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airforcefamily

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Everything posted by airforcefamily

  1. Art can be done without each lesson turning into a major project and hands on science can be accomplished without involved experiments. For example, an art 'project' can be as simple as a sheet of paper and a drawing pencil. No need to always involve paste and popsicle sticks (or other craft supplies). Seeing science in action can be as easy as putting some baking soda in a dish while cooking and inviting the kids to watch while a little vinegar is sprinkled on it then talking about what happened or just explaining what is going in when a log is burning in the fireplace or why that apple that was left in the fridge too long is now soft. Lots of interesting learning can take place without kits, special supplies, or messes - particularly at a preschool level.
  2. For just one month when you want to visit several cities staying in hotels might work better. If you're based somewhere central you'll spend tons of time driving and looking for parking, just sitting in traffic can use a couple hours a day and cause you to spend way more in gas than you figured. You can see a lot more of a city if you park at a hotel and use it as a home base for a few days or a week instead if driving in from another location every day. Watch out for parking fees too, a garage in a major city can run $5-10 per HOUR. If you have a hotel near where you are sightseeing you can also stop back there during the day to have lunch rather than having to eat out.
  3. I'm not sure I would skip ahead with that particular program but you could move really quickly with the first few levels (maybe offer a reward for completing the 'boring' work). There are lots of other programs that can be picked up without starting from the beginning although most of them are workbook based from what I've seen, they might be a better fit for a child who picks up spelling easily anyway.
  4. We don't do many craft projects either and only necessary science experiments. The kids don't mind, when I bring out craft supplies they're not into it so we stick with art projects. You tube videos of science experiments can work to explain the concept without the hassle and mess - I know my kids would never know what happens when mentos are put in diet coke if we had to do it ourselves!
  5. Pencil cap erasers Hinged metal rings so papers can be taken out of a binder but kept together Clipboards for doing work away from desks or tables The best glue sticks I've found are the blue gel Elmer's ones but lately I've only seen them in mixed packs with the regular purple kind.
  6. I've never thought about being bothered by it. Things were different when the book was written. If every book was sanitized and made to align with current values reading wouldn't be nearly as interesting. I don't intend this to be anything against the person who wrote the original post but what I find more disturbing than books with outdated themes is that people want books with plot lines or characters that are no longer considered politically correct to be 'fixed'. The term 'thought police' comes to mind.
  7. I agree about offering classes and going from there. The problem often comes down to price. In my experience few homeschoolers are able and/or willing to pay the sums of money mentioned in a previous post. At least in this area, $18-20/hour is getting towards the higher end of the price range for private lessons. Even supply heavy classes like science and art are maybe $10/hour at the very, very most, including all the supplies and assuming a small class size of five or fewer students. A big city would probably have more families interested in classes but I know many places have a hard time getting classes together unless its free or almost free.
  8. Was wondering the same thing. Maybe they are just printing off copies when ordered and using a home binding machine? Does anyone know how big the company is? For the amount of items offered it seems they would have to have several employees and a small warehouse. Maybe that's the problem, it's just one or two people trying to run the show themselves. It seems odd that they don't go to conventions and that many people order books from them then receive the books directly from amazon.
  9. Have you found anything about the language arts programs? I'm not sure I would read a statement about note booking pages and take it to mean the 'write in readers' from the language arts program are also in black and white.
  10. My understanding after talking with them is that the digital files are in color. If you're so inclined you can print them in color yourself or have an office store print in color for you but if you do not buy the digital file and opt to purchase already printed materials directly from wp everything you receive, except for title pages, will be in black and white. FWIW, the paper/binding is pretty basic. It's standard copy paper, standard print quality, full color cover page, with a basic wire spiral and thin plastic 'cover' on the front and back. Nothing to complain abuout as far as quality goes but nothing to rave about either.
  11. That was another excuse given.... Our website is so big we don't even know where it says everything is in black and white. Ummmmmmmm, if you can't find it do you really expect your customers to be able to? I've been looking and looking and still can't find anything. They also said the information is in their catalog but I can't find it there either. Why not just be upfront and honest about your product instead of hiding behind a complicated, flashy website? If it's a good product with reasonable customer service people will buy it.
  12. I've done both house cleaning and a babysitter. The babysitter worked out a lot better. After several months she decided to focus on extracurricular activities and was no longer able to babysit and I haven't found anyone else. Having a maid was ok but really was a pain sometimes. She charged nearly three times what the babysitter did and I had to have everything cleaned up before she got there then figure out how to entertain all the kids while following them around picking up every single little thing so the maid could clean. Picking up is the time consuming part anyway and after awhile I got to the point where I didn't know why I was going to all that hassle to pay someone when I had to do all the hard work and do it on their schedule anyway. For example, I had to take everything off the counter and off the floor of the bathroom before she would clean it. I'm not someone who thinks bathtubs need to be scrubbed down weekly and she wasn't willing to change her standard routine so I was spending ten minutes putting everything in a box, taking the box to the closet, then bringing it back out after she left plus paying around $10 for the time she spent cleaning the bathroom. All in exchange for having an already clean tub re scrubbed, the floor quickly mopped, and the cleared counters, sink, and toilet wiped down. For the same amount of money I could pay someone to watch the kids for over an hour, spend 15 minutes getting the bathroom up to my standards, then have lots of time left to clean other things, do schoolwork with the older kids, or relax.
  13. Hearing all these stories about refund problems I'm going to get a tracking number for the box, take pictures of everything before I send it back to be able to prove the condition, and contact my bank five days after they receive the package if they have not issued a refund. I'm pretty sure the bank will refund the purchase and deal with the company themselves. The more I read the more surprised I am that they are still business.
  14. Winter promise finally got back to me regarding their program being in black and white when the sample was in color. They admitted their website is not clear and does not explain the discrepancy. They said their catalog does have a line about it. i couldnt find anything in the 2012 catalog they sent with the order. I do not have access to their new catalog and did not have access to any catalog when ordering. The 2013 catalog has not been printed yet and since we have to pay per gigabite for internet I do not download large files. They went into again how expensive color printing is and how the cost of color printing is the reason the program is printed in black and white - um, not really the issue but I listened to it again. After listening to the 'color printing is expensive' speech they offered, for the inconvenience, a $20 credit towards another program. Another program would cost $15 just to have shipped so it's really only $5 towards another $150ish purchase. I declined the offer and said I'd prefer to return it. They said I can pack it in the box they sent it in but it would have to be sent priority mail again. They said it would be cheaper for me to find a different box and send it media mail. I asked if I was being expected to pay to return it. They said yes and that their return policy is clear. I stated again that I had purchased it based on the incomplete information they had in their website then I asked if I would be reimbursed for the total order price, including the $15 shipping to me or just the cost of the items (meaning I would be out around $25 plus the time/expense/hassle of driving all the kids ten miles away to the post office). Long story short they finally agreed to reimburse me for the shipping costs both ways. I hope they don't hold up the refund, I plan to call daily after I know they have received the package. I still don't like saying anything bad about a homeschool company but this experience has been enough of a bother for me to want to warn people. Initially they were very polite (when I was placing the order) but once there was a problem they came across as defensive and condescending without much to say besides excuses.
  15. I was just wondering the same thing. If I'm going to keep materials and never sell them why would matter if I copy some of the pages for my younger kids to use? I can see the company not wanting people to do that and would rather they purchase additional copies for other children but what is fair, legal use of purchased material?
  16. Printing costs definately matter. As I've said, it's sort of an aside to the real issue of misrepresentation of the product and is just something to think about. A program printed in black ink on basic white copy paper should cost less to buy than one printed in color or on sturdier paper. I expect to pay more for a hardcover book compared with the same book in softcover because of printing costs, not because the author put more work into the hardcover edition. The argument could also extend into the extra work involved in creating the full color program I thought I was buying. Maybe it's not true but I would think it would be more effort to create a program with color headings and illustrations than a program with no color incorporated.
  17. I wrote out the cost to show what they are charging per page compared with reasonable printing costs per page. As I said, they should be making a profit on their work but since black and white copies are so very inexpensive they seem to be marking their product up quite a bit more than other companies. Just for comparison: Explode the code book 3 costs around $9 and is 110 black and white pages. That's about 8 cents per page. First language lessons workbook for level 3 costs about $15 and is 343 pages for a price per black and white page 4.3 cents.
  18. I don't want to bad mouth them. They've been really nice when I've spoken with them on the phone. I think a few people know what company I'm talking about since they are sort of notorious for having a no resale policy. So, it can be resold and can be copied for personal use? I'm certainly not planning to copy it then sell the original but, for the price, it would be nice to copy the pages that will be written on (maybe 1/3 of them) so if we choose to reuse it for the younger kids I can take out the used pages, put the new ones in, and put the spiral binding back on. I'm going to try and write a polite email to the company tonight and see what they say. I can't find any information in their return policy which doesn't look good. Maybe they'll be willing to partially refund the purchase price (how much could they really have spent printing it off and binding the pages, $25?) or will be willing to give a discount on another item I've been looking at.
  19. I purchased a language arts set from a relatively small curriculum company. The samples on their website are full color. Nowhere in the online or catalog descriptions does it say anything about the printed books not being in color. I purchased the printed books and not downloads just for convenience and because I assumed the printing would be in color and generally nicer than I could do myself. I received the materials and while I really like the program it turns out its just black and white printouts/copies that were spiral bound. The cover page of each is printed in color but that's it, the rest is not like the samples. I still want to use the program but I'm really disappointed that the product does not match the sample. Had the price been half what we paid I would be ok with it but I feel like the price was too high for what it is, especially considering they have a policy of no photocopies for your own family use and no resale. If it turns out not to be a good program for us we can't resell it and I can't make copies of the consumable pages so the younger kids can use it when they're older. I certainly want the company to earn a fair profit. The whole set amounts to about 800 black and white pages, some are spiral bound and others are loose but punched to put in a binder. With a package discount it was still over $150 plus shipping costs that were on the high side of average. Not including shipping costs it amounts to about 20 cents per black and white page. 20 cents seems like a fair price if it were in color but for regular copies it seems quite high. I'm not sure if I should bring this up to the company. I like it and don't want to return it but I do feel the product was misrepresented and the price was too high for what we received. Update: Called them and was told 'there is something, somewhere on the website that says it's too expensive to print in color so printed materials are in black and white'. I explained that I'm not upset about the product being in black and white but what bothers me is that it was clearly represented as being in color and my decision to purchase was based on the information available. I asked for the webpage that states printed items are not the same as the sample. They're going to call me back since they didn't even know themselves. They kept saying over and over how expensive printing in color would be. I finally said that I know it's expensive to print in color but $155 for one year of elementary language arts means I purchased an expensive program. I said that had I known the printed materials were the same as I could print at home with a laser printer I would have done the ebook version. I sort of felt the whole tone of the conversation was mocking, like they thought it was funny someone could be so slow as to think the samples were the same as the product and not just a representation of what you could do with the digital file if you decided to purchase it that way then print it out in color. I'll update again after they call back but I have a feeling I'm going to be out $30 in shipping to return it.
  20. I would wait to get things until they seem to be needed. When we started homeschooling I went out and bought a bunch of 'must haves' that we never used. If I was there again I would get the curriculum we were planning to use (no extras or buying ahead) and look around the house for basic office supplies then wait to see what's needed. It's easy to buy something when and if its needed but can be difficult to sell things you find you don't have a use for. You'll probably find a bunch of things the first couple weeks of school that you realize would be great to have, maybe a globe and dictionary. Then after that things will just come up. Maybe you'll be thinking about how to explain a certain math concept that is coming up the following week and find a manipulative to order or you'll come up with an art project and take a trip to the craft store to pick up the supplies. My best advice is to invest in quality items once you know they will be used. A single package of really good colored pencils gets more use than twenty packs of the inexpensive ones from the back to school sales. The summer sales are great for things like glue and paper that you can be almost sure you will use but even inexpensive supplies can become a burden if you buy what you don't need or don't have a place to put them. I should say that I like to keep things simple if possible. We have some little pencil top erasers so I won't have to deal with big erasers on the floor or getting lost. We don't have a printer set up since when we did I found myself printing things we didn't really need to use then having to buy folders and binders to keep all those extra papers in. We regularly get rid of books we don't need to avoid feeling like the house is cluttered with shelves.
  21. We have three little ones running around while the older two do their work. I really think your oldest needs to learn to either work, or at least read, independently in another room or learn to deal with the noise. Maybe a set of earmuffs like people with noisy jobs wear? They make them in child sizes.
  22. I also can't stand books like that but I don't think they're harmful and I understand why the kids like them. That said, I have a rule that I will not buy them or read them. If they want to pick them out at the library or ask for them as gifts from other people they can either read/look at them themselves or ask someone else to read them. I'm surprised anyone would think it's mean not to read them. I think it's ok to tell kids that you are not willing to be miserable while doing something simply because they find that activity entertaining. Music is a good example. I don't put on radio Disney in the car because I can't stand listening to it. When they are old enough to take care of their own portable radio and headphones then they can listen to it just like how they can read whatever age appropriate book they want when they learn to read.
  23. I wouldn't worry it being moved. Just save the plastic locking bolts so you can hold the drum still while it's being moved. Our front loader has been moved six times with no problems (some of these were cross country moves).
  24. Decided this year to purchase appropriately desks for the older ones and a child sized table for the younger ones after years of everyone being uncomfortable at a regular table. The desks, table, and chairs are from community playthings. The desks and table have adjustable legs so they should work as comfortable workspaces for years.
  25. One person's improvement is another person's regression. I think it would be great if all children receive what I think of as a good education but I would prefer everyone have the freedom to educate their children as they see fit even if it means some parents teach that dinosaurs were used to pull plows. Standards must be written by a person or group before implementation and therefore will always have some bias, preventing them from encompassing what everyone accepts as facts. As long as there are no huge problems with a child's education (I don't think errors in some historical facts is that much of a problem) I'm not ok with the collective 'we' deciding what improvements to make or what standard to hold families to.
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