titianmom
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Posts posted by titianmom
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I plan to skip Biology. If I have to grow another plant I'll scream. :)
We haven't tackled much of Chem and Physics lately, anyway, and I plan to do some more Astronomy (our real interest in life) and just slide into High School science ;).
Kim
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FYI, it's out there. She's supposed to have the BioII done sometime next year and I'm guessing Physics after that.
Kim
So are you folks saying that CKEC is more in depth than Chem II in RS4K? Or is it only that it lasts the entire year vs 10 weeks?
I'm wondering IMHO if I like the short duration better and being able to switch over to the other book --better than enduring Physics an entire year....
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How long has CKE and RS4K been out for upper elementary? :) I'm guessing there is no one who has tried both to give me a decent ans, perhaps. Oh well.
Anyone who absolutely hated one or the other? Why?
Kim
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It isn't like I have any where else to go, anyway.
:)
Kim
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ONly a week?
Man, that's quick.
I spend all summer building my stuff. This year, tho, I'm doing a two year plan instead of one.
THings go much more smoothly for us during the year and I have a lot more control over everything if I plan with guidesheets.
Just me.
Kim
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I make a list of all the problems I can easily predict I would have if I sent them to public school....and, frankly, as thankless and frustrating as HSing can be...I am just not convinced that sending them to PS would make my life any easier....
I agree. Just hang out with the public school kids their age and see what they know and how they act, and you'll be rolling again in homeschool without a complaint in no time, lol.
Seriously, I know there are kids out there in PS that are doing just fine. But so many aren't. The kids we know envy my daughter, and they call her "the brain". She isn't Einstein, she just has a personal tutor. :D
...and then there are the hidden costs; gas, clothing, books, supplies, endless driving, dealing with the not-so-great socialization they too often get, etc.
I have a good friend who thinks "the system" is the best for kids. She just spent $160 for an hour section with a shrink for her daughter, because she's being verbally and emotionally abused by her peers at school.
I remember going through that, myself. Socialization isn't what it's cracked up to be. I know that isn't your point, but it too often is a problem out there.
Take care,
Kim
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Hi,
I have never had any problem with being their substitute parent when they're over. They understand there are rules to coming over to my house. I don't try to be everybody's buddy. They know I care about them, but mom is forever a mom, here. :001_smile:
Recognize that the food may be one of the chief reasons they come to your house, which is kinda sad. Kids are pretty obsessed with food IMHO. If it isn't at the house, though, then they can't eat it, can they, LOL.
I offer drinks. I tell them I'm not running a restaurant. They're welcome, but the shoes come off when they come in, and they have to stay out of the refrigerator. I offer chips if they're around, but when the chips are gone, they're gone.
You know?
Kim
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You forgot to mention this in your post.
I kinda agree with the husband. Relax. Your attitude/ view of homeschooling will be what they pick up during school, so keep that in mind.
In other words, if you love what you do and are enthusiastic (most of the time, LOL) and give 'em plenty of love along the way, they'll do fine--just remember to go at their pace, not yours.
But if you're stressed out and frustrated and irritated all the time, the kids will be anxious and won't perform very well for their perfectionist mom. Everyone loses. (I'm tired, I think that's how you spell it, LOL.)
Hope this helps. Remember, you drive the boat. Don't let your attitude affect them.
Kim
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Hi all,
I'm already purchasing some of the RS4K stuff for 2009-2010 on sale. I liked what I saw in the samples, etc and will be giving it a try.
But.....
I also see the Christian Kids Explore has a Chemistry and Physics for the upper Elementary grades.
So, which is better?
Obviously CKE is a WHOLE lot cheaper, LOL. I'm a little put off on the price of RS4K, but getting it used isn't....too....bad. <cough>.
Like another poster, tho, I've bought "reasonable" before and regretted it...even the TOP 100 Picks have been real losers IMHO for most of them. I think the only thing that we did of the 100 Top Pics that was any good at all IMHO was the Wordsmith Apprentice.
Anyway, what are the big differences between the two publishers, other than price and textbook vs workbook style? (And colored images.) I'm talking content, of course. Which is easier to read, which has the better experiments. etc.
Kim
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Try CLE's LA program. They start diagraming (very simply, of course) in the 2nd grade, I believe. I love their stuff. Check out Christianlightfamilies on yahoo group if you want more info. Their math is very good, also and very reasonable. I think it's one of the best kept secrets in the homeschooling community, IMHO. Forget Cathy Duffy, LOL.
(I know, it may not be for everyone, but I think it's one of the best out there, IMHO.)
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Well, with my daughter we've always been pretty open and close, and I started around 8ish and we still discuss it now and then. I don't make a big deal about it (not squimish at all--very matter-of-factly discuss it), and I stress that it's a blessing from God as long as marriage, et al are done God's way, not the world's way.
Kim
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Even at 3, though, I still wouldn't put up with it. It's disrespectful, IMHO. But I certainly wouldn't be as hard on a 3 yo as I would, say, a 6 yo :)
Best wishes,
Kim
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And that's it.
I don't put up with that kind of nonsense and neither does my husband. My girl knows we take education very seriously....but it's okay to have fun learning, of course.
It's all in YOUR attitude over it. If you aren't the parent, they will be.
(Not trying to preach, we all sometimes let our kids get away with things. But we have to remind ourselves who is in charge, lol.)
Kim
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I used Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. It worked very well for us. There are other choices you can investigate as well to see what style best fits your needs.
I concur. Just get yourself a kid's easel if you don't already have one. Use colored chalk. Make up funny sentences, etc. Worked for us and my dd loved it and laughed and laughed. She was 4 and I had her reading on the 2nd grade level in 2 months. ;).
Kim
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Hi, FWIW, I'm started back to the beginning of the Church and I'm working through to prob the Rennaissance. I might just keep going if all goes well and finish both in a year. All depends. I want to emphasize Church history, tho. so I'm writing my own. Can't afford TOG, LOL.
Most history texts place the MA as follows: Early middle around the fall of Rome to the Dark Ages, which begins around 500 AD thru 1500 AD. Then the Renn.
Hope that helps.
Kim
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Thanks to all for your input. Hmmm....well, we read the first few pages and like what we saw. Only time will tell, I guess.
She especially liked his comment that he named his dog ,"Dog". She laughed and laughed over that one. She's 11, :) She went around the house calling, "Here, dog! Here, dog!" Sheesh.
Kim
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Well, I tend to believe that the boys-on-the-brain "normality" of seducing our babes is firmly rooted in our consumerist society, .....
I don't shelter them from those products that drive such silliness; they simply aren't interested, I guess. We talk about why these ideas and feelings are sold to children (and adults). ...
Zac Efron and his ilk need not apply. ;)
I agree with you on the media, but that's the point I think we're all trying to make.
Our kids *do* listen to us and pick up on our sincerity--and this is true at any age. If we truly believe that something is wrong and we're passionate about it, the kids pick up on it, that <whatever> is not a good idea and it can be detrimental to me if I choose to do <fill-in-the-blank>. They pick up on our concern about their welfare.
AND, we prove our words by our behavior. If you aren't into Zac Efron, do you watch and fall all over a rock star yourself? Or a country music star? If you do, then you're being hypocritical. The kids see the hypocracy and go after what interests them. You can't be two-faced about it.
So, I don't agree nec that your kids are "...simply not interested, I guess". They've picked up on your vibes and see your sincerity and have taken shelter in a wise observation. That's parenting 101.
Hypocrites, however, need not apply. :)
Kim
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What I look at, also, is how kids lived and coped back in, say, Bible times. Young girls were married off very early and that took care of the problem. ;>
Even as late as the turn of the century girls married early in some parts. It is only recently that culture dictates marriage no earlier than, say, 19ish. (Some might argue the age, but I shoot around there for "early".)
Therefore, the hormones weren't an issue. Getting married shortly after puberty solved all of that. And the kids lived near/with their parents and learned quite early what life was all about, and was forced rather early to care for elderly parents.
Something to think about, no? I'm not suggesting we all turn into the beverly hillbillies, but it makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Also, they've proven that puberty is showing up much earlier than in the past, however, so that could be a major factor. They think it may be related to the hormones, etc that we eat.
Kim
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No TV or very little at the most, it seems by the threads I'm reading ;)
I think the key is to start young with them and then it doesn't become an issue.
We have a TV, but we don't watch regular TV and we don't have cable. Both, IMHO, have become so bad that on the rare occasions when I watch even a commercial, I'm amazed at how bad it has gotten. But after not watching for a while, the "desensitizing " wears off and you are sensitive to the state things are in these days.
And the media, esp TV is desensitizing. Those in church that watch their programs faithfully just look at me like I'm nuts when I say I can't handle TV any more. But they watch it all the time and to them it isn't a big deal.
But anything we do that isn't the best, (okay, sin) can have a desensitizing effect on us. That's the nature of the beast.
Kim
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Winners?
It was a rough year for us. My dd did fine, but I was down sick most of the year and couldn't participate as much as I'd hoped. Anyway,
Winners -
--always Natural Speller. Easy and cheap and it works. Nuff said.
--Math-U-See works but it's expensive. I'm looking at CLE math currently.
--drawing history on large, spiral art pads for Ancient History. My girl is a detailed artist and loves to draw, so I took advantage of it!
Losers -
--Learning Language Arts Through Literature - Lousiest program I've ever used, IMO. We went up a grade higher and it was still a sleeper -way too easy and unchallenging IMHO. The dictation was the only worthwhile thing we did.
Kim
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Believe it or not, as a textbook, it doesn't read bad at all. And it has perhaps the best weave/ coverage of Church history that I"ve seen in a history textbook. I do Classical, like many here, but I'll certainly keep this old, used CLE textbook to read and re-read to my girl, even if it is only a supplement to my reg curriculum. My 2 cents.
BTW, they're in the process of re-writing it, adding colored images, updating, etc. I asked if they were keeping in the Scripture and Church history and they said yes, thank God. :) I hope it is even better than the older version. Fingers crossed...
Oh, and at least the older version reads much better, IMHO, than R & S's version of history.
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Does it matter which level you begin with? THanks! Kim
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My daughter was a miracle after 12 years of marriage, so I can relate. We were told we couldn't have any.
My husband was raised differently than I was. My family was pretty poor and we go what we needed mostly, not what we wanted. He, on the other hand, got pretty much anything he wanted. His mom died when he was little and his dad ran away from home as a kid and raised himself, so I can see how all of this happened. My husband is a very good dad and man, though, but he rarely says no and brags that he spoils us. I say spoiling isn't good. :)
Anyway, between the 2 of us we're working it out. My family didn't give anything but his gave everything--it's finding the middle ground.
I want my daughter to do volunteer work and I want her to also hear about and see how some folks have to live. Not to feel guilty, but to be grateful and be thankful for everything we have. It's the gratitude that is often missing with kids. We've got it pretty good in this country, don't we?
Also, I believe working and earning money is important. Find a job outside of what they're required to do, like keeping their room up, etc. Don't pay them for what they should be doing, anyway, but find "extras" that will teach them the concept of earning to pay for things.
I also ask her a lot, "do you need this?" "Is this a want or a need?" She's finally stopping herself from whining for different things.
Finally, something she's picked up from dad is generosity. She'll give and give to help others out. I'm proud of her about that one! (My home never had that much to give, but they did tithe reg, at least...)
They model what they see in their parents, mind you. So watch yourself!
Hope it helps.
Kim
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My 11 yo girl is the same way when she goes away for anything. I've threatened never to let her go if she insists on coming home actiing like the Wicked Witch of the West...
Maybe it's over stimulation or something, I don't know. Tired? Maybe it's that.
She insists that she was ready to come home every time and said she missed us, but....the ugly alien thing still comes out after she gets home.
Go figure.
Kim
Here I am stressing out about first grade math...argh! more
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
Christian Light Math - inexpensive and it works. We went from MUS which is getting really expensive to CLE Math this year. We're working on some of it this summer to get ready for the next level. They're already into Geometry so we have to play catch-up.
IF you start with it young it's a prog that you will prob be able to stick with.
Kim