WyoSylvia
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Posts posted by WyoSylvia
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I'm sorry that happened. To use a button, will you have to hold it the whole time or just start and stop? I'm asking because, for myself, I can't picture sewing with one hand. :001_huh: (I'm not the best sewer but I DEFINITELY need both hands.)
Hope you find a solution.
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...since I already know about as much Spanish as I do Japanese (just need to brush up a little :blush: ) Plus Japanese and Spanish are different enough that we won't be confusing vocabulary or mixing the accents (like my college professors often caught me doing since I had studied both Spanish and French :blush: )
I need some recommendations on a Spanish program that (in order of importance):
1. Has an element of fun, not just memorizing vocabulary and verb conjugations
2. Fairly well laid out, not a lot of lesson planning for me
3. Focuses more on conversational Spanish than written Spanish at least for this first year
4. Is good for upper elementary / middle school beginners (we focused more on Japanese while we were in Japan so they have forgotten most of the Spanish I taught them when they were preschoolers/early elementary)
From what you wrote, I am assuming that you can both read and pronounce Spanish. You might be interested in looking at TPR (Total Physical Response) in First Year Spanish. (The first link has samples and here is another link that also has some info.) Don't be put off by their talk of high school and college, that is just where it began I believe. TPR works for everyone, it was modeled on the idea of how children first learn language, which is responding to commands. You teach the language through commands given in the imperative. (Later it ingeniously teaches the other verb forms by embedding them within the imperative.) It starts with very simple commands, which you demonstrate by acting out first then the student joins in. Progressively it builds, about three words at a time, with the student responding by doing the action, thus the physical response. (The physical part convinces the brain that this word is indeed true; French "main" really does mean hand because I just moved my hand when I was told to do so.) The fun part is the physicality and even more so after the students learn a few words then they are challenged with novel commands. For instance, if it starts with "Touch your, nose. Touch your ..." in a short time you would command them to "Touch your nose with your elbow." It's fun and increases their confidence because of the novel sentences. TPR also insists upon comprehension before production, the student will not be expected to produce, (speak) until they are ready. The book is a teacher's script for each class.
As a side note, I also like the idea of TPR for homeschoolers because much of the scripts teach specific vocabulary e.g. the kitchen, and we can just go there and act it out.
Good luck finding something that will work for you.
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:lurk5:
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How are you doing it? Do you expect fluency in all languages or just exposure and fluent in one? Do you study them concurrently or study one in middle and one in high school?
The logistics of learning two is holding me back. :confused:
I am teaching my ds French and German. He's only 6 so this may or may not be of use to you. I have a degree in French but am learning German just a step ahead of him so, of course, I am anticipating much more from French. We are studying them concurrently and what has worked out the best is to alternate weeks. We tried all kinds of combinations like 3 days of French and 3 days German (extending into Saturday) but just when we got in the groove of one language it was time to switch and one always got shortchanged. So now, we do foreign language 3 times per week and alternate the language each week. It's working out quite well. The logistics were tough for me as well and the key was having a complete lesson plan before the year began and looking over the specific assignments a week or two before so that I am sure all is in order. I think, with this schedule, if I were better in German I would expect fairly the same level of proficiency with each language. I don't think multiple languages are hard to learn, provided you have good teaching materials. Right now I'm looking into materials that use the TPR (Total Physical Response) method. The retention results for this are quite high plus it is fun for the student. We've used the technique a bit and we both love it and remember a lot.
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... And I was so happy at finally not having to be so worried about money. :glare: I just want to cry.
I'm so sorry, I hate feeling that way too. When I started out with our budget, I found this happening many times and boy, was it deflating. This may not help how you're feeling today, but perhaps you can take a look at what you've accomplished that allowed you to even be in a position that you COULD cut back to cover the problem, and be proud of that. :grouphug:
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I think they just went chapter by chapter to organize it. Did you read thru the directions on how to assemble it, etc.? It does make a lot of sense.
Oh I'm sorry. I meant, "Wow, how did they manage to do all that!!! That's fabulous!"
(I wonder sometimes if I should wait an hour, or maybe a day between writing a reply and then posting so that I can PROOF-READ! :001_smile:)
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Great link - thanks. I have no idea how they organized all those... I looked at the Middle Ages lapbook and am blown away.
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We love this show! They do have partial episodes online...love the RV one! And, they should be coming out with Seasons 11 & 12 on DVD in a couple of months. Here's an online place to watch some of them... http://www.casttv.com/shows/top-gear
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!
Yes our family is completely hooked too. I cannot believe those episodes are available to watch, we are in mourning every time we're between seasons and can only watch reruns.
I really never thought I would be discussing Top Gear on the Hive!!!
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Completely love Miss Piggle-Wiggle. (It's fun even typing the name!)
I cannot wait until my son is willing to read them with me. He knows I'm excited about them so I think he is holding out to make me suffer.
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Flopdom...I was in the state of flopdom earlier in this yr and I have finally worked it all out and am no longer in the state of flopdom :D.
Flopdom..(sounds also like it could be a very depressing country.)
I hope to never visit the land of flopdom... either definition.
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OK, after reading this whole thread, this post seems to me to describe a far different situation than the original post.
She just starts confessing to me when I call her. It seems that now that my oldest kid is 5 and I've started homeschooling, its like she feels guilty around me, I guess because I do things differently than she does. ?? She confesses how she doesn't like teaching so she doesn't teach, she doesn't hold school, her kids are way behind, etc. She did do K12 at the beginning of this year but it required too much of her, so she quit....They came to visit me about two years ago and the oldest, dd12, wrote "mery Crismis" (Merry Christmas) on our chalkboard before leaving.
She has now started to say they have learning disabilities, but I HIGHLY doubt it. I think she is putting the blame on them instead of herself. :mad:
The examples of the dd12's inability to write is sending off alarm bells for me. I think all the responses you have had that discussed late reading etc. didn't seem to be describing this age of child.
If, as her sister, you are hearing confession than I would take that as perhaps a plea for help. Your previous post sounded more like you were just giving us your passing observations. I would just ask her about all these things that are concerning her (and obviously, you) and see if you can offer any assistance. Your sister may have indeed started wondering if they have learning disabilities and now she feels in so deep with her method that she can see no way out. You also wrote that you had no desire to learn about a TJE. I'm not sure if you meant that, from what you're witnessing, you don't like the look of it as an educational method, or if you meant rather that you don't want to take the time to find out what she is doing. Either way, to help your sister I think it would be a good investment of time to get yourself at least somewhat knowledgeable about it so you can help her to assess her situation.
Anyway, I've stayed out of it the last 10 years and will continue to do so, I suppose. Thanks for the advice!At this point, I think you should tell her what you think you're hearing in her voice, tell her that you love her and ask her how you can help her.
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May I just say, "Wow!" What a wonderful post. Congratulations.
You are an :Angel_anim:
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OK, I have been replaying the OP's story in my head and have now been laughing for about 5 minutes straight. You all kill me.
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I'm personally quite rusty on the vocabulary of grammar so I'll try to help you directly from my French Grammar book.
This is from FSF 1:We are learning about the partitive de. This is our grammar lesson: (Lesson 17)
partitive de=part of a whole, some, any
Masc., sing.: du or d l'
Fem., sing. : de la or de l'
Masc. or Fem., plural: des
Here is the exercise:
Put the correct form of de in the following sentences:
1.Je viens des Etats-Unis.
2.Ellla a beaucoup de freres.
3.Je n'ai pas de soeurs.
4.J'ai de bons amis.
5.Ensuite, nous prenons des cahiers.
6.J'ai de bons amis.
Note: I am missing a couple of accent marks in the above sentences...
I have filled it in with the answers but I having trouble understanding the singular answers. (The plural sentences I'm understanding.)
Sentence #2: Ella a beaucoup de freres. Why is this de rather than du or de l'?
After prepositional de, there is no plural indefinite (des) or partitive article (du, de la, de l').
After nouns and adverbs of quantity + de
e.g. Beaucoup de ... , peu de ... , une douzaine d'oeufs,
I think Sentence #3 gets de because it is negative..? Is that right?
The indefinite and partitive articles normally occur as de alone when the noun is the direct object in a negative clause. (This rule does not apply after etre, since etre does not take a direct object.)
e.g. Elle n'a pas de manteau.
I think Sentence # 6 get de because it is an adjective modifying a noun...? Is that right? I really barely get this but I see an example in the Teacher's Ed. and I that is where I'm getting this.
When a plural noun is preceded by an adjective, the indefinite article is de. This is true even when the noun is represented by en.
e.g. des conseils (advice) VERSUS de bons conseils (good advice)
There are exceptions but I would guess your book will tackle them gradually.
(I thought I'd let you know that #4 & #6 are the listed the same just in case you want to add to your thread.)
I really wish we had more practice with this and more examples that included the forms used in the grammar section. As it stands, all the answers are either de or des and the other forms are not used in this exercise. I barely understand with 6 sentences and I know my dd (12) will not get this with 6 sentences....so again I will need to supplement. I can say that all this supplementing is making me better at this....:lol::D
I think I'm a little confused!:lol::001_huh:
Help please...we're stalling out again in our lessons with French since I can't teach what I don't understand myself.
HTH
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We have long winters as well so I went to Barb's website and printed out a list of all her previous challenges, chose the ones that I was interested in and were applicable to our area, and then plugged them in the proper place on my calendar. This also helped me because I like everything planned out ahead of time, it didn't work for me to receive her challenge on the Friday before the upcoming week.
HTH
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:lurk5: I've always wondered this.
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I'm sorry to interrupt your thread, but may I please borrow "book greed" as well? .... That is so perfectly descriptive! :drool5:
I just opened your thread for future info about LoF. Good luck on your planning process.
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YES, YES, YES, WE LOVE OUR MATTRESS!!!
We knew we wanted a quality mattress because no one was sleeping well. At the last minute in our shopping we found BedInABox. On their website they have very strong claims about their foam being better than TempurPedic. We went with them because the reviews on independent websites were staggeringly positive. Their prices are fabulous and their customer service was very attentive.
We co-sleep and my ds and I, without fail before going to sleep, both say, "Isn't this bed fabulous? I just love this bed, it is so comfortable." We adored it from day one.
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That never crossed my mind - no worries. It really sounded like you are just thrilled that your dh is open to the possibility of someday adopting.
:iagree: You sound like a great mom.
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As Lucy van Pelt says in "Charlie Brown Christmas": 'Oh, yeah, has he ever had his picture on a bubble gum card?' :lol:
..."Hmmm? How can you say someone is great who's never had his picture on bubblegum cards"
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I genuinely feel sorry for him. I mean, he's gotta know that he doesn't really deserve it and now he's between a rock and a hard place. How awkward is it to be awarded a huge important prize that you don't really deserve? How embarrassing is it to win a prize and have tons of people all over the world (not just conservative Americans) wondering why you got it?
I think he should refuse the honor. I think he would gain an enormous amount of respect if he did.
Ds13 is reading a great book called Boyhood and Beyond. One chapter is about justice and the author defines justice as "giving what is due, to whom it is due, when it is due." Awarding Obama this prize is not just and I think he probably knows it. He may deserve it someday - but not now.
The Nobel committee have actually hurt him by doing this. They've created a sticky situation for him to deal with and now he's on the spot. I really do feel sorry for him.
:iagree:I don't like anything that Obama has done so far, but wow I actually feel somewhat sorry for him too. He must know how odd this looks. He would gain an ounce or two of respect from me if he refused it.
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I don't know whether you have any experience with French yourself, so I'm not sure how this suggestion would work for you but I've been looking into what is called TPR. (Total Physical Response) You would be able to teach it if you have a basic understanding of French, and can read and pronounce it. It is basically teaching foreign language by using commands that you first act out with the student and then keep giving commands while gradually adding recombinations with new vocabulary. Its strengths are that you can use it for ALL ages because it is not about reading and writing, it apparently has a very high success rate and it is a lot of fun because you (and the students when they are ready to speak) can give silly commands as you recombine the vocabulary. e.g. Put the pencil on your nose and hop.
One teachers guide, (there are a few by different authors) which has a full teachers script is Total Physical Response in First Year French by Francisco Cabello.
Good luck. :)
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My ds has been reading about Russian history and he would like to know more about Communism. Why it took hold in Russia, what the lives of the people were like, why did end. Also what countries still are communist.
What are some resources for teaching kids about Communism? I know some Russian history, but not enough to be an authority on what Communism is. I don't mind reading adult books and then telling what I read to ds. I'm sure that are no childrens biographies on Stalin or Lenin.
I would highly recommend The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis. It is a Caldecott Honor book. The author grew up in Czechoslovakia and just happened to be friends with some of the youth who were instrumental in the Prague Spring of '68. Sis is an artist and this is written as an artists journal of his youth. I thought it was fabulous.
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I helped teach a rallyball tournament/classes for youth (5-10) ....please google rallyball...you can actually download lessons from there that you could implement yourself! (Knowing this is not what you want to do! :() But I think it is a waste for tennis lessons in kids this young, maybe 9 and above...but their reflexes are much better suited to the rallyball (a big foamy ball that does not go out of the park no matter how hard they hit! :)) It also doesn't hurt if they don't blink when it's coming at them..our kids loved rallyball and it grew their confidence quickly...they are now onto tennis and their skills were built from rally ball....I would spend $$ on rackets, good shoes and 12 rally balls....go out there and hit the ball with them...just maybe find someone willing to spend 10 minutes showing you how to hold the racket and ready position...lots of pictures and youtube videos to help...
Tara
This is the same kind of answer I would give. I used to teach tennis and just in case you would like to stay with just tennis, I would encourage you start them with volleys. Volleys are the small shots from the net that have no backswing, it's just a small punch. (I'm assuming you don't know all this. so sorry if this is talking down to you.) This is a proper way to start because it gives them great immediate success and teaches them that swinging isn't the most important part of tennis, rather it's control. All you do is have them stand a few feet away from the net, keeping their racket up and toss the ball close to the center of their racket. After that you move on to mini-tennis, which is just hitting back and forth but standing at the service line so, again, you are not taking a big backswing, just a follow-through, it's all about control and usually kids love it because they can see they are keeping the ball in play, having an actual rally. When I taught tennis, we started them this way and then gradually moved them further and further back until they were hitting groundstrokes from the baseline. Feel free to pm me if I can be of any help. Good luck.
PLEASE help if you've used BFSU
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I am trying to plan science and am looking into BFSU. I am researching/shopping right now so I haven't looked at the book itself but I have read the pressforlearning site, the example lesson, the threads here and the amazon read me so I think I have a good idea about the book but I'm just not sure about some things. I'm hoping you all can help me to decide if BFSU is a good fit.
Here are some things to note about me:
According to WTM, science should be orderly. Their claim that traditional science jumps around just when child develops interest in the subject is important to me because most of my "issues with education" stem from my dissatisfaction with my own schooling; subjects being taught haphazardly, jumping around so that now I have various facts and stories but lacking any sort of order or those wonderful pegs. I've also really liked that it would correspond to the historical figures being studied in history, although they do write that this isn't as clear with science. Lastly the goal is for child to say "Oh, good. I love biology!" when next it comes around... I want that for my son because I NEVER felt that way about science and now I know how cool it can be.
I love the rigor and goals of BFSU but, on the other hand, it has you follow those threads concurrently so here are my questions:
Thanks for staying to the end. Please feel free to critique any of my ideas. I really need help in fleshing this out.