Walking-Iris
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Posts posted by Walking-Iris
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I love these books. I have a couple from the K-1 level--Animals and My Body. I use so many different resources for science but these are ones that I know I'll be going back to again and again.
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I've been using Writing Strands at a bit of an accelerated pace this year and I don't think it resembles your example at all. The main idea of Writing Strands is that kids learn how to write by writing. It's pretty non-intrusive as far as the instruction goes.
I personally believe that CM will not work for every child (or any other program/method for that matter). I have a ds who actually likes creative writing and always wants to do his grammar first. We don't do copywork because the few times I've asked him to copy out something verbatim he looked like he was being tortured. I actually felt a little tortured too. It just doesn't work for us. We much rather make it up ourselves.
Being a natural writer, my son also wants instruction. Like an artist wants to hone their technical skills in their medium and technique before being set free to play with it.
My main advice is to find what works for your child and try not to stick with the "rules" of one type of method.
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Thank you so much for that info. :) I'm going to save this post and look into the testing. Do you have to stay gluten free always or do people find that their child can eventually eat a regular diet?
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This is great info---I have a very selective eater and I have thought about going gluten free---but worry about what he will eat. I will say that we see a lot of improvement when he has his daily supplements---omegas, bcomplex, enzymes, probiotics.
He craves goldfish, granola bars, cheerios and peanut butter and spaghetti. Eats stuff like that like a maniac. He doesn't want to go anywhere near dairy though---just the thought of milk or cheese drives him up the wall.
I have wondered if he would benefit from the diet change since he craves gluten and avoids dairy like the plague.
I've got a ds4 who tries to eat cheese and drink milk like it's going out of style. He isn't dx with anything and I'm confident he's nt but I do notice some more crazy 4 year old type behavior after he eats.
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I recall telling my son that therapists were similar to drs in that their job was to give a sort of check up to see how we were doing and then we were going to go see them and do lots of fun stuff and it would help us with some of the things we had a hard time with.
My ds seemed to need to know what their job was and why he was there. He likes knowing that the OT's job is to help him with jumping and skipping and handwriting and tying his shoes and doing things with his hands etc.
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Depends---I alternate subjects weekly or change things by the semester.
We do technical skills (grammar/vocab/writing) 1 week and the next week we work on literature studies and my ds8 3rd grade does some creative writing (I know I know---but he loves it and copywork is a buzzkill in our house) I started doing these alternating weeks so I didn't feel like we were leaving things out---especially in the literature study dept.
Daily we do a spelling list from Sequential Spelling
about 4-5 pages from Easy Grammar
a language review with an Evan-Moor book a friend gave me (we didn't like Daily Grams and put it away after about a week)
We also do cursive using HWT and vocabulary with Wordly Wise or English From the Roots Up--but not daily--about 2-3 times a week. We also work through Writing Strands and complete 1 lesson in a day or two. I read aloud everyday numerous times and have free reading everyday throughout the day.
He also picks out a topic from Doing The Days several days a week.
He's finished two ETC books in a week, so done with that and next semester I may stop grammar and work exclusively on writing comp/reading comp/and literature studies etc.
All together this takes about 2 hours of our morning and then we move on to math. There's lots of breaks and it's going on throughout the day really.
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As the children's librarian at our local library, I see parents almost daily who drag their 1st-4th graders out of the picture book room, telling them they're too big for the baby books and they need to be reading chapter books. They inevitably end up checking out Junie B. Jones, Magic Treehouse, Horrible Harry, or Ready Freddy books. The reading level of these beginning chapter books is much lower than many picture books. Books by Patricia Polacco, Chris Van Allsburg, and Robert Mcclosky are all a higher reading level, richer content, and visually appealing. If your child wants to read picture books, I say go for it!
:iagree::iagree::iagree: THIS! yes---my ds8 3rd grade still loves the books by the authors you mentioned and others----there are sooo many wonderful "picture books" even at a 4th-5th grade reading level, with wonderful artwork, beautiful moving stories. And I also believe the satisfaction of sitting and being able to finish something like Pink and Say , for example, in one sitting is a great motivator.
I haven't assigned reading to my ds yet---I pick a good bit of our chapter book read alouds. But I have also reread Charlotte's Web a zillion times, even though my son has read it on his own a few times, but the magic of hearing it never fades. It's our family favorite (because momma always cries at the end ;)
He's read a ton of picture books---too many to list. But he just hasn't got into novels completely yet. He likes comics--Calvin&Hobbes and Peanuts. He loves the artwork. He's read a good majority of the Magic Tree House books, Alice in Wonderland, James and the Giant Peach, Trumpet of The Swan, and maybe a few others.
But I just haven't asked him to read a particular thing yet (other than reader type books when he was learning to read--Little Bear etc)
I may give him some work like that---a book I pick possibly--starting next year. I just really wanted him to feel reading was a joy mor ethan soomething someone was making him do. I also think there's a big range that kids develop into readers.
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My ds8 (pdd-nos/ocd/spd) has a lot of trouble with this as well. It's odd because he was tested by speech therapist as having auditory processing issues several years ago and now he is tested as having above average auditory processing. We go to speech mainly for pragmatic issues and he has just finished a pragmatics test that he scored below K level when he took it in Feb and now he's scored above 4th grade level this week. I attribute a lot of that jump to us starting cm style narrations more intensely and sotw this fall. But he still has a lot of trouble articulating what he is thinking---I know it's in there but getting those words out of his brain and into complete sentences is difficult. He just gets so frustrated and says "I just don't know!" Or he'll cry "you're not understanding me."
I just re-read and re-read and painstakingly talk him through it. I also let him write narrations. He can write out his thoughts perfectly. But then ask him to tell me what he just wrote (not read it-- but tell me) and oh boy. I've even talked to our speech therapist about it and we have decided to stop speech and do 3 month "piggybacking" therapy with her---where she will work with him on oral language skills and abstract math and vocabulary topics (some I provide and some she provides). This is something she does with adults who have had strokes and she says she's never done it with a child, but we're going to give it a go since my ds adores her.
But boy there's a lot of re-reading like critterfixer said---and reviewing that I begin to think we'll never get through it all in a year.
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I also want to say that I completely understand. :grouphug:
I try to get in some quickie yoga everyday, take walks with my babe in the carrier, I've been known to take 2 hot showers a day just to "change my chi" as I tell dh or my kids when I feel my frustration rising. Usually the hot water and a good cry (so sad but who hasn't been there?) feels so much better. Treating myself to tea or a baking session in the kitchen. I also try to keep our bedroom kid free (other than cosleeping)---meaning no toys or kid stuff in there. No papers or bills or computer or tv or anything. I like to just hide out in there and put on some music and just putter about---folding laundry or cleaning up or just lying there---telling myself I will not move for nothing less than blood or fire until 3-4 songs---with headphones on.
You got to find something to insure self preservation.
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I have a ds4 and some of the things I do with him are in my siggy. There's also a ton of online Montessori type materials you can make yourself. He does science with my ds8---I just tweak it for him a bit. And he colors the sheets and participates in the activities in the SOTW. Other than things above his level (such as math and the lang arts) he does everything with us---sometimes dipping in and out to go play. He listens to most things I read aloud---his level or not---and I put in Classical Kids for him a lot. I strive to carve out time everyday to devote to him and try to give full days to him as well at times. I try to get him working on handwriting and a Montessori inspired math everyday.
There's some fun pre-k and k lesson plans available at the Core Curriculum Website. The Baltimore core knowledge plan looks awesome and I've given thought to following that closely with my ds4 starting next fall.
I agree that there's a ton of free stuff available online that a great pre-k and k curriculum can be put together. btw http://www.kinderart.com is so much fun!!!
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I'm going to be switching to Saxon soon---I think it looks great and after having another frustrating day trying to make my "creative language arts loving" kiddo understand math it's time to reevaluate. He's like me---oh so like me.
I don't see a lot of mention on wtmforum about the theory of multiple intelligences---but I see them playing out over and over again in our lives.
My ds just needs to learn math---just learn it. And I'm thinking Saxon might help. Let him just get it out of the way and then spread his creative wings in other areas.
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It's okay--I've googled I hate autism before in a bad moment.
Welcome!
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My oldest was dx PDD-NOS/OCD/SPD at around 4 years of age.
First it's scary and we came home and later that night cried and cried. Just want to put it out there that the feeling to get services and help and insurance and school stuff etc etc etc etc etc can totally begin to overwhelm in the beginning when all you might feel is just a desire to sit down and cry. Wanted to throw it out there that I remember that feeling all too well.
We got eval from a developmental pede and then an OT as well. We go to private OT/speech at the local hospital. Our insurance covers it but I have yet to find a child psych that insurance would cover (which would really be useful for the ocd---grrr) But our OT has been amazing at helping us with so many things. We went twice a week for 3 years!! And now we're down to once a week with him showing a lot of improvement with periodic breaks from it. And we expect to be able to stop speech within a few months. Yay!!
Also for sensory. I have a copy of The Out Of Sync Child Has Fun (before I owned a copy it was silly how often I interlibrary loaned that sucker) and I systematically go through it working on covering 1-3 activities a day. Some have just become integrated into our daily routine and life/homeschooling that we don't think about it.
We have also seen a pediatric gastroenterologist and developmental opthamologist (your need for those may vary)
I have heard that neurologists can help as well--I have wanted to see one just to get some more info.
Also there are a lot of different supplements that parents have tried in differing combinations that help--if you're interested I can share what we have used and maybe some other moms on here have some "supp recipes" that help their child they could share too.
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confessions of a homeschool science slaker :lol:
I prioritize subjects while budgeting and science gets tricky. For starters there just isn't a "here it all is" program/curriculum out there that I'm crazy about.
Here's a few of the things I have liked using:
Science books and mags of various kinds (usborne, DK, National Geographic etc)
online lesson plans (Core Knowledge and Baltimore)
Janice VanCleaves books
TOPS activities
ScienceWorks and Thematic Unit Study books
watching documentaries about random things
Magic Tree House research guides
Kids Can Science books
We're currently reading Burgess Bird Book again and taking time with some free activity guides from Cornells website. We've been working through various environmental studies books and activities as well--integrating some earth type science in there.
We detoured for a bat unit for October.
I have RealScience4Kids Chemistry queued for this spring as well as keeping up with those birdies.
I would love to have Handbook of Nature Studies and really work through that.
Really a lot of science when we did for 1st was reading and talking and just random interests/activities as we encountered them----not the best way to go about it--but we've yet to find our niche/passion/interest (whatever you want to call it) with science.
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I don't own it and haven't read it in it's entirety. I'm aware of WTM methods mainly through my decision to use SOTW for our history and my reading of swb's Well Educated Mind. I've had a time trying to find an online forum that I actually enjoyed reading and so far I like this one---the focus is on homeschooling and I don't get bogged down with parenting and due date clubs etc etc.
I have yet to find a homeschooling method that I would use 100% of the time. I have WTM on a to buy booklist because I think it is a great resource for our eclectic style of homeschooling.
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I'm just struggling to get my 8 year old interested in SOTW1---it's just not working for us at all. We've done some activities and they've been total flops---my 4 year old liked them more. I've had to reread reread reread the same chapters again and again because he won't retain them---I don't think he is even trying to honestly. The maps and coloring sheets seem like busywork and he has no interest in caring about them.
I haven't tried the audio--but he doesn't really like Weiss--will listen to Classical Kids though. Has not even attempted to read them on his own and asking him to would likely start a mutiny.
The supplement readings have been over his head as well---can't get this kiddo interested in non-fiction AT ALL.
I'm just amazed so many have had such luck with this program--I like it and want it to work, but it just is not doing anything for us. I gave up on the trivium a long time ago btw because my kid does not care for over half of anything recommended for grammar age.
:001_huh:
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I want real science as well, but why wouldn't a truly "neutral" curriculum teach just that? All programs have to pick and choose which topics to cover since there's only so much room in the book. There is plenty of "real science" about which everyone can agree. The science of human anatomy & physiology, for example, isn't any different for YEC's, OEC's, ID'ers, theistic evolutionists, and materialist Darwinians despite the major disagreements about human origins. A "neutral" curriculum would simply teach what is not in dispute and sidestep the "hot button" issues. It's very easy to supplement a "neutral" curriculum with materials that reflect one's individual POV on those issues. I would just personally choose a very different supplement than someone who is a YEC :)
:iagree: I don't get the science wars at all---there's plenty of science out there that can be learned without bringing a "personal belief" into it. Cells are cells---electricity is electricity---chemistry is chemistry---anatomy is anatomy--biology is biology. I don't feel that any serious discussion of evolution/creation or any other "controversy" needs to happen necessarily---especially with young children. I like the term neutrality for that reason. There's a lot of arrogance on both extreme sides of this fence unfortunately.
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have you only completed one cycle of SOTW? If so you could go through them again but in a more independent way. The Story of US by Joy Hakim looks great for history. I hope to use that with my kiddos when they are older.
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depends. If the prayer was presented in a purely intellectual way---to learn about the culture and religion of a group of people then it would be fine. If it was presented in a proselytizing way than I wouldn't use it.
I'm not religiously affiliated with any one religion but I did study psychology and religious studies in school. I honestly believe that denying children the chance to learn about other religions and to read the texts of those religions will be denying them a very important part of a well rounded education.
Reading a prayer doesn't *make* a person suddenly accepting that religion's beliefs.
If we go out of our way to filter everything religious from our children's lives then I honestly feel that there will be less tolerance for others in the next generation. Learning about other's beliefs in a spirit of openness and acceptance is the best way imo to create tolerance and compassion and understanding. A good way to instill that is if our children understand the practices and beliefs of others---if they understand why Catholics do such and such or why certain things are done at Hannukkah or when and how do Muslims do their daily prayers. If all knowledge of those things are sterilized and censored from their lives---shudder.
Now I don't use things like say--calculadders---Bible verses on the bottom of a math drill page is over reaching and unnecessary. But religious material --neutral religious material---is okay in other subjects.
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I can see invented spelling being okay at the early learning stages---pre-k and K---when a child is playing around with letters and sounds. Usually when my 4 year old writes a "word" and then tells me what it says I beam with pride. I don't say it's spelled wrong....because at that age they are experimenting. But when learning how to read and then spell in 1st grade---no. The time has come to show them the correct way that our language is constructed in phonological parts.
It's ridiculous to try to teach a kid to read things spelled wrong---because it's wrong!!!! I say that teacher and school gets a N---needs improvement!:001_huh:
I also wanted to add that I don't stress too much when my ds spells things wrongly in his journal or free time writing. But I make it up in our spelling and writing instruction time.
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get a copy of David Elkind's books The Hurried Child and The Miseducation of Preschoolers. Read it--learn it---pass it on the your kid's teacher.
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I use Sequential Spelling with my ds. That's why I was confused that you seemed to think it a problem that he was sounding out words to spell because that's exactly what I've taught my son to do---eventually that word is internalized and no longer needing to be broken into phonological parts.
Also Sequential Spelling does away with memorizing words for a "test" later. Which is really helpful in easing the anxiety factor of learning to spell. We can just concentrate on learning without worry about some "thing" we need to "do good on" later.
The replacing of dog with dad etc is pretty typical while learning to read. It's natural to scan the picture or ahead or below to get an idea of what the word could be. Whenever my son would misread a word I would just say "oh excuse me--let's look at this word closer." And then I would help him sound it out. Using our fingers to isolate the parts.
My advice would be to get an evaluation---maybe from an OT--to help with some of the other things you mentioned. Integrate some sensory activities into your day and focus on reading before spelling and to try to find a more friendly spelling program.
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Ask him what he does care about---and then do that. Maybe he doesn't like PACES and it's time to change things. IMO we parents have to keep fighting with our kids---sure it's tiring, exhausting and mostly thankless. But if we do it right with an eye toward keeping our relationship with them intact we can push them to try a little farther than they willingly want to go. Special needs kiddos (whatever the issue is) are often afraid of failure on a lot of levels. They struggle more than usual and they know it and that's terrifying for them. It's much easier to save self esteem and not try. You have to keep working on overcoming that mentality.
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Thousands of dollars???? Please share what "curriculum" you bought and what about it is not working or is overrated.
For me curriculum is the subjects and topics etc that we are going to cover that year---curriculum is also a philosophy of education that I have for our homeschool. People ask me what curriculum I'm using all the time---and I know they want me to say Apologia, Abeka whatever---but really I use soooo many different books, programs and resources and not all do I even use in it's entirety or as the author intended.
I also interlibrary loan or borrow anything I'm interested in before I buy---if i can find it. There's also so much available online for free that a whole year's curriculum could easily be made for the cost of printer ink.
I honestly believe that if you buy one year's worth of everything from one publisher and try to follow that to a T as scripted and scheduled out without deviations ---burnout and boredom will likely follow.
Diet
in The Learning Challenges Board
Posted
yes--please do spam us with websites with any and all information about this. Do we just avoid anything that is wheat or whole grain?