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momof165

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Posts posted by momof165

  1. I know you all must get pretty tired by now answering MCTLA questions. But I really would need some help with LA. I have a bright ds 10 who will be in 5th Grade next year. He is right-brained and English has been a battle for the two of us since the beginning. I fear I might turn totally gray by the end of next year:tongue_smilie:. As of right now, we are using Writing Tales Volume 1 and FLL 4. He really likes Writing Tales 1 (especially the games) and writing, but he can't deliver the info (grammar part). Just today I received this confused look after I've asked him to point out the pronouns (subjective and possessive), adjectives, conjunctions, and verbs (action and being verbs). Ds acted like he never EVER heard of any of these!!!! I am ready to :banghead: . Just now he told me he hates English. It's boring, no fun! :001_huh: Is grammar supposed to be fun??? :glare:Do you think MCTLA can ignite the spark? I am just so tired and confused of what to do with him. English (especially grammar) is the only subject that is a constant struggle and fight around here. That's why I am looking or better :drool5: over MCTLA.

     

    I know I can rely on all of you experienced homeschool Moms (aka THE HIVE) when it comes to curriculum choices. :D. You have helped in the past.....

     

    Thank you so much!

     

    ___________________________________

    Sonja in CO

  2. I have bought bargain books before from RR and was very pleased. Honestly, I didn't see a difference from their regular books. There might have been a small dent at the spine or the side - but I needed my glasses to see them. :D I was so impressed with their bargain books that placed another order (just yesterday) containing ONLY bargain books. I just couldn't pass their FREE shipping on orders $25.00 and up!

     

    ___________________________

    Sonja in CO

  3. According to HSLDA, you register once with the state board of education. You don't have to notify the local school district.

     

    Sounds easy peasy. :001_smile:

     

    That's all I did when we lived in Kansas. I registered as a "private school" once. That's it. You don't have to do anything else after that. Manhattan has some great homeschool groups as well. Kansas is a great place to hs and I really miss living there.

     

    ________________________________

    Sonja in CO

  4. I am 44, turning 45 in March of next year. Honestly, I love being in my 40's. I have learned to love myself, to accept myself, to be happy with myself. Who cares about what others say...... I found inner peace and happiness at this age. My ds (10) is the joy of my life and he is my inspiration. I am happier and more satisfied than when I was in my 20's or 30's. Maybe, it's the new hobbies and interests that I have aquired over the years (became Reiki Master Teacher and certified Aromatherapist, started yoga). I don't want to change a thing and I am actually looking forward to being 50. All that knowledge, all that experience :D - I don't want to go through ALL of this again! :tongue_smilie: No hardening arteries here - but a few more wrinkles and a couple of pounds! ;)

     

    Maybe, you'll find some new interest or hobbies such as playing an instrument, learning a new language, painting, knitting, sport, looking into alternative and holistic fields for ideas, etc.

     

    It's not so bad being 40 and beyond...............

    ____________________________

    Sonja in Co

  5. First of all, a BIG :grouphug: and a prayer for you and your family. And NO, you are not alone. We moved to CO in 2007 because of a job offer that was just too good to turn down. Looking back, I wish dh would have turned down the job offer. While he was working, he was stressed out due to the ethical problems he was facing with his new employer. He just didn't fit ' cause he refused to "unethical" work practices. The company let him go on August 1st. We are without any income since then. Because of the constant worries, hs has not been as enjoyable as it used to be. My son is right-brained, suffers from ADHD, Morbus Still and asthma. Until now, I had no problems to deal with his constant ups and downs, temper tantrums, etc. Now, I have a hard time dealing with all of this. I find myself to be short tempered a lot, something I never had experienced in the past. Because there is no hope dh will find a job in his field, he decided to go back to school. He will be done in May - but he can't physically work during the day. I know, I should be working - but both of us, just like you and your dh, feel that hs is the best we can offer our son. We have used our retirement savings to pay for the house, but don't know how long we can do this. I know God will take care of us - but I worry. I have gained quite a bit of weight (some people loose weight, I gain it:tongue_smilie:) because I worry all night. This whole situation has taken its toll on ds as well. His whole behavior is at times like a "ticking" bomb waiting to explode. I try to find a job that fits our circumstances - but (despite college degree) was not capable of finding one. I guess, age plays a factor as well (I am mid 40's). Unfortunately, we don't have any familiby members who can help. So, hopefully with God's help we will pull through this.

     

    I feel for you and my prayers are with you and your family.

    :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

     

    Sonja

  6. We are using a mix of waldorf and montessori, including Math. Have you checked out this link for math? http://www.livelylessons.com/Nobleknights.html

     

    Dorothy Harrer has really good Waldorf "teaching" books with great ideas on all kind of subjects, including Math. I have used all of her books so far and really like them. Best of all, they only cost $14.00 per book. You can find her books at:

    www.bobandnancybookshop.com

     

    I really like OM's math as well, especially for the elementary grades. You can buy their math program individually at www.oakmeadow.com You can enjoy free shipping until Nov.30, 2009. Don't forget to check out the swap boards. Many times, people are selling their waldorf material at these boards.

     

    This is a link to another Waldorf website that might be helpful to you:

    www.thewaldorfchannel.com

     

    For games, we really enjoy Right Start Math Games. They cover everything you are looking for. Your kids learn while playing games and having fun. :001_smile:

     

    Maybe your library is carrying some Mathstart books by Stuart J. Murphy. These books are great for visual learners and make Math come alive!

     

    Can't think of anything else at this time. :001_huh:

     

    Sonja

  7. Aubrey,

     

    what a great thread. My dh is unemployed since August. He worked in the construction field for over 12 years (glazing supervisor). It has been really hard on us, especially since he decided to go back to school. He wants to be a massage therapist. We have 6 more months to go, after that he contemplates to get his master in massage therapy. I honestly don't know how we can survive that long without an income - I am thinking to put ds into ps. But jobs are hard to get around here, even though I do have a bachelor degree. But I am in my mid-40's and out of the work force for the last couple of years due to hs ds (10). I have to confess, this has been the toughest year so far for us, and I am feeling more depressed than ever. Moving to a different state (we are currently in CO) is not a problem - however, not possible until dh finishes his school and receives his National Certification. So, I don't know what we can do.:confused:

     

    Sonja

  8. If you like the "You wouldn't want to be..... books", you can read them online:

     

    You Wouldn't Want to be anEgyptian Mummy

    http://www.salariya.com/web_books/mummy/intro/pages/intro.html

     

    You Wouldn't Want to be a Roman Gladiator

    http://www.salariya.com/web_books/gladiator/index.html

     

    You Wouldn't Want to be a Polar Explorer

    http://www.salariya.com/web_books/explorer/index.html

     

    You Woudn't Want to Sail on the Whaling Ship Essex!

    http://www.salariya.com/web_books/whaling/index.html

     

    Maybe someone can use these links.

     

    Sonja

  9. So which "great secular science program" website did you visit? What do you think? Nancy

     

    Exploration Education Program, Singapore Science, Galore Park Science, R.E.A.L. Science, Ellen McHenry's Science, MsNucleus Science Program - just to name a few. Trying to find seculare hs material IS my passion! :D As of right now, I still haven't made up my mind. I think, I will go with R.E.A.L. Science Chemistry and R.E.A.L. Science Earth for my ds 9. But still not sure:001_huh:. Decisions, decisions, ..........

     

    Sonja

  10. I hope some day we will be more than trilingual in our house since we are (as well) a truely international family. Dh is from the Ukraine (fluent in Ukranian and Russian, as well as two more languages), I am from Germany (studied Spanish in college, as well a Latin). However, as hard as we try, our ds 9 just does NOT want to learn Russian or Ukranian. He is bilingual (English/German), we have added Latin last year, and I am going to add Spanish for 4th Grade. I wish I could tell you how to go ahead implementing all your languages. I am really interested in HOW other families have done so and love to read all those posts. I really would love for my son to speak one of my husband's native languages - but "sigh" - I don't think this is going to happen! :001_unsure: I love the idea of a tutor - if you can afford a tutor I would really consider this as an excellent option for your dd. Unfortunately, we can't afford a tutor - so, this is not an option in our house.

     

    Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone trying to conquer this subject! :D

     

    Sonja

  11. I'd send my kid to K-State - but that's because I graduated from K-State!!!! :D I really, really loved K-State, the student body, the counselors, and the town as well. Manhattan is a really nice small town, with a close-knit feeling. The campus is laid out very nicely, and as you mentioned, the students AND the staff are very friendly. Unfortunately, K-State does not rank as a top notch college (such as Washburn in Topeka, or KU in Lawrence or TU). When you look at Merit Finalists - K-State does not stand a chance compared to TU. I guess, it's what you are looking for. For myself, I'm very happy with the education I received at K-State.

     

    However, K-State has one OF THE BEST veterenary programs in the country!!! Their architectural program, as well a their microbiology program are superb.

     

    Ahhhh, it's so good to see someone being interested in K-State.

     

    Best luck in your decision.

     

    Sonja

  12. I am STILL searching for a fun, not boring, easy to teach Latin program for 4th Grade. We just finished Song School Latin and my ds loved this program. I'd like to continue our Latin studies with a fun Latin program. I printed out some sample pages for Lively Latin Big Book I and Minimus Latin. I really, really thought my son would like Lively Latin - but he wasn't very excited about it.:001_huh: He thought Minimus was more fun. Now my question...... Do I need the Teacher Manual with Minimus? Is he learning enough with Minimus and Minimus Secundus to continue with e.g. Oxford Latin? I do know Latin - but just like to have things spelled out for me.:D The price for the Minimus Teacher Manual is quite expensive - is it worth it? How much information is there for the teacher? Is the grammar portion of Minimus enough? I know that there is Galore Park Latin as well. But I feel my son (at least right now) it not ready for this one.

     

    Sorry for all the questions - but I just want to pick the right Latin curriculum for ds. I don't want to kill the love for the language. As of right now, Latin is his most favorite subject!!!!

     

    Thanks for your help.

     

    Sonja

  13. Dear Sonja,

    I have used Galore Park Science (So You Really Want to Learn Science Book 1) with my three mid-school age daughters. They each have their own text, and I have the Answer Key. The text covers three main topics:

    Life and living processes

    Materials and their properties

    Physical processes

    The reading is clear; the illustrations are beautiful.

    Each lesson is followed by a few questions covering the more important topics in the lesson. Some of the extension questions require insight or information beyond what is in the text. There are assignments that require drawing charts and displaying science concepts in a visual way. The text does not assign labs. But some of the lessons and extension questions might provide inspiration for science projects. We do our own natural history projects not directly related to those in the text. The Answer Key is just that, an answer key; it does not contain the student text. I believe Galore Park carries a teacher CD which might have more helps and ideas for labs.

    I apologize for the delay in my reply.

     

    Hello Tamarind,

     

    Thank you so much for your detailed answer. I just found another great secular science program!:D Now, off to their website again!

     

    Sonja

  14. Galore Park Science is excellent!

     

    Tamarind,

     

    what in particular did you like about Galore Park Science? Did you use the Teacher Guide? Is the Teacher Guide necessary? Are there a lot of science projects? Sorry for all the questions, but the website just does not give enough info, and I don't no anyone using it.

     

    So, I am all :bigear:

     

    Sonja

  15. Has anyone used this curriculum with their kids? We are looking for a secular science program 4th and up. I like Galore Park History and have used it in the past, as well as their English. But I have no experience with their science program. Is ist similar to Singapore's science?

     

    Any input is greatly appreciated.

     

    Thank you so much!

     

    Sonja

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