[Paper tilt]

i tilt my paper the same angle as my writing arm. the purpose of tilting is to keep the wrist straight, not kinked.

[Apologia elem. questions]

I definitely wouldn't start it before 2nd grade. my dd likes it. she enjoyed studying space for a whole year. only the projects require prep.

[read aloud vs. assigned reading]

I want to do book it with my kids this year and for my 3rd grader, I want her to read an assigned book and write a report on it. is there a trick to deciding which books to hold for read alouds and which to assign for reports? most of the read alouds we do are pretty much on her level. we have a shelf that she chooses the next one from.

[Picture books to go w/Apologia Botany lessons?]

:bigear:

[Does Math-U-See really work?]

Out of curiosity, what math did you decide to go with?

 

And for others, would you consider using a segment like gamma or delta to master a concept, then move on/continue with other math program?

 

we originally decided on rs. dh loved it. but it turned out to be too teacher intensive for me and the manipulatives were too distracting for my dd (though she did love the abacus and it is still her go to math tool). tried Singapore and mep (both also dh approved) before landing on mm. it seems to really work for both of us. she completed 2 years in 1 to catch up from all our jumping around. she is now right on track and doing well. does she love math? no, but there are rarely anymore fits and tantrums when it's time.

 

as for question 2, I have no idea. I actually left the original math curric research and decision up to dh so I didn't look that far into it. however, since we have landed on mm and it has the supplemental programs (with additional practice by subject) I would probably go with those.

[Daily schedule for the early years?]

I get that it is really hot in TX, we live in the south, spent a week in TX at the end of June, and spent a few days in LA in August.  We still went outside though.  Kids don't care as much about the heat, if you keep it brief.  Can you let them run through the sprinkler or play in a kiddie pool or do you have water restrictions?  I'd suggest go outside first thing when it isn't as hot, and spray the kids with bug spray if the mosquitoes are that bad.  I know heat is worse when you are pregnant, so if you are uncomfortable, send them to the backyard for 20 minutes.  You can stay near a window to keep an eye on them if it makes you uncomfortable, but at least you'll be in the a/c.

 

um, my kids do. I try to kick them outside and they're back in in 5 minutes beat red, dripping sweat, and worn out. except for the year we had a pool, my kids mind the heat, even for a short time.

 

to the op, seriously, go easy on yourself. my second pregnancy was my worst and pbs was my best friend. it won't kill them for a short while.

[Does Math-U-See really work?]

i know lots of people who use it and LOVE it. my math professor hubby, however, completely dismissed it when we were researching math a few years ago.

[Re-using worksheets: Why can't I figure this out??]

I use magic erasers to get off stubborn marker residue

[Is it ok to just stay home?]

we can't afford to "do it all". I try really hard to be home AT LEAST 2 days/week, preferably 3 or more. otherwise "school" doesn't get done. there are plenty of people who just stay home and school with no guilt. YOU decide what's best for YOUR kids and family, not your mom, not anyone else. concentrate on building character and family right now. those are the most important anyway.

[when to do geography?]

maybe I should clarify. I was wondering what "grade/s" it was best for.

[What is the best way to START Miquon?]

I tried Miquon with my oldest, but he didn't jive with Miquon. He's a "just the facts, m'am", step-by-step person when it comes to math. I remember him pretending the c-rods were imaginative people and animals, and him building structures with the rods, but not connecting the math aspect or finding Miquon frustrating as he didn't like coming up with new problems and discovering new ones.

 

 

 

this is mostly how my kids play with them, too. ;)

[when to do geography?]

I know I can just incorporate it into history, but if one was to do a separate stand alone geography curriculum, when would one do It?

[Website for cheap printing]

fyi, I was curious so I filled it out like I was ordering a 60 pg, double sided comb bound book. the book itself was only 2.65.  FANTASTIC value! but shipping was 12.88!!!

crazy.

[What is the best way to START Miquon?]

I read all the books and never did "get" miquon. my kids didn't get it either so we dropped it. they LOVE playing with c rods, though.

[Scholastic Dollar Deals]

there were several items giving me trouble. I couldn't "see more" or put them in my cart. :/

[Astronomy in suburbia?]

we drove about an hour away to watch the meteor shower. otherwise we just see what we can see. we were able to see saturn when it was close, but not its rings.

[3rd Grade Plans]

our current selections:

 

math- mm, lof for fun, xtra math, cwp as she wants to

logic- thinkables, logic countdown

phonics- finishing up phonics pathways, etc

grammar- fll

spelling- currently spelling power but may change to rod and staff

handwriting- cursive from a scholastic book i have and remediating print with hwt

vocab- wordly wise

writing- still undecided. having a hard time finding something that will work for both of us

lit- books from various reading lists plus little house series

reading- abeka readers in the car

science- apologia botany, nature connection, and they have a science box stocked so they can do experiments whenever they like

history- sotw

Bible- apologia's who is God, reading through the Bible, and will start the discover for yourself series when she decides to get baptized and receives her own "real" Bible

latin- lively latin

greek (she begged for it)- greek code cracker

art- random drawing thing i found at a used curric sale

 

 

miscellaneous- music, ice skating, sewing (hand and machine), global studies using curric from heifer international, character/virtue study, Bible memory work, cooking

 

wow, that looks like a lot for us, too. we do our afternoon basket work all together over lunch (devotion, poetry, character study, nature reading, Bible verses, maybe art), then I read to/with her for approximately 1.5 hours (history, science, Bible, lit, lof, phonics, grammar, spelling). then she does independent/table work for about 45 minutes (greek, etc, latin, handwriting, cwp, logic, writing, ww, math). we are still finishing some things up from last year due to an unexpected pregnancy that forced us to take a few months off this summer so some things will get shuffled around. i know fll 3 will move to table work as opposed to reading time and if we switch to r&s spelling it will move to independent work also. we're still easing in trying to get  feel for things, but in total her school is roughly 2-3 hours/day.

 

[Math Mammoth question]

we school year round so i don't worry about days or "years", but we do 1 "section" a day. she is required to do half the problems. if she misses any, she has to redo that one plus one more. if she struggles a lot with a section, we either redo it or i find an additional practice page or play a related game.

[Shocked that this book is on the Grade 11 common core reading list. Scary!]

 

I can understand parents being reluctant to see this one specific extremely difficult theme of incestuous rape brought up at this specific age. I cannot understand parents rejecting the novel as porn, trash, or Satan -- especially without actually reading it (or even decent literary criticism of it) or proposing alternatives. And the statement that details are never necessary belies a mindset that apparently doesn't regard any powerful, emotional literature as worthwhile. This blows my mind regardless, but in the context of a message board primarily dedicated to the virtues of a classical education? I just...I don't even.

 

 

I am really trying to understand.

 

Is the rape the issue?

Is the incest the issue?

Is the child abuse the issue?

Is it all three things that are the issue?

Would you not allow an older teen to read any book that covers these terms in such detail?

 

 

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE THEME/ISSUE/WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT!!! I feel like you guys aren't listening to us. it's about the graphic sexual descriptions that some of us feel are unnecessary.

 

This is going to sound rude, however I say it.

 

Who cares? Why does it matter that this book is written by Toni Morrison. Can literary greats not miss the mark. Are they infallible?

 

There are many great American authors that write about the black, white, mexican, gay, experience. They can and have done so without going into horrifyingly graphic detail.

 

 

thank you.

 

I abhor the idea of censorship as well. However, even our government has determined that certain things like child p0rn should be banned. For the record, in no way am I equating the TM book with child p0rn. I agree that for a Pulitzer prize book it must have literary merit. OTOH, I do choose to "censor" the literature and other media that my ds reads and watches. Do not all parents do this?? I believe most parents do this. For example, I do not let my ds have unfettered access to the internet. There are many sorts of movies I would not let him watch as well such as horror movies filled with blood, guts, and gore. I also would not let him play computer games that feature violence or other adult situations. Does this mean I am a prudish censoring mom? IMHO, no it does not.

 

I don't think you are or it is, but even if it does, who cares? you are a parent doing what you feel is best for your child. own it.

 

Of course we protect children. But these are 11th graders not 6th graders! Two years away from leaving home and living on their own. We're talking about young adults, not children.

 

they're still my CHILDREN, no matter the age, and I will protect them however I can for as long as I can, even into adulthood. can I protect them from everything forever? no. is it my job to prepare them for the world? yes. I guess we all have different ways of doing this.

 

So many books cover horrifying and disgusting things. What do you read?

 

 

 

Stuff like incest? Like in the bible?

Stuff like rape? Like in the bible?

Stuff like child abuse? Like in the bible?

 

again, it's not about the incest, rape, abuse, theme in general, but about the (some of us feel) unnecessary graphically detailed sexual passages.

 

tired of talking to a wall so climbing back into my happily literature illiterate hole.  :leaving:

[Shocked that this book is on the Grade 11 common core reading list. Scary!]

you know, since joining this forum, I have begun to see myself as very literature illiterate. after reading this thread, I am proven correct and not so sure I regret it. I haven't read, or even heard of most of the books mentioned here. I was raised in a sheltered home and can tell you for sure that in 11th grade these were not things I thought about, dealt with, or even probably knew about. being required to read this, or any other of the mentioned, books would have been extremely uncomfortable for me and I probably could not have done it. I have no desire to read it now, as a mature adult who, blessedly, has not experienced any of these horrible things but can still react sympathetically when hearing about them. it has not impaired my functionality in life at all to not have been exposed at a young age. I do not hide things from my children. when they ask questions I answer them to the best of my ability on an age appropriate level. I would not want my high schooler to read this, even with just having read the excerpts. that is not what I want to fill their minds with. I am not condemning anyone who does, but it is not the right choice for my family.

 

Philippians 4:8

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 

[Why are you here at TWTM boards?]

I got twtm from the library many years ago. I glanced through it and went "huh?" so back it went. so no, I have never read it. please don't stone me. we are very eclectic homeschoolers. we find what works for us and do it, regardless of philosophy. a friend referred me to these boards and I come here daily for homeschooling advice, curriculum reviews/suggestions, and a sense of community.

[How do you handle a child who stares into space?]

I spend an inordinate amount of time telling them to focus and making loud noises to jar them out of their dream state.

*eyeroll*. Seriously. Lots of time doing that here for two of my kids who have what dh and I refer to as "squirrel disorder". As in the kid is sitting there doing math, doing math, doing math and then SQUIRREL! The had an itch on their ankle and started contemplating what if it wasnt an itch but a miniature alien entering their blood stream so it can infiltrate their senses and study what it is like to be a human or the cat walked into the room and they notice how mottled her fur is and start counting the different shades or...SQUIRREL! There's a math book in front of them.. Oh yeahhh.. Math math math oh look, that cloud looks just like a troll.... HEY FOCUS!!... Oh yeah.. Math math math.

that's awesome. and so like my dd.

[How do you handle a child who stares into space?]

My 3rd grader just struggles focusing. It'll take him all day to do school work when everyone else is done because he just sits there and stares into space. I keep trying to pull him back on task but he just struggles. I'm pondering if he would work better in a school setting where things are more structured and it's not "Mom". What are some things to try? I have him do Math first because that is his hardest. It takes him sooo long. Sometimes if it has taken over an hour I tell him to move on and come back to it. He is beginning to not like school and it's getting harder for me to get him motivated. This is our 3rd year homeschooling. He went to PS for preschool and K because he was getting speech help then I brought all the kids home to HS. Any suggestions?

have not read any responses yet, but this sounds identical to my 8yo. I, too, used to have her do math first so I was sure it would get done, but it just led to so much frustration all around and stress for me at whether ANYTHING else would get done. so I moved math to last. she still must finish it before doing anything else, but she is in control of how long she takes. it actually worked. everything else gets done first so less stress there for mom, and she has been getting her math done much faster at the end.

[Spelling that is more than worksheets, but less than AAS?]

we didn't start spelling til we finished phonics- so 3rd grade here. we are doing spelling power. only requires 5 minutes of mom time, then 10 minutes of practice time. brand new it is pricey, but I see it used all the time for only about $5. that's what I paid for mine.

[Hey Andrew/Greek for Children/Elementary Greek - Which one and why?]

following. my 3rd grader begged to do greek this year so I got her the code cracker. she is LOVING it. not getting ahead of myself but want some ideas where to go next if she wants to stick with it. she will be starting lively latin in a couple weeks after doing ssl last year.