hsmamainva
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Posts posted by hsmamainva
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I don't have any experience with Singapore, but my 8 year old is using TT Math 5 and loving it. (He used BJU Math prior to this...levels K through 4th)
I'm almost wishing I'd gone with Math 6 because Math 5 is almost too easy for him....but I'm hoping that's just because it's the beginning of the book and that means 'built-in review'.
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I can certainly relate!!
My oldest is a senior this year and will be graduating. Out of my circle of friends whom I started on this homeschool journey with, 90% have put their children into school at some point along the way.
We moved to another state 3 years ago and our local homeschool group doesn't have any children over the age of 12...so I'm having to drive 30 minutes to find a homeschool group with teenagers.
I noticed it around middle school age and definitely by high school age. When their children hit 9th grade, they started dropping like flies. Some had husbands who wanted their children to go to high school for the 'social opportunities' and a few had children who wanted to go to high school for sports (Little League and other county teams end around the age of 12 or so).
I also live in a rural area, so that makes it even harder!! But...it's made my children closer than they would be if they had a huge circle of friends and tons of outside activities. (As I type this, my 17 year old is in the basement playing with my 6 year old and our Thomas the Tank Engine trainset! :D)
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I love R&S English!!! In my opinion, you don't need an extra writing program (unless your child wants to do more writing than what's required for R&S)
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I have two children with special needs -- two different learning styles!
My 14 year old needed something hands-on, so that he could "see" 1+2 = 3.
We used Math-U-See for him and it was wonderful!! The Primer set is the first one you would order and I think it's $55 for the set plus the cost for a box of manipulative blocks (which you only have to buy once). And it runs through 12th grade; should it work for your child, you'd never have to leave the curriculum!
My 6 year old, however, is a very visual learner. She loves colorful workbooks. She has severe language delays, so I didn't want to use anything that required a great deal of "language" on my part (for instance, she could never follow a Saxon math lesson which requires a great deal of scripted conversation).
She used Abeka math for Kindergarten, and she's using Abeka again this year for 1st grade. It moves very quickly, however, so I'm aware that, at some point, it may become too much for her and I'll have to switch, but...for now, it's working! I purchased the workbook and the test and drill book for around $30 and I found a teacher's manual for $5 at a used book sale.
Best wishes on your search!!
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Since your little girl is young, I would start by ordering catalogs.
Sonlight comes to mind, as it's our favorite! It's a Christian curriculum, however, it's not a "we're good and they're bad" type of Christian curriculum. It's not preach-y. They believe in exposing children to all philosophies and beliefs, including world religions, evolution, etc. There's a yahoo group for those who use Sonlight secularly. (I think it's called Sonlight Secular). I had a friend in an old homeschool group who was an athiest and happily using Sonlight....she just skipped the Bible section, which is sold separately. If she reached a book about missionaries or something she didn't want to read, she chose something else from the library or a classic children's book.
Sonlight is a literature-based curriculum, so you and your child do alot of reading / reading aloud, etc.
You could also research unit studies, if you think you'd like something hands-on. (I'm not an arts-and-crafts type of person, but some folks are!)
You could request a catalog from Rainbow Resource. It's the size of a telephone book - I'm not kidding!! And packed with curriculum choices and descriptions.
You could also find a homeschool group in your area, so you can get to know some of the moms and ask what they're using for curriculum...some have used book sales where you can actually see the curriculum in person, which is always nice!
Search for a homeschool convention in your area (or state).
Look for homeschooling books at your local library.
(Btw...I enjoyed this stage! I started researching homeschooling when my oldest was 2 1/2. I joined a homeschool group before she was even 4. I felt like I knew what I was doing - for the most part! - when we finally started homeschooling preschool / Kindergarten).
Happy researching!! :)
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I heard that, too, but McCain's staff is denying it, but...who knows?
I think he's supposed to make his announcement Friday.
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I'm glad we were able to help!!
Btw....here's a link to a web search. You fill out the form and check the appropriate boxes and it will tell you of any optometrists in your area who are developmental optometrists, as well as ones who do vision therapy (not all optometrists do this ... we had to drive 30 minutes to find one for our son)
But you can click the boxes for 'reading problems' and 'developmental delays', and be sure to check 'yes' in the box that reads 'does this provider offer vision therapy?'
http://www.optometrists.org/eye_doctors.html
Please keep us posted!!!
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Have you ever had her vision tested? That is where I would start. Your pediatrician should be able to recommend someone to evaluate her beyond that. My ds12 is farsighted and needs reading glasses - the kind most folks don't get until they're in their 40s. It could be something as simple as that.
This is something else to consider as well!!!!
After my son was diagnosed with autism, I assumed that any and all learning problems were due to his autism -- which can be the case! But, with my son, he was still having trouble reading. I noticed it when he started reading books on a 4th grade level (real, true chapter books, if you understand me...the kind without a giant space between each sentence).
So I asked him one day, "Do you have trouble reading?" He said, "Well...I do okay until the words fall off the paper and onto my lap."
Yikes!!!!!
So I found a developmental optometrist and took him in for an evaluation. He needed something called vision therapy. He had the tracking skills of a 4 year old (and he was 13!!). He was also found to be severely nearsighted, so he needed reading glass and bifocals (the bifocals help with the visual tracking).
He completed 10 weeks of vision therapy and his reading improved 2-3 grade levels in 10 weeks (from a barely 4th grade to 6th / 7th grade).
You'd have to see if your insurance would cover it...some do, some don't. If it isn't covered, it's expensive!! $2000 for 10 weeks.
(But...you can always start with an evaluation by a developmental optometrist and see if she even needs it -- and the regular vision exam they do is always a good thing to do).
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If you have health insurance, start with your primary care provider (that way, any referrals to specialists are covered).
You would likely be referred to a neurodevelopmental psychologist (that's who diagnosed our oldest son). He was 5 at the time. It took months to get an appointment, so be prepared for that! Anyway...they talked to us for a good 30-45 minutes, taking a case history and all that (so write down all developmental milestones and when they were achieved because they'll ask you all of that). Write down any concerns you have about her and be sure to mention those.
Then, after talking to us, we left to go into the waiting room and she did some testing with my son, which he loved, btw!! Things like puzzles and other things like that, engaging him in conversation to check for language delays and so forth.
And then, we were notified in the mail that he was autistic (no 'warm and fuzzy phone call' I'm afraid...just boom, he has autism).
With my daughter, we went through ChildFind because she was younger (2 1/2) and it was free and run by the local county health department. With your daughter being 8, your only options are the public school system (don't go that route if you can afford to do otherwise!!!) or the medical field.
I hope this helps!!
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Perhaps she could benefit from a reading curriculum that isn't phonics-based?
I have two children on the autism spectrum (my son, who is 14, and and my daughter, who is 6).
Alpha Phonics was great for my son because it doesn't look 'baby-ish' (he was also 8 when we used it and he didn't want anything that looked like it was written for a Kindergartener or 1st grader)
My son couldn't tell the difference between the short-vowel sounds (ba, be, bi, bo, bu, etc.). Alpha Phonics uses a word-ladder approach (ball, call, hall, tall, wall, etc.) He loved it!! And he learned to read very well. I used Alpha Phonics and the 1st grade Pathway Readers for the first year (that was 3rd grade, I believe) and then we moved into Sonlight Core 2 in 4th grade (which uses books like Frog and Toad, Dr. Seuss, etc.)
With my 6 year old, I'm using Pathway Readers and workbooks. Pathway Readers use alot of sight words, and my daughter, who went to public school for Kindergarten and learned how to read some simple words (like 'come', 'go', 'see', etc.) can already read a few of the sentences. When I tried to work with her using Explode the Code, she didn't have a clue how to blend, even though she knew the individual letters and their sounds.
So I ordered a new set of workbooks for the 1st grade Pathway Readers, and a set of the flashcards that you can order to go with it and it's working well so far!!
I hope this helps a little!!
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Your position is right, Erica!
A person can only choose when God enables him or her *to* choose. Which logically means that there are others whom God has not chosen (that's where the debate becomes sticky).
BUT we're to share the Gospel with ALL because no person can know whom God has chosen (and that person merely hasn't heard the Word from others).
God elects and chooses ... we are merely the 'sharers of the message'.
Another way to explain free will and election is .. if God could choose you, and you could not accept -- or God could not choose you and you could accept Him -- that would make your will greater than God's will and that would be impossible -- with Him being God and all that. :)
Hope this helps a little!!
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Born and raised in the Presbyterian church --- still a firm Calvinist
For several years, I attended the PCRT conference on Reformed Theology in Philadelphia with RC Sproul and Alastair Begg and Michael Horton.
Proud reader of the Credenda Agenda.
I used to be in the Christian Fellowship / Debate chatroom on a server called Prodigy years ago...I had several good friends (Borg and Credenda .. I was GraceAlone) and we were often in the center of massive predestination debates .... Hmmmm..... I wonder how they knew we were reformed???? :rolleyes:
Ahhhh...I have since matured.
Sometimes I miss having a good ol' religious debate on whether or not we have free will :D
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My boys are die-hard Star Wars fans....of the "regular movies", if that makes sense.
They're very unsure about seeing the new movie, because it's animated.
What's your opinion about the new animated movie? Did your kids like it, especially if they adore the 'usual ones'?
Thanks in advance!!
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My boys will be thrilled!! They loved the first one!!
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hs - stands for home school
mama - that's easy!
inva - in Virginia
Boring ... I know! :sleep:
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I have two children on the spectrum. My oldest son (14 yrs old) has high functioning autism / Aspergers and my youngest daughter (6 yrs old) has a more moderate form of autism (although she's pretty high functioning)
My 14 year old, when he was younger, was very sound sensitive. He didn't like loud noises at all. Thunderstorms would send him into the bathroom, where he'd turn on the water, and the fan, and wear a walkman with headphones to drown it out (he still doesn't like thunderstorms, but he no longer hides in the bathroom!).
He's obsessed with Star Wars, videogames, and Legos. In a way, it can drive me up a wall .. but, on the other hand, when he gets together with other boys, it gives him something to talk about that they enjoy as well.... almost a connection, if you will, so that makes it tolerable!
He has an amazing memory!! He loves to memorize dates, places, presidents, etc. He needs to go on Jeopardy or something. I can give him a year and he can tell me the president who was in office at the time in the blink of an eye.
When he was younger, he could recite Spongebob episodes, from beginning to end, without any mistakes, from memory.
He can be very talkative -- in the extreme, but he's gotten better about it! He does have the traditional Asperger's clumsiness and often drops things or walks into objects (he's also tall for his age and that makes it more challenging, too!)
He's a very good worker, but he can be easily overwhelmed and is something of a perfectionist. He loves art and he can draw very well.
Now...my youngest daughter (age 6). She has language delays which complicate hers (as opposed to Asperger's). She's very bright, very visual, and also has an amazing memory. When she was very little, if you told her you were going to the bank, and you didn't turn down the right street, she'd scream.
She doesn't like crowds...and she can be overwhelmed in new situations. She's very routine-oriented and can handle most things, if she's warned about them ahead of time.
She loves water and art supplies (playdoh, paints, crayons, etc.). She has many typical autistic traits that my older son never had (such as flapping her hands when she's excited). She has numerous parroted phrases that she uses all the time (since true conversational language is extremely hard for her).
She enjoys learning...and loves to 'do school'. Math is her favorite subject.
Hope this helps a little!
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Oh yeah!!!!
Die hard Redskins fans here!!!
I also love college football! I've been an Auburn fan for years (ever since my cousin attended there back in the 80's)
My two boys have a family feud going...my oldest son loves UVA and my younger son loves Virginia Tech -- so that makes Saturdays very interesting around here!!! (The same thing happens during basketball season! My oldest son loves North Carolina and my younger son loves Duke!)
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Wow!!! What a story! I'd never heard that before!
Thanks for posting!
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I had a party on Saturday, and we were all laughing about how we managed to befuddle our doctors/nurses/etc during labor because we were fully dialated and pushing but so focused, calm and collected that we had to convince them that "the baby is coming NOW". I can't recommend it highly enough, and would be happy to send you my more info if you pm me.
That is SOOOO true!!!!!
I kept telling the nurses that I was having the baby NOW and pushing NOW and they were just standing around, blinking at me like, "Yeah, right."
Finally, my doula snapped out, "What part of N-O-W do you not understand?"
And that got everyone's attention.
Every nurse on the maternity floor came running into my room. One of them said, "we don't often get to see a natural birth." The hospital where my daughter was born had a 90% epidural rate.
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I did for my last birth. I found a doula through my LaLeche League group who was trained in hypnobirthing. She worked with me during my pregnancy, and gave me a book, but I don't remember the name of it.
I would highly recommend finding a doula who knows how to do it. And it worked out very well!! I actually slept through most of my labor!! I would say that I only felt pain for maybe...15 minutes out of the entire thing, and that was during the pushing stage and that was because my daughter's arm and hand came out along with her head.
But my doula was incredible!!!! I wish I had one for my other three!! She was sooo encouraging! Always there with a kind word and a cool washcloth!! It was very comforting!
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We used Abeka K5 math last year and my daughter LOVED it!! She loves math and she loves workbooks, so it was always the subject she wanted to do first (it still is! We're using Abeka Math 1 this year)
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No, it's not necessary. We completed R&S English 2 orally anyway.
I didn't start having them write anything until R&S English 3.
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The Stand
Duma Key (that's one of his newer ones...it was very good!!)
The Tommyknockers
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My advice would be to find something they can use together for science and history -- something that's designed for use with multiple ability levels / ages, so that it can be 'customized' for the needs of each one.
And then let them use their own books for math and English, so they can each go at their own pace. And if they have different learning styles, that can be accommodated also (maybe one learns best with phonics and another one learns best with sight reading....or maybe one needs manipulatives for math and another one enjoys colorful workbooks, etc.)
My boys aren't twins! In fact, they're 5 years apart in age...but my 14 year old has autism and my 8 year old is very advanced for his age .. so I try to find a science and history program that's geared toward a 5th to 8th grade age level and then it works for both of them. They love it and it saves me time (since I also have a 1st grader to teach). They each have their own math and English books, geared toward their learning styles and ability level.
Hope this helps!
Urgent! Mom in Dire Need of Prayer!
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
Continuing to pray here and hoping for great news from the doctors over the next few days!!!
:grouphug: