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venusmom

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About venusmom

  • Birthday 04/09/1973

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    Female

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  • Biography
    Mom of 6 precious gifts of God!
  • Location
    Texas
  • Interests
    Reading, volleyball, gardening
  • Occupation
    Homeschool mom, home childcare provider

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  1. I have been to a seminar by Becky Muldrow. I have read and read on her site, and few reviewers that received it for free in exchange for an honest review. I've been impressed and nervous about the risk - but still I finally ordered the other day and I am waiting for this to get started. I plan to replace certain subjects with these, as written, and add in required subjects that are not part of the program as needed, such as foreign language. I wish I could have found some honest reviewers online that had not received it for free - and I don't know why I didn't think to check here. Still - I'd love to hear about any ups and downs. I know many credits won't transfer, but I don't think I have to worry about a degree not transfer. I am in hopes that my son, who will be a freshman, will successfully obtain his bachelors, but I would still be content with an associates. I plan to enroll in the college she used to ensure my credits will transfer. Hoping for a little jump start in his post high school education! I would love to see him be able to get right to work if he chooses, or enter a masters program after graduation. If any others are using, I'd love any tips!
  2. I think I need this book - I'm good at getting rid of many things, but every time I look at a book we no longer read - I think we might want to look at that one again. Then there are all those books I bought with good intentions - I was going to use them with our curriculum, they were on the same topic, etc, etc! Now - I have bookshelves in every room, an outdoor room built for science & art that is FULL of bookshelves, boxes, and totes. Who can enjoy books I can't find...I've GOT to start a used homeschool curriculum / book sale on my block! I've got enough for a small bookstore!
  3. Thanks so much for all the advice - I was really thinking it was gaps because our school system is quite deficient (when my kids were in it - I spent several hours an evening helping them learn what they should have in school, and finally decided why bog them down with more school when what they needed was to do it right the first time). However - in working with him and seeing his frustration - and yes - as one of you mentioned - he does seem to have internalized that he is stupid - I guess it may be time to suggest to the parents that they might need to get him tested for some learning delay of some sort. I can't tell you what it means to have a place to mull this over with moms who may have experienced these things - I really needed some ideas!
  4. Yes, it has been a struggle. I originally had an hour mapped out for math. Now I have him do the facts practice, mental math, watch the DIVE & do the lesson for 30 minutes. Then he does another subject. After lunch, or if he finishes before he does another 30 minutes for mixed practice. If it takes longer, he either takes it home to complete later or finishes at the end of the day if he finishes everything else in time.
  5. Math usually takes 60-90 minutes - but I let him break it up when he seems to lose focus. Other subjects take less time. Science occasionally takes an hour, but usually all subjects take about 1/2 hour. Money is another method I have used for demonstrating fractions and it has been helpful too.
  6. Oops - yes a few questions I didn't answer, though I was quite wordy!! He is 13. He was having some discipline problems in school; and the parents had been pleased with the way my children's education was progressing. They felt I could help him establish better study habits, and the smaller environment might help him focus on his academics instead of many distractions of school. He is easily distracted. I have been working on the sentence approach, as Kai described. I am also using Saxon 87. We tried it last year, though his placement test showed he might have been better with Saxon 76. I spoke with some math contacts at my curriculum and they suggested try it and slow down when needed. We did - and we ended up pulling off altogether several times to stop and work on Life of Fred Fractions for a while. We spent much of the year doing this and I printed online worksheets on things he needed more work on. We also kept doing the facts practices from Saxon 87 to reinforce things he needed. We began Saxon 87 again this year and I am being extremely rigid about his dawdling. When he doesn't want to do his work, he just starts rattling on and on about whatever he'd prefer to talk about. As a result, I am getting my own children up several hours earlier to do the subjects they need help with. Then when he arrives - they take turns taking my granddaughter to their rooms to keep her from distracting him, and they work on their subjects they need less help with. We do group work during the little one's naptime. I don't have any idea how to know if he has any LD's. I know when he wants to, and when he tries, he does much better. But when he sees my children have finished, or when the little one interrupts, or when a bird lands on the porch rail, he's trailing off his work and discussing whatever comes to mind - from the bird, to the latest video game!
  7. I am homeschooling another child, with mine, and I am struggling with retention. He is a good kid for the most part, but there are struggles. I constantly have to work on building him up, and he is a "tough guy" on the outside, but the slightest thing said gets taken wrong, and he's mad. Then I realize I have inadvertently hurt his feelings. For instance, if I tell him to stop playing and he'll finish quicker, he tells his parent I've implied he is stupid. I've learned to work with his emotions - but what it really concerning me is his retention. It almost seems as if I sit next to him all day and explain everything he is willing to work. However with multiple children, I expect them to read instructions and complete lessons independently whenever possible. If I am to help when they get snagged on a math problem, or work with a child learning a new concept, I can't sit with one all day and explain each step. He also seems to miss quite a bit on his papers - and then when I ask him and help jog his memory - he remembers how to do it. His writing skills are very weak and I am struggling to even get him to write a single correct sentence. He tends to either write fragments, or he writes entire paragraphs that are one sentence. He will begin the paragraph with a capital letter, use "and" anywhere that a comma or period would have been better, and finally close his paragraph with a period - the first to appear in the whole paper! His math is improving, but he seems to forget some of the basic things he really needs to understand in order to build on. For instance, he truly struggles with fractions - just remembering that 1/2 cut in half, is 1/4, is very difficult. He even struggles with this concept when I pull out cookies, slices of bread, or fraction circles and demonstrate the concept for him. Sometimes I think he could have a bit of a learning delay of some type; while other times I feel like he's being stubborn because he "doesn't want to do it, and doesn't care", (as he so eloquently puts it when a subject gets tough). Does anybody have any suggestions? I am committed to teach him this year, but he has to be ready to re-enter school next year as I committed to teaching him for two years. After that his parents want to put him back into school. Editing to add: He's 13, 8th grader, using Saxon 87, App of Grammar by CLP, Writing Strands 4 plus working on some copywork, dictation, narration for basic sentence structure, (tried Razzle Dazzle, and several other writing courses last year, but ended up just working on back to basics with him), Apologia Physical Science, Spelling Power & Apples Daily Spelling Drills for spelling, MFW for bible / history. Thanks :huh:
  8. Thanks for this info - I have One Note - and hadn't even figured out what it does! I'm going to check it out!!
  9. Thank you to everyone - I really dug through Horizon's 4th today - and I, like her, still love that program. However - I really loved some things about Singapore too. I may just hang on to SM a bit longer and check out buying a used Horizon's TM on HSclassifieds...I've bought things like that before - I just have to be patient & wait for them. Then I could even use them both - she loves math enough to do that. Sometimes, I'm fairly certain, she'd chuck every other subject to just do math & science all the time! If I do decide to sell - I'll post on HSclassifieds or here - I forget you can do that here! Thanks again!
  10. I have pondered back & forth on this thought and I just cannot make up my mind for sure. Here is my dilemma. My son used Singapore all the way through 6th grade & is now in 7th using Saxon 87. My daughter did MFW K & MFW 1st with the math as included, then I had her do Singapore 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, which she did great & completed in a year. She loves math & does fine. She had seen Horizon's & really wanted to use it though. This year though, for my dd's 3rd grade year, I gave in & bought Horizon's 3rd. She loved it - she did fine & rarely even misses any problems - despite the fact that Horizon's seems fairly advanced. So - I really have no major concerns with either Horizon's or Singapore as far as both seem to be thorough and are good math curriculum choices. Here is my concern - my daughter really likes Horizon's and wants to continue - however - it just seems like a bit of a waste to me to buy it when I have Singapore on the shelf through 6th already bought & paid for. When I bought my son's - I ordered 2 workbooks, instead of just 1 - so I have everything - the textbooks, workbooks, MFW lesson plans, even the home instructor guides for Singapore. I could take it all to my co-op used book sale later this month - but I won't likely get much for it. And even though buying Horizon's isn't terribly pricey, it's still around $70 for a year - if I pre-order it at convention, this Friday. Even though that isn't the greatest amt of money to spend, we are always tight & really have to watch expenses. So...I thought I'd see what some of your opinions are. She's bright and math is her easiest subject - so either is really fine. But it's about what she says she LOVES, or what I have right here, already paid for! Having a student say she "loves her math," is a great thing in itself for me, since my son struggles in it a bit more than she is. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts!
  11. I wish I had you to help me!! My son's writing is acceptable, and he does fairly well in grammar. We used ILL with him, and I am using PLL for the 2nd year with my daughter. It is a fairly gentle approach to grammar, but it is presented. I am teaching another child along with my two and he is unable to write a complete sentence most of the time that can be understood. He is home schooling for the 1st time and was doing fine in public school, but was beginning to need more one on one help. Now my dilemma is improving my son's writing skills & helping strengthen the other child's language skills. My son was taught with ILL and I think it would be considered an approach that delayed formal grammar instruction. Everyone who reads my son's writing says he is a strong writer, however I disagree with that, though I would not categorize him as a weak writer by any means. The other child is struggling with every aspect of written communication; from spelling to holding a uniform train of thought from the beginning of the sentence to the end. I think I'll take a look at EG & MCT...might be worth a try. We are primarily using All-In-One English this year (for the two boys), and I am also using an old book called "Writing to Inform". I've also used Razzle Dazzle Daily Dazzle and I add some activities from my Spelling Power activity task cards too.
  12. Sounds like the best thing! Kids that age NEED snacks. The 2 year old I babysit is hungry 30 minutes after meals & snacks. They have tiny stomachs & lots of growing to do! Depriving a child of food is cruel - especially since I'm assuming that means she has to watch the other kids eat. Good night - I am so upset at a child being treated that way. I saw things in our public school when I visited a kinder that I babysat years ago, which were a part of my reason I began homeschooling and they were not that bad. Poor kids - I can't imaging watching other kids eat & having my food taken as punishment. Talk about creating a problem later. This mis-guided teacher is teaching kids to work fast even if it means sloppy work so they don't get put in the hall - and that food is a treat for behaving well - which sounds like a terrible habit to begin! Just my opinion - but don't let the teacher make you feel bad for protecting your child. Some of them are so good at talking around what they are doing - they can make you feel guilty when you know in your heart what is right for your child.
  13. Fun...that was a great article and fun to read. I love research...and I research what i love. Looks like Ms. Stephens does too!
  14. Hugs to you - I understand your being concerned. My 12 year old was very slow about doing things too at 4. He was also very stuck to a routine & hated it being upset. I was concerned often & felt like something wasn't being addressed. He had certain things that he devoted most of his time too - still does - but speed & coordination just are not what he's good at! His little sister has motor skills like crazy - she can tie shoes, fold some clothes, paint a picture, organize a kitchen shelf, cut up an apple, and make herself a cup of cocoa while carrying on a conversation with two people! My head is spinning trying to keep up with her - and she puts my son into sensory overload! I talked with my doctor often about some possibities for him because I was concerned at what seemed to be developmental delays - though language & reading skills were very ahead - other things seemed slow, very slow. My doc insisted he was doing fine. And now - he really seems to be fine. Though I'd say his motor skills never were 'leader of the pack' or anything...he reads a ton, does ok in math, spends lots of time sketching & drawing his ideas, mostly imaginary creatures he loves to draw, builds, builds, builds with legos, and can tell me, in way too much detail, almost anything to do with American history, Greek mythology, and quite a few other historical favorites. He makes friends well at co-op and still has friends he's stayed connected with from his public school years. IMHO, give your daughter time to show what her true interests are; watch her & speak with your doc on any concerns, make sure she gets to make friends whether it be through activities like dance, sports, etc., co-ops, play groups, family, or church. She will be fine - but after that party - I would definitely consider why a teacher would sit a child in the hall to finish her work & if your hubby is ok with moving her or bringing her home - I would consider it. I taught pre-k for years...and if a child wanted to keep working on a project we would try to let them work on it. We would have made available to her a table with art supplies, while other children played in blocks, home center, games, puzzles, manipulatives, etc. This way she could have finished her art project or whatever activity she was working on and when she was ready, she could move into the centers for play. I watch 2, 3, & 4 year old's now - they all work at different paces - the only time I sit them out is for hitting/hurting or toy-snatching from another child's hands - and even then they are usually just sitting with me to cool off for a minute.
  15. Thanks Aurelia! I am so torn - I do feel like I will feel liberated by the release of the big pkg...but I also like that their history has a great deal of resources that cover multiple events differently. For instance, when we read Streams of Civilization & Story of the World, and and Usborne book - one might cover something more in depth than another. I think that is the main thing I have concerns is maybe not covering topics so well that we have until now. However - on the other hand - it's starting to feel so dry just looking at a page number & reading it. Plus - it skips around so much. I'm truly thinking that reading SOTW in order & finding things off our shelf or in our library to add in would be good - plus I think I can get extras with SOTW that may make it more full & engaging. I am just finding so many great resources that it's so hard to choose! But by the time I get MFW & the science I need for my kiddos in EX to 1850 - I would spend $781!! (Next year will mean extra LA materials since my son is 7th grade & extras for my daughter in 2nd/3rd supplement, plus both needing to replace extra science.) OUCH. Thanks again for your comments.
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