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Ecclecticmum

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Posts posted by Ecclecticmum

  1. Same as above poster, Aunt Flo hates me and comes every month to try and kill me the most painful way possible.

     

    I usually use independant items during my bad bits, and alternate it with read aloud snuggling when I am having a good minute or two, plus if my painkillers kick in and I'm all dopey, I'm happy to have long discussions about things with the kids that would normally annoy me (I believe I answered the "are we there yet?" question in the car quite well last month, and by the time I finished my length spiel about why we of course, were not there, we were there :p .....oh and I wasn't driving. I don't drive :p ).

     

    Drill Games, Ipad Apps, and computer classrooms are good for the times when you are reaching the end of your rope. If you feel it coming on, just tell them they are "allowed" to go play such-and-such. Have a rotating list of stuff like that, and it seems more like rewards for the child, rather than punishments they don't understand because you're getting crabby. (Math Rider for instance, is something I plan to get soon, good for math drills, contains horses and princesses as well, I think?)

     

    Of course, there will always be times when one child "knows" I am having a super bad day, and will do anything they can (it seems) to make you go absolutely batty. If been known to just explode, like today. But Atlas knows why, and because of that, didn't get upset when I "exploded" (which was just me yelling and ranting and raving, and pretty much making no sense, and sounding like the crazy cat lady) she just looks at me, realizes I've snapped, and walks away to leave me in peace to calm down. Once I calm down, she's the first to tell me "mum, you went nuts! *giggles*". Of which I agree, and tell her either I've calmed down now, or I need to go have a lie-down and to please keep everything to a dull-roar, of which she agrees.

     

    She's a wonderful child. But I also have a SN child that demands things, a little preschooler, and of course, Atlas, who is a very, very curious, bright girl. So it's like listening to constant "are we there yet?, why is the sky blue? Look what I made. Sound is Vibrations mummy!" Even if I ask her nicely to leave me alone for a few minutes or be quiet, she'll still come and ask/show/tell something every minute. If I have a headache and need that quiet, that sort of thing can grate on me till I just explode.

     

    I'm still trying to figure it out. But usually I escape it by escaping them. If I feel cranky, I run to the toilet (or bedroom or somewhere with locks) lock myself in and concentrate on breathing and calming myself down.

     

    Now I have to go do some strange concoction for Chaos. xxx

  2. I collect Childcraft books :) I count those as Encyclopedia for the younger set. I'm slowly collecting up the childcraft encyclopedia numbered set, plus I collect unnumbered ones (like The Story of Australia), and I hope one day, to get the ones that look and sound like fairy tales (once upon etc).

     

    Dictionary I use A first Dictionary (or something) I remember having it in school, and liked it, plus it has things to do in the back.

     

    Atlas: I have a little paperback one (mostly for me) then have two others for the kids. I have a massive picture book one (probably about half my height) and a Leapfrog tag Map (I think mine has the world on one side and Australia or America on the other).

     

    Other than that I tend to keep an eye out for vintage ones at local charity shops (I just picked up one that was obviously from a human body encyclopedia collection, its book 3 - The Ear, which is brilliant, as we are doing a study in Ears/Listening/Keller in a couple of weeks. I like vintage ones as they tend to have a good collection of photos, drawings and are very visual, and the information (even though long) is interesting. I find most encyclopedias today (say I grabbed a human body one) would be filled completely with photos and perhaps a few really stupid cartoons that have no purpose, the information is dry and textbooky, and way over the childs head unless they are of a logical scientific mind (i.e. talk the way that people say "huh? what are you talking about?" steretyped nerd type way). Vintage ones are not dumbed down or over the childs head, keep that love for learning there and present the material in a fun, easy to understand way, even for things that might usually be taught in highschool.

     

    Obviously not all books are the same, I go flipping through a lot of things in the stories till I come across an interesting one. If I really need an encyclopedia, I will get My First ___________ Encyclopedia by Usborne, I think it is. But it ends up not getting used. I much prefer worldbook encyclopedias and childcraft.

  3. I should mention (if I find where I stored my list) that mine wasn't exactly subjects (as that was a bit vague for me) but went more like this:

     

    English/LA

    Grammar

    Topics or Ideas/Projects I want to get done in grammar before they transfer to distance ed.

     

    So it gave me the main subject, sub-content titles to get done, then actual things I didn't want to miss doing.

  4. I'd be including (but this would just be me)

     

    Field Trips (I could field trips as a subject LOL)

     

    Creative Thinking

     

    Musical Instruments - Playing & Making

     

    Family Fun (I include as a subject as its important to me, and something people overlook) so games nights, movie nights, trips out together, family discussions etc

     

    Mini Unit Studies (based on their interests, sometimes we'll have a break, and just do a subject one child wants)

     

    Summer Adventure Boxes

     

    Form Drawing

     

    Local History (surrounding area of where you live)

     

    Home Economics & Home Keeping (Zones, Cleaning, Cooking, Baking, Sewing, Designing, Furniture repairs etc)

     

    Workshop/Woodshop/Car Maintence & Reapair

     

    Life Skills (Chores, Pets (Anatomy & Care), Pretend playing or using applied math like CM's Business Math or Math Mammoth Make-It Real, Chequebook/Banking/Budgeting)

     

    Computer Skills, Maintenance & Repair

     

    Engineering & Technical Design (DH's speciality), so will include (for one course anyway, maybe more intense & different later on (his subject is quite broad) - designing, planning & building furniture and use of technology in furniture design)

     

    House/Farm Repairs & Maintenance

     

    House Building (3rd-5th Grade)

     

    Book - Process of a book from first draft to publication (they will actually publish their own book)

     

     

    I'm sure there is a few I have forgotten, but my list is somewhere in storage :p

  5. I have no idea.......lol. Obviously I have a budget, and I have one time a year where I pick up the curriculum, but I use the money from my tax return, and there is always money left over (which is used to get office supplies, kids underwear etc).

     

    I just tend to go, I like this, and this and this, and add it all to the cart, look at the final amount...gasp in shock, fall of chair, then pull many things out of cart, look at other websites, and finally once I have a non-heart attack amount in there, and am happy, purchase it LOL.

     

    My daughters Kindergarten year cost about $1500 including extras, but that was my first year homeschooling and I went mad. Bought way too much stuff rofl.

     

    C's K year will probably cost me repurchase costs (50% of normal) for SL P4/5 + LA K guides, plus a few extra dollars for other subject and extras. E's K year (haven't really looked much into it yet) will probably be cobbled together from stuff I already have, so only a couple of dollars for extras.

     

    I've only just started to find the niche we fit, and still adjusting slightly, so hopefully another year and we'll be in our circles (till one of them jumps outside theirs of course :p ).

     

    I would say PK & K are the most varied years, depending upon the persons style. From $0, to a couple of dollars, to the cost of a book, to a couple of different resources eualing about $100-200, to a box package like SL with lit ($250-400), upto something like Calvert w/ATS

     

    So if you are wanting an average it would be somewhere round the $719 mark, but its only an average in that thats the middle between free ($0) to Calvert ATS. ($1,438).

     

    Most people would either suggest no formal learning (or perhaps just concentrating on phonics, and maybe math) until 1st, or keeping it simple & cheap.

  6. I've done a quiz that would tell you what denomination you most match up with and I came out Quaker and UU. My beliefs (and struggle) are similar to yours.

     

     

    I actually took that quiz amidst writing my second post on here. I must of done something wrong, because it came out Reformed Judaism. Although I have a similar belief structure, I would definitely not fit in there. Probably because there were a few of what I count as the more important questions in Beliefnet, that I had to sit and figure out a suitable answer because it was either "none of the above" (because they didn't have that choice on some questions) or "I have no idea" (of which they didn't have that choice either). And the questions I struggle upon where the ones that are obviously a reason of why I need a support network.

     

    Some sort of pre-recorded session I am okay with, but the online church seems to be live. I'm not sure what time that would equal to here, plus live streaming usually doesn't work here.

     

    I will look at the rest of the answers in the morning with a clear head (I'm a bit woozy on painkillers & antibiotics tonight (I think I rattle when I walk, also just started taking Champix tonight, so fingers crossed on that goal), I managed to jar my tooth and now have a golf ball size tooth abcess in my jaw (yuk and owie) which means in the next couple of days I also have to go to the dentist (local anesthetic doesn't work on me, which no one believes, so dentists & doctors visits involving local usually end up reminding me of those asylum horror torture movies......) I'm in that completely childish mode where I just want my mum :( Or a general anesthetic....either will work ;)

  7. You are completely and utterly UU. Have you looked into the Church of the Larger Fellowship? (Online UU).

     

     

    LOL! I know :lol:

     

    Its just lonely being the only UU around for miles, so I was hoping there would be something near me as a support network. I live in Country Aus, and my closest UU church is in the states city. My closest Quakers is a teeny bit closer being 2 1/2 hours away instead of 3 1/2. (rofl).

     

    Actually, by coincidence I'm on the Quest site (Church of the Larger Fellowships) Learning Center. I was trying to look into some sort of Religious Studies group.

     

    Maybe I can find a UU bible study program (read this passage over the week. discuss. leader gives their views, more discussion). I know in an ordinary church round here, I would not do bible study well. You're allowed to "discuss" and chat about it (in the way of "that was wonderful), but frowned upon to express your own views, thoughts, and actually want to hear other peoples :( :( :crying: I like to actually discuss, debate, theorize, analyze and ask why?.....because I have a genuine thirst for kowledge ad uderstading i.e. I'm a nosy monkey :tongue_smilie:

  8. Thanks.

     

    I think I will always be a UU, but its hard to connect properly when the closest church is nowhere near here. I didn't think of Quakers! UU & Quaker cogregations often get together due to the similarities. I just feel very alone, with no-one to speak to about my faith (we are a multi-faith family).

     

    I'm actually thinking there may be a congregation near me.

     

    I know there is a gay-friendly Anglican church in the big town a lil while away, but after my childhood, I am sort of hesitant to start into that area again.

     

    I will look into it, thank you so much *big hug*

    When I was looking

  9. I left the church (Church of England/Anglican) in my early teens (12-13 (had been going voluntarily to my biological fathers church since I was 7) due to questioning those in charge. I wanted to understand the why's & how's and apparently It was "just because" which is not an answer. I gave up and left.

     

    I was an atheist for a while (1-2 years) , that church having made me lose my faith, and then became Wiccan, which I was until I married my husband. After marrying and being pregant, I started questioning my faith all over again. For the past 7-8 years, I have just read and researched from many different points of view. I want to believe, but I also cannot find somewhere I fit. I looked into Unitarian Universalism, and hung round that for a while, but as their is no church near me (closest UU is 3 1/2 hours away), this has lead me again, to questioning my faith.

     

    I want to find somewhere I fit in. I was hoping some people here to have suggestions, since it is such a widely varied area:

     

    * Belief in God (obviously)

    * Freedom to question the why's and how's, to be encouraged in that ability to want to learn why. Even if it goes against something in their church, the openess and respect to listen and offer their opinions.

    * Gay-Friendly (all people friendly, actually, no matter their genetic make-up lifestyle or inner conflicting emotions)

    * That the bible is not the infallible word of god and is open to interpretation (that the bible can be interpreted multiple different ways, sort of like how the Rabbi's pour over the torah and discuss different interpretations)

    * Encouraged to participate and add their own views.

    Edited to add: Forgot an important point. Pro Theistic Evolution, and open/believes in mainstream scientific fact (how I could of forgotten that bit, I have no idea)

     

    Well the list is much longer than that, but the rest a little bitty things, these are the most important ones to me.

     

    Can anybody please help? :grouphug:

  10. Unless you have an actual applied-know-you-will-do-it plan, don't buy what I did. lol. No matter how cheap/sale it was.

     

    I have one of those huge flip whiteboards on wheels. Most of the purpose it serves is divinding things. I previously used it to divide the kitchen from the rest of the open plan area. Now its diving space in the atelier....making the atelier even smaller, because along with the wheels, it has great honking legs that stick out, thus the closest it sits to the wall is 2-3ft away.

     

    If I did it all over again, I would just purchase paint with that money and paint the atelier, then slap down one of those stick on blackboards onto the wall....chalk doesn't dry out if the kids leave the lid off it.

  11. This is what I was looking into: Genetic Based Diseases of the Amish

     

    And I found this: Amish Plagued by Genetic Disorders

     

    And in the second one, there were a few things that startled me, hence trying to research into it further. These were the quotes:

     

    Suggesting that the doctor wasn't able to use electricity:

    And the doctor was treating these challenging cases under the most rudimentary conditions since Amish custom prohibits electricity. Still, he doesn’t complain. In fact, he calls the heritage beautiful and says, “We are not come here to change them.â€

     

     

    This makes it sound like solar panels for medical equipment would be out of the norm, and possibly not accepted in other orders?

    Certain homes, like the Miller’s, have taken small steps toward change. Some with lifesaving medical equipment have asked for special dispensation from the Amish bishop to install solar panels to run the machines.

     

     

    She was shunned trying to help her child:

    Iva Byler, mother of the three girls with Cohen Syndrome, made an even more drastic change eight years ago, after her third child in a row showed signs of this crippling disorder.

    Now, when she needs to go to the doctor, she wheels the girls into her van. She’s left buggy rides, and the whole Amish lifestyle, behind. But the price was being shunned forever by the community, as well as her ex-husband and her two healthy adult children.

     

     

    On Pre-marital testing (free, I think?) to check whether the couple are related (thus if they checked, could cut down on the tragedies):

    There are no cures in sight yet, but these doctors are able to offer the next best thing: pre-marital testing, to help future parents avoid these tragedies.

     

    It’s a powerful new tool for the Amish, if they choose to use it.

     

    Despite the illnesses in his family, Miller would not use such tests. “That's our-- our lifestyle is that way. We-- we trust God to take care of that, you know? We just, just the way we—we - live.â€

     

     

    Closed Gene Pool:

    Right now, the best prevention for many of these mutations is to prevent intermarriage, which is hard to do.

     

    Marrying outside the faith could create a healthier gene pool, but it would also ultimately destroy the very essence of what it means to be Amish.

     

     

    So I was looking into Amish Genetics, which led me to the electricity question.

  12. Can someone refer me to the passage and/or reasoning as to why certain orders (I won't say all, because I read something about some orders using cell phones, which would require charging, which means electricity) refuse to use electricity?

     

    And why this would possibly stretch to solar or other earth/natural powered devices? And to doctors offices that may be treating them?

     

    Thank you :)

  13. hmm....so much for the treadle idea then.....back to looking at hand sewing.

     

    DD is excited about the coming curricula. She's really a basics girl (as well as a girly-girl, which is also why I finally relented and got I love Hands-on Math! for her to do in her spare time). She likes her projects, loves the idea of Konos, but with the 3r's she very much basic workbooks girl with computer/ipad games for drill. I suppose if she continues upon this idea, its easier to do doing just 2 session of Rightstart with the other two, and letting her do her own work. I also grabbed some Rod & Staff things for Art/Music, as she wants to do that more seriously apart from her siblings (who are currently doing Maryann Kohls works).

     

    I now have 6 tubs of homeschool "stuff" which actually works REALLY well. Before everything was inside my teachers cupboard, making it so I had to schedule every extra and piece in order to get it done. Now I have a box of workbook based stuff (anything in book format) for each of my kids, they can pull out something they want to do, and just do it. One tub is for extras/activites - this is where the science experiment books, kids dictionary and pocket history enclopedia, kohls books, knitting books, and all those pieces go. One tub is my teachers manuals etc, this is what holds my 3r's and stuff that is important to get done regularly. The last box is the books I have to read/re-read. Everything is on a bookshelf in the dining room, lowest being Eve's, then Chaos, Atlas, Activity Books (Atlas can still reach this shelf and get the tub down) and then top shelf being my tub. The teachers closet holds the books to be read tub (I am way behind in my reading, soon this will be down to a more managable level that will be housed in my TM box). I find this keeps everything front and center, and I know whats going on, rather than forgetting what we have.

  14. I actually have a bona-fide gourgeous mint condition real fur coat from the 40s/50's (haven't researched much on it). All big swing dress style with big fur collar and trim. My grandmother just gave it to me last time I was there....she never wore it. She was anti-fur before there were protests LOL. She received it as a rather expensive gift from someone, and it was in her closet till now. Its the only coat that fits me properly (I have found clothing from around that time period tends to fit me better than today styles...perhaps is the "mother hips" big b00ks and svelte waist (well....it used to be svelte till bub number 3, I think I lost my fast matabolism after that PMSL, and my derriere has gotten slightly bigger too...more to love :D should do something about that though......one day) I am anti-fur, just anti-new fur. That furs been dead a looonnngg time, and if no-one wears it, its been wasted.....thats my excuse anyway. I don't really wear it except at home, though, its extravagent and white. I'm sure mixed with heels and pearls and the right 'do someone may think I've time travelled....lol. I like 50's fashions, and the fit, but I found I've never really been able to pull them off right enough to wear out in public (nor can I wear heels in public either, with my son, I have to be ready at the drop of a hat to chase after him through the mall....heels are not conducive to slippery, glossy mall floors).

     

    I was telling DH I think those housewives just died of frostbite in winter (they always seem to wear nothing but think pantyhose on their legs....even when its snowing), and new ones just grew up like wildflowers in the spring.....PMSL.

     

    I never though about the "servicable nanny" (ummm.....you know what I mean LOL) type outfit, lots of tweed and wool, wool stockings....I may have to order them online....as far as court shoes (low heel sensible shoes) I've been looking for them for about 3 years......nobody seems to make/sell them out here anymore. Everythings crazy killer stabbing stilletos or "fake" cork (I hate fake cork) scary platforms (and thats saying something....in my teens all I used to wear were platforms....I even had platform sports shoes for school...I was a little upset about my height....DH calls me dainty, I call myself Grumpy (and he's Dopey :p )

     

    I'll look into tweeds (gosh that reminds me all over again how I fell in love with a vintage chanel suit that was a pink tweed...it was beautiful). If I end up getting my mary poppins harris tweed carpetbag, I'll be perfectly ready to gallavant out in public :p.

     

    Downside - Wool washing....I hate wool and handwashing stuff...it always seems to pile up. One day DH is going to build me a nice big laundry room (like a lot of beautiful american houses have) and I am going to be so happy, I'll probably even homeschool in that room, so I can keep on laundry-ing. Until then, with the washer and dryer being crammed in what is called the bathroom, but I like to call the narrow room from hell.....I dislike doing woollens.

  15. And no, I'm not telling a joke :lol:

     

    I have only a short miniscule window when the "classic" 1950's housewife in ad-wear (just being specific so no one thinks I am generalizing. The kind of housewife you see in the 50's ads with the pearls, dress, apron & heels) can actually be worn here.

     

    Theres a little window where its perfectly fine to wear that, a big chunk where its fire hazard day everyday, and you are best wearing stuff you can run in and thats fire retardant lol, and a whopping great CHUNK of time when its FREEZING. My toes are currently wrapped into two layers of socks, plus shoes, and the rest of me is akin to the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters with the amount of layers.

     

    I would like to wear NICE things apart from that small window. So other than the housewife laying atop the radiator (here we only have one fireplace, and it keeps the loungeroom warm, thats it. The rest of the house is only a little warmer than whatever degree it is outside.

     

    What did the fantasy (i.e. ad version) of the housewife wear in WINTER?

     

    I think I should rub my tootsies before they fall or break off....

  16. stripe - treadle is non-electric/manual, yes? If so, I may have to look at that. Electric sewing machines are my nemesis....they are always hungry for my body parts. Plus they are like a rocket, once they start they try to fly off the table. One wouldn't think I was *that* bad at sewing by looking at the high school projects I did for sewing class, but no-one saw the effort that went into doing it (more effort than hand-sewing, and lots of hurts, and LOTS of things I used to cover up the boo-boos). I'm terrible at cutting fabric too *blush* It just would of been nice to have the kind of upbringing where my mama taught me homekeeping and all of the associated parts.

     

    As for Spunky....he is now on his way to me. Told you I was doomed. Along with Climbing to Good English and a bunch of other things (along with some stuff on bookdepository I found like Picture Speller, Drama School, and some Classic Curriculum workbooks for my Ray's) DD said the judgement is out on Rightstart. I know DS will be doing it no matter what (I just had the opinion the other two would want to do it as well) she said she'll try it, but she wants to continue on with her workbooks (and for the sake of peace she said she would learn the math card games no matter what so she can play with her brother) I can't wait to see the look on her face when I tell her I purchased more workbooks for her (poor ducky is sick right now, this is bound to cheer her up and make her squeal)

  17. Ha, I like all those except I'm not into the Amish....however, I took a look at the Spunky books. I totally missed that they're donkey themed. I am crazy about donkeys! But I don't want any more math programs!

     

    I like that the Amish community have a strict no-nonsense, no twaddle (and funnily enough, on that subject, I find CM to actually contain vast amounts of twaddle lol (from my POV anyway)) educational stand, and everything learned is applicable in their lives. They learn to sew from a very young age, since they will usually be making the clothes for their family, their dress sense is awesome (I love the little bonnets, dresses and pinafores/aprons) and they are very much about family & good, proper hard work ethic & morals. All of this is coming from a non-religious viewpoint, most of the above is because of their religion, but just from my point of view its awesome nonetheless.

     

    I can't sew. I can make felt sheet things but my sewing lines are wonky, and make felt 3d sculptures, but anything else in the area of sewing I am sadly lax at (since they make their own clothing from scratch, I was hoping to find some sort of curricula/guide to teach me about hand sewing. I dislike sewing machines and would like to hand-sew costumes & clothing for the kids). Unfortunately, since most of their stuff is taught via the generations in the family, it doesn't seem possible to find a sewing curricula/big guide to take me through how they do that (I have looked at other guides non-amish, but they are either about sewing machines or using patterns you purchase).

  18. Here I was sitting in my cosy little chair thinking "AMISH? AWWWWW YEAAAH" Then realized it was Grade 3 onwards, so calmed down. UNTIL Hunter had another link for 1-2 grade........thank you, rofl.

     

    Atlas loves workbooks, and loves variety, now I'm staring at them thinking "Want!"

     

    I have 4 areas I am bad in (in that I have twitchy buying fingers) 1. Enyclopedias/Reference 2. Weird/Interesting/Out of the Ordinary Teacher Books 3. Amish Lifestyle & Educational Products 4. Math

     

    And Hunter managed to hit 3 out of those 4 twitches......I'm doooomed.

     

    :svengo:

  19. A lot of people use Miquon as a supplement to their math program (same as quite a number just use the Math Card Games from Rightstart).

     

    I was coming in to suggest Rightstart as well, but I'm a little bias ;)

     

    One thing I would suggest is if you went with Rightstart, to wait a bit before adding Miquon. The author of Rightstart suggests not using something like coloured rods as a supplement for the confusion factor. Since I already have Miquon (plus nearly every other math available pmsl) I'm just going to use it a little bit further down the road than you normally would. It adds a change of angle, so all I am waiting on is to get past the basics in RS, so as not to cause this confusion.

     

    Challenging Word Problems from Singapore is something people from many different math programs add in. So even if you don't use a particular program, there is usually always ways to add in the flavour of another curricula.

     

    I haven't really heard of people combining MM & Miquon, but I think thats because the MM people tend to stay quiet about what they are using, lol. My daughter does Math Mammoth, Singapore and MEP for fun, I don't really have anything to do with those programs anymore, she just asks me ocassionally what to do on a particular page if she can't figure it out. MEP is downloadable/printable and free. CSMP is the same (its more living/story math, combined with this cool little paper calculator. My daughter doesn't like story math and the site confused me, otherwise I would of added it, if only as another thing for her to do in her spare time (on this endeavour, a proclick has been super helpful. I just keep making up books for her, and leaving them in her schoolbox).

     

    She likes MEP, but prefers when I do the lesson with her, so it doesn't get done much. Math mammoth she loves (I think we have the whole site except the light green worksheets & the Make-It-Real math) so she always has 2 books of varying stuff printed out (usually her grade, plus 1-2 topic/others). Singapore I had problems with her relying on finger counting and when adding starting from the very beginning, so we dropped that. I left the workbook she was on at the time in her box, and she does a page of it every now and again. Miquon, I'm sure they would love, but because it clashes with RS, I've had to just leave it alone for the moment. Miquon I think is a program with a bit of a learning curve, its not simple open and go (although will pretty much be once you have finally started). You have to read through the first grade diary & the other one (brains fuzzy on titles) then use the annotations? the big book to help you with the sheets.

     

    Rightstart Math as the person above said, is from an ex-Montessori lady. So has a touch of Montessori flavour, as well as a lot of research having gone into the program. It relies slightly on sight grouping. I think its a brilliant program. Its very much open and go, is partially scripted, and lots of fun.

     

    If you are wanting to stay with Montessori Math, perhaps look into something like Shiller Math? I have the digital versions of both kits I got awhile ago (one of those weird purchases I make every now and again) it really confused me and I couldn't make heads or tails of it, but I have heard great things about it, and perhaps coming from a Montessori background yourself, you might understand it a lot better than I did (I think I thought it was something a lot different than what it was, so its my fault, not the product).

     

    If you are liking the idea of Singapore Math, and perhaps want to have a read into it (a lot of people would suggest reading this book no matter what) There is Liping Ma's Knowing & Teaching Elementary Mathematics.

     

    Another idea if your children like story format, is Waldorf Math, Life of Fred, or Queen Homeschool Math. These all use stories as their basis for teaching math. A couple of waldorf math places - Christopherus, Hunter (forum poster) has a link to two South African Waldorf math places with downloadable PDFs I think, Journey through Waldorf Math (I think thats what the next one is called), Oak Meadow (Waldorf inspired, but the levels I looked at used Dorothy Harrer as basis for Math, which counts it as close to waldorf math in my mind), and One using the idea of Waldorf as well as the United Nations school (I think of it as Scientific Waldorf) is Enki Education.

     

    Theres also books that more serve as guides like Maximum Math (kathryn Stout), Kitchen Table Math, Math on the Level, One-to-One Homeschooling (covers nearly everything, including math, and has a fantastic little handwriting section).

     

    Then you have online/screen Math, like Math Rider (horse-based for drills), Time4learning, Math-U-See (students aren't supposed to watch the DVD, but most parents do that anyway), Mathtacular, Mathletics, Khan Academy

     

    And finally very textbook based like Saxon, BJU, Abeka, CLP, Ace Paces, etc

     

    HTH xxx

  20. I didn't post this in writing, because its not actually about the narration she did (by this point, we were making up silly stories, and narrating them during fits of laughter). I came up with the topic of "an angry tree".

     

    But just do a quick read of the Story, then see afterward for one of the questions I asked her.

     

    ***Excuse all the "And thens", she realized I really dislike her saying that, so was drawing it out "Annnddddd thhhhheeeeennnn" just to watch me gnash my teeth.

     

    The Angry Tree by Atlas

     

    Once upon a time there was an angry tree. He was angry because there was too much cold, and he couldn't grow.

     

    Until, one day it was Summer. And it melted all the cold. And then it grew apples on its leaves. And then the children come to eat the apples. And then the tree was angry again. On spring, the tree grew flowers, but little girls came and picked the flowers off the tree. The tree was angry again.

     

    In Winter, the trees leaves fell off. A woodcutter came and cut the tree down. And all that was left was a tiny, weeny seed. The woodcutters little girl came, and picked up the seed. She took it away.

     

    The little girl planted the seed in her garden. And it grew, ...and grew, and it grew. It became a big tree.

     

    The little girl was happy the rest of her life to have a friend.

     

    The End

     

     

    Q&A Session Afterwards

     

    (It was much longer than this, but this was the last question, and I nearly fell off my chair)

     

    Me: “Did the little girl ever tell the tree what happened to its parent?â€

     

    Atlas: No, she did not want to make it sad. She didn't tell the tree until it was REALLY old and its leaves....FELL OFF!!!

     

    Nice analogy there, kid.

  21. I've enjoyed reading all these responses. Thanks, ladies. I'm going to give it some thought rather than delete it (yet).

     

     

     

    Your post cracked me up. I've had the same experience and I had just moments earlier sat stunned before one of those blogs that look like they were shot for a segment in a Martha Stewart magazine. Here I am uploading photos from my dodgy 3GS iPhone camera. lol

     

    My 3gs broke....so I don't even have that. I have a $100 camera. It turns on, and photos are taken. The End.

     

    One thing I truly, seriously ask bloggers out there, is the possibility of transferring their blog, or deleting "parts" instead, especially when they have downloads available.

     

    I've been very sad over the number of beautiful free planners and schedules that were available on blogs before I got to it. By the time I can across it, the person had deleted or privated their blog, thus making it impossible to see the downloads. Sprittibee is one person who lost her stuff on Geocities, then apparently her computer crashed. She knows that that unit study planner is her most popular post (and now the links don't work), she apparently has it on her computer now, and if you donate money, she will send you the download. This is what she was doing before, just politely asking for donations for the download, but now she's asking you to "pay" before you purchase without any screenshots as to what it looks like, and holding the download hostage, when she promised years ago to make a new link.

     

    There was also a beautiful FIAR planner that can be seen on Pinterest. Many people re-pin it without checking the link...the blog has been deleted.

     

    Another pet peeve is when people do more "homemade" style things in paper format, then let it slowly slide into obscurity. The author of Konos Helps! a (from what it sounds like) amazing newsletter by a Konos Mom/Rep, and I really wanted it. She stopped the paper newsletter, but then Konos ETC picked up the "rights" re-bound it into booklet format and sold from their site. The Konos mom who did it disappeared off the face off the internet. The Konos ETC went under, and along with it, their Konos Helps bound volumes, because they never made them into ebook format or more than hand-bound, hand-printed booklets. Its practically impossible to get ahold of those volumes, and if that konos mom had just set up an automatic ebook site, her stuff would be available for ages, and she would get monies...win, win. But now she's disappeared, and the furthest any discussion ever gets in regards to it (other than saying how great it is) is to say "I wonder what the copyrights are on these?" and since only the original owner of it, or someone in power could say, the discussion dies off, because nobody knows.

     

    Quite off subject (I think) but just another crazy ramble from me.

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