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liamtaylorsmom

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Posts posted by liamtaylorsmom

    FLL1 and WWE1 and AAS1: number of lessons/week

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We do AAS 4 days a week (two days per lesson...so two lessons a week). For FLL, we do (on average) 3 days a week..sometimes two (one lesson per day). WWE, we are a bit lagging in and are playing catch-up, so we are doing it four days a week but two lessons a day. So, on Monday, we'll do Week 25 Days 1 & 2 and Tuesday Week 25 Days 3 & 4. and then Week 26 the next two days. We should catch up, though, and next year just do the four days a week like they have scheduled.

    Just a general "How is your school year going?" thread...check in

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Well, this is a tough one to answer. Overall, okay, I think. We have several factors playing into that answer right now. This is our first year HSing. DH is on his 4th deployment. We are supposed to move at some point this year overseas. Right now, I'm staying with my parents for a few months and doing a ton of travel so that adds into some of the stress. Looking forward to heading back home after Christmas.

     

    I have two big challenges right now. DS1 is struggling with Math a bit. He'll have a good day and then a horrid day, so it's inconsistent. We are currently using Singapore 2A but I ordered the first two light units from CLE to try with him. They should get here any day. Our other big issue is that I feel like some of the love of learning is lost. Not sure if that's just the age, though. He's in 2nd grade and I may just be missing some of the more fun Kindergarteny type things that I loved to teach (I was a Kinder teacher). We're using Sonlight and I feel like it may be a bit too "heavy" for us....just a bit graphic and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I miss doing projects with him and feel like I"m not doing great about doing a lot of the hands-on things (art, science experiments, projects, etc). I've actually been looking at other curriculums like Oak Meadow and HOD to help maybe "lighten" it up a bit. Not sure what to think about all that.

     

    That being said, we're getting it done and doing well overall. It's just not as "fun" as I would like it to be for him (not sure if that makes sense).

    Will CLE give my DS a good solid understanding of math/numbers?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We are working through Singapore but he is struggling. I feel, however, that this is an extremely strong program and one of the best ways I've seen to teaching and learning math.

     

    I've seen CLE highly recommended for those who struggle with Singapore and am tempted to try it. However, I'm a bit put-off by the flashcards. I can't stand flash cards. I don't want him to just know that 3x4 = 12. I want him to understand what that means (you are putting three groups of four together). I can see him struggling and am tempted to switch but don't want him to just get the answers but to understand what they mean (not sure if that makes sense).

    Can the school district do this? (TX)

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I'm sorta thinking you wouldn't since your place of residence will still be Texas. I mean, if anyone were to question you, couldn't you just say we are here visiting but are from Texas, and in full compliance with Texas law? Would anyone even know the length of time you are there outside of family?

     

     

    This has been my thought. I will be there from next week until Thanksgiving at minimum. That's a no-brainer. We are Texans for sure. From Dec. - Feb, our household goods should be headed to the UK, but our residency is still with DH in TX...even if we stay longer in NC visiting family. We are not changing licenses or anything. Just a mailing address. In fact, our residency really isn't technically the house we're in now. As military, we declare residency with the house we own in central TX (we're in west TX now).

    Can the school district do this? (TX)

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    There is a long backstory, but I'm not sure that applies. The short story is that Liam is being pulled from the local public school on Monday and I will homeschool for the foreseeable future. DH is deployed and I will be travelling to NC to visit with family for a few months.

     

    The school just called to confirm that Monday is his last day (tried to convince me to public school him in NC) and then said if I'm homeschooling, I need to fill out some forms. She then said that if he does return to the public school this year (a slight possibility) I would need to track his grades and report all that to the district. I reminded her that in TX there is no need to report since I'm considered a private school and she said that for this district, I would need to.

     

    I'm not saying she's wrong but I'm confused on why this is if the state doesn't require me to do anything. I'm not planning right now on keeping formal grades or anything since this is 2nd grade, our first year of homeschooling, and we're dealing with our fourth deployment and probably overseas move in the spring.

     

    I'm also not really planning on returning to the school but the Army has left some things up in the air with us and I would like my options kept open. Do I need to go ahead and start grading/reporting/tracking/etc.?

     

    ***also, as a side note: while DH is deployed, I plan to stay with my parents in NC for anywhere from 2 - 4 months. Our residency is still here. Do any military families know if, in this instance, I would need to follow NC's rules due to the length of time that I will be there?

     

    Thanks in advance. I'm VERY curious to see this paperwork she's sending home. Ugh!

    Have you ever...?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    We LOVE LOVE LOVE New England...specifically Maine and VT.

     

    However, last year we went on a trip to San Diego and that is now very seriously in the running for when DH retires from the Army.

     

    But...then again...we're going to the UK for two years in the Spring so maybe that will all change. Can't wait!

    Anyone pulled DC from public school after a short time?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Girl, get a grip! :D How the heck could you screw him up by taking him out after only a month? What would be not "fair"???? Fair in what way???

     

    No, you just do what you know you have to do: bring him home. It will be fine.

     

    :grouphug:

     

    "Fair" in that I keep changing his routine/expectations. He liked homeschooling but was asking to go to public. I'm worried that I'm giving him what he wants only to just take it away again and he won't like homeschooling as much again.

    Anyone pulled DC from public school after a short time?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted · Edited by liamtaylorsmom

    I wanted to thank you all for your input. I really appreciate your taking the time to respond to my questions. We have decided that I'm going to continue on with our original plan of moving out East next month until DH returns and we move to the UK. We will let DS stay at the school until we move at the end of the month and then I will pick right back up where I left off with our curriculum at home.

     

    I'm feeling really good about this decision and can't wait to have him back home again. Having him in school this one month wont' get us too off track and will help me finish things out here with our move and getting the house ready. And I'm grateful that this whole mess up has made me realize how much I really do believe in homeschooling for our family.

     

    Thanks again!

     

    ___________________________________________________________

     

    Long story short, we may be moving in February...or maybe in June. DH deployed yesterday and there is a lot up in the air. Under A LOT of stress, we put DS1 back into school today while we figure stuff out but I'm now thinking despite our not knowing the status of our move orders, I still want to travel to family with our boys as planned (we orig. were leaving in 3 weeks). I obviously can't do this with DS in public school.

     

    So, I'm considering pulling him as early as a month from now. I'm sure the school and my family will think I've lost my mind and maybe I have, LOL. I'm even wondering why I let him go back to the school today. We had been HSing over the summer and it was going well. I think it was the word that this short deployment may now be a long deployment and I freaked out about how I'd handle being alone that long with HSing...not really thinking through how this would affect travel. Ugh!

     

    Anyway, I could still travel and wait to leave for Thanksgiving (and leave him in that long). I'm worried that I'm screwing him up with changing things again.

     

    FWIW...he did walk into school happy today and the principal is understanding of our stressful situation and put him in her smallest class (16 students). But honestly...still can't travel and it's still not HSing.

     

    If any good comes of this, it's that I've come to realize that we are truly a HSing family. I'm not liking him in public school AT ALL whereas it didn't bother me as much last year. But I'm worried that I'm not being fair to him and that I'm screwing him up by putting him in for just a month. Ugh!

    How much history do you expect your elemetary student to retain?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We use Sonlight Core B and SOTW together. Mostly reading with notebooking/lapbooking and some hands-on activities. I don't expect him to retain everything but general ideas hopefully. I do the notebooking for sure so that he has something to look back on if he wants/needs to. I find this to be a more important skill (recording and being able to find information) than just retaining all facts at any given time so we focus more on that.

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