Barbara H
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Posts posted by Barbara H
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I'm not sure about the math sequence - how many years are you doing and will those be at home? You've got a great idea to include a list of certifications that may be relevant to his future work. I might also think about adding a personal finance elective.
Does he tend to do well with multiple choice tests? While some of the CLEP are more high school level, some really are more college level tests and they can be difficult for some students. I'd give it a try and keep that plan flexible to see how the tests work for him. One thing to keep in mind with CLEP is that the College Board doesn't give one specific course of study, so it can be kind of guesswork to know if your student is well prepared.
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My thought is that in 6th grade you are still early in the game and I would keep options open as much as possible because I've seen so many kids change in really significant ways during the middle and high school years. Some who are positive they are not college bound do end up going to college.
CLEP is a fine option to keep in the mix. Some kids really like having goals to work toward and it can be a way to demonstrate mastery. Because colleges vary so widely in their policies toward accepting CLEP credit and because it doesn't work particularly well for many majors, I'd steer clear of making it your total approach for high school or college.
As far as the SAT essay, it is just one small part of the bigger test and it is the part of the test that is weighted least heavily for college. There are homeshcoolers who have not been enrolled in high school who have been successful getting accomidations for the SAT, so it isn't like high school enrollment is the ONLY way (and also, it isn't like high school enrollment is a guarentee they will get accomidations either).
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Great topic! I recently posted a link to an article about this topic on my Facebook. I thought it had some interesting points to consider. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201211/adolescence-and-physical-affection-parents Here's a bit... "It helps ease and lessen the loss when parents can do two things – continue to offer a lesser form of physical affection, and provide expression of caring through words when acts of physical affection are disallowed. Patting your teenager on the back, giving them a side hug, can often get through the painful wall of refusal that is keeping the teenager from the primal parental touch that they still miss. Remember, if you can keep some level of physical contact in place, then as the teenager grows older, and becomes more confident in being older, the acceptance, expression, and reciprocation of physical affection can open up again."
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Any thoughts about this New York Times article "Saying No to College" In homeschooling circles I often hear very similar sentiments to those expressed in the article. What do you think?
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It is getting late in the season for admissions - has she done visits or applications? Exeter is going to be a much more intense and competitive experience than most colleges. So, I don't think she has to worry that many college options will be similar because especially if she gets out of the very small group of most highly ranked colleges they won't be. There are so many factors that influence specific schools suggestions (major, region, finances, college activities, etc.) that it is tough to just suggest schools without knowing more. As far as broader themes she may want to consider schools that use alternative or ungraded assessments (Hampshire, New College of Florida, etc.) or programs that allow for a lot of student creativity in designing their course of study (Sarah Lawrence, Marlboro)
Ditto to the suggestion of Colleges That Change Lives.
Also, check out...
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I'd also suggest role play or playing with dolls to practice different voices. You can make this silly and fun. Try a whisper voice, high voice, deep voice, whiny voice, loud voice, scary monster voice, etc. This really helps some kids start to notice the differences when they haven't heard them before.
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Ditto to A Parent's Guide. It is a substantial book and one that you'll continue to reread as your kids get older.
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For us, a big, big yes - it was the primary toy played with at our house for most of childhood. For the most part we avoided big buildings and concentrated on people, animals, and vehicles. The backgrounds were build with wood blocks, legos, board games, wood trains, etc. to set up sporting events, schools, towns, crime scenes, circuses, etc. etc. etc.
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SET if free and is open to students from outside the CTY area.
Another benefit is access to the Cogito online community. They offer occasional seminars or chats with experts from different fields. Also, there are private discussion forums where teens can talk about math and other geeky interests.
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We've done all of these (wax, clipping with finger nail clippers, and clipping with pliers) at one point or another. If the nail clippers aren't working you can try needle nose pliers. If you have a friend who makes jewelry they have a pair.
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Thank you for sharing - lots of parents have been there and it is good that this is talked about this. I hope the virtual school works and that it takes you out of that daily conflict. It is really smart that you set a clear and reasonable limit from the outset about what is expected. Crossing my fingers that his sensible self will win out and he'll do what he needs to do.
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I agree about minimizing distracting sounds particularly during school work and hopefully the audiologist will be able to give you some specific suggestions.
This is purely anedotal but I've seen some kids with CAPD really benefit from physical activities that encourage patterned movement and motion. That would be stuff like: horsebackriding, swimming, martial arts, dance, and gymnastics. It seems to be something about the vestibular stimulation and the movement across the body helps improve processing.
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While some health evaluations may involve unpleasant testing (blood tests or MRIs or whatever) most educational psych type testing kids tend not to mind. Most testers are pretty good with kids and keep the testing like playing games or solving puzzles. I would present it to your son not that you are trying to figure out what is wrong with him - but rather you are figuring out how he learns best. We adults have a lot of baggage about that idea, but most kids at eight really don't. If you can learn stuff that helps school (at home or in school) be more appropriate for his needs that's all positive.
I would keep in mind that what you decide to do with the testing information is up to you. I would encourage you to have someone along (a friend or mom or someone who can take your son out to the waiting room) so you don't have to discuss any negative or complex informaiton in from of him. This is a good idea from the first appointment if possible because some doctors seem to have no clue that some kinds of conversations shouldn't happen in front of kids. It is your right to take time to think about any information you receive in the evaluation and decide if and how you want to share that with your son. Depending on the type of diagnosis or based on his abilities it may make more or less sense to talk about it right away.
Best of luck with the evaluation.
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First, let me say that I think it is important to recognize that some people like more off the cuff, fast kinds of thinking and talking. Some people prefer to take their time and be more thoughtful. The world really needs both kinds of people. One thing you may want to consider, if you don't already have them, is developing some stock phrases that you can use to buy yourself more time. "Hmm, that's interesting can you tell me more about that." "I'm trying to sort through my thoughts on this..."
I agree with the suggestion of Toastmasters Also, you want to look at this free Coursera course that is starting soon. It may help you gain some comfort and confidence with thinking on your feet. https://www.coursera.org/course/thinkagain
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Does she seemed distressed by it during or after? For some kids this kind of uncontrolled laughter can be just slightly removed from crying. I'm wondering if general sensory calming or organizing strategies - tight hugs, weighted blanket, etc. might work.
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I'm just guessing here and this may be way off base...
I'm wondering if DS does with a friend who is more of a peer in terms of being able to play and follow the rules. One thing that can happen sometimes is our kids get tossed in too much with our friends' kids and as kids grow and change it isn't always a fit. I know the feeling of really wanting it to work, but then questioning if I'm asking too much from my child.
While it is good that your son has been able to be nurturing to younger kids or able to redirect his friend who struggles, that can be a bit responsibility for someone his age. Perhaps as he gets older he's more longing for someone he can play with without having to redirect or take care of. Does this sound possible?
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She's clearly fishing, but they aren't my scores to share. ;) If my ds wants to tell her ds, that's up to him. But, to me posting a kid's test scores on fb is akin to posting how much money one makes. s.
Good for you. I'm amazed by how a lot of people don't even fish - they just flat out ask, even though the majority of people don't even know what the scores mean!
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:grouphug::grouphug: I understand completely. I am having a very hard time convincing some local high schoolers from our 4-H STEM club (all of whom want to go on to professions such as aeronautical engineering, biological research, environmental science, veterinary science, and chemistry) that just because they got a 24-26 and their school average is a whomping 20.2 AND this puts them in the top 5% (yes, you read that right) of their class, they will not be completing these majors at their schools of choice. Every single one of them wants to go to MSU or U of M. These scores makes U of M a total reach school - 27 is generally the lowest they accept into anything science related - and while they'd gain admittance to MSU it would be without any merit money and they still would not be admitted to their majors where for biology and environmental science they need a 27 on the math portion and for chem and all things engineering will need MUCH more than that in the math. I've tried to convince them to study to raise those composites to a 28 or more to increase their chances, but they look at me as though I've lost my mind because their school guidance counselor tells them they are the best and brightest. I'd like to smack that man. The number of kids he's set up for profound disappointment over the years is staggering.
I can see why you want to smack him! It is good you are there to give the kids encouragement and information.
I wonder if someone could sit down with the counselor and show him the statistics on accepted students. 28 is the 25th percentile at U of M now - so at least three of four students have a 28 or higher. Out of state tuition is $39,000 and in state is $13,000. There is a strong incentive to take out of state students.The lower scoring part of the accepted students are most likely not going to be in state students unless they are bringing something extra.
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Good for you for checking on these requirements early. It will make your life so much easier!
In Georgia, I would suggest if you are considering dual enrollment that you look at the dual enrollment requirements pretty early on. Unlike a lot of places some schools in Georgia have quite a few requirements for dual enrollment and may have limited slots on a first come first served basis. Here's an example: http://www.kennesaw.edu/dehp/ Here's the application homeschoolers who aren't affiliated with a program need to fill out: http://www.kennesaw.edu/admissions/pdfs/JEHP%20Homeschool%20Portfolio.pdf
I would also suggest that you look at the requirements for any colleges he may be considering. Here's an example of what Georgia Tech expects: http://www.admission.gatech.edu/apply/freshman-application/home-school For students who are not working through regionally accredited programs they have some very specific requirements and it'll be easiest if you know about these early in high school.
Here's an article from my site about pre-med studies. Much of this will also apply to pre-dental students. http://homeschoolsuccess.com/pre-med-major/
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Lots of good suggestions. Online previews and samples are good. You may be able to even find someone on WTM to send you copies of a couple of pages if you can't find a preview.
Let me add a couple of suggestions:
1. I have been able sometimes to get more expensive books by inter-library loan or through our university library so I could get a good look before I purchased. I did this with Life of Fred and it was enough to see that it wasn't going to be a good fit for us.
2. I would also suggest looking at the return policies. Early on in homeschooling when I couldn't get to a convention and wasn't able to see a lot of resources locally, I placed a large order with Rainbow Resources with the intent of returning some of it. Of course if you do this look at the return policies carefully and make sure you won't face restocking fees.
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Yes, I felt it in Lexington, Kentucky. My first earthquake!
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At our state university calculus I and II are five days a week 50 minutes a class. Calc III, and many lower division foreign languages, are three days a week of 50 minutes with a professor and then one day a week recitation section with a TA.
The really frustrating thing for students is that the recitation sections can be scheduled at wildly different times and places. So, your main section of the course may meet MWF at 11, and you end up with a recitation section at 8 a.m. on a Thursday or 4:30 on a Tuesday. Students really need to expect they will be on campus five days a week and different hours on different days. It also means students should plan carefully and make sure they register as soon as they are allowed to every semester to maximize their choices.
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This might sound crazy...
But, here's how I framed it with math. If you are consistently getting everything right then I am the one who made a mistake by giving you work that was too easy and you aren't getting a chance to learn. If you are consistently getting most of the math wrong then I've made a mistake by giving you math that's too hard. We need to work together to try to find work that has enough challenge so you can make some mistakes because mistakes are how you learn.
Modeling is also important. Without being too heavy handed or obvious about it, I'd find ways to work it into conversation when you make a mistake and how it ends up not being a problem or how you use it as to learn.
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Lots of good suggestions here.
One more thought - I would talk with your friends who have kids in this public school and find out how much it is costing them. What I hear again and again from homeschooling friends who send kids to public school is that they are surprised by how much it costs (for various activity fees, book fees, class trips, etc. etc. etc.)
Saying No to College
in The College Board
Posted
Obviously as a college consultant, I believe in the importance of post secondary education. I agree though it needs to be a personal decision based on the individual goals of the student. In my opinion, most of our kids are going to need some post secondary education - it may be a graduate degree, a four year degree, a two year degree, a tech school program, an apprenticeship, a certification training program, etc.
I am a bit wary of generalizing from tech careers to saying that most kids don't need college degrees. Really, even in tech careers I've seen some adults hit the wall. The skills that got them the job in their 20s may not be enough to keep it in their 40s. With the recession a lot of employers have realized they can heap on requirements and many jobs that used to require a high school degree now require a college degree (even when there is no logical reason why the job should require it!)
I also thought this was an interesting article about the myth of the billionare drop out. http://www.businessinsider.com/billionaire-college-drop-outs-2012-10