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Annie Laurie

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Posts posted by Annie Laurie

    What Out -of- the Box Learning have you done lately?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I have some friends who could use some reminding that learning outside of textbook is still "real" learning.  They get so bogged down with hours/credits/grades.  Do any of you know of a good article/blog that is inspiring in that direction?  I only come up with unschooling articles, which are good, but they would just dismiss it since they aren't unschoolers.

     

    Thank you in advance for any suggestions you can send my way.

     

    I like this blog:

     

    http://jimmiescollage.com/2013/06/gentle-homeschool/

    What Out -of- the Box Learning have you done lately?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Annie Laurie- we've been doing Chemistry as well as we are doing The Elements I need to buy that vanCleave book, ds would love it he is always looking up experiments on youtube- yesterday we did a tea bag rocket and match rocket.

     

     

     

    What do you think of The Elements? I've been looking at that one, it sounds like fun. But we seem to do best when science is delight-directed and the kids just explore what they want to, so I'm afraid to buy a curriculum. How often do you do it?

    What Out -of- the Box Learning have you done lately?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I don't know if this out of the box, but my 9 yr old has been having a great time with Janice Van Cleave's book Chemistry for Every Kid. He is getting so excited about his discoveries, and the whole family has been drawn into more than one exploration/experiment. He's also really into various plants he's growing.

     

    Also, all three of my middle kids have been super into cooking and baking lately. I'm learning to just get over the messes and appreciate that they're practicing many skills and gaining some new independence. (Not to say they aren't required to clean up after themselves, but they clean up like kids.)

     

     

     

     

    Preschool - Where to start

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I like the Kumon First Steps workbooks and then the later Kumon workbooks.

     

    But, really, it depends on the kids. I had some young preschoolers who loved workbooks. My current little one is 33 months, so on the young side, but he is so much better about playing by himself while I do school with the other kids if he has some "school work" to do too. He enjoys play based and games based learning, he doesn't sit still for long and isn't into workbooks yet (or maybe ever...)

     

    HWT preK is great, it does have a lot of hands-on learning and my kids liked the cd too.

     

    WIth my current little, we use some printables from the 1+1+1 site and cover them with dry erase covers and he uses his dry erase crayons or markers with them. I'll sit with him and give him directions like "Find the letter A and color it." He loves feeling like he's doing school work with me. If I start the day with something like this with him, then he's content to go play when I need to work with the other kids.

     

    We've just been doing a letter of the week theme. So he has printables with the letter of the week from 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler, and for example, this week was letter B and I put out all our bear themed picture books to read together, we played an Eric Carle board game- Panda Bear, Brown Bear, and some of his printables are bear themed and involve counting and other skills besides the letter of the week. He knows all of his letters, shapes, and colors already, but the repetition won't hurt and he's little yet.

     

    I like the MFW preschool activities, because they involve early reading and math skills but are play based. I also like the Lauri toys that come with the preschool program.

     

    Little Hands books are great for fun hands-on activities. There's an early reading and an early math one.

     

    We also just do lots of different things to keep strengthening his fine motor skills. Lacing, transferring with tongs, coloring (I like the Melissa and Doug crayons), Do a Dot markers, cutting with toddler scissors, sorting small things, etc.

     

    I really love RightStart for little ones and Miquon, but I will personally wait until closer to 4 or 5 years old to start any of those. In the meantime, I'm going to play with cuisneaire rods with him (Education Unboxed is so great for learning how to play with those with littles), and do math games together.

     

     

    Gifted = Bad Sleeper ?

    in Accelerated Learner Board

    Posted

    I think there might be a personality type that some gifted kids fall into that includes not sleeping much.  I don't think it's necessarily an indicator of giftedness or not.  I had no problems sleeping or napping as a child, and I score as gifted.  My oldest hasn't been tested, but I'd be shocked if she wasn't.  She was reading fluently before 4, and was still napping at 5. She's also my *easiest* child, instead of fitting in the super-intense high-strung stereotype.

     

    I agree.

     

    My oldest has tested as gifted and he slept great from 6 weeks on. He is also an easy-going guy.

     

    I have 3 kids who were/are terrible sleepers and two are gifted, one is too young to know. Those three have more intense personalities.

    What do you think of when you think of New Mexico?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    mountains

    dry air- my lips were chapped every time I went there.

    old

    chile- both red and green

    posale

    green chile stew

    desert landscapes- I see yards with rocks instead of grass a lot

    stucco houses (We have a lot of brick houses here.)

     

     

    I have never lived there but my dh grew up there and I have visited. Old might seem weird, but I guess Albuquerque didn't seem like the most modern city to me. Not necessarily in a bad way.

     

    ETA: The drive from TX to Albuquerque is the most boring and ugly drive ever. My dh grew up with it so he thinks those kinds of stark, desert landscapes are beautiful, but I grew up in MI, w trees and green grass, so I don't like it myself.

     

    Oh, I just thought of another one: Now, it makes me think of the show Breaking Bad.

    MFW Preschool Activity Cards?

    in PreK and K

    Posted

    Did I reply to you on another forum?  If not, I'll reply here, but I answered this same question just a day or so ago on another forum...yes, it looks like you have the same UN there.  I don't. ;)  I stand by what I said there.  I'll give you a little bump though. :)

     

    Those of us not on the other forum would love to hear what you had to say about it. :)

     

    I've been looking at those for my little guy who is not quite 3. He's too young for anything much, but he is so much better about going off to play and letting me focus on the other kids for awhile if he's had some time to "do school" first. Sometimes I run out of ideas.

     

    I have the MFW preschool set from years ago when it came with a little pamphlet of ideas. I like the Lauri toys and games for one as young as my ds, and I was wondering if it's easier to use the cards or if the activities on them have been updated at all.

    Is a sight-words approach more "classical"?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I think now, and in the past, sight words with absolutely no sounding out, is and was, a very rare thing.

     

    People define "phonics" different ways. That's why I said Webster's is kinda sorta phonics depending on your definition. And many people don't call it "phonics" to merely sound out words, without being taught the phonograms systematically. It's all very complicated to discuss now, never try to figure out exactly what people did in the past.

     

    There are no traces of systematic phonogram instruction before the era of the newer McGuffey's though, right? Syllabaries appear to have been common though, starting when?

     

    And English reading and writing were not given the attention that Latin and Greek were? For a long long time? I guess if we are talking classical, then how the Latin and Greek were taught is the question. I no longer have CP and don't know if I'd consider that the best source on the topic, anyway.

     

    I agree with the OPs friend that intensive and systematic phonics instruction probably isn't all that classical. But does that mean it shouldn't be taught? I certainly wouldn't take it that far.

     

    I refrain from too many "alls" and it doesn't have to be so black and white. Some phonics, some sight words, old methods, new methods, play around, and get it done any way you can. And then move on.

     

    I used a dictionary before I was taught the smattering of phonics that I was eventually taught. I applied enough of what I learned from the sight words to new words. I wasn't helpless and neither are most normal students. Dyslexic students need very explicit instruction. I'm fascinated by phonics so I enjoy learning about it and teaching it to this special population. Learning to read, whatever method is used just isn't that dire, when taught to students that are developmentally ready to learn to read, and who are being given enough practice, and are being exposed to a rich environment of literature and language in their home and community. The brain is USUALLY wired to fill in any gaps in instruction. Developmental readiness and environment play as big, if not a bigger, role in learning to read, than the primary method of instruction.

     

    I agree with everything you said and think there's so much wisdom in this.

     

    When my kids were learning to read they just "taught themselves." I read to them a lot, they looked at books a lot, we talked about letter sounds, we played word games, etc. The same as most people here do. My kids seem to be very visual and just picked up reading through these methods, some of them at very young ages, before I could even start a phonics program. Then I was so paranoid that somehow their reading skills would be shaky later, due to what I read on the importance of phonics on these boards, that I went overboard with phonics programs and forced them through reading programs that were boring them because they were reading fluently and happily already. (Don't worry, I've relaxed a lot since then. ;))

     

    I understand that some kids do need explicit phonics instruction, and if my toddler turns out to need that then we will happily go through a simple reading primer, like Phonics Pathways. (Because I learned that the convoluted reading programs I tried with my other kids just don't work for me and created a lot of stress for us). But if he follows what they did, and learns how to read from our games and story time, I'm going to leave it be this time and focus on other things. We will do a phonics/rules based spelling program if need be for that when he gets older.

    Do you sleep the whole night through?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    No. My youngest is 2 1/2 and still wakes quite often. Even on the nights he sleeps through, it takes me forever to fall asleep and then I wake often and have a hard time falling back asleep. He woke every 1-2 hours for so long that I'm ruined for sleep now. I can't remember the last time I fell asleep and slept for more than 3-4 hours at a stretch. I'm always tired and drag through the days, so I hope that as he gets older I'll get better at sleeping through the night again because being rested sounds like the greatest gift ever to me now.

    The little stray cat that adopted us just had kittens...

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I had that happen with a stray too, only I could tell she was pregnant and put her in our garage until I could take her to the vet and she had her kittens that night!

     

    You could put them all in a box, show the mama and I'm sure she'd follow you. I don't know about leaving them outside. They're definitely at more risk outside, but are you prepared to take on their care? I couldn't believe the amount of work when I took in the stray and her 5 kittens. It's too hot where I live for them to stay in my garage, so I moved them to a bathroom (the mama did just follow along) and that's where they lived for awhile due to my other pets.  I called and emailed every rescue group in my area, they were all full because summer is terrible for homeless kittens. I was able to find low-cost vaccination places and got a vet to give me a small discount since I was bringing in 6 cats for a check-up. I thought it would be easier to place in homes them if they were all caught up. A rescue group had a deal with a vet for inexpensive spaying/neutering so they let me drop all 6 cats off for that. It was really important to me that they all be fixed and not continue the cycle of homeless cats, but I couldn't afford 6 surgeries! The rescue group covered all 6 cats for a $50 donation.

     

    I found homes for two of the kittens, and the mom did not get along with my pets and went to  a rescue group I finally found to take her. She ended up in a nice home. I ended up keeping 3 kittens.

    Toddler Toy Ideas :)

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    My 2 1/2 year old is the first kid I've had who loves to play with toys. He likes:

     

    Melissa and Doug crayons- so nice in texture, they glide over the paper, and are a triangular shape. He has a set that came in a truck case and he even likes playing with the case and driving it around.

     

    Playdough

     

    Do a Dot markers

     

    Pipsqueaks markers

     

    M&D wooden trucks- he takes his trucks everywhere with him

     

    Green Toys trucks- these are bigger and not as portable

     

    Little "guys" he can take everywhere- wooden Plan Toys people, Playmobil people (small parts so not for very young toddlers), and Little People people.

     

    plastic Schleich animals

     

    wooden puzzles

     

    simpler jigsaw puzzles

     

    Lauri toys- they have some nice portable lacing toys and puzzles

     

    Anything we can sort, he really likes sorting. I get ice cube trays and trays for chips and dip from the dollar store and then we sort plastic math tiles by color, different types of dry beans, buttons, hotwheels cars, or anything else we have laying around.

     

    Ravensburger Teddy Mix and Match

     

    Melissa and Doug Water Wow coloring book

     

    Leapfrog Letter Factory Phonics

     

    Not portable, but he spends a lot of time with his play kitchen and wooden food

     

    If you're not opposed to occassional use of electronic devices, there are some amazing apps out there for toddlers. Endless Alphabet is outstanding, and it's free!

    Library - be aware!

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    A few weeks ago dh was with us when we stopped by the library and kept asking me where dd was and being paranoid about counting heads. Poor guy, I laughed at him and told him she was right over there in a chair reading, and he reminded me of when he worked in a library while going to college, and they had an issue with a guy flashing little kids. Dh tends to be a bit of a helicopter parent so I still kind of shrugged it off as a rare incident, but after reading this, I think I need to give his concern more credit and need to apologize to him. I'm so sad to read all of this, because I did consider our library a safe haven.

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