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pgr

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Posts posted by pgr

    Read Aloud suggestions Please!

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Weirdly, I just can't seem to get to it. I can click on "Children's Book List" and get a list, but it is not the sortable one she is referring to. Anything else I click on (blog post title, menu items in Chrildren's Books List menu, the print or pdf buttons below the post, etc.) just takes me to the Children's Literature List blog post, but doesn't show me the actual list.

     

    Sorry, don't mean to be dumb. Thanks for trying to help me!

     

    I'm suddenly having the same problem - and I've looked at the list many times before with no issues... :confused:

    What do you want in a Science Curriculum?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I will just add my totally eager enthusiasm to the idea of keying to BFSU, though! That would earn my lifelong devotion!!!! :D

     

    I will also add my enthusiastic vote for BFSU. Yes, it is a LOT of work. No, it does not flow smoothly - especially vol 1, it seems.

     

    I've been using it as a spine because I love that it's not dumbed down, and that it integrates the different sciences. I've also tried to incorporate other, friendlier, materials (such as Real Science Oddysey) when they tie in with the topic.

     

    Unfortunately, science is currently dreaded in our home... :(

     

    I applaude and appreciate your enthusiasm - this thread gives me hope!

    We've subscribed to your site - thank you as well for all the work put into it.

    Gentle intro to French?

    in Bilingual Education Board

    Posted

    There is another book like it that has a detective story behind it. Again, a complicated scene with lots of vocab labels. That one had an I-spy component.

     

    Nan

     

    Oooooo! Was that an Usborne book? She's very much into reading mysteries right now - that would be perfect!

     

     

    Thank you both - those are great suggestions!

    Gentle intro to French?

    in Bilingual Education Board

    Posted

    Our DD (6 1/2 yrs old) is very interested in learning some French. She's bilingual and learning the basics of other languages (Latin, Spanish) without any strict schedule. She's a strong independent reader. I have a fair foundation in French (took it in school :tongue_smilie: but can carry on a simple conversation).

     

    Any simple introductory resources out there? I had looked at l'art de lire, but I don't think we need a full curriculum at this point.

     

    Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

    :001_smile:

    Greetings from The Happy Scientist

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    :iagree: I recently bought the 3 books in that series and they're excellent. My one issue is that they don't seems open-and-go friendly. I have to do a lot of reading and work to make real use of them and that ALWAYS seems to be the precursor to me dropping a curriculum. Not that I'm against the work but when it's one of a dozen other programs I'm using with a couple of kids betwen running a house, an infant and outside commitments well, it just gets overwhelming and to easily put aside.

     

    Something with the BFSU approach with the SOTW structure and Happy Scientist content.:)

     

    :iagree:

     

    Exactly this!

     

    Welcome, Happy Scientist!!!

    Another standardized test question (in PA) - WWYD in our situation?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I've never submitted any standardized testing to the school district unless my child was age-appropriate for the required grade (3, 5, and 8). By that I mean that my kid who is age-appropriate for second grade but working at a fourth grade level is not going to have a third grade standardized test in her portfolio until she is age-appropriate for third grade, or NEXT year. When no doubt she will be happily plowing through at least fifth grade work. In fact, I did have standardized testing done on this kid just for my own purposes a couple months ago and found out the startling news that she has an eighth grade reading level. I'm not planning to include this test in her portfolio for this year. I don't consider it any of their business, and you may have noticed that many people recommend not giving the school district anything more than the letter of the law, for good reason.

     

    If you want to have your child take a standardized test for your own reasons you can have your child take the test of your choice. Each test has pros and cons, so you really have to decide what you are going to want to get out of the whole thing before you choose a test. Once you decide on the test you can work out who can administer it. Some can be administered by parents.

     

    When your child is age-appropriate for grades 3, 5, and 8 you can look at the PA Dept of Ed website to find out what tests they approve (this changes now and then) and choose which one fits your situation best.

     

    As for documentation for a B&M school, I doubt you would ever be asked for anything of that nature for elementary through middle school. I have heard of some high schools requesting that kind of thing, especially if you want to enroll your child in honors classes, but it is controversial.

     

    Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

     

     

    This makes a lot of sense, thank you!

    Another standardized test question (in PA) - WWYD in our situation?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We currently live in PA, which requires testing starting in grade 3. Our DD is in grade 1, but I'm thinking of testing every year starting with grade 1 so that the mandatory test isn't the first she's ever taken, and so I have some sort of documentation should she ever end up going to a B&M school.

     

    The Montessori school she *almost* attended uses Stanford starting in grade 1.

     

    I have a college degree, but from outside the US (ditto for DH). She is working above grade level for the most part.

     

    I'd like to administer the test myself, and with minimal hoopla...

     

    Any suggestions? I'm looking at Stanford and ITBS, but don't really have a firm opinion at this point. I've read the threads that came up on a search here. :tongue_smilie:

     

    Finally, mandatory schooling (and reporting) here begins at age 8, so I've not submitted anything at all at this point. If I do test " informally" (i.e. for practice and my own information) now, will I have to surrender the scores when I start reporting, or can I just use them for my own reference and pretend she never took them? A silly question, but I'm just wondering if there's some scenario I'm not thinking of now and should avoid...

     

    Thank you!:bigear:

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