Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

threeturn

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    416

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by threeturn

    How do I get my kids out of this crazy sleep cycle?

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    I feel your pain. All three of mine do that. We live really close to a time zone change and it starts getting light here about 5:00 am. Guess what time they wake up? :rolleyes:

     

    If we have been out late, they might sleep until 6:30 or so. And a nap really messes the older two up -- they will be up until 10 and still awake the next morning. Also, I hate laying the bigger ones down at 6:30 to go to sleep. They will go to sleep at that time if they have been up since early and going all day. I just want them to sleep in a bit, do the day, and then be able to stay up until 7:30 or 8 and we can enjoy the evening sometimes.

     

    Thanks for the shade idea. It is worth a shot.

     

    Pam

    The 17 day diet - A review and very early results

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    Everyone is doing great!

     

    Day 8 here and I was down almost 4lbs yesterday. I have not been as strict as I should be (Who knew the field peas I shelled and cooked fresh were not "cleansing" vegetables? I ate them anyway.) I also have not been getting the exercise in like I should. Am trying to improve but it will be tough this week with DH gone.

     

    I am happy with the quick weight loss because I really just wanted my pants to feel comfortable again as quickly as possible. Over all, though, I have about 15 pounds to lose (so 11 more) and I don't know if I will stick with this diet or not. I have issues with certain foods being off limits -- really makes me want to binge on them. After the first 17 days I may switch to the new WW program to take the rest off at a slower pace. I have had success on WW before.

     

    One of the things in the book that I loved was when he said that you would always be on some kind of diet. I need to think like that all of the time. Sure, I can have some cheat days and weekends, but my brain really needs to be set that I am constantly "dieting" so I am putting the right things in my mouth. Otherwise I seem to have no self-control.

     

    Good luck to everyone with it!

     

    Pam

    WHERE in your house do you homeschool?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I have a large school/family room with desks which we use occasionally. We migrate to all over the house, even the bathroom when I get ready for work. The next house I think I just need a storage area.:001_smile:

     

    This is us. The house we are living in now has a dedicated school room. I designed it myself, it was an important part of our addition, and we have used it some. When we started looking for our new house I told a very surprised DH that we did not need a dedicated space; learning happens where life happens and shouldn't be isolated to one spot. We really seem to enjoy schooling everywhere more.

     

    Our new house will have a family room area in an upstairs bonus room which will house computers and books and most of the supplies, but we will have baskets full of our current items downstairs and will just "do school" where the mood strikes us each day. Since we are also somewhat delight directed, pulling out certain items into a basket downstairs allows me to focus their interests in specific directions if they don't have anything else going on -- kind of a focused strewing. We also tend to move about for different things -- morning basket (memorization, faith, and Spanish) at the breakfast table, read alouds on the couch or a bed at bedtime, math games on the living room floor, art on the back porch, etc.

     

    Pam

    What are your plans for gas price hikes? (re: driving)

    in General Education Discussion Board

    Posted

    How hard was it to sell your house?

     

    Dawn

     

    I almost hate to say it, but it was really easy. We had one showing and an offer in eight days (did not beat our former record of a sale in eight hours though :D). They did low ball us at first, but we held firm until they came up to what we wanted to get. We prayed daily and also asked St. Joseph for his intercession each day as well; we go straight to the power-players for results. ;) I really think this move was God's will for us as we will be able to be so much more involved in our parish now.

     

    All of that said, from a practical standpoint we are located about five miles from an Army post. Areas like this typically have their own micro-economies that are not as affected by the larger picture with the turn over of service members and contractors. Our house is also only five years old and has four bedrooms. All of these things certainly worked in our advantage. We did lose a little bit of equity in the sale, but the similar house we bought in the next town (definite buyer's market there) was significantly less, so it all came out even in the end.

    Can I start K this month?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    We started in April last year with reading then added math, handwriting and FIAR little by little until last fall. DD was almost five when we started. Now we have an 18mo in the house who is wrecking havoc on everything and are moving so we have been on "summer break" since mid April and hope to start again after July 4. Make it work for you. You are in charge.

    Are all kids capable of mental math?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    It takes some time and work and experience to pick the easiest strategy...but yes, any typically developing child can learn this sort of thing given a teacher who will put in the effort to teach them.

     

    :iagree: I think this is it.

     

    I knew my multiplication facts inside and out, but I always wondered how they did those huge mental math problems in Little House on the Prairie. Problem was, I had never been taught anything other than the standard algorithm and was trying to draw that in my head and solve it -- no manipulation, composing, or decomposing of numbers. Now that I have spent quite a bit of time researching how to teach math to my kids I am much better at mental math -- and pretty ticked off that no one ever bothered to teach me the easy way :glare:

    How Do Your Organize Your Extra Resources?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I have physical places to store these items and I put the PDFs on my computer and use the search function to find things -- that is not a problem. I guess what I am asking is how do you organize the ideas. If you are teaching a particular topic what is the easiest way to figure out all of the ideas from these resources you may have to use with the topic. How do you put them in one place so they are at your fingertips. Clear as mud?

    How Do Your Organize Your Extra Resources?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Does anyone have a method for organizing their non-curriculum book resources so they will remember what they have? I have three of the Peggy Kaye books, Family Math, Right Start Games, two more math books and an extra book of writing activities, etc. And then I just loaded up with more at the Scholastic sale. My question is, does anyone have a good organizational system for all of those extra ideas and activities. Say, if we are working on addition, I would love to be able to see at a glance what addition activities/games I have and where they are located.

     

    I am thinking of a folder for various topics (addition, poetry writing, Ancient Greeks). Anything that I can print from a blog or ebook can go in there. Then in the front I can place a handwritten list or computer printout of other ideas for that topic that I can reference in the books. Does anyone have something similar.

     

    My only other thought is to simply choose one resource book and go through and do all of the activities we can do, put that aside and then work through the next one. We love these games and activities. I just want us to get the best use from them without feeling overwhelmed.

     

    Thoughts and ideas?

     

    Thanks,

    Pam

    How do I explain homeschooling to a 4 year old?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    I also second the suggestion to get involved with a homeschool group. We have been since my DD was three. Her HS friends range in age from three to 14 and she sees that schooling option as a positive one.

     

    The little girl next door went to K this year. I think DD started to realize how lucky she is when every time she asked if they could play I had to tell her that neighbor girl was still in school.

     

    Good luck,

    Pam

    Is there a first grade science like SOTW?

    in K-8 Curriculum Board

    Posted

    Boscopup - I can see your point. The closest thing I have found is The Outdoor Secrets with companion activity guide at Simply Charlotte Mason. That is a short nature study course, though, not a science curriculum.

     

    I think what appeals to me most about Elemental is that it is exactly how I would plan it out if I had the time (and the expertise). Since I have neither I will have to overlook the grammatical errors. :)

     

    We have decided to start now with ES Intro. My daughter is so pleased that she is now going to get to do science every day. :D That will give us time to evaluate where we want to go from there.

     

    Thanks again,

    Pam

×
×
  • Create New...