I wonder if they set a computer up with no instructions, but it had video games in addition to information about molecular biology - would the kids know anything about molecular biology in the end? I wonder how much independent learning is affected by what other options/distractions are available. :) This is a really interesting story. I love how the teacher set up challenge problems for kids to solve. I keep meaning to add that into our homeschool day. (Beast Academy was pretty close to this, though). I'd love to know what made the kids' Spanish scores go up. Was it just because of the discussions they were having? Did this teacher use other techniques as well? Interesting. I am definitely going to remember the story of the burro!

How ridiculous! I could see docking a few points, but a C? That's crazy!

Thanks for your help!

I've heard some good things about Calvert's writing program. Does anyone know if there is a way to purchase it separately? Or is it in the teaching manuals?

Thank you!

I hear you on the lack of willpower. :) What works for me is to get rid of all junk food in the house and not buy any. I buy snacks that the kids like, but I don't (for me, that is pretzels, goldfish crackers... yuck.) I think a focus on protein and less carbs is a good idea, especially if you are at risk for diabetes. I wouldn't go for drugs/shakes/etc. I just feel like it is a temporary thing, kwim? Do you have some "go to" snacks that are easy? For me, it is pickles (almost no calories, but lots of flavor), baby bell cheese (low calorie, but satisfying), ice-cold unsweetened ice tea. Most importantly, I know that in order to embark on a weight-loss journey, I have to be in a good place emotionally. Time spent on that is worthwhile, I feel. You may be different, but I know I make the wrong food choices when I am upset/stressed. Best of luck to you! Remember that every bit of good health counts as you are on your way. :)

This is not a total solution, but might be helpful - there are books called "Kids Stuff... (Spanish, Chinese, etc.)" that have everyday phrases for around the house. For immersion, I would guess you need a native-speaking tutor, nanny (or au pair as mentioned above) for as many hours as you can.

How sad that an adult would say anything negative about a child's drawing! Crazy. BTW - The drawing is very good for a 6 year old! Much better than my kids at that age.

So far we have been doing: Monday - brainstorming Tuesday - outline Wednesday - rough draft Thursday - rough draft (finish) Friday - revise, edit and publish final draft (I type for them) Each week we do a different type of writing - story, report, play, persuasive, etc. We just received Essentials in Writing, so I am going to try that and see how it goes as well.

Does your library offer BrainFuse? You can submit a written piece there and a teacher will give you feedback. :)

Thanks for the help! I do think it is in their grammar books a little, but I feel like she is going to need a lot more work on it. :) I haven't been correcting her very often, so maybe I should start (gently). I do sometimes restate things she says (for example, if she said, "He digged a hole." I would say, "Oh, he dug a hole?"). She is a strong reader now, so maybe it will sink in a bit. :)

Does anyone know a good curriculum, method or workbook that focuses on irregular verbs? I have noticed that dd still says things like "digged" or "tooked." When I was in school, I remember working on irregular verbs, but I just picked the one that sounded right. I think she is going to need more explicit instruction on this. Any ideas?

I read this and also thought it was great. I am saving it for around 6th grade for the kids because I want them to get the most they can out of it. Great book!

I think store brands are usually a lot cheaper, but Trader Joe's does a better job with their store brands than many other grocery stores.

I'm surprised that this was the doctor's advice. It is true that it probably is nothing, but it is still wise to check it out. I would expect them to do a needle biopsy just to be sure (really easy and quick procedure, though when I did it I had to meet my doctor at the hospital - still took under 5 minutes). I agree to get a second opinion, just to be safe.

Congrats!

I plan for about an hour per day. They often do more than that on their own, but I try to make sure they get at least that much.

Our library has an online service called Brainfuse that is tutoring/homework help. I saw that they have Spanish speaking tutors as well. I was wondering if anyone has incorporated this service in to homeschooling. If so, how did you use it? I could see using it when the kids are older (when they have some schoolwork that I don't know myself or when their Spanish level is higher). Any experience with it?

Moving Beyond the Page is a good one. :)

Another consideration is that the community college have faced budget cuts in California and had to cut classes. It can be tough to get the classes that you want (and freshman have last pick).

This only affects a small number of students, but I have heard that sometimes medical schools will not accept classes taken at community colleges. (For example, if the med school requires 4 years of science and a student took 2 years at a community college, the med school may not accept that). I didn't really look into it, but it is something to research if your child may go that way.

Does anyone have advice for a child who is pressing too hard with her pencil? Dd has a fairly good pencil grip, but seems to need to hold the pencil tightly and press hard - especially when she is trying to write neatly, but then her hand hurts. Any tips on getting her to lighten up? (Just asking her to write more lightly is not working.) :)

You could try these: http://shop.nordstrom.com/sr/jag-pull-on-jeans They are nice because there is no button/button hole corner to stick out and show under Tshirts. They also fit the rest of the body well (no sagging bottom / too large leg holes).

Are there any activities that your older would enjoy that only she could do just based on age? For example, some lego robot camps only accept 3rd grade or above. Or sports like archery have a later starting age due to maturity/strength. I know it is more work for you to drive around to different activities, though! Are they officially different grades? Maybe you can think of something your older would like that is officially an "xth grade thing." (Maybe Scratch programming?) Also, maybe some household things like when you are x years old, you can stay up 15 minutes later. Just some little things that show you acknowledge her place as the older sis. :)

This thread has got my brain buzzing. Thank you all for this conversation! I thought of an example of something taking longer in public school. So, I remember in school we would have a vocabulary assignment where we would have to look up 10-20 words in the dictionary and write down their definitions. Everyone had to do this - even if you knew every word already (and knew how to use the dictionary already). When we do vocabulary, I ask them to define a few words for me (aloud). If they already know one, we move on. If they don't, we review for several days until they know it. It takes 1 or 2 minutes a day. And the kids *don't hate learning new words*! They think it is fun! :)