I'm feeling like a substitute teacher! 8 yr old is really incentive driven. We don't use it often but it's been successful in the past helping him with some issues. Does anyone use any type of incentive system for completing "school" (lessons, learning, etc.) with a good attitude? not necessarily tangible objects, but anything that works in your family. I need ideas. I'm terrible at making up chart type systems but I think it would help a lot if I did.

I started doing that until I realized everything on the page starts with the same letter. On some pages I can do a rhyming thing, but other times can't find enough rhyming words (like what rhymes with pencil- quick, off the top of your head! LOL) I think just having him listen to directions and say what you said like "find something you wear" , etc. He needs more practice with listening carefully to directions.

I have the Get Set for the Code books for my 5 yr old but I did not buy the teachers' manual (didn't feel I needed it). However, there is one type of page in the book that I don't know what to do with it. It's the page that has a bunch of pictures and just says "Listen; then follow the directions". I guess it must say something more in the instructor's manual. I usually can't figure out what to have him do with that page. Not that we have to do it at all, but thought it might be something good we're missing out on. If you have the book can you tell me what is supposed to happen with those pages?

thank you all! I think I was getting a bit lazy but also not sure how to approach it for further instruction. He had been so resistant, and still has some of that and when he started doing it on his own I thought it was one of the few independent subjects he could do. I think if we put up a chalkboard it would motivate him to practice first. He is left handed as well so whiteboards and chalkboards can be tricky. Either his hand smears what he wrote or he isn't using proper grip. probably for separate post: he kind of does the "hook". I've tried to get him to have his arm straight. I've read that it's ok for lefthanders to hook if it works for them but then I've heard they can have arm/wrist problems later in life.

We are using Getty & Dubay Italics (my writing reluctant son showed interest in it) and are in book B which is basic italic, not the joined italic. I also have the instruction manual which has so many details, instructions, rules that it overwhelms me to look at it! So far he just works in the student book on his own and I don't actually sit down and show him anything or "teach" handwriting/italics to him. He already knew basic letter formation (can't tell you a particular style). I'm wondering what others do? Do you do a lesson first before they do their assignment? Do you model for them? His writing is average maybe or maybe a bit below average. Not sure! There is room for improvement but I don't want to push too much as he doesn't like writing to begin with, I think while he likes the idea of cursive and tries to write that way for fun, I don't think he'd be able to write faster in cursive than print or joined italics.

I'm trying this one! I was able to fairly easily edit it also with different fonts, got rid of the colors, etc. Thanks! Thank you other posters to for sharing. Feel free to post other ideas in case this one doesn't work out.

thanks- but there is no link there...?? not sure if it's just me or not!

Can anyone point me to a printable and/or template for a weekly planner that is letter size paper, portrait, has the 7 days of the week with lines/ruled within the days of the week sections and maybe a notes area? I can't believe that I have been looking and looking online and can't find something like that. they either don't have enough room, wasted space, no lines, etc. I did not find what I wanted on DonnaYoung either.

I'm curious what sites you can't access with internet explorer. Is it the combination of google chrome and internet explorer? I use internet explorer and regular google. Now I'm wondering if there are sites that don't come up on google that I'm missing out on! Or did you mean something else by sites that "won't even show up"? was it the switch to google chrome that caused the log in issues? google chrome was not instantly installed for me... weird. I'll be on the lookout though. I tried using it once and didn't like it.

well the website is where I tried to click "new topic" and absolutely nothing happens! infuriating!

thanks for the sympathy. Maybe it will be good. I won't be using the groups for a while so easy to cut down on computer time!

Any tech savvies out there know why the new format of yahoo groups is not working for me? When I click on new topic nothing happens. I can't seem to reply to a sender either. I wanted to buy something on a homeschool yahoo group and can't even reply or contact the seller!

I'm thinking of doing the Beautiful Feet Exploring Geography through Literature (using Paddle to the Sea, other Holling books) alongside HOD Bigger Hearts (U.S. History) with my 8 yr old son. Has anyone completed the BF Geography with a younger (mostly 3rd grade) student? Would it be too much if he loves maps and would probably love the books (I'd read aloud)?

yes- the above is exactly what is going on for us too (I'm the OP). I'll have to really look through the book more carefully. I've started to and either get distracted or frustrated I guess. He really wants to do mulitplication and I feel he needs more with subtraction. He's actually figured out some multiplication on his own. A few months ago we had jumped ahead to do mulitiplication but that didn't go so well- forgetting why. I think some too easy and some poor attitude that week... I think Right Start is just too slow for him now. I understand they need to have mastery. I think he does have mastery of plenty topics/methods. Not all maybe- he doesn't use ALL the strategies they present. But he's already faster at math than I am when it comes to "life math"- outside of the math lesson!

Thanks for the links and ideas. That duct tape hat book looks really neat. And the other too. We made viking helmets out of ductape this fall and shields and swords and they wore dad's old t-shirts with our belts around them. Now they want to dress like explorers... I guess I need to start gathering some basic things. We really don't have many play hats besides construction and fireman.

Does anyone have any ideas, photos, links of some DIY versatile history costumes for boys? We haven't explored a lot of history yet, but wondering if there is something I could make that would be adaptable to different time periods. Tunics maybe?

We started Right Start level A at age 5. He did super well with it. Ended up skipping to level B after a while which reviews level A in the beginning. He did great with level B too. He liked it and was proud of his math ability. He liked doing math. He was excited to finish level B and move on to C. We had a long summer break from math (won't do that again I think) and have had a really slow start to level C. I'm surprised at how much review or repition from level B there is. I'm sure it is great for many students. Mine does not seem to need it. He is rigid an "knows what he knows the way he knows it". In other words, he is resistant to doing lessons on topics he feels he knows, even if he could be solving the problems a different way. It seems to slow for him. I've skipped what I know he just does no need to go over again. What I"m wondering is.... could it be time for a change? Switch to Singapore? He doesn't seem to need the abacus (is now resistant to using it). I'm not even sure what level of Singapore he'd need to start with. Or what other programs might be a good fit for him. or... maybe we should stick it out with right start and try to speed things up. sometimes it's hard to tell whether he needs more of a challenge or if he just has a poor attitude! And yet he bursts into tears if he makes a mistake or it something seems hard. ??? (he has perfectionist tendencies) Advice?

What do I look for- a "developmental optrician"? I've never heard of one.... wondering if there are other terms or titles- sounds like something we'd have to travel 2 hours for...

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, ideas and encouragement. He actually did a little better reading aloud today. Maybe he just hasn't found enough books he wants to read on his own yet- or I "spoil" him (just kidding) by reading aloud everything he wants. I've been known to read an entire magic treehouse book in one day (when I'm tired, it's raining, and we all snuggle on my bed and finish reading the whole thing!). So he's not getting the urge to pick it up himself to finish. I'll try putting it down at just the right time and see what happens! And I'll try to be more patient. It's so hard not to compare to other kids sometimes.

thanks- that is interesting to know. He had his vision tested by a regular optomerist at a good eye office 2 years ago. They did the drops and between the burning and the blurring he was so miserable it might be hard to get him to go back! But I am curious now... I'm wondering what other signs I could notice at home that he might be having trouble. It seemed like you brought your child to more of a vision specialist? I'm not sure if we have someone like that around here. What I have noticed when he's reading aloud is that I think he is reading ahead faster than he can speak it. And he'll change words but it still makes sense. Too tired to think of an example. one might be saying "He's coming" when the words on the page say "He is coming." but there are other examples. He does know when things don't sound right though. He is capable of reading at probably a 3rd grade level (guessing) but doesn't seem to want to. I've seen things he's read or heard him read and it's great! but I wonder if he's not hearing the words in his head when he reads. I recently learned that "slow readers" are actually better:001_smile: (and that's me so yay!- it's ok to be slow)- that they are hearing the words in their head as they read. I think he may not be doing that. He can remember details though. ??

thanks for the link! great list! Is that list suggestions that boys would want to read on their own? Or as possible read alouds? They seem to have a wide range of reading level- Mike Mulligan vs. Brown Bear, Brown Bear. He loves some of those books already (Mike Mulligan being one). But through my reading to him. I know in school he'd probably be made to read on his own. Should I be "forcing" it in homeschool? Like read a book of his choice for 15 minutes each day?

Yes- I am. well not a totally complete failure. but we never finished ours last year. It still bugs me. I don't know whether to add to it this year or start over with what we're doing this year. My problem was trying to find clipart/image to use for each Bible story we were doing (which was a LOT! and not easy to find) and I couldn't keep up with it. Ds didn't seem to care about doing it that much. I think this year will be easier- IF and WHEN we finally start it! I made workbox cards with images of the books we're using for history and I realized I can print them again and use them on the timeline as they have either a picture of the person or a relevant title, etc. the other problem is I have perfectionistic tendencies so that slows me down. It it's not turing out just wonderful I tend to just not do it.... :(

my 7 yr old ds is reading above grade level (I think). He went through all 5 levels of hooked on phonics by the time he was about 6. He did very well with it and loved reading the books it came with. He read some other books too. He read much of a large book of Thomas the Train stories- the old original ones. Now I know some of that must have been hard for him because those stories are hard for me to read and follow sometimes! He had mild interest in picking out some books to read from the library. But once they were home he often wouldn't read them. In the past when he's read out loud during HOP instruction or other books he read with nice expression. Now he rarely wants to read out loud- often resists or gets mad. He rarely reads books on his own. He'll spend lots of time looking at lego books that show unique lego creations, etc. I do a lot of reading out loud to him and his little brother. Chapter books included. His friend who is a full year younger (and going to public school) reads a lot. He reads the magic tree house books so my ds wanted to try some. But I'm the one who is reading them to him! I'm just not sure why he doesn't want to read on his own. (He did read an entire Thornton Burgess book one day- Buster Bear- read the whole thing which took several hours, but rarely since then.) My question- is this normal that he doesn't want to read on his own? (When I ask him he says it's too hard. But I've heard him read- he reads well and seems to have good comprehension. :confused1: ) and what else do we do to "teach" reading once they know how to read?

I've always heard the Prang watercolors are so good- well great for a cheap set, etc. Some think they are comparable to higher quality paints. We just used a set for the first time and the colors looked great while still wet on the paper but now that it's dry they are very dull and blah. Our set is "washable". Do you think that's the difference? or have they changed the paints? I tried reading reviews but most people think that the washables are great. I read a few reviews where people complained about certain colors and that it seemed they made a bad batch or changed the formula. any thoughts? have you bought some recently? are they good or not any better than crayola? (our crayola paints actually seem more vibrant!)