[Something is wrong with my 9yo dd]

Could you encapsulate whatever virus she has and send it my way. I would love to see that sickness spread in my house. :hurray:

[Goat people.... Maybe Soph? HELP....Graphic pic.'s included]

4 month old bucks are very able to cover, but it still doesn't make much sense that her udder would fill so early. Could your buck kid have gotten to her earlier? I've heard that it is possible as young as 3 months. Is she tender? Have you tried to milk her? Very strange in deed. Good luck.

[Theory of Evolution -- do you avoid teaching it?]

My children have heard the term "evolution" but I don't teach it. They get a little bit of it here and there but I simply tell them that we don't need to wade through the mire to find the truth. God is willing to give it to us if we will ask and study His word. I compare my thinking to this. Say I am determined to buy a Toyota. In my mind, they are the best made cars, most reliable, etc. and my mind is made up. So why bother going to all the other dealers and check out their cars. And in the end come back to Toyota anyway. Waste of time and intelligence I think. (I'm not promoting Toyota here just using a hypothetical situation.) Just my opinion.

 

See, now my child has heard the term “creationism†and I have tried to explain this belief system to her so she can better understand others. Her paternal grandparents are staunch supporters. Her grandfather tried to explain that the dinosaurs got wiped out with the flood. Her response at age 3 was “How come God didn’t think they were good enough to go on the Ark with all of his other creations?†Then Grandpa tried to tell her the story of Adam and Eve, she listened attentively. Then asked “If Adam and Eve were the first people then who did their sons marry and what town did they go to?†…… hmmm

 

As far as predetermining something is best “say a Toyotaâ€. You are right, there is not much anybody can say to alter your perception. But if, just if you had no preconceived notions of what car is best “for you†and you did analytical and systematic research to determine what car would be best for you. I’d bet you would be far more satisfied in the long run even if it did turn out to be a Toyota.

 

I am not picking on you by any means. :cheers2: This just goes to show that there are so many pedagogical differences within this particular methodology by which we are all linked. Very, very interesting.

 

BTW this has been a most fascinating and entertaining thread, a sure cure all for insomnia.

[Please Share Your 3rd Grade Plans and Curriculums Here!]

We are midway through 3rd but this is what we do:

 

Language arts: Voyages in English, Exercises in English, Sequential Spelling, Literature reading, D'Nealian Cursive

 

History: History Odyssey Early Modern level 1

 

Math: Singapore 3A/B, Challenging Word Problems, Intensive Practice, Extra Practice, Multiplication flash cards

 

Latin: Latin for Children Primer A

 

Science: My Pals are Here (Singapore Science) Diversity, Cycles, Systems, HOTS, Homework and labs

 

Art: Artistic Pursuits, Private sketching lessons

 

Music: Story of the Orchestra, piano and guitar lessons

 

Philosophy: Young person's guide to Philosophy

 

Economics: Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Jr.

 

Logic: Mind Benders

[Favorite spelling curric for 3rd grader?]

Sequential Spelling is working well for us.

[I Need Help: What Life Science Curriculum Do You Recommend for 3rd Grade?]

We started with R.E.A.L. for Life and Earth Space and loved it, but Pandia wasn't putting out the books fast enough. Although it doesn't exactly fit the WTM schedule in the primary grades we switched to My Pals are Here 2nd edition 3/4. I am partial to the Singapore curriculum since they do tend to lead the way in Math and Science. BTW, we got all the extra things with MPH; HOTS, Homework and WB's. Love it!

[Is it better to graduate at 17 or 18?]

These have all been very interesting perspectives from a question that I ponder frequently. I was 15 when I started my senior year of high school. Academically I could have graduated the year before but my boarding school did not allow early graduation; I was able to get several college credits before I graduated at age 16. I was very socially and emotionally mature. Even though at the time I thought I would die of embarrassment having a nun drive me to college, I turned out okay.

My DD has also been blessed with accelerated learning abilities. Like all of you, we school in a classical method that follows the trivium. I feel she is getting an even better education than I received. However, she too is on track of not only graduating at 16 but of hopefully having her associate degree at that time too. I occasionally worry that I am pushing her too much, but her testing and retention show different. I’m not sure what evaluating her “emotional maturity†actually means. Five minutes ago she jumped off the back of the couch with a towel around her shoulders shouting something in Latin. She knows her multiplication tables but doesn’t remember to put the milk away after getting her cereal. Yesterday I found a smelly, mouldy, and wadded up bathing suit under her bed.

I guess what I am saying is that I don’t think academic acceleration or deceleration by one or two years (according to public school norm) is that big of a deal. The great thing about homeschooling is that there is no peer pressure about being older or younger. As long as they are going at a pace suitable for them and one that allows them to be kids (however weird they may be). OMGosh, our dog just walked by in a tutu……

[Singapore ladies.....Question please.....]

We use Intensive Practice and Challenging Word Problems, I buy Extra Practice every year (It's only $9.00 or something like that for both A & B) but have only use it if there was a concept she needed extra work on. We didn't use EP at all last year. My DD is very "Mathy", IP and CWP work keeps her from running wildly ahead and they give me some peace of mind that she is conceptualizing well.

[Voyages in English]

Hello,

I am a self described abhorrer of “English” (as we called it back then). It is not my first language and so it was very important to me that my Dd got everything she could out of a language arts curriculum for fear that I may not be useful.

 

My search led me to Voyages in English. We’ve used VIE 1 and 2 and are currently in 3. I love it. Lessons are very well laid out. Dd (7) is a busy worker and enjoys all of her assignments. We plan on staying with it through 8th, if only for the consistency factor. It is completely secular.

 

So far the writing has proven rather motivational; Dd is constantly doing writing projects on her own. I am always reassessing and if I find her writing skills lacking I will supplement, but that is not the case now. Grammatically she was able to begin Latin for Children primer A and thoroughly understood all the parts of speech, so I was happy there.

 

For literature we mostly stay in tune with our current level of History Odyssey and other grade appropriate classical literature suggested by WTM. On her own reading she reads the Magic Tree House series, Little House on the Prairie series, etc. We also use Sequential Spelling and D’Neilian for penmanship.

 

I hope you find my opinion useful, but it is just an opinion. There is no way of knowing for sure until you dig in and give it a fair chance. ;)

 

Best Regards,

[What have been hits and misses this year at your house?]

I had to chime in. I do extensive reseach on all of our curriculum and am so happy to report it has paid off.

 

Just 7 DD, Happy B-day Baby

 

We LOVE:

 

• Singapore Math (middle of 2A)Text, WB, Intensive Practice, Extra Practice, Challenging Word Problems, Home Instructors Guide by Sonlight. DD is math crazy; I think one extra WB would suffice, but....
  
• History Odyssey (about to start Middle Ages level 1, Ancients was a blast!)We do most all the extra reading and activities, though lite on STOW
  
• Voyages in English (we love the writting workshops, just started 2)
  
• Spelling Power
  
• English from the Roots Up (we have fun with this)
  
• Trail Guide to the World
  
• Trail Guide to the US
  
• R.E.A.L. Science by Pandia Press (did Life, doing Earth and really concerned that there is no more)
  
• Artistic Pursuits (Great)
  
• Junie B. Jones (all of them, DD loved them, I wasn't crazy about the attitude of the character but it gave DD an insight to PS)
  
• Magic Tree House (Love these)

and I would not be able to cope with lesson plans, scheduling etc without....

Homeschool Traker Plus!!! It is a must for me!

 

Thanks for letting me share