Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

desiree77

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    126

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by desiree77

    If you have read Anna Karenina

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I think she's tragic. It's been awhile since I read it, but I remember thinking how differently society treated women. Wealthy men got away with everything! If they were well-liked before their sins, they were well liked after. Women were used. Maybe cherished, but not equal partners. I consider it a social and economic commentary, not a love story at all.

    • Like 4

    College and Career Planning

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Anyone have any good resources for this? I'd like my kids to take a test that might point them in the direction of careers that might fit them. My oldest is particularly challenging! I know Sonlight sells a college and career planning kit, but is it any good? Any online resources you've heard of? I would like some recommendations. 

    Teens not wanting to drive? Anyone?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    My teens are surrounded by friends who don't want to drive. I suspect it comes from parents who readily chauffeur their kids to every place they want to go. I say no to many outings because I refuse to do the driving. In a suburban homeschool community often events are a half hour or more away from home. I have two teens and three younger kids. It's not like I have time or gas money to drive everywhere!

     

    But I've seen their friends parents do insane amounts of driving for social events. I wouldn't care to get my license either if I knew mom would drive me anywhere. My teens have been ready to get their licenses at 16. However I've told ds that I would likely not be able to afford his insurance so he's determined to get a job at 15 so he can afford to drive. He's starting drivers ed in 6 months when he's still 14.

    • Like 2

    5th year high school

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    My oldest has been talking about doing a 5th year for high school. She's in 11th this year and basically would repeat 11th next year. 

     

    She's very "behind" in math so it would give her an extra year to get in more math. She's almost finished with Algebra 1 (that's been an almost 3 year process). 

     

    But other than math, she really has enough credits to graduate next spring. I'm feeling like I need to push her to just go ahead and graduate. She can stay her and do community college classes, but I'm really feeling like she needs to be done with my authority as her teacher/administrator by the time she's a legal adult. 

     

    Can I graduate her with only Algebra 1 and Geometry? I mean, I know I can, but would a regular college be out of the question? I'm not sure she's destined for a traditional 4-year school, but maybe. 

    Government next year

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I think it would be fun to do that during a presidential election year.  Perhaps you could start by using a workbook that deals specifically with Presidential elections.  Also, different children can be assigned different candidates, do through the campaign process, and hold a mock election.

     

    After that, I'd do a more general governmental studies program.  We always used a very basic spine, but then supplemented it with interesting documentaries, researching our own state officials, touring the State Capitol, etc.

     

    This was my thinking. Use something basic and add interesting extras. 

    • Like 1

    Government next year

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I'm thinking of studying Government with all 5 of my children next year. I've got two in high school. They will be in 10th and 11th grades. The other children will be 4th, 6th, and 8th.

     

    I'm thinking of using Notgrass HS Govt for the older two and their middle school govt course for the younger three. 

     

    I know that the programs won't really line up, but I like the idea of teaching in one direction. Has anyone done this? Any recommendations on what I should add to these programs to really flesh out what government means to us, what it is? We will follow the election as well. 

     

    I do Sonlight normally. My younger 3 are finishing up Core E American History Pt. 2, and we were supposed to move onto Core F: Eastern Hemisphere. (My 10th grader would probably do a geography course or Core 200 and my 11th grader would do govt regardless) But I'm thinking that with the election year, it'll be fun to do something different and we've never done formal government before.

     

    I've also never used Notgrass before, so I'm wondering if I'll like it. My younger three needs lots of hands-on and pictures and government is more ideas. 

    Share hits & misses for 7th graders?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I have two 12-year-old boys who are good at writing, but never want to get started.

     

    Would you recommend IEW for kids who aren't doing it with a friend? And can you say what your daughter likes about it?

     

    Thanks,

     

    Alley

     

    Sure, I'd recommend it. Doing it with a friend means that we actually do it each week. And because it's the one time a week she is guaranteed to see this good friend, she has never complained about doing the work. 

     

    I think she likes that it's incremental and seems do-able even if it's not always easy. Because we started really slowly, she's gotten to where she writes longer papers pretty effortlessly. Kind of like boiling the frog by putting him in warm water and slowly heating up the pot. That's what we've done over the past 18 months with writing. We're about to start a research paper, so we'll see how she's liking it next month. 

    Share hits & misses for 7th graders?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    12 yo girl in 7th grade

     

    HITS

     

    Math: MUS - her 6th year using it and this year has been pretty painless

     

    Writing: IEW - she's been doing this with a friend and that makes all the difference

     

     

    MISSES

     

    Spelling: All About Spelling - We did it about 4 times all year. I just couldn't get motivated to get through it. 

     

     

    JUST KIND OF MEH

     

    History: Sonlight Core E - this has been more of a hit than a miss, but we've been using it together with younger sibs and I think she misses doing the core on her own

     

    Grammar: Growing with Grammar - it gets done

     

    Science: Sonlight Science E and Beginnings Science - this all has been fine, but I don't think she's been stretched much. Beginnings is mostly for her younger siblings, but she listens in. 

     

    • Like 1

    Bigger families...do you go out to eat, to the movies, etc?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

     

     

    We've not taken the dc to Disneyland or world, 6 flags or other theme parks, either, and have no plans to ever do this. Massive waste of money for what you actually get. Fine if you have cash to burn, but not at all essential for a "happy childhood."

    We've taken our 5 kids to Six Flags using Read to Succeed tickets. I think we've spent at most $150, usually less, to pay for parking, and extra tickets for those of us who didn't get the free tickets. We bring our own lunch and we don't buy souvenirs. Definitely not needed for a happy childhood, but I'm grateful that the Read to Succeed program has allowed us to go for the past few years.

    How much do you spend on homeschooling per child per year?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    I make a monthly budget based on what we can afford. I plan my classes and curriculum around that. I buy used if I can. I sell stuff to stretch my budget. This is easier now that my youngest is done with certain things.

     

    Things that come out of my budget:

     

    Copy toner

    Parking at a chemistry event in the city

    Co-op classes

    Curriculum

    Online classes

    Local classes

    Field trips

    School supplies

    Subscriptions to educational websites

    Educational apps

    How much do you spend on homeschooling per child per year?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by desiree77

    I can't vote in the poll from my phone, but I budget $3000 a year for 5 kids, grades 3-11. (Eta: that's $600 per kid) That used to cover more curriculum, but now it covers more outside classes now that I'm reusing curriculum. It also covers educational trips to museums or other field trips.

     

    It does not cover art lessons, sports, or drama. I budget another $3000 for those.

     

    I cannot imagine spending $8000 per kid. Even doing 6 outside classes for high school and three expensive extracurriculars would only cost about $6000 here. I guess you could use the rest for some very nice educational trips but then you'd be working around the schedules of those expensive classes you are enrolled in!

    Bigger families...do you go out to eat, to the movies, etc?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by desiree77

    We rarely go out to dinner as a family, but we'll go in small groups. I just feel sick every time we spend $75+ on one meal. We used to go more when they all ate kids meals.

     

    Eta: Missing movies and dinner doesn't bother me, but missing out on museums, plays, music performances, music lessons, camps, vacations, etc bothers me. I wish I could afford to take my kids on a plane once as a family or splurge for a novelty event, like a trip to the aquarium our local cave, but it's so expensive for 7. I try to watch Groupon for good deals.

     

    We have only rarely taken all our kids to the expensive movies, but they get a gift card every year from a nice aunt, and we take them to the dollar theater sometimes. We're mostly all content to watch them when they come out on redbox.

    I get so depressed reading some posts on this board....

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    First let me thank all of you for your kind words and encouragement. I do really appreciate it.

     

    Second let me say that this thread was not started because someone was sharing a proud moment with their child. You should be proud and you should feel free to share it.

     

    What makes this hard for me is that in certain areas...like math my kids are behind because we had about two years where we were floundering looking for a program that would work for us. Now my kids know that they are behind because the kids in the neighborhood talk about school in front of them out with them. I know it's more important that my kids have a good solid base regardless of how long it takes but try telling that too am almost 16 year old still struggling with algebra 1 while all the other kids her age are much further along. She feels dumb and that doesn't help her attitude or her confidence.

     

    It will be ok in the end...that I know...it's just getting there.

     

    Thanks again for all the hugs and kind words.

     

     

    My dd is 16 and still struggling to get through Alg. 1 and she hasn't done Geometry either. She feels dumb too. Thankfully we don't know any kids her age doing Calculus in 9th grade! I keep telling myself that it will be okay in the end. I'm sure it will! but in the meantime, it's hard not to worry. 

     

     

    As for algebra 1,  I rather people in general understand the math behind loans and credit card interest and debt than being able to do well for algebra.  I wish people are allowed to use something like principles of accounts for a math credit if they are struggling in algebra. I know many accountants and auditors who are great at what they do but suffered through the more abstract math.

     

    YES! I really want to let my dd spend the next two years working on real life math and personal finance instead of slogging through algebra and geometry. It'll serve her so much better! But if she wants to go to a local 4-year college, she has to have the entrance requirements which include alg 1, geo, and alg 2. The only way around this is to go to cc first and take math there. 

     

     

    I love the line, "Comparison is the thief of joy."  One thing I used to catch myself doing was looking at the incredibly outstanding thing that different kids were doing and thinking that my kid should also be doing each of those things.  In other words, if Julie was in the youth orchestra, Sara was going to nationals in poetry recitation, and Jimmie was on the state championship robotics team; I felt like my kid should also be doing violin, poetry and robotics.  

     

    But that ignores the amount of time and effort that those individual kids spent on their passion to get to that place.

     

    I try to honestly assess where my kids are and help them move forward from that place to a higher level.  Our piano is very dusty, but I have a kid that can give an off the cuff half hour explanation of Chinese history and politics.  

     

     

    In the psychology class that I'm teaching, we just had a discussion on multiple intelligences. I pointed out that someone who excels in one area, like Michael Jordan in basketball or Oprah Winfrey in public speaking, naturally have less time to spend in other areas. If you devote time to being an top engineer, you likely won't have time to become a concert pianist. You will be lacking in other areas of your life, but that's okay! I feel like our society says that you have to be good at everything. 

    Why do some people sleep on their stomach?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

     

     

    I can't seem to figure out sleeping on my stomach. To do so, my head would have to be turned at an almost 90 degree angle and after a short time my neck starts to ache. Honest question: how do back sleepers handle the neck issue? Does your neck just not ache? Is there a special way you arrange your pillow?

     

    I like sleeping on my back, but I've had cats for my whole life. There's just nothing more painful than 4 sharp little cat feet landing on your bookshelf in the middle of the night. Oh, ouch! It HURTS. So I have learned to sleep on my side.

    I sleep on my stomach. I use a very flat pillow. If my neck starts to hurt, I turn my head the other way. I can also sleep on my side, but I cannot fall asleep on my back, though I can sometimes fall back asleep that way.

    • Like 1

    Fun things to do in Tulsa?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted

    There is an Air and Space Museum there with a planetarium. That's what we chose when we went to Tulsa last summer. There were stairs and such that might not be good for limited mobility persons, but most of the museum is on the ground floor. Oh and we went ice skating and bowling. :)

    • Like 1
×
×
  • Create New...