Neat site. Merci!

The MSB lapbooks are great. Can't wait to do hurricanes, as we live in Florida. :)

Thanks so much everybody. I ordered two of the Li Fanglan books. I also found letsplaymath's website very very helpful. :)

So, DS is a big fan of the Evan-Moore Daily____________ series. I saw the Daily 6 Trait Writing and was wondering if any of you have used it, and what did you think of it?

I'm not sure if a first grader is going to totally "get" place value...and that's necessary to truly understand regrouping/carrying or whatever you want to call it. :) In Waldorf circles, they often do it with a story. Here's one Mamas version http://youknowwhatmama.blogspot.com/2013/03/waldorf-math-story-for-learning-place.html

Yes, I mean bar models.

Arabic is also nice/interesting from the whole standpoint of calligraphy as art. Here's some nice pics http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/arabic-calligraphy-artworks/ For actually learning the alphabet, try http://youtu.be/E76m7J7KWuU Start around 2:00 or so. My kids also really liked this guy (wow, surprised he has over 11 million views)... Basically he's singing the alphabet with the three main vowels. But there are tons of videos out there. :)

Whenever the kids need to memorize something, we typically just use repetition. I know there are better memory techniques out there...like memory palaces and what not... but am unsure when/how to implement them. For those of you who've gone beyond say 10 minutes per day of repeating a poem or what not over and over again, what do you do and when? Should I be trying to teach DS1 (who will be 10 in a few weeks) to create a basic memory palace? I would love my kids to have these techniques at their disposal when older...but I'm just unsure when/how to begin.

Thank you both. The IG does help...but I think I do probably need to work through a bunch of problems myself. (Bummer, was hoping for an easier solution. :)) This is great http://www.mathplayground.com/thinkingblocks.html Will add to my iPad. :) (Plus, if it's iPad based...DS is more likely to want to play with it. )

So, we switched to a Singapore style math program and DS is having trouble with the whole draw the bar graph type models. I can look at the problems, and figure them out using algebra, but I know that's not the point. (Nor does it help DS). Are there any books/websites out there that can help? TIA. :)

What about just buying a set of Liberty Kids DVDs, and letting her watch them. The entire series was on Amazon for like $7 or so. What about reading the historical American Girl doll books...and using that as a jumping off point. You can also watch the DVDs/movies. What about the whole "You wouldn't want to be a ...." series. What about "A Child's History of the World." You can buy the kit with discussion questions from CBD...or you can buy just the paperback book on Amazon for $14.00 or so. It doesn't have to be a majorly formal program at this stage iMHO. Doing any of the above, she'd learn something. :)

Yup, virtual sampling will let you access the teacher guides for like 6 months. They're very very generous with their sampling.

DS is in 4th grade... and we're doing Galore Park....and getting him to write is like pulling teeth. He actually can write well, but because he's had issues with handwriting, it makes it more difficult. Learning cursive has helped a lot. We're also doing copywork to help with fluency in actual writing. Thing that works best for us is partnership writing. Basically he dictates, I write for the most part.

My DD zoomed through her MIF grade 1A book over the summer. We're doing MIF 4A with my eldest, and we're starting chapter 5 on Monday. There are only 6 chapters in 4A. If you sign up for the virtual sampling through Harcourt Brace, you can access the teaching guides which give you some guidelines. Honestly, I'm just going at my son's pace. We've slowed down on areas he doesn't understand...but for other things, we go rather quickly.

I had a bad experience in elementary school with a science teacher and it really clouded how I felt about science and my perceived scientific ability. I remember being shocked when I took my ACT and scored in the 99th percentile in science, because my science grades were usually low Bs and Cs. I actually rediscovered a love of science after undergrad, and went back and did a post-bac pre-med program and aced it all. Had i realized that earlier, I totally would have majored in physics. Anyway, because of that, my goal up until late middle school, possibly high school, is just to let me kids think science is cool and interesting. They went through a Wild Kratts phase...where we studied tons of animals. They went through a Magic School Bus phase. Now, we're very low key...doing Galore Park Jr. science and just random science experiments from this massive kit by Steve Spangler I got on Amazon. I do want them to be scientifically literate (so to speak)... I want them to understand that good science is reproduceable and logical. I want them to have a great scientific base of knowledge, but none of those things have to happen before they're teenagers.

Just wanted to put in a definite recommendation for Melissa's "Coming to Waldorf Late" series. It was a big big help for me. I actually bought the "Coming to 3rd grade" late book last year. There's so much there. We also do form drawing from earlier forms in our 4th Grade OM...even though it really isn't in the guide I have. The 4th grade forms in Melissa's 4th grade are too difficult, so we've gone back to some earlier forms. This is a great chart on her site. http://waldorfessentials.com/blog/2013/08/coming-late-to-waldorf-from-the-archives/ I cannot knit, however...and have had no luck learning. We do other handiwork. DS loves using the knitting spools (I think some people call them French knitters) and weaving. We're also doing remedial recorder using the 9-note method.

Just thought I'd add that Sunday is Michaelmas. Big Deal in many Waldorf circles. We're taking a "fun" day today to try and create dragon stuff. Found this pattern/tutorial online which me and DS are going to attempt. He wants to sew it all himself...so my philosophy.... go for it. DS1 is majorly into dragons...so he also spent a bunch of time on the American Museum of Natural History site reading about them. We're also going to attempt dragon bread on Sunday. I think we're actually going to make "dragon pretzels" using an Annie's kit I have...but we may actually go all-out and try bread. We finished our "real" schooling in about an hour today. Finished up chapter 4 in Math in Focus, did an English exercise in Glaore Park, talked about a book DS finished yesterday ("Sing Down the Moon"). We had done our OM3 and 4 stuff earlier this week. We'll probably play recorders and maybe do some painting or coloring of dragons later today...depending on how our sewing project goes.

I faced something similar with DS when we started (4th grade). Our main issue was complete sentences and writing in cursive. He'd be doing an exercise that specified "complete sentences" and would write one word...and hope that was fine. It wasn't...and I made him go back and re-do it. Yes, I'll cut some slack when I think he tried but just didn't realize it wasn't a complete sentence...but no slack for obvious disregarding instructions. This happened a lot the first two weeks....now, I'm more likely to get a "Mom...is "Blah blah blah..." a complete sentence?" while he's doing his work. I have noticed that if it seems I'm always criticizing, he shuts down. I really have needed to make an effort to praise his good work and not just find fault with stuff. I've also found that praise gets me better work and a kid more interested in learning (and happier kid too). So, today he had to write a poem...and chose dragons. His initial effort was four lines (four good lines). So, he said..."Is that enough?" I said, "Absolutely...but it's so good... I really like it (I did)... I hope you'll continue it tomorrow." Well, he went back, wrote another four lines...and illustrated it. :)

I grew up going to a college prep private school and her work load looked normal-to-light to me. But that doesn't mean that it wasn't excessive. She also had some Spanish in there, I seem to remember. It wasn't just algebra, "Angela's Ashes", and a science test. Anyhow, back in the 80s, we had forced sports (three seasons...often home after 6 p.m.), forced clubs, etc. All part of being well-rounded. Yes, we were an Ivy, Seven Sisters, and public Ivy feeder. You learned to survive. I used to do my reading on the swim bus... and then do my math homework before school the next day or in class during the math lecture. (I had to catch the bus at 6:15 a.m... if I drove myself (when older), I got to school at 7 a.m. to give myself an hour to work.) My biggest problem was that I'd read the entire book in one sitting and then have to struggle to go back and do specific assignments. My grades were O.K. in school. I graduated cum laude.. most of my friends were magna or summa. Still, college was a breeze...and other than science classes, my "survival" skills served me well. (Science, especially things like organic, required actually studying on a regular basis. Can't learn tons of reactions overnight... at least I couldn't.) What bothered me most about the article wasn't the amount of work...or the author's use of pot... it was the whole "memorize don't rationalize" type thing... or whatever the daughter's philosophy was. That saddens me.

I think everybody should read "Pandora's Lunchbox", "Salt, Sugar, Fat", and "Wheat Belly." You can hear two of the authors on NPR: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/03/live-chat-with-pandoras-lunchbox-author-melanie-warner.html http://www.kera.org/2013/02/28/salt-sugar-fat-and-the-food-biz/ The science of addiction that is used by food companies in our food is astonishing. Also, kind of remarkable, is that most of the execs in the books wouldn't eat their own company's food. It's not just carbs...it's Frankencarbs. There's no satiety factor with the new Monsanto-altered wheat, highly refined crap. It's also becoming clearer that it's our gut microbiome. You can feed two people the same foods and they will absorb calories differently because of the bacteria in their gut. Research is just starting on this...but it's fascinating. Now, what affected so many people's gut? Is it all the antiobiotics in our food supply...the petro-chemicals...??? I'll also add...that fat is not necessarily bad. Read up on the obesity paradox. BMI up to 35 for many is fine...as long as their blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol are in check. Inactivity is an issue...and some say that "sitting is the new smoking" in terms of just how bad it is.

Not sure if they still do, but Amazon Prime used to have the Veggie Tales "Moe and the Big Exit" (Moses/Exodus) and "Little Joe" (Joseph) streaming. Might be a good exercise (fun too) to watch the Veggie Tales version and then write how they mirror the actual Biblical stories. Remember the Paul Mecurio Joseph movie. Sigh. He was very cute. As for King Tut, check PBS.org: Ultimate Tut http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/featured/ultimate-tut-about-this-episode/1020/ Also...see this http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/mummy/ They also did a bunch on building a chariot, building the pyramids, etc. Chariot... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/pharaoh-chariot.html Pyramids... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/who-built-the-pyramids.html

I'm doing OM4th with my eldest. Honestly, I've been tweaking it a bit. (Granted I have an older edition.) I am also using a bunch of the OM3 stories right now, because so far very little has appealed to me in OM4. Just this week, it started to get more interested. (6th week, I think.) DS cruises through the books...so we're kind of adding in lots on our own as well. Not doing OM math, but using Math in Focus. For English, Galore Park Jr. I am not using a lot, but I bought it used...so I suppose it's not so bad. Am hoping it grows on me. This is my blog of what we've done so far if that helps. http://waldorfmuslim.blogspot.com

I was at Costco last week and picked up this really yummy cinnamon pecans, cashews, and peaches and apples snack mix. It is soo yummy. All my kids love it. The dried fruit bits are small...and do not make up the majority of the mix (nuts do), so it might work for you. It says, "Kirkland Signature/Sahale Snacks... Nut Blend... Pecan-Cashew Nut Crisp with Cinnamon Apples + Peaches." It was $10 for a big bag.

No bugs? Sure. Bugs...nah.

Great article on The Atlantic...also read the comments. :) http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/my-daughters-homework-is-killing-me/309514/