Thank you for that perspective. I guess I have something to think about. Da wants a challenging class that is heavy on reading and documentaries, and I would like to include a lot of writing. Although I intend to include discussion, this is mostly a class he intends to work on independently.

Thank you. Did your son read it all at once, or as it related to his studies?

If you have read this book, can I get some opinions? http://www.amazon.com/1491-Revelations-Americas-Before-Columbus/dp/1400032059 Do you feel this book would be Ok for a 8th grade, avid reader, and history buff? Is it something that I could incorporate into an in depth study of American History? Or should it just be given as an independent read before/after the coarse. I have not seen the book, but someone recommended it to us. I am finishing up my resource list and am not sure if I should include this.

Thank you. I agreed with all the previous comments, but I think annoyed is what best described what I felt. As a mother of 4 Mexican-American boys, I can say they have never once asked, "Mom why aren't there more hispanics in these books?" In fact, race has never come up. It is simply a non-issue for them. I wonder if it is the adults projecting this stuff on to the children.

I was going to say 8th or 9th. I was leaning towards 9th grade. I had a 20 page paper in 6th grade about the Manatee. I had to research, make note cards, use MLA, and site outside work. It was the first time I used a bibliography. I actually learned a lot, but I can't imagine that I wrote a stellar essay that was so genius the words would jump off the page. KWIM I think it was intended to teach us to write and research independently. It was an assignment given in preparation of middle school. The teacher really gave little to no help. I had to go to the library and look up MLA format. It seems a little silly for the teacher to be irritated with you. Don't studies show that students with high parental involvement perform better in school? Any how, I do not believe the assignment was appropriate for 6th grade. 8th/9th, maybe.

Is it just from opening the email or clicking a link in the email?

Has anyone mentioned this today? I hope not. I read this article this morning and had a strong reaction to it. I thought it would be a good idea to hear what all the smart ladies and gentleman here on the board think and why. I hope the old general board is the correct place to put it. :) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/education/young-latino-students-dont-see-themselves-in-books.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fnational%2Findex.jsonp&_r=0

I think community college is a swell idea. It will allow him to get used to all the positive changes happening in his life. Also, he could always study for the SAT/ACT and apply next year or transfer as a Jr. As far as the reason for missing school. I do not think he needs to mention this now, but it may be the source of a great admissions essay sometime in the future. Just an idea. Congrats to your ds on wanting to move forward and do good things.

Lets say you take in a young person about to enter 9th grade and find that they are horrible spellers. There are spelling mistakes in every sentence they write, and they know no spelling rules. It is actually embarrassing to them, and may even be affecting their self esteem. They are bright and have no known LD. From speaking to this person, it seems they really have had no formal spelling in school. Where would you begin?

:grouphug: I am so sorry for all of you. I am sure it is great for her to know you support her and want the best for her.

As challenging as being a parent is, the rewards truly are great.

watching my dc sit at the dinner table as they eat a home cooked meal and talk and joke with dad, auntie, and I. After a long day, this scene is what reminds me how much I have to be thankful for all year long. How about you?

Thank you so much to each of you. You are two of the people I had hoped would weigh in. :) Jean, thank you for noticing those errors. I have come to find that when ds is writing, he makes mistakes he wouldn't normally make. (there instead of their, apostrophes missing or added in the wrong places) Strangely enough, if I ask how do you spell there as in over there, he will answer correctly. The same goes with apostrophes, commas, and some other spelling mistakes. I am hoping this will improve with maturity, as as he becomes more comfortable with writing. Regentrude, I agree with the points you have made. Ds is in an online class, and it is something the teacher would actually like them to learn. She is asking that the grab the readers attention with an anecdote, question, or Quote. Ds found the question the easiest to do, but I did speak with him before hand and explain the reasons why he would not be using that method much in later years. In this class they are also being encouraged to use a lot of for example, secondly, as a result, furthermore, etc..... I seem to recall this is also frowned upon in the later years. I do recall being taught these things in middle school, and then taught about using it sparingly (questions never) once I entered high school. Go figure.

:grouphug: Oh dear. I hope she is found safe. I can't even imagine what her parents must be feeling. Praying for them all.

It seems my requests for reviews of ds's essays don't get many responses over in the k-8 board. It occurred to me since he is 13, it might be Ok to post here. He is looking for any suggestions,grammar, help taking out repetition and vagueness, removal of be verbs, and opinions on whether or not he has supported his thesis correctly. Any thing you throw at him. He is a very reluctant writer, and only recently became began writing essays without fighting tooth and nail to avoid it. KWIM Thanks in advance. My Opinion on Fiction Imagine traveling to faraway places and make believe lands without spending any money. How can I do this? By reading fiction, which allows readers to do this and much more without spending any money. It is an easy way to experience foreign things and travel the world. Reading fiction is a worth while because it helps the readers learn, can increase imagination, and is fun at the same time. Reading fiction provides a good alternative to textbooks for learning very important things. Fiction can teach readers about the past and what life was like without electricity and other luxuries of today. For example, The Little House series demonstrates how people lived during the 1800‘s. While reading these books children will learn how maple syrup gets collected, how to make ice cream, and churn butter by hand. These are things children of today likely would not do or learn otherwise. Likewise, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, By Mark Twain teaches readers about dialect. Although reading this book may be a challenge at first, readers will begin to understand the southern dialect and increase their vocabulary. This is beneficial for people who may travel to the southern part of the US, as well as future writers of fiction. Basically, fiction teaches readers new things in an new way, often without them even noticing, so fiction is a worthwhile activity. When children read fiction their imagination expands and gets stimulated. while reading fiction, the reader gains the ability to visit places and people that they can never meet in real life. A good example of this is Peter Pan which takes readers to the imaginary world of Never Never Land and allows them to imagine a place where children can fly and never grow old. Young readers can create in there minds scenes of Peter’s adventures and decide what the characters look like. Similarly, Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson contains a pirate ship and a boy that gets stranded on a deserted island. Following this young man’s adventures while reading allows readers to experience adventure and even danger without ever being in real peril. Reading fiction challenges readers to utilize their imaginations making reading fiction a profitable endeaver. Children receive hours of free entertainment while reading fiction. When choosing a work of fiction to read, readers can pick books on subjects of interest to them. Books may be serious, dramatic, or even funny. Diary of a wimpy kid often makes it’s readers chuckle. As a result, readers are entertained and may not even notice time passing by. Another entertaining piece of fiction,The Emperors New Clothes tells a hilarious story about an king walking around in the nude until a child chooses to tell him he is not wearing any clothes. As the reader, children can see what is going on and have a laugh at the emperors situation. As a result, reading fiction gives readers various choices for entertainment, making it a valuable pastime. Through reading fiction readers get the ability to master new things, entertain themselves and imagine at the same time. While reading fiction children can read about subjects that are of interest to them while learning about topics that are new. At the same time, they will be forced to use their imagination. This is a skill that can help students in school for essay writing, and even further in the future in creative careers. Can you imagine what life might be like without our many works of fiction?

Bump

Wow! I love all the vocabulary. Startled, stormed, shriveled, bellowed... It really makes the story interesting and helps paint a picture. She is also fantastic at using dialogue. I must say, this is wonderful for a 9 y/o. I am very impressed. Would you mind sharing what her previous writing experience has been? Oh, and thank you so much for sharing. What a cute story.

I think the narrations a very good. She seems to have a good understanding of how to write a complete sentence, uses good vocabulary, adds correct punctuation and apostrophes and includes the high lights. As a pp said, at this point you can begin working on sentence combining. As far as spelling, even though there are a couple mistakes, a few look like they were as a result of rushing (our instead of out), and even adults make spelling mistakes. HTH

Well, my oldest will be entering high school next year. I would like to see what my options are. He would like a Math tutor, and some online classes. I definitely plan to invest in Teaching Company Videos, but I thought MOOCSS and Open Courseware would also be valuable tools to look at for both of us. He is especially interested in Anything History/government related. Thanks.

I just enrolled in a bunch of Coursera classes. Does that count. I Plan to do some open courseware with ds as well. He wants to learn German, but I am a little scared of it. I may learn French, so that I may understand his struggles while he is learning German.

LOL. I keep trying to upload something, but all my pictures are too big.

Any feedback would be wonderful. Likes, suggestions, even grammar. I know he has a few spelling and grammar mistakes that he will be tackling this week-end. Also, he feels that his wording is sometimes a bit awkward, so any suggestions or questions regarding this that will point him towards sentences he should rework would be greatly appreciated. Ds is 13 and still not a confident writer. He also recognizes that he uses a lot of repetition but sometimes doesn't realize it. He would also like to know if you feel he supported his opinion, or needs elaboration. If so, where? Thanks! My Opinion on Fiction Imagine traveling to faraway places and make believe lands without spending any money. How can I do this? By reading fiction, which allows readers to do this and much more without spending any money. It is an easy way to experience foreign things and travel the world. Reading fiction is a worth while because it helps the readers learn, can increase imagination, and is fun at the same time. Reading fiction provides a good alternative to textbooks for learning very important things. Fiction can teach readers about the past and what life was like without electricity and other luxuries of today. For example, The Little House series demonstrates how people lived during the 1800‘s. While reading these books children will learn how maple syrup gets collected, how to make ice cream, and churn butter by hand. These are things children of today likely would not do or learn otherwise. Likewise, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, By Mark Twain teaches readers about dialect. Although reading this book may be a challenge at first, readers will begin to understand the southern dialect and increase their vocabulary. This is beneficial for people who may travel to the southern part of the US, as well as future writers of fiction. Basically, fiction teaches readers new things in an new way, often without them even noticing, so fiction is a worthwhile activity. When children read fiction their imagination expands and gets stimulated. while reading fiction, the reader gains the ability to visit places and people that they can never meet in real life. A good example of this is Peter Pan which takes readers to the imaginary world of Never Never Land and allows them to imagine a place where children can fly and never grow old. Young readers can create in there minds scenes of Peter’s adventures and decide what the characters look like. Similarly, Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson contains a pirate ship and a boy that gets stranded on a deserted island. Following this young man’s adventures while reading allows readers to experience adventure and even danger without ever being in real peril. Reading fiction challenges readers to utilize their imaginations making reading fiction a profitable endeaver. Children receive hours of free entertainment while reading fiction. When choosing a work of fiction to read, readers can pick books on subjects of interest to them. Books may be serious, dramatic, or even funny. Diary of a wimpy kid often makes it’s readers chuckle. As a result, readers are entertained and may not even notice time passing by. Another entertaining piece of fiction, The Emperors New Clothes tells a hilarious story about an king walking around in the nude until a child chooses to tell him he is not wearing any clothes. As the reader, children can see what is going on and have a laugh at the emperors situation. As a result, reading fiction gives readers various choices for entertainment, making it a valuable pastime. Through reading fiction readers get the ability to master new things, entertain themselves and imagine at the same time. While reading fiction children can read about subjects that are of interest to them while learning about topics that are new. At the same time, they will be forced to use their imagination. This is a skill that can help students in school for essay writing, and even further in the future in creative careers. Can you imagine what life might be like without our many works of fiction?

Bump

Double post

I am one of those. I was intending on changing my name for awhile, but I didn't get around to it until recently. My reason? Well, when I joined I had been a lurker for a few years, but wanted the ease of searching the forums that came with being signed in. I didn't expect I would come out of lurkdom and, so, wasn't very creative with my name.