Suzanne in ABQ
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Posts posted by Suzanne in ABQ
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Another deal that RR offers: They bring a huge selection, but obviously can't bring everything. If you ask them for what you want, and they don't have it with them, order it from them at the convention. They'll ship it to you for free if you place your order (and pay for it) at the convention.
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I could have written this post. I used Phonics Pathways successfully with two children, without ETC, and before OPGTR was available. It took each child 1 1/2 years to get through the book. You should be able to get through it in 1 year. I'll probably use it with my little girl, too, when she get to that age, just because I'm familiar with it and it worked so well with my older two children.
I'm not familiar with Reading Pathways. Is that by Dolores Hiskes, too?
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I'm in the market for an iMac also. It is my understanding that Microsoft Office will slow down your Mac considerably unless you have extra memory and speed installed. However, they were supposed to make improvements in the 2008 edition of the Microsoft Office products that would correct the problems in previous editions.
I'm planning on trying the iworks first, and only adding Office if I can't make iworks do what I want it to do. I plan on getting the fastest/most memory available anyway, so I should be able to run Microsoft, if I decide to get it.
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It's been several years, but I used to buy VS Country clothes all the time. They were very well made, and they were some of my favorite clothes.
I only stopped buying them because I stopped receiving catalogs when I moved.
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I wouldn't use a Magic Eraser. It works with microabrasives. It will take the shine off semi-gloss paint with only one use (ask me how I know). I wouldn't trust it on a white board. I will take it's toll over time (like those whitening toothpastes that slowly take the enamel off your teeth).
I'd stick with rubbing alcohol.
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Money talks to my ds. I give him an allowance, but I tie it to attitude, not chores. He knows he has $5 a week coming, but I dock him 10c for every time he whines or complains. For major outbursts, I dock him a whole dollar. When he cops an attitude, I calmly inform him of how much money he lost and ask him if he wants to lose more. I keep track in a little notebook. It works like a charm.
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I don't do the kids laundry with ours. They sort it themselves, into three baskets (lights/whites, reds, and darks). (I've had enough disasters with red clothes that I always keep them separate). I do these two loads on the same day (reserving the reds because there's usually not enough for a load until I add mine). The next day, I sort dh's and my clothes. We have bigger clothes, so it usually takes four loads (black/navy, tan/brown/greens, other light colors, and whites). If I have any reds, they go in with the kids' reds. These four or five loads might take me two days, or I might do them all the same day.
However you decide to sort your clothes (or not), you definitely need at least one laundry basket to help with dropping clothes. Another thing you could try, in lieu of a basket, is a towel. Spread out a towel (one you're going to wash anyway), and place all the load of dirty clothes on it. Pull up the corners, and voila! No more dropped socks! If you don't have a towel to wash, you could use one of dh's shirts, or cram everything into a T-shirt. Any of these would help with the dropsies.
Congratulations on number five! She's a girl, right? How sweet. All those pink clothes. ;)
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Ah. No sewing machine, huh?
I was going to say that for my tall, skinny girl, I buy knit pants and take them in. Or, I buy warm-up style pants and add a drawstring (if they don't already have one).
You might want to take some more of that tax return money and invest in a sewing machine. Your problem isn't going to go away any time soon. Next year, the problem will get worse because most clothes will come in 10/12, which means that they are all huge, and have to fit for two years.
My kids hated stuff around their waist, too, unless it was soft (comfy). Yoga pants, taken in with two darts in the back, have been our mainstay for dd. I got some at Lands' End, some at Sears, and some at Target. Coupled with a T-shirt (untucked), they make a nice outfit.
Again, I'd highly recommend getting a sewing machine. You'll need it. It seems that kids clothes are all sized to fit the average size. And, with so many kids overweight (I always hear about them, though I seldom see them), the average size kid is much larger than our lean kids.
I'm rambling. Sorry.
Get thee a sewing machine, and learn how to make darts (if you don't know how already). :o
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With both of my children, we did FLL 1/2, then moved to R&S 3, which we did orally, for the most part.
We switched because FLL3 wasn't available at the time.
It was a rather difficult transition because it took me awhile to find our groove. R&S is very different. It's not scripted. It's written for classroom use, and includes tons of writing. It took me awhile to be comfortable skipping much of the oral drill, and just doing the "Written" exercises orally, or on a white board.
That being said, R&S is a very rigorous program. I'm not the least concerned that my kids will have any "gaps". It truly covers everything. And, I like the way it builds on the concepts from year to year (we're currently doing levels 4 and 6).
I haven't seen FLL3, so I can't comment on it. If it's working for your dc, why change it?
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We've done the Chemistry and loved it.
The author gives reasons to do them in order. They get more challenging as you progress from Chemistry, through Biology and Physics. Namely, the labs become more independent. In Chemistry, the procedures are clearly detailed. In Physics, the students design their own experiments. Also, the author considers Biology to be, in a sense, *applied* Chemistry. It is easier to understand photosynthesis and other biological functions when you understand the chemical reactions involved.
Anyway, this is my understanding, based on what I heard the author say. Hope it's helpful.
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I you have a college degree, you can test your own kids with the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). I get it from Bob Jones University Press. You'll need to fax them a copy of your college diploma, and you'll need to sign an agreement to promise to meet their standards, but this process doesn't take long. The test costs about $60, I think. You order the test from them. It takes about 2-4 weeks to receive it. You then have 5 weeks to administer it. You need to follow their rules (You have to read all those annoying instructions word-for-word, for instance). You can spread out the tests as much as you want, or do them all together. When your child is finished with the tests, you send the answer sheet, and all the test materials, back to Bob Jones. They score it electronically (or you can pay extra for hand grading), and they send you a report back within 4 weeks. We've used it for several years now.
If you don't have a college degree, you won't be able to administer the ITBS yourself. You might be able to administer the Stanford test (also from Bob Jones University Press), but you must also include a child NOT your own at the same time.
You can read about all the requirements at http://www.bjup.com. Click on Homeschools, then Testing and Evaluation (in the blue box).
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I use two-lined paper (Handwriting Without Tears style) for my 4th grader. He has trouble with lower case letters when he uses regular paper: he makes the lower case and upper case letters the same size. I like the two-lined notebook paper because it shows him how to make the lower case letters all the same size.
My dd made the switch earlier, I think. Probably by 3rd grade.
It just depends on the child. Try it with your ds and see how he does.
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I agree with Lenora and AllSmiles. She's very little. You don't need to take it so seriously. She doesn't need to regurgitate every detail, or even the ones *we* might think are important. Just keep reading and try to keep it fun and interesting for her.
I never "tested" my kids in history. I figured that even if they only remembered 5% of what we studied, they still more than 95% of kids their age. They surprised me time and again with what they remembered.
I remember once, we were visiting an acquaintance of mine. This couple had no children, and had very formal decor. (We're talking purple velvet draperies). Anyway, they had a bust of Augustus Caesar in their dining room. My children (then age 6 and 7) were wandering around looking at all the beautiful things. All of a sudden, they got all excited and cried "Augustus Caesar!!!" Our hosts were blown away. The husband said, "Hmmm. I always thought that was Julius Caesar." We checked the carved writing on the front, and it said Caesar Augustus, in plain Latin. :o) He was very impressed that they knew more than he (or any other adults in attendance) did. :) I downplayed it, and explained that we had just seen a photograph of the original piece in a book. That day was a highlight for us.
Anyway, don't worry about your dd remembering every fact. She is remembering more than you'll ever know, and you will notice it making it's way into her imaginary play, or in her telling her dad/grandparents, or she'll make connections to something else she's learning. She's still little. Just relax and enjoy the ride.
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I was puzzling over this as well. What types of information would be left out of a Christian view of the weather?
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We've done R&S 3, 4, 5, and 6. Dd is currently in 6; ds is in 4.
All the levels review previous material before going into more depth. The reviews, though, are short. You might have one lesson that covers all the material that took two or three lessons in the previous level. You could probably skip Level 4, and just take more time doing Level 5 to make sure she's not frustrated.
Or, you could go faster through Level 4, skipping the material she knows already. I do this with my ds, who is doing Level 4. Some of the material is very easy, so we're able to do two or three lessons in a single sitting. The writing exercises sometimes take two or three days, though, so it evens out.
The writing exercises in 5 are much more involved than in 4.
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I believe you get what you pay for with pillows.
I've bought Lands' End down pillows for the past 18 years or so. They're wonderful, and last for several years. They make one called Down Embrace (I think they still make it). It's got a firm feather core surrounded with soft down. It's firm and soft. I love those. I replace them every few years (due to the heebie-jeebie factor), but they're very durable. Kind of pricey, but worth it, if it's in your budget.
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Glad it helped someone!
Now, just make sure you hide all the new crayons until he's 6! :)
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How can this be? Do you mean that you do addition in first grade and never do it again? I'm sure you don't mean that, so could you (or someone) elaborate? How can MUS never spiral?
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Phonics Pathways is my favorite because it worked so well with both of my children. There are no bells or whistles, but it's thorough and rigorous. It leaves nothing out. My kids were reading at a fourth grade level when we finished, and they could sound out practically anything they saw. I will use it again when my 2yodd is old enough.
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FWIW, groans aren't necessarily a reason to switch curriculum. Learning to read is hard work. Groans are inevitable, no matter what curriculum you use. Just hide the book! Look at the days lesson, jot it down on a sheet of scratch paper, and don't let your ds see it. You won't have the script, but you probably don't need it anyway.
I used Phonics Pathways successfully with both of my children. There were lots of groans from both of them (especially ds), but they both learned to read incredibly well by the time we finished. We took a year and a half to go through the book. I didn't push to finish anything on a given day. We simply worked for a set amount of time (5 minutes when we first started, up to 20 by the time we go to the end of the book). Then, we stopped for the day and picked it up the next day. After they got to CVC words, we added phonics readers.
Phonics Pathways costs around $20. You can probably look at it at your library before deciding if you want to buy it. The library might have an older edition, but it will still work. It's not colorful, but there are games you can play.
Reading Reflex is another one you can check out of the library. It is game based, but you have to make the games by copying them from the book. It's not colorful either.
I added color and interest and fun by using dry erase markers on a white board, the tile countertops, the sliding glass door, and chalk on the driveway. You can make up games like BINGO. Look at the main page of this website for the Complete Article Index. There is an article there called something like Games to Play With Phonics. You can find some free ideas there.
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E-mail the webmaster (Bob or wife, Heather). I'm sure they'll understand, and change it for you.
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I believe this has been discussed before, and they made a conscious decision not to have a logic stage board. If I remember correctly, it was determined that the division between stages is just too fuzzy. As SWB has stated, the transition to logic stage is gradual, and happens at different times in different subjects. I haven't gotten there yet, but I imagine the transition to rhetoric would be similar.
Perhaps the two boards could have overlapping age ranges: K-8th and 7th-12th?
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While Kingfisher would be very difficult to narrate, it would work well for outlining.
That being said, SOTW works well, too. And, doing a section or two of science is a good idea.
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I imagine that Robin Williams was just like your son. I would consider it a gift. He sounds delightful!
How young is too young for homeschool choir?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
She's not too young. I'm a Kindermusik educator, and have taught "real" music to 5-6 year olds in my Kindermusik for the Young Child class. They learn to read music, play several instruments, match pitch while singing, and several musical concepts. If your daughter is musically inclined, and if she has the attention span necessary to keep focused for the length of the class, she'll enjoy it and probably learn a lot. Kodaly methods are well recognized and effective with children.
Talk to the teacher to find out what the class dynamic is like. Find out how much of the time the children are moving around, and how much time they're required to sit still and focus. Find out the ages and experience of the other kids in the class. Find out if it is a performance oriented class, or if it is mainly a fun time to just get the music *into* the children. The answers to these types of questions will give you an idea of whether it will be a good fit for your dd.