Bee
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Posts posted by Bee
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The number of documented cases in my county was 79 last I knew. They were telling people to not even bother going to the doctors if you were mildly ill. Once they had 1 confirmed case in a school they said they weren't going to look for any others. I don't see this flu being any different than any other flu and we don't vaccinate the children for those either. My children have no chronic illnesses. I might answer differently if they did.
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I just couldn't figure out why oldest dd did so poorly at any creative writing assignments in grades 1-4. I thought we had to do that sort of thing because that's what her peers were doing in school. I'm glad I finally read WWE and decided to try copywork, narration, and dictation with younger dd.
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Horses especially. We had a pony for years and formed a huge attatchment. When she died it was like losing a family member (worse, actually, since we saw her every day). The majority of our pets seem to live to advanced old age and someday the children will grow up and leave home. We've said no more pets for the children unless they take them with them when they go. I don't understand how people can buy a horse as a pet and then sell it when it doesn't meet their needs. That just wouldn't happen at our house.
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Several of you you said that you like the works of writers like Alexander and L'Engle but have never used them in your curriculum. Why?:
Fantasy genre is one of my favorites and older dd loves it too. I'm not sure I'd want to spoil a good book too much by spending too much time and effort studying every detail of it though.We have lots of good discussions about what we read. We pick apart characters, examine their motives, play "What happened after the end of the book?". Sometimes the books that bring out the most interesting discussions are ones that wouldn't be considered classics.
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Youngest dd is a natural at swimming. But she has absolutely no motivation to do anything with it. She is adament that she doesn't want to be on a swim team. Oldest dd,OTOH, isn't naturally talented but works very hard at dance and practices every day sometimes for hours. We have made the decision to put more time and money into classes for her. She may never be the star of the show but she's found her passion and wants to persue it. We have explained to younger dd that there will likely be less time for swimming since older dd's classes will take priority. When and if younger dd decides to find a passion for something we will consider taking it more seriously. We decided to draw the line at anything to do with horses though.
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When I buy certain products I consider if they can be used with more than 1 child. I start by buying the essentials-math and LA. If, for some reason money is really tight I can always use the library and computer for history and science (but that has never happened). Then I buy history and science. Last I buy art and music and any other electives.
I consider what extra readers I want to buy carefully. I ask for input from oldest dd who is a teenager. I've discovered that there can be a point where buying a whole package of books (ie a Sonlight core package) may not be such a good idea if I feel that most of the books are ones that no one in the house will ever read again. If the library has more than 2 copies of a book available via ILL and I think the book will be one that a child will only read once I borrow rather than buy it. I'd also caution that too many books about 1 subject can nearly destroy any love a child might develop for that subject. After we spent a year doing SL core 3 as scheduled in th IG (American history) oldest dd, who loves to read, begged not to do SL again. She said it was just too much history. I make sure to schedule in some "fun" books along with the classics and good books.
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My local public library carries Practical Homeschooling. If I were thinking about hsing or brand new to it that magazine might scare me off the whole idea. Every time I read it I feel like there are certain inherent expectations about hsing that I just can't meet and will never measure up to because I don't hs using all their recommendations and don't hs for the reasons that are implied in the magazine. HEM, on the other hand, makes hsing seem realistically doable,learning can be fun, and reading the articles makes it clear to me that there are multitude of hsing methods and reasons for hsing and that is ok. Plus, the editors of HEM are unabashed supporters of hsing and I personally find it very encouraging and welcoming to know that there are people out there who share my belief that hsing really is the best way to achieve an education.
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I bought 2nd edition student textbook since I used the 2nd edition with oldest dd 5 years ago and had the TM already. I find myself feeling very frustrated as I try to re-use my materials from BJUP because they keep changing editions. I wanted to use science this year but couldn't find anyone who sold the kits to match the edition I have.
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If I use something with older dd and I think I may use it with the younger, I keep it. If I won't use it I donate it or throw it away. There are a few rare textbook-type things that I've used with both children that I will keep in case either child grows up and has children and decides they want to hs or after-school. After we read the literature books we go through and the children decide which they want to keep and which we will donate.
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(last I knew) an active unschooling group. I've heard there are many hsers in and around Ithaca. Oswego also has some things going on but I don't know about groups specifically. I think Geneva may have some sort of group too. We have gone to science classes at the Montezuma bird sanctuary which were held for hsers and met a number of families that come from various surrounding areas.(we really like the Montezuma sanctuary for all of it's educational opportunities.) To be honest, I haven't found many hsing outlets for my children in the Syracuse/ Onondaga county area. Maybe because I haven't looked too hard or maybe because there simply don't seem to be that many for older,teenage hsing children.
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First for sentimental reasons. It is the first, after all, and it is bound up-side down and I wouldn't part with it for the world. Third because it all makes sense now and I like the logic stage section. I'd donate my second edition to the library but I wrote in it. First edition is on my shelf with my reference books,second is by my bed and third is next to the couch. My oldest dd thinks I'm odd for having all 3 editions.
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She rarely reads fiction just for fun. Since I have the Sonlight books I go through them and decide what she can wait and read when she is older. Some books I will assign for her to read now. I do assign her a specific number of minutes or chapters to read/day as part of school time. Some books she probably will never read and those I will donate to the library. She often reads non-fiction or children's graphic novels. Most literature programs for older students don't require reading many books through the year and that type of program or a reading textbook may be options that I will persue with her in the future.
(Dh would prefer the children read "twaddle" as opposed to not reading at all for fun so we allow that.)
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We went to a friend's house yesterday. Every single adult had a cell phone and received at least 1 call during the several hours we were there. All of the children had cell phones except ours and 1 other child. Two of the adults (moms) sat and texted each other across the room. The teenage girls were constantly sending and receiving messages. When the food was cooked, one of the parents texted the children that it was time to eat. When the teenagers wanted permission to go somewhere they texted one of the parents. I only saw 1 other parent get up and go in the room where the children were to check on their child. Most of the parents never spoke to their children until the child came to them. Every single person in that house who had a phone either kept it next to them on a table or the arm of a chair or in their hand.
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WTM methods. First reason, I have to do standardized testing and using a textbook like Mosdos allows me to introduce terms and concepts that my children won't hear about by reading, writing about, and discussing books. Second, in the upper grades, using a literature program saves me time and money. This also allows the children to read some classics from TWTM lists just for fun, without feeling they have to analyze and write about every thing they read.
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Math: Key to Algebra books1-4 and LOF Beginning Algebra. Possibly some review of basic math too.
LA: Lightning Lit 8, Editor in Chief B1, Wordly Wise, Vocabulary Smart, Analogies1. Also some literature from WTM lists for grades 7&8 and some books I added that I thought dd would like.
History: History of US vol 1-5 with comprehension questions from SL core 100, SOTW 3 with tests, and history reading from Sonlight Core 100.
Science: Physics using Exploring the World of Physics, Cartoon Guide to Physics, Explorabook, Light and Color (a book from Sonlight), and the Physics Discovery Kit. I'll add in other science kits as dd completes these.
Logic:Fallacy Detective
Practical Skills: we make up our own syllabus as we go along.
Music:The Study of Music Part 1 (this is a half-semester course)
Foreign Language: Spanish 1 from Oak Meadow
P.E.: dance classes several days a week and swimming lessons in first semester.
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I ordered them from Hewitt and also got the syllabus and answer key to go with them. They weren't my first choice for what I wanted to use but they were adequate.
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I can add 2 new things.
A winner, I hope, is The Study of Music Part I from Oak Meadow. It's a high school level course but I'll be using it with an 8th grader so I'm changing the term paper requirement a little. I really like the variety of assignments in the syllabus. If this is an indication of how the rest of their high school courses are then I can definitely see us using more in the future. I hope oldest dd likes this and doesn't approach it with her usual "I'll just do the minimum to get by" attitude.
I think Spectrum science grade 3 is going to be a loser. Many of the lessons ask the student to try to guess what will happen. It consists of reading and answering questions. The lessons honestly don't look like they're any fun at all.We'll try to do it but I can already hear the groans. I also have The Big Book of Science for grades 3&4 and this looks much more colorful and fun. It's filled with fun and easy experiments which are dd's favorite part of science.
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but find they don't want to come back home. IMO, hsing is something that a person commits to and you don't change your mind just because sometimes you just don't feel like doing it anymore. You can do whatever you want. Nobody else's experiences will be exactly like yours. Just be sure you're ready for whatever the consequences of your actions are.
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I started school in the late 60's, went through the 70's. Hsing was not a safe or popular thing to do then in NY. If it had been allowed I suspect my grandmother would have hsed my brother. She tried to get the local ps to accept him but they insisted he needed to go to a "special school" (that's what they called it back then). She hated it and even worked with lawyers to try to get him mainstreamed but she never succeeded. She brought home many educational books and toys and materials for all of us children. She attempted to use Montessori methods to teach my brother. So maybe she would have hsed all of us. If she had, I suspect she would have unschooled. After I had to go live with my dad I know he wouldn't have hs'ed us, ever. I don't think he'd have ever felt that he could or should. For him, school was what everyone did and there wasn't another option. He did let both my sister and I take voc-ed courses though. My sister got to pick what she got to study but he insisted I learn something that would be useful and practical. By the time I reached high school I was desperately bored and unhappy at school so voc-ed was something I don't regret at all.
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BJUP grade 3 math
WWE workbook 2
FLL3
Spectrum Spelling
Spectrum Science grade 3
some science workbook that I can't remember the title of
Story of USA books 1&2
SOTW 3 with activity guide
History readers from Sonlight core 3 and the readers but not the RA
Minimus Latin
some science kits.
That's all that is planned right now though I'll use some of the poetry, art and music books on the shelf as well as nature study. I need to get something to teach cursive writing.
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I couldn't watch it all. It was rather horrifying. I get what Jon was saying. It was there in every bit of his body language and his words and how he expressed them.He's simply had enough of it all. And Kate saw and heard none of it. It was like, for her, it's all "The Kate Show". I got tired of listening to her whine about how she was doing everything on her own and how hard it was. Umm...try being a single parent without all the money and helpers and then you've got a right to complain.
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But I saw Oak Meadow has 2 high school level music courses that are new this year. They are listed in the catalog but not on the website yet. They are semester long courses. Part 2 covers music from the Romantic era to rap and includes a study of non-western music. Part 1 is a pre-requisite but I doubt that matters if you're not using it for high school level credit. I'm seriously considering using this course for oldest dd since it's just what I've been looking for now for several years. I did call and ask about price and was told it was $150-155/ course (I can't remember the exact amount).
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We don't analyze every book. We don't follow the schedule exactly. Even with a child who isn't thrilled with reading I pick and choose what books we discuss. I've been listening to some cd's frm PHP and it's clarified a lot for me;reading analysis doesn't have to be difficult. Listening to SWB explain why some literature programs are not ideal because they force a child to over-analyze and thus destroy any love the child might have for the book was tremendously helpful. I've decided to let go of the guilt I have about not making my 2nd grader do book reports and my 13 yo not writing scholarly papers on the deeper meanings of The Hobbit (a book she detests, btw). Every year that we use WTM methods we are slowly building skills. Though I'd love to use some program that promises it can teach my child all the writing and critical analysis skills within a year, I'm having to accept that it's all a process that takes years.
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There is a glut of religious private schools in my area and I just don't see that a private classical school would be any different. My children don't want to attend that type of school. In fact, they don't want to attend any kind of school except college. O.k., oldest dd would happily go off to any kind of school that offered lengthy, daily classes in dance but since there aren't any schools like that around here that probably won't happen.
key to...math and LOF
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
My only caution, is that if you must do standardized testing maybe make sure you add in some math review of previously learned concepts. Standardized tests seem to test on concepts covered in the typical textbook for each grade and both Key to Math and LOF don't work that way.