psychmom
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Posts posted by psychmom
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Ds6 had one the other day--he taught himself to read at age 4 and has a vocabulary that rivals that of many adults I know--yet he was asking me why we worried about giraffes getting into the house. I had no idea what he was talking about until he pointed to our "draft dog" by the front door. How he got to age 6 believing giraffes could fit under our door, I don't know!
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My dd-just turned 9-finally will open doors on her own. Not that she couldn't before, but she tended to walk up to a door and just stand in front of it, waiting for me (or her younger brother) to open it for her. Perhaps she was a princess in a former life? I really don't know, but I think sometimes she is just too much in her own little world to bother doing anything as mundane as opening a door! :huh:
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I would also ask if there are certain subjects or activities in which the entire class is expected to participate, regardless of "differentiation" in specific subjects. For example, when my dd was in Kindergarten, she was given more advanced reading assignments, but she still had to participate in lots of group activities involving phonics, etc. that she did not need. I have visited many classrooms of different grade levels in my school district, and have sadly seen very few times in which students were truly given "differentiated" instruction--except for special education classes! Not to say that it doesn't exist elsewhere, though...
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I also struggle with the asynchrony...we recently had some friends over for dinner and the husband was talking to my dd (age 8) and commented that he felt like he was talking to a 30-year-old. However, just as he said that, she started talking with food literally falling out of her mouth! We had to laugh...
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You were gracious indeed! I was miffed today when I went to pick my cat up at the vet. He had major surgery about six weeks ago due to urinary problems and now he has a UTI. One of the receptionists said, "Oh is that your crazy cat? He hisses at me everytime I walk by him. Is he like that at home?" Maybe I'm just a little irritable d/t PMS, but it ticked me off. I said, perhaps a little more loudly than usual, "No, he's a lovely cat at home. He just doesn't like it here." Never thought I would be defensive about my cat's personality, but really, what an asinine thing to say!
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I bought something like these at Target's $ spot a couple of years ago and they work well. I think they are a little more durable than sheet protectors, but I wouldn't spend a ton of money on them. Hope that helps!
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I did an at-home test and the results were negative, but then the in-clinic test was positive. My apnea isn't severe, though, so maybe the at-home just wasn't sensitive enough for me. The Cpap has changed my life, and I highly recommend it. I took it with me to England recently and used it with an adapter. If I were going somewhere without electric hook-ups, I would absolutely get a battery. It was a pain to get used to, but I was miserable before--always tired, achy, foggy-feeling. It's like a new lease on life! Btw, my dd just had a sleep study done, too, and we are waiting on the results. Good luck to your dh.
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Having grown up with a British father and now being married to a British man I sometimes forget the "right" word or pronunciation--this is definitely not an affectation, because I feel quite proud of my American accent! Occasionally, I confuse "windscreen" and "windshield" and have been known to say "garage" wrong. It does get worse after we spend time in the UK. I also annoyed myself when I moved from Texas to Illinois in my 20's and began saying "you guys" after a few years. I like saying "y'all" but it the "you guys" just sort of crept in!
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504 is part of The Rehabilitation act and only includes in-class type accommodations. It's generally used with medical conditions and other disabilities that can impact on functioning in the classroom, such as ADHD. IEP falls under special education law and generally is tougher to qualify for, but also allows for more intervention. It generally is used when there is evidence of specific learning deficits, but there are exceptions.
As for your second question, I have no idea what his particular needs might be, but maybe someone else can chime in here. HTH...
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My dd got a gold--she was pleased. She answered 50 questions on the test and didn't miss any. I guess I shouldn't be surprised given that she walks around with D'Aulaire's all the time! The only trouble she had was filling in the bubbles--I had to help her with that. :001_smile:
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I only have 2 dc so I don't have any advice for you on how to balance it all. However, I would advise you to read back over your description of each of your children--you go into detail about each of their learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, etc. What teacher in a ps would know all that you know about your children? What classroom environment could be as rich and individualized as you describe? It's not perfect, but believe me, even with only two dc, it is far from perfect. Pat yourself on the back, you are doing a fantastic job and so are your kids! :hurray:
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I know I'm late replying to this, but I was doing a search through old threads and came across this. My dd8 has similar symptoms, and I found out a more accurate diagnostic term (than stimming): complex motor stereotypies. Its also called Primary CMS if not associated with autism. You can google it, and the Johns Hopkins neurology dept. has good info on its website. There is also a Facebook group dedicated to this issue. You can watch videos of other kids with it and see if it seems similar to what your son does. Hope that helps!
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At church this morning, dd8 told me she loves the trash cans in the bathroom because she pretends she is throwing the paper towels into "the pit of Tartarus." Another woman in the bathroom raised her eyebrows a bit... :)
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Those are great--I'd love to hear more! :bigear:
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Tonight before dinner my dd8 was pestering me for food. She said, "Can we please have a small bowl of olives, you know, as an amuse-bouche?" Seriously, where does she get this stuff? We are definitely not an "amuse-bouche" sort of family! Btw, the answer was still "no." :D
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That's wonderful! Let's hope that maturity is contagious...we could use some here. :hurray:
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My ds5 read this on his cereal box today: "No artificial colors or flavors." He frowned for a moment, then said, "That's okay, I like it anyway!"
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My dd and I read the DK Children's bible cover to cover last year as part of our reading curriculum. She loves the OT stories, but she also loves Greek, Roman and Norse mythology. I guess for her there is no difference. She has always been fascinated with Jonah and the whale, and she recognizes the links to other stories, too--like Pinnochio and Finding Nemo. I don't focus on interpreting these stories literally or look for metaphor, we just read them as stories.
I agree with pp that the difference comes in the NT stories about Jesus. This is where we have more discussions about religious belief. This is my personal bias, of course, but I think it's hard to read about Jesus and not be amazed! We have also read about Buddha and Mohammed, so we are laying a foundation for comparitive study of religion when she gets older. Hope this helps...
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Thanks, Ladies! I knew if I posted this here it would generate thoughtful discussion. I don't agree with everything posted, of course, but it has helped to clarify my own thoughts about this topic. Still don't have all of the answers but at least my opinions are better formed. You all are truly awesome!
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I completely agree that the thought of a bunch of unknown bureaucrats making decisions that affect what I do in my own home is incredibly uncomfortable. But I'm not sure I agree that government regulation in all circumstances is bad...and I think in some cases it is necessary. For example, I believe stricter gun control laws would reduce gun crime, although obviously there will always be law breakers. I've seen a couple of examples of edcuational neglect through homeschooling in my own community--and in both cases, the children had caring parents who did not intend to deprive their children of education. It just ended up working out that way. I don't know what the answer is, but I have a bad feeling that increased regulation will be heading our way one way or another...
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Did anyone else see this episode of 20/20 last night? It's about the FLDS but relates to homeschool because they talk about how the kids are not properly educated. There's a scene where they interview the lawyer for the Utah State Board of Education and she talks in horror about how the state has no right to go in and "demand" to see what curriculum parents are using. It seems fairly clear that these kids are neglected educationally, but I find it frustrating that such a small group could end up affecting all of us. I don't want my state "demanding" to see the curriculum I use, but perhaps there needs to be more regulation? I'm not trying to stir up controversy--but I know you all are so good at thoughtful, reasoned discussion. :) (Seriously, I see more intelligent discussion on these boards than most places!) What would reasonable regulation look like?
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My best friend's daughter (public schooled) was applying for college last year. She was working on her financial aid forms and asked, "Mom, were you born in 1965 or 1865?" My friend thought she was joking at first, but she wasn't! Not sure how she missed out on that concept, but fortunately she's doing well in college.
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Tonight at dinner dd (almost 8) used the following words in conversation: devour, dispose, represent, obviously. There were several others that I forget now, but I noticed because her language was so incongruous with her appearance. She had food on her face, crumbs all over the place, etc. Towards the end of dinner she literally fell out of her chair. We joked that maybe she needs a high chair again! :lol:
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What a wonderful article!
This idea of needing to struggle and work hard really plays into why and how we homeschool. Just this morning dd8 was really struggling with a math problem (from SM CWP). After about 5 minutes, she started to complain loudly that she was stuck on the problem. I smiled at her and continued to work with dd4. I didn't even respond to her. Finally, she announced (triumphantly) that she had gotten it. I checked her work and said (basically), "You worked really hard on this problem. I knew you could figure it out if you kept working at it." She absolutely glowed. I know she would never have these experiences in our local public school. She would always be working at math that was below her level and they would constantly tell her how smart she is.
I try very hard to make sure that my kids are always working at a level of challenge, but not quite frustration. I try to choose curriculum that allows them to think deeply and work things out on their own. I try to step back and let them work independently (not so hard when I have little ones to be busy with). I do try to be mindful of how I speak to my children also (specific praise that focuses on the effort), but it isn't always natural. Somehow it's easier to talk that way about music. I've really had to change the way I talk about academic work, because I have a lifetime of hearing, "Wow! You are so smart. You are so gifted." It's been hard to move away from that script, but I find that it does make a difference. It matters that you believe what you're saying also. I do believe in IQ and giftedness, but I also believe that they are one small piece of the puzzle along with creativity, opportunity, and resources. Effort and perserverance are the biggest chunk and those are hard things to instill in a child who does everything easily. For us it's been piano lessons. Nothing teaches hard work and perserverance like piano lessons.
:iagree: Same here! Piano is something that my dd loves, but she has to work at. I still sometimes catch myself saying "you're smart" to my kids (and other kids) but I'm really trying to drop that habit.
Do you think asynchronous & twice-exceptional are overrepresented here?
in Accelerated Learner Board
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I don't know the answer to the OP's question--but I think I am an example of someone who ended up here because of the challenges presented by 2e children. I never considered homeschooling until my dd was in preschool and I realized that due to some medical issues, she was not going to be toilet trained by kindergarten. She could read chapter books, but was still having multiple accidents daily. She also had some other challenging behaviors--what I now recognize as oversensitivities that can go along with giftedness. I sought out every resource possible, and while I don't post all that often, I have found these boards to be an invaluable resource!
My ds, who is 6, is also likely gifted (dd has been tested, but not ds). Honestly, if he had been my oldest, I doubt I would have considered hs with him. He can be stubborn as a mule, but otherwise he is much more easygoing than my dd and does not seem to have as many asynchronies.
For various reasons, both kids are going to private school in the fall. I am conflicted an anxious about this, but I guess that is for another thread! I will continue to haunt these boards, because they truly have been a lifesaver :)