" Mommy, this (piano) piece is too easy. I'd rather play the (teacher) duet!" Then she proceeds to do so...

Thanks for all your thoughts. I had taken a quick peek at Sequential Spelling last week and it definitely piqued my interest. She loves vocabulary and has never not stopped me to ask what something means. Hmmm...that makes me think it's about time for a dictionary! :) Of course, she's already figured out the Google microphone option on my cell phone and will often ask it what something means (or about some famous person/place/etc), and then take her cue for the next word to ask about from the prior definition. It's pretty funny to watch the sequence unfold, as well as her delight. I really like the structure of AAS in terms of learning the whys and wherefores of phonics, but perhaps it's not the best fit for her, or for me to teach with limited time. Something fast & straight-forward, or just drop spelling completely as many folks suggested. I still haven't gone down the MCT route yet, as I really struggle seeing the awesomeness of it from the small excerpts provided. I'm sure it's great since you all rave, but it's pricey and we already have limited time with shared custody, extracurriculars and after-schooling a bit. I like the idea of continuing to have fun with languages via MCT compared to spelling though. I guess I need to read the MCT threads again. Any other specific MCT suggestions? I always thought Grammar Island was the main starting point... She's home sick today, so we had fun diving into Wee Free Men by Terry Prachett! :) I so loved sharing every one of her giggles!

If you're near a large University, check and see if they have weekly meetups for Spanish conversation practice. They often do for students, and they're generally open to outsiders as well (folks just want to practice!). I keep meaning to go to one at my local university...next semester!

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the conversation, as they'll definitely push back. Doubling up is a good idea, although she's in a 'group' with 2 other girls supposedly at the same level. But supplementing is another option, and I wanted to see what folks thought. FYI: 'Proceeding through the sequence' drives me nuts! I expect them to 'follow the child' and adjust accordingly when developmental leaps occur. *sigh* And it looks like she's going to have to shift to public school next year due to finances, so I'm guessing I'd better get used to this type of thing!

Hi folks, I have a spelling question. My DD6 is in a Montessori school and has weekly spelling homework and tests. I think she misspelled 2 words total on the tests all semester. I've only occasionally gone over them with her to quiz her. Anyway, along with her increase in writing that she experienced when she turned 6, I feel she's also suddenly leaped ahead in spelling compared to where she was at the end of the summer. I feel her spelling words are way too easy. This week I took out her spelling homework before she had looked at it and asked her to spell them. A couple of blends she had to work at, but otherwise I'm sure she would have gotten them all right if she'd NOT done the homework and had her quiz the next day. I was thinking about supplementing spelling a bit (sigh), but more than that I wanted a gauge of what level you guys teach spelling? In a given new list of words, what percentage of the words do your children already know how to spell? I'm sure there's some sweet spot there. I did AAS 1 with her a couple of years ago and at the time she wasn't super into spelling so I let it wane. I could start again at AAS 2, but am feeling conflicted and think maybe I should just talk to her teachers about the level. So before I potentially have that conversation, I wanted to find out about your philosophies about what level is the right level for working on spelling. I know she is getting more out of her spelling homework than just spelling skills (handwriting, reading directions, trying new things, alphabetizing, etc.) but I'd rather the words not be so simple (oo words!!!!). She's not a natural speller, but she reads at a 6+ grade level, and I've noticed her natural spelling ability has really improved lately. Any thoughts? Thanks!

I work full time, so I do dream of not tripping over dust bunnies that have multiplied while I was gone during the day. My Golden Retriever has relatively short hair for the breed, but his shedding is astonishing. Any other suggestions of awesome iPAD apps that I can't get on an Android device? I recall some Spanish apps and have seen some mentioned here over the years. Another question: Does having a Roomba/NEATO make you pick up all the junk on the floor more often, because you HAVE to? :) I mean, does it INSPIRE you? That would be nice...

Haha...still 50-50! Tough decisions! Thanks for everyone's comments! My daughter and I especially loved the video. Funny thing is I'm leaning towards iPAD now. I can't imagine having that much disposible income to buy myself an iPAD (I'd rather go on a vacation), but I might save up for a Roomba as it's practical. And I CAN sweep and vacuum, but I can't put iPAD apps on a non-existent Apple product. Self-talk is lovely...and frustrating!

Aarg - 50-50 response. Hence my dilemma!

I do clearly want the Roomba, but am open to seeing the error or my ways :) My DD is only 6 and I'm still largely limiting screen time for her. I think if she were a few years older I might swing the other way, but it's hard to say right now. Maybe I should have asked about to-die-for apps only available on the IPad for the 6-10 age group.

FYI - I have all hardwood floors. I have been having lower back issues, so vacuuming has not been my favorite thing for awhile (plus my child and the pets all HATE the noise). I work full time, and the dirt all over the floors stresses me out every time I get home. It is amazing how much dirt/dust/hair accumulates as soon as I put the broom away! Thanks for the heads up on the replacement battery.

I know nothing about health care except what I pay through my employer for Anthem. I was exceedingly pleased that my premiums went down by about 30% this year!! I doublechecked with the person who handles this and annually compares hundreds of policies to choose which one is best for our 75-person company. She said it was because all the bureaucracy associated with newly implementing ACA has been reduced, and this is the more 'normal' amount we should expect from now on. She said it's very age-specific, so folks 40 and below are getting a big reduction, and there will be a steady (but not drastic) increase as folks age.

Nope, I'm sure my friend wouldn't be offended at all. He just wanted to treat me to something and that's what came to mind. He sent other gifts too, which I kept. He's on a gift-giving spree with other friends too.

Okay....an old friend just unexpectedly sent me a new Ipad Mini (& case). I had asked him about acquiring his old one a couple of years ago when he upgraded, and he just now got around to it (but sent me a new one instead because he's like that!). Of course in that amount of time I picked up a Droid Tablet that my DD6 and I use occasionally every week. I still haven't opened it, and am thinking of trading the Ipad in for a much needed Roomba instead. I am very excited about that prospect. Then of course, I always see folks post links for cool IPad apps for their children that aren't available on other tablets, so I'm doubting my instincts. *decisions, decisions* Sooo, given that we already have a non-IPad tablet, and I ALWAYS have dust bunnies coming out my ears, should I stick with my original plan of trading in the new IPad Mini for a Roomba? And no, I can't do both! And if anyone has experience with the Roomba, I'll take suggestions on which one :)

How cool!! I love kids/people following their own path. Congrats mama on helping make it a reality!

All of Jose Luis Orozco's stuff is great (one is listed above). Some you can probably find at a good public library. http://www.amazon.com/Jose-Luis-Orozco/e/B000APPSH0/ref=dp_byline_cont_music_1 As mentioned above, De Colores, Fiestas, and Diez Deditos have books that go along with them, and I have found them super helpful.

I agree with Kerileanne. Khakis or black pants and a nice shirt/sweater would be fine. It's always cold at conferences (lots of AC and lots of sitting), so long-sleeved is usually a good option.In fact, it's most important that she feel COMFORTABLE. There's nothing like worrying about a skirt if you're not used to wearing one, or visibly shaking knees if it's not long. She's obviously young, so they'll think she's adorable no matter what. Once she gets started talking though, they'll pay attention to her words. No need for makeup or heavy jewelry, but something fun that people might notice up close when she chatting with them would be nice.

I second the Montessori Practical Life stuff. If he minds well, like my DD did, I could use things designed for the 2-4 age group and not worry so much about small parts. This is a great resource, especially for the price: http://www.montessoriathomebook.com/Home.html/book/ Be creative and set up little trays of things he can do. Transferring items is a huge hit with littles. Transferring water with a scoop or spoon or dropper (when he's older), transferring snow, transferring sand, transferring beans, putting toothpicks in the small hole in a toothpick holder, etc. Little spoons or tongs are well loved. My DD LOVED puzzles. She was always ready for more advanced ones much earlier than the recommended ages. These were the first jigsaw puzzles my DD figured out: http://www.amazon.com/Djeco-First-Puzzles-In-Jungle/dp/B002SVE03W. They're very sweet because they are in the shape of the animal, not just the standard rectangle. I started her with the easiest 3-piece-one and it took her a couple of days to really get it by herself. Within 5 days she could do the 6 piece one and she steadily moved up from there, doing 50 pieces independently 5 months later. So your child may or may not be quite ready for puzzles, but it's a good item to keep in the back of your mind. Also, have you introduced crayons yet? :) As you know novelty is important to these kids, so while repetition has its place for all young children, new books, new songs, new environments, new languages feed their burning curiosity. Maybe put the older kids in charge of some of teaching/playing with him some so you can focus on the older ones? Soon enough he'll be chasing them down and out of your hair more I suspect. You may just be in the thick of it with him right now, and it will get easier.

Simultaneously is fine. If your child can figure out all the different sounds for the English vowels, adding in a single sound for most Spanish letters won't bother them. Follow his lead, and keep putting books in front of him :)

I'm in a PhD-rich university town, so a fair number of gifted kids in the public schools around campus. There is GT coordinator for the county, a fairly helpful website, and even a panel of teachers/parents who help guide GT education. I met with the GT coordinator last year and she says they try hard to match the best teacher to the child, especially for the HG/PG kids. I haven't experienced it first-hand yet, but my boss seems content with it for his daughter so far. She was identified at the end of K, has an IEP that is reviewed annually, and moves to another grade for math. For reading he said there are enough similar kids in her reading group that it works (she's probably 3 years advanced in reading; not sure about math). I think they have a weekly pull-out program as well, but don't know much about that. Of course, the coordinator said my daughter's Montessori school was probably a better fit as long as I could afford it. That remains to be seen!

Does your child already know English phonics, or this is first exposure? If your child already knows some English phonics, I would dive right in to reading simple children's books. Easy readers by P.D. Eastman were easy for my DD when she was learning to read in both English and subsequently Spanish. She was delighted in being able to read such a long book in Spanish (she initially read sections over multiple days). Any early readers are great. The Clifford Diccionario (http://www.amazon.com/gran-diccionario-Clifford-Spanish-Edition/dp/0545314348 ) has lots of great short sentences to practice with, and you could let your child pick which ones were of interest.

Thanks everyone! Seems like need for downtime doesn't change too much, but how they manage that need may vary as they mature. Glad my DD already self-regulates quite a bit on that front, as she needs more than most kids her age. More sleep, more downtime, more snuggles, more input... Busy brain and busy emotions!!

My DD has always done a fair bit of finding her own downtime when she needs it. I remember loud Christmas parties where I found her in a stranger's bedroom reading books off their shelves, happy as a clam. This Saturday we had 2 large family events (shyness came back after a year??! I wasn't prepared!), then listened to a book on the drive back, and I dropped her off at her best friend's house for a sleepover. I think having auditory input the whole way home was the wrong choice, because within 5 min of being at her friend's house she announced that she didn't want to help make the pizzas, she wanted to go outside and have some quiet time. I'm glad she can advocate for herself. Of course, she and her friend get in fights about it sometimes, as her friend's feelings get hurt that DD needs some alone time, and her friend's lack of empathy (in so many ways) is baffling and hurtful to my highly empathetic daughter. Quark - my DD is already closing her door and putting up signs that I have to knock first!!

I didn't want to take over another thread, but it got me to wondering.... If your AL child needed lots of quiet, contemplative downtime when they were young, did this continue as they got older, or did they grow out of it? Were they able to add in more EC activities as they matured, or did their ideal activity level stay fairly constant? I'm guessing this might be a personality trait that doesn't change too much despite age, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. It could certainly be developmental too I guess. I just found this a topic I was curious about and thought it might be interesting to others as well. I'm getting the feeling I'm more of a joiner than my daughter is, and maybe I need to accept that now while she's still young ;)

Of course, I have Spanish-speaking friends from other countries who learned most of their English from watching English movies, so immersion via media can certainly take you quite far. I think learning lots of vocabulary in the mean-time while you await better immersion opportunities should pay off in the end.

Thornton Burgess's book would be a good start for the 7 year old http://www.amazon.com/Burgess-Seashore-Children-Childrens-Classics/dp/0486442535 I just went to St. John with some friends this summer, including 5 kids (ages 5-12). Ahead of time, the kids studied and learned coral reef systems, learned ~100 species of fish, how to conduct surveys, etc. By snorkeling, we did some easy site comparison studies, based on habitat complexity (eel grass bed versus coral/hard substrate and/or mangroves). It was fairly straight-forward to compare # species and biodiversity indices. The older kids did the more complex analyses, and the younger ones made graphs. Each wrote up a lab report, with my scribing for the younger ones. They did a surprisingly good job! You could easily do this anywhere the water is clear enough. You could pick a few habitats along the edges of the ocean and compare abundance/diversity. Invertebrates and fish are going to be the easiest to work with, compared to birds/mammals, but it depends on if you can get out to the gulf stream in a boat or are just kayaking around the shoreline. Not sure if your 12 year old would be interested in Rachel Carson's The Edge of the Sea, or I see she also co-wrote The Sea Around Us, which I haven't read. It would be a great way to tie in air/water quality and determine which species are great indicators of healthy waters. Also a good time to learn about watersheds, and where the water comes up (take a trip inland to the headwaters of a river...so different!!) Looks like here's a neat resource: http://theoceanproject.org/action/book/2008april.php Sounds like an awesome year ahead!