Ditto on the need for spirtual grounding. I look at giftedness as a form of power and a wise person once said that power without character is evil.

Has anyone read A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children by James T. Webb? I saw that one on Amazon.com and it got unanimously good reviews. The lady from Hoagie's Gifted Education Page said that parents of gifted children should read this one first. I haven't actually read it myself, but it looks very intriguing.

Looks very interesting. Thanks for the link!

I am toying with the idea of giving myself a course in nature study this upcoming year or two to help myself to be a better teacher of nature study to my dd4. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to pursue this? I am planning to get Handbook of Nature Study and to start a Nature Journal, but I'd like some good ideas as to how to proceed from this point. FYI-I live in rural KY and dh has been so kind as to have cut a trail in the woods behind our house for horseback-riding and nature study. Also, we have cats and dogs, chickens, a cow and several horses. So I have a lot of subject material for nature study, I just need to learn how to put these opportunities to good use. TIA!

Personally, I think all of the running candidates that I know of are unfit to be president, but if I had to choose right now, I think I would choose Ron Paul, too.

That is awesome! What a blessing.

OK, this is my situation: Dh and I have 5 children (4 are his from a previous marriage and one we have together). The youngest 4 (ages 16,15,13 and 4) live with us full time and the oldest (age 19) lives with us the majority of the time. Also living with us are my MIL, a BIL and much of the time a niece or a nephew stay with us. On most days, there are at least one or two friends over to visit. None of the adults in the family have the same work schedule (I work FT nights 12h shifts/ 3X a week, MIL works 6a-2p 5x a week, dh works from home and can pretty much set his own hours, BIL works odd jobs and is an independent truck driver so he has a lot of control over his schedule, too). None of us are naturally organized people and as such we have no real routine. As you can imagine, that is a recipe for disaster in the area of home management. Our house is a wreck, we always have food in the house, but meals are usually a fend-for-yourself proposition. Homeschooling has kind of been catch-as-catch-can. I can tell that the chaos is draining on most everybody and my heart is burdened to bring more order to our home. I feel like we need some kind of a system to make this work, but the circumstances seem so convoluted that I am kind of at my wit's end as to how to make this happen. Dh and my stepdaughter (age 16) are willing to help me, but in general nobody seems to be interested in working together to make the situation work. I love my family and friends, and I am thankful (and astonished, actually, considering what a madhouse it is) that so many people want to be around us, but I am really struggling with all this. I try to lower my expectations and to be content, and sometimes I do pretty well with this, but I can't help wanting more for our family. Sorry this is so long. I really appreciate any help and advice. Thanks in advance.

Thank you everyone for your encouraging responses. It is nice to know that I'm not alone and that if it is a struggle to keep all these balls in the air it is normal. FYI - I actually have 4 stepchildren besides dd4, but the two oldest are already graduated and dh teaches the younger 2 (ds15 and ds13) as he works from home and most of the time they go with him when he goes to a job. I am thankful that he is so willing to be involved in their lives. I think they will learn many more things about life than just what a textbook could teach them with that arrangement. Also, it takes a big burden off me by only having to teach one dc.

Has anyone used SL's kindergarten program? If so, what did you like/dislike about it? How much time does it take to do? Would you recommend it?

I have bookmarked the link. This book looks very interesting. Thanks!

I read fairy tales to my dd4 in our homeschool. I try to read one a day. I do it for several purposes: To nourish the imagination. To assist in learning about different cultures to enrich our future history studies (the culture influences the stories and vice versa) They have been a good stimulator for moral discussions. They encourage femininity in my dd dd LOVES anything and everything to do with princesses right now. I hope this is helpful to you.

from Babe: That'll do pig, that'll do.

I work 3 12-hour shifts/week on night shift as a nurse on a psych unit. I am also homeschooling my 4yo dd. Just wondering if there are any other homeschooling moms out there who work outside the home? If so, what kinds of challenges have you faced as a result and how have you dealt with them? How have you streamlined things like housekeeping, cooking, etc. to make life simpler? Fellow night shifters especially, how have you established a routine with a schedule that is so changable?

thanks so much! I bookmarked it.

thanks!:001_smile:

I have seen the swimsuits at the beginning of the thread before and I have considered getting them myself. I think they are very cute, and I may yet get one. To me, modesty is about not inciting lust and not about not drawing any attention whatsoever.

Thanks! I downloaded it onto my desktop. Looks very interesting.

I noticed that the study so far only tested children down to the age of 11. They would more than likely be in logic stage maturity by that time and would normally be doing more abstract math anyway. I would be interested in seeing some results for grammar aged kids who are still in a concrete stage of thinking before I considered applying it to kids under 10.

I have a dd4 (almost 5) who is writing may of her letters on unlined paper and I would like to try to start her on some handwriting work. I have noticed that there are several websites where I could print out handwriting worksheets for free and even to make ones that are customized. I am wondering if these worksheets will be enough or if I should also get her a formal handwriting program in addition to this. Is it beneficial enough to be worth the extra cost and time?

Ambleside Online has some good hymn and folksong selections with links to a recording of the tune that might be helpful. I also have a dd who will be a K'er this upcoming school year and I am getting some good ideas from this thread, too.

Thanks for the reminder. It gives some good food for thought.

:iagree: While Ms. Van Damme did make a few good points in her article, overall it seemed to me a product of a worldview that is completely anti-faith. The need for physical understanding to accept something has rebellion at its core. It doesn't just reject the authority of God, it rejects any authority outside of the self, as authority is based on faith. This rejection of authority destroys the integrity of the family by removing confidence in parental authority. It produces criminal behavior and anarchy by rejection of the authority of the law and of rulers. For years this country has traveled farther and farther down the road of relying on the senses rather than faith and it is continuously becoming more degraded and dangerous and fragmented as a result. Whether she realized it or not, her article was about something much more fundamental than the quality of a classical education.

Another Kentuckian here! Also from the Central KY area.

Thanks to all of you for the reassurance and good ideas. I feel better now. I will be putting some of these ideas into action very soon.

Great Books Academy has Socratic Seminars online for grades 3-8. They meet for 1 hour biweekly and are also done in real time. I don't think they could count for an entire class, but they might be a good supplement. I haven't used them yet as dd is only 4, but I am seriously considering them for her when she is old enough. HTH!